THURSDAY 9.25.14
FORECAST
SUNNY | HI 81º, LO 57º
est. 1892 | independent since 1971 | www.kykernel.com
PHOTO BY MARCUS DORSEY | STAFF
K Lot and overflow K Lots are accessible by 4,881 students who have K permits. Of the students who live on campus, 1,738 have K Lot permits. North Campus’ 497 K Lot permit holders can make the trek across campus to K Lot.
Column: Parking forces students on-campus according to UK Parking and Transportation representative Chrissie Tune, there are no plans to build any residential parking for the new North Campus dorms. That begs the question — is the university’s lack of focus on parking spaces forcing more people into the new dorms? There are 497 students in the North Campus dorms who have K Lot permits, according to an open records request that the Kernel filed to the university. Trekking from K Lot or riding the bus every day before class takes anywhere from 20 minutes to an hour depending on bus schedules and weather. That can be a huge inconvenience and danger for students who may be running late (something that Lexington traffic is happy to oblige) or trying to get home to their dorms or
MARJORIE KIRK Kernel Columnist
In light of the “more than $1 billion in campus transformation projects being self-financed by the university,” according to a press release from UK spokesman Jay Blanton, students must scrutinize where the money is going and who it really benefits. The idea of a new student center, dorms and dining facilities sounds appealing, but not when those upgrades mean a reduction in the already limited on-campus parking and demolishing the remaining affordable on-campus housing. The only residential parking for the North Campus dorms has been built over with the Champions Court I and II dorms, and
apartments late at night. While huge parking lots such as K Lot are not feasible for North Campus’ limited space, residential parking for the dorms is something that the university needs to prioritize. The commuter and residential permits already sell out within the day that they become available, but on top of that students must now race for the dorms with close residential parking as well? Even then the dorms with close residential parking on Central and South Campus have too many students with cars, which forced 1,246 of their residents to get permits in K Lot this semester, according to the open records request. The trek from K Lot to Central or South Campus isn’t as long, but in the winter when it snows, it can be ridiculous to trek through.
This weekend in sports vs. Vanderbilt
Lexington, Ky.
Sept. 28
news@kykernel.com
vs. Ohio State (exhibition)
Lexington, Ky.
Volleyball (10-2)
Sept. 28
vs. South Carolina
Women’s Soccer (5-3)
Sept. 26
Sept. 28
vs. Mississippi State
vs. Auburn
Lexington, Ky.
Lexington, Ky.
Men’s Soccer (4-3-1)
Sept. 27
vs. Florida Atlantic
Women’s tennis
Sept. 26-28
Sept. 27-28
1:30 p.m.
7:30 p.m.
7:30 p.m.
Boca Raton, Fla.
Northwestern Invitational
ITA All Americans
11 a.m.
Columbia, S.C.
Evanston, II.
8 p.m.
Pacific Palisades, Calif.
4,881 total students
3,143 commuting students
1,845
Which students have a K Lot parking permit?
commuting undergraduate students
1,738 on-campus students
285 Central campus resident students
961
497 North campus resident students
908
south campus resident students
BCTC students
Opera House features musical of 1800’s vigilante
12 p.m.
By Hajin Yoo
Softball
the demand for the on-campus housing that provides closer parking, which is provided by some of the new dorms. The university has made it extremely inconvenient for off-campus students to park their cars on campus (not including the distant K Lot) and thus has increased the convenience of on-campus housing. Since many of us cannot afford UK’s new housing rates, many students will be left back in K Lot or forced to get a Lextran pass. Money given to the university should be used to address the issues most relevant to students, like parking, instead of used as an opportunity to gouge more money from them. Marjorie Kirk is a journalism and international studies sophomore. Email opinions @kykernel.com.
Sweeney Todd comes to town
Football (2-1) Sept. 27
What is being done for the students who commute miles to campus? 3,143 students who live off campus have instead bought K Lot permits, away from most classes and amenties on campus. In addition to the limited availability of preferred parking – residential permits and commuter permits – prices for the permits have increased. “We have not had an increase for students in (three) years,” said Tune. “It is just because our costs have increased in terms of maintenance.” With 30 percent of our students having cars on campus, according to U.S. News and World Report, available parking near campus at an affordable price is a priority to a sizable portion of students. By reducing the number of parking spaces on campus, UK has increased
All Day
All Day
The story of the notorious barber-turned-murderer Sweeney Todd is coming to the Lexington Opera House to give audiences a taste of 19th-century vigilantism. Adapted from the 1979 musical thriller by Stephen Sondheim and book by Hugh Wheeler, the play tells the story of Benjamin Barker, aka Sweeney Todd, the English anti-hero who seeks revenge on those who wrongly subjected him to a 15-year jail sentence. Broiled in dark comedy and complex characters, “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street,” will show Saturday Oct. 4
through Sunday, Oct.12. According to UK director of opera and the musical’s producer Everett McCorvey, every spectator should attend with high expectations. He called on the significance of the performer’s role in taking “the audience to a different place,” and “all their care and worries (would be) gone for the next few hours.” McCorvey said the musical would require teamwork between the performers and the audience. Sweeney Todd will be performed with two casts, with two actors playing each role at separate dates. The main two casts, Thomas Gunther and Holly Dodson will interchange with
Matthew Turner and Rachel Snyder in the lead roles of Sweeney Todd and his accomplice Mrs. Lovett. McCorvey actively searches for a play that would meet, if not surpass, expectations after every performance. “Looking at the singers helps me to decide what opera or musical piece I am going to present (next),” McCorvey said. Choosing a play requires McCorvey to find the “triple threats,” in which the performer would have to “move well and be ... convincing actors and good singers,” McCorvey said. McCorvey said that he was “not shy about demanding excellence from (the stu-
dents) in all of their works, rehearsal process, singing, in the way they live their lives, in the way they carry themselves in public. I want them to expect of themselves excellence.” To McCorvey, the preservation and nurturing of opera is a major concern. Choosing Sweeney Todd not only employed the operatic lungs and Broadway-esque acting skills of the UK voice majors, but also the energy and gusto often found in younger patrons. “It is incumbent upon us as music professionals that we ensure the future of the arts and music for the next generation,” McCorvey said. “We cannot just cater to the old generation. We have to engage young people.”
WUKY hosts drive to create community engagement By Kendra Smith news@kykernel.com
WUKY will host its fourth annual Fall Fund Drive to raise money for the public radio station while allowing volunteers to earn some free publicity. In exchange for local groups or organizations volunteering to answer calls and take financial pledges of varying amounts from listeners, they receive 10 free on-air public service announcements,
according to the university. A group of volunteers can sign up for a full day or multiple shifts. This event benefits both parties and creates community engagement, according to WUKY membership manager Robert Hansel. “It helps organizations that don’t have a lot of money for advertising,” Hansel said. “We get their help answering phones for us, and they get the free PSAs.” Anyone can volunteer, re-
gardless of which group they are associated with, Hansel said. The free PSAs will state the name of the organization, location and contact information. Though WUKY also provides a short description of the organization, this information is closely monitored. “We don’t get into what this group is about in terms of if it’s political, if it’s religious… Due to FCC rules, we can’t do that,” Hansel said.
The Federal Communications Commission closely regulates what topics may appear on the air. This prevents controversial messages, such as a call to action, from appearing on the air. Still, WUKY has no restrictions in place for preventing certain groups from receiving the free PSAs. According to the public announcement sent out by UK President Eli Capilouto last Friday, “We must make clear, as loudly and as often as we can, that our university has no
patience for the peddlers of poisonous views.” Despite this remark, the lack of restriction on volunteer groups may create an association between WUKY, a unit of the university, and a potential for a “peddler of poisonous views.” Hansel is not concerned, however. “We’re not set up for an environment like that,” Hansel said. One group participating in the fundraiser this year is the Lexington Farmer’s Market.
“We love to take any opportunity we can to support the radio station,” said Stephanie Wooten, business manager at the Lexington Farmer’s Market. “We’re an organization with a small budget, so it’s important to get the airtime to reach out to our customers about our products and events.” The Fall Fund Drive will last from Thursday to Oct. 3. Volunteers can sign up on a first come, first serve basis.
2 | Kentucky Kernel | 9.25.14
NEWS
Labor activists look for wagehike support from red states By Daniel Salazar McClatchy Washington Bureau (MCT)
WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama isn’t expected to get the federal minimum-wage hike he’s wanted anytime soon, but advocates hope that public support for the issue gets a boost from an unusual set of states this Election Day. Alaska, Arkansas, Nebraska and South Dakota — four solid-red states whose voters often oppose the president’s agenda — might be next to raise the wage floor of America’s lowest-paid hourly workers. On Nov. 4, they will vote on ballot measures to increase their minimum wages. Some advocates hope that victories on the ballot, espe-
cially in four Republican strongholds, will change the national narrative of the economic debate. “It becomes a lot harder for members of Congress who might not support these kinds of things to continually say ‘no’ when it comes up in Washington,” said Josh Levin, a vice president at the left-leaning Ballot Initiative Strategy Center, which supports activists on state ballot measures. States have already been busy on the minimum wage this year. Ten state legislatures and the District of Columbia have raised their minimum wages in 2014, according to the bipartisan National Conference of State Legislatures. However, the legislation
GRAPHIC BY TYLER DAVIS | MCT
A map of the state-by-state minimum wage laws show that much of the midwestern and southern states either use the federal law or none at all.
mostly passed in blue states such as Vermont, Massachusetts and Hawaii. Only one of those 10 states, West Virginia, voted for Republican Mitt Romney in the 2012 presidential election. The issue has gained a lot of attention this year. Earlier this month, fastfood workers across the country participated in a strike in favor of a $15-perhour “livable” wage, more than double the current federal floor of $7.25. The Seattle City Council passed a $15 hourly rate in June, and some activists are pushing that figure elsewhere in Washington state. The ballot measures in Alaska, Arkansas, Nebraska and South Dakota would bring about much smaller increases. But that doesn’t bother Steve Copley, chairman of the Give Arkansas a Raise Now coalition. “Every penny that somebody who is working hard can get helps,” Copley said. Activists must be realistic about what increases they push for at the polls, said Peggy Shorey, the director of state government relations at the AFL-CIO, whose state federations support the ballot initiatives. “Arkansas is not the same as Seattle,” she said. The current $6.25-perhour state minimum wage makes Arkansas one of three states lower than the federal floor for hourly wages. Only Georgia and Wyoming are lower, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. (When state minimum wages differ from the federal rate, the higher rate is adhered to in that particular state, as employers don’t want to violate federal law.) Last year, about 91,000 workers earned the federal minimum wage or below — employees who earn tips, for example — in the four states with November ballot pro-
posals, according to the Labor Department’s Bureau of Labor Statistics. However, thousands more would be affected as the state wage floors rose gradually. While all four initiatives would begin wage increases Jan. 1, the approaches are split on their long-term considerations of how to link the minimum wage to cost-of-living increases. Under Alaska’s ballot proposal, the minimum wage would be tied to increases in the Anchorage Consumer Price Index caused by inflation starting in 2017. South Dakota’s initiative would raise the minimum wage based on changes to a national CPI metric starting in 2016. Tying annual increases to CPI fluctuations is controversial. Opponents in South Dakota say it’s one of their biggest concerns of the ballot proposal there. “The economies in Florida, California and New Jersey are going to dictate how employers in our state are going to have to do (wage) increases every year,” said Shawn Lyons, the executive director of the South Dakota Retailers Association, a wage-hike opponent. Ten states, including Florida and Washington, have minimum wages legally tied to CPI metrics, according to the Department of Labor. New Jersey will join them in January, with the District of Columbia, Minnesota and Michigan scheduled to follow suit in upcoming years. Copley said such a measure in Arkansas would have been a non-starter at the polls. “We didn’t feel like we could get it passed,” he said. Instead, the minimum hourly rates would top off at $8.50 per hour in 2017 in Arkansas and $9 per hour in 2016 in Nebraska under their ballot proposals.
Public to Secret Service at White House: Don’t fence us out By Lesley Clark McClatchy Washington Bureau (MCT)
WASHINGTON — Washingtonians are pushing back against suggestions that the U.S. Secret Service might make it harder for the public to get close to the White House. Reports in recent days suggested the service might respond to a security breach at the White House by increasing the security perimeter around the White House. But locals and tourists alike, including Washington’s nonvoting member of Congress and a prominent architecture critic, say the service charged with guarding the president shouldn’t punish the public for its own lapse. “Under no circumstances should the Secret Service be allowed to encroach further on the public space of Washington,” wrote Philip Kennicott, The Washington Post’s art and architecture critic. “This is an institutional, organizational problem,” he wrote. “It does not require an architectural solution.” Officials already have gone too far in pushing back the public in the name of security throughout the nation’s capital, he said. “Ill-considered, unnecessary and undemocratic security measures” already block the public from the west terrace at the U.S. Capitol and from the front doors of the Supreme Court, he said. The service on Monday imposed what it called a “temporary buffer zone” along the public sidewalk on the Pennsylvania Avenue side of the White House. The waist-high barriers — like those used for crowd control
at parades — prevent the public from getting close to the fence. A spokesman for the Secret Service said Wednesday that the temporary closure would be in effect while the service conducted a “comprehensive review” of the fencejumping incident last Friday, in which a man with a small knife climbed over the permanent fence, bolted across the lawn and made it into the White House before being detained. As for further restrictions, spokesman Brian Leary said the Secret Service “is not aware of any definitive plans
“
strictive means possible.” Chiefly, Norton said any change should maintain the current view of the historical landmark, as well as recognize that the north front of the White House, including the adjoining Lafayette Park, was a place where people came to protest the government. Norton said the Secret Service had tried to close the entire area around the White House to the public after the Oklahoma City bombing in 1995. It did close Pennsylvania Avenue to motor vehicles out of fear of a truck bomb, but she managed to get the service to reopen the street on
This is an institutional, organizational problem. It does not require an architectural solution.” PHILLIP KENNI-SCOTT, Washington Post critic
to add increased permanent security measures around the White House.” Reports had surfaced through the weekend that the service might react to the breach with new security measures that could make it harder for people to get to the public areas around the house, including possibly stopping people a block or two away to check for weapons. Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton, D-D.C., Washington’s nonvoting member of Congress, asked for a meeting with Secret Service Director Julia Pierson, insisting that any plans to boost security be done in the “least re-
the south side of the house, at least until 9/11, when it also was closed permanently. “The public must be assured that limiting access or physical changes to the area are necessary, and so far that case has not been made,” she said. She suggested minor changes that include making the fence taller or curving its upper portion away from the White House, adding funding to increase staffing or adding more specialized canine units. The temporary fence — which includes yellow signs that say “Police Line Do Not Cross” — created few fans among tourists Wednesday. “We need security, but the government tends to overre-
act,” said Lisa Jones, 31, a tourist from Columbus, Ohio, who was among those disappointed Wednesday that the temporary barrier prevented her from making it to the fence to get a clear picture of the White House between the bars. “You can’t keep people from taking pictures of the White House. I hope they don’t start to try.” Australian tourist Matt Falvey, 58, has seen a widening security zone in repeat visits to Washington. He toured the White House in the 1980s with no trouble, but he said it was now next to impossible, as it required a tough-to-get appointment at the Australian embassy. He remembers zipping by in a car on Pennsylvania Avenue when the street was open to traffic. “This openness, standing in front of the White House, is something you want to treasure, but Americans are on the list of not-so-favorite countries in the world and they’ve got a huge job to protect the president,” Falvey said. “Unfortunately, it’s part and parcel of what’s happening around the world.” White House press secretary Josh Earnest wouldn’t say whether the White House endorsed an expanded security zone, alarming many public access advocates when he said President Barack Obama would “leave it up to the professionals at the United States Secret Service to determine the security posture.” But Earnest did note that outside the White House’s front gate is Lafayette Park, “among the more prominent First Amendment zones in the country.”
Read the Kernel.
9.25.14 | Independent since 1971 | 3
For Rent 1-9 Bedroom
2, 3 or 4 BR near campus/2 BA. W/D, parking. $800-$1,150/month. 2 or 3 BR, Lansdowne/Richmond Road areas. $650/month. Call (859) 351-3370. 3-5 BR houses for rent. $875-$1,600 per month. Call Tyrell at (859) 585-0047 or email tyrell@lexingtonrentalhomes.net.
1 Bedroom
1BR/1BA apartment in Lansdowne. W/D, hardwood floors, offstreet parking. No pets, no smoking. Close to campus, quiet neighborhood. $700/month. Fully furnished. Contact meldelc@mixmail.com or (859) 5337640. Large efficiency apartment, $475/month + utilities. Very close to UK. 1 block from Young Library. Grocery, laundry within walking distance. Unfurnished. (859) 2706860. Quiet 1-2 BR apartment. Private patio, new kitchen/bath. No pets. 521 E. Main. $625-$650, water included. (859) 539-7013 or (859) 221-0998.
2 Bedroom
2 and 3 bedroom apt available now. Great quality. Negotiable rent. Call landlord Dennis 859-983-0726 www.sillsbrothers.com 2 BR/1 BA large apartment, big rooms. Less than one block to campus. W/D hookups. Off-street parking. $750/month, utilities included. Call (859) 312-1532.
4 Bedroom
Large 4 BR house at 436 Oldham. W/D. Screened porch, patio, fenced backyard. $1,000/month. Available now. Call Jerry at (859) 421-2878. Large 4BR/2.5BA duplex unit, close to campus. W/D, deck, garage, eat-in kitchen, quiet cul-de-sac. 630 Big Bear Lane. $1,000/month. Available now. (859) 278-0970.
5 Bedroom
608 E. HIGH ST. (859) 338-7005. 5 BR apt/ 2 BA. Central heat/air, W/D connections. Off-street parking. $1,500 + utilities.
Help Wanted
AAA is looking for a few friendly voices to fill open full time/part time/seasonal positions in its inbound customer service call center in Hamburg. Excellent listening and verbal communication skills, computer and typing skills, the desire to help people, a flexible schedule and ability to work weekends required. The option to schedule FT in 4/10’s is also available. All schedules include a minimum of 1 weekend shift. Base hourly rate + incentive pay plans. A variety of benefits available for PT and FT staff. Please apply online at: http://ohiovalley.aaa.com/About/Careers today!
CLASSIFIEDS Angliana Cabinets is hiring near campus on Angliana Ave. FT /PT general warehouse help. Relaxed, flexible hours, no experience needed. Store Hours 9-5pm Monday-Saturday – no night work. Go online at AnglianaCabinets.com/job-vacancy for further information. Big yard, help wanted. No mowing. Prefer someone for fall and spring semesters. Call (859) 221-7411. Business/advertising representative needed to complete the Kentucky Kernel staff. Must be a friendly, self-motivated, goal-oriented UK student. You will be responsible for selling and maintaining classified accounts, handling client requests, streamlining office calls, assisting with staff tasks, overall organization of office supplies and files, along with other duties as assigned. Must be able to work up to 20 hours a week, Monday-Friday, sometime between 9-4. Email resume to clpoor2@uky.edu. Challenge Yourself! MARKETING ASSISTANT NEEDED FOR ESTABLISHED FINANCIAL SERVICES ORGANIZATION. Flexible Hours (15-20/wk.) Base Pay + Bonus. Must be dependable, comfortable with Social Media, experienced in Microsoft Office. Being good on the phone is a plus. Interested? Call (859) 271-8694 or email moneylinefinancial@yahoo.com. CIPS Marketing is now recruiting independent contract drivers for home delivery of a free advertising supplement for the Lexington Herald in all parts of Lexington. Looking for independent contract dependable drivers to deliver this free product. Primarily driveway delivery routes available in Lexington and surrounding areas. Daytime or evening delivery hours – primary delivery day will be on Wednesday and some routes on Sunday. Product is lightweight and is provided complete (no inserting) bags will be provided. Independent Contractor should have a reliable vehicle; Please call Andy at (859) 516-2824. Route profit is in range of $180 to $300+ per week depending on number of routes and volume of product delivered. Limited number of routes call today to secure area of preference. Need reliable vehicle and Android or iphone. Must have a valid driver’s license, SS, car insurance and registration. Excellent “extra” income opportunity to supplement income and do work around current schedule. If interested in the discussing a route or routes please call (859) 516-2824 Please speak clear and provide your name and phone number, your call will be returned and an appointment scheduled. ESP (Lexington Parks and Rec after school program) is hiring motivated people. Monday-Friday, 2-6pm. No weekends. 859-2882929. Hardworking go-getters to the front of the pack. Excellent pay and benefits for those fitting the bill. Must be 21 and have a clean driving record, as well as mowing experience. We work in all kinds of weather to get the job accomplished so work ethic is critical. If you’re ready to join an award-winning team, call (859) 509-5493 to set up an immediate interview. High school wrestling referees wanted. Minimum pay $18/hour. Previous wrestling experience preferred. Contact KWOAofficials@gmail.com or www.kyofficials.com. Keeneland is seeking seasonal part-time applicants for Guest Services, Gift Shop Sales Associates & Stock Clerks, Parking and Security during the October Race Meet, Oct. 325. Please contact Alexis Witherspoon at (859) 288-4158 or apply online at keeneland.com.
O’Charley’s on Nicholasville Road now hiring enthusiastic FT/PT servers, guest assistants and cooks for a fun, fast-paced environment with flexible hours. Interested candidates may apply directly at www.ocharleys.jobs for the 212 Nicholasville Rd. location. PT sales clerk. Apply in person. Chevy Chase Hardware, 883 E. High St. (859) 269-9611. Researchers at the University of Kentucky are conducting studies concerning the effects of alcohol and are looking for male & female social drinkers 21-35 years of age. Volunteers paid to participate. Call (859) 257- 5794. Researchers at the University of Kentucky are looking for individuals 21–34 years of age who have received a DUI in the last 5 years to participate in a study looking at behavioral and mental performance. Participants are compensated for their time and participation is completely confidential. For more information, call (859) 257-5794. Website looking for 1) office accounting, and 2) general shipping help. Warehouse near campus off Manchester Street. More details online at www.TeakCloseouts.com/jobs.
Roommates Wanted
Female student looking for female student. Non-partier. Call landlord (Dennis) 859983-0726 www.sillsbrothers.com Male roommate needed for 2 BR/1 BA apartment. $300/month, includes cable and internet. Updated kitchen. No pets. All utilities included. Call (859) 971-3657. Roommate needed. Students looking for male or female. 3 br / 2 bath. Non partier Call landlord (Dennis) 859-983-0726 www.sillsbrothers.com
SUDOKU
Call 859.257.2871 to place an ad | Ads can be found at kykernel.com DEADLINE - 3 p.m. the day before publication The Kentucky Kernel is not responsible for information given to fraudulent parties. We encourage you not to participate in anything for which you have to pay an up-front fee or give out credit card or other personal information, and to report the company to us immediately.
HOROSCOPE To get the advantage, check the day's rating: 10 is the easiest day, 0 the most challenging. Aries (March 21-April 19) — Today is an 8 — Unexpected good fortune surprises you. Count your blessings, and maintain your idealism. A dream provides a secret clue. Discover you have what it takes. Partnership is the key that unlocks the lucky door. Taurus (April 20-May 20) — Today is an 8 — Lucky surprises show up at work. Handle important tasks and listen to your intuition about which way to go. Friends and partners can help make a connection. Focus on short-term goals. Gemini (May 21-June 20) — Today is a 9 — Get swept away by romance, carried off in a passionate whirl, and captivated by someone (or something) you love. Don't worry about the future. Enjoy the present moment, and company. Fun is the name of the game. Cancer (June 21-July 22) — Today is an 8 — A lucky break interrupts previously scheduled programming at home. It could cause some chaos at work, but you can resolve this. Watch your steps and dance with changes that improve your domestic bliss. Leo (July 23-Aug. 22) — Today is an 8 — Your studies and research wander in a lucky direction. Discover a happy surprise. Take advantage of emotional expression. It can be a useful tool, especially with writing and recording projects. Inject passion into your work. Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) — Today is an 8 — Plug a financial hole. You've got the facts at hand, and profitable prospects. Develop your income potential by providing excellent work. Don't give up. Make a startling revelation. Watch out for accidents. Be logical.
Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) — Today is an 8 — Let hope replace an old fear. Don't do a job that's no longer necessary. Use your imagination. Listen, don't argue. There's potential for breakage. Clean up messes. Good luck comes out of left field. Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) — Today is an 8 — Don't worry about the money. Follow your heart. A lucky break arises when you least expect it. Don't over-extend, though. Consider what you really want, and go for that. Live simply, pursuing joy.
Sponsor SUDOKU 859.257.2872
Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) — Today is an 8 — Group efforts bring magnified rewards. Unexpected luck fills in the gap between what you have and what you intend to accomplish. Keep in action, and invite more participation. Many hands make light work. Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) — Today is an 8 — Being well organized is crucial. Gather valuable information, and carefully file. You don't mind shaking things up a bit. Your good work adds to your reputation. Take it up a notch. Luck blesses dedication. Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) — Today is a 7 — Focus on the adventure at hand, rather than future prospects. There's more money coming in. Don't drive love away by being unavailable. Allow for some spontaneity. Intuition matches the facts. Explore new territory. Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) — Today is an 8 — A fortunate surprise impacts your bottom line. Organize paperwork and process financial documents. Sign on the dotted line! Manage family assets. Give away what you're no longer using. Work together to make it happen.
MCT
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4 | Kentucky Kernel | 9.25.14
OPINIONS
Blazer Cafe has morphed into Blazer Cafeteria
NICK GRAY Kernel Columnist
When you walk into Blazer Cafe, nothing has changed on the surface. The walls are the same light-yellow shade, the chairs and tables are the same, the sandwich station is still separate from everything else, and the pizza still sits to your left when you pass the register. The hamburgers, chicken breasts and hot dogs are still available. But the atmosphere is different. The energy is sapped from the room. It's not the same that it was even four months ago. I don't know what necessarily makes this true. Maybe it's taking away the buffet island that made the floor not seem so big and rambunctious. Without it, it resembles the blandness of Commons — a room that the university forced into a restaurant instead of a room built as one. Maybe it’s that the televisions have been turned off, taking what had been a joy for my friends and me and turning it into auxiliary silence. I've watched more postseason baseball games
in Blazer in the last two years than in my apartment, and I made two good friends watching the Cincinnati Reds and Scott Rolen flop around in the final three games of their playoff series against the San Francisco Giants. The food has decreased in terms of quality and selection. I visited Blazer Cafe four times in the last two weeks, and some of the usual favorites were missing. Chicken tenders were replaced by nothing at all. Macaroni and cheese, which students mowed through each time it was available, was not to be found. Mashed potatoes, another student favorite, was non-existent. Chicken breasts can be compared to chargrilled grass compacted inside of a skin coating, but only if the grass had no texture or flavor at all. There were some positives. The pizza slices have gotten larger and more tasty. A Blazer Burger can still be eaten — I ate one three out of the first four times I went there — and it’s still satisfying. Beef roast, depending on the day one eats at Blazer, is spicy and flavorful in a good way. Hot dogs exceed ballpark standards. The sandwich and salad bar is still a pleasant plus; but why would you walk to Blazer and pay $8 — which is two dollars cheaper than last year’s price — for a Blazer sandwich over a Subway foot-long sub or a Rising Roll sandwich? I wouldn’t. But the lack of a buffet island limits your hot plate
choices. Unless you like chicken breasts stuffed inside of an odd mush Blazer calls broccoli casserole, or are a heavy vegetable eater, you may find it difficult to find things outside of pizza, burgers and hot dogs. That was a part of the character of Blazer in previous years; it is not so much a part of Blazer today. It's more evident on the dessert table. It was a place where you could once find several types of cookies, cakes, pies and brownies, but it’s now a place that usually only contains cookies and a dried-out lemon cake. Healthy people will eat healthy, but they are not the people who are eating dessert. People who like chocolate chip cookies and chocolate brownies eat dessert. An official from UK Dining spoke during my freshman adivising conference in summer of 2012, and he told the 1,000 or so freshmen and their parents in the crowd that university food is not like your high school cafeteria. My dad, sitting next to me, gave out a hearty belly-laugh, scoffing at that notion. The fact that they served us lukewarm lasagna immediately following that speech was irony enough, but Blazer Cafe did not fit that bill when I was a freshman. Now? I think Blazer Cafeteria is more fitting. Nick Gray is the Managing Editor of the Kentucky Kernel. His column appears every Thursday. Email ngray@kykernel.com.
‘Strong Female Protagonist’ focuses on other descriptors ANNE HALLIWELL Kernel Columnist
If you're not following a little webcomic called “Strong Female Protagonist,” you really should be. The bi-weekly comic follows Alison Green, a superheroine who has done the ordinary college-student-to-televised-defenderof-the-world thing … backward. After spending her early teens fighting crime as part of a Teen Titans-esque lineup, Alison shed both her superhero persona and her secret identity to become a student at a nondescript university nearby. She can leap to her next class in a single bound if she wants, but she’s trying to find her way in between navigating social situations and classes just like anyone else. The strength of “SFP” is in its world-building – over five long chapters, Alison has navigated everything from term papers to arch-nemeses to ex-teammates gone rogue. The webcomic folds petty crimehandling into college-appropriate themes, such as sexual assault on campuses and unlikeable professors, while maintaining a view of the superhero phenomenon that
goes far beyond the constrains of one university or college town. In short, it’s phenomenal storytelling. The comic began as a play on the idea of “strong female protagonists” meriting more in the way of character development and storytelling, writer Brennan Lee Mulligan and artist Molly Ostertag told The Mary Sue, an entertainment website, in April.
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Alison is allowed to be funny, smart, focused ... so many descriptors beside strong.” “A female character will be called a strong female protagonist for crying only a handful of times as opposed to the entire story, when Indiana Jones is not called a strong male protagonist for bullwhipping Nazis and shooting guns at ghosts and stuff,” Mulligan told The Mary Sue. “So it started as an exercise in making a character strong in every sense of the word that we could find, where she’s strong in a literary sense — or so we hope — strong in the sense of con-
viction and heroism and morality, and then physically, superhumanly strong.” This idea echoes the sentiment expressed by Neil Gaiman at BBC Radio 4’s look back at “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” in 2013. Buffy has been praised for the “strong” female characters featured throughout the series, but as Gaiman said, the focus should be less on superhuman abilities and more on the character’s internal qualities. “It's worth pointing out that people, unfortunately, misunderstand the phrase ‘strong women,’” Gaiman told BBC. “The glory of Buffy is it was filled with strong women. Only one of those strong women had supernatural strength and an awful lot of sharpened stakes. And people sort of go ‘Well yes, of course Buffy was a strong woman. She could kick her way through a door.’ And you go ‘No, that's not actually what makes her a strong woman! You're missing the point.’” Alison is allowed to be funny, smart, focused, uncertain, conflicted and ruthless – so many descriptors besides “strong.” Anne Halliwell is the news editor of the Kentucky Kernel. Her column appears every Thursday. Email ahalliwell@kykernel.com.
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