Blog Post #9
Topic-The Dance Blue marathon at Lexington Catholic High School
While Dance Blue is based at the University of Kentucky, satellite mini-marathons have been started at surrounding high schools, one of these happens to be Lexington Catholic High School and my alma mater. All the information for this post comes from a primary source and that source is me. While at Lexington Catholic I attended two Dance Blue mini-marathons and enjoyed every minute of it.
Dance Blue mini-marathons are official Dance Blue marathons put on by the high school and are only 5-6 hours instead of the full 24 hours. However, all the same things are done, there is a dance that is learned and performed every hour on the hour, there's free food, and theres' activities to do such as volleyball or cornhole. At the end, usually about 11 o'clock, there is a big reveal for how much the marathon raised. Last year at Lexington Catholic we raised a little over $60,000. This is done through outside donations and every student who participates makes a $50 donation.
When I did Dance Blue I had an absolute blast, and I believe it's a good thing to be doing mini-marathons at the high school level. If I never seen what Dance Blue is all about, to be honest I would be leery of basically spending an entire weekend participating and then trying to recover. Personally I have never stayed up for 24 straight hours and that is an intimidating thing to do. This is why awareness of the event needs to be more readily available in the form of a documentary.
--Stephen Ritchie
Thursday, September 25, 2014
Dance Blue--Origins
Blog Post #8
Topic: A brief history of how Dance Blue was started
Dance Blue is a charity event put on at the University of Kentucky to raise money for cancer research. To find information on how Dance Blue was originally created and what exactly it is I went to the most primary source I could find, the About section of the official Dance Blue website.
-http://danceblue.org/history/--
The Dance Blue Dance Marathon can trace its roots all the way back to Jarret Mynear. Jarret was a normal kid who just liked helping people. He had great success in conducting public speeches and throwing philanthropy events including founding Jarret's Joy Cart. The biggest obstacle in Jarret's life however was cancer. By the time he was only six years old he had already been diagnosed with and battled 6 different cancers. In 2002, during one of his last weeks he made a list of things he wanted done. One thing he wanted done was to figure out a way to raise more money for the Pediatric Oncology Outpatient Clinic at Kentucky Children’s Hospital. After his passing the fund, the Jarret Myear Fund raised money to help improve the physical center, however, it was noticed that the emotional needs of cancer patients and their families were neglected. This led to the creation of the Golden Matrix Fund. Jennifer Myear, Jarret's mother, then went on to figure out how to get University of Kentucky Students involved and this led to the creation of Dance Blue, a 24-hour dance marathon where students stay awake and on their feet for 24 hours and make donations to the fund. In 2014 Dance Blue alone raised over $1 million.
Dance Blue is a constantly evolving event and this makes it a perfect thing to research. Raising awareness for cancer research is always a good thing, and the Myears along with the University of Kentucky have found a fun way to do that so this would be a great topic to research.
--Stephen Ritchie
Topic: A brief history of how Dance Blue was started
Dance Blue is a charity event put on at the University of Kentucky to raise money for cancer research. To find information on how Dance Blue was originally created and what exactly it is I went to the most primary source I could find, the About section of the official Dance Blue website.
-http://danceblue.org/history/--
The Dance Blue Dance Marathon can trace its roots all the way back to Jarret Mynear. Jarret was a normal kid who just liked helping people. He had great success in conducting public speeches and throwing philanthropy events including founding Jarret's Joy Cart. The biggest obstacle in Jarret's life however was cancer. By the time he was only six years old he had already been diagnosed with and battled 6 different cancers. In 2002, during one of his last weeks he made a list of things he wanted done. One thing he wanted done was to figure out a way to raise more money for the Pediatric Oncology Outpatient Clinic at Kentucky Children’s Hospital. After his passing the fund, the Jarret Myear Fund raised money to help improve the physical center, however, it was noticed that the emotional needs of cancer patients and their families were neglected. This led to the creation of the Golden Matrix Fund. Jennifer Myear, Jarret's mother, then went on to figure out how to get University of Kentucky Students involved and this led to the creation of Dance Blue, a 24-hour dance marathon where students stay awake and on their feet for 24 hours and make donations to the fund. In 2014 Dance Blue alone raised over $1 million.
Dance Blue is a constantly evolving event and this makes it a perfect thing to research. Raising awareness for cancer research is always a good thing, and the Myears along with the University of Kentucky have found a fun way to do that so this would be a great topic to research.
--Stephen Ritchie
Shark Tank...A Retrospect
Blog Post #7
Topic: Reflection on Shark Tank Formal Proposal
When I first heard that I was going to have to be giving a "shark tank" speech in class I was honestly not too happy. I have never been a huge fan on public speaking, however, looking back on the presentation I'm very glad I went through it.
The writing process I used for this proposal was the same as I have used for any other paper...I say I'm going to write out an outline, work on it little by little, and make a really good paper. In reality, I ended up writing the entire paper on two occasions without an outline. I believe it is a good thing that we had done blog posts on the subject because they acted as an impromptu kind of outline and it gave me a good place to start.
For my presentation, the written proposal helped in giving my speech direction. I'm actually surprised how little I actually could actually say in a 2-4 minute speech while maintaing a normal speaking rate. This made me have to think what were not only the most important points to say, but what points would stand out to the audience since they had to listen to multiple presentations in one class period.
In my written proposal I believe my strength was that I gave a good ratio of background information to persuasive statements. I would go on to say that a weakness in my paper would be that some sentences seemed to go on for too long, or were difficult to read. For my proposal my strength was that I knew what I was going to say and did my best to not have any dull or awkward moments/pauses. Because of this, a weakness that could get me in trouble is if I lost my train of thought, or forgot a notecard, I could have trouble getting through the presentation.
--Stephen Ritchie
Topic: Reflection on Shark Tank Formal Proposal
When I first heard that I was going to have to be giving a "shark tank" speech in class I was honestly not too happy. I have never been a huge fan on public speaking, however, looking back on the presentation I'm very glad I went through it.
The writing process I used for this proposal was the same as I have used for any other paper...I say I'm going to write out an outline, work on it little by little, and make a really good paper. In reality, I ended up writing the entire paper on two occasions without an outline. I believe it is a good thing that we had done blog posts on the subject because they acted as an impromptu kind of outline and it gave me a good place to start.
For my presentation, the written proposal helped in giving my speech direction. I'm actually surprised how little I actually could actually say in a 2-4 minute speech while maintaing a normal speaking rate. This made me have to think what were not only the most important points to say, but what points would stand out to the audience since they had to listen to multiple presentations in one class period.
In my written proposal I believe my strength was that I gave a good ratio of background information to persuasive statements. I would go on to say that a weakness in my paper would be that some sentences seemed to go on for too long, or were difficult to read. For my proposal my strength was that I knew what I was going to say and did my best to not have any dull or awkward moments/pauses. Because of this, a weakness that could get me in trouble is if I lost my train of thought, or forgot a notecard, I could have trouble getting through the presentation.
--Stephen Ritchie
Thursday, September 18, 2014
William T. Young Library--The Man Behind the Name
Blog Post #6
Topic: William T. Young Himself
Many know about the William T. Young Library, but few know much of anything about William T. Young the man. Unfortunately, he died in 2004, however the New York Times wrote and article commemorating his life. -http://www.nytimes.com/2004/01/14/sports/william-t-young-85-owner-and-breeder-of-racehorses.html--
William T. Young was born in 1918 and in 1939 he graduated from the University of Kentucky with a degree in Mechanical Engineering. He went on to become a prominent thoroughbred owner and founded the company that would one day turn into Jif peanut butter. Young was very successful in the horse industry and raised a horse named Storm Car, who while was never a huge success on the race track, he could fetch stud fees of $500,000 easily. Also at one point in his career Young owned a very large amount of Royal Crown and found himself on the boards of both Arby's and KFC. Through all this he is most well known for his 1996 Kentucky Derby winner Grindstone. Shortly after this in 1998, the William T. Young Library was finished with a generous $5 million donation from Young himself.'
With all the success that William T. Young had, one can't but wonder why he remained in Lexington and the University of Kentucky. Was it just because this is where horses are king? Or could it be that because he graduated from the University of Kentucky he had a certain attachment to the school. Looking into the events of his life would make a great documentary and is worthy of further research.
--Stephen Ritchie
Topic: William T. Young Himself
Many know about the William T. Young Library, but few know much of anything about William T. Young the man. Unfortunately, he died in 2004, however the New York Times wrote and article commemorating his life. -http://www.nytimes.com/2004/01/14/sports/william-t-young-85-owner-and-breeder-of-racehorses.html--
William T. Young was born in 1918 and in 1939 he graduated from the University of Kentucky with a degree in Mechanical Engineering. He went on to become a prominent thoroughbred owner and founded the company that would one day turn into Jif peanut butter. Young was very successful in the horse industry and raised a horse named Storm Car, who while was never a huge success on the race track, he could fetch stud fees of $500,000 easily. Also at one point in his career Young owned a very large amount of Royal Crown and found himself on the boards of both Arby's and KFC. Through all this he is most well known for his 1996 Kentucky Derby winner Grindstone. Shortly after this in 1998, the William T. Young Library was finished with a generous $5 million donation from Young himself.'
With all the success that William T. Young had, one can't but wonder why he remained in Lexington and the University of Kentucky. Was it just because this is where horses are king? Or could it be that because he graduated from the University of Kentucky he had a certain attachment to the school. Looking into the events of his life would make a great documentary and is worthy of further research.
--Stephen Ritchie
Thursday, September 11, 2014
William T. Young--Getting Work Done
Blog Post #5
Topic: Study Areas In Willy T.
The biggest activity for students that go to the William T. Young is studying, either on their own or often in small groups. The library was designed with this in mind and has more than enough accommodations for students looking to get assignments and studying done. For this post, I cheated and used Wikipedia for some basic statistics however much of the observations come from my own experiences in the library. -http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_T._Young_Library--
By code the William T. Young Library can accommodate up to 4,000 individuals. This can consist of UK students, BCTC students, and those just looking for a place to study. Approximately 3,000 of these individuals can be seated in any of the open areas of the library. This includes large wooden tables with lamps, data connections, and power outlets on top of the table. These tables hug the railings on each floor that look out into the atrium. On some of the floors there are also smaller study areas that are separated from the rest of the library by small wooden dividers. These areas could fit four people comfortably. From hearing others' stories, these alcoves become worth more than gold during finals and people have been know to nest in them and stay for hours on end. The remaining 1,000 patrons can be in any number of study rooms. These rooms are completely separated from the common area by full-sized walls and doors. Since the library is supposed to be a quiet place, these areas are perfect for groups that will need to communicate but also need a common area to meet.
While the point of a library is to house books for reference and checking out, in the continuing modern age the question arises on how much longer libraries will be for books, and when they will become solely places for students to have a quiet place to study.
This is something that I believe should be researched further. Perhaps take a survey of students asking if they have ever checked a book out from the library, or just use it to study. It would be an interesting topic to explore.
--Stephen Ritchie
Topic: Study Areas In Willy T.
The biggest activity for students that go to the William T. Young is studying, either on their own or often in small groups. The library was designed with this in mind and has more than enough accommodations for students looking to get assignments and studying done. For this post, I cheated and used Wikipedia for some basic statistics however much of the observations come from my own experiences in the library. -http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_T._Young_Library--
By code the William T. Young Library can accommodate up to 4,000 individuals. This can consist of UK students, BCTC students, and those just looking for a place to study. Approximately 3,000 of these individuals can be seated in any of the open areas of the library. This includes large wooden tables with lamps, data connections, and power outlets on top of the table. These tables hug the railings on each floor that look out into the atrium. On some of the floors there are also smaller study areas that are separated from the rest of the library by small wooden dividers. These areas could fit four people comfortably. From hearing others' stories, these alcoves become worth more than gold during finals and people have been know to nest in them and stay for hours on end. The remaining 1,000 patrons can be in any number of study rooms. These rooms are completely separated from the common area by full-sized walls and doors. Since the library is supposed to be a quiet place, these areas are perfect for groups that will need to communicate but also need a common area to meet.
While the point of a library is to house books for reference and checking out, in the continuing modern age the question arises on how much longer libraries will be for books, and when they will become solely places for students to have a quiet place to study.
This is something that I believe should be researched further. Perhaps take a survey of students asking if they have ever checked a book out from the library, or just use it to study. It would be an interesting topic to explore.
--Stephen Ritchie
William T. Young--Refueling
Blog Post #4
Topic: Food/Drink at Willy T
Besides studying, the next priority on any college student's mind is eating. The designers of the William T. Young library kept this in mind with the addition of Ovid's Cafe and Starbucks to the library. While everyone knows about Starbucks and their generally overpriced coffee, not many individuals outside UK students know about Ovid's. The Kentucky Kernel wrote an article about Ovid's, especially the Spicy Beef Wrap. --http://kykernel.com/2012/01/25/secret-behind-the-spice-ovids-spicy-beef-wrap/--
The food at Ovid's is considered some of the best that can be found on campus outside maybe the new K Lair. The basic idea is that you walk up to someone working at the grill, you tell them what you want, and they cook it right there in front of you. The grill menu is not spectacularly diverse, but with the deliciousness of all the available meals there is really nothing to complain about. You can order items such as a Philly Cheesesteak, a Portobello Burger, or the ever popular Spicy Beef Wrap. The Kentucky Kernel describes the wrap as "crispy on the outside and cheesy on the inside, filled with Philly meat cooked to perfection with fresh toasted pepper and onions (or not, for the picky ones), and a special juicy, mysterious sauce that overflows the tomato wrap as you bite into it." It's an item that never fails to impress and is always on the hotlist. Because of its popularity, you can almost always expect the line at Ovid's to be extremely long unless you go at a weird hour.
If the Ovid's location in the library is so popular it begs the question as to why the University hasn't opened a second location, maybe on North Campus (only saying this because I live on North Campus of course). Although perhaps putting a good eating establishment near the library may be the University's way of encouraging students to go study.
The fact that Ovid's is so popular with students is a great reason for further research. What is it exactly about Ovid's that makes it so good? Is it truly the ingredients? Is it the fact that you can see it being made and assume it to be relatively fresh? Does its proximity to the library really make students go study? These are all questions that warrant further research.
--Stephen Ritchie
Topic: Food/Drink at Willy T
Besides studying, the next priority on any college student's mind is eating. The designers of the William T. Young library kept this in mind with the addition of Ovid's Cafe and Starbucks to the library. While everyone knows about Starbucks and their generally overpriced coffee, not many individuals outside UK students know about Ovid's. The Kentucky Kernel wrote an article about Ovid's, especially the Spicy Beef Wrap. --http://kykernel.com/2012/01/25/secret-behind-the-spice-ovids-spicy-beef-wrap/--
The food at Ovid's is considered some of the best that can be found on campus outside maybe the new K Lair. The basic idea is that you walk up to someone working at the grill, you tell them what you want, and they cook it right there in front of you. The grill menu is not spectacularly diverse, but with the deliciousness of all the available meals there is really nothing to complain about. You can order items such as a Philly Cheesesteak, a Portobello Burger, or the ever popular Spicy Beef Wrap. The Kentucky Kernel describes the wrap as "crispy on the outside and cheesy on the inside, filled with Philly meat cooked to perfection with fresh toasted pepper and onions (or not, for the picky ones), and a special juicy, mysterious sauce that overflows the tomato wrap as you bite into it." It's an item that never fails to impress and is always on the hotlist. Because of its popularity, you can almost always expect the line at Ovid's to be extremely long unless you go at a weird hour.
If the Ovid's location in the library is so popular it begs the question as to why the University hasn't opened a second location, maybe on North Campus (only saying this because I live on North Campus of course). Although perhaps putting a good eating establishment near the library may be the University's way of encouraging students to go study.
The fact that Ovid's is so popular with students is a great reason for further research. What is it exactly about Ovid's that makes it so good? Is it truly the ingredients? Is it the fact that you can see it being made and assume it to be relatively fresh? Does its proximity to the library really make students go study? These are all questions that warrant further research.
--Stephen Ritchie
William T. Young Library
Blog Post #3
Topic: William T. Young Library
After being at UK for a few weeks, I have realized that I have begun to spend a fair amount of my time at the William T. Young Library. To find out more about it I went to the University of Kentucky's online library database to find out more about all that the library has to offer.
-http://libraries.uky.edu/WTYL--
While there are a few smaller satellite libraries on campus, William T. Young "Willy T" has become the central library on campus. It is also the largest by far at 350,000 square feet. Besides being a source where books can be checked out, Willy T has been designed to appeal to all students with the variety of spaces and equipment they have. One example is The Hub; The Hub is located in the basement of Willy T and is a space where students can go for any kind of computer needs or help. According to the online database, there are over 200 Windows computers available for usage along with a full iMac lab. Throughout the six story building there is everything from powered bookcases to study rooms to open tables for general studying. Finally, for when students get hungry, the Ovids cafe is located immediately outside the library. One of the biggest draws of Ovids besides the quality of food is that they take a UK Meal Swipe, which is a big deal for UK students.
One question that immediately comes to mind about the library is whether or not all the computers are really necessary or not. In an age where nearly all students come to college with their own personal computer, are library computers really worth keeping around? Another question is why the library was given so much extra landscaping space. Does this help students by seeing some green space? Or is it wasted space that could be used for more education buildings, food options, etc.
I would be hard to convince that I'm the only one making use of Willy T. Especially since all the times I have been there, at all hours of the day and night, it is comfortably full. William T. Young's location is central on campus and central to many students' lives, therefore it would be worth it to further investigate.
--Stephen Ritchie
Topic: William T. Young Library
After being at UK for a few weeks, I have realized that I have begun to spend a fair amount of my time at the William T. Young Library. To find out more about it I went to the University of Kentucky's online library database to find out more about all that the library has to offer.
-http://libraries.uky.edu/WTYL--
While there are a few smaller satellite libraries on campus, William T. Young "Willy T" has become the central library on campus. It is also the largest by far at 350,000 square feet. Besides being a source where books can be checked out, Willy T has been designed to appeal to all students with the variety of spaces and equipment they have. One example is The Hub; The Hub is located in the basement of Willy T and is a space where students can go for any kind of computer needs or help. According to the online database, there are over 200 Windows computers available for usage along with a full iMac lab. Throughout the six story building there is everything from powered bookcases to study rooms to open tables for general studying. Finally, for when students get hungry, the Ovids cafe is located immediately outside the library. One of the biggest draws of Ovids besides the quality of food is that they take a UK Meal Swipe, which is a big deal for UK students.
One question that immediately comes to mind about the library is whether or not all the computers are really necessary or not. In an age where nearly all students come to college with their own personal computer, are library computers really worth keeping around? Another question is why the library was given so much extra landscaping space. Does this help students by seeing some green space? Or is it wasted space that could be used for more education buildings, food options, etc.
I would be hard to convince that I'm the only one making use of Willy T. Especially since all the times I have been there, at all hours of the day and night, it is comfortably full. William T. Young's location is central on campus and central to many students' lives, therefore it would be worth it to further investigate.
--Stephen Ritchie
Thursday, September 4, 2014
Blog Post #2
Topic: Free Speech Areas
Now that I have been introduced to the Free Speech Area at the University of Kentucky, I decided to look into the history of free speech areas at campuses across the nation. --http://www.splc.org/knowyourrights/legalresearch.asp?id=78--
In the 1980s the first "Free Speech Zones" were first introduced into college institutions. They started off as pretty rare places, but as time went on they gained more and more traction to the point where almost every major higher learning institution has one. Theses zones on many college campuses are marked off areas ranging from 20 feet by 20 feet to the size of a small city block. Many college administrators use these areas to help show that they care about the free speech of their students and other individuals, however, many receive criticism because if one ventures beyond the confines of these Free Speech Zones they can face major academic or criminal prosecutions. There are some that say by zoning off the areas where one can express their thoughts freely, they have turned "the First Amendment on its head"
Having cordoned off areas for free speech does bring up a good question. If you can only do it in a confined area is it still free speech? Do universities and colleges really have the idea of free speech at heart or are they simply trying to pander to free speech activists? To that I do not have the answer, although I would venture to guess it is a combination of the two.
--Stephen Ritchie
Topic: Free Speech Areas
Now that I have been introduced to the Free Speech Area at the University of Kentucky, I decided to look into the history of free speech areas at campuses across the nation. --http://www.splc.org/knowyourrights/legalresearch.asp?id=78--
In the 1980s the first "Free Speech Zones" were first introduced into college institutions. They started off as pretty rare places, but as time went on they gained more and more traction to the point where almost every major higher learning institution has one. Theses zones on many college campuses are marked off areas ranging from 20 feet by 20 feet to the size of a small city block. Many college administrators use these areas to help show that they care about the free speech of their students and other individuals, however, many receive criticism because if one ventures beyond the confines of these Free Speech Zones they can face major academic or criminal prosecutions. There are some that say by zoning off the areas where one can express their thoughts freely, they have turned "the First Amendment on its head"
Having cordoned off areas for free speech does bring up a good question. If you can only do it in a confined area is it still free speech? Do universities and colleges really have the idea of free speech at heart or are they simply trying to pander to free speech activists? To that I do not have the answer, although I would venture to guess it is a combination of the two.
--Stephen Ritchie
University of Kentucky Free Speech Area
Blog Post #1
Topic: Free Speech Area at the University of Kentucky
Without knowing anything about the Free Speech Area at UK, I first went to the official UK website to find out more about it. --http://www.uky.edu/StudentAffairs/Code/part3.html--
The specific page I was looking at falls under Part III of the Student Code of Conduct.
In order to ensure that all students have the ability to freely speak their minds, an area has been set up on campus where individuals can go and will not be prosecuted for what they say. This area is called the Free Speech are and is "located west of the Student Center and Alumni Gymnasium and bounded by those two buildings‚ Administration Drive‚ Limestone Street‚ and Euclid Avenue" This area is available without reservation at any time of the day as long as the University is in session. Individuals making use of the free speech area can even get free access to audio equipment as long as they give the University 30 minutes prior notice to prepare, however, the volume of the audio and the direction that is faces is up to the discretion of the University at any time. There is no regulations regarding what can be said as long as it does not become violent, hate or racially motivated, or otherwise deemed insensitive.
Realizing that there is a Free Speech Area at the University of Kentucky made me question why it is located in a specific area, and why there is even one in the first place. I would venture to say that its existence can be accredited to the fact that many other universities and educational institutions have similar places, so it may have been created simply out of tradition. The location makes sense, it is essentially in an area where there is a lot of foot traffic from university students at most hours of the normal school day with people going in and out of the Student Center.
--Stephen Ritchie
Topic: Free Speech Area at the University of Kentucky
Without knowing anything about the Free Speech Area at UK, I first went to the official UK website to find out more about it. --http://www.uky.edu/StudentAffairs/Code/part3.html--
The specific page I was looking at falls under Part III of the Student Code of Conduct.
In order to ensure that all students have the ability to freely speak their minds, an area has been set up on campus where individuals can go and will not be prosecuted for what they say. This area is called the Free Speech are and is "located west of the Student Center and Alumni Gymnasium and bounded by those two buildings‚ Administration Drive‚ Limestone Street‚ and Euclid Avenue" This area is available without reservation at any time of the day as long as the University is in session. Individuals making use of the free speech area can even get free access to audio equipment as long as they give the University 30 minutes prior notice to prepare, however, the volume of the audio and the direction that is faces is up to the discretion of the University at any time. There is no regulations regarding what can be said as long as it does not become violent, hate or racially motivated, or otherwise deemed insensitive.
Realizing that there is a Free Speech Area at the University of Kentucky made me question why it is located in a specific area, and why there is even one in the first place. I would venture to say that its existence can be accredited to the fact that many other universities and educational institutions have similar places, so it may have been created simply out of tradition. The location makes sense, it is essentially in an area where there is a lot of foot traffic from university students at most hours of the normal school day with people going in and out of the Student Center.
--Stephen Ritchie
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