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FRIDAY

Student fights to change university privacy policiesBy Katie [email protected]

When Kirsten Lovas was afreshman, she was not aware per-sonal information such as her resi-dence hall and room number couldbe found on UK’s Web site — butshe found out when she wasstalked.

When coming to and from herdorm, Lovas would see her stalkerlurking outside and found out heobtained her information from theonline directory.

UK follows the 1974 FamilyEducational Rights and PrivacyAct, which is a federal law thattries to protect privacy of personalinformation within student educa-tion records.

FERPA states that schools cangive the following informationwithout consent: a student’s name,address, phone number, date andplace of birth, honors and awardsand dates of attendance, accordingto the U.S. Department of Educa-tion Web site.

UK is required under FERPA

to tell students several thingsabout records, and this informa-tion is available in the StudentCode of Conduct, said T. LynnWilliamson, senior associate in le-gal services.

While UK has the right to pub-lish students’ personal informa-tion, the university must informparents or students 18 years of ageor older that this information is be-ing available to the public, and theschool must give parties sufficienttime to request that the school notshow the information.

“You have to sort of generallytell students what kind of recordsyou have, and you have to notifystudents of what information ispublic information,” Williamsonsaid.

Lovas said because all of theinformation is thrown at studentsduring such a short time, it is im-possible for students to rememberprivacy information.

“I did a presentation in one ofmy classes … and there were 50

To get home in time forthe holiday break and have aplace for students’ vehicleswhen they return, UK Park-ing and Transportation Serv-ices is making the journey alittle easier.

Home for the Holidaysshuttle

From Dec. 15 to 18, PTSis offering a free shuttleavailable to students that willrun from campus to BlueGrass Airport on TerminalDrive off Versailles Road.Daily pick-up times arescheduled every two hoursfrom 6 a.m. to 4 p.m.Chrissie Balding Tune, PTSspokeswoman, said studentsshould plan to leave campustwo hours before their sched-uled flight.

Balding Tune said 21 stu-dents used the shuttle lastWinter Break, and said by us-ing the shuttle, students donot have to worry about pay-ing for airport parking.

“It’s just one less thing todeal with over the break,”Balding Tune said.

Students who want toschedule a pick-up should e-mail PTS with their name,campus address and phonenumber, and the date andtime of the pick-up. Theshuttle is not offered beforeclasses resume in January.

Spring permits availableMonday

Incoming students, trans-fer students or those whohave yet to buy a permit canpurchase either K-Lot orevening permits beginningMonday. K-Lot permits are$116 and evening permits are$56, Tune said. Students mustapply online through theParking Account Manager.

Certain lots will not bepatrolled from Dec. 19through Jan. 10. The K-Lot atCommonwealth Stadium willnot be patrolled until Jan. 20to give new permit-holderstime to adjust, Balding Tunesaid.

A parking lottery is avail-able for students who are eli-gible for residential or com-muter lot permits. PTS willsurvey residential and com-muter lots to determine howthey are utilized, and willdraw lottery winners depend-ing on how many spaces areavailable, Balding Tune said.

— LAURA CLARK

Hitchinga ridehome

By Laura [email protected]

Losing is not always a badthing.

To start the new year,UK’s Health & Wellness Pro-gram in the Department ofHuman Resources is offeringa Biggest Blue Loser competi-tion for UK employees andtheir spouses, as well as UKretirees.

Karen Bryla McNees, adietician in the Health &Wellness Program, said thecompetition is in its third yearand only for participants inthe ongoing Weight Loss Mat-ters course.

“It’s for those who are los-ing motivation or struggling abit,” McNees said. “The com-petition gives them a little ex-

Superherorevealed

By Martha [email protected]

Ninja Witch, Free Mary,Frost Queen and Naked Manare the names of a few charac-ters in one UK alum’s newbook.

Kenn Minter, art directorfor the university’s CreativeGraphics and Web Design de-partment, will be signingcopies of his new graphicnovel, “The Experts,” on Fri-day.

Minter’s novel is about anunusual team of superheroescaught up in the world of mar-keting and publicity.

“ ‘The Experts’ turns thetraditional superhero myths ontheir ears,” Minter said.

Minter was interested incartooning from an early age.

“I started writing anddrawing comics when I was a

University offersshuttle for students

PHOTOS BY SCOTT HANNIGAN | STAFFBreanna Stone, 5, enjoys her new Nerf gun in the Sigma Alpha Epsilon house Thursday night at their annual Christmas party.

Christmas wishesfulfilled

By Garrett [email protected]

It was a Christmas party, but itwas an atmosphere of thanksgivingthat decked the halls of the Sigma Al-pha Epsilon house Thursday night.

In an annual tradition, fraternitySigma Alpha Epsilon joined sororityAlpha Omicron Pi in spreading thejoy of Christmas with a holiday partyfor children and their families whootherwise might not get to experienceit.

Spencer Merk, a business andmanagement junior and member ofSAE, was one of the organizers forthe event, which invites families whomight be struggling financially thisholiday season.

“These are families who need alittle help for Christmas,” he said.“We’re fortunate, and this is justsomething we can do to chip in a littlebit, to give back to the community, tohelp these kids have a better Christ-mas.”

SAE and AOPi members wereplaced in groups, given a child’swishlist and then sent on a shoppingtrip in preparation for the party, hesaid.

The event has been held for morethan 10 years, but this year’s partywas more important than those in thepast, said Dana Deptola, a marketingand finance senior and member ofAOPi.

“So many people have lost their

jobs in the recession, so now, morethan ever, we need to be doing this.

“And many of the kids didn’teven ask for toys,” Deptola said.“They asked for clothing, things likethat — basic necessities.”

Groups had $300 to spend oneach child. After Santa arrived at theparty, the children were allowed toopen their gifts.

Three or four presents for eachchild remained hidden. Deptola said

these will be given to the parents andplaced under their families’ trees sothe children will have gifts to open onChristmas morning.

“We’re in a situation where ourkids weren’t going to get much forChristmas,” said LaKelli Hamilton,who attended the party with her son.“I had no idea it would be like this.I’m really touched. It is such a bless-ing.”

WEB SAFETYThe following is how the Registrar notifies stu-dents of its FERPA policy, according to an e-mail from Associate Registrar Jacquie Hager:

n The Registrar Web site includes examples ofwhere and when this information is releasedn Students can go to room 10 in theFunkhouser Building, present a picture ID andget a privacy flag form.n More information can be found at(http://www.uky.edu/Registrar/ferpa.htm) oron the Facebook group “Students Against UKReleasing Our Private Information.”See Web safety on page 2

LexTran’s Airport/KeenelandExpress runs Monday throughFriday and drops off at theVine Street bus terminal. Fareis $1. American Taxi (859-381-TAXI) accepts UK PlusAccount, and charges approx-imately $16 to $20 from Blue Grass Airport to campus.

ON THE WAY HOME

Healthcontestaimed at staff

See Weight loss on page 2

UK employee tohold signing ofgraphic novel

See Comic on page 2

“It’s for those who arestruggling a bit. The

competition gives thema little extra something

they need.”KAREN BRYLA MCNEES

dietician

Taylor Stone, 6, greets Santa Claus, Sigma Alpha Epsilon's Justin Jacobs, as he entersthe SAE house Thursday night for the annual Christmas party.

‘Ninja Assassin’s’ weakattack disappoints

moviegoers

Online at www.kykernel.com A new passionUK student moves fromteam sports to martial arts

See S core on page 3

“And many of the kids didn’t even ask for toys. They

asked for clothing, things like that — basic necessities.”

— Dana Deptola, marketing and finance senior and member of Alpha Omicron Pi

A TIME FOR GIVING

See Christmas on page 2

PAGE 2 | Friday, December 11, 2009

p

To get the advantage, check theday's rating: 10 is the easiest day, 0the most challenging.Aries (March 21-April 19) —Today is an 8 — You'll need yourimagination today. Group membersare going in 10 different directions,and you need to draw it all backtogether.Taurus (April 20-May 20) —Today is an 8 — Does your waist-band feel a little tight? Give yourdigestive system a rest today. You'llmake up for it tomorrow.Gemini (May 21-June 21) —Today is a 7 — Imagine a stationthat plays only your tunes. Every-thing you touch today is golden.Cancer (June 22-July 22) —Today is an 8 — Pay attention to theundercurrent of energy around you.

Folks may not say what they reallymean. Read between the lines.Leo (July 23-Aug. 22) — Todayis an 8 — Start out in the morningas if you know exactly where you'regoing. You discover opportunityleading you in a fruitful direction.Don't let others cast doubt on yourideas.Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) —Today is a 7 — Choose to say "no,"or, "I can do it myself." Too manycooks definitely spoil the broth.Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) —Today is a 7 — Plan to get throughthe day under your own power. Youhave plenty for yourself, but maybenot enough for everyone.Scorpio (Oct. 23--Nov. 21) —Today is a 7 — You're surprisedwhen everything softens up aroundthe edges so that you can finishearly. Seasonal activities keep youbusy today and tonight. Drink mod-

erately.Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21)— Today is an 8 — As long as youdon't get hung up on a confusingpoint, work will move forward todaywith satisfying results.Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19)— Today is an 8 — Get togetherwith one other person and applyyourself to the task at hand. Acheerful attitude goes a long way. Alittle cash helps.Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) —Today is a 7 — If you think thatyou've understood everything, thinkagain. Most of the facts make logi-cal sense. An associate identifiesone error.Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) —Today is a 7 — Never doubt thatyou have enough ideas. What youneed is the right moment to try themout on others. Do it today.

(C) 2009 TRIBUNE MEDIA SERVICES

COPYRIGHT 2009 US WEEKLY

4puz.com

Horoscope

Eastwood’s ‘Invictus’ touches the heartOnce upon a time there was a controversial black

president attempting to lead a nation still strugglingwith old racial divisions. When Nelson Mandela wonSouth Africa's highest office, many Afrikaners fearedturmoil and reprisals. Some of his supporters expecteda stern payback for the nation's white minority aftergenerations of apartheid. He kept both factions off-bal-ance while aiming for the big score: a united nationmaking a clean break from its past.

Alongside his internal and international initiatives,Mandela sought a symbol all South Africans could rallyaround. He found it in the Springboks, the virtually all-white national rugby team. Their record was spotty, andthe nation's blacks disdained the team as a holdoverfrom the days of white minority rule. But if they couldbe prodded into the championship playoffs, they couldbe a unifying symbol of national pride.

Clint Eastwood's "Invictus" tells this tale in a stur-dy, straightforward, agreeably square manner. It's a filmof big themes played out on a grand scale, a story ofraces and generations making an effort to connect. Thesetting is unusual, but it's told in a style that's immedi-ate and understandable, never opting for heroism at theexpense of authenticity. Where others might imply,Eastwood has little concern for subtlety, at least con-cerning the big-picture issues. When needed, he hasmessage songs, cheering crowds and Morgan Freemanreciting "I am the master of my fate, I am the captain ofmy soul" to drive his point home.

As Mandela, Freeman gives a performance of tri-umphant intelligence. His presence is commanding yetmodest and decent, the sensitive father figure incar-

nate. Whenever he encounters a foe, he speaks in atranquil, hypnotic tone, gently breaking his opponent asif he were a beautiful horse. When he first strides intothe presidential offices, his predecessor's staff greetshim with cold reluctance. With a few conciliatory wordshe persuades them to stay on and do their best work fortheir country. He would rather convert an adversary thandefeat him. This film should be required viewing foranyone who wants to run a government.

Matt Damon is convincing as the captain of theSpringboks, a wary fellow who becomes ever more hu-mane as the film moves along. He's here not to score astar turn but to serve the story with a couple of (impec-cably accented) go-team speeches. His pivotal scene isone where he's virtually silent, a soul-searching visit toMandela's old cell and rock quarry in Robben IslandPrison, the crucible that transformed him from a hot-headed revolutionary to a disciplined pragmatist. Withhis blocky frame, Damon looks like he can hold his ownin the bruising rugby scrimmages.

"Invictus" is one of Eastwood's most uplifting andinspirational films. It's a reminder that on the fields ofsport and politics, being the coach is a lot more than di-agramming plays. It's about leadership and helping peo-ple grow and getting individuals to work together. Thefilm keeps returning to a keynote of optimism, but it'snot facile. This is optimism of a carefully consideredand convincingly argued kind, the sort that only a hu-manist who's spent a long life watching civilization be-tray its potential can honestly express.

people in my class and the only person thatknew about it was the girl that I sit next tobecause I had already talked to her about it,”Lovas said.

Because of the stalking that resulted fromUK’s Web policy, Lovas took her concerns toStudent Government last spring. Lovasworked with members of SG in hopes of pre-venting cases like hers.

The SG Senate unanimously passed a res-olution stating that students should be able tochoose how much of their information willbe shown on the UK Web site.

After the resolution passed, Lovas metwith the Registrar’s Office to raise her con-cerns. Lovas said she got an official responsefrom the university eight months later thatsaid her proposal would not be cost-effec-tive.

“The sanction for not following that fed-eral law by the Department of Education isthat an institution will have all federal grantand contract money withdrawn from the in-stitution — that is $300 million dollars of theuniversity’s budget,” Williamson said.“That’s basically all of the research that goeson at the university.”

UK students have the option of setting aprivacy flag, but Lovas said after filling oneout it took two to three weeks for her infor-mation to be removed.

Kathy Hamperian, information manage-ment director, said the university switched toa new system in February 2007, and now itwould take about two days for a privacy flagto be effective.

Lovas said she is irritated because she hasbeen working on the issue for a year andfeels like she has gotten nowhere.

“It’s very frustrating working with a hugeinstitution where everyone just points a fin-ger in a different direction and no one willever take any responsibility for anything,”she said.

Since receiving a response from the uni-versity, Lovas said she has started petitionsand surveyed students on whether or not theyknow their information is easily available.Lovas said although she wants to see changein privacy laws at UK, it was never her inten-tion to speak badly about the university.

“I love this university, but just because Ilove this university doesn’t mean I’m goingto idly stand by in something that affects ourentire population in a negative way,” shesaid. “This is an issue that affects every stu-dent in a way that you can never take back …(UK’s) response is not good enough, and I’mnot stopping until it is.”

WEB SAFETYContinued from page 1

kid,” he said.While at UK earning his

art studio degree, Minter saidhe created comic strips and il-lustrations for the KentuckyKernel.

Since his college years,Minter has worked for vari-ous publications across thecountry including Lexingtonpublications Nougat Maga-zine and Ace Weekly, and hasbeen featured in Print Maga-zine’s 2002 Regional DesignAnnual.

Currently, Minter createsmarketing materials for UKand publishes graphic novelslike “The Experts” throughNear Mint Press, his ownpublishing imprint.

“The Experts” began assome simple drawings of su-perheroes in his sketchbook,Minter said.

“I wanted to create a

book that was fun, sexy andwitty,” he said. “Most mod-ern comics are so melodra-matic and bleak. I wanted toget away from that and dosomething completely differ-ent.”

At first, Minter planned toillustrate the novel himself,but decided instead to enlist apencil artist named ClarencePruitt, whom he met on anonline cartoon forum.

“I felt my style of draw-ing was too cartoony for a su-perhero book,” Minter ex-plained. “His drawing stylereally appealed to me and hewas looking for a project towork on.”

Minter said “The Ex-perts” will appeal to a broadadult audience. The drawingsare one element of the novelhe expects to “attract a wideaudience of tastes.”

“While similar in style toSilver Age comic art, thedrawings are presented in amodern style that is unique,fun and dynamic,” Mintersaid.

Minter said womenshould enjoy the novel “dueto the story’s use of strong,independent, female charac-ters.”

He said his novel is morehumorous and playful thanmany modern comics andthinks his novel comes at agood time.

“Superhero entertainmentis at an all-time high in mod-ern pop culture,” he said.

The signing will takeplace from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Fri-day at the Morris Book Shop,located at 408 Southland Dr.Live music and refreshmentswill be provided.

COMICContinued from page 1 What: Kenn Minter’s “The

Experts” comic book signingWhen: Friday from 6 to 7:30p.m.Where: Morris Book Shop,408 Southland Dr.Admission: Free

IF YOU GO

tra something they need.”The Biggest Blue Loser is a 10-week pro-

gram that requires participants to exercise fourdays a week, complete eight food and exercisediaries, and attend classes for at least eight ofthe 10 weeks.

McNees said the winners are not judgedon pounds lost, but on the percentage of

weight lost instead.“We like having that focus, it’s not all

about the weight,” McNees said.In-person and online classes are available,

and up to 100 people can participate, McNeessaid. Coming to the weekly weigh-ins keepsparticipants accountable, she said.

“People join the program for that reason,”McNees said. “They know how to diet … butthey just need that accountability tweak byseeing us face to face.”

The deadline to apply for the competitionis Dec. 18.

WEIGHT LOSSContinued from page 1

News

Hamilton’s son Leslee,10, had a great time at theparty, he said, but he wasmore excited about his giftof a watch.

“It’s real cool becauseyou get to do stuff other peo-ple can’t do with theirwatch,” Leslee said. “Itglows in the dark, like whenI wake up at night, and I cango underwater.”

Martha Granados washappy to see her son, 5-year-old Christopher, open up his

gifts, including a NintendoDS.

“I’m very happy becausethese are all the presents hewanted,” she said. “It wasgreat.”

Jessica Neal, an elemen-tary education senior andmember of AOPi, skippedher final class to attend theparty. She said the event isone that everyone in the or-ganizations looks forward toeach year.

“Just seeing this, theirfaces, makes it worth it,”Neal said. “It’s very emo-tional. And I’ll miss every-thing about it next year.”

Eighteen children fromWilliam Wells Brown Ele-

mentary School on East FifthStreet were invited to theparty. Leslie Calk, directorof the school’s family re-source center, said the partyhelped ease parents’ mindsthat their children would notmiss out on their Christmaswishes.

“So many of the parentshere are struggling,” Calksaid. “This is a huge sigh ofrelief for them.”

Calk said she is satisfiedin seeing the smiling facesaround her.

“It’s just the joy ofwatching these children’sdreams come true,” she said.“Because they do cometrue.”

CHRISTMASContinued from page 1

SCOREFriday, December 11, 2009

By Patrick [email protected]

When Alex Mohn was growing up, he alwayswanted to partake in one of the martial arts.

However, instead of kicking opponents in adojo, Mohn could be found on a field kicking soc-cer balls or in a rink firing pucks. But when he gotto UK, Mohn decided to leave soccer and hockeybehind and pursue something he dreamt of as achild: judo.

“In high school, I always wanted to do a mar-

tial art, but never had time,” Mohn said. “When Igot to UK, I found the club on the Internet andchecked it out.”

Now, as a junior, Mohn is the president of thejudo club and a fairly accomplished Judoka, thetechnical term for one who practices judo.

After years of honing his skills, Mohn has re-ceived recognition in judo and jujitsu, judo’s earlypredecessor. In the 2009 Bluegrass Open JujitsuTournament, held in Louisville on Oct. 3, he wonthe blue belt division in his weight class.

Mohn credits his success in martial arts to the

help he has received from the club.“Ninety percent of my instruction has come

here at UK,” said Mohn, who has also trained atother dojos. “Competing has really let me knowhow good of a club this is.”

The judo club has been around since the 1950sand currently has 15 members. The program aimsto teach its members the basics of the popularJapanese martial art.

Literally meaning “gentle way,” judo utilizes

Page 3

PORTRAIT BY ZACH BRAKE | STAFFJudo Club Sensei Robert Burge, right, and Judo Club President Alex Mohn, a mechanical engineering junior, both have a passion for Judo. Burge, the head instructor, found his inter-est in Judo on accident when he showed up for another martial arts club UK offered.

More than just a throwdown

See Score on page 6

By Nick [email protected]

Every team needs a littlespark off the bench, whether itcomes in the form of shooting,rebounding or defense.

Some players, such as UKwomen’s basketball seniorguard/forward Lydia Watkins,bring all three along with some-thing special that can’t becoached.

“Lydia Watkins came toplay,” said UK head coachMatthew Mitchell after UK’s winover Cincinnati on Dec. 4.Watkins sparked a UK comebackby posting a career-high 18 pointscoming off the bench, a role sherelishes.

“For me (my energy) is justsomething that happens,” Watkins

said. “I get excited for everygame.”

Watkins has good reason toget excited each time she stepsout on the court. She has had tobattle and persevere for a multi-tude of reasons to play the sportshe loves.

As a junior at ChristianCounty High School in Hop-kinsville, Watkins averaged adouble-double and committed tostay close to home to play for theCats despite offers from otherschools. To an outsider, Watkins’basketball career seemed to be onan upward trajectory.

However, before the end ofher junior year of high school,Watkins was diagnosed withspondylolisthesis, a stress fracture

See Basketball on page 6

Watkins is UK Hoops’ spark off the bench

Sports columnist

Metz Camfield(49-35)Asst. sports editor

Nick Craddock(43-41)Staff writer

Kenny Colston(56-28)Editor in chief

Kevin Novak(55-29)UK fan

Ben Jones(52-32)Sports editor

James Pennington(52-32)

krystalballTHE

FINAL

STANDINGS

Seniorguard/for-ward LydiaWatkins isaveraging8.4 pointsand 5reboundsin fivegames thisseason.

PHOTO BYSCOTTHANNIGANSTAFF

Ben JonesSports EditorPhone: 257-1915

[email protected]

OPINIONSFriday, December 11, 2009 Page 4

WILLIAM KILUBA, Kernel cartoonist

Split Finals Weekwill help grades,give students break

Student Government ispushing a plan that will ac-tually evoke change.

Last year it passed theDead Week bill, but that billonly goes so far as profes-sors must abide by it andcannot be enforced.

This year, though, it isattempting to change FinalsWeek and institute a FallBreak.

Splitting Finals Week is agood idea, but not just be-cause it gives students a FallBreak. It is a positive changefor students and possibly foracademic performance.

By splitting FinalsWeek — starting it on aThursday and ending it ona Tuesday — it will givestudents a much neededbreak in the midst of toughfinal exams.

Having five finals isstressful enough, but whenthey are back-to-back it al-most becomes impossible.Especially when a student’sgrade is on the line, you donot want to give them anunfair disadvantage just be-cause you have anotherexam the next day.

Professors should be onboard with this bill as well.Since all professors are eval-uated on how well a studentdoes in class, one could as-sume they will want theirstudents fresh when their fi-

nal rolls around. By splitting Finals

Week, students will havethe opportunity to have aweekend breather to refo-cus their minds for the finalpush.

Despite the obvious pos-itives of this bill, it still hasa few fences to leap before itbecomes the law. First, pass-ing the Student Senate willbe crucial. If it passes theStudent Senate, it will thenturn to the Faculty Senate,where it may be more diffi-cult to pass.

SG President RyanSmith believes it will passthe Student Senate and thenhead to the Faculty Senatewith some momentum.

“It sends a stronger sig-nal when the Student Senatepasses (the proposal),”Smith said in a Dec. 9 Ker-nel article. “Whether it getspassed (Wednesday) night orthe first week in January,I’m pretty confident we’llget something that workswith everybody.”

SG cannot let this billgo without a fight. Smith isconfident but there needs tobe quick action. Letting thislinger into the second se-mester may hurt the propos-al’s chances of passing.

Pass the bill for the sakeof students’ academic wellbeing.

Santa Claus storyrepresents dreams

I will never forget theChristmas of 1998. I was onthe brink of turning 10,

meaningthat I hadbeenhearingrumorsthat SantaClauswas notreal fornearlytwo years(oldersiblingsruin

everything), but I never be-lieved a word of it. After all,every Christmas, Santa hadbrought me something.Maybe it wasn’t exactlywhat I wanted, but it wassomething.

Besides, Santa Claus hasbeen showing up to myhouse on Christmas Eveevery year since I was sev-en. Every year we plan ourentire evening around his ar-rival and anxiously antici-pate his presence. And everyyear he does not disappoint,showing up with a bag fullof presents, a white beardthat even Grizzly Adamswould be jealous of and ared suit that reflects off thewhite snow.

But in 1998 I saw some-thing that, for the first timeever, gave me doubt. I wasstanding at the door, impa-tiently awaiting Santa’s ar-rival, when I saw a Corollascoot up the street. A man ina full red suit got out andproceeded to walk towardour house.

Then, to my even greaterastonishment, the manreached in the trunk of mymom’s car and pulled out asack of presents, threw itover his shoulder and en-tered our house.

I stayed up for hoursthat night, wondering if myeyes had deceived me. Wasit be true that Santa wasn’twho he said he was? Werethe way movies and storiesperceived him not what real-ly existed? It wasn’t untilyears later that I realized thetruth.

My little sister was soproud to tell everyone thatSanta Claus was not real the

year she “found out.” Butfor some reason, even afteryears of knowing, it painedme to see her give up on be-lieving. And so I spent thatentire Christmas trying toconvince her that the man inred was as real as the pres-ents he brought. Whethershe bought into or not is be-yond me, but something elsehappened: I bought into it.

I realized Santa Clauswas more than a fat manwith a long beard (I can seeone of those on couches allacross America every Sun-day football is on). Further-more, he was more than justanother source of presentsother than those underneaththe tree.

I finally realized whymy Mom, who at the youngage (you’re welcome, Mom)of 30, made such a big dealabout Santa coming everyyear.

She never wanted to bethe one to tell us somethingwe believed was real wasn’t.Maybe he doesn’t fly a rein-deer-drawn sled, or climbdown the chimney wheneveryone’s asleep, but hedoes show up every yearjust so he doesn’t disappointus. He would never want achild, or anyone for thatmatter, to think that some-thing they believe in is fake.

Santa Claus representsthe idea that if you believein something, only you candetermine its reality. He rep-resents every dream that wedon’t give up on because weknow that it can become re-ality.

No person has the rightto tell another that some-thing they believe in is notreal, or could never becomereal.

Maybe Santa hasn’t beento your house in a while,and maybe you stopped be-lieving in him years agowhen you “found out.” Butwhat did you stop believingin?

Was it that a man in ared suit climbs down yourchimney on Christmas, orwas it that anything you be-lieve could be real is?

CJ Conklin is an account-ing and finance junior. [email protected].

Society must find true meaning of ChristmasAs finals week quickly

approaches, and soon after amonth off of school, I foundit pertinent to write about the

upcomingholidayand what Ifeel it istrulyabout.When Iwas a kidandChristmastime rolledaround, itwas most-ly about

what presents I was going toget and less about what myparents had tried to instill inme about the holiday.

But as I got older andmore mature, it kind of hitme all at once what Christ-mas was really about: a timeof peace and goodwill, beinga Christian and a time to cel-ebrate the birth of Jesus.

But most of all, a time tospend with the ones you loveregardless of whether you’regoing to get anything materi-

al out of it.I feel like during Christ-

mas, our society becomesnothing more than a material-istic child. A child that wantsand wants, but never wantsto give anything back. I’veoften discussed this withfriends, both Christians andnon-Christians, and it is ageneral agreement that we re-gret how commercialized thisholiday has become.

It feels like most people(I say most because I knownot all) buy presents only be-cause they feel like they haveto, or they think they’re get-ting something in return.

Our media culture doesnothing to help; rather it per-petuates the materialism thatis already running rampant inour society.

They make it seem thatunless we have the newestgadget, or are wearing what’s“in,” then we are going to belooked down upon by ourpeers.

But by volunteering withthe homeless or doing someother charity work during the

holidays, we are somehownot as cool.

I know that many people,some of my own family in-cluded, dread Christmasevery year for the simple factthat they know they are go-ing to have to buy a ton ofpresents. It shouldn’t be likethat. No one should dread atime to be with family andspend time with the ones youlove.

My family was not, andstill isn’t, rich by any means,but for Christmas I alwaysgot what I asked from “San-ta.” My parents always madesure I knew not everyone wasas fortunate as I.

I told that small anecdote

to point out that if our socie-ty would start seeing peopleas being different, and stopbeing trapped in their ownworlds, then I think wewould be more willing tohelp those in need.

At this time of year morethan any other, we need toopen our eyes and extend ahelping hand to those inneed. As a Christian, whatbetter way to celebrate thebirth of our Savior than to dogood works in His name andto show love to everyone?

I think if we could all getpast this notion of whatChristmas isn’t, and get backto the true meaning of theholiday, we would be muchbetter off as a society.

I end, and fittingly so,with a verse from the Bibleabout love. I Corinthians13:13 states, “And now thesethree remain: faith, hope andlove. But the greatest of theseis love.”

Matthew Fox is a politi-cal science and psychologysophomore. E-mail [email protected].

Thank you from Student GovernmentWe have finally reached

that time that many of ushave been dreading. It is a

procrasti-nator’sworstnightmare,a son’s ordaughter’schance toprove tohis or herparentsthat schoolactually isa priorityand a

teacher’s opportunity to makeeven the brightest studentsquirm. That’s right: FinalsWeek is upon us once again.

But as we bury ourheads in our books andtake down that third gallonof coffee, it is also achance to look back on thesemester and remember allthe great things that madethe fall so great, and thepeople that helped makethose great things possible.The season of thanks andgiving is also upon us, andit is important that we allremember the loved ones inour lives who have madeeach day something we willnever forget.

We here in the StudentGovernment office have hada great semester so far, butwe would not be anywherewithout the people in ourlives, and so, we would liketo say thank you to a few of

those people.To our fearless adviser

Todd Cox: You have workedtirelessly everyday for ourwell being. Your ability toadapt effectively to the nu-merous leadership styles thatexist within our staff is as-tounding, and your invest-ment in our potential ispriceless. Without your guid-ance and helping hand, ourlives would be beyond hec-tic. We cannot thank youenough for the work you dofor us.

To Don Thornton andParking and TransportationServices: Thank you forworking with us on the nu-merous projects we havebrought to you throughoutthe year. You and your staff’svision to see past what’s be-ing done into what could bedone, and continuing to findinnovative ways to enhancestudent life is a true blessingto this university.

To Police Chief Joe Mon-roe: Thank you for being atthe forefront of gaining stu-dent input on services pro-vided by the UK Police, andyour cooperation as we havebegun the process of settingup a panel of students to pro-vide monthly feedback to theUK Police. We are extremelyfortunate to have tremendousleaders like you who are ded-icated, compassionate and ea-ger to reach out to gain dif-ferent perspectives.

To the Student Center

custodial crew: Thank you —beyond thank you — is owedto you, not only for the workyou do for this university, butthe manner in which you doit. Your visits to the officeand ability to make us laughis irreplaceable and we sim-ply cannot tell you how gladwe are to have you here.

To Katy Bennet and Kel-ly Bozeman: Thank you forputting up with all the non-sense we put you through, in-cluding, but not limited to,last minute UKNow stories,all-campus e-mails and turn-ing our mediocre writingsinto pieces that would makeShakespeare proud. Thankyou most of all for being theperson you are and for thesmiling face you bring toevery visit to the office. Withyou on our side, a simplemeeting about communica-tion and marketing can turninto a hilarious hour with aneven jokes-to-suggestions ra-tio that can make our livesmuch easier than ever imagi-nable.

To Chris Thuringer, ChipCarter and Jack King: Thankyou for all the work youhave done and continue to dofor TallyCats and all of itsprograms. Your help hasmade this semester a truesuccess and without you, theprogram would not be at thelevel it is today.

Thank you to the Physi-cal Plant Department foryour constant willingness tohelp set up at our numerousstudent fairs, UK Dining forall your assistance, the presi-dents and members of thestudent organizations forhelping make our informa-tion session for organizationspossible, the Kernel for allyour help and the service youprovide every day and to allour volunteers, liaisons andadvisory board members.Without each of you, SGwould not be able to functionthe way it does.

Most of all, thank you toall the students that make upthis university. For alwaysshowing your support andpride, and bringing yourideas to the table. You are thereason SG exists and we can-not begin to say how proudwe are to work with you.

Good luck with finalsthis coming week, and I hopeyour holiday season is one toremember!

Ryan Smith is a politicalscience senior and SG Presi-dent. E-mail [email protected].

At this time of yearmore than any other,we need to open our

eyes and extend ahelping hand to those

in need.

The opinions page provides a forum for the exchange of ideas. Unlike news stories, the Kernel’s unsigned editorials represent the views of a majority of the editorial board. Letters to the editor, columns, cartoonsand other features on the opinions page reflect the views of their authors and not necessarily those of the Kernel.

Kenny Colston, editor in chiefMelissa Vessels, managing editorAllie Garza, managing editorWesley Robinson, opinions editor

Austin Schmitt, asst. opinions editorBen Jones, sports editorMegan Hurt, features editor

KERNEL EDITORIAL BOARD

MATTHEWFOX

Contributingcolumnist

RYANSMITH

Contributingcolumnist

Most of all, thank youto all the studentsthat make up this

university. For alwaysshowing your support

and pride ...

CJCONKLIN

Contributingcolumnist

KERNEL EDITORIAL

SubmissionsPlease limit letters to 350 words or fewer and guest columns should be no more than 600 words. Be sure to

include your full name, class, major and telephone number with all submissions. Telephone numbers will only be used to veri-fy identity.

E-mail [email protected]

Extended deadline beginning!

Ads may be placed up to 4 p.m.

the day before publication.

Friday, December 11, 2009 | PAGE 5

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PAGE 6 | Friday, December 11, 2009

the principles of leverage and bal-ance to overcome opponents. Todo this, the sport uses throwingstriking, pinning, joint locking,and strangulation techniques. Un-like many traditional sports, skilland technique take precedenceover strength. Because of thetraining methods used to developtechnique, judo is a highly effec-tive form of self-defense. The of-ten-rigorous training developsnatural strength and flexibility, aswell as a keen and fearless mind.

Team instructor Robert Burgesaid the sport also builds moralcharacter. His first experience

with judo at UK showed him that.“I came to take another mar-

tial arts class and saw two guysgrappling,” said Burge, who grad-uated from UK in 2006. “Theywere pretty intense, but when itwas over they were best friends.”

Once Burge saw that, heknew he wanted to practice judo.Like Mohn, he had no martialarts experience before coming toUK.

“I grew up playing baseballand basketball mostly,” saidBurge, who frequently capturedstate championships in his time asa member of the judo club.

Although the club has pro-duced accomplished Judokas likeBurge and Mohn, new membersare always encouraged. Burgesaid there’s always an option tocompete and if a member wants

to test their skills outside of prac-tice, they will definitely be pre-pared.

Burge said the club practicesin a live environment, which pitsJudokas against one another incombat. Mohn attributes his re-cent success to the unique train-ing method.

“For the Louisville tourna-ment, I trained against guys fromhigher weight classes and it paidoff,” Mohn said. “I did really wellin the tournament.”

Mohn is one of just a fewmembers to practice the sportcompetitively, but he encouragesanyone interested in judo to jointhe club.

“Anyone who wants to learnjudo can come on down and try itout,” he said. “No experience isnecessary.”

SCOREContinued from page 3

Judo ClubSenseiRobertBurge, right,throws JudoClub Presi-dent AlexMohn, amechanicalengineeringjunior, dur-ing the Judoclass in theloft of theAlumni Gymon Wednes-day.

PORTRAIT BYZACH BRAKESTAFF

in her vertebrae, which forced her toundergo two back surgeries in sixmonths.

Instead of perfecting her game as asenior, Watkins was forced to watchfrom the sidelines and cope with eightscrews in three of her vertebrae.

Watkins could have easily quitbasketball to avoid the lengthy reha-bilitation process, but she wasn’t readyto leave the game on those terms, shesaid.

“I knew I could play, it was just aquestion of how I would play withscrews in my back,” Watkins said.“My freshman year was tough comingin, trying to get back in shape and try-ing to play with the screws in, it usedto hurt.”

Screws or no screws, Watkinsmustered up the ability to appear in 33of 34 games as a freshman whilelearning to manage her back pains.

That successful freshman cam-paign was followed up with a sopho-more season that saw Watkins remainin good health, save for a minor kneeinjury. She didn’t know it, but anotherextended absence from basketball waslooming once more.

Watkins missed the entire confer-ence schedule as a junior because shehad a child.

She still came to every practice

and talked with her teammates, butjust watching the game wasn’t enough.She wanted to play.

“I definitely missed playing in thegame being able to help my team out,especially last season, because westruggled a bit because we were very

thin as far as players,” Watkins said.“As far as not being able to help myteammates out … that hurt the most.”

Whether it was the nagging backinjury or her pregnancy, Watkins’ set-backs granted her perspective. Shelived by a “stay focused, stay positive”motto with the belief that her bestplaying days were ahead.

This season began with a scarewhen Watkins suffered a shoulder in-jury in UK’s lone exhibition game.She then missed the first three gamesof the season.

Compared to other hardships inWatkins’ career, a sore shoulder wasn’tgoing to prevent her from fulfilling hergoals of reaching the NCAA tourna-ment and winning a conference title.

“It’s the game of basketball, Imean I love it, I’ve been playing it fora long time now,” Watkins said.

BASKETBALLContinued from page 3

“I knew I could play, it wasjust a question of how I couldplay with screws in my back.”

LYDIA WATKINSsenior guard/forward

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