Hillbillies, Unite!

by Kelsey Nunn

Hillbilly, white trash, hick, redneck. We’ve all heard these terms. “Oh, you’re from Kentucky, why don’t you have an accent?” The term hillbilly is a derogatory term that refers to the people of Appalachia, and the lovely stereotypes that come along with this term. Overalls, no teeth, drink moonshine, or socially backward are all stereotypes of the common hillbilly. The term hillbilly came about during the Great Depression when many people from the Appalachian region moved west to find work, only to find out that their culture was vastly different from the people of cities like Detroit and Chicago. While other parts of the country were becoming technologically and socially advanced, their area stayed the same. Soon, TV shows, like The Beverly Hillbillies, were making these differences public, causing people from the Appalachian area to seem poor and ignorant.

            Some people from Eastern Kentucky still live up to these stereotypes.  The population in Appalachia still remains very poor, only relying on logging, mining, and illegal moonshining to make a living.  Kentucky also ranks 50^th in the nation for the number of adults who cannot read. 60% of the counties in Eastern Kentucky are consistently poor. The unemployment rate is 45%, leaving many people to rely on welfare or other federal aid, or the selling of prescription drugs, to survive. Poor dental hygiene and diabetes are prevalent.

            Despite these alarming facts, the Appalachian region of Kentucky has developed since the Great Depression. Some parts may still remain undeveloped, and many areas in Pikeville have yet to be established. Regardless, we should be proud of our state and our heritage. We have attractions like Lake Cumberland, Mammoth Cave, and the Red River Gorge. Our state is known for bourbon, whiskey, mint juleps, horse racing, and college basketball. The Wildcats, Hilltoppers, and Cardinals are among the most tradition-rich college basketball teams in the US, with a combined 9 championships, and 22 NCAA National Championships. Even though people from Kentucky are often stereotyped as hillbillies, we still share a common heritage we can all be proud of.

Hail to the Chief: Little Known Facts on our Nation's Leaders

by Keith Wagner

Every president has something to hide. In honor of Presidents’ Day, here are some intriguing facts.

George Washington was the only president ever to win office with no opponent. He also had only one real tooth, at times wearing dentures of various materials such as human teeth, animal teeth, ivory, or lead. Never wood. Guess his dentist had to draw a line.

Andrew Jackson, from Tennessee, was the only president to have been a prisoner of war, and was wounded in a duel at age 39. Beat a would-be assassin to death in the Capitol Rotunda after the assailant’s gun failed to fire.

Chester Arthur, a man about town, entertained lavishly and enjoyed going to nightclubs. “I may be President of the United States,” he once said, “but my private life is my own damn business.”

Teddy Roosevelt had the teddy bear named after him. He lost his sight in one eye while boxing at the White House.

Ronald Reagan was the first president to be divorced.

Barack Obama’s mother was from Kansas, his father from Kenya. Does not like ice cream because he worked in an ice cream shop as a teenager. Collects Spiderman and Conan the Barbarian comic books.

If you would like to read the rest: then follow this link http://www.littleknownfactsshow.com/presidents.html

Who Was Martin Luther King, Jr.?

By Ajae Tyler

  

In the early ‘60s and even before that, there was no unity among races.  If it was not for Martin Luther King, Jr. we would still be going to different schools based on our skin color.

King was a strong leader, a person who believed in peace and justice to win more freedom for African Americans. We honor his birthday on the third Monday in January.

Dr. King was born on January 15, 1929. Early in his adult life, he became pastor of the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, AL. He soon became a member of the NAACP and led the bus boycott that ended segregation in public transportation.

From 1957-1968, he traveled six million miles and spoke over 25,000 times, with one massive protest in Birmingham, AL.

King is most famous for his seventeen-minute “I Have a Dream” speech that he delivered on August 28, 1963 at the Lincoln Memorial. In it he called for “racial equality and an end to discrimination.”

Dr. King died from an assassin’s bullet on April 4, 1968 in Memphis, TN while standing on the balcony of his hotel room.  Even though his life came to an abrupt end, he died fighting for what and who he believed in.

The legacy of Dr. King lives in each of us, and we are responsible to promote, teach and live the American dream he envisioned.

The Annual Emergence of Debbie Downer

By Ellen Woodward

            As the winter months come upon us, people often feel a little more depressed and less carefree and exuberant as they had been in the previous summer and spring months. But why? 

            Scientists don’t have an exact answer to that question.  It is thought to be an involvement of genetics, brain chemicals and ions in the air.  Some studies have shown that people who are suffering from Seasonal Affected Disorder (SAD), or seasonal depression, feel better after significant exposure to sunlight.  This makes sense due to the shorter hours of sunlight in the winter.

            To fight winter depression, try to enjoy the time of day when the sun is out.  Also, think about socializing and exercising as much as possible, and find activities that will get you out of the house and reduce the risk of developing “cabin fever.”