October 1, 2018 by Kentucky Kernel

kentuckykernel

Monday, October 1, 2018

est. 1892 | Independent since 1971 www.kykernel.com @kykernel @kentuckykernel

Marching to a new beat Celebrating the 50th anniversary of women in the marching band

STDs ST

ARDEN BARNES I STAFF

KASH DANIEL:

ARE ON THE RISE NATIONALLY, AT UK

SMALL TOWN KID, BIG TIME STAGE

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editorial

VOTE. PAGE 9

Monday, October 1, 2018

kernelnews Oral arguments heard in Kernel v. UK appeal; decision from panel still to come By Rick Childress news@kykernel.com

Attorneys representing UK, the Kernel and the Kentucky Attorney General’s office argued their positions before a panel of three judges in the Kentucky Court of Appeals on Tuesday, Sept. 25. Since the Kernel’s law team is appealing an earlier decision, Kernel lawyer Tom Miller had to prove to the panel that the previous decision was incorrect. UK’s lawyers needed only to defend the earlier decision. The decision in question came in January 2017, when a Fayette County judge ruled

in favor of UK in its lawsuit against the Kernel. The hearing is the latest development in a long saga of court battles over open records disputes between the Kernel and several Kentucky public universities which began in August 2016 when the Kernel requested investigative documents related to alleged sexual misconduct by a UK professor. It’s not clear when a decision will be made, but presiding judge Robert Johnson said during the proceedings that the court would make an announcement “in the next 45 to 60 days.” The Kernel requested the

documents under the Kentucky Open Records Act. UK argued that releasing the documents would cause the university to violate the Federal Educational Rights and Privacy Act, a student privacy act better known as FERPA. After the oral arguments, UK’s lawyer declined to comment but directed any questions to UK spokesperson Jay Blanton, who was not present at the oral arguments. “We are pleased that the Court focused on the legal rights of victim-survivors to make the decision about when—or even if—to tell their story. This case has always been about their priva-

cy and their rights,” Blanton wrote in a statement. The Kernel’s law team and the attorney general’s office have argued that UK is citing a federal statute in order to avoid releasing information that may be damaging to the university’s reputation. Both attorneys continued those arguments before the appeals court. Travis Mayo spoke first and, on behalf of the attorney general’s office, argued that UK’s interpretation of the law and behavior in this case is a threat to the Kentucky Open Records Act and government transparency. Mayo told the panel that

UK asks for “the unlimited and unqualified authority to withhold records from the public without proving that the law allows them— shutting the open doors to government that the open records act mandates.” Miller argued on behalf of the Kernel that the documents in question are not student-specific documents that would be protected under FERPA, but rather are investigative pieces that detail the sexual advances and harassment allegedly perpetrated by a UK professor— information that, Miller argued, ought to be allowed to be requested from government

agencies and publicized to protect potential future victims. Josh Salsburey said on behalf of UK that releasing the documents, even with redactions, would violate federal law and cause students and especially student-victims to lose trust in the university. He argued that the contents of the investigative documents may allow “skillful googlers” to identify the victims, even if their names or other identifying information were removed. The panel will need to reach a majority on whether to affirm or reverse the Fayette Circuit Court decision.

UK statistics consistent with national rise in STDs

By Jacob Eads

news@kykernel.com

National rates of syphilis, gonorrhea and chlamydia have risen consistently for the past four years, according to recent statistics released by the Center for Disease Control. Almost 2.3 million cases of these sexually transmitted diseases were diagnosed in 2017, the highest amount ever reported nationwide, according to the CDC. About 200,000 more cases were diagnosed in 2017 than in 2016. “We are sliding backward,” said Dr. Jonathan Mermin of the CDC in an August release. “It is evident the systems that identify, treat, and ultimately prevent STDs are strained to near-breaking point.” While UK HealthCare isn’t diagnosing STDs by the millions, or even thousands, public health professionals are still seeing a rise in cases comparable to that evident in national data. In 2017, data showed UK’s University Health Services collectively diagnosed approximately 621 cases of chlamydia, gonorrhea and herpes. This number is a few shy of the CDC’s millions of diagnoses, but still a jump from years past. “What’s happening at UK is aligned with what’s going on around the nation in colleges,” said Joanne Brown, a nurse practitioner with a doctorate in nursing

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practice. “I’m not surprised by the data,” Brown said. Brown, who works as a sexual health expert within University Health Services, is responsible for compiling the university’s data on diagnoses. Just a decade ago in 2007, UK HealthCare diagnosed just 96 cases of chlamydia. Fast forward to 2017, and UHS has diagnosed 474 cases, according to data provided by University Health Services.

“That tells me we’re not screening enough people. If we can screen them and treat them, our rate should start going down.” Joanne Brown, DNP, APRN

UK’s statistics on reported cases of gonorrhea and herpes also showed steady increases in recent years. UHS diagnosed 41 cases of gonorrhea and 106 cases of herpes in 2017, according to statistics provided by UHS. This jump is one seen throughout the nation and especially at colleges and uni-

versities, according to Brown. Despite UK’s health professionals’ best efforts to corral a spiking STD rate, numbers are still rising. “That tells me we’re not screening enough people,” Brown said. “If we can screen them and treat them, our rate should start going down.” In an attempt to stymie an influx of STD diagnoses, UHS has worked to increase the brevity of its outreach programs. Employees say that these efforts might enable them to reach the students that might not think they’re at risk of contracting STD’s. “We’re trying to reach some of the students that don’t think they’re at risk or don’t want to come in to student health or be screened for whatever reason,” Brown said. UHS regularly holds outreach events aimed at educating students on the truths of sexual health. The university also sponsors a student ambassador program called the “Sexperts” that works alongside UHS to better educate the student population. “It’s not unusual for folks in this age bracket to think that these don’t happen to them and that they’re not at risk,” Brown said. As part of UHS’s educational mission and its aim to decrease STD rates on campus, health professionals recommend that all students be screened and tested for STDs at least once per year.

UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY SYPHILIS, GONORRHEA AND CHLAMYDIA OUTBREAKS 2017

2.3 million cases of syphilis, gonorrhea and chlamydia nation wide

2017

621 cases of chlamydia, gonorrhea and herpes at UK’s UHS

2007 2017

to 96 cases | 474 cases of chlamydia at UK’s UHS

2017 UK’s UHS: 41 CASES OF GONORRHEA

2017 UK’s UHS: 106 CASES OF HERPES

JILLIAN JONES I STAFF

Monday, October 1, 2018

MICHAEL CLUBB I STAFF A student speeds by on a bicycle during class change on Wednesday, Sept. 19, 2018, in Lexington, Kentucky.

By Rick Childress news@kykernel.com

Bike thefts around UK’s campus are going down, but they’re certainly not going away. According to data provided by the UK Police, reported bike thefts have decreased steadily over the past three years. In 2016, 132 bikes were reported stolen. Last year, 107 bikes were reported stolen. Through the first eight months of this year, there have been 53 reported bike thefts. If current trends hold, UK should finish between 80 and 90 bike theft reports in 2018. According to UK Police Chief Joe Monroe, bike thefts have gone done because of better bike racks, more cameras and better education on bike security. He said that most thefts occur because of poor locks or because an owner locked up their bike improperly. How to lock up a bike properly P.J. Berg, a bicycle mechanic at Pedal Power, a near-campus bike shop on South Upper Street, said that a big part of bike security is making sure you have a good lock that you know how to use properly.

As part of his job, Berg said he’s had to cut broken locks off of customer’s bikes. U-locks, he said, are very hard to cut off. “They take power tools to crack open,” Berg said of the small metal locks which look like thick horseshoes. He added that some folding locks can also do a great job of protecting a bike. Berg said many thieves go after bikes with locks that are obviously cheap and low quality. Cable locks, which consist mainly of a small combination lock attached to a long medal and plastic cord, are not the best form of bike security. “A lot of cable locks get cut very easily and those ones tend to be the easy targets for thieves,” Berg said. “If you want to keep your bike, then get a good lock. Remember, a good quality lock is still cheaper than a new bike.” Still, with a little time and patience, a good lock can be cut, Berg said. Locks are not completely theft proof, but they are a good deterrent. “I’ve seen some pretty good locks get cut,” Berg said. “Because whoever was stealing them took their time, probably scouted it out a bit, got some battery-powered

power tools.” Berg said that a bike should always be locked through the frame of the bike to the object that the bike is being secured to. Don’t simply lock the wheel of the bike to the frame, as a would-be thief could just walk off with it. “I would highly recommend locking it to something,” he said. What to do if your bike is stolen If your bike is stolen on campus, you should report the theft and the serial number of the stolen bike to the police. Every bike has a serial number and bar code printed on the bottom of the frame, Berg said. Knowing that serial number is essential if the bike gets stolen. The serial number can be included in the police report and, in the event that the police ever find the stolen bike, officers can match the stolen bike’s serial number to the one the owner reported. Berg said most stolen bikes unfortunately don’t get returned, but there’s always a chance. “If a thief is determined to steal a bike, they’re going to steal a bike,” Berg said. “It’s unfortunate but it’s just kind of the truth.”

READ THE

Bike thefts around UK’s campus appear to be dropping, but not disappearing

KENTUCKY KERNEL fall 2018 | 3

Monday, October 1, 2018

kernellifestyle From friends to brothers: UK FarmHouse initiates man with down syndrome By Bailey Vandiver lifestyle@kykernel.com

“I, Josh Banks,” Brack Duncan said, beginning the initiation oath for FarmHouse fraternity. “I, Josh Banks,” repeated Josh Banks, Duncan’s long-time friend who officially became his brother on Sept. 24. With this initiation, Banks became the first man with down syndrome to ever be initiated into a fraternity, according to Duncan’s research. Duncan, a senior studying social studies in secondary education, is an active member of FarmHouse at UK. Duncan paused every few words for Banks to repeat after him, but when he reached the words “FarmHouse fraternity,” the pause lengthened as he struggled to hold back his emotion. Duncan has known Banks for more than three years; the two first met when Duncan began working at STRIDE, a recreational program for people with disabilities. Both men share Winchester as a hometown, but what made them a pair was one mutual interest: clogging. Duncan had clogged competitively for 13 years, while Banks had been on a special needs clogging team. Their relationship began because it was Duncan’s job, he said, but it didn’t stay that way for long. “After we got to know each other one on one, it just turned into a friendship,” Duncan said. They spend time together a couple times a week— and Friday is “our day,” Duncan said. They like to go to the movies or go out to eat together, and over the summer, they went to the Tim McGraw and Faith Hill concert. “His favorite thing to do is just to blare country music in the car and sing,” Duncan said. Banks first represented FarmHouse at Delta Delta Delta’s Kentucky’s Got Talent Event, when Duncan and Banks danced

ARDEN BARNES I STAFF LEFT: Josh Banks hugs Tonya Duncan, Brack’s mother, after being initiated into FarmHouse on Sept. 24, 2018. “At first I wasn’t sure that Josh understood the magnitude of this,” said Tonya, “but I told him so many people loved him and he said ‘I know’ and for him to understand that, that is so special.” RIGHT: Josh Banks does a thumbs-up right after his official initiation in FarmHouse fraternity on UK’s campus.

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together. “He wanted to be on stage so bad…” Duncan said. “We didn’t really ask, we just did it, but it ended up being really good.” After the video of their dancing went viral, the pair teamed up with Shop Local Kentucky and raised $5,000 for down syndrome research. “That’s really when it changed,” Duncan said. “I started to see the impact it was having on other people.” It was around this time that FarmHouse President Ben Bohannon suggested that FarmHouse initiate Banks. “It really just popped into my head that I really want to do something big to say thank you,” Bohannon said. Banks had helped FarmHouse with its philanthropy, so Bohannon looked into their options and found that Banks could be an associate member, which means he has the same rights as every other member but is not a student at UK. “It was just meant to be a thank you,” Bohannon said. “We had no idea, really didn’t, that this had never been done before, and then Brack did some research and he told me and I was like oh that’s big.” Banks was initiated in front of active members of FarmHouse, members of TriDelt and some of Duncan’s family members. The initiation, called the pearl ceremony, included the reading of FarmHouse’s values. Much of the ceremony was scripted and led by Bohannon. “If I didn’t have a script, I’d be speechless,” Bohannon said. “It just excites the hell out of me.” As part of the ceremony, FarmHouse Chaplain Carter Hench led a prayer. “We just praise you for allowing the relationship that Brack and Josh have,” Hench prayed. “Lord, we just ask that you please help Josh grow within FarmHouse, and that he pushes FarmHouse to be better men.” Duncan said he became emotional during the initiation because he was “seeing the way that [Josh has] changed so many people.”

“We just kind of go together, and if it wasn’t for that, this wouldn’t have happened,” Duncan said. Duncan said that Banks already considers himself to be part of FarmHouse, so nothing is really changing for him. “But it’s making a statement that’s a lot bigger than I can wrap my head around, but it’s pretty cool just seeing the world turn into a more accepting place and a more understanding place,” Duncan said. Banks said he is happy to be part of FarmHouse because of “good friends.” “He’s good,” he said when asked what he thought of Duncan. “That’s all you think of me?” Duncan joked in response. Duncan’s mom Tonya said Banks is Duncan’s best friend. “If he had to choose anyone to spend time with, it’s always him,” she said. Tonya said she was unsure at first whether Banks understood the “magnitude” of the situation. “But I told him so many people love him, and he said, ‘I know,’ and for him to understand that, that is so special,” she said. Bohannon said that everyone wonders if they are going to have an impact in college, and sometimes joining a fraternity is seen as just an avenue for social gatherings. “But really, we strive to de different, and I think we’ve really shown that tonight,” he said. Bohannon said he has heard from FarmHouse alumni that they’ve “never seen… never done anything like this before.” But Bohannon said he was just trying to be nice. “It’s hard to explain, it really is,” he said. Duncan said this is significant because adults with special needs often don’t have many options for activities, but joining FarmHouse allows Banks to hang out with young people. “I don’t want to say I’m proud, but I am,” he said. “Just of the organization and just seeing this step be taken— hopefully it’s just the beginning.”

Monday, October 1, 2018

7,800 and counting: UK employee’s toy collection keeps growing By Lauryn Haas lifestyle@kykernel.com

Everyone has a favorite board game. Some people keep Monopoly in the china cabinet to pull out when the family comes over during the holidays or a deck of cards in the junk drawer just in case their friends want to play around the dinner table. Games are entertaining, engaging and, most of all, fun. Tony Elam would know. He has about 7,800. “I always liked games growing up, but I lived in a small town in Louisiana, and I didn’t have access to much. I had Monopoly, Scrabble, Clue and just a few of the normal games that people would see back in those times,” said Elam, Director of Strategic Initiatives in the College of Engineering and Associate Director of the Center for Computational Sciences. It wasn’t until 1971, his freshman year at UK, that Elam started to become interested in the types of games he collects today. He found an Avalon Hill war game at the old Turfland Mall on Harrodsburg Road, and his wife bought it for him because he thought it seemed interesting. Elam started playing and was hooked. “I started buying more of these Avalon Hill war games, and back in the early seventies that was the most sophisticated kind of games you could get,” Elam said. “They were historical war games about fighting the Battle of Gettysburg, D-Day, great battles in history. But they were fun and intricate, and I really liked them.”

ing Tunnels and Trolls temporarily, D&D soon released a new edition with updated rules that was much better. As the first role-playing game of its kind, D&D was a hit with gamers everywhere. Elam became a nationally renowned Dungeon Master and would travel to gaming conventions to help run tournaments throughout the late ‘70s and early ‘80s. Different versions of these role-playing games were being released to keep up with the trend, like Call of Cthulhu. As a collector, he purchased them all. In the late ‘80s, Elam began to collect games dated back to the 1800s. He said it’s difficult to find them now, especially in good condition, because many are missing pieces or have crumbling cardboard, but games from this time period have some of the most beautiful art work. “One of the things that I always tell people is that the games kind of represent little snapshots of time,” Elam said. “They reflect what people’s interests were in that particular year… You’ll always find games that are made about a president or an incident that’s occurred. They are little snapshots of time.” In the late ‘90s, Elam became interested in the European gaming industry. The United States had a dominated gaming market with few companies releasing different versions of the same game each year, but the market in Europe was filled with multiple small companies who would frequently release new and innovative games. Elam purchased a German version of a game called Settlers of Catan and then expanded his collection to include more

“One of the things that I always tell people is that the games kind of represent little snapshots of time. They reflect what people’s interests were in that particular year.” Tony Elam Elam had a growing collection of these war games by 1974, the year Dungeons and Dragons was released. Although Elam said that the rules were poorly written at first, and he switched over to play-

games from Europe. “They have a big board game convention every year in Essen, Germany. That’s on my bucket list,” Elam said. “I’ve been to England a few times, and every time I would

LAURYN HAAS I STAFF Tony Elam, Director of Strategic Initiatives in the College of Engineering and Associate Director of the Center for Computational Sciences, collects board games and has more than 7,800 in his collection.

go I would buy as much as I could carry in my suitcase or boxes. I’ve always enjoyed seeing the different designs and new gaming mechanics.” Elam’s favorite game is called Cosmic Encounters, but some of his favorite games to collect are those with miniatures, and he has over 12,000 miniatures in total. His role-playing game collection, which included all his Dungeons and Dragons games, consisted of over 1,000 pieces and is now located in the National Toy Museum in New York. He has parted with a few other pieces of his collection, including his Magic the Gathering card collection, which included a card called the Black Lotus that Elam valued at $10,000 to $15,000. The remainder of Elam’s table-top game collection is stored library-style in the basement, bedrooms and library of his house here in Kentucky. He purchases games online to add to his collection but also occasionally buys from local game stores. Elam also backs game developers through Kickstarter to show his support and gain special access to new releases. He has

PHOTO PROVIDED BY TONY ELAM A small subsection of Tony Elam’s toy collection.

Kickstarted over 300 games and is looking forward to the release of one of these games, Joan of Arc, in the next six months. Elam’s final role in the world of gaming is on the selection committee for the National Toy Hall of Fame. Every year, he is asked to narrow down a selection of 12 toys to his top three.

“It’s something I have really enjoyed doing. I take it very seriously,” Elam said. “Having an engineering background, I have my spread sheet, and I have my categories and criteria, and I read every toy and decide is it iconic? Does it foster discovery? Is it innovative? It is something that I get to do every year, and I always enjoy that.”

fall 2018 | 5

Monday, October 1, 2018

kernelopinions

Spring Cleaning: Let’s get rid of phone-free classrooms back while in class is important. Texting back in a timely manner is imperative to many students’ jobs or Asst. Opinions family matters that need a Editor response.

I ST MM GU ITL YN KA

Before you rush to harsh judgments and stereotypes, hear me out: Phones can be useful and, quite frankly, they’re going to be part of our future. So let’s get used to the idea of phones in college classrooms. The most common argument I hear from this suggestion is, “But phones are a distraction!” You’re completely right; phones can be a huge distraction. As college students, we should have the choice to use our phones to distract us, in a class we’re paying for, if we want. If a student ultimately fails a class due to their negligence, it’s their own fault. For those who have multiple jobs and many important events happening, the ability to shoot a quick text

HANNAH WOOSLEY

Beginning a class on syllabus day with, “Phone use is prohibited,” forces students to up their creativity in using a phone secretly. Most laptops have the capability of texting, too, so is it time to prohibit those as well? Technology is advancing so rapidly that it’s hard to put an end to one thing and not all.

Phones should be considered useful tools in the classroom. A professor or classmate has a question that needs a quick answer? You’ll know in a few seconds with a phone. Need to start a group chat to meet up with classmates outside of class? Instead of writing each number individually and later hoping it’s correct, pull a phone out and start one in a flash; you’ll know instantly. Have an important due date that needs a reminder set? Your phone can notify you after logging it. While phone use in classrooms can have a negative impact on learning if overused, that choice should be up to each student whether they wish to take that chance or not. Phone use has many positives that are often overlooked due to the negative stereotypes phones carry. Let’s begin thinking of phones as a tool of the future, and one we can choose to use if we wish.

letters to the editor Like is said, like, way too often

I currently study Russian at UK under the Donovan Fellowship for Academic Scholars and thoroughly enjoy it. However, as I listen to my young classmates and overhear conversations on campus, I have come to the conclusion that I am in dire need of a modern English grammar class. For example, I find myself still using the archaic verbs “say” and “think,” but now realize that these have been superseded by the verb “to be” plus the preposition “like.” So, instead of the obsolete expression “He said, ‘Let’s celebrate after the ball game,’” we have the much improved expression “He was like, ‘Let’s celebrate after the ball game.’” Or instead of the old-fashioned expression “I think that he’s crazy if

he takes calculus,” we have the modern equivalent “I’m like, ‘He’s crazy if he takes calculus.’” A modern English grammar class might also have spared me the embarrassment of not knowing that an entire class of verbs exist with inseparable prefixes (well, at least in spoken form). The list is nearly endless: I like study every night, he like works at McDonald’s, she like drinks too much, and so on. Adjectives have undergone improvement as well, for people are now not simply “tired,” but “like tired,” not “worried,” but “like worried,” not “really happy,” but “like really happy.” So now I’m like, I wonder if you get my point?

Mark Hoskins Donovan Scholar

Community must work to prevent future tragedies

The pain that is the family’s and their close friends’ can’t be shared by the community, but the responsibility to make sure this doesn’t happen again is ours. Our state should pass a law that police seize vehicles of those arrested under the influence like they seize guns used in crimes. Maybe this would be seizing cars for short terms but completely with repeat offenses. Add to that, driving without insurance or excessive speeding.

I also hope that we not have anger toward the perpetrator but adamantly condemn his and his fraternity’s acts. After I found out my dad had been killed (thus a victim of murder), I cried all the way from Michigan to Lexington. But thankfully, I never had hate at that time, nor since, for the teen who killed him. The loss of my dad that I felt then still returns and is deeply a part of my being. I now cry for our loss of a child.

Don Pratt Lexington

UK must reconsider credit hour cutoff for commencement honors SARAH LADD Opinions Editor

UK’s website outlines the requirements for graduating with high honors: A 3.8 grade point average gets you the envied designation of Summa Cum Laude; maintain a 3.6 and you’ll earn Magna Cum Laude, so forth and so on. You get the point. These grade requirements are completely fair for these

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honors (high honors demand high levels of work), but they are inconsistent because they exclude transfer students. The page on UK’s website that lists the above honors describes them as applying only to students who have no less than 90 credit hours of work at UK. It goes on to explain that if a student has 60 to 89 credit hours, they must maintain a grade point average of 0.2 more than four-year students, which means that an average transfer student must maintain a 4.0 GPA to earn Summa Cum Laude. Many transfer students

coming in from one of the 16 colleges in the Kentucky Community and Technical College System (KCTCS) have already attained an associate’s degree— a 60 credit hour requirement. When they arrive at UK, their GPA is erased, and they must start from scratch, maintaining perfect scores to achieve the high honors that their peers will reach much easier. For every four-year student who walks across the stage during commencement with a 3.8 GPA and earns the honor of Summa Cum Laude, there will likely be a transfer stu-

dent who will follow her with a 3.9, earning only Magna Cum Laude. This inconsistency not only alienates transfer students as not equal to fouryear students, but it also denounces the KCTCS system as subordinate, even though UK claims to take pride in working with these colleges. It is quite understandable that universities must protect their reputations by requiring sufficient credit hours in-house before awarding honors. After all, without this precaution, students could transfer in with 100 hours, take 20 at UK and receive

honors that distinguish them as outstanding UK students. This would be unfair to other UK students. But, although UK must clearly have a cutoff at some point for equal honors designations, they must reconsider where the cutoff currently is. As it is now, they have excluded transfer students and in doing so have insulted and excluded the KCTCS system, from which more than 800 students transfer to UK each year. UK should immediately raise the hours requirement to award transfer students with 60 credit hours the same honors as four-year students.

Through doing this, they will take a much-needed step toward guaranteeing equality for transfer students and recognizing the academic excellence within the Kentucky Community and Technical College System. As long as transfer students are alienated in the commencement honors requirements and other events on campus, UK sends a clear message that it neither values nor respects transfer students as equal to four-year students or the academic excellence of its community college neighbors.

Monday, October 1, 2018

editorial

Students must exercise right, duty to vote Our campus has seen many demonstrations and protests throughout the years. You only need to wait for a visiting preacher to give a sermon on chastity, have grad school stipends threatened or a pro-life group visit campus to talk about abortion, and UK students congregate to voice their approval or disapproval of the topic. Our generation is increasingly a proactive one, migrating from social media posts to in-person confrontations such as #BlackLivesMatter, #MeToo and #LoveWins. The Washington Post reported in August that millennials’ protests are getting real results— like diversifying emojis, boycotting companies based on ethics and morals and buying products based on where they’re made. All of these are great initiatives that represent the tenacity of our generation, but one thing is lacking: our initiative to get out on election days and vote. The PEW Research Center reported in June of 2018 that although Generation X, millennials and post-millennials account for a majority of adults eligible to vote, they aren’t showing up to the polls. That research showed that 59 percent of eligible voters were in the Gen X, millennial and post-millennial categories but cast 21 million fewer votes than their seniors— the adults 54 years of age and older. The younger generation has welcomed 18 million more eligible voters since 2014, while the older generation has declined in eligible voter numbers by 10 million since 2014, thanks both to young people coming of age and the natural circle of life. Our generation represents the future of this country and the world. We will be the leaders in 20 years, and we must step up and be civically responsible. We must vote in every election, no matter how trivial the election seems. Do you think a city council race is not important? City councils determine important things like how much bills will be. Don’t think a presidential election matters? The president is the figurehead of our national conversation. From the school board to the presi-

dent, every election is a demonstration of democracy, and we must all participate. If we don’t, we cannot fairly criticize those in office. The PEW Research showed that only about 30 percent of young people on a national scale were showing up to vote. In our congressional district, 2017 data provided by the Commonwealth of Kentucky State Board of Elections shows a voting turnout rate of around 56 percent of female voters and about 49 percent of male voters between the ages of 17 and 24. Though this is better than the national numbers shown by PEW, they still represent a dangerous trend of apathy. Only about half of us are voting in elections that are changing the course of our community’s and nation’s histories. Women recently celebrated the 98th anniversary of the 19th amendment, which granted women the right the vote. The statistics mentioned above show that women are more active voters in our community than men, but we are still falling short of truly honoring how hard suffragists fought for our right to practice this basic democratic function. An ongoing and controversial investigation is now being conducted into a possible Russian collusion in the U.S. 2016 presidential election. While this no doubt is a serious issue and demands attention on an international level, we should be equally concerned with the low voter turnouts during this election. Data provided by The American Presidency Project shows a consistent decline in all voters. In 1960, almost 63 percent of voters voted and by 2012, this data shows only about a 55 percent turnout. We simply cannot continue to sit out on our democratic right and duty. The Kentucky Kernel reported in November 2016 that several UK students were hesitant to cast a vote in the presidential election due to disapproving of both major party candidates, citing date that showed 40 percent of millennial voters between the ages of 18 and 29 disliked both presidential candidates and 48 percent weren’t affiliated with a major party.

Though that story reported that many UK students did vote out of civic duty, they felt that they were throwing votes away on third-party candidates. It quoted a UK student, Trevor Kennedy, as saying, “Voting third party is hard.... you know your vote means nothing and it’s more of symbolic gesture more than anything else.” We at the Kentucky Kernel want to encourage you to exercise your democratic right and consciously decide to vote in every election, no matter who you vote for, be it major or third-party candidates. No vote is just a “symbolic gesture.” Each vote is an active statement that says that you value your democratic right to help determine the course of your nation’s history. No matter how small a candidate is, your vote is your chance to be true to your political and moral principles and is never a cast-away action. We recognize that many students are registered to vote in their home state or county, and we encourage these students to actively look into obtaining absentee ballots, which allow you to cast your vote remotely before election day. Usually, these can be acquired through a phone call to your county clerk, but each state varies. Look into how your county and state handle absentee ballots and fill one out for every election. Absentee ballots help free up your schedule and help you vote before you forget. Whether you are registered in a different state or county and must rely on absentee ballots or you are registered in the area, we encourage you to vote no matter what in every election. As we prepare to be the nation’s next leaders, 50 percent effort will not do. This would be insufficient on a test, on an essay or on a presentation, and it is certainly unacceptable for an active democracy. The next election in Kentucky is Nov. 6. This election will determine Lexington’s next mayor, our district’s congressperson and city council members, to name only a few. These elections are all worth your vote and attention, and we hope to see you at the polls.

fall 2018 | 9

Monday, October 1, 2018

kernelsports

J.J. Williams’ leadership extends off the field

UK women’s soccer coach stays connected to his Irish roots By Chris Leach

By Mohammad Ahmad

sports@kykernel.com

Home is a long way away for Kentucky women’s soccer head coach Ian Carry, whose roots are in Navan, Ireland. Navan is a suburb of Dublin, Ireland, located about 30 miles northwest of the Irish capital city. Carry’s hometown features vast green fields, rolling hills and a horseracing track 10 minutes away from Carry’s house in Navan. Lexington natives might think the description of Navan sounds familiar to their own hometown; that’s because it is. When Carry first came to Lexington to interview for an assistant coaching job with Kentucky women’s soccer team, he immediately noticed the similarities between Lexington and Navan. “I woke up just before the plane was about to land in Lexington and it was like looking out the window and you’re like ‘Oh my goodness, you’re at home,’” Carry said. “Because it was just like horses and green fields, white fences over the race track, etc. That’s very much like where I grew up back home.” Even as Carry was taken around Kentucky’s campus and downtown Lexington, he still felt like he was back in Ireland. The sense of feeling at home and the great experience he had in his interview made Carry want to see even more of Lexington. “Moving to Lexington, it was like straight away, as soon as I landed, I knew this was a place I wanted to call home,” Carry said.

UK men’s soccer forward J.J. Williams has provided support for the team’s success on the field. Off the field, however, his success stretches beyond numbers. The Cats lost seven seniors prior to this season. With only two seniors and so many new players on the roster, Williams said he wasn’t sure about how things were going to go. “With 15 new freshmen coming in, we had to make sure that energy and culture was right,” Williams said. “We had to make sure everyone bought into the system and loved one another.” Williams said that other team captains have to take the weight of responsibility when things don’t go well. However, after having played with previous team captains such as Napo Matsoso, Jordan Wilson and Landon Souder, Williams said he believes that he’s meant to be a team captain. “This a role I’ve anticipated, this is a role that I’ve wanted since I got here,” Williams said. The new team captain brought change to his team. What is that change? According to him, it’s something he didn’t see on his previous Wildcat teams. “My teammates are so close as a team, you can’t separate us,” Williams said. A team culture that goes hand-in-hand with being a tight-knit team is a part of that change. That echoes back to what he said about making sure the “culture was right.” Williams referred to the roster reboot and his leadership opportunity as catalysts for the new culture. As he put it, the new culture was sculpted by his teammates. “That culture makes us easy to play with, but hard to

10 | kentucky kernel

MICHAEL CLUBB I STAFF Junior J.J. Williams high-fives a ball boy during the game against Louisville on Sept. 4, 2018, in Lexington, Kentucky.

play against,” Williams said. “The reason we’re successful is because we’re all so close.” UK’s opponents might agree with him. The Cats are off to one of the program’s best start to a season, and Williams is a big part why. He’s near the top C-USA in goals scored and goals per game. How did Williams develop as a leader on and off the field? His start goes back to his Alabama days. The Montgomery, Alabama, native led Alabama Christian Academy to a 21-0 record his senior year in 2016. He was named Alabama High School Player of the Year that same year. Williams coupled that with playing overseas with the Region Three Olympic Development Program team. Williams credited his Alabama and Kentucky success not just to his hard work, but to someone who helped him along the way. “My trainer Katrina back home is the one who introduced me to the game when I was six,” Williams said. “Since then, she has just been working with me day in and day out.” Katrina Wilson uses unique strategies to help Williams on the field. One of those strategies is analyzing different successful international play-

ers like French striker Thierry Henry and Ivorian striker Didier Drogba. After Wilson breaks down those players’ styles of play, she tries to mold Williams after them. “[Thierry] Henry, if you think about it, is a bigger guy and crafty. [Didier] Drogba is also big and played against center backs, but he was crafty too,” Williams said. “Whenever I get in big situations, I have to get technical just like them. I remember one summer Katrina told me ‘You can’t be one-dimensional.’” Williams said that Wilson is more than a trainer to him. “She’s just like family. The best part is when I’m on the field and she yells at me,” Williams said. “She tells me how it is to make me the best player I can be.” Now that he’s halfway through his junior season, he is slowly creeping up on his senior year. Williams said that, even as a junior, he already has expectations for next season. He wants his legacy to be about both himself and his teammates. “I want my legacy to be that I was a guy who mastered his craft. But, I also want part of my legacy to be that I helped these guys become the best players they could be,” Williams said.

“Somewhere that I knew I would love to be for a long period of time.” Carry was hired as an assistant coach in 2013 and has called Lexington home ever since. Carry was named the team’s head coach after the 2016 season and is currently in the middle of his second season as head coach. Even though Carry has held a coaching position in the United States since 2011, he still keeps in touch with his Irish side. Carry makes time to go watch Gaelic Football matches and keeps in contact with his family back home, often over Skype. Another way Carry stays connected to his Irish roots is shopping at an Irish store called Failte, which is owned by Irish people and sells goods imported from Ireland. “Anything from what you want for your breakfast, to your dinner, to your lunch, whatever it may, they can get it,” Carry said. “As well as candy, Irish chocolate, Irish chips, etc. There’s always that taste of back home.” Failte has provided Carry with many Irish meals in Lexington, and the food is good enough that Carry’s wife has started to crave it just as much as Carry does. “I’d be on the way home from work and it would be ‘hey, can you stop in and get some bread on the way home?’” Carry said. “It’s like ‘oh yeah, absolutely no problem.’” When Carry’s parents flew to Lexington about a month and a half after he accepted the assistant coaching position in 2013, they im-

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UK ATHLETICS

Kentucky women’s soccer head coach Ian Carry is from Navan, Ireland, but now calls Lexington, Kentucky, home.

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Another thing that makes Lexington feel more like CONTINUED FROM PAGE 10 Navan is the horseracing scene in Lexington. mediately noticed the simCarry grew up 10 minilarities of Lexington and utes away from a racetrack Ireland, like Carry. in Navan and became pretOf course, Carry took his parents to Failte to see how ty familiar with horseracing the food in Lexington com- then. When he gets the chance, pares to freshly made meals back home, and according to Carry said he loves the ophis dad, there was not much portunity to visit Keeneland and watch the horses race. difference. “I remember the very Even though Carry is not first time my mom and dad an expert bettor, Carry said were in town, we brought he enjoys being around the them there [Failte] and my atmosphere that Keeneland dad was like ‘oh my good- provides. “I would have no idea ness,’” Carry said. “It’s just what I’m doing in regards to like being back home.”

gambling on horses, I try to keep away from that piece,” Carry said. “If I get a tip off somebody, absolutely.” Horseracing, Failte and a friendly Irish community have made Lexington feel like a second home for Carry and his wife. As the couple expects their first child in the future, they are comfortable with establishing roots in a city that’s similar to Carry’s hometown in Ireland. “Lexington is a place that we’d love to – we’d feel very comfortable raising a family here,” Carry said.

fall 2018 | 11

Monday, October 1, 2018

Small town kid, big time stage: Kash Daniel’s Kentucky football career By Erika Bonner sports@kykernel.com

Small town kid, big-time stage. For an Eastern Kentucky kid from a town with a population of less than 5,000, UK junior inside linebacker Kash Daniel is doing nothing short of making a name for himself on the turf. As a high-schooler, Daniel was named Kentucky’s Mr. Football and Kentucky Gatorade Player of the Year while attending Paintsville High, named a U.S. Army All-American and named first-team all-state by the Courier-Journal and the Associated Press. He was recruited by several schools and chose to be a Wildcat over Michigan, Louisville, Marshall, Ohio, Purdue, South Carolina and Illinois. According to UK Athletics, Daniel said he chose to play at Kentucky because he wanted to play for Coach Mark Stoops and play in the SEC. Playing for Stoops and in the SEC has suited Daniel well, to say the least, especially in the 2018 season so far. In Kentucky’s season opener against Central Michigan, Daniel recorded a career-high 11 tackles, which was also the team-high that game. In week two against Florida, a game in which the Wildcats snapped the 31game losing streak to the Gators, Daniel recorded 11 more tackles. At 22 total tackles on the season at that

CHASE PHILLIPS I STAFF Kash Daniels attempts to sack the quarterback during the game against Mississippi State on Sept. 22, 2018, in Lexington, Kentucky.

point, he led the entire SEC. The Paintsville native said he feels a sense of pride coming from the state of Kentucky. “Making history here at this school, it means a lot to me, and it means a lot that I get to do it in front of my home state and people, especially out in Eastern Kentucky,” Daniel said. Daniel made an impact for Kentucky in his freshman and sophomore seasons as well, but this year is extra special for him, as he is now

one of the team’s starting linebackers and a captain. He said he wasn’t really shocked at the fact that he was named a captain this year, but that he is forever thankful that his teammates think that highly of him. “Every day I come in and my first goal is to be the best teammate I can possibly be,” Daniel said. “No matter if it’s in the locker room, on the field or off the field, you know, these dudes are my brothers. So I’ll ride and die with them. For them to think

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of me as a captain as a junior, you know, going forward I couldn’t be awarded something higher than that coming from my teammates.” Kentucky’s coaching staff has been high on Daniel as well, giving him praise and showing excitement for him over the summer on Kentucky football Media Day. “Kash is doing a very good job. I talked a lot about it in the spring. I was very pleased with the way he’s taken charge of the defense. He’s passionate about it.

There’s no doubt about it,” Stoops said. “He’s going to give you everything he has but he has good command of the defense. He’s playing very well, playing very confident and I’m excited about Kash.” Defensive coordinator Matt House also spoke highly of Daniel during Media Day, saying he was excited about him and that “he’s prepared well for this opportunity.” Being in the position the Daniel has put himself in

is all that he ever could’ve hoped for. “It’s a dream come true. That’s the only way I can put it. It’s something I definitely envisioned myself doing a long time ago as a kid,” Daniel said. “At the time it was just a dream, but through hard work and pushing myself all these years, it’s become a reality, and I’m just thankful for the opportunity.” Prior to Kentucky’s week four home matchup against Mississippi State, UK Athletics ran a cash-only flash sale in the 606 in which fans could drop by Paintsville’s Walmart and buy tickets for ten dollars. The event sold 3,000 tickets. “I knew there were a lot of people there to watch me, so you could say it was a little extra motivation,” Daniel said after UK defeated the Bulldogs. “I think they sold 3,000 tickets, I mean that’s unbelievable. That shows you how much the area cares about UK athletics and how much they care about their own. I can’t thank them enough.” Daniel said it finally hit him when he was walking to the center of the field for the captains meeting right before game one against CMU that he was a starting linebacker for Kentucky. “I came out for captains and I was with C.J., George, Benny, Josh and all them, and just hearing the crowd and coming out, I was just like ‘yeah, this is real,’” Daniel said. “Let’s get after it.”

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