2-9-21 by College Heights Herald

Volume 96, Issue 17

COLLEGE HEIGHTS

HERALD

STORY ON PAGE 3

Week of Feb. 9, 2021

‘I want to spend those in a different way:’ What Cheryl Stevens looks forward to in retirement

PHOTO BY JACK DOBBS

2 NEWS

Week of Feb. 9, 2021

Student teaching transforms to allow virtual instruction By Ellie Tolbert

Along with countless other experiences interrupted by the pandemic, student teaching had to make a quick shift to remain an educational experience. Student teaching for college students majoring in some form of educational studies is meant to give them practical experience working in the classroom with children every day. This semester, however, student teachers may not be in the classroom as much as in years past. Not all student teachers experience the same thing because it is up to the school boards to decide if they meet in person or online. Many work on hybrid schedules, meaning some days they are in the classroom and other days

they are teaching virtually. Lilly Golden, a senior from Henry County, is majoring in English for secondary teachers and minoring in teaching English as a second language. She is currently a student teacher at the GEO International High School, the only international school in Kentucky. Golden said student teaching so far has met her expectations because she figured things would be different due to the pandemic. She sees her students every other day. They can’t force their students to attend online classes because they do not all have the best WiFi. On in-person days, the students get the work they do on the non-traditional instruction days. On the NTI days, Golden stays avail-

able to meet with the students virtually if they need any assistance. She said there are several differences between teaching online and in person, not all of them positive. “I don’t like teaching online,” Golden said. “I always make a slide presentation, I fill out the lesson plan, and I record myself going through it. I always mess up and then redo it 100 times. If I’m in front of kids, I just feel like it’s more natural.” Golden also prefers in-person instruction because there is accountability with her students. She can make sure they are doing their work and understanding the material. Golden did say, however, that she thinks the experience will be beneficial in the long run.

“I know how to use technology, I know how to explain things to people who are out, I know how to be flexible when everything gets thrown at me,” Golden said. “I think that’s really the benefit of it.” Student teachers shadow a mentor teacher at their assigned school and are paired with a supervisor to oversee and evaluate their work. Jan Casada is a supervisor for several students at WKU. For a student teacher to become certified, they have to be observed by their supervisor four times and complete 70 instructional days. Casada said these observations will all be virtual, so she has to really pay attention and recognize she isn’t seeing the full picture.

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NEWS 3

Week of Feb. 9, 2021

Provost reflects on time at WKU, as an educator as she prepares for retirement By Debra Murray

While she was dean, Cheryl Stevens would bring her rescue dog, a labradoodle named Ruthie, to work with her. When she became provost, she was worried it would look bad for her to bring her dog to work, but students continued to come back to see Ruthie. “She had been the shelter dog, and probably four or five years ago she came to Bowling Green to live with me,” she said. “I started taking her to Ogden College with me in the mornings just half a day, so she got used to coming into work with me.” Stevens is currently acting provost and vice president of Academic Affairs. She recently announced that she will be retiring from her position at WKU at the end of this year. She isn’t entirely sure of her retirement plans, but she hopes to continue working in her garden, visit her family and give back to the community in some way. She still plans to consult people and maintain her professional connections. Stevens has been working at WKU since 2012 when she became the dean of Ogden College of Science and Engineering. She was named provost and vice president of Academic Affairs in 2019 after Terry Ballman announced that she was stepping down from her position. Prior to starting at WKU, Stevens served as chair of the department of chemistry and associate dean for research at Xavier University in Louisiana. She served as chair for seven years. “During that whole seven years it was the post-Katrina rebuild, which was really hard work but rewarding,” Stevens said. Her enjoyment of chemistry helped influence her to apply for the dean of Ogden College.

“I liked academic administration, so I felt like I wanted to do a dean job, and WKU had advertised their dean position,” Stevens said. “I was just so excited to come to WKU, it's a very different kind of institution but culturally it's very similar.” Stevens has also made a group of friends during her time at WKU, despite not knowing anyone prior to working here. “When I first came here, I actually walked on this campus and didn't know another person, not one other person,” Stevens said. “Over a couple of years, there was a group of women that sort of coalesced into a friend group. And I will keep in touch with them forever.” One of her friends is Betsy Shoenfelt, a professor in the psychological sciences department. They met when Stevens became dean of Ogden College. Shoenfelt said they are in the same book club, Girls Under the Influence of Literary Discussion, and are also both members of the President’s Club of South Central Kentucky. “We have had a lot of good times,” Shoenfelt said. “Perhaps my favorite memory is when Cheryl and her husband, Ed, came to visit at my second home in North Carolina. My house is in the mountains where there are hiking trails with lots of creeks.” Shoenfelt said it was raining most of their trip but that they decided to go out anyways. “We decided to take a walk in the pouring rain,” she said. “We put on raincoats and ball caps and had a really good walk and talk – and the nature was beautiful.” Shoenfelt said she and Stevens love music, and prior to COVID-19 would spend time going to local concerts or seeing Orchestra Kentucky. “Dr. Stevens has shown strong, thoughtful and effective leadership to

move WKU successfully through each of these challenges,” Shoenfelt said. “When one makes a decision to retire, they have to think in terms of what is best for them at that point in their life. WKU would be fortunate to have Dr. Stevens for a longer time, but this is the right time for her.” Stevens said the WKU community and Bowling Green in general have always been supportive. “I feel grateful for having the opportunity to come here,” Stevens said. “I really have enjoyed my time here. It's an amazing institution, it's big and unwieldy, but it always focuses on the student.” Stevens plans to stay in Bowling Green during her retirement because of the life she has built here over the past nine years. Her children each live in different parts of the country so she is planning to visit them. “My oldest son and his longtime girlfriend live in southern California near the coast,” Stevens said. “They are engineers working in the oil industry. My middle son is a geologist, he’s married with almost two children. They live in New Orleans. Then my youngest is in graduate school at Washington University in St. Louis in engineering. We’re a STEM family.” Helen Sterk is another friend Stevens made while working at WKU. Sterk is head of the communication department, and she met Stevens eight years ago at a gender and women’s studies program held at the faculty house. “We have a personal relationship that is founded on walking together every morning at 6 a.m.,” Sterk said. “We do that Monday through Friday. We've been doing that for at least eight years now. We have these great early morning conversations as we watch the sun come up.” Sterk said Stevens had a clear professional relationship, while also

maintaining a close personal friendship outside of work. “She is a woman with clear and appropriate academic principles,” Sterk said. “I mean when she makes a decision you know why, she is consistent and smart. As a person, people should know she is an avid gardener. She loves gardening. She's really transformed the yard of the house where she and her husband lived.” Stevens will continue working on her passion for gardening once she is retired. She started gardening in the “deep south” of Louisiana, and when she moved to Bowling Green she remained faithful to her passion, even in the crazy Kentucky weather. She has been transforming the garden in her yard with the help of Ruthie, and she learned how to tackle gardening throughout the winter. Gardening is one of many hobbies that Stevens plans to dedicate more time to once she is retired. Stevens also said that she enjoys hiking and reading historical fiction, and she plans to continue doing all of those activities once she is retired. “I used to say I was a good deep south gardener,” Stevens said. “When I moved to Bowling Green, it's a little different because of the winter. We didn't have that long growing season, but I've learned a lot about gardening.” While Stevens’ plans for retirement are not completely planned out, she has a lot of plans for how she is wanting to spend her time. “There are fewer days ahead of me than behind,” Stevens said. “I want to spend those in a different way. I want to go do a ton of different things, and I think that’s okay.” Debra Murray can be reached at debra.murray940@topper.wku.edu. Follow her on Twitter @debramurrayy

4 COMMUNITY

Week of Feb. 9, 2021

Up for debate: Potter College name change By Loren Gaskin

Print edition published weekly by WKU Student Publications at Western Kentucky University. First copy: free | Additional copies: $1

EDITORIAL BOARD

Laurel Deppen Editor-in-chief Ellie Tolbert Managing editor Nick Fuller Digital director Lily Burris Assignment editor Michael J. Collins Digital news editor Nick Kieser Sports editor

Loren Gaskin Community editor Gabi Broekema Sam Mallon Multimedia editors Zachery McClain Social media manager Megan Fisher Design editor Hannah Crisp Copy desk chief

OTHER LEADERS AND ADVISERS Robin Robinson Distribution manager Brian Kehne Advertising manager Emma Spainhoward Cherry Creative director

Carrie Pratt Herald adviser Will Hoagland Advertising adviser Chuck Clark Student Publications director

POLICIES

Opinions expressed in the College Heights Herald are those of student editors and journalists and do not necessarily represent the views of WKU. Student editors determine all news and editorial content, and reserve the right to edit or reject submissions.

REPORT AN ERROR: herald.editor@wku.edu 270-745-5044 NEWSROOM: herald.news@wku.edu 270-745-2653 or 270-745-5044 ADVERTISING: herald.advertising@wku.edu 270-745-6285 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: herald.opinion@wku.edu ON CAMPUS: Adams-Whitaker Student Publications Center, 1660 Normal St. ONLINE: WKUHerald.com NEWSLETTER: WKUHerald.com/newsletter SOCIAL MEDIA: • Twitter: @wkuherald, @wkuheraldsports • Facebook, Instagram: WKUHerald • YouTube: wkuheraldvideo • Tiktok: wkuherald

The Issue: WKU’s Task Force for Naming and Symbols has been considering changing the name of Potter College of Arts and Letters, which is named after the slaveowning Pleasant J. Potter. Additionally, Ogden College of Science and Engineering and Vanmeter Hall are under consideration to have their names changed. The Stance: The name change is backed by two of Potter’s descendants (according to the Bowling Green Daily News) but has been met with backlash by some alumni. Particularly from an alumnus who wrote into The Herald. WKU has been contemplating changing the name of Potter College since last summer. This consideration is due to the namesake of Potter College being Pleasant J. Potter, a slave owner who donated money for the establishment of a school for women in the 1880’s. Although the debate began in the middle of 2020, it recently regained attention as varying parties have offered their differing opinions. Most recently, the Herald received a letter from an alumnus who has presented their concerns

with the idea of changing Potter College’s name. The alumnus had this to say about the name change: “Most of us learned in our schooling up on the Hill that we cannot judge those who came before us by the standard we live by today. However, both of those people made efforts to make education more available to the general public in their endowments to the university. It is a fair bet they would smile at the fruit of their effort, and then weep at the nonsense of cancel culture today.” This alumnus did not claim to speak for all alumni on the issue but did include that there are others who feel this way. Though most importantly, the alumnus was most worried about "if the university is going to blatantly fall prey to this and play into the whole cancel culture narrative, I will certainly stand up and say there is a fair bet that many students are going to be beyond angry at this and demand a refund of their tuition, certainly count me in that number.” Currently, the Herald has not received any differing opinions on the issue. However, the Bowling Green Daily News reported that descendants of Potter, Gill and Dou-

glass Woods Potter, have supported the name change. We invite you to submit your thoughts through Twitter, Facebook or by emailing herald.editor@wku. edu. Despite the backlash from alumni such as this, many at WKU support the name change. The connection to slavery is nothing to celebrate and must be condemned. To some this may seem like an attempt to erase the rich history of the university. However, it is important to remember that as our society progresses, so must this wonderful institution. WKU was founded on the principle of providing those with lower economic status a higher education, a progressive idea that has provided so many the opportunity to further their education. Progress and change are what this institution stands for, and while difficult for some, it is often for the better. Changing the name of one of Western’s great colleges will allow for the university to progress and grow with the exciting future that is to come, acknowledging the accomplishments of those who have bettered our institution today.

Let us know your thoughts. @wkuherald on Twitter

FUN PAGE

WKU Herald 2/9/21 Trivia Puzzle

Herald 2/9/21 Crossword

Across

PuzzleJunction.com

States Trivia

1 Olympics city after St. Moritz 18 17 5 Golf hazard 22 20 21 9 Rocket section 14 Needy 26 27 25 15 Woman of distinction 30 31 16 ___ green 38 17 Hamburg’s river 35 36 37 18 Commendation 41 40 19 Permeate 20 Mechanical man 43 44 45 22 Schools of 49 50 48 thought 24 Taps 51 52 25 Unspecified To solve the Sudoku puzzle, each row, column and number 59 60 61 62 56 57 58 box must contain the numbers 1 to 9. 26 ___ Christian To solve the Sudoku puzzle, each row, column and 65 66 67 63 64 box must contain the numbers 1 to 9. Andersen 28 Harvest goddess 68 69 70 5 7 6 30 Like some vases 8 3 6 31 Tire filler 72 73 71 1 32 Apply gently 2 8 Copyright ©2021 PuzzleJunction.com 35 Beach shelter 9 1 4 8 5 38 Comrade in arms 67 Lady of Lisbon 10 Some workers, 41 Our sun 39 Hotel freebie 68 “Saturday Night briefly 42 Rare find 8 1 7 2 40 Concluded Fever” music 11 Jessica of “Dark 44 Opposite of hence 41 Have dinner 69 Soup vegetable Angel” 45 City in Arizona 6 8 2 3 42 It’s half the faun 70 Kind of testimony 12 Oversupply 46 Author Levin 4 1 8 43 Meadow 71 Quench 13 Storm centers 47 Low in pitch 9 2 3 44 Out of control 72 Small whirlpool 21 Flimsy 50 Talented 7 4 6 1 1 5 9 2 46 Spain and 73 Vega’s 23 Gardener’s 51 Farm animals 1 5 9 3 Portugal constellation purchase 52 Animal with two 4 5 48 Biblical boat 27 Bibliographical feet 7 5 49 Salon goo Down suffix 53 “Old ___” Copyright ©2020 PuzzleJunction.com 9 6 3 50 Fat unit 29 Meddle 54 Of an arm bone Solution Copyright ©2021 PuzzleJunction.com 51 Nine-sound signal 1 La Scala offering 30 Calendar abbr. 55 African antelope G A B O P E N S L U M 52 Civil rights 2 Sage 31 Swiss peak 56 Spreads grass for B O N O C A P E E A Solution S Y concern 3 Vestibule 32 Last name in drying C R E W D I E T P R O X Y P U C E H A R S H H I F I 53 Starter’s need fashion 57 Seed cover 4 Black-and-white 6.b I R E K E N 1.a D O S E T E T L O I N O D D 2.c 7.a 56 Lacking slack 33 Super berry 58 Constellation bear treat S A W W O O L I B Y A R A G F I B E M U A C E 3.b 8.c 59 “___ I care!” 5 QBs’ goals 34 ___ carotene 60 Shopaholic’s R Y E A D D E R C O N 4.c 9.c R A MSudoku S O R E Solution E N D 61 Nonsensical 6 Evaluation 35 Bubbly drink delight B I B T A P F A D E 5.a 10.b B U D S E D E N O D I U M 63 Boo-boo 7 Accumulate 36 Allege as fact 62 Matinee hero B R A D S N A R E P A R R E S P N 65 Rental units 8 Short wave? 37 Schnozz 64 Seafood delicacy Last week's crossword solution: AL NE SI ST 1AS UT8 RY 9AX Sudoku 2W E4 T 3 7 Solution 5 6

1. What was the 16th state admitted to the union? (a) Tennessee (b) Arkansas (c) South Dakota 2. What state's official rock is the geode? 19 (a) Washington (b) Kansas (c) Iowa 3. What state's official insect in the ladybug? 23 24 (a) Montana (b) North Dakota (c) Oregon 4. Home on the Range is what state's official song? 28 29 (a) Wyoming (b) Nebraska (c) Kansas 5. The Virgin Valley Black Fire Opal is the official gem of what state? 32 33 34 (a) Nevada (b) New Mexico (c ) Utah 6. Yankee Doodle is the official song of what state? 39 (a) Maryland (b) Connecticut (c) Delaware 7. What state's official flower is the camellia? (a) Alabama (b) Mississippi (c) Florida 42 8. Tomato juice is what state's official beverage? (a) West Virginia (b) South Carolina (c) Ohio 46 47 9. What is the 46th state? WKU Herald 2/9/21 Sudoku 1(a) Arizona (b) Louisiana (c) Oklahoma Pu 10. What state's official sport is the rodeo? (a) Montana (b) South Dakota (c) Texas WKU Herald 9/8/20 Sudoku 1 PuzzleJ 53 54 55 1.a 2.c 3.b 4.c 5.a

6.b 7.a 8.c 9.c 10.b

Solution

1. What was the 16th state admitted to the union? (a) Tennessee (b) Arkansas (c) South Dakota 2. What state's official rock is the geode? (a) Washington (b) Kansas (c) Iowa 3. What state's official insect in the ladybug? (a) Montana (b) North Dakota (c) Oregon 4. Home on the Range is what state's official song? (a) Wyoming (b) Nebraska (c) Kansas 5. The Virgin Valley Black Fire Opal is the official gem of what state? (a) Nevada (b) New Mexico (c ) Utah 6. Yankee Doodle is the official song of what state? (a) Maryland (b) Connecticut (c) Delaware 7. What state's official flower is the camellia? (a) Alabama (b) Mississippi (c) Florida 8. Tomato juice is what state's official beverage? (a) West Virginia (b) South Carolina (c) Ohio 9. What is the 46th state? (a) Arizona (b) Louisiana (c) Oklahoma 10. What state's official sport is the rodeo? (a) Montana (b) South Dakota (c) Texas ©2021 PuzzleJunction.com

1 5 7 2 8 6 8 4 2 3 1 9 3 6 9 5 7 4 9 3 4 6 2 5 5 7 8 4 9 1 KU Herald 8 6 2 2/9/21 1 Trivia 7 3Puzzle 2 8 3 1 4 7 4 9 6 8 5 2 7 1 5 9 6 3

9 7 1 8 6 4 5 3 2

3 6 8 1 2 5 9 7 4

4 5 2 7 3 9 6 1 8States Trivia

PuzzleJunction.com

PHOTO

THE SIXTH ANNUAL PUPPY BOWL

Week of Feb. 9, 2021

The Paw-a-Day Inn, a dog daycare center in Bowling Green, held a Puppy Bowl on Friday in celebration of Super Bowl LV. Dogs of nearly every breed were at the center playing catch and getting fresh air in the afternoon sun. The center is operated by Debbie and Brittney Profgan, and has been open since 2015. Brittney Profgan said the Paw-a-Day Inn has held a Puppy Bowl annually since 2016. PHOTOS BY ZANE MEYER-THORNTON AND JACK DOBBS

Autumn Maness, a worker at the Paw-A-Day Inn, is licked by Paislee the dalmatian during the Puppy Bowl on Feb. 5. Around 60 dogs participated in the event.

Maple, a golden retriever, fights with Paislee, a dalmatian, during a Puppy Bowl at the Paw-A-Day Inn on Friday, Feb. 5.

Debbie Profgan, Brittney Profgan and Autumn Maness organize toys before the annual Puppy Bowl. Brittney said the center has held a Puppy Bowl every year since 2016.

Their uniforms may look similar but they're playing for different teams: two dalmatians, Paislee and Prim, fight over a football during the Puppy Bowl at the Paw-A-Day Inn on Friday, Feb. 5.

Dogs were dressed up in miniature jerseys to play around the field for the Puppy Bowl. “Any time there’s an event we try to make it a fun little party for the dogs,” Brittney Profgan, a manager of the Paw-a-Day Inn, said.

8 NEWS

Portrait of Lilly Golden

Week of Feb. 9, 2021

KEILEN FRAIZER

“I have to realize that there’s going to be situations that are completely out of the student teacher’s hands,” Casada said. “For example, let’s say that they're working with virtual students and there’s noise in the background from a younger sibling or parent. I have to just take my mind off of that.” Casada said she tries to focus on the things the student teachers can actually improve, like questioning and discussion techniques, because NTI instruc-

tion makes certain aspects of student teaching like classroom management less important. This was something she had to learn when schools first went online. “It was one of those experiences that no one could have even predicted could happen,” Casada said. “I really did feel sorry for student teachers during that time because their mentor teachers never experienced this.” Katie Jo Serrano, an 8th grade math teacher at Bowling Green Junior High, was a student teacher last spring when schools went online. She said no one knew what was going to happen after they heard the news. “I saw the kids on March 12,” Serrano said. “We were like ‘see you Monday,’ and then we got the call we were never going to see them in class again.” After March 13, she would mainly assist the teacher from home by communicating with parents about how to moderate their children’s learning. She said the experience made her realize what is really important. “It made you rethink what you

thought about education,” Serrano said. “And it made you reflect on what’s important, why am I teaching, and what does it mean to go to school.” Stephanie Martin, director of professional educator services at WKU, said the Educational Professional Standards Board, which makes the qualifications for educators, has made changes to their regulations to adapt to student teaching during the pandemic. While the EPSB used to require supervisors to observe student teachers in person, that is no longer necessary. They have also become more lenient about the 70 instructional days because of hybrid schedules and the chance of student teachers getting COVID-19. If student teachers contract the virus, they are allowed to work from home. If they are too sick to work, they have to make up the days at the end of the semester, Martin said. One of the biggest changes from the EPSB is that student teachers are allowed to apply for substitute teaching positions that count towards their 70 instructional days. Before, student

teachers could not be paid to teach. Because most substitute teachers are older and retired, many have decided not to work for fear of being exposed to the virus, causing a shortage of substitute teachers. “[Student teaching] is like a full-time job and they never get paid,” Martin said. “This is kind of nice that they can make money.” Martin said that in the long run, this experience will greatly benefit the student teachers. “I think school is forever going to change,” Martin said. “I could see being virtual and having that skill set is going to be helpful to our student teachers.” Managing Editor Ellie Tolbert can be reached at eleanor.tolbert618@topper.wku.edu. Follow her on Twitter @ eleanortolbert4.

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P E AC E C O R P S .G OV/ WO R K

NEWS 9

Week of Feb. 9, 2021

Local doctor finds life-long passion in race-walking By Sean Snyder

To anyone but Doug Johnson, racewalking may be considered an uncommon sport, but to the local doctor it’s become an unlikely career that’s taken him all the way to the Olympic trials. “Race walking dates from the 17th and 18th centuries. The first competitors were the footmen who would run and/or walk by the side of their masters’ coaches,” according to the official World Athletics’ website. “The aristocracy of the day began to stake wagers as to which of their footmen would win a race – some of which lasted for six days – and the sport became an increasingly popular professional activity during the 19th century, when it was known as 'pedestrianism” Doug Johnson began his race walking career at the age of 34 in 1994 when he entered the Bluegrass games with very little training. He earned a gold medal on his first race as a self-taught race walker. The Morganfield, Kentucky native says he’s able to train for the sport almost every day with six days of the week being spent race-walking throughout his neighborhood as well as lifting weights. “Race walking is a relatively small community so you are able to get to

know many different Olympians,” Johnson said. “I started going to seminars, books and training videos with many different professionals.” In high school, Johnson began his athletic career as a track and field runner. After completing his bachelors at medical school, the aspiring doctor began his medical career early in the U.S. Navy where the medical officer was able to have his schooling paid for as he earned a doctorate in medicine. An eight-time master champ, Johnson has managed the Melrose trials at Madison Square Garden where his wife was able to support him. He and his wife have now been married for nearly 39 years and have four kids together. Johnson credits this as his favorite race walk he’s been in. Johnson even went as far to compete in the Olympic Trials of January 2020 following 25 years of attempts. Johnson ended up finishing 10th out of 15 starters. To qualify, one needs a 50 km finish of four hours and 45 minutes. “It was an honor to be competing against top level athletes across the world,” Johnson said. “A fun fact is that I’m the second-oldest person to ever compete in a race walking Olympic event.”

Race walking has managed to become a family sport as well with all four of Johnson’s kids catching the race-walking bug. “All four of my kids are race walkers with all of them becoming national race-walking champions,” Johnson said. “They played at the college level to start with my daughter, Amanda Prince, was a four time all-America at Lindsey Wilson College.” The now 59-year-old is typically able to compete in 11-12 race walking events a year. Due to the global pandemic his race-walking career has unfortunately been slowed down. Johnson would typically travel for a weekend alone in order to compete. “I do long race walking both in my neighborhood and on the treadmill,” Johnson said. “Sometimes my kids will join me if my son or daughter are home. The problem is that my son’s a lot faster than me so it doesn’t do him any good.” Although race walking is big for his family, Johnson also spends his free time hiking and running. He is currently planning to climbMount Kilimanjaro with his son in the near future. This plan is currently on hold due to COVID-19, but he plans on a 2022 climb. “If I can I’d like to continue my career towards the Olympic trials

once again,” said Johnson. “If not I’ll keep at it as long as I can.” Sean Snyder can be reached at sean.snyder887@topper.wku.edu. Follow him on Twitter @seanwsnyder

ALLIE HENDRICKS Dr. Doug Johnson has been race walking for about twenty years and has traveled around the country for meets to compete. He is now hoping to qualify for the Olympics.

Spring 2021 Tuition and Fee Payment Reminder Due date for Payment of Tuition and Fees for the Spring 2021 semester is:

February 16, 2021

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10 SPORTS

Week of Feb. 9, 2021

Lady Toppers travel to face top conference foe Rice

By Drew Toennies

The Lady Toppers (7-9), (5-5, CUSA) split their fifth Conference USA series 1-1 against the Florida Atlantic Lady Owls (4-8), (2-6, C-USA) over the weekend. The Lady Toppers ran away with the victory on Friday with a 71-64 final score but fell just short in Saturday’s matchup losing 75-70. Friday’s matchup was a strong performance from the Lady Toppers. However, Saturday’s matchup was a rough night for WKU as they were outrebounded 50-37 and turned the ball over 19 times, which FAU took advantage of to put 24 points on the board. “There’s a bunch of things we need to improve on but number one is the most obvious one and that’s the rebounding difference,” head coach Greg Collins said. The Lady Toppers will be traveling to Houston, Texas, to take on the

Rice Lady Owls (10-1), (6-0, C-USA) in Tudor Fieldhouse for their next conference matchup. “Rice is a very efficient offensive team, they are the most efficient team in our conference,” Collins said. “So if we give them second chance opportunities, it won’t be an easy night, it will be a long night.” The Rice Lady Owls are the best team in the conference as they hold the best overall record and have swept all their opponents in conference play. Much of the Lady Owls’ offensive power comes from senior Nancy Mulkey, who is the eighth best scorer in the conference. The Cypress, Texas, native has scored 178 points this season and currently averages 16.2 points per game. Mulkey has put as many as 25 points up against conference opponent Old Dominion. Mulkey is also leading Rice’s all-time career field goal percentage with an impressive .540%.

As for the Lady Toppers, this past series saw a huge performance from redshirt sophomore Myriah Haywood who has scored 138 points and broke her career high with a 17 point performance in Friday night’s 71-64 victory over FAU. Rice will also need to watch out for WKU senior Raneem Elgedawy who has scored 172 points this season and regularly averages 21.5 points per game since her season debut on Jan. 14 at Marshall. Elgedawy had 27 points against FAU in Saturday’s 75-70 loss. The Lady Toppers will tip off their sixth C-USA matchup against the Rice Lady Owls on Friday at 2 p.m. and will conclude the series on Saturday with a 4 p.m. tip off. Women’s basketball beat reporter Drew Toennies can be reached at drew. toennies900@topper.wku.edu. Follow him on Twitter @drew_toennies.

JACK DOBBS WKU guard Myriah Haywood (0) is cheered on after a three-point shot in the Lady Toppers’ Feb. 6 game against Florida Atlantic University. At halftime, WKU was down 42-30 against FAU.

ALLIE HENDRICKS WKU guard Ally Collett (3) dribbles the ball across the court while FAU guard Are Beck (4) follows closely behind at the game at Diddle Arena on Feb. 5. WKU won 71-64.

ALLIE HENDRICKS WKU forward Fatou Pouye (12) attempts to score a basket at the game at Diddle Arena on Feb. 5. WKU won 71-64.

SPORTS 11

Week of Feb. 9, 2021

Lady Toppers to host Bellarmine for home opener By Sean Snyder

WKU Soccer (0-1) officially began its season over the weekend with a devastating blow from North Alabama (1-0) Saturday evening where the Lady Toppers found themselves as the Lions’ prey, losing 4-0. WKU’s lone goal came from freshman midfielder Brina Micheels on a corner kick following an out-of-bounds shot from North Alabama with the assist from fellow freshman defender Ellie Belcher. The Lions managed to narrowly outshoot the Lady Toppers, 8-7. Freshman midfielder Annah Hopkins had two shots in the match, putting one on the Lions goalkeeper. Senior defender Avery Jacobsen, freshman defender Taylor Swartz, junior forward Kerragan Mulzer, and Micheels each managed to record a shot in the match as well. The Lady Toppers maintained

consistent footwork on offense and defense. By the end of the match, the Lion’s played out the clock leading to the demise of the Lady Topper’s season opener. Although off to a rocky start, the team has no plans of slowing down with a Thursday game against Bellarmine (0-1) at home with a 5 p.m. kickoff. Bellarmine, who’s no stranger to a draw, is coming off a spectacular 2019 season where they managed to go 12-5-3 overall and 8-4-3 in their conference. This will not only be the first home game of the season for WKU but the first home game in 493 days following the cancelation of their 2020 spring season. The two teams sparred late last month as the unofficial opener to WKU’s season. The Lady Topper’s managed to prove defense can sometimes be the best offense with the match coming to a final draw 0-0 by the end.

SUMMER JOB OPPORTUNITY! Residential Counselor for Summer Programs for Gifted Students WKU’s The Center for Gifted Studies will employ 12-14 residential counselors for the Academically Talented Middle School Students (June 6 – 18) and the Summer Program for Verbally and Mathematically Precocious Youth (June 20 – July 10). Counselors will supervise the conduct and activities of 10-14 residential students, plan and implement recreational activities, and work under the direct supervision of Dr. Julia Roberts, Executive Director of The Center for Gifted Studies.

REQUIREMENTS • College degree or currently in second year of college • Strong academic performance • Strong moral character • Successful experiences working with young people and shared interests with young people

Salary of $400 per week plus room and meals!

HOW TO APPLY: Complete an application and upload a resume at wku.edu/gifted/counselor. For more information, contact (270) 745-6323 or gifted@wku.edu. Applications are due March 15, 2021.

This will be the second time in WKU’s history going up against Bellarmine and their first official match against each other with the previous being an exhibition game. The previous matchup was played in three 30-minute increments where the Lady Toppers outshot the Knights 6-4. Two shots came from freshman Brina Micheels with the final shot by senior Sophia Fondren rounding up the last 30 seconds. Bellarmine is coming off a Feb. 6 loss against Dayton University (1-0) where they lost 2-0. The game was deadlocked at 0-0 at halftime, but Dayton scored a pair of second-half goals against Bellarmine securing their first win. Bellarmine finished with a slight 1110 advantage in shots against Dayton. By the second half, the Knights were no match for Dayton with their season opener ending in a loss.

WKU will be back on the Hill for two more consecutive home games against Lipscomb (0-1) and Xavier (0-1). The Lady Topper’s highly anticipated home opener against Lipscomb will act as an official rematch following WKU’s 1-0 exhibition victory against the Bison on Feb. 2. Soccer beat reporter Sean Snyder can be reached at sean.snyder887@ topper.wku.edu. Follow him on Twitter @seanwsnyder

WKU ATHLETICS WKU junior (21) Chelsea Moore defending the ball against North Alabama freshman Alice Bussey on Feb. 6, 2021. The Lady Toppers fell 4-1 to the Lions in the 2021 season opener.

12 SPORTS

Week of Feb. 9, 2021

Softball returns to the Hill, with veteran leadership By Jake Moore

WKU softball’s schedule has been released ahead of the squad’s first game of the season Friday. The Lady Toppers had their 2020 season cut short by the pandemic after amassing an impressive 20-5 record.The team is heading into 2021 hoping to improve upon that mark. Softball head coach Amy Tudor said the team’s 46 game slate is “one of the toughest we’ve faced since 2015,” but feels like her squad is ready for a challenge. “I don’t think you get battle tested if you’re always playing someone you’re supposed to beat,” Tudor said. “I think that you need to challenge yourself, and as you go throughout the schedule you can see those challenges.” WKU will begin the season with a four-game stint in Statesboro, Georgia, against Georgia Southern and UNC Wilmington before heading to Chattanooga, Tennessee, for four more contests against the likes of Kennesaw State, Indiana State and Chattanooga. The latter two of those matchups are rematches, as WKU split its series with Indiana State last season and defeated Chattanooga by a score of 12-2. The Lady Toppers will return to Bowling Green for their first homestead of the year Feb. 27-28 for two games each against Indiana State and Bowling Green State (Ohio). The Lady Toppers defeated Bowling Green State last season 2-0. WKU will then travel to Starkville, Mississippi, to play Alcorn State, Ball State and host Mississippi State. This will be the first time the Lady Toppers have played Mississippi State since Feb. 11, 2017, when the Lady Toppers won 1-0. WKU will then journey to Louisville to play both Valparaiso and

their in-state rival the Louisville Cardinals. Louisville has historically gotten the best of WKU, leading the all-time series 18-3 and winning the last 10 contests between the two schools. The Lady Toppers will hope to break that streak on March 13. The Lady Toppers will then play two quick home games, the first against Lipscomb, a team that handed WKU one of its five losses last year. The second matchup is against Kentucky, a rival that WKU was scheduled to play last season but was unable to, due to the pandemic. WKU will then enter conference play facing a four-game series against Marshall, Middle Tennessee, Charlotte, FIU and Florida Atlantic respectively with one-off matchups against Eastern Kentucky, Belmont and Tennessee Tech sprinkled in to round off a tough schedule. WKU might have been picked to finish first in the Conference USA’s east division in the C-USA Preseason Coaches Poll, but the last thing Coach Tudor wants is for her squad

to get too comfortable. “Complacency is deadly,” Tudor warned. “There’s always somebody

better than you.” Jake Moore can be reached at charles.moore275@topper.wku.edu.

MEGAN FISHER Sophomore Princess Valencia (25), freshman TJ Webster (3), senior Morgan McElroy (23), and junior Maddie Bowlds (28) stand for the National Anthem before the start of the game against Ball State on Feb. 22, 2020 at the WKU Softball Complex in Bowling Green.

WKU Baseball released schedule Monday