The Patriot - March 2013

M a r c h 2 0 1 3

In this issue:UC announces newhousing changesWhat happened withconvocation?Last minute fit-tipsbefore spring break

Are youAre youready forready forspringspringbreak?break?

2

Editor-in-ChiefChristin Miller

Assistant EditorNatasha Jones

Faculty Advisor:Jeremiah Massengale

Staff Writers:Abbey Cherry

Kasey Malone

A.J. Moyten

Brandy Norman

Ryan Poynter

Kristina Smith

Caleb Vander Ark

Whitley West

Solomon Whitaker

Alex Williams

Matthew Williams

Timothy Wyatt

Copy Editors:Kelly Allen

Brandy Norman

Jannica Brady

Editorial Review Board:Lisa Bartram

Marianne Worthington

Our Staff

The official student publication of the University of the Cumberlands

Contact us at:Phone: (606) 539-4172 E-Mail: [email protected]

Mailing Address: 7609 College Station Drive Williamsburg, KY 40769

What’s Inside

News Pages 3- 7

Creative Pages 8- 9

Q & A Pages 10-11

Photos Pages 12-13

Features Pages 14-20

Sports 2

Entertainment Pages 23 - 26

News 3


Saturday nights in Williamsburg just got

interesting. On February 9, A Common

Ground Coffee Shop, located at 219 South

5th St. in the lower level of Cornerstone

Community Church, had its opening night.

Many people came out to enjoy live music,

good coffee and great conversation.

The new attraction will be open every

Saturday night from 5-10 p.m. Tim and Hope

Cooper, members of the church who worked

on the project along with other members of

cornerstone, hope this venue will be a safe

enjoyable hangout for members of the

Williamsburg community.

Hope Cooper said, “Our team is thrilled

that A Common Ground Coffee Shop already

seems to be filling a niche in our community,

even just after two weeks of business. We are

here for the purpose of creating a safe, whole-

some community hub, literally a common

ground, and I believe we are seeing just that

happen. We praise God for the way he has

been providing and look forward to seeing

how this vision will continue to grow.”

Hayley Davis, a UC freshman, said, “I

don’t really like coffee, but I like people so

that’s why I went.” She described it as, “Very

busy, every seat was taken; they had cute lit-

tle couches and chairs. Everyone was having

a good time. I had seen people that I had

passed for months who I hadn’t got a chance

to talk to; I got to have a conversation with.

We’re all so busy you don’t get opportunities

like that. The atmosphere was as warm as the

coffee they were brewing.” Everybody who

went to opening night has bragged about

what an enjoyable and welcoming atmos-

phere.

A Common Ground Coffee Shop serves a

variety of drinks including hot chocolate,

teas, and non-coffee beverages. They also

serve light food including homemade

desserts, all at various prices.

The coffee house featured two local

bands on opening night: OH! Divide and

Sowing Season. On the stage with the per-

formers, they had all new equipment set up.

One of the lead singers of the Sowing Season

is worship leader at Cornerstone. OH! Divide

is a local band made up of UC students

Solomon Whitaker, Tyler Bird, Jordan

Infield, and Erika Dobbsa UC alumni. They

classify themselves as a folk/acoustic rock

band. Both bands played two sets at two dif-

ferent times. When the bands were not per-

forming, the coffeehouse played different

genres of music.

One of the members of the band, OH!

Divide, Solomon Whitaker said, “I thought it

was great. Good amount of people showed up

throughout the night. Good conversations,

lots of people enjoying themselves. I don’t

like coffee but everybody else said it was

good. I tried the Belgium chocolate drink and

it was fantastic.”

Cornerstone hopes to keep bringing in

local talent,as well as bringing fine art in for

customers to enjoy. Groups of friends and

families are welcomed and the option of take

out is available as well.

You can find and like them on Facebook as

well as on Twitter to find news and informa-

tion to keep informed.

A C o m m o n G r o u n d C o f f e e h o u s e o p e n s i n W i l l i a m s b u r g

BY NATASHA JONES

Assistant Editor

Photo by Haley Davis

News4


Inspirational speaker David Edwards addressed the audience at the O. Wayne Rollins Center

on the University of the Cumberlands campus as a part of this academic year’s opening convo-

cation ceremony. Last year, and many years before, the 10 a.m. hour was set aside on Mondaysor Wednesdays for convo events.

News 5


Sometimes, change is good, but oldhabits die hard. For University of theCumberlands students, that habit was convo-cation. Last year, and many years before, the10 a.m. hour was set aside on Mondays orWednesdays for convo events. There havebeen numerous changes to that schedule thisyear, including venturing away from the 10o’clock hour and moving the bulk of eventsto the evening, which has been met withmuch resistance from students.

Linda Carter, the dean of student life,said, “The university staff had been thinkingabout this change for a while. It is more flex-ible for students and allows them to takemore personal responsibility and gives stu-dents more choices.”

The choices that Carter alluded to are partof a category system that was also introducedin an attempt to give students more selectionas to what convo events they attend.According to the University webpage, “Thepurpose of convocation is to promote a widerange of common and shared experiencesamong UC students in the areas of FaithDevelopment, Academic/CulturalPresentations, and General Interest.” With thenew schedule, students are required to attendtwo events in each of these categories.

Rick Fleenor, the director of convoca-tion, acknowledges that the adjustment isn’tperfect, saying, “We knew when we made thechanges to convo that it would be a growing

process. Change is never easy, but we thinkover time, although there have been bumps inthe road, the road is getting smoother.”

But for now, those bumps can seem likepotholes, with students finding the new for-mat difficult to maneuver around their sched-ules, especially those who live off-campus orwork. Ashley Partin, a married commutersaid, “It makes it hard for commuters to driveback to campus when we have a job. Myemployer is not too happy that I have had totake eight days off of work. It also means aloss of some income for me and my hus-band.”

The change isn’t only affecting com-muters and employees though; it also incon-venient for those whose major requires themto put in extra time even after classes areover. Theatre arts major Liz Guillermo said,“I like the variety—that there are differentthings that we can do, but my major requiresme to be in the theater a lot, especially duringnights because I have rehearsals. So, I miss alot of convocation opportunities that I can’tmake up, which means I end up failing out orhaving to take it another semester.”

More recently, a new reserved seatingsystem was implemented. Like at a movietheatre, students will be able to pick up a tick-et from the Office of Student Services, whichreserves them a guaranteed seat for a convo-cation event. Students with tickets will beable to have a confirmed spot until 10 min-

utes before the event is scheduled to begin.Students without tickets will then be admittedon a first-come, first-served basis if there isroom.

The process, overall, has left a number ofstudents struggling to meet the new require-ments. Ezra Anderson, a UC junior, said,“Last year, I felt like it was more accessibleconsidering there was a certain time everyonehad to be there. You had no choice. So, tomiss it was your fault completely. But. nowthey have convos and main events that theyput caps on, so they have limited the amountof students who can actually pass convo..”

This reserved seating system came intoplace because of problems that arose duringthe University Recognition Program—a“Major Convocation”—on Feb. 11. Theevent was held in the Gatliff Chapel andquickly reached maximum capacity. Thismeant that many students were turned awayfrom attending the program.

Fleenor states that the student’s opinionstruly matter, saying, “I’d be ticked too if Itried to get off work, stood in line and could-n’t get in. What we tried to do is look at howto fix this problem. It made sense to put inplace a reserved seating approach. I am thefather of a college student. Although I think Iunderstand students well, I don’t want tomake all the decisions based on what I thinkalone.”

According to Fleenor, the Feb. 11 pro-

gram was decided to be held in the GatliffChapel because a similar program was heldlast fall semester, but only 240 studentsshowed up, making capacity a main concernnow when planning events. Too many peoplein one building is a fire hazard; not enoughpeople in a building for such an event reflectspoorly on the university.

The reason that most convocation pro-grams aren’t held in the O. Wayne RollinsCenter is because the center has a lot of timereserved for sporting events, particularly inthe spring semester.

As of now, there is only one “MajorConvocation” event scheduled for the rest ofthe spring semester—the Forcht SeriesLeadership Convocation set for April 9,2013.

Fleenor said, “I share the concern withthe students; the frustration and aggravation.I understand what it would be like—which iswhy I immediately sent out an email to stu-dents to say, 'If you have issues with yourattendance, please contact me.' I'd be glad towork with you to see what we can work outin your situation.”

If students have questions about convoca-tion or about their attendance, Fleenor islocated in the Cordell House located near theBoswell Campus Center parking lot. Studentscan also email him at [email protected].

Students react to recent convocation changes

BY TIMOTHY WYATT, Staff Writer,

JANNICA BRADY, Staff Writer, AND

ALEX WILLIAMS, Staff Writer

News6


The UC Trumpet Ensemble sets high goals

The UC TrumpetEnsemble needsyour help.

The UC Trumpet Ensemble has set twolofty goals for 2013 and is determined toachieve them. First, they want to bring JoeBurgstaller to eastern Kentucky, second, theywant to go to Michigan.

The UC Trumpet Ensemble will bring JoeBurgstaller to UC on April 15, 2013.Burgstaller is an internationally acclaimedtrumpeter and one of the longest standingmembers of the Canadian Brass, The UCTrumpet Ensemble is working with theMadison Community Band in Richmond, KYto raise the $3,000 it costs to bringBurgstaller to eastern Kentucky. Burgstallerwill perform with the Madison CommunityBand on April 14 and then travel to UC onApril 15 to offer master classes and lessonsduring the day and present a concert at 7:30p.m. in the Nell Moore Recital Hall thatevening.

“As far as Joe Burgstaller coming, I thinkit’s a huge asset for us to be able to havesomeone like that on campus. For us to be

able to work one on one with him and give usany insight he can to help us in our future andduring our study. I really can’t wait” saidNicki Howard, junior and UC TrumpetEnsemble member. “I’m doing this to make myself a better trum-pet player and to gain knowledge fromBurgstaller on different techniques,” addedUC senior and ensemble member DavidHarris,.

The trumpet ensemble members havealso decided to attend the 2013 InternationalTrumpet Guild Conference in Allendale,Michigan from June 10 through June 15.The International Trumpet Guild is an organ-ization filled with over 5,000 members thatrange from students, teachers, professionalsand trumpet enthusiasts alike that representover 50 countries.

The director of The UC TrumpetEnsemble, Justin Byrd, is a senior musicmajor with an emphasis in trumpet. He said,“I personally want to attend the conference

for the professional development. It’s notevery day a musician has the opportunity tomingle with the masters of the trade. The ben-efits and knowledge gained through thisexperience would be irreplaceable.”

Since the location of the conference isn’tthat far away, for the first time, The UCTrumpet Ensemble has the chance to go.However, in order to go, the ensemble needsto raise $3,500-$4,000.

“I think it would be an amazing opportu-nity to go to Michigan because I personallydon’t think I’ll ever get a chance to go on thiskind of trip again. It would be an amazingexperience for all of us to get to go to some-thing that big and phenomenal…I mean, thisis going into my profession so it will be a bigasset to me in the future,” said Howard.

How do they plan on raising enoughmoney for these two events? First, they areworking on having a “School Spirit Coffee”sale, which is a company that sells coffee toorganizations in order for them to re-sell and

make a profit. The coffee sale will consist ofa booth set up in the mid-BCC and will lastthrough March 6. Second, they are lookingfor churches and special events to play for inexchange for a love offering. Third, they willbe participating in the Brass StudioFundraiser concert that will be held on March5 at 7:30 p.m. in the Nell Moore Recital Hall.

If you are interested in helping the UCTrumpet Ensemble members reach thesegoals, come to the Brass Studio Fundraiserconcert and enjoy some great music, or helpby buying coffee. Also, if you would enjoyhaving The UC Trumpet Ensemble performat your church, for your special occasion or tofind out more information, contact the facul-ty advisor for The UC Trumpet Ensemble, Dr.Patrick Tuck, at [email protected] or 606-539-4332 or the ensembledirector, Justin Byrd at [email protected].

BY CHRISTIN MILLER

Editor in Cheif

Four of The UC Trumpet Ensemble members, David Harris, Nicki Howard, Jacob Lovell, Dr. Patrick Tuck, and

ensemble director, Justin Byrd, practice on Tuesday, Feb. 12.

Photo by Christin Miller


7

Housing meeting boasts big changes

The University of the Cumberlands held

an optional housing meeting in the Gatliff

Chapel on Monday, Feb. 25 to announce two

of the biggest changes to men’s and women’s

on-campus housing in recent years.

Beginning in the fall of 2013, Moss Hall—

which currently houses men—will become a

women’s residence hall, and Hutton Hall—

which currently houses women—will

become a men’s residence hall.

The University of the Cumberlands’

housing staff hopes that this change will help

to alleviate some of the pressure they felt this

fall when trying to find places for all of the

men registered to live on campus. This

change will take approximately 60 unused

spaces for students in women’s housing and

give them to men’s housing.

“I think the change is a really good

thing,” said James McKnight, current resi-

dent hall director of Moss Hall. “It’s interest-

ing for me because I’ll be switching dorms,

so I get a new building and more residents

and a bigger staff. I’m excited about that.

Plus, the guys [on campus] really do need

that extra space.”

Though the response to the announce-

ment was generally positive, not everyone

was pleased with the change. “I saw a few

girls and guys who looked like they were

bummed out by the news,” said Kenny

Newton, a senior religion major at University

of the Cumberlands. “Some people have been

living in those dorms for three or four years

by now. It’s become kind of like home to

them. The change is totally necessary, but I

can see how some people might be sad

because of it.”

In addition to the change in housing, a few

less controversial announcements were made.

After spring break, a semester-long hiatus

will end as soft drinks and other beverages

will again be included in the meal plan at the

Patriot Steakhouse. This has been a highly

requested change since those drinks were

removed from the meal exchange plan in fall

of 2012.

A coffee shop will also be opening in The

Grill around the same time. It will operate

between 10 p.m. and 12 a.m.—after The Grill

typically stops offering meals—and serve

coffee, soft drinks and many snack foods.

Nothing will operate on meal exchange at all;

instead, all items from the coffee shop can be

purchased using cash or credit card. This will

gives students living on campus—or even

commuters—a central place to meet up to

study or hang out during hours that they

weren’t previously offered.

Those with questions or comments about

any of these announcements can contact

Linda Carter, dean of student life, directly in

Student Services, or by email at

[email protected]

BY: RYAN POYNTER, Staff Writer

TIMOTHY WYATT, Staff Writer AND

SHELBY MUFF, Staff Writer

News

Creative8


Previously in The Experimental War:Ashaan, the leader of the human colony onPlanet 20, was leading a "hunting" partywhen they started doing battle with an alien

species they call Lizards. Shinzar, theleader of the aliens, was leading his troopsin defense against the humans when he sawthere were only ten of his troop left, so he

ordered a retreat. Although some disagreed,Ashaan ordered the humans to not followwhen he had a startling memory of his owninterrogation, for he could not remember

anything a week before waking up onPlanet 20, and he learned that both specieshad been brainwashed to act as warringpawns in a horrific plot of genocide.

Creative 9


Two days later. Light slowly started to

seep into Ashaan’s eyes as he rolled over and

woke up. He was in his house, a small hut

made out of tree limbs; sun light came

through the cracks in between. The bed under

him felt comfortable, the only thing in his life

that felt like this beside his family. There was

whispering outside the door, but he had great

hearing. "He isn't sick, I've checked him for

every sign," came from the voice of his wife,

Dreka.

Bachee replied in condemnation, “He’s

mind sick, that's the reason why there are no

physical symptoms. All the time we carried

him back here he kept ranting about a plot of

genocide of the Lizards on another planet,

being forced into doing something, and real-

izing the Lizards are innocent creatures who

don't deserve this. Tell me how that isn't

being mind sick. Your just defending him

because your his pet wife and would rather

stand beside him than face the truth!"

Anger ran through Ashaan's mind at hear-

ing these words, he wanted to run out and

punch him right in the face, but decided

against it. After a few more minutes Dreka

came into the hut, acting as if the conversa-

tion outside hadn't taken place. She saw that

Ashaan was awake and came beside him,

kneeling down. Looking deeply into her eyes,

Ashaan brought his head up and they

exchanged a passionate kiss.

"Am I really mind sick, Dreka?" Dreka

stared at him in complete shock. He could tell

she was stumbling for words.

"Um, of course not. I was only agreeing

with him as to not attract suspicion."

"You don't have to lie to me Dreka, I'm

sure I seemed out of my mind. Has Bachee

taken over for me in my absence?" Ashaan

sat up, rubbing his head and eyes.

"Yes, he has. More men have joined the

hunting party. They took out an entire Lizard

patrol, except for their leader, he always

seems to escape." Ashaan held back how

much it hurt him to hear that. He knew the

purpose of this war and it scared him to

death. He walked outside and the sunlight hit

his eyes with an onslaught. Everyone was

moving around in the course of daily duties.

He found his men reloading their laser rifles

and preparing for another hunt. As he made

his way toward them Bachee got into his

path.

“Ashaan, where do you think you’re

going?” As he stared into the eyes of his sec-

ond-in-command, Ashaan saw the potential

for betrayal in them.

“You’re right Bachee, I just wanted to get

back out there. I can’t rest easy knowing

they’re out there you know.” He couldn’t

believe he was having to lie like this.

“I understand Ashaan, but the men worry

about you. They think your mind sick, can’t

say I blame them. The white coats also heard

what you were saying and said that you need-

ed to take a couple of days to get refocused.”

The white coats, in the rush of everything

Ashaan had forgotten about them. They had

been here since everyone had woken up a

week and two days ago. No one questioned

what the white coats said; they were consid-

ered the leaders of the humans. There were

two metal buildings for the white coats, one

they stayed in all day and one they stayed in

at night. Ashaan had never questioned their

existence here before, but now a suspicion of

them had grown in his mind ever since that

memory had flooded through his head.

“That’s probably true, come to think of it,

I think I could use some more rest. First

though, I’m going to check in with them.”

Bachee gave him a death stare, but Ashaan

just walked past him and up to the door of the

first metal building. As he knocked, Ashaan

heard footsteps on the floor and then the door

opened. The man in front of him had a clean

shaven face and wore a white shirt, black

pants, and a white lab coat. “Just wanted to

let you know that I'm all refocused and will

be joining the hunting party tomorrow.” The

man slightly chuckled under his breath.

“We’ll see.” They knew he knew what

was going on. Ashaan walked away from the

building and back to his home. His two sons

were playing behind the hut, joy on their

faces as they played in the dirt. As soon as he

entered through the door, Dreka was there to

welcome him back.

“How did it go?” He could tell that she

hoped he had gotten everything worked out.

“It went good.” That’s all he could get out

and afterwards he laid down in his bed. The

white coats were involved with the genocide

plan; he felt it in his gut. What they were

doing though, that was the question. He

would have to watch them closely.

When Ashaan awoke, he raised up, rub-

bing the sleep out of his eyes. Dreka came to

him and handed him apiece of paper.

"I found this under the door." Ashaan

opened the folded piece of paper. He read

what was written and he discovered that the

white coats had constructed a bio bomb; they

were planning on exterminating the Lizards

tomorrow. He did not know where this infor-

mation came from, but he did know that he

had to break into the building where the white

coats worked.

Adrenaline coursed through Ashaan’s

veins as he made his way to the metal build-

ing, a laser pistol in his left hand. In a quick

motion the gun was pointed at the lock on the

door and fired. The sound was not very loud

and the lock fell off, melted. Ashaan opened

the door quickly and closed it just as quick.

Inside it was dark except for the light coming

from a square machine on a table. The mem-

ory of seeing one of these machines and how

to operate it flashed in his mind. He found the

button labeled “recent designs” and pushed it.

The schematics for a bomb that would kill the

Lizards without harming humans came up.

He had to find the weakness in this bomb or

in its formula.

“I knew it would be you.” Turning

around, Ashaan saw the clean-cut man with a

couple of men behind him. “Put him in the

restraints on the back wall.” The men came

towards him, so he raised the laser pistol to

fire. A blast hit him in the shoulder of the arm

with that held the laser pistol and the gun

dropped; a man with a laser rifle had stayed

outside the building and quickly reacted to

the situation. The guards drug him to the wall

and clamped his arms in the restraints. The

clean-shaven man motioned for the other

men to leave. He walked over beside Ashaan,

pushed a button on the wall, and the section

around them started moving downwards. The

platform came to a stop in a lower room. The

clean-shaven man in the white coat walked

off the platform, grabbed a chair, set it in

front of Ashaan, and sat down in it. "Do you

remember me?" A flashback ran through

Ashaan's mind of the man in front of him giv-

ing him a shot.

"Dr. Kingard?" Ashaan thought the name

must have surfaced from the memory. The

clean-shaven man gave a slight smirk.

“So, you are remembering. We knew you

would be trouble. The way you fought

against this, it was a stupid kind of heroic. I

have to admit though; I didn’t expect you to

break through the mind wipe. Now here you

are, chained up in a hut, left to die. The bio

bomb will be released tomorrow and thus will

start our plan. I am going to leave you here to

think of your failed plan to stop us, major.”

Dr. Kingard got up, walked across the

room and exited through a door that lead back

to the upper room. Ashaan looked up in shock

and horror as the door closed.

To be concluded in our April issue...

Q & A10


Growing up in the small town of Lily,Ky., Silas House emerged from the back-woods of Appalachia to become a New YorkTimes best-selling author. Writer of five nov-els, four plays, countless music articles, andenvironmental columns, House pursued awriting career from early on in his life.

With a bachelor’s degree in English fromEastern Kentucky University, House contin-ued on to Spaulding University to receive amaster’s degree in creative writing.

Then, at age 29, House published his firstnovel “Clay’s Quilt” which launched himinto stardom. This small-town man turnedcelebrity took a moment to speak with meabout his love-hate relationship withAppalachia, his work as a novelist and draw-ing from his own life experiences to createhis masterpieces.Q: Most everyone knows you as anAppalachian writer; tell me a little bit aboutliving in the area.House: I have such complex feelings aboutthis place. I love it, but I hate it, too. I love itsmountains and creeks and so many thingsabout its people: their strength, determina-tion, wit, etc. But I also hate how small-mind-ed and backward Appalachia can be.

I hate the way that we let the coal compa-nies convince us that they are good for uswhen they are actually doing us more harmthan good, the way that we fear anyone whois different, the way we fear education.Q: So, if there are so many things conflicting

feelings for you about the area, why do somany of your novels cling to this setting? Doyou ever consider branching out?House: I have the most to say about this partof the world. My novels are more interestingbecause of these mixed feelings I have.Everything I have written has been set in theregion except for my fourth novel, “Eli theGood,” which is set in a sort of unnamedregion of the United States because I wantedit to be Anywhere, USA instead of being socentralized in Appalachia. I

t's a very American story, so I wanted tomake sure that I didn't get too muchAppalachian sense of place in there. And mynew novel, “Little Fire,” is set in Key West,Florida but the three main characters are allfrom the rural South, and one is Appalachian.Even if I stray from Appalachia I think mynovels will always have to feature a rural pro-tagonist because that's simply the world Iidentify with the best, and the world that I ammost interested in writing about.Q: Where do you draw most of your ideas forwriting from?House: My first three novels were heavilyfictionalized retellings of my own family'sstory of living in Appalachia over the courseof the 20th century. My fourth novel wasinspired by my childhood as the son of aVietnam vet and my own feelings about thedivisions caused by political parties in ourcountry. My fifth novel was inspired by mylove for letter-writing and the pen pal I had as

a young boy. My new novel was inspired by my

thoughts on parenthood, especially the wayfathers aren't treated as seriously as parents asmothers are, and by my feelings aboutinequality in modern America and how weare all part of the problem if we are not stick-ing up for equality.Q: What advice would you give to any aspir-ing writers out there?

House: The hardest part of the job is findingfresh ideas. A novelist hardly ever has a setway of getting an idea for a novel. Ideascome to us in many different and unexpectedways. Be patient. Ideas will come.

An Interview with Silas House: Writing in Appalachia

BY KRISTINA SMITH

Staff Writer

Photo courtesy of Shepherd University.

Q & A 11


The world is filled with people every-

where looking for a place to fit into. An expe-

rience we all share is the sometimes fruitless

search to find an identity. As the author of

“The Year of Living Biblically,” “The Guinea

Pig Diaries,” ‘Drop Dead Healthy” and “The

Know-It-All” – all New York Times best-sell-

ers – A.J. Jacobs has found several.

He’s best known to his readers as the guy

who spent a year following the Bible com-

pletely literally, or as the guy who outsourced

his entire life to India (including arguments

with his wife and reading bedtime stories to

his children), or as the only guy who experi-

enced online dating as a woman and actively

chose to tell people about it, but he is known

by his family mostly as A.J., the husband and

father. I had the opportunity to talk with him

about how his family feels about his work,

how he finds the time to write, and how he’s

embraced the role as “the experiments guy.”

Ryan Poynter: You’ve made a name for

yourself as an author and really helped to

popularize the field of immersion journalism

by conducting these experiments on your life

and then writing about them. How do you

decide what experiments you’d like to try?

How big of an impact does your family have

on these decisions?

A.J. Jacobs: I try to do experiments that fas-

cinate me. Like religion fascinated me, so I

did “The Year of Living Biblically.” My wife

has veto power, so she often puts the kibosh

on my ideas. I wanted to communicate solely

by social media for a month, but she said no

way. I need to do less traveling now that I

have my kids. So, many of my experiment

ideas (living in Antarctica, etc.) just won’t

work anymore.

RP: Have any of the experiments you’ve

written about so far had any lasting effects on

you and your lifestyle choices? Have they

had any lasting effects on your relationships

with friends or family? Which experiment,

overall, has affected your life the most?

A.J.: Absolutely, lots of lasting effects. I still

have extreme gratitude I learned from living

Biblically. I still practice the Sabbath. Now I

go to a synagogue. I write on my treadmill

from the health experiment. And I am radical-

ly positively honest, saying how much I

appreciate people. The one about the Bible

[affected me most], because it gave me a new

view of the world. I like to see the world as a

series of responsibilities, not a series of

rights.

RP: You’ve been experimenting almost con-

stantly for the past several years. Have you

found a comfortable balance between being

the A.J. in an experiment and being the A.J.

you are at work, or with your family? Doing

all of that at once, how do you find the time

to write?

A.J.: There’s no clear distinction between my

off-work self and on-work self. But my fam-

ily is very tolerant. And though my wife com-

plains, I think she finds it interesting at some

level. But it’s hard. And I think I’m getting

less productive over the years. My first book

I wrote with a full-time job. Now I could

never do that.

RP: In “The Year of Living Biblically,” you

manage to find a comfortable balance

between being transparent in your experi-

ences and opinions and being respectful of

those men and women of faith. This has been

true of all the experiments in which you dive

into other cultures or lifestyles. Are you com-

pletely conscious of this? Is it a major priori-

ty?

A.J.: It’s easy to make fun of people different

from yourself. I think it’s a more interesting

challenge to try to find the good in people,

even if you disagree with them.

RP: Because of the success you’ve seen from

your books, do you ever feel typecast as an

author now? Have you become “the experi-

ments guy”? Do you still have opportunities

to write more traditionally?

A.J.: I do turn down a lot of experiments

from other magazines now. There’s only so

much time. But I like writing profiles.

RP: Last question. Do you think you’ll ever

feel any pressure to continue experimenting?

Do you worry that the market for these exper-

imental books will fade or you will run out of

ideas?

A.J.: I like ideas of all kinds, so I have book

ideas in different genres. I plan to write those

books… Someday.

His Life as an Experiment

An Interview with NewYork Times best-selling

author A.J. Jacobs

BY RYAN POYNTER

Staff Writer

Photos12


Junior Patrick Rowe of the Disciples Drama Team demonstrates Jesus dying on the cross in their performance on Tuesday

night for Spring Renewal.

Spring RenewalPhotos by Abbey Cherry

The Disciples Drama Team portrays the biblical story of Abraham offering

up his son, Issac, and God intervening.

The lead singer for the band Live Fish prays in between worship sets.

Photos13


Freshmen Bethany Yonts worships

through music.

Guest speaker Albert Jones from Main Street Baptist Church talks about obedience in out relationship

with Jesus.Junior Julie Paris reads along in her Bible during the

preaching.

Five Things...14


Five Things... 15


For most of us, the University of theCumberlands is not a permanent home. JaredColeman, a first-year graduate student atFlorida State University and recent graduateof the University of the Cumberlands, knowsthis as well as anyone. He left Cumberlandsin May of 2012 and, since then, he's come torealize just how much he misses being here.Here are his top five things he wishes he hadknown before leaving the Cumberlands.

1. I wish I knew how much there is to“do” in Williamsburg. A common complaint Ioften heard (and made) during my time in atthe Cumberlands was that there was nothingto do. But I know now that that is false. I nowlive in a city with around 100,000 collegestudents and there is still nothing for me todo. Sure, there are more places to go, but

they’re not anything like the fun things to doaround the Cumberlands. I miss UC sportingevents, and my professors, and the moun-tains.

2. I wish I knew how convenient theCumberlands is. Seriously. I never thoughtabout how awesome it was that I never had tocook, clean, or drive. Yes, the cafeteria foodwasn’t always the greatest, but it was conven-ient, and – more importantly – consistent.Yeah, I had to keep my room clean (kind of),but I never had to clean a toilet, or do mydishes. I could literally walk to everything Ineeded. That's not something I can do any-more.

3. I wish I knew how much the profes-sors really care about their students. I alwaysknew they did, of course, but until I came to

FSU and saw things from the other side, Inever knew how awesome it was that I couldwalk into any of my professor’s offices at anytime and they would stop and talk to me. Thesmall class sizes and available professorsmade such a difference for me, and I tookadvantage of that.

4. I wish I knew how great of a com-munity there is at the Cumberlands. Duringmy last year at Cumberland, I spent a lot oftime alone. It was just a difficult period oflife, a lot of transitions going on, and manythings I was working on that were not in thearea. I often forgot to cherish the communitythat is at the Cumberlands. It is full of greatpeople who truly care about one another. Iwish I had known how much I would missthat and that I had appreciated it more before

I left.5. I wish I had found out before what

the inside of President Taylor’s house lookslike. This may sound dumb, but one of mybiggest regrets is that I never took one of theopportunities (like after the Hanging of theGreen) to go inside the Taylor’s house, Ialways had something else to do. I guess thisspeaks to a bigger thing I wish I had knownbefore leaving the Cumberlands. It feels likeyou have been there forever, but the time youhave is seriously fleeting, and it will be gonebefore you know it. Don’t put off things thatyou want to accomplish until another day,because one day that will involve you pack-ing your bags and checking out of the dormfor the last time.

Jared Coleman: Five things I wish I’d known before leaving UCBY RYAN POYNTER

Staff Writer

Marianne Worthington: Five things I wish I’d known about online editing

In case you weren’t aware, it is the age ofthe internet. Anything and everything you could ever imagine to find is virtually at yourfingertips. One of the most popular, andlargely growing, online trends is publishing.Almost all newspapers and magazines nowhave online versions to accompany theirdaily or monthly issues.

Hundreds of thousands of blogs are circu-lating the web every day by known andunknown writers alike. If one were to gettechnical, every time you post a witty Tweetor Facebook status, you’re publishing. Butlet’s narrow that scope down a little and focuson the prior—official online publications.

Associate Professor of Communicationand Journalism Marianne Worthington hasBeen writing for numerous online publica-

tions the better part of 10 years now.Something she is a little newer to is editingfor those publications. Worthington is co-founder and poetry editor of stilljournal.net, asite devoted to offering “the finest in contem-porary literary writing of CentralAppalachia,” for a little over three years.

While she may be well adept at her craftnow, at one time she was a rookie too. Here are five things Worthington wishedshe had known, or known more about, when stepping into the world of online publishing:

1. I wish I’d had more design experience.Online publications are all different and I

didn’t have any design experience. So,that’s obvious, right?2. I wish I’d had more html/online posting

experience.I didn’t necessarily need to know how to

do code, but I needed to know how to makethings look inviting and I didn’t know how todo that. I still don’t really know how to dothat.3. I wish I’d done more research in using“free” websites.

We used a “free” website because we did-n’t have any money. We still don’t haveany money and we are still using a “free”website. First off, it’s not really free. It’s nota lot, but it’s not really free. And then you’relimited in how much you can and can’t do.So, our design and our scope and our abilityto do certain things were limited because wewere using a “free” website.4. I wish I’d known some writers still have

prejudice against online (versus tradition-al/print) publishing.

I don’t think this is as true as when onlinemagazines first started, you know, makingthe rounds, but in literary terms, if you weregoing to be a published poet or published fic-tion or non-fiction writer, you had to be intraditional print journals. An online journalwas less prestigious. I think a lot of that haschanged…mostly due to journals like the“The Cortland Review, which was one of thefirst literary journals to go completely online.5. I wish I’d had more meetings with myco-editors.

I have two other co-editors, and we allteach and work, so it is difficult to have face time together to make planning deci-sions for each issue.

BY TIMOTHY WYATT

Staff Writer

Five Things...16


Emily Scott, a sophomore at theUniversity of the Cumberlands, attends Townand Village School of Dance in her home-town of Paris, Kentucky. Scott has been tapdancing for a few years now and really enjoysspending her spare time learning her routinesand dance moves. 1. Shoes are expensive.

You have to make sure you get a good

brand of tap shoes. The better the brand, themore expensive the shoes. It all reallydepends on what your teacher requires fromyou. 2. Be flexible.

Some moves require you to stand on yourtiptoes. In order to do this without hurtingyourself, you will need to stretch and increaseyour flexibility. Just remember you will not

be able to do the difficult stuff in the begin-ning, but if you practice you will have itdown in no time.3. Feel the rhythm.

Tap dancing is all about feeling the beatof the song. Every move you make must goalong with the music.4. It’s all in the ankle NOT the foot.

The ankle is the key. The movement of

your ankles is the key factor in tap dancing.5. Wear proper clothing.

Jeans and a t-shirt is not going to cut it.Most instructors require you to wear a uni-tard, tights and shorts. Also, remember to putyour hair in a ponytail to keep it out of yourway.

Emily Scott: Five things I wish I’d known about tap dancingBY JANNICA BRADY

Staff Writer

1. I wish I would have known not to be sonervous.

You can certainly (and should, of course)plan for an interview, but it's hard to antici-pate what the other person will say in any sit-uation. Come prepared, yes, but let the inter-view go where it wants to go. Musician's canbe awkward or rude...but most of them are

pretty cool and eager to talk about their work.2. I wish I would have known that myopinion has a sense of authority.

Critics have a power of influence and youcan say what you really think. Don't be afraidto exercise that power. 3. I wish I would have known not to takeon so much work all at once.

Take it slow. Enjoy writing the pieces.4. I wish I would have known that writingis lonely.

When you’re sitting by yourself, listeningto a bunch of albums, it doesn't give youmuch time for a social life. Writing takes timeand dedication.5. I wish I would have known that you

don't always get to write what you want towrite.

Sometimes you get the leftovers (andtrust me, not all music is easy to write about),but try to have fun with it anyway. Stick withit.

Kristin Gotch: Five things I wish I’d known about being a music journalist BY BRANDY NORMAN

Staff Writer

This is Durbin’s fifth year on UC’saward-winning Speech and Debate teamwhere he serves as co-captain. He has won5th place in the novice communication analy-sis at The National Christian College ofForensic Invitational, Superior speaker at PiKappa Delta National Tournament in 2009,was former vice-president of The KentuckyForensic Association, and much more.

1) Do the extra research.Any additional sources you can put in

will definitely help bolster your argument.When I started, I would just do the minimumwork but going the extra mile helps.2) Be prepared.

Don’t just read through it a couple oftimes and think you got it because you have anotecard with you. Be able to do it, even if

that means you’ve got to practice.3) Don’t be afraid to collaborate with others.

If you are spit-balling on a topic you’rehaving before you present it, you might wantto run it by a couple of people to get newideas, perspectives or realize that there’s anarea of your speech you need more work on.4) Take notes and organize.

Knowing your notes is one thing, butknow where you’re going with it.5) Everyone has to do it.

Don’t sweat it. Everyone has been whereyou are now and most people have to give apresentation eventually.

Justin Durbin: Five things I wish I’d known about public speakingBY ALEX WILLIAMS

Staff Writer

Opinion 17


Relationships are a funny thing. Whetherwe realize it or not, we all have relationshipswith every individual we ever encounter.What makes that relationship importantthough, is the weight we attribute to it.

It isn’t something we think about often,but we use this sort of system for every-thing…and always have. The only reasonanything has a meaning is because we saythat it does.

At some point, all of our friends werestrangers. That awkward kid that sits in theback of every class could very well be yourbest friend, but you haven’t attempted to givethat relationship any sort of meaning. So, for

now, he stays that awkward kid in the back ofclass.

Go one step further and think of your sig-nificant other. Our boyfriends, girlfriends,

husbands, or wives, most likely, were oncejust our friends. And before that they werewhat? Are you catching on?

Each relationship has different levels ortiers, too. Not all your friends are on a level

field with one another. Some are more impor-tant than others. You may love both of yourparents equally, but you probably have afavorite.

Some people, like me, have a parent orparents that we may look at as strangers. Inmy case, it was my dad. Biologically, he maybe my father, but that is almost the extent ofit. He didn’t care enough about the relation-

ship to invest any meaning in it, and at somepoint, I followed suit.

My point is that we all hold the ability tobe something more to the person next to usand vice-versa. Thank that person who holdsthe door for you. Help that person whodropped all their books in the hallway.Acknowledge that awkward kid who sits inthe back of class. Invest in other people.Invest in people you don’t know.

It will make your life better.

That funny thing: Relationships

BY TIMOTHY WYATT

Staff Writer

“we all hold the ability to besomething more...”

Features 18


There are a few weeks every school yearthat are especially challenging to College stu-dents. Two of them would be the week offinals during Spring and Fall Semester. Theother one would be the first few weeks backto school after Spring Break

All students have trouble getting backinto their routine after a week of relaxationand rest. We want to give you some helpfulstudy tips and words of motivation to helpyou finish the school year strong and avoidfinding yourself in a funk after returning backto campus.

Take Advantage of what’s there for you.Remember what you’re here for. In case

you have to ask, it’s to get an education.

Typically teachers, educational advisors andany other members of campus have probablygiven you study tips, a syllabus, or even pos-sibly extra credit to help you succeed. Usethis to your advantage and take the help thatis being offered to you.

Keep the confidence High, there is still achance.

The school year is not over. Classes arenot finished. You probably still have home-work assignments you need to do, papers towrite, and tests to take which means there isstill a chance for success. Remain confidentthat you can finish that class with a highgrade.

Take time to yourself or study together.One of the most difficult aspects of the

last few weeks is that burning desire to spendas much time as you can even fathom withyour friends; this is in no way bad, but can beharmful to your academics. Don’t sacrificestudy time to just “hang out.” Make thechoice to study or work on homework. Andeven if you are just dying to be with thosepeople close to you, make it a study groupand help each other improve while spendingthat quality time.

Don’t quit yet.Just because finals are around the corner

and you may have missed some assignmentsor didn’t do so well on some tests or papers,

there are still things to be taken care of. Donot give up until the final has been taken.Finish those few things left on the to-do listand don’t count yourself out until the grade isposted.

You’ve done everything you can.Hopefully, you have achieved the grades, fin-ished the projects, and received the creditsthat are leading you to graduation and/or tothe summer. Remember, you’re hitting thepause button not the stop. Don’t quit at springbreak. Giving it your all will only give you amore satisfying summer break.

Finishing Strong

BY KASEY MALONE

Staff Writer AND

BY NATASHA JONES

Assistant Editor Angel Johnson, freshmen ponders her priorities.

Photo by Whitley West

Features 19


• Drink up.

Drinking plenty of water is a must. Not

only does it help you stay hydrated when

you’re working out or going through your

day, it also helps your skin look its best

and helps you shine wherever your spring

break takes you. Drinking plenty of water

also helps flush out any toxins that are in

your body. Add a little lemon juice for fla-

vor and it serves as a natural diuretic.

• Salad, please.

Trade-in your pizza or pasta for a salad.

This may not be the most appealing

option, but there are plenty of things you

can do to flavor it up. Try and mix-it-up

when it comes to ingredients, by adding

raisins. Raisins are filled with natural

sources of energy, vitamins, electrolytes,

and minerals that will help you get

through your day. Instead of a more fatty

dressing like ranch or bleu cheese, use

French or Italian – they have a lesser

amount of fat content. Top off your salad

with some sunflower seeds. Sunflower

seeds are filled with essential fatty acids

as well as vitamins and minerals that your

body needs.

• Take the long route.

When you have time, take the longer route

to class. A few extra steps can add up to

extra calories burned.

• Take the stairs.

When you’re in a building with elevators

or stairs, choose the stairs. The extra

energy spent climbing the stairs and raise

in your heart rate will burn extra calories

and give you a quick energy boost.

• Keep a food journal.

Keeping a list of your calorie intake will

help you keep track of your calorie

intake and will also help you see where

you can cut back and pass on unneeded

calories. MyPyramid.org is a free and

easy way to find out how many calories

you should have each day based on your

age, activity level and gender. The web-

site also offers information on how to eat

healthier.

• Watch your portions.

This is probably the easiest tip of all. By

simply not overeating, you save yourself

from having to take the long route or

stairs to burn off unneeded calories. To

help keep you from over eating, try using

a smaller plate.

While the task of losing a few pounds or

simply trying to not gain any may seem

daunting, keep these easy tips in mind

and you’ll have no problem at all.

Get fit for summer

Spring break is right around the corner. Here area few tips to help you look your best.

BY CHRISTIN MILLER

Editor in cheif


20

1.) Samsung Galaxy S4: Rumored to pos-

sess a full-HD screen with a pixel density

nearly 50percenthigher than the iPhone5, this

is definitely the next big phone to look for.

Expected release: April or May 2013.

2.) Asus Transformer Book: Basically, it’s

an ultrabook which has a detachable screen

that functions as a high-powered Windows 8

tablet. Expected release: Unknown, but most

likely within four to six months.

Apple iPhone 5s/iPhone 6: Less than a few

weeks after the release of the iPhone 5, news

was already surfacing of its successor. Apple

may be pursuing a more aggressive release

schedule due to heavy competition from

Samsung and LG recently. Expect a larger,

more detailed screen and probably a new

trick or two from Apple. Expected release:

Expected June 2013.

Ask TechTalk

Have any questions related to technology?

Shoot an email to

[email protected]. Your question

may be featured in the next edition of The

Patriot!

Technology CornerNew Products to Watch out for:

We asked: What are your plans for spring break?

“I’m babysitting, observing students, and doing lots of sleeping,” saidfreshman history major Alaina Jackson.

“I might be going on a mission trip to Colorado or traveling aroundKentucky,” said senior missions and ministry major Kenny Newton.

“Possibly leading a BCM mission trip to Panama City called BeachReach,” said 5th year senior human services major Casey Hamm.

“Going back home to Louisville to chill with my friends,” said freshman fitness and sports management Craig Trotter.

“I’m doing field experience for my education basic concepts class,”

said freshman education major Samantha Stuckwisch.

“I’m going home to Washington State,” said freshman and criminal jus-tice major Jasmine Minke.

“We’re thinking of going to Florida,” saidfreshman business major Kevin Baker andfreshman undeclared major Cameron Smoak.

21


Sports22


You may not be a sports fan, but chancesare you’ve heard of this year’s HeismanTrophy runner-up and Notre Dame stand-outManti Te’o… and his girlfriend (or the lackthereof). If not, here is a refresher:

1.) Te’o had a long-distance relationship witha “girl” he had never met named LennayKekua.2.) Kekua had leukemia.3.) In September of 2012, Kekua “died.”4.) In December of 2012, Kekua called Te’o.5.) Kekua was actually a guy named RonaiahTuiasosopo, who had elaborated this gianthoax because, as he told Dr. Phil, he “was in lovewith Te’o.”

Sound crazy? That’s because it is. Thereal question: who is crazier?

Mental disorders are a serious thing, andI’m not here to debate whether or not eitherof these guys are suffering from one. That isa topic all on its own. Regardless, it is clearthat this whole situation was a bit off the wall. Again: who is crazier? I would have to sayit’s Tuiasosopo. The guy created a false iden-tity, threw his voice in phone conversationsand lifted photos off of a woman’s Facebookaccount to use as Kekua. Anyone that wouldgo through so much trouble just to form afake relationship with someone has to havesome sort of issues, right?

Te’o has vehemently denied his involve-ment in the hoax, but answers he gave in pastinterviews about Kekua didn’t match-up withanswers he gave after the story broke inJanuary. He even did a series of interviewswith news outlets such as ESPN between thetime he had received the call from supposed-

ly-deceased-Kekua and January, yet he con-tinued to play along with the story. Te’o hassince said to multiple sources that he fabricat-ed some details during that time as an attemptto not come of looking like a crazy personthat falls in love with people he has nevermet.

Is it possible he really didn’t know shewas a fake person until that December phonecall? Yeah, sure. Honestly, I’d say there is abetter chance that he is just a sucker than anaccomplice. I mean, if I were to fall for somerandom woman online that I didn’t personal-ly know, A.) my wife would kill me, and B.)I wouldn’t tell anyone either. And if I foundout that woman was actually a guy? Forgetabout it; ain’t nobody hearing that story.

Don’t let that last paragraph fool you intothinking I’m in Te’o’s corner. He just has themost relatable angle in this debacle. I believe

he should have known better to start with.Long-distance relationships have very poorstatistics and those with people you don’teven know have to be worse.

And it seems that our great nation doesn’tcut you any slack for being duped. A recentpoll by Nielson and E-Poll found Te’o in sec-ond place for “the most disliked athlete inAmerica,” behind only Lance Armstrongwhich is a little ridiculous when you thinkabout it. Te’o is now lumped together withArmstrong—who cheated, lied, ruined peo-ple’s careers, lives and basically robbed themout of tons of money—yet, all Te’o did washave a fake, hyped-out-of-proportion,Internet “girlfriend” that died, came back tolife and, unfortunately, turned out to be a guy.

In my opinion: The girlfriend that never was

“Is it possible he really didn’t know?”

BY TIMOTHY WYATT

Staff Writer

Entertainment 23


Before Your Very Eyes… REVIEW: Atoms For Peace’s ‘Amok’

BY MATTHEW WILLIAMS

Staff Writer

It’s taken four years for Radiohead’sThom Yorke to unveil an album from hismuch talked about side project Atoms ForPeace. Originating as a live band in supportof his solo album The Eraser, the electro-rockband features Yorke, famed Radiohead pro-ducer Nigel Godrich, Beck and R.E.M. drum-mer Joey Waronker, percussionist MauroRefosco, and most notably, Red Hot ChiliPeppers’ bassist Flea.

Yorke and company have played a lot ofshows and several festivals over the last cou-ple of years, billed at the events withmonikers such as “ThomYorke??” and theominous and characteristically confusing“??????.” It wasn’t until 2010 that Yorkeannounced over Twitter that his new bandwould be called Atoms For Peace, namedafter a song on his debut solo album.

But does the much-anticipated album liveup to everything that fans thought it wouldbe? Is it truly the answer to the equation“Radiohead + the Red Hot Chili Peppers =musical perfection?” With as long as Yorkehas made his devoted fans wait, expectationswere high. Unfortunately, Atoms For Peace’sdebut Amok falls a little short of everythingYorke has built up to this point.

The album opener “Before Your VeryEyes…” starts off strong, with Radiohead-like treble guitar and an engaging bass riffthat could only be played by Flea. Yorke’svocals echo through the track, envelopingyou in the track, as he surrounds you, in asinging performance reminiscent ofRadiohead’s “Reckoner.” Electronic influ-ences are obvious, with a steady, manufac-tured drumbeat that repeats throughout theentirety of the track and heavy synthesizersthat increase the overall bass of the song.

The first single “Default” follows, featur-

ing popping synth-beats, Yorke’s falsettosinging, and the lack of a traditional pop-songformat, i.e., no identifiable chorus. “Default”suffers, though, in the same sense thatRadiohead’s King of Limbs went wrong, as itseems the track is on repeat, as after the songgets going, it doesn’t really change, besides afew synth-strings fading in. “Default,” like alot of the album, is Thom Yorke’s inner DJcoming out, as he simply wants a beat todance to while holding one end of a pair ofheadphones up to his ear and swaying hisbody back and forth, in typical Thom Yorkefashion.

One element the album lacks is it doesn’ttake advantage of their incredibly talentedbass player. On most of the songs, the synthe-sizers smother the true bass, making it moreof a background noise to be on the lookoutfor. In fact, one of Flea’s best performanceswith the band was left off the album, and leftto defend itself as a lonely B-side called

“What the Eyeballs Did.”In no way is Amok a bad album, and in

many ways, it’s a great album. But, ThomYorke has focused too heavily on wanting tomake an electro-pop dance album like hisbuddies from Modeselektor. Debuts aresometimes a tricky thing to get right. Justlook at Radiohead or the Red Hot ChiliPeppers. Neither of their first albums areregarded as being masterpieces, but bothbands went on to create some of the most rec-ognizable alt-rock records of all time. Andmaybe, just maybe, Atoms For Peace will fallinto that same category.

✭✭✭

Notable Tracks: “Default” - “Judge, Jury, andExecutioner” - “Dropped”

Entertainment 24


If you aren’t familiar with Coheed andCambria—or CoCa for short—then it may beeasy for you to not give this band the chancethey deserve. Many will be turned off by leadvocalist Claudio Sanchez’s signature falsettoor maybe even his giant mane of long, curlyhair…also signature. Some may not like thatthe band itself is based on a concept.

Each album acts as its own chapter in thescience-fiction story of “The Amory Wars,”set in the fictional galaxy of Heaven’s Fence.In case you aren’t familiar, think: “StarWars.”

Their latest album, “The Afterman:Descension,” delves back to the very begin-ning of the concept, focusing on the name-

sake for the entire series, Sirius Amory. Thestory is intricately woven and carefullythought-out, but so is the music.

Tracks like “The Hard Sell,” “Away WeGo” and “2’s My Favorite 1” displaysCoheed’s classic sound—a pop-rock mixturethat boasts nice grooves and lyrics so catchythat they get stuck in your head for days—while “Sentry the Defiant” is more raw, pri-mal and heavier. This definitely is the“anthem” song of the album.

There is a softer side to this recordthough. “Iron Fist” and “Dark Side of Me”play to the vulnerabilities of their songwriter,vulnerabilities that everyone can relate to—namely, regrets.

“Number City” is hands-down the mostinteresting piece off “Descension.” There areso many elements to this track that aren’t nor-mally familiar to CoCa, aside from the driv-ing bass line. The main guitar riff is fun,bouncy and almost jazzy. Oh, there are alsohorns. And who doesn’t love a little brass intheir music?

“Descension” gives proof to CoCa’sgrowth and progression as musicians. It alsoshowcases Sanchez’s increasingly improvedability to draw from real-life experiences toform and shape the band’s concept throughlyrics.

Nothing on this record sounds like any-thing they have ever produced before, yet it’s

no challenge to pinpoint all the little nuancesthat are trademark to Coheed and Cambria.Even though there are one or two forgettabletracks, they have created an album that theyshould be proud of.

✭✭✭✭

BY TIMOTHY WYATT

Staff Writer

Review: Coheed and Cambria’s ‘Afterman: Descension’

PhD Comics 25


PhD Comics

PhD Comics 26


PhD Comics

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