Blessed to give, not to have: UK DanceBlue Reflection

For The Kids (FTK).  Just three words- three small words- but the meaning behind those three words goes so much deeper.  In 2014, approximately 10,450 children under the age of 15 will be diagnosed with cancer.  This is a number that is much larger than it should be.  No child should have to go through this type of physical and emotional pain, but on February 22-23, 2014, 836 students at the University of Kentucky stood for 24 hours to fight against childhood cancer.  836 students participated in Dance Blue a 24 hour, no sitting dance marathon.  $1,436,606.24 (that’s 1.4 MILLION dollars!!) was raised toward UK’s Child Hematology/Oncology Clinic to help ease the pain of the childhood cancer patients across the bluegrass. 

            For the first time since 2007, the College of Agriculture, Food and Environment (CAFE) participated in a university wide, Dance Blue Marathon.  In August, a group of students decided that the CAFE should give back and participate in UK Dance Blue.  From September to January, students in the CAFE fundraised, sent donor letters, and emails to help raise money for Dance Blue.  The support that we got from our families, our friends and staff/faculty in the CAFE was endless.  Together, we had eight students on the CAFE Dance Blue team and with the help of many people we raise $2,900 towards the University of Kentucky Dance Blue Marathon.  For our first time having a team in a few years, I am so proud of what we accomplished.  I am also thankful for the kind words, Facebook "likes," support, money raised, smiles and high fives we got along the way from so many.  What I am especially proud of is our attitude towards the marathon.

            Around 12 hours into the marathon, I started to get a little discouraged.  Would I be able to make it to the end?  What if I could not finish?   But it was also around the 12-13 hour mark that I really started to realize who I and the other 835 students were dancing for.  The kids that we danced for have a disease that is constantly damaging their body.  These children do not get to “sit” down after the 24 hours is up.  The kids and their families will forever deal with the aftermath of cancer; even if they survive, cancer will always live with them.  This truly is a sad reality.  It break my heart to hear the number of children who have cancer and to see the strength in the children that were at Dance Blue. When I signed up to participate in Dance Blue, I knew the reason why I was dancing, but it was not until I was really struggling that I really understood who I was dancing for.  

            Around the time that I had this realization, my attitude towards the whole dance changed.  During the 11 minute line dance, which was done at the top of every hour, I was more energetic. I found myself giving words of encouragement to the dancers around me. And most importantly, I found myself not giving up.  If I found myself getting tired, I constantly reminded myself that I am completely capable of standing for 24 hours for someone who cannot and I was surrounded by 835 other dancers that were completely capable and willing to for 24 hours to help those around us.

I am proud of what we accomplished in 24 hours.  I am proud of the amount of people who did not give up.  I am proud of the amount of money that was raised.  I am proud of all of the people who came to support this event.  I am proud of all the leaders on the Dance Blue committees. But what I am most proud of is being a part of a University that wants to make a difference in our state and in our country. As humans, we are called to help those around us who are not capable of helping themselves.  We are designed to be loving, selfless, beings.  FTK are three words that kept us all going.  When our muscles ached, FTK.  When we felt tired, FTK.  When we did not think we could last the full 24 hours, FTK. I was blessed with the ability to stand for 24 hours for someone else and I was blessed to give, not to have. FTK.

Kelsey is a junior majoring in Community & Leadership Development.  She is from Pendleton County, Kentucky and is active in Sigma Alpha, UK Ag Ambassadors, UK Ag Student Council and other things across campus.  She was also a past Kentucky 4-H Officer.

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.

Remember, remember, the 5th of November.

For the class of 2013, today serves an important purpose. 6 months from today, we walk across the stage and symbolically move into our future. Being a sentimental person, this has gotten me to look back at my 3.5 years as a Wildcat. As a result I decided to make a list. Since our basketball team domin8ted last year, I’m sharing 8 from a soon-to-be alumni. This is my SeeBlue Bucket List.

1)     Call your parents: Your parents love you. They’re proud that you’re here making something of your life. It may not seem like much, but talking to them regularly means a lot to them. I have lost count of the time parents have called me to see if their student is OK because they haven’t heard from them in weeks. You’re never too old to call your parents.

 2.)   Utilize the library: You’ve never lived until you’ve watched the sun rise while studying in Willy T. During Finals Week, my friends and I basically camp out for a week studying. It is perhaps the greatest asset on this campus. Apart from the plethora of books, we also have an excellent staff who are there to help make sure we use our resources to the max. 

3.)    Live on campus: Residence Halls (i.e. dorms) have a lot of negative connotations. I’ve lived on campus my entire college career and I’ve truly enjoyed my time. It forces you to meet new people who you might not have ever encountered. Some of my best memories from college have came from hanging out in the lobby of our residence halls with friends. Late night board games and Tolly Ho runs, impromptu musicals (I lived in the Fine Arts Residential College at one point), and even sitting around a table talking for hours are some of the things I’m going to remember most fondly about UK.

 4)     Hockey: I’m going to preface this with this: I still know nothing about the sport of hockey. But, I absolutely love UK Hockey. They’re a chance to get off campus and hang out with friends. Something about the chill of the Lexington Ice Center and the screaming fans just makes for a great experience. UK Hockey is a tradition in my friend group now. Just remember: The puck drops at midnight. 

5)     SAB Events: When they say there is always something going on at UK, they really mean it. The Student Activities Board always has some sort of lecture, film, or concert going on around campus. From CNN anchor Soledad O’Brien, to Drake, to SNL comedian Seth Myers, SAB brings in top notch people to help make your experience unique. 

6)     Take care of yourself: This time of year, the stress of college and the changing of the seasons can really do a number on your immune system. Luckily, we have the wonderful staff at University Health Services there to take care of you. You’ve already paid the fee…so you might as well go get checked out when you’re not feeling well. 

7)     Reach out: It’s easy to get wrapped up in the social and academic aspects of college. Don’t overlook where we are. There are hundreds of charities and community organizations in the city that provide amazing services to both us and the citizens of Lexington. You can participate in Fusion, go to the Center for Community Outreach, or just call up somewhere and ask how you can help. 

8)     Find your Unbridled Spirit: This sounds overly philosophical. It is. College is about growing as a person. It’s about figuring out who you are and where you think your life is heading. As I see it, the college equation is: two part grades, one part social life, and the remainder is you. 

The bottom line is college is a brief moment in our lives. There really is no checklist for how to make the most out of your experience. It’s up to you to figure it out. Just remember you’re not in it alone. You have literally hundreds of people here to help. From your RA, to your adviser, to your professors, or even your friends and family, you have people who will help. 

 Zeb is a senior majoring in Biosystems Engineering.  He is from Pineville, Kentucky.  After graduation, he plans to attend graduate school.  He is currently a Resident Advisor on campus and American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers Student Branch.