I am familiar with the visual arts (painting, sculpture, ceramics) and the performing arts (music, dance, drama). But culinary arts? What exactly are ‘culinary arts’? Cooking? Heck, most of us can cook. Well, at least a little bit. (Popping popcorn or heating a Healthy Choice meal in the microwave do not count).

Union County High School seniors were honored for their exceptional devotion and work for the Patriots at the UCHS football game on October 25. The Patriots faced the Sullivan South Cougars in a cold pouring rain. Luckily, UCHS pulled off the win in an 18-12 final score.
Football, cheer, band and color guard seniors marched onto the field at 7 p.m. accompanied by their parents and family members. God Bless America played as the Patriots and families filled the field. Football teammates were carrying American flags in the presentation, creating a beautiful patriotic scene.

Union County High School Class of 2019 students have now made their last entrance as seniors and students at UCHS. On May 14, at the Senior Brunch and Awards Ceremony, students were congratulated and honored with an estimate of a half million dollars in scholarship funds being presented.

The Union County High School football Patriots may have lost against Anderson County in state playoffs on Nov. 2, but the season was stacked with wins for the team. And while the loss to Anderson County may have stung, it also marked the first time the Patriots made it to state playoffs in 14 years.

Coach Larry Kerr counts this as a cause to celebrate.

"It's like I told the kids, once you get past the pain of that loss, you'll be able to look at what you all have accomplished this year that's never been done before," he said.

Union County High School’s star soccer player, Emma Moyers, broke the school’s scoring record with a whopping 41 goals. The Lady Patriot coach, Drew Richardson, claims that Moyers obtains a great amount of respect from him and hopes she one day would grant him the opportunity of helping mentor future and upcoming soccer players. Richardson also says that Emma has unbelievable talent. He is extremely hopeful that she stays on the path she is walking (or running) now. Moyers is ecstatic to hold the new record. She is most definitely “kicking” her way to the top.

The Union County High School basketball team received a brand new gym floor. The floor replaced the old red border with a fresh new navy blue trim. The floor was designed by the basketball coaches, Roger Murphy and Shane Brown. In a recent interview with the boys basketball coach, Shane Brown said, "It was time for a new one." Coach Brown goes on to later say that it had been over ten years since the floor had been totally redone. A brand new floor and a brand new season for Union County basketball.

Savannah Jones is running for Union County High School's homecoming queen, representing the Horace Maynard Chapter of Future Farmers of America. But she's not in the competition for the glory or the crown. She's in it because she believes in the FFA and the benefits it gives students. The money she raises as a homecoming candidate will go right back into the FFA program.

For nearly 20 years now, Union County High School has taken time each Veterans Day to welcome and honor Union County's veterans with a program prepared, produced and performed by the students themselves with coordination from Union County General Sessions and Juvenile Court Clerk Barbara Williams.

Williams is slow to take credit for the program, but guest speaker retired U.S. Army Sergeant First Class Dooley Buckner recognized her from the podium, saying, "She has worked tirelessly for almost 20 years to coordinate this event for the students, the veterans and the community."

John Fugate and Linda Baxter come from different backgrounds, but when it comes to agriculture education at Union County High School, their philosophy is the same. They want to prepare students for the reality of today's careers while preserving the rich legacy of Union County agriculture.

"We don't just grow plants and animals," said Fugate. "We grow kids."

Baxter is originally from Colorado, but she attended high school in California, and her family later moved to Memphis. She attended UT Knoxville for pre-vet and changed to agriculture education.

Career and Technical Education, that block of high school programs that some of us used to call "vocational," is not just for shop class anymore. These days, students are using CTE at Union County High School to launch themselves into skilled, technical jobs right out of high school, and the fields represented may surprise you.