Big Blue Madness is a way of UK life

I camped out for Big Blue Madness. Big Blue Madness is the first public basketball practice for the University of Kentucky’s Men’s and Women’s basketball teams. While a practice like this at many other universities would go unnoticed by people who do not live in or near the college town, big blue madness is a completely different story. People from all over the state and neighboring states come to Lexington to fight for campsites where they camp out (in tent city) for three days in order to receive tickets to this free event.

I am from St. Louis, and while my mom is a UK College of Ag alumni, I had never heard of this event until I came to school here last year and witnessed the madness with my own eyes. The madness I mean is seeing these people fighting one another for spots in tent city at 5 in the morning on Wednesday to camp on the UK campus and sit there for three days. I initially thought to myself that these people were crazy, but as I attended basketball games throughout last year I saw that they weren’t crazy, but that they were loyal. After experiencing the basketball games last year and the amazing recruit team we have this year I knew that I wanted to become one of the “crazy” loyal fans that got tickets to Big Blue Madness. 

With that in mind my friends and I woke up at 3 am that Wednesday to stand in line until 5 am where we dashed across Avenue of Champions to steak our tents before someone else grabbed our spot. We were there all day and only left to go to class; work; back to the apartment to make food, shower, etc. While camping in tent city I was surrounded by other people who had the same passion as I did. We were a small community who all bonded and got along because we all were loyal, and we all cared for the family that makes up Big Blue Nation. These people had a passion for watching Kentucky basketball and for believing in our team and the success they could have this year. These people were willing to miss work, to give up running water, to survive away from their house and live in a tent for the sole purpose of getting tickets to a basketball practice. Living in Mizzou territory I could tell you that many Mizzou fans would never even think of doing this and this fact is one of the few important reasons why I chose the University of Kentucky.

Katlyn is majoring in Agricultural Biotechnology and is from St. Louis, MO.

Check out our new UK CAFE Viewbook!

Our new University of Kentucky College of Agriculture, Food and Environment viewbook is now available online!  This book features information on our majors, our community, admissions and scholarships, and has lots of interesting bits of information about our College.  Check it out, See Blue and engage your education at the University of Kentucky!




The importance of tradition in communities

Kentucky is a very diverse state; rich in agriculture, art, history, music, outdoors, and most importantly traditions. The two most common traditions in Kentucky are Kentucky Basketball and the Kentucky Derby; whether in the big city of Louisville, Kentucky or the small town of Falmouth, Kentucky throughout the 120 counties in the commonwealth tradition is a large part of unifying counties across the state.

Annual festivals and parades play a huge role in community, small or large.  As someone from a small county in Northern, Kentucky the Kentucky Wool Festival is one of the biggest events that happens in our county.  Every first weekend in October, during the transition between late summer and early fall, the Kentucky Wool Festival occurs; a weekend of bluegrass, crafts, food, and wool.   The Kentucky Wool Festival is one big reunion- not only bringing back Pendleton County High School alumni who have moved away, but also bringing in annual festival enthusiast from across the country.  From a community and economic development perspective, the Kentucky Wool Festival is the perfect way to promote the small town fell, but also the modernism of Pendleton County. Many church groups, school clubs, extension organizations and other organizations in the county set up booths to promote their organizations as well as fundraise for the year.  As far back as I can remember, every year at the Wool Fest I have worked the 4-H drink booth as a fundraiser for the Pendleton County 4-H Council.  The high school band parks car, the county FFA chapter cleans the grounds and empties trash cans, the high school student council sells ice cream, the county homemakers sells funnel cake, the county Chamber of Commerce sells breakfast, lunch, and dinner, the county’s Lions Club works the entry gate, local gospel singing groups come and sing on Sunday afternoon, other local bands come and play on Friday and Saturday night, many craft vendors come and set up booths, and it’s not a Wool Fest until you sheer a sheep and visit the wool spinners . Traditions like the Kentucky Wool Festival truly bring together a small county.

Pendleton County is one of those counties where you drive through it and blink, you might miss it so having an event that brings in people from all over the country is, in lack of a better word, cool! Now I know I am little bias to this particular festival, but I have spent the past 20 Octobers at the Wool Fest and don’t plan on breaking that tradition, but there are many other festivals all across the bluegrass.  My roommates and I have had conversations about our county festivals; one roommate is from Casey County, Kentucky and Casey County has an apple festival and another roommate is from LaRue County, Kentucky and Larue County has a tradition called Lincoln Days. Some other festivals across the state are: the Watermelon Festival in Monroe County, Kentucky, the Sorgum Festival in Morgan County, Kentucky, the World’s Largest Chicken Festival in London, Kentucky, the International Bar-B-Q Festival in Owensboro, Kentucky, and the Ghoetta Festival in Newport, Kentucky.

No matter what small town or big city you come from in Kentucky, tradition plays a huge role in bringing communities together.  I could not imagine my fall without attending the Kentucky Wool Festival and I am sure I can speak for county residents from any of the county festivals mentioned above in saying they could not imagine their lives without the tradition of county festivals.

                

Kelsey is a junior majoring in Community and Leadership Development.  She is from Butler, Kentucky.

The Last Time Around

Senior Year holds several  "last time" events, such as: my first last day of school on campus, my last time as a student at UKAg Round Up, my last semester as a CAFE Ambassador, my last semester to pull all- nighters with friends in the Ag North Lobby studying, and my last time going to CSF to get pancakes at midnight to take a break from studying for finals. Thinking about all of these things that I will do for the last time this semester makes me a little emotional. It is so hard to believe that my time here at UK as a student and ambassador in the College of Agriculture, Food and the Environment  is coming to a close in a few short months.

            The thought of senior year brings up all these "last time" events, but because of a bold step that myself and 26 other girls took last year I also had a "first time" experience this semester which I will always be grateful for. The Beta Omicron chapter of Sigma Alpha Professional Sorority for Women in Agriculture was activated March 23rd, 2013. I was blessed enough to be a charter member with 26 other brave and wonderful girls.

            Last week we held our "first" rush to find the alpha class membership candidates to help grow our organization. The numerous bonds that were created and strengthened last week is a true testament to what this organization has done for me in the few months that I have been a member. I'm blessed that I had an amazing leader ask me to be a part of this group and I will continue to talk to girls about the wonderful things personally and professionally that this organization will do for women in agriculture.

            My first and last time events will continue throughout these next few months and they will be nothing short of amazing, just like my career here in the College of Agriculture, Food, and the Environment. I am thankful for all of the "first" and "last time" events that this College and University have been a part of because it has played a huge role in the forming of the woman I have become. 

Gabrielle is a senior from Gamaliel, Kentucky.  She is majoring in Career & Technical Education and will student teach in the spring.