August 25, 2020 by College Heights Herald

VOLUME 96 • ISSUE 1

WEEK OF 8.25.20

CHANGED CAMPUS COVID-19 CO VID-19 testing available on WKU campus WKU will use testing as a tool for determining COVID-19’s impact on the campus community as the pandemic continues to linger in Bowling Green.

Facilities have changed to fit the new normal As the semester begins, things on campus look different from previous years. Social distancing practices have been mandated, masks are worn in public spaces and people sanitize their hands more than ever.

On-campus student options for quarantining On-campu Three locations have been designated quarantine spots for WKU students living in on-campus housing who contract COVID-19.

Math department head makes a shocking model regarding potential campus COVID-19 death rate By Liza Rash liza.rash282@topper.wku.edu

As colleges across America reopen during the global pandemic, WKU Department of Mathematics Head Bruce Kessler decided to look at the reality of the numbers. What he found was alarming. When Kessler attended a meeting held by WKU faculty earlier this summer that centered around the newly-configured plans for the Fall 2020 semester, he was shocked to hear that nobody, not even the faculty of the Environmental Health and Safety department, had asked the question that seems to loom over each conversation about the reopening of WKU: How long can Western stay open before the fatality of a WKU faculty member or student? Kessler was met with blank stares and pursed lips when he posed this question at the meeting. “The answer I got made it very clear that nobody had actually tried to calculate it,” said Kessler. “They told me there were too many variables to account for to properly calculate an answer to my question.” As a math modeler himself, Kessler said he knew these were “crap.” He immediately took matters into his own hands and created a rudimentary exponential model measuring the time it would take for a faculty member or student to lose their life to COVID-19 based on information he gathered mainly from WKU’s Human Resources department, alongside his own research.

He first looked at the number of students planning to take in-person classes this semester and the number of faculty members planning to teach in-person classes this semester. Kessler has also been tracking the rate of increase of new cases in the state of Kentucky since mid-April, paying close attention to the hot spots within the state, Warren County being one of them. Finally, he did research regarding the statistical probability of death due to COVID-19 based on age and pre-existing medical conditions, although it was impossible for him to work specific variables into his model without knowing the exact ages and medical records of each student and faculty member. He estimated that student ages range mostly from 17 to 23, and faculty and staff members have a much wider age range. With this information, he was able to predict how quickly it would take enough students and faculty to become infected before someone died. He crafted two separate models, one for the student population and one for the faculty population, both in exponential form, both accounting for basic variables. For faculty and staff members, 1,000 people would have to become infected before a faculty and staff member died. For students, 20,000 would need to become infected before a student died. This model is good news for students: WKU’s

Provided by Bruce Kessler current number of students returning to campus is estimated at 12,100, which is almost 8,000 less than the number of students that would need to be infected before a fatality. This number of positive cases is impossible to reach. However, the numbers pertaining to faculty and staff are much more alarming. His model shows that it will take 29 days for 1,000 members of the WKU faculty and staff to test positive for COVID-19 if WKU reopens as planned. However, Kessler was persistent in his faith that the university will not allow positive cases to climb that high before drastically changing the way campus operates. “The purpose of these models is to see the ramifications of our current

policy decisions,” said Kessler. “I’m not necessarily saying that this is going to happen, because changes will come. But it is a real possibility.” This terrifying reality is the reason Kessler crafted an exponential model instead of the common “bell curve” model. Kessler argued that policy decisions should be made on the front end of the curve when it comes to a deadly virus, lessening the number of people this virus will affect throughout the WKU community. This time is about making changes as soon as positive cases begin to rapidly increase, which is exactly the time period that an exponential model shows.

CAMPUS DEATH RATE • A2

WKU introduces COVID-19 testing to campus community By Leo Bertucci leo.bertucci665@topper.wku.edu

WKU will use testing as a tool for determining COVID-19’s impact on the campus community as the pandemic continues to linger in Bowling Green. Graves Gilbert Clinic at WKU began testing for COVID-19 on Aug. 3. One week earlier, WKU launched a COVID-19 case reporting dashboard on its Healthy on the Hill website.

Who can receive a test on campus According to WKU, GGC will administer a COVID-19 test to anyone who asks for one, and the university recommends that those who want a test should also contact their health provider. WKU has four criteria that would qualify a person for a COVID-19 test: • They are reporting symptoms that are related to COVID-19. • They have been in close contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19. • A public health agency, through contact tracing, has identified them as being in close contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19. • A physician orders a test for them because their health condition makes them vulnerable to COVID-19.

lations, said in an email that all students, faculty and staff can receive a COVID-19 test on campus for free. In an email sent to students, faculty and staff in July, Environmental Health and Safety Director David Oliver said that unlike the University of Kentucky, WKU would not require students to be tested before returning to campus. “Some universities have elected to require testing for all incoming students,” Oliver said in the email. “WKU has not chosen this approach based on consultation with our partner physicians and the most recent guidance [from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention].”

Where you can receive a test on campus On-campus COVID-19 testing is currently available at GGC’s WKU location. Beginning on Aug. 24, GGC at WKU will be open for COVID-19 testing from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday. GGC at WKU will also be open for COVID-19 testing on Saturday and Sunday from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m.

As of Aug. 21, WKU has tallied 213 positive cases of COVID-19, and 636 COVID-19 tests have been conducted on campus or at Med Center Health. Skipper said that people should not calculate a percent-positive rate by using the number of positive cases and the number of tests because WKU is not collecting test count data outside of what they receive from GGC and Med Center Health. “If a test from elsewhere is negative, it is not reported to us, nor are the subjects asked if they are affiliated with WKU at the time of testing,” Skipper said in an email. Skipper said he was told that each nasal swab needed to conduct a COVID-19 test costs WKU $100 on average. WKU’s healthcare insurer, Anthem, Inc., might absorb a portion of the university’s total cost for COVID-19 test materials, Skipper said. Skipper said WKU does not have the ability to separate active on-campus COVID-19 cases from recovered cases of COVID-19.

How contact tracing works on campus

Oliver said WKU is performing contact tracing through the Barren River District Health Department. If contact tracing reveals that a person has been in close contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19, that person must self-quarantine for 14 days. Students, faculty and staff are also required to self-quarantine for 14 days if they have been in close contact with someone who tested positive for the virus, Oliver said. If a person travels to a state or country that is under a travel restriction, that person must self-quarantine for 14 days upon return. If an on-campus housing student chooses to quarantine on campus, WKU Housing and Residence Life will provide them with a room assignment, Oliver said. Through contact tracing, if a public health agency determines that a student who is not ill must be quarantined for 14 days, the student may self-quarantine off campus if they wish.

Leo Bertucci can be reached at leo. bertucci665@topper.wku.edu Follow him on Twitter @leober2chee.

In order to locate people who have reHow many tests have been cently interacted face-to-face with someperformed and how many have one who tested positive for COVID-19, Bob Skipper, director of media re- tested positive WKU will utilize contact tracing.

How students can navigate campus facilities this semester By Olivia Marshall

olivia.marshall688@topper.wku.edu As the semester begins, things on campus look different from previous years. Social distancing practices have been mandated, masks are worn in public spaces and people sanitize their hands more than ever. Students who anticipate using campus facilities, like Jody Richards Hall’s computer lab, the library or the Preston Health and Activities Center, should be aware that changes have been made to ensure safe and healthy practices are in order.

LIBRARY Currently, the only area open in the library is the fourth floor of Cravens. To limit the number of individuals who spend time there, overall seating capacity is limited, and no group or individual study rooms are available.

Students can fill out a form to request items either by filling out a library pickup request form or by going to the circulation desk in person. Librarians will also retrieve any book or physical materials that a student may request. The library and teaching faculty are also in the process of digitizing course materials according to copyright guidelines, so students can access them from the digital collection. A student may also make an appointment to physically access the Special Collections and Archives. The library’s hours for the fall semester have changed as well. According to their website, their hours are 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Friday and closed Saturday and Sunday.

COMPUTER LABS There are capacity limits at each lab to encourage social distancing. Students may have to wait outside the lab until a computer is available. Information Technology Services stated that computers are placed sixfeet apart from one another and crowd control devices and floor signage are displayed to “designate safe social distancing within the lab and at print release stations.” Students will have to pick up a sanitized keyboard and mouse to use at the computers and return them to be cleaned.

website’s page on COVID-19 policies states that the policy is “inclusive of locker rooms, bathrooms, offices, meeting rooms, common spaces and all face-to-face interactions. When departing the fitness areas, racquetball courts, walking track, and natatorium (pool) you must wear your mask.” Upon entering the facility, guests and members have to fill out a sheet to verify that they don’t have any of the COVID-19 symptoms stated. The center highly encourages everyone to wash their hands or use the sanitization stations before leaving. There are also capacity limitations.

PRESTON HEALTH AND ACTIVITIES CENTER Oliva Marshall can be reached at olivEveryone is required to wear masks at all times except when exercising. Campus Recreation and Wellness

ia.marshall688@topper.wku.edu. Follow her on Twitter @omarshall99.

BRITTANY FISHER

Games such as volleyball have helped student organizations keep 6 feet apart, while still being able to have recreation nights.

CAMPUS DEATH RATE “If we do not adjust while things are starting to shoot upwards, it will start looking a lot more exponential on my model,” said Kessler. Kessler also urged people to keep in mind that his model is a conservative estimate. He has no way of accounting for each individual student or faculty member that has a pre-existing medical condition, putting them at a higher risk of death from COVID-19, so everyone must look at this model as a simple baseline for how quickly there could

be a fatality. Unfortunately, a fatality may occur much sooner than Kessler can calculate, due to outside factors he is unable to incorporate in his model. While Kessler’s model did focus on mortality rates, he wants to make clear that death is not the only negative outcome from COVID-19 spreading throughout campus. Coronavirus can have long-term health effects, including internal organ damage and loss of or damage to senses. Kessler finally stressed that WKU community members need to also consider

these factors when they view his model; death cannot be the only outcome that stops WKU from opening its doors again. This seemingly never-ending nightmare does have a light at the end of the tunnel. WKU does indeed have time to act before this virus gets completely out of hand. What Kessler is hoping his model will do is open people’s eyes to the true danger that could permeate campus. Kessler is continually faithful that WKU will act accordingly if his model is proven to be true, but he has no intention of terrifying or guilting

the community with his data. In fact, he understands that faculty and students are only trying to make the best of a horrible situation. “I think people are just craving normalcy,” said Kessler. “But right now, going back is just not a good idea. Unfortunately, that is the reality that we have to face as a community.”

Liza Rash can be reached at 270745-6291 and liza.rash282@topper. wku.edu. Follow Liza on social media at @l1za_.

Campus organizations prepare to engage students amid COVID restrictions By Gabrielle Bunton gabrielle.bunton605@topper.wku.edu

Campus organizations are preparing for running events with COVID-19, putting modifications on how people can get together. Over the summer, Randall Bogard, assistant director of Student Activities, said time was used planning how to help organization meetings and other events on campus happen safely. One event that will go virtual is DISCOVER Fest, the annual student organization fair. “We’ve chosen to do that virtually which will be through Zoom,” Bogard said. Student Activities will be sending out information later this week. Bogard has also teamed up with the Downing Student Union’s operation team to get information on capacity limits and developing guidelines for all student organizations, such as conducting meetings, programs and events. According to Bogard, the guidelines for campus organizations were inspired by the priority of keeping students healthy and safe. Bogard also decided what would be the most realistic and feasible way to run things. “It was all about trying to give them that Hilltopper experience,” Bogard said. “Even though we are in this pan-

demic, we are trying to line our ducks in a row to focus on safety concerns. We want to make sure that they have a home away from home here on the Hill.” With COVID taking the structure away from students’ lives, Reformed University Fellowship still managed to give its club members a community feeling via Zoom. Ross Lockwood, campus minister of Reformed University Fellowship, said the group giving members something to do every day — like morning prayer sessions — showed consistency and a sense of normalcy. With Zoom being the main option for communication, Lockwood made plans to regain the sense of community that was lost via Zoom. He ultimately made the decision to keep Wednesday’s ministry face-to-face. “We are taking away the greatest asset,” Lockwood said about using Zoom. “We are taking away what makes us RUF.” The club will now hold watch parties that take the whole ministry of RUF and break it down into smaller groups. On Wednesday nights there will be two specific locations, two on campus and two off campus, where students will come together, read a passage from the Bible, pray together and watch pre-re-

BRITTANY FISHER

Students reunite for the first time after universities and schools across the country shut down in March due to the Coronavirus.

corded worship and teaching. “Even though we still can’t meet all together, it’s still a place where we can all get together,” Lockwood said. “It’s where the culture of it is. A place where everyone belongs here.”Lockwood still hopes to do events while also respecting WKU guidelines. “We want to love our neighbor well and we want to love our place well,” Lockwood said. “We respect WKU, and we won’t even

come close to transgressing any of the rules in this place.” In the case of WKU’s Food Recovery, president Elaine Losekamp said when everything closed down in March, things were strange for them. The group typically works five days a week, with Monday, Wednesday and Friday being the days to pick up left-

ORGANIZATIONS • A8

On-campus students who contract COVID to be moved to new location to quarantine By Laurel Deppen laurel.deppen774@topper.wku.edu

Three locations have been designated quarantine spots for WKU students living in on-campus housing who contract COVID-19. Students who test positive will be relocated to the International Villages

ALL

BACKPACKS

— a set of cottages originally for visiting international scholars — a wing in Bates Runner Hall or Barnes Campbell Hall, according to Mike Reagle, executive director for housing and dining. Barnes Campbell, currently surround-

% off

ed by construction, was originally slated to be torn down in the summer, but Reagle said the university chose to set it aside as “overflow” for sick students. Reagle said his department works with Graves Gilbert Clinic and makes decisions for placement based on a positive test and whether the student is symptomatic or not. A residence hall like Barnes Campbell, which has community style bathrooms, will place students on floors according to diagnosis, Reagle said. That means there will be floors for symptomatic students, asymptomatic students and those who were contact traced and asked to isolate. Reagle said an outside cleaning company will be contracted to clean these spaces. If a student who tests positive has a similar diagnosis to their roommate, and they live in a dorm room with a private bathroom, they can both stay there. There are 334 beds for quarantine, and as of Friday, two were in use. Bob Skipper, director of media relations, said when students receive a positive diagnosis and are asked to quarantine, they have the option to go home for quarantine if they prefer. Each quarantined student will have meals delivered to them by an assigned Housing and Residence Life staff member. Reagle said the meals will be placed at their doorstep for no-contact delivery. Students can select their meal from an app, and it will be charged to their dining plan as usual. The same HRL staff member will regularly check on the student and

help them keep up with school work, Reagle said. The university’s guidance on its quarantine and isolation plans are made in conjunction with GGC and the Barren River Health Department, Reagle said. Despite about 60% of classes being offered in online or hybrid formats, Reagle said housing hasn’t seen a change in the number of students living in on-campus housing. Of the requests for exemptions from housing since March, only eight requests listed online or hybrid courses as the reason for the request, according to documents obtained by the Herald. Much like everywhere in WKU’s restart plan, masks are required in shared areas of dorms, including lobbies and bathrooms. “The students that are here want to be here, and that’s why it’s so essential that we get the message out to them that says, listen, if you want to be here, you’ve got to follow the rules of wearing a mask,” Reagle said. When asked about what would happen to housing in Kentucky Street Apartments if residence halls were to close, Reagle said the university hadn’t talked much about it. “We’ve made all the plans that we’ve made to keep the residence halls open,” Reagle said.

Laurel Deppen can be reached at laurel.deppen774@topper.wku.edu. Follow her on Twitter @laurel_deppen.

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NOT GOOD ENOUGH College of Health and Human Services should have been more involved in restart committee Herald Editorial Board

Issue: WKU formed an extensive Restart WKU Committee to assist in the university’s COVID-19 reopening, but the only contribution from the College of Health and Human Services was two Sports Management professors for the purpose of furthering WKU’s Athletics. Our stance: The College of Health and Human Services should have been more involved in the reopening plan, especially Dean Tania Basta, who specializes in infectious diseases. President Tim Caboni announced the creation of WKU’s Restart WKU Committee last semester, indicating that the committee was responsible for guiding the planning of WKU’s reopening during the coronavirus pandemic. The committee was formed after the university made the decision for classes to continue remotely following spring break. The Restart WKU Committee is made up of four subcommittees: Academics and Inquiry; Student Experience and Engagement; Environment, Operations and Physical Plant; and Athletics. The College of Health and Human Services was allowed to contribute two Sports Management professors to

subcommittees — Pedagogical Assistant Professor Terry Obee joined the Academics and Inquiry committee, and Assistant Professor Stacy Forsythe joined the Athletics committee. While involvement from the sports management professors is appreciated, the College of Health and Human Services — with departments such as the School of Nursing and Department of Public Health — should have been more included in the decision-making of the Restart WKU Committee because the college has expertise and resources for dealing with a pandemic. “The Restart Committee did not reach out to me for my expertise specifically,” College of Health and Human Services Dean Tania Basta said. Her specialization is related to infectious diseases from a social and behavioral perspective, including viruses like Zika and Ebola. Basta, who served on the Budget Executive Committee this summer, was not formally consulted by the Restart WKU Committee. She was, however, able to read drafts of the restart plans before they were distributed to the public. “We couldn’t shift her expertise off of the Budget Executive Committee,” Caboni said in a meeting with the Her-

ald on Friday when asked about Basta’s absence from the Restart committee. Caboni made no comment on the absence of other Health and Human Services students and professors from the Restart WKU Committee. The Restart WKU Committee was formed in order to create plans for a healthy reopening in the fall that ensured the wellbeing of WKU’s students. Basta confirmed that the only input that the College of Health and Human Services had on the committee was the input of the sports management professors, presumably to ensure a safe reboot for WKU’s sports teams. It is important that Basta was able to review the restart plans before they were presented to the public, but she and other members of the college deserved a seat at the table. “I spoke out in meetings with the deans and provost about decisions that would violate the CDC guidelines,” Basta said. “It was discussed that we would allow face shields only for professors and instructors in the classrooms, and I made sure and let the provost and other deans know that my official position was that I was against the decision because it went against Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines.”

Without Basta’s speaking up, the Restart WKU Committee could have implemented very poor guidelines as a part of WKU’s reopening this fall. For this reason exactly, more of the students and professors from the College of Health and Human Services should have been placed on the Restart WKU Committee to ensure that the reopening plans were safe and followed CDC guidelines. This is not to say that the college had no input into WKU’s reopening plan at all, but there was simply not enough involvement from the college that would have the most expertise, knowledge and resources for dealing with the pandemic. Caboni reiterated that experts at Graves Gilbert Clinic and the Barren River Health Department were consulted for the reopening plan. Regardless, WKU’s internal resources and own employees should have been put on the committee in order to ensure that campus reopened in the fall as safely as possible. If WKU wanted to ensure that campus was prepared for fall reopening, it should have used the internal resources right at its fingertips. In the absence of Health and Human Services helping to plan WKU’s restart, reopening campus during the global pandemic is ill-advised and risky.

From the editor: We want to hear from you By Laurel Deppen laurel.deppen774@topper.wku.edu Probably just like you, I vividly remember the last time I walked through campus before COVID-19 forced us from classrooms to Zoom calls. I remember making jokes about “not coming back from spring break because of corona.” I remember my friend getting a common cold and calling it coronavirus. I remember making jokes comparing the virus to my favorite imported beer. I remember laughing when the advisor of the Herald suggested we make a page specifically for coronavirus coverage. You know the rest of the story. We all got the news of an entirely virtual end to the semester. We all sat with the uncertainty of the fall. And that coronavirus page my advisor suggested? Most of the stories we publish on WKUHerald.com are on it. Now we’re back to school, going to classes with masks on our faces, hand sanitizer on our key chains and inboxes filled with Zoom links. As we all got used to working virtually and changing the way we lived, this summer also saw a rise in protests related to the police killings of Black Americans, including George Floyd in Minneapolis and Breonna Taylor in Louisville. These protests caused increased attention and discussion of the ever-present systemic racism this country has housed for its entire history. These are things that Black Americans

have lived with forever, but in this particular moment, more people–particularly white folks–are paying attention. It has become abundantly clear that the Herald needs to change, just as everything else needs to. My team and I are committed to doing it right. We’ve reconfigured our writing and editing processes so we can produce content for our newsletter in real time, which will be in your inbox every weekday afternoon. If you haven’t already, you can subscribe at wkuherald.com/ newsletter. The newsletter is designed to get you the information you need in a method that’s much quicker and more convenient than our print edition. In these times when everything changes at the blink of an eye, this is information you’ll need, and we want you to have it as soon and as accurately as possible. I also invite you to follow us on Twitter at @wkuherald for even more immediate updates. As long as classes are happening in person, our print edition will still be available on Tuesdays in kiosks around campus and throughout Bowling Green. In print, you’ll find stories that aren’t in the newsletter. It’s meant to be a wider look at the things on campus you care about in a longer form, including news, sports and features. Diversity, however, is something the Herald has always lacked, and today, that is still the case. But what the

events of the summer have truly shown is that institutions, including WKU and the Herald, need to not just listen more, but also listen to understand. We should listen to Black people and commit to amplifying their voices. This commitment will require more than just the empty promise of a black square on our Instagram feed. One of the ways we’re doing that is reforming the “Opinion” section. For too long, our opinion pages have only offered the perspectives of our own editorial board. We gave you our opinions, but we lacked your contributions. These pages should reflect what the WKU community thinks and cares about. That’s why we’ve renamed this page “Community.” Though each member of our editorial board is a WKU student, we don’t reflect a broad enough range of the campus community. The editorial board is currently made up of 11 people. Ten of them are white, and one is Native American. There are three men, seven women and one nonbinary person. Four identify as members of the LGBTQ community. Our team also lacks diversity in smaller ways: most of us are students in the School of Media, and all of us are in the Potter College of Arts and Letters. All of this is to say, there is no way the 11 of us can represent — or speak for — our entire campus community. That’s why we want to hear from you.

The community page will be a space to represent the diversity of our campus. We want to highlight a variety of different voices so our readers get a clear view of what our campus cares about. You can submit a letter to the editor through our website or email our community page editor Julianna Lowe at julianna.lowe253@topper.wku.edu. We want to hear your responses to what is happening nationally, statewide and at WKU. We’re also hoping to highlight the mission of each on-campus organization. The broader the views shared, the better. We will still write editorials when our team deems it necessary. What are we missing? How can we improve? I view the Herald as a service to our readers, a vehicle of holding our leaders accountable and a reflection of our community. I’d love to hear your thoughts on our coverage beyond our community page. What are we missing? How can we improve? You can email me at laurel.deppen774@topper. wku.edu, or I can be reached by Twitter direct message at @laurel_deppen.

Thanks for reading. Now it’s your turn.

FUN A5

TUESDAY, AUGUST 25, 2020 WESTERN KENTUCKY UNIVERSITY

FUN PAGE

To solve the Sudoku puzzle, each row, column and box must contain the numbers 1 to 9.

3 4 5 6

3 8

1 7 2

Across 1 4 8 12 13 14 16 17 18 19 21 23 24 25 27 29 30 31 34 37 42 43 45 46 48 49 50 52 54 57 59 62 63 65 67 69 71 72

4 6 8 1 3 9 7 2 5

5 2 3 8 6 7 1 9 4

9 7 1 5 4 2 6 8 3

1 3 2 9 7 8 5 4 6

8 4 6 3 1 5 2 7 9

7 5 9 4 2 6 8 3 1

2 8 5 6 9 4 3 1 7

6 1 4 7 8 3 9 5 2

3 9 7 2 5 1 4 6 8

73 74

12 13 14 15 On vacation “Omigosh!” 17 18 16 Desire 21 22 23 20 Wind instrument 19 Stubborn beast 24 25 26 27 28 Parting word Sassy 29 30 Meager 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 It won’t hold water 43 44 45 42 Union locale Like gastric juice 46 47 48 49 Arch type 50 51 52 53 Golf ball position Perimeter 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 Express First lady 63 64 65 66 62 Bio stat 68 69 70 71 Henry VIII’s last 67 wife 73 74 72 Fujairah bigwig Monastery head 75 76 77 Draft Copyright ©2020 PuzzleJunction.com Reason for a raise Country bumpkin 75 Checkup 44 Test choice 11 Hang around Bullion unit 76 Send to the 47 Spinner 12 Australian export Kind of admiral canvas 51 Chinese dynasty 15 Behold Surrounded by 77 ___ Anne de 53 Snoop 20 Gun, as an engine “I ___ you one” Beaupré 54 Move crabwise 22 Excavated Consume 55 Coil 26 Adjudge Contour Down 28 Mad Hatter’s drink 56 Boxing site Hard to fathom 57 Street of mystery 29 Consequently Ave. crossers 1 Dagger mark 58 Bacon piece 30 Horne solo Casket 2 Strong point 59 Skedaddle 31 Chi follower Time to beware 3 Salad cheese 60 Losing come-out 32 Barley bristle Marina sight 4 German resort roll in craps 33 18-wheeler Goldbrick 5 Russian prison 61 Flower stalk 35 A ___ pittance Alternatively camp 62 Apron, of sorts 36 Intense anger Tender 6 Wonderland girl 64 Education station 38 Scottish hillside Buckwheat 7 Prefix with god 66 Egyptian snakes 39 Depress, with pancake 8 Occurred 68 Canyon feature “out” Smeltery refuse 9 Kind of box 70 Psychoanalysis 40 Kimono sash Frost lines 10 Military blockade 41 Poet Hughes subject

To solve the Sudoku puzzle, each row, column and box must contain the numbers 1 to 9.

Mixed Trivia

9 3 5 6 9 8 7 3

4 1 3 7

9 2 3 8 7 9 2

5 8

2 7 5 2 6 1 3 4 9 8

9 6 1 4 7 8 2 5 3

8 4 3 9 5 2 7 1 6

3 7 4 1 2 9 8 6 5

6 9 8 5 3 7 1 2 4

1 2 5 8 6 4 9 3 7

2 3 6 7 4 1 5 8 9

4 1 9 3 8 5 6 7 2

5 8 7 2 9 6 3 4 1

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HEALTHY ON THE HILL 1 • JACK DOBBS WKU President Timothy Caboni urged students to keep following health guidelines as they return to campus. “We’re family — treat everybody like your brother, your sister your mom or your dad,” Caboni said.

2 • ESTHER HEATH A socially-distanced parade of new students wandered WKU’s campus Saturday, Aug. 22. WKU students are adjusting to the new campus rules according to WKU’s restart plan, including the requirement of masks in all shared public spaces on campus. 3 • ESTHER HEATH A group of students pass a frisbee on South Lawn on Saturday, Aug. 22. The last weekend before classes begin, various individuals and groups of students gathered and engaged in activities such as frisbee, football, and aerobics on South Lawn. 4 • BRITTANY FISHER Signs placed around campus remind students how to be safe and stay healthy while on campus by wearing masks and social distancing from other students. 5 • ESTHER HEATH Students converse from socially-distanced hammocks in front of Downing Student Union on the afternoon of Aug. 22. WKU students are adjusting to the new campus rules according to WKU’s restart plan, including the requirement of masks in all shared public spaces on campus.

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A7 COLUMN

WKU to square off against BYU, mascot rivalry renewed

By Kaden Gaylord kaden.gaylord559 @topper.wku.edu

By Nick Kieser nick.kieser036@topper.wku.edu

A renowned Twitter mascot rivalry from the early stages of COVID-19 has resurfaced following a schedule update from the WKU football program Friday. The Hilltoppers are to play on Halloween at Brigham Young University –– the first meeting between the programs on the gridiron. “I am very excited to add BYU to the list of institutions against whom we are competing,” WKU President Timothy Caboni said. “That is a storied program that we had a heated mascot battle with during the early stages of the pandemic. I am thankful and pleased that we’re going to be able to continue some of that rivalry that began there.” According to Associate Director of Communications Bryan Fyalkowski, this will be the Hilltoppers’ first ever game in the state of Utah and fourth farthest game the program has traveled west for. The Hilltoppers played twice in Sacramento, California, against Louisiana Tech University in 1973 and Northern Michigan University in 1975. The farthest game played away from the Hill was in Spokane, Washington, against Eastern Washington University for a 1997 NCAA Division I-AA playoff game. Rewinding back to April 15, WKU’s Big Red and BYU’s Cosmo the Cougar faced off in Sirius XM’s Mascot Bracket challenge on Twitter. Cosmo and Big Red were both absent from the tournament until each mascot won a play-in matchup to be the low-

est-seeded mascots in the bracket. The two No. 16 seeded mascots met in the finals, which college sports fans across the nation did not see coming. On the way to the national championship, Big Red defeated six consecutive mascots representing Power 5 opponents, knocking off Mississippi’s Landshark Tony, LSU’s Mike the Tiger, Auburn’s Aubie, Georgia Tech’s Buzz the Yellow Jacket, Tennessee’s Smokey and Oklahoma’s Sooner Schooner en route to an appearance in the bracket’s national championship round. Cosmo won the national championship following a brief suspicion of voter fraud on both sides. Following three hours of awaiting the final result, BYU’s infamous cougar emerged victorious claiming 51% of votes. During the investigation, the SiriusXM College Twitter account reached out to WKU and offered for a game of rock-paper-scissors to be the deciding factor to crown a victorious mascot. But the WKU Sports Twitter declined the offer. “Too many sports fans had come together to reach a common goal for it to end that way. That being said, we suspected BYU would’ve thrown paper, so we intended to go scissors,” @WKUSports tweeted in response to SiriusXM College’s Twitter. Now the programs will do battle between the lines in LaVell Edwards Stadium, which is also 4,549 feet above sea level. Having the Sept. 12 matchup with the University of Louisville allows

Views from the bottom of The Hill

WKU to get ready to face the BYU team that went 7-6 in the previous season. And with the Hilltoppers having their first home game in September, they get more time to learn from what other universities are doing across the nation. “When you are in a situation with a great deal of uncertainty and you’re making decisions based upon imperfect data and incomplete information until you must absolutely make a decision, it doesn’t make more sense to delay and get as much clarity and as much additional information you can,” Caboni said. The initial inquiry about the respective programs playing each other on the field or the court came after voting polls closed April 17, when WKU Athletic Director Todd Stewart tweeted at BYU’s Athletic Director Tom Holmoe. “We would love to do a football and/ or basketball series. The schools have never played in football and @WKUBasketball leads the all-time hoops series 3-0 but we haven’t played since 1954. Let’s make this happen @TomHolmoe!”

I get it. College football is back, at least for the time being, and everyone is excited, but football isn’t the only sport that participates in the fall. We can’t progress with one sport but not value the others. We have more questions than answers on how the NCAA and athletic departments across the nation plan on keeping these student athletes safe, particularly the sports that aren’t in the spotlight of the national media. The only news we have received is that a couple of soccer players were diagnosed with COVID-19, resulting in the team taking a two-week hiatus, volleyball players were able to start practice early August and recently WKU Football head coach Tyson Helton disclosed the team had positive cases but didn’t say the specific amount. “We’ve had positive cases throughout the summer, both symptomatic and asymptomatic, pretty regular just like everyone in college football,” Helton said, addressing the media Aug. 17. At the time of writing this, Conference USA officials just announced that soccer and volleyball will be moved to the spring. So that brings the question: Sports Editor Nick Kieser can be why is football the only sport that gets reached at nick.kieser036@topper. to play in its season? wku.edu. Follow Nick on Twitter at @ KieserNick.

Sophomore kicker Cory Munson at WKU Football practice Aug. 21, 2020 in Houchens-Smith Stadium.

I understand football is the most popular sport in the fall and makes national headlines. But all sports deserve the same time and attention towards making them safe and accessible for everyone to participate. The NCAA even gave the fall sport athletes leeway to participate in as many games as they wish, and if they opt out, they still technically won’t burn a year of eligibility. If you take a glance at the WKU athletics calendar, the only sport that has any games scheduled is football. You can make the argument that because the NCAA moved fall championships to the spring, you should move the season to the spring. But if that’s the case, why shouldn’t football be moved to the spring as well? Favoritism shouldn’t be shown, especially when we’re going through a pandemic. Especially since WKU and Rice University made national headlines all year for volleyball during each team’s 2019 campaign, whether it be leading the nation in wins and statistics or setting records for attendance during the NCAA Tournament. Even with the announcement, there are still way too many questions that need to be answered. Why does soccer have to move its season when its athletes play outdoors just like football? Volleyball is the only team in an arena during the fall, so why can’t they play? Wouldn’t it cause more problems as basketball season and volleyball season overlap, especially when they each play 30 or more games? With the move, that makes at least seven sports overlap or play at the same time. Wouldn’t that force fans to pick between what team they want to watch, which would cost ticket sales and revenue to drop? I’m not blaming the schools for the lack of information, although you could question some of the information they are keeping from the public. Schools are dealing with things as they occur. But still, more transparency on all of this would clear up some of the mess. I’m blaming Conference USA for the lack of communication and effort when it comes to every other sport not named football. It’s way past time for an answer.

Kaden Gaylord can be reached at kaden.gaylord559@topper.wku.edu. Follow Kaden on Twitter at @_KLG3.

WKU FOOTBALL STEVE ROBERT • WKU ATHLETICS

Western Kentucky University football Practice No. 6. Aug. 21, 2020 at Houchins-Smith Stadium

By Casey Warner casey.warner161@topper.wku.edu After what has been a roller coaster of an offseason around college football, WKU’s season kicks off in 18 days, when the Hilltoppers travel to Louisville to face the Cardinals. With a ServPro First Responder Bowl victory to cap off the 2019 campaign and going 9-4 overall on the gridiron, the Hilltoppers’ expectations will be higher this season. Head coach Tyson Helton heads into his second year at the helm with seven returning starters on offense and nine on defense. WKU also returns two 2019 All-Conference USA members, senior John Haggerty and senior DeAngelo Malone — the reigning C-USA Defensive Player of the Year. Even with veteran players returning for WKU, there are still some vacant roles that must be filled this season. There are also 94 catches that must be replaced after the graduation of Lucky Jackson who was voted No. 1 team All C-USA reciever. Ty Storey completed 241 passes, which also must be replaced this season. The start of fall camp officially began Monday, Aug. 17 after being delayed due to COVID-19 concerns. Just like the start of last season, the starting quarterback situation still remains unclear as fall camp has been underway. But of the 241 catches on the team last year, just under half of those return in 2020 — the second and third-leading receivers on the team last year, senior Jahcour Pearson and sophomore Joshua Simon, both return. Answers to whom the Hilltoppers’ starting signal-caller will be should come prior to the Sept. 12 season opener at Louisville. Candidates for the role include graduate transfer from Maryland Tyrell Pigrome and junior Davis

CON’T FROM A3... ORGANIZATIONS They then work with a network of different local nonprofit organizations to donate the food. “When everything closed down in March, we stopped recovering from Einstein’s and we had to do a lot of last-minute recoveries from the other dining services at Western,” Losekamp said. Losekamp also said the group was able to get leftover produce from locations like Fresh Food Company because Food Recovery is able to reuse the produce. The club, along with help from dining services, helped organize close to 1,000 pounds of produce to donate to the community. “We had one week where we just had a huge amount of food,” Losekamp said. Losekamp said she would like to start the semester recovering food, but she is apprehensive. “What will happen if the school clos-

Shanley — who bring the most experience to the table — but with fall camp being pushed back, there is less time to evaluate the situation, according to offensive coordinator Bryan Ellis. “It might not be completely fair, but I’ve had to kinda make an educated guess on who I think these two or three guys are going to be,” Ellis said. “These are the guys we’re going to have to go play with.” Storey didn’t sew up the starting quarterback position until game four last season, after Steven Duncan’s injury. Duncan was named the 2019 starter just nine days before the Hill-

with returning senior running back Gaej Walker could be a potential dual-threat offensively this season if Pigrome wins the job. The quarterback position is still a mystery at this point early in camp season. But WKU’s defense has fewer questions to answer before the start of the season than the offense. The Hilltoppers’ front seven returns over 25 sacks from last season. More than 18 of those came from returning seniors Juwan Jones and DeAngelo Malone. Defensive Coordinator Clayton White praises the relationship Jones and Malone have shown so far in camp.

DEANGELO MALONE RETURNING SENIOR PLAYER “I’m coming out here and getting better every day. Even though I’m getting highly praised, I gotta keep that work ethic up.”

toppers’ first game of the season. “We went out and signed a graduate transfer for a reason,” Ellis said. “We didn’t sign him to come out here and be the backup. I know that’s kind of how it played out last year, but every year is a new year.” Pigrome brings dual-threat attributes to a Hilltopper offense that put up over 5,000 total yards a season ago. At Maryland in 2019, he totaled 872 all-purpose yards in 11 games as the starter for the Terrapins. Adding Pigrome to the run game

“They work well together,” White said. “I went down to coach Baker’s office … and I walked in there, and I bumped into those two big boys watching tape during their free time.” With Jones coming from one edge, and Malone opposite him, these two will give opposing offensive lines a challenge this season. With Malone being named to the pre-season Bednarik award watch list — honoring the nation’s most outstanding defensive player — White expects him to draw some double teams this season.

es down or someone in our club got COVID?” Losekamp said. “I feel like we would have to stop operating for safety and health purposes.” COVID put stipulations on group activities, but Losekamp doesn’t see it being much of a problem for the club. “We follow a lot of safety regulations already with COVID guidelines, gloves and hand washing,” Losekamp said. “This year we will be wearing masks around the food and being even more strict that we are wearing clean gloves.” When WKU abruptly changed classes to virtual learning, the Student Accessibility Resource Center continued to serve students with disabilities. Matt Davis, assistant director of Student Services, said the center has worked with the campus to help discover new ways to help during the semester. “We are fortunate to have collaborated with many university partners to continue to provide the services needed to our students even during the abrupt upshift,” Davis said.

During the semester there will be a reduced staff presence in the office to promote safety while others work remotely. SARC will also use more technology to help students stay connected with the center. Davis said the work doesn’t stop and that SARC is here to serve students. “Do not hesitate to reach out to the SARC for any questions they may have about our services or current procedures,” Davis said. “We are here to help our students.” The Greek community offers largescale programs, like the New Member Symposium which hosts around 600700 students. Andrew Rash, coordinator of Greek Affairs, said large scale events will have to look dramatically different or be postponed. Rash worked with sororities and fraternities to let them know the stipulations that come with group gatherings and how people can come together as a whole.

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“Our D-Tackles are the ones that are really excited about it,” White said. “They’re going to get more of the oneon-one opportunities against a guard. I think DeAngelo wants to be moved around some. You’ll see him all over the field.” The Hilltopper defense hopes to be versatile and effective in all aspects of the game this season. “I’m coming out here and getting better every day,” Malone said. “Even though I’m getting highly praised, I gotta keep that work ethic up.” Around campus and around the nation, the Hilltoppers’ expectations this season are high. Five Hilltoppers were named to preseason award watch lists. What’s most important to the team is that it has the community and media’s confidence that this will be a successful season on The Hill. Red Towel Radio host Tyler Eaton said he shares Helton’s belief that the Hilltoppers can play at a championship level. “I’ll tell you what Tyson Helton told me — this team is built to win championships,” Eaton said. “I know expectations are a dangerous thing, but I expect this team to be in the mix for a conference title again.” The road won’t be easy, with eight teams on the current schedule that played in a bowl game last season. But an adversity stricken start to the college football season could only benefit WKU on its journey for its first C-USA title since 2016.

Football beat reporter Casey Warner can be reached at casey.warner@ yahoo.com. Follow him on Twitter @ thecaseywarner.

“We worked with chapters on handling various things that could happen, such as what chapters are doing to handle COVID,” Rash said. “The biggest thing is communication and setting the expectations high and that everyone knows what the limitations are.” Regardless of all the new stipulations brought by the pandemic, Borgard said that organizations will still help students in the ultimate goal — graduation. “I feel like joining an organization is important to make you feel like this home away from home,” Bogard said. “Research shows that if you are connected you are more likely to persist to graduation. That is our goal — making sure that people have a positive outlet for themselves to be successful here on the Hill.”

Gabrielle Bunton can be reached at gabrielle.bunton605@topper.wku. edu. Follow her on Twitter @gabriellebunton.

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