February 12, 2019

FEATURES • PAGE B1

SPORTS • PAGE B6

How to do Valentine’s Day on a WKU budget

Lady Toppers searching for defense after homestand

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2019

WESTERN KENTUCKY UNIVERSITY

VOLUME 95, ISSUE 04

ONGOING OVERHAUL Leadership changes lead to sense of insecurity for faculty

BY LILY BURRIS HERALD.NEWS@WKU.EDU

Timothy Caboni President July 1, 2017

W

Cheryl Davis Dean of Graduate School June 11, 2018 - Interim Scott Lons Dean of Graduate School Resignation announced June 11, 2018 Cathy Carey Dean of Gordon Ford College of Business June 30, 2018 - Interim Jeff Katz Former Dean of Gordon Ford College of Business Stepped down on June 30, 2018 Richard Miller

Vice Provost for Policies and Personel

Retired June 30, 2018 Sam Evans

Dean of College of Education and Behavioral Sciences

Retired June 30, 2018

Dennis George Dean of College of Health & Human Sciences July 1, 2018 - Interim Neale Chumbler

Former Dean of College of Health & Human Sciences

Stepped down on July 1, 2018 Terry Ballman Provost Aug. 1, 2018

David Lee Former Provost 2015 - Aug. 1, 2018

Dennis George Dean of University College 2015 - Aug. 1, 2018 Corinne Murphy

Dean of College of Education and Behavioral Sciences

Started Aug. 1, 2018 Sylvia Gaiko

Associate VP - Planning and Program Development

Position eliminated at begining of 2018/19 year

hen President Timothy Caboni arrived at WKU on July 1, 2017, a lot of changes followed him. Those changes first became evident through the budget cuts starting in Spring 2018.

The first draft of the budget plan hit Caboni’s desk Feb. 20, 2018 with focuses on strategic reductions, a new budget structure and student life improvement, according to the WKU Budget Restructuring Plan from that date. All of this called for a university-wide culture change.

“President Caboni will admit to you, he’s trying to change the culture,” University Senate Chair Kirk Atkinson said.

“There’s no secret about that.”

However, Faculty Regent Claus Ernst said culture change isn’t just caring more about students and building less buildings.Various positions within the upper levels of WKU have changed hands or have been eliminated altogether.

“What also is in the process of happening is that we see this level immediately below the president and the provost,” Ernst said. “We see a tremendous change over.”

Change has come from the top down with Caboni’s presidency. Former Provost David Lee retired at the end of the 201718 school year, and current Provost Terry Ballman arrived from California State University San Bernardino to fill the position. Lee remains at WKU as a professor and the university historian.

“I believe our new leadership wants to be more transparent,” Ernst said. “I don’t think we are quite there yet. A lot of decisions are made in a quiet, nebulous, intransparent way, but I think there is an emphasis to becoming more transparent, to become more accountable.”

The colleges within WKU have also seen much change throughout this transition. The University College was eliminated during budget cuts on June 30, 2018. Dennis George, the former dean, is now the interim dean of the College of Health and Human Services. The previous dean was Neale Chumbler, who left the position to work at the University of North Texas as a dean.

Former Dean of Gordon Ford College of Business Jeff Katz stepped down and back into regular faculty on June 30, 2018. Katz said he wanted to go back to teaching and spending time with the students before his retirement, according to a previous Herald article.

The College of Education and Behavioral Sciences acquired a new dean in the fall after former dean Sam Evans retired on June 30, 2018. Scott Lyons was the dean of the graduate school until he resigned from the position, which was announced on June 11, 2018.

“Any time you have that much change in a two-year period, there’s that sort of leadership vacuum, if you will,” Atkinson said.

While some positions have been re-arranged, others have been eliminated.

Richard Miller was the vice provost for policies and personnel before his retire-

ment in the spring of 2018, but now the position does not exist within the university.

“The provost’s office is developing, putting together a new office with new vice presidents,” Sylvia Gaiko, former associate vice president of planning and program development, said. “I’m in a faculty line, but I miss that leadership piece,” Gaiko was demoted from her position in the upper levels of the university starting in the fall of 2018. Her former position was eliminated during budget cuts. She will begin a new job as dean of the College of Health and Human Services at Indiana University Pennsylvania. The position at IUP is very similar to the one here, but it became available first, Gaiko said.

Doug McElroy was transitioned from associate vice president of academic enrichment and effectiveness to continue teaching as a Professor in the Department of Biology.

Other positions have been created as a part of this process, specifically executive vice president for strategy, operations and finance and the upcoming position of vice president for strategic communication and marketing, according to an email recently sent by Caboni.

“With new leadership from the top down, there’s new initiatives,” Gaiko said.

“There’s all kinds of regulations that are changing at the state level and at the na-

”Any time you have that much change in a two-year period, there’s that sort of leadership vacuum, if you will,.”

University Senate Chair KIRK ATKINSON

tional level, and through accreditation, and with our own leadership completely turning over with a new president and a new provost, they’re just bringing in their own ideas.”

The team of people looking to fill the new positions are also looking to fill the dean positions for GFCB, CHHS and the vice president for philanthropy and alumni engagement, which has been held by John Paul Blair for the past year and a half as the interim vice president.

In the email to faculty and staff, Caboni said WKU candidates will be equally considered for vacant positions and the committee will “promote appropriately from within.” In a meeting with the Herald editorial board, he explained his job is to attract and grow talent, which is why WKU has conducted national searches.

“We want to make sure we cast a broad net, attract people who have seen lots of things in higher education, good and bad, and have learned from that,” Caboni said.

In the meeting, Caboni said he’s had several questions from faculty about organizational change and why there has not been much change from his predecessor.

SEE VACANCIES • PAGE A2

A2 NEWS

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2019 WESTERN KENTUCKY UNIVERSITY

College deans recommend programs to suspend

BY EMMA AUSTIN HERALD.NEWS@WKU.EDU Following departmental reviews of academic programs within each college, deans submitted lists of program recommendations to Academic Affairs on Friday, Feb. 1, as part of the Comprehensive Academic Program Evaluation.

The lists include proposals to either “grow/enhance,” “maintain,” “transform” or “suspend” each of WKU’s 352 programs. “Maintain” is for “robust, healthy” programs, which will include more than 50 percent, Merrall Price, special assistant to the provost, said in her report at the Board of Regents committee meetings Friday.

The second-largest group is “suspend,” and “transform” is for programs in need of “systemic change in a fundamental way” in order to better reflect what students need. “Grow/enhance” is for programs with more demand than supply, meaning there are not enough resources within the program to meet the quantity of students.

Recommendations will now be evaluated by two members of the CAPE Committee, neither of whom is in the college under review, according to information from Academic Affairs provided by Director of Media Relations Bob Skipper via email.

The committee members evaluating each program will present their findings to the CAPE Committee, and the committee as a whole will then make decisions based on those findings. Representatives from any program recommended for suspension will be invited to address the CAPE Committee.

VACANCIES

CONTINUED FROM FRONT In the meeting, Caboni said he’s had several questions from faculty about organizational change and why there has not been much change from his predecessor.

“The answer to them is, ‘We’re creating change, but it has to be measured change,’” Caboni said.

In terms of organizational change, Caboni explained a university must handle leadership transitions differently than other institutions. He said in the next two years, he anticipates new faces filling his cabinet as people naturally move out.

“If one were to do like we do in government and have a complete change in cabinet, you lose tremendous institutional memory and institutional history, and it creates awful instability that’s not healthy for an organization,” Caboni said.

“When you promote somebody internally, you are getting somebody who has institutional knowledge. If you bring somebody from the outside, you are get-

“[W]e are at most halfway through the CAPE process, and while we are beginning to have a sense of how most programs may ultimately fall out, all recommendations at this point are advisory,” the email from Skipper stated.

Decisions will not be final until the end

“You recommend to grow a program when your enrollments have been going up, and you need to grow to be able to serve that growth.”

Ogden College of Science and Engineering Dean

CHERYL STEVENS

of the CAPE process after the Board of Regents reviews all recommendations.

Price said Academic Affairs hopes to have recommendations to the board by the May 10 quarterly meeting.

Skipper said the lists of programs sent by college deans to Academic Affairs are not being made public because the review is still in progress. Skipper said it’s up to the dean of each college how they notify their departments of the recommendations for their programs.

In her update on the CAPE process on Friday, Price said not all faculty know the dean-level recommendations for their programs yet, as deans have taken different approaches to informing their departments.

The list of recommendations for Potter ting somebody who has outside knowledge,” Ernst said.

People have acknowledged the values of outside and inside hires. Atkinson said there have been some upper-level positions that were filled from the outside.

“I prefer to see promotions from within, again, when possible. Sometimes it’s not possible to do so,” Atkinson said. “I think they should be cautious when hiring from the outside.”

Atkinson said he’s noticed low morale within faculty members and attributed it to different initiatives and changing organizational structure.

“Just what I’m feeling from faculty is that there are still some morale issues, and there’s this general feeling of less security than perhaps they have in the past,” Atkinson said. “They’re all sort of waiting for what’s the next thing that’s coming. That’s just the general feelings as I hear people talk.”

In October, a Faculty Work Life Survey reported low morale among faculty during the 2017-18 school year. 40 percent of faculty said it strongly disagreed

College of Arts and Letters was sent out to all faculty in the college on Feb. 1. The college recommended 40 programs be suspended, including 20 majors and 20 minors.

Programs recommended for suspension include the minors in French, German and Spanish as well as the German major, which had 11 students enrolled in 2017, according to the WKU 2018 Fact Book. The Department of Modern Languages had already announced in August the French major would no longer be available by Fall 2021 due to low enrollment, but the French minor was still going to be offered. The French major had 22 students enrolled in 2017.

The philosophy major was one of four programs recommended by the college to “transform/suspend.” The philosophy major had 25 students enrolled in the program in 2017, down from 33 in 2013, according to the 2018 Fact Book.

Some programs listed as “suspend” have already been phased out or replaced by new programs and were empty or slated for elimination, but most were not, Potter College Dean Larry Snyder said in an email to Potter College faculty on Friday.

“You will see that we are making hard choices, likely with more to come down the line,” Snyder said in the email.

Ogden College of Science and Engineering Dean Cheryl Stevens said department heads in Ogden College have been notified of whether their programs were recommended to maintain, transform or suspend, and they went back to their faculty to talk about those results.

“I don’t want to put something out there where I say I recommended this and then they change it because people

get upset about this,” Stevens said. “I’m just not gonna do that.”

Academic Affairs distributed data from Institutional Research related to enrollment, degree production and credit hour production for each program for departments to consider in their evaluations.

“We sorted through that data to find what would be most useful, we sent that data out to the faculty, the program faculty were encouraged to look at their data and to interpret their data and then to write narratives that framed that data in an appropriate way,” Price said on Friday.

Price said there is no set number for how many programs need to be maintained or suspended.

“What we were told was that you did not recommend to enhance or grow a program in a way to get positions back that were lost a year ago when we had the cuts,” Stevens said. “You recommend to grow a program when your enrollments have been going up, and you need to grow to be able to serve that growth.”

Cathy Carey, interim dean of Gordon Ford College of Business, said in an email she informed department chairs of the program recommendations she provided the CAPE Committee. The Herald called the offices of the deans of the colleges of Health and Human Services and Education and Behavioral Sciences and has not yet received comment.

Go to www.wkuherald.com to see a complete list of Potter College’s program recommendations from the dean.

with satisfaction for the merit increase process, which rewards more productive and higher-performing workers.

There are other initiatives in place which could cause morale to decrease such as the Comprehensive Academic Program Evaluation process, which looks at all WKU programs and could potentially suspend, transform or grow certain programs. Gaiko said with ongoing budget cuts at WKU, faculty members are looking for other options.

Ernst said there has been a spike in faculty members leaving, and he could anticipate the CAPE process adding to the spike.

“There are forces at work which are much larger than what WKU can influence, and so we are forced to acknowledge the difficulty of declining enrollment,” Ernst said.

Ernst said it’s hard to say what declining enrollment and leadership changes mean for the university. Changes are

Engagement Editor Emma Austin can be reached at 270-745-0655 and emma.austin177@topper.wku.edu. Follow her on Twitter @emmacaustin.

CORRECTION •

• •

In a story titled “WKU enrollment declines along with Kentucky universities” which ran in the Feb. 5 issue of the Herald, the story stated WKU enrollment fell 4 percent from 2012-13 to 2017-18. Enrollment fell by 8 percent from 2012-13 to 2018-19, and just 4 percent in the past year.

In a story on page A3 of the Feb. 5 issue of the Herald, WKU’s Black Student Alliance was not fully identified in a headline. The Herald regrets this error.

In a story titled “Playing for Keeps,” which ran in the Feb. 5 issue of the Herald, WKU freshman guard Dalano Banton was incorrectly identified as Dalano Bearden. The Herald regrets the error.

Ways to love your heart:

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A program of the Department of Diversity and Community Studies For more information, go to www.wku.edu/gws

Exercise Stop Smoking Manage Your Stress Eat a Balanced Diet Schedule an appointment with a GGC physician for an annual physical

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NEWS A3

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2019 WESTERN KENTUCKY UNIVERSITY

SGA to attend annual Rally for Higher Education

BY JACK DOBBS HERALD.NEWS@WKU.EDU The WKU Student Government Association will join its counterparts from Murray State University and various other universities across the Commonwealth Tuesday at the annual Rally for Higher Education.

The Rally for Higher Education, which is held every year in Frankfort, is an opportunity for college students to voice their thoughts and suggest improvements to Kentucky lawmakers. This year, the delegation of SGA members from WKU is being led by Executive Vice President Garrett Edmonds. “Higher education is not just about students,� Edmonds said. “It impacts our culture and our communities.�

WKU is sending 24 members of SGA to the conference, consisting of the executive board and select members of the senate. Director of Information Technology Paul Brosky, said he hopes the students in attendance will have their voices heard by the representatives. “I hope that positive change can take place in response to student opinion,�

Brosky said.

This year’s Rally for Higher Education comes at a time many would argue is transformative for state universities. As reported in a recent Herald article, universities all over Kentucky

have witnessed declining enrollment rates, with WKU seeing a decline from 20,267 students in 2017 to 19,461 in 2018.

Moreover, multiple demonstrations led by public school teachers have been held on the steps of the Kentucky State Capitol Building in recent months, brought on by the ongoing state pension crisis. “It’s not just students,� Edmonds said, “You have teachers and educators from all over the state fighting over these issues.�

Campus Improvements Committee Chair Matt Barr will also be in attendance at the rally. Barr said he believes representatives in Frankfort should be able to see what their funding for universities is going toward.

The rally is planned by the Kentucky Board of Student Body Presidents.

Normally, this board meets with the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education to discuss issues relevant to universities statewide. However, this year, scheduling conflicts mean the board will join SGA members from across the Commonwealth in rallying to drum up support for postsecondary education.

Edmonds also said the Board of Student Body Presidents will work together to create legislation for the student body that shares “common themes� such as student involvement on campus, strengthening outreach between the university community and working

ISABEL BRINEGAR • HERALD

Former WKU SGA President Andi Dahmer (left), Kentucky State University student body President Onaje Cunningham (center) and Eastern Kentucky University student body President Laura Jackson (right) speak in front of the Capitol building in Frankfort on Feb. 6, 2018 for last year’s Rally for Higher Education.

to increase student retention rates. “It’s important for [legislators] to recognize that we are here,� said Committee for Academic and Student Affairs Chair Amanda Harder, “We’re learning and growing and taking hands-on experiences to really get us prepared for the workforce.�

Harder also said she thinks by meeting with representatives in Frankfort, it will allow the message of WKU to become more widely known and give the

elected officials more reason to give funding back to WKU. “Keeping WKU relevant and showing how it really has a place for everyone is very important,� Harder said.

The Rally for Higher Education will begin at 9 a.m. Tuesday in the Capitol Rotunda in Frankfort.

Reporter Jack Dobbs can be reached at 270-745-0655 and jack.dobbs469@ topper.wku.edu.

Proposed tuition increases decade-long trend

BY NICOLE ZIEGE

HERALD.NEWS@WKU.EDU WKU’s Board of Regents Finance and Budget Committee approved a 2 percent tuition increase for in-state undergraduate students on Friday, Feb. 8. If the board approves the increase, it will follow more than a decade of tuition increases at WKU. If approved by the board, undergraduate in-state tuition will increase from $5,301 to $5,401 per semester for 2019-20 and would be the smallest percentage increase since 2008-09.

The next Board of Regents meeting will be held on March 1, where the tuition increase will be voted on.

WKU is no stranger to tuition increases for in-state undergraduate students. Since 2000, those tuition rates have increased every year. In 2000, in-state tuition sat at $2,209 per year.

Since 2008, the in-state undergraduate rate will have increased by 55.8 percent, according to WKU’s tuition and fees schedule.

In 2008, the tuition rate was $3,465

for in-state undergraduate students.

The rate has mostly increased by between 3 and 4 percent per year since 2008 except for a 5 percent increase in 2010-11 and an increase of about 6.9 percent in 2011-12, according to WKU’s tuition schedule.

The proposed 2 percent increase for 2019-20 is the maximum percentage increase WKU can make to meet new adopted guidelines by the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education. WKU and other Kentucky public universities need to increase in-state undergraduate tuition by no more than 6 percent over two years to meet KCPE guidelines. WKU raised its undergraduate in-state tuition rate by 4 percent in 2018-19.

Since 2008, the KCPE’s tuition and fee policy has set caps on tuition increases to keep them under control.

College boards then self-select tuition increases that fall under the caps. In determining rates, the KCPE takes several factors into account such as faculty salaries, pensions and benefits, building maintenance and student services, according to KCPE. State appropriations to WKU’s op-

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tuition rate has increased by 55 percent since 2008. The largest percent changes included 5.9 percent in 2010-11 and 2013-14 and 6 percent in 2011-12.

Since 2013, the international undergraduate tuition rate has increased by about 18.5 percent. The largest percent changes included 4.8 percent in 2014-15 and 3.7 percent in 2018-19, according to WKU’s tuition schedule.

Tuition for out-of-state graduate students would increase domestically per credit hour from $899 to $917 and decrease internationally per credit hour from $962 to $953. WKU On Demand rates per credit hour would also increase for undergraduates from $442 to $450 and graduates from $607 to $707.

Many graduate and professional programs would remain at the 201819 rates to remain price competitive in the respective programs, according to finance committee documents.

Nicole Ziege can be reached at 270745-6011 and nicole.ziege825@topper.wku.edu. Follow Nicole Ziege on Twitter at @NicoleZiege.

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erating budgets have decreased about 9.5 percent within the past decade. In the 2018-19 operating budget, they made up only 19 percent, or $74.4 million. In 2008-09, state appropriations made up about 25 percent of the budget, or $82.3 million, according to WKU’s 2008-09 executive budget summary.

Although in-state tuition would increase in 2019-20 if approved, outof-state undergraduate tuition would remain at $13,248 and international undergraduate tuition at $13,572.

This would be the first year the two rates remained stagnant since 2008, according to WKU’s tuition schedule.

Ann Mead, senior vice president for finance and administration, addressed the reason for the out-of-state and international tuition rates remaining the same. “A lot of these rates are being frozen for one year to allow us to build different marketing strategies and determine over the next six months what should be our pricing strategy and how do we use our scholarships effectively,� Mead said.

The out-of-state undergraduate

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Spring 2019 Tuition and Fee Payment Reminder Due date for Payment of Tuition and Fees for the Spring 2019 semester is:

February 15, 2019

*Failure to submit payment will result in a Financial Obligation hold.

For additional information, please refer to: www.wku.edu/bursar

A4 TWITTER TIME

OPINION

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2019 WESTERN KENTUCKY UNIVERSITY

TWEETS

miss.thang

woooow i thought about double majoring but but im already graduating late and didnt wanna add on to it

@cotoffee

Jeremy

There’s no such

@JFalknerwrites thing as grad-

uating to late.

Graduating in any timeframe is a huge accomplishment and plus it’s always better to find what your truly passionate about before its to late.

Good luck to you the rest of the way.

Talia.xo I’m graduating @LovelyyLiaa_ late but I’m

STILL graduating. I had to move out and get my own place at 17. I got pregnant with my first child at 20 so I’ve had some set backs. I’m halon with where my life is and I’ll graduate when I graduate

xadgal @scilla_froy

seeing all these people take grad pics while I suffer here because I ain’t graduating oh well It’s just a year late.

Hopefully it don’t last longer than that

Patricia Rosabal I shouldn’t have settled in con@patrosabal

formity with the fear of not graduating “on time”, because maybe adding a year or more might have been so much better than kinda just passing through something where your heart is not fully into.

I’m 4 years late regarding this realization, btw.

Coach Williams I used to be embarrassed by @EBrooke15

major change and the fact that I was going to graduate later than everyone else my age, but you know what? I’m blessed to have been able to even attend college, regardless of the major! Graduating late? Who cares!!

Im still getting a degree!!

Creative Hedgeyfer Better late than @Creative_MooMoo not graduate *d a b s d e p r e s s i n g l y*

Nisa @AnisaLikes

Me: “maybe I’ll push 2 classes to fall 2020 so I don’t die next

semester” My sister (jokingly) “you mean graduate late... you disgrace this family”

WKUHERALD.COM CONNECT WITH US ONLINE @WKUHERALD

PHOTO BY MATT CLARK • HERALD

‘FOUR-YEAR MYTH’

Statistics show there is no shame in late graduation

BY HERALD EDITORIAL BOARD HERALD.OPINION@WKU.EDU

Issue: Many students feel like they are falling short in their college career if they take longer than the standard four years to graduate from a university.

Our stance: Statistics show it is actually common for students to take longer than four years to earn a degree, and graduating is a big enough accomplishment in itself to be celebrated no matter how long it takes.

A study done in late 2014 by Complete College America showed there was a staggering upward trend of students taking longer than four years to graduate from college, with only 19 percent of students attending a public university earning a degree on time.

To really put this into perspective, when two roommates move into their dorm room at the start of their freshman year, numbers show there’s a much greater chance neither of them will earn a bachelor’s degree on time.

The report by Complete College America called this the “Four-Year Myth,” highlighting the ill-advised belief an average college student always graduates in this amount of time.

WKU has more fortunate graduation numbers in comparison, with nearly 32 percent of students graduating after four years on the Hill, according to the Office of Institutional Research, which stated an additional 21 percent will graduate after being

in college for six years.

Out of just over 580 universities, only 50 will graduate a majority of their students in the expected four years. Just 24 percent of students at public universities in Kentucky will graduate in four years, and Kentucky overall ranks 38 out of graduation rates by state.

While this is better for WKU in comparison, it is still a shockingly low number. Hundreds upon hundreds of students will attend Master Plan at WKU before their freshman year starts, signing their name on a banner labeled with a four-year graduation date on it. However, well over half of them won’t graduate in that year.

This trend shouldn’t frighten students, because there are numerous explanations for it. Students change their majors more often than not, and while this decision can set them back a semester or two (depending on at what point they switch), it has put them on a course they actually want to follow. Students just need to be deliberate when making this change and avoid impulsiveness to ensure no extra time is lost.

Many students also don’t take a full 15 hours of courses per semester in order to work a job to more easily afford college. This is especially true for first-generation students who don’t have the financial support other students have, which makes taking a slower graduation path the smarter, more affordable move. College isn’t for everyone, and a degree isn’t worth going bankrupt over, but if a student can find a way to afford it, then it is absolutely worth it, late graduation or not.

Transferring universities can play

This week’s poll

Last week’s poll

WKU Herald

How long /willdid it take you to graduate from #WKU? 4 years More than 4 years Less than 4 years Didn’t gradua Vote

CONTACT US

a major factor, too. Twelve percent of students transfer and graduate from a different university, according to 2017 research conducted by the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center, but credits don’t always carry over to different colleges, which may cause students to have to retake classes, setting them back after an already stressful change.

According to the NSC report, over 30 percent of students who attend college will drop out of school completely (just below 19 percent of students who come to WKU will drop out before they graduate in four years).

College is a demanding time period where students are officially becoming adults while making the decisions that set up their future.

Decisions and possible mistakes will occur along the way, potentially setting a student to graduate past when they expected, but this doesn’t devalue their degree in any way.

Students obviously shouldn’t come to college looking to graduate in more than four years. However, graduating in this amount of time isn’t absolutely an indication a student had a strong college career. The experiences they make, the organizations they are part of and, most importantly, what they learn determines that.

The realization of the “Four-Year Myth” should be a wake-up call to any student who feels like they’re behind because they are graduating “late,” because in reality, they are overachieving in comparison by graduating at all. Graduation isn’t a race but a personal goal one achieves at his/her own pace.

WKU Herald

How long will/did it take for you to graduate from #WKU “My sources say no”

45%

“Signs point to yes”

10%

“Cannot predict now” “Outlook not so good”

9% 36%

240 Votes

DISCLOSURES

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1. Who was the first to translate the Bible from Latin to English? (a) Martin Luther (b) John Wycliff (c) Pope Gregory XI 2. What volcano last erupted in 1707? (a) Mt Fuji (b) Mt Etna (c) Mt Rainier 3. What school was founded circa 1170 as a result of an edict by King Henry II? (a) Cambridge (b) University of Exeter (c) Oxford 4. What motion picture company was founded as 'Famous Players Film Company' in 1913? (a) Paramount (b) Universal (c) RKO 5. At the time of their marriage, who was the youngest of Henry VIII's wives? (a) Jane Seymour (b) Catherine Howard (c) Anne of Cleaves 6. What famous landmark was dedicated on August 23, 1913? (a) Big Ben (b) The Little Mermaid (c) Empire State Building 7. When did the Black Death first ravage western Europe? (a) 1399-1405 (b) 1294-1301 (c) 1347-1350 8. Joan of Arc was a heroine during what war? (a) Hundred Years' war (b) War of the Roses (c) Seven Years' war 9. What state was the last of the 13 original colonies? (a) Rhode Island (b) New Jersey (c) Georgia 10. What king reigned in Britain during the American Revolution? (a) Charles I (b) George III (c) William IV

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TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2019 WESTERN KENTUCKY UNIVERSITY

Jamin Turner, 23, of Dickson Tn., is standing ready to release the bull for the bull riding competition at the Lone Star Rodeo Company. Turner has been working for four years with the stock and opening the chutes for animals to come out. Before this job, Turner started off riding bulls for three and a half years.

SADDLE UP

PHOTOS AND COPY BY TYGER WILLAIMS HERALD.PHOTO@WKU.EDU

Lone Star Rodeo celebrated its 37th year performing in Bowling Green over the weekend. The rodeo drew in contestants and audiences from all over. Contestants traveled from 15 different states, including Florida, Oklahoma, and Tennessee.

A herd of calves exits toward the back after the end of a competition at the WKU L.D. Brown Ag Expo Center on Saturday.

Cord Barricklow, 24, of Lebanon, In., ties his horses, Ringo, 14, and Happy, 13, to the back of the trailer as he prepares to take off the saddles of Happy. Barricklow competed in the Lone Star Rodeo Company steer wrestling and calf roping competitions. Barricklow was born into this profession and has done rodeo his whole life.

Ben Peever, 18, of Ontario, Canada, is competing in the bull riding competition for the Lone Star Rodeo Company. Peever has been bull riding for five years and fell in love with the sport.

Joanna Gossett, 5, right, and her sister, Jessica Gossett, 10, are visiting from Cave City, Ky., with their parents, Jason and Jennifer Gossett, for the Lone Star Rodeo Company. “We heard about it and the girls were excited to come,” Jason said. “Wife and I been before, but it’s the first time for the girls. They like the horses and seeing how everything goes.”

LIFE

B1

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2019 WESTERN KENTUCKY UNIVERSITY

TYGER WILLIAMS • HERALD

Larry Deaton of Bowling Green started the music venue The Warehouse at Mt. Victor with his wife, Michelle, in 2009. “We both love music and follow it,” Larry said. “A lot of people start here to grow, and we always like to see them move up.”

CLOSE TO HOME

The Warehouse gives intimate setting for artists and fans

BY GRIFFIN FLETCHER HERALD.FEATURES@WKU.EDU

If you haven’t heard about it already, maybe you’re just not looking hard enough.

Despite being an unlikely culprit, The Warehouse at Mt. Victor is becoming one of Bowling Green’s most popular locations for checking out both budding and seasoned musicians from Texas to Tennessee for cheap.

Larry Deaton, a 1971 WKU graduate, and his family opened The Warehouse officially in 2009. The Warehouse hosts concerts on an almost monthly basis.

Originally intended as a space for Larry’s wife, Michelle Deaton, to host events for her catering business, Larry decided to expand the warehouse’s horizons. A long-time music lover and concertgoer with a nearly unrivaled history—he attended Woodstock, a historic 1969 New York music festival, before graduating college—Larry said his family’s hearts have always been with music.

“We love music,” Larry said. “It’s our passion.”

However, from cleaning out and refurbishing the once-empty warehouse to learning the ropes of booking musicians who will sell tickets, not everything was easy, Larry said.

“It’s a learning process,” Larry said.

“There’s no school you go to to book bands.”

Though Larry said he originally stuck primarily to booking artists who played Americana music—a type of music he generally prefers—he adapted in an effort to appeal to more listeners in and

the stage.

“They like to have that intimacy,” Larry said about the closeness to the audience musicians are afforded at The Warehouse. “They like to see their faces.”

Larry added he believes many artists

“They want us to succeed, because they know there’s not that many venues where they can see their favorite artists and sit within three feet of them.”

The Warehouse owner LARRY DEATON around Bowling Green. He said The Warehouse now hosts artists primarily with country, southern-rock and folk roots, which provided necessary variety that kept people coming back.

“It’s business,” Larry said. “A superfan would be out of business quick.”

Despite the relatively small size of The Warehouse when compared to other premiere venues for seeing bigname musicians, Larry said well-known musicians such as Jason Isbell and Sturgill Simpson, both of whom have performed at The Warehouse, praised the venue for its intimate setting. Larry said he believes this is possible due to the venue’s arrangement, with various seats and tables placed near the front of

who have performed at The Warehouse keep coming back because of the way his family makes sure the musicians “feel like they’re at home” during cross-country traveling and sometimes months away from their own beds.

“They don’t remember me, but they remember the town, they remember the venue,” Larry said.

In part with attending to band members’ various needs before and after shows, Michelle’s catering business, Michelle Deaton Catering, is responsible for feeding the bands. Michelle said that part is easy.

“I just try to cook like I would for my family,” Michelle said.

Aside from The Warehouse’s suc-

cess, however, Larry said it can prove difficult to feature successful bands and still turn a sizable profit. As many bands that perform at The Warehouse are typically paid much more for playing larger venues, Larry said, sometimes smalltown charm just isn’t enough.

“You’re not making big, big bucks,” Larry said about the financial side of booking and hosting shows. “The band gets most of the money—they have to.”

Michelle said this was especially difficult when The Warehouse first opened.

“You never know about the guarantee,” Michelle said. “At first, we lost a lot.”

She said this especially opened her family’s eyes to the oftentimes difficult nature of the music business. Rather than always being able to enjoy the venue’s concerts, various members of the family handle tickets, seating, bartending and sometimes all of the above at any given show.

“Takes out the element of, ‘Oh, it’s fun going to a concert,’” Michelle said.

“It’s work, and if you’re not getting your guarantee and you’re stressed about the money part, it’s not fun.”

Larry said he believes the family is able to manage these difficulties simply because it’s family.

“We hold our expenses down by being family,” Larry said. “We couldn’t do it without our sons and daughters.”

SEE WAREHOUSE • PAGE B3

Crowe’s Soul Food offers homestyle taste near campus

BY MARK WEBSTER JR. HERALD.FEATURES@WKU.EDU

Fried pork chops, barbeque ribs, meatloaf and fried chicken are regularly cooking in-house at Crowe’s Soul Food.

Located on Old Morgantown Road and open Monday-Sunday from 11:30 a.m. until___, Crowe’s provides essential, homecooked meals and offers a different menu each night. The concept of the restaurant was based on the cooking of the family’s grandmother, Dorothy Crowe.

Owner Tyrecus Crowe said he is excited about the business and believes a restaurant with Crowe’s southern-inspired style was due for Bowling Green.

“Growing up in the country, my grandma did it different,” Crowe said. “It wasn’t cooking over the stove that grabbed the attention, but the cooking from the wood pallets made the different type of touch.”

From the flat-screen TVs all around the restaurant to the variety of customers

KENDALL WARNER • HERALD

Tyrecus Crowe, 27, from Bowling Green recently opened Crowe’s Soul Food on Morgantown Rd. Crowe said he opened the restaurant simply because there was no soul food restaurant in Bowling Green and he knew it would be a success because everyone loves to eat. At Crowe’s Soul Food everything is homemade and people feel at home. “I’ve had people come in and tell me because I have oldies like Bobby Brown playing that they feel like they’re at home eating,” Crowe said.

socializing while looking at the menu, Crowe’s Soul Food prides itself on customer satisfaction, Tyrecus said.

“To me, I want my customers to come in and build a relationship,” he said. “To come in and just eat and leave without speaking isn’t what I want happening.”

Bowling Green native Jimmy Stewart said it is very fortunate the restaurant opened up just in time for Black History Month.

“I’m glad I can let someone else do the cooking,” Stewart said. “Sometimes I would find myself either going to Nashville or even Louisville to grab some soul food.”

Harry Depp, a chef, said he loves his time working at Crowe’s.

“When I got word from Tyrecus that they wanted to open the soul food here in BG, I was fully in,” Depp said. “He’s like a brother to me and always has my back.”

Within the first week of opening, Crowe’s received several delivery re-

SEE CROWE’S • PAGE B3

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SPORTS B3

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2019 WESTERN KENTUCKY UNIVERSITY

Room in the Inn supports Bowling Green’s homeless

BY KATELYN LATTURE HERALD.FEATURES@WKU.EDU

Names neatly written on notecards.

Notecards taped to plastic storage containers. Containers filled with simple necessities: a jacket, peanut butter crackers, extra socks and sometimes even a small piece of candy.

These boxes are stacked on shelves at Room in the Inn in downtown Bowling Green, waiting for their owners to return each morning and evening. They are filled with seemingly simple things that mean the world to the people to whom they belong.

“I can see the need, and I can see the change,” Sharli Rogers, who has worked with Room in the Inn since it came to Bowling Green in 2013 and now works as the nonprofit’s program coordinator, said.

Room in the Inn has its origins in Nashville, Tennessee, and has spread to more than 40 locations, Rogers said. It’s a winter shelter, meaning it is open from November to March each year. It provides a place to sleep, shower and eat and connects guests to other services accordingly.

Room in the Inn is not alone. Rogers said it has 800 volunteers annually. It also partners with many other churches and organizations in the Bowling Green community.

George Ransdell, a dentist and State Street United Methodist Church’s coordinator for its ministry with Room in the Inn, has been working with the homeless for many years and was excited to have his church join with the nonprofit.

Ransdell said he supports Room in the Inn because it immediately gets people off the streets and gives them a place to sleep and a warm meal to eat.

Rogers said Room in the Inn partners

EVAN MATTINGLY • HERALD

State Street United Methodist Church on East 11th Avenue is one of the 17 churches throughout Bowling Green that partners with Room in the Inn.

with 17 churches in Bowling Green to provide beds for the homeless who come through and register at the downtown office. Twenty-one church congregations volunteer with the nonprofit throughout the winter months. Other programs such as Hope House and Hotel Inc. also partner with Room in the Inn and the community.

Nonperishable, protein-packed food items were stacked next to the front desk.

Jars of peanut butter and foil packages of tuna lined the side. These donations came in last week after Room in the Inn sent out a request for more food items.

The community has always been supportive of the nonprofit, Rogers said.

Despite being tucked away on one of downtown’s one-way streets, Room in the Inn continues to impact the people of Bowling Green.

Helen Karrick is a retired labor-and-de-

livery nurse and member of Bowling Green Christian Church.

“The guests are really appreciative,” Karrick said. “I get lots of hugs from people.”

Karrick has been volunteering with Room in the Inn since its beginning and has formed friendships with the people her church serves.

“I don’t find them hard to work with at all,” Karrick said.

The guests are grateful for the community’s kindness and often lie down on their temporary beds in complete exhaustion. The guests’ conditions prove straining for them and those who serve them.

“You want to help everyone of them, but you can’t,” Ransdell said.

Some of the people who pass through the doors at Room in the Inn struggle to

get back on their feet. The longer they are homeless, the harder it is for them to get out of homelessness, Rogers said.

Karrick said it is hard for her to watch the same people return year after year not able to find housing.

The hardest thing for Rogers, she said, is having to turn away people from the shelter because its capacity has been reached. She said another homeless shelter might be helpful, but what Bowling Green really needs is solutions. These solutions, Rogers said, could include more affordable and accessible housing options.

Many of the homeless people Rogers works with struggle to earn enough money to afford an apartment. They might be able to pay for monthly rent, but they sometimes cannot afford to pay the initial down payments and first month’s rent.

However, watching guests reach their goals and grow, get housing, earn a job and sometimes reconnect with family is one of the most rewarding things for Ransdell, he said.

Karrick said people often approach homeless people with trepidation, and so did she when she first began volunteering many years ago. Since those first years serving the homeless community, Karrick and Ransdell have both grown close to the people they serve.

“The more interaction you have with them, the more you understand them,” Ransdell said.

Rogers said Room in the Inn serves the young and elderly alike and has even served WKU students. People you would never expect, Rogers said, show up every season, which is fitting, given the inn’s motto: “Love thy neighbor.”

Features reporter Katelyn Latture can be reached at 270-745-6291 and katelyn.latture423@topper.wku.edu.

Cheap Valentine’s Day dates: Romance on a budget

BY JULIE SISLER HERALD.FEATURES@WKU.EDU Valentine’s Day rolls around each year and puts on the pressure to go all out to show your love and appreciation for your significant other. But for college students on tight budgets, this can pose a problem. Here are 11 ideas to spend time with your sweetheart without breaking the bank.

1: Show your Hilltopper pride at the basketball game against Middle Tennessee at 7 p.m. in Diddle Arena. Admission is free for students! Spend some time with your honey and show both them and your school some love!

2: Find your and your partner’s inner zen at the Preston Center-sponsored Love Well Week “Partner Yoga” event.

Practice a variety of partner moves and enjoy a free workout while you do! Students get free admission to the event, held at 3:30 p.m. in the Preston Center multipurpose room.

3: Grab a meal at Chili’s on campus.

You can use your dining dollars, so all you have to worry about is the tip!

THE WAREHOUSE

CONTINUED FROM PAGE B1 Larry and Michelle’s daughter AnnChaney Deaton, a Bowling Green native and senior at the University of Kentucky, said she appreciates the family business and the work her parents put in daily to keep it running.

On concert nights, she said she often does everything from helping bands unload gear to helping guests find their seats.

“I think it’s really unique to have parents in this business,” AnnChaney said. “Not many people do.”

She said she’s especially happy to see how The Warehouse has affected her father.

“I appreciate what he’s done,” AnnChaney said. “I do this for my dad because I know how much he loves the

CROWE’S

CONTINUED FROM PAGE B1 quests. Crowe said one such delivery led him to the Warren County Justice Center for a special order to Judge Sam

4: Show your lover a Valentine’s Day that’s out of this world by stopping by the Hardin Planetarium to take in one of the free shows. Shows start at 7 p.m.

Test your partner’s knowledge with Trivial Pursuit, their wit with Cards Against Humanity or their strategy with RISK. If everyone brings a potluck item, you’ve got a cheap dinner, as well!

5: Get in touch with nature by exploring Lost River Cave or go hiking on the grounds. Enjoy some time off campus to take in the scenic views.

The Lost River Cave boat tours offer a student discount, and it’s free to explore the grounds.

9: Treat your sweetie to a sweet treat.

Bowling Green is full of small businesses that will satisfy your sweet tooth. Look up local bakeries and confectionaries to give a try, and maybe even get a few things you usually wouldn’t!

6: Embrace your inner artist with a Bob Ross night in. Pick up some canvases and paints at Michael’s—altogether about $15—and pick a random episode off of Bob Ross’ Netflix series. Spend the evening relaxing with thoughts of love and happy trees.

7: Spread the love by volunteering together! Reach out to an animal shelter or food pantry and set up some time to give back to the community.

What’s more romantic than seeing your special someone giving back?

10: Make this Valentine’s Day your own personal throwback Thursday.

Grab your lovebird and head to the grocery store to grab some of your favorite snacks from childhood. A Lunchables for dinner—maybe a Lunchables Uploaded if you’re willing to splurge—some Kool-Aid Jammers or Capri Suns, and top it off with some frosted animal crackers for dessert. Take it home and find a favorite movie from your childhood to put on, and watch your lover’s inner child come out!

8: Put your teamwork to the test by hosting a game night with friends.

11: For the music lovers, make each other a playlist. Fill it with love songs,

music.”

AnnChaney said she attributes the venue’s success to its unusualness.

Though nearby Nashville is known for its catering to country and bluegrass music fanatics, she said she believes Bowling Green is an outlier.

“There is no one like this in Bowling Green,” AnnChaney said. “I think that’s what makes us stand out.”

Larry said he’s grateful for the support his family has received over the past decade. He said he has met people from all over the country who have come to see a show at The Warehouse.

“We have a lot of great supporters who come to a lot of shows,” Larry said. “They want us to succeed, because they know there’s not that many venues where they can see their favorite artists and sit within three feet of them.”

Whether someone is near 80 or just

over college-age, Larry said he loves to see them at the shows his family plans and makes happen. He said he believes the Bowling Green community’s enthusiasm toward live music is something special.

“The people respect their music here,” Larry said. “That’s what we’ve seen for 10 years—how much they respect the music—and they show that respect to the artists. And the artists, they really appreciate that.”

Aside from hosting concerts, The Warehouse is also home to Michelle’s catering business, where both Larry and Michelle work most week days.

Offering a wide variety of homecooked meals like pork roast, beef tenderloin, bacon-wrapped chicken breast and shrimp and grits, the business serves catering events in the entire surrounding area, including Nashville, Paducah, Elizabethtown

and Somerset.

On concert nights, tickets at The Warehouse typically cost $20 for seating and $15 for standing, while WKU students who present a valid student ID may receive a ticket for $12. Its next show is scheduled to take place on April 13, featuring Nashville artist Ward Davis. More information regarding shows and services is available on its website and Facebook page.

In keeping with its history, however, Larry said he’s always liked the business’ word-of-mouth manner of operation. He said he believes it keeps The Warehouse honest.

“That’s really the best way—your product is proving itself,” Larry said.

“If we didn’t love it, we wouldn’t do it.”

Potter.

Because of how close the restaurant is to WKU and the Registry Apartments, Crowe said he wants to provide a taste away from home for most students. WKU Student and Registry resident Austin Hughes said he hopes to

take a visit to the local restaurant in the near future.

“Being close to campus, and the apartment gives me a reason to check it out,” Hughes said. “I’m interested and excited to be able to experience a home-cooked meal that is literally in

view out of my window.”

FAHAD ALOTAIBI • HERALD

Making plans on Valentine’s Day for you and a significant other can be stressful and expensive.

It’s possible to celebrate on a budget at WKU.

songs from musicians you both love or even music you think they might like. Then, get in the car and go on a sunset drive around Bowling Green while giving each playlist a try.

Whether your love wants to stay in or go out, there’s a variety of ways to show your appreciation. Remember the most important part of Valentine’s Day isn’t the hearts or flowers: it’s spending time with the ones you love.

Features reporter Julie Sisler can be reached at 270-745-6291 and julie.sisler389@topper.wku.edu. Follow Julie on social media at @julie_sisler.

Reporter Griffin Fletcher can be reached at 270-745-2655 and griffin. fletcher398@topper.wku.edu.

Features reporter Mark Webster Jr. can be reached at 317-874-8618 and @mark.webster 102@topper.wku.edu . Follow Mark on social media at @ mwebster68.

B4 SPORTS

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2019 WESTERN KENTUCKY UNIVERSITY

LADY TOPPERS

CONTINUED FROM PAGE B6 WKU, said the Lady Toppers can rectify their rebounding woes by giving better effort.

“I just think, really, we need to work on being more aggressive and just putting a body on someone, boxing them out and just going to get that board,” Creech said. “I think we’re passive sometimes on the boards. We want the ball to come to us, but we have to be the aggressor and go get the ball.”

Meanwhile, Givens was not herself, as one of C-USA’s leading scorers shot a collective 3-of-19 from the floor and notched only 12 total points across two contests. Givens was visibly frustrated at times, picking up a technical foul against Rice.

Collins said that while WKU is a much more formidable team when Givens is scoring, the Lady Toppers have become too reliant on her ability to create offense.

“Dee’s clearly one of the best shooters in the conference, if not one of the best in the country,” Collins said. “Defensively, that’s not a hard game plan.

You make sure she doesn’t get quick touches, and that’s one of the easier

QUIT STAHL-ING

CONTINUED FROM PAGE B6 offensive stars going quiet, it was never able to break open games the way it usually does.

FIRST LAST • HERALD

Junior Whitney Creech aims for the basket during the Lady Toppers’ loss to North Texas in Diddle Arena on Saturday, Feb. 9, 2019.

things to do on defense—follow a good shooter around—and so that’s what they’re doing.”

Following two straight losses at home, WKU has only five regular season games remaining. The Lady Toppers’ race to the finish line will not be a breeze, as each of their next four

games will be played away from the friendly confines of Diddle Arena.

WKU, currently slotted fourth in C-USA standings, will begin its quest to secure a top-four finish and firstround bye in the C-USA Tournament this week against Middle Tennessee (18-6, 9-2 C-USA) and Alabama-Bir-

going to change.”

On the boards, the Lady Toppers looked the worst they have all season.

Raneem Elgedawy, who is generally one of the stars, has looked a little lost, but she was hardly the problem,

out effort thing,” junior guard Whitney Creech said. “You just have to want to put a body on someone, box them out and go get it.”

Collins pointed out after the UNT game that the Lady Toppers are often able to disguise their issues with different looks and schemes, but in the final minutes of that contest, it became clear the jig was up. The Lady Toppers were outrebounded 37-24, and it felt like a bigger differential than that.

Where the Mean Green absolutely dominated was the offensive boards, coming down with 19 compared to the Lady Toppers’ 12, which is unacceptable by any standard. The Lady Toppers will have to be better, as the road doesn’t get easier from here, especially if attitudes on the team, which Collins criticized after the game, don’t improve.

“Right now we have players that if they score 18 points and we lose,

Sports Editor Matt Stahl can be reached at 270-745-6291 and matthew.stahl551@topper.wku.edu. Follow him on Twitter @mattstahl97.

North Texas to drop one of their final two contests. Both schools will be on the road for the upcoming week.

Third place is even more attainable

Marshall, Southern Miss or UAB won its final two games.

The final four games, two of which will be home and road games, will be

“We still have a greater sense of pride in our ability to shoot the ball than we are getting stops, so until that changes, the results aren’t going to change.”

Head coach GREG COLLINS

“Our practice is probably 75 to 80 percent defense and rebounding,” Collins said. “We still have a greater sense of pride in our ability to shoot the ball than we are getting stops, so until that changes, the results aren’t

as the rest of the team contributed little to none in the rebounding department.

It’s entirely a fixable issue, and the team seems to know it.

“I think rebounding is just an all-

HILLTOPPERS

played hard and made a run.”

The Hilltoppers will attempt to extend their winning streak to six at home against Middle Tennessee State on Thursday night and Alabama-Birmingham on Saturday night. After that, WKU will have four games depending on where it places in the standings after Feb. 16.

If the Hilltoppers are in the top five, they will face the other four teams in that section. If they finish sixth through 10th, the Hilltoppers will play the other four teams in that section. The last four teams round out the sections.

Currently, Old Dominion is atop the conference standings with Texas-San Antonio, North Texas, WKU and Southern Miss rounding out the top five.

Mathematically, it is impossible for WKU to finish below seventh place in the standings. However, there are a wide range of outcomes for WKU as it closes out this portion of the schedule.

ODU will clinch first place with a win over last-place Charlotte on Saturday.

Second place is in play for the Hilltoppers.

If the Hilltoppers defend home court, they would need both UTSA and

CONTINUED FROM PAGE B6 “You got to play with that extra-edge mentality late in games,” Stansbury said. “And we just don’t seem to have the ability to consistently do it. And when you don’t do it, it gets you beat.”

Since the rough three-game stretch, the Hilltoppers have won all but one game, a 62-50 loss at Louisiana Tech.

During the winning streak, which is now up to four after Saturday’s win at North Texas, WKU has found many different ways to win, including using stifling defense against Marshall, forcing 16 turnovers and holding the Thundering Herd to 35 percent shooting. They have also won shootouts with Texas-San Antonio and Rice, reaching 90 points in both contests.

Senior point guard Lamonte Bearden said he saw mental toughness as a key to closing out games as of late.

“I think it just takes grit,” Bearden said after Thursday’s double-overtime victory over Rice. “Like coach tells us, we just got to go out and play together.

We never give up on each other and

mingham (19-5, 7-4 C-USA).

Second-place MTSU is the second-ranked scoring defense in C-USA play. Sixth-place UAB is the third-best scoring defense in C-USA play. The Blue Raiders are led by A’Queen Hayes, who is averaging 15.4 points and 9.0 rebounds in league action, while the Blazers boast one of the conference’s best 3-point shooters in Rachael Childress.

Collins said his players must get tougher to see better results moving forward.

“To be honest, I think right now we have players that if they score 18 points and we lose, they’re OK. And that’s not OK,” Collins said. “I’d rather have a player that scored 22 and lost and was mad … We’ve got to make sure we get everybody on the same page—that the purpose here is for the team to do well, not individuals.”

WKU will try to get back on track Thursday at 6:30 p.m. in Murfreesboro, Tennessee.

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they’re OK,” Collins said. “And that’s not OK.” If the team can’t find a way to fix the problem now that it’s been exposed, the rest of the season will be a painful stretch. Even worse, there’s not much time to pull it together before it heads to Frisco, Texas, for the C-USA Tournament, which it’s won three of the last four years.

That stretch of dominance appears to be in serious jeopardy if the Lady Toppers can’t look inside themselves and find some defense. However, this team has immense talent, and now that it’s had a wake-up call, maybe it’ll be able to pull it together.

Or maybe the team’s shots will start falling and everything will be fine. Either one will probably work.

”Like coach tells us, we just got to go out and play together. We never give up on each other and played hard and made a run.”

KENDAL WARNER • HERALD

Senior point guard LAMONTE BEARDEN

should WKU sweep its home slate.

If UTSA or North Texas lose a single game this week, the Hilltoppers would climb to third place.

The only scenario in which WKU would fall outside the top five is if it dropped both home games and two of

announced after the completion of the current C-USA slate on Feb. 16.

Sophomore guard Taveion Hollingsworth goes up for a shot against two UTEP players during a game at Diddle Arena on Feb. 2, 2019. The Hilltoppers came out on top, beating UTEP with a final score of 76-59.

Reporter Alec Jessie can be reached at 270-745-6291 and alec.jessie226@topper.wku.edu. Follow Alec on Twitter at @Alec_Jessie.

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SPORTS B5

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2019 WESTERN KENTUCKY UNIVERSITY

Lady Toppers look for improvement after hot start

BY SOPHIE AUSTIN HERALD.SPORTS@WKU.EDU

The WKU softball team is looking forward to a more competitive season this year, head coach Amy Tudor told the media last Monday. The team has big goals for 2019, like reaching and winning the conference tournament, but Tudor said it needs to take it one step at a time.

“We need to focus on all the little things in between,” Tudor said.

She said one of the main goals now is to focus on the process of getting better at softball, becoming better teammates and being great leaders.

The Lady Toppers have been picked to finish seventh in Conference USA this season, the same that was predicted of them last year. They ended up finishing eighth in the conference with a C-USA record of 10-13 and an overall record of 28-26.

The Lady Toppers are returning all players except for shortstop Brittany Vaughn, who graduated in 2018.

Vaughn was a key player in 2018, earning a team-best of eight home runs and leading the team with 39 RBIs. Replacing Vaughn at shortstop will be junior Morgan McElroy, who has mainly played second base during her career at WKU. Tudor said she believes shortstop is McElroy’s natural position.

The Lady Toppers will bring in six newcomers this season, five freshmen and a senior transfer from South Carolina, Shannon Plese. Plese made 34

appearances for the Gamecocks as a junior in 2017, starting in five games.

“Shannon Plese will bring tons of confidence to our team,” Tudor said.

The roster contains four seniors, given Vaughn served as the lone senior on the 2018 team. Tudor said she felt this has only changed the team dynamic slightly, as leadership roles are still evenly dispersed among her players.

“I think everyone has different leadership roles coming from a freshman to a senior,” Tudor said. “You know, for me it doesn’t matter if you’re a freshman or a senior, everyone’s voices need to be heard, and all the players need to be on the same level. That’s something we’ve tried to incorporate.

We’re all the same.”

The Lady Toppers traveled to Gulf Shores, Alabama, last weekend to compete in the Sand Dollar Classic. They finished the weekend 4-1, suffering their only loss to Auburn (0-8) but picking up wins against Missouri State (8-0), Florida A&M (4-3), Tennessee State (5-0) and South Alabama (7-3).

The team’s last win of the weekend broke a five-game losing streak to South Alabama, giving it an all-time record of 12-15 against the Jaguars.

“Kennedy Sullivan was solid in the circle for us,” Tudor said in a press release after the Missouri State game.

“She had a great command of her pitches.”

Sullivan, a freshman, gained her first career win against MSU, dealing 11 strikeouts in five innings. She is the first freshman pitcher to earn dou-

TYGER WILLIAMS • HERALD

WKU’s softball team starts off its practice after its warmups with batting at the WKU Softball Complex on Feb.4.

ble-digit strikeouts in their WKU debut since at least 2008.

Sullivan had 18 other strikeouts this weekend with a total of 29 in her three appearances in the circle.

Also playing key roles in the circle this weekend were Kelsey Aikey and Shelby Nunn.

Each of the pitchers picked up four strikeouts against Auburn, which tallied seven strikeouts in the game. Aikey had 15 other strikeouts this weekend with a total of 19 in four games.

“We started and finished the tournament producing a lot of runs,” Tudor said in the release. “While we need to get more consistency throughout our offense, I am proud of how we scored

when needed this weekend. Our circle was very strong almost all tournament delivering a lot of swing and misses.”

The 4-1 performance from the Lady Toppers matched the program’s best start to a season since 2015.

“We learned a lot this weekend and have areas to build on and several areas to improve as we move on to Western Illinois,” Tudor said in the release.

The Lady Toppers will take on Western Illinois at home this weekend in a three-game series beginning Saturday at 1 p.m.

Reporter Sophie Austin can be reached at 270-745-2653 and Sophie.Austin380@topper.wku.edu.

Hilltoppers look for improvement after 2018 collapse

BY KADEN GAYLORD HERALD.SPORTS@WKU.EDU The WKU baseball team is set to start its 100th season against Northern Kentucky this Friday, and its focus for this season is to take another step in improving.

“Last year we played very well, we struggled down the stretch,” head coach John Pawlowski said. “I felt like we made some strides last year. We’ve talked to the group that we have back this year about what we need to do as a team, as a program, to take that next step.”

Earlier this offseason, sophomore outfielder Luke Brown announced he was leaving the program and transferring to a different school, adding to the list of multiple key losses to the Hilltoppers roster in the offseason. In 2018, infielder Steven Kraft and outfielder Jacob Rhinesmith led the team in every major offensive category, and with them going pro, it leaves a spot for new players to step up and assume their roles.

“I look at us three as the leaders of the team, and we have to show them the ropes,” junior outfielder Ray Zuberer lll said of himself, junior infielder Davis Sims and junior outfielder Kevin Lambert. “This group works very hard. The past years, I’m not gonna say

HANNAH LEBOEUF • HERALD

Freshman Maddex Richardson pitches during the game against West Virginia Sunday, March 4, 2018 at Nick Denes Field. The Toppers lost with a final score of 7-1.

we haven’t worked really hard, but this group has, they put in the time, the effort.”

Zuberer finished last year ranked third on the Hilltoppers with a .315/.401/.430 slash line in 44 starts and had 22 RBIs, improving in every statistical category every year he has been in the program.

With the team losing a total of 17 players from last season, it brought in a total of 21 newcomers, six incoming freshmen and 15 incoming transfers, including graduate transfer Davis

Sims.

Sims spent two seasons at Murray State and slashed .333/.403/.552 with 150 hits in 451 at-bats while also earning Second Team All-OVC honors in his redshirt sophomore year.

“I love it here,” Sims said. “It’s been a big adjustment. It’s a little bit bigger than Murray, but I think I’ve been able to adjust pretty well to it. I love it here.”

Sims will get to play against his former team this season on Feb. 26 when the Racers visit WKU. WKU lost nine pitchers from its ro-

tation in the offseason but gained 11 new ones, including nine transfers.

Redshirt senior Reece Calvert will be able to play this season after transferring from Ohio State and sitting out last season because of NCAA transfer rules. He went 2-1 in 2017 and recorded 25 strikeouts in 39 innings.

“I like the options we have—that’s the exciting thing,” Pawlowski said of his rotation. “You know, our pitching staff might look a little different.”

Last year, the Hilltoppers ended the season with a 21-31 overall record, 1118 in Conference USA, and finished 10th in the conference standings after climbing as high as fourth. They ended the season losing 14 of their last 20 games and failing to make the conference tournament.

WKU will open the season with eight of its first nine games at Nick Denes Field before heading to Florida at the beginning of March. The first series against NKU is this Friday through Sunday.

NKU finished last season with a record of 14-39 and a 9-21 record in its conference, which qualified for last in the Horizon League. Game time for the first game on Friday is set for 3 p.m.

Sports reporter Kaden Gaylord can be reached at 270-745-6291 and kaden. gaylord559@topper.wku.eduFollow him on Twitter at @_KLG3.

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TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2019 WESTERN KENTUCKY UNIVERSITY

SPORTS

B6

CHRIS KOHLEY • HERALD

WKU forward Raneem Elgedawy (15) puts up a shot against North Texas on Saturday. Elgedawy scored a team-high 14 points and seven rebounds in the 76-67 loss to the Mean Green at Diddle Arena.

TIME TO GET RIGHT

Lady Toppers seeking toughness during key C-USA stretch

BY DRAKE KIZER HERALD.SPORTS@WKU.EDU

The WKU women’s basketball team headed into its final two-game homestand of Conference USA action last week looking for a pair of solid performances.

Sitting at 998 all-time wins, WKU seemed poised to become the 10th program in Division I history to reach the 1,000-win mark with home victories over formidable foes Rice (20-3, 11-0 C-USA) and North Texas (12-11, 5-6 C-USA).

QUIT STAHL-ING

Lady Toppers’ struggles come from within

Instead, WKU (14-11, 8-3 C-USA) raised eyebrows by dropping two straight conference games inside Diddle Arena for the first time since the 2012-13 season.

“We don’t rebound, we don’t box out, we don’t defend,” head coach Greg Collins said. “We still have a greater sense of pride in our ability to shoot the ball than we do getting stops … We were trying to do things on defense to hide the fact that we don’t want to guard in the post, that we don’t want to box out, and so, those are things that we have to become committed to, or we’re going to be a very average ball club.”

The Lady Toppers struggled to get

much going against Rice and North Texas thanks to massive deficits on the glass and two straight out-of-character performances from redshirt junior forward Dee Givens.

The Owls out-rebounded the Lady Toppers 40-23 on Thursday, dominating the glass in an easygoing 22-point road win.

The Mean Green rattled off a 16-0 run in the fourth quarter on Saturday, while WKU came up short inside and was out-rebounded 37-24 in a ninepoint home loss.

“It’s not a secret,” Collins said. “I mean, if you look at the statistics, you know that when you play Western Ken-

SEE QUIT STAHL-ING • PAGE B4

SEE LADY TOPPERS • PAGE B4

Hilltoppers keep winning minus Stansbury

BY ALEC JESSIE HERALD.SPORTS@WKU.EDU

JOSEPH BARKOFF • HERALD

The WKU men’s basketball team finds itself rising atop the conference leaderboard heading into the final week of the scheduled portion of Conference USA play.

Even with head coach Rick Stansbury out due to a back issue, the Hilltoppers scraped out two road wins last week against Rice and North Texas.

WKU has begun to find its groove at the right time, winning seven of the last eight games.

Freshman center Charles Bassey said he liked how the team responded whenever it learned of Stansbury’s absence from the sidelines.

“We responded good,” Bassey said after Saturday’s win at North Texas.

“It’s been tough, especially at the beginning when we lost the string of games in a row, but we’re doing good right now. We just got to believe in ourselves. That’s it.”

As a result, the Hilltoppers have jumped all the way up to third in the conference standings at 8-4, tying with North Texas.

The ascension into the top five seemed unlikely three weeks ago.

The Hilltoppers were in the midst of a three-game losing streak in which they had at least a 15-point lead in each of the defeats.

After a third consecutive loss to Florida International, Stansbury admitted his team was not prepared to put teams away.

WKU freshman guard Dalano Banton goes up for a basket during WKU’s 72-66 win over Florida Atlantic in Diddle Arena Saturday Jan. 19.

SEE HILLTOPPERS • PAGE B4

BY MATT STAHL HERALD.SPORTS@WKU.EDU

Despite holding an 8-3 Conference USA record and boasting some of the best players in the conference, the Lady Toppers have a serious problem: they can’t defend, and they can’t rebound.

Coach Greg Collins’ squad just suffered through its worst homestand in recent memory, dropping a tough one to C-USA leader Rice and falling in an ugly game to North Texas. Especially in the second game, the defense looked atrocious, particularly when it allowed the Mean Green to go on a 16-0 run to take the lead at the beginning of the fourth quarter.

“It wasn’t the fourth quarter,” Collins said after the game. “It was the beginning of the game, and it’s been the last, really, it’s been the last 20 games. We don’t rebound, we don’t box out, we don’t defend.”

Collins is absolutely right about his team: in both games, the opposition was able to get whatever shots it wanted, and with many of the Lady Toppers’

tucky, crash the boards, attack the basket, you can score, and you can rebound. We’ve tried to make sure we get stronger in that area instead of weaker, but we’ve not made a personal commitment.”

According to Her Hoop Stats, the Lady Toppers rank 351st out of 351 teams in opponent field goal percentage (47.3 percent) and 350th out of 351 teams in defensive rebounds per game (20.0) against Division I opponents this season.

Junior guard Whitney Creech, who posted a pair of solid performances for