By Drew Teague

One student is trying to bring the international world closer to the UK community.

MeNore Lake, a biology sophomore, is starting a monthly publication to inform the UK community about international news and its local impact. It will be called “The World Report.”

The idea came to Lake as a result  of her family’s Ethiopian roots and  the exposure to international discussion that took place at their dinner table, as they talked about current events in the international community. While at UK, the international news seemed absent from her current “world,” Lake said.

“The biggest part of the transition into college was feeling as if I lived in two different worlds,” Lake said.

“There was one, the college course world, doing homework, and on the other hand I would go home every weekend … and I’d be exposed to the world news, and I’d talk about it with my family. So I had a need to integrate those two aspects that I feel are important.”

Lake has had a difficult time starting The World Report, bringing the idea to several people, until she reached Dr. Yung Soo Kim, a professor in the School of Journalism and Telecommunications, who decided to help her.

Lake has reached out to various groups and organizations on campus to help reach the mission of The World Report, “to strive to be inclusive of all the university’s groups.”

“(We’ve reached out) to the Office of Multicultural Affairs,” Lake said. “I’ve also reached out to the School of Journalism, where my adviser is. I got invited to visit and speak to a journalism 101 class and let them know about the group.”

Lake asked the dean of the College of Arts & Sciences if she could present her organization to those dean’s list students at their reception and was granted permission. She will be speaking Wednesday at the reception in the Hilary J. Boone Center.

Her adviser, Kim, said he decided to help her because he has been an international student, as a native Korean, and he feels The World Report would greatly benefit not just the American UK students, but the international ones as well.

“I believe the presence of the international community in the UK is getting bigger and bigger as more and more international students and faculties come to UK,” Kim said. “Reaching out to those internationals (students) and encouraging them to communicate with other UK members, not only internationals … would be valuable.”

Lake said the group is growing, but she wants students from all over UK to contribute their views. There are still leadership positions available for The World Report, she said.

“Since I have reached out to all these different organizations, I have received really great feedback,” Lake said. “With that global scope of (The World Report), anybody that has any type of interest in development of a consciousness to the world should fit in here.”

Though The World Report is starting out as a monthly online publication, Lake said she would like eventually to see a possible bimonthly print version.

“Our goal will be fulfilled and realized when my peers can distinctly view The World Report as a presentation of the elements of their future and their world,” Lake said. “I think the best way to approach that and to achieve that is through immediately available text.”

Lake wants The World Report to be as available to the UK community as possible, taking examples from other already established organizations.

“The effect of the Kernel now is gigantic — everyone reads it. I see everyone, students and employees, reading it,” Lake said. “I imagine, ‘What if they were reading The World Report?’ I imagine how that would change and transform the university and its people.”

Lake said it is hard not to deal with international issues at this point, and following just local news and issues is not enough for a person.

“The world is fully connected. There’s no island that’s isolated,” Lake said. “You can’t live solely off of domestic politics and influences.”

Lake has not set an official date for the first meeting. Those interested in becoming involved with The World Report can contact her at [email protected].

Check out the website for The World Report at http://sweb.uky.edu/StudentOrgs/TheWorldReport.