January 22, 2019

PHOTO • PAGE A6

LIFE • PAGE B1

Check out the Heralds coverage of MLK day

How a local recording studio found success in Bowling Green

TUESDAY, JANUARY 22, 2019

WESTERN KENTUCKY UNIVERSITY

VOLUME 95, ISSUE 01

JOSEPH BARKOFF • HERALD

WKU announced Minton Hall would remain closed during the Spring 2019 semester due to necessary work to prevent mold. Residents were initially relocated in November due to mold outbreaks.

THE BIGGER ISSUE

Mold crisis leads to change in maintenance procedures

BY REBEKAH ALVEY & EMILY DELETTER HERALD.NEWS@WKU.EDU

D

ue to outbreaks of mold across campus and the closing of Minton Hall for an additional semester, the process of responding to maintenance requests will now go through the Department of Facilities Management rather than Housing and Residence Life.

In a meeting with the Herald editorial board last week, President Timothy Caboni said this was one of the major changes to prevent further large-scale outbreaks of mold. He explained he wants the same quality of upkeep and maintenance for the residence halls as all other buildings on campus.

“That is the bigger issue we are attacking head-on,” Caboni said.

Caboni said the change was implemented at the end of the Fall 2018 semester. Previously, students could place maintenance requests online or with their resident assistant. These requests were initially done through a paper system, but HRL recently switched to digital reports which could be viewed through the InSite database.

In a Herald investigation in November 2018 found that over 500 maintenance requests regarding mold were discovered on the database. Reports were found in every dorm on campus. More than 8 percent of requests analyzed were marked as “completed” or “closed” on Sept. 13, 2018. Some of the requests dated back to 2017.

In November, 348 Minton Hall resi-

dents were relocated to various dorms across campus. Originally, the plan was to have those students back in the hall

”There are improvements that can be made with mass communication and letting us prepare better.”

WKU Freshman KERBY HILSTRAP for the spring semester. Two days before residence halls reopened to students,

the university announced Minton Hall would remain closed until the Fall 2019 semester.

The announcement on Jan. 16 upset several students living in the dorms who expected to return after first moving out in the final weeks of the Fall 2018 semester. Caboni said the university first learned of an issue in Minton on Jan. 15 and decided to close the hall for another semester the next day.

Bowling Green freshman and former Minton resident Kerby Gilstrap said the announcement was poorly timed.

“I had taken the time off Tuesday to pack everything from my old room in Rodes, and to hear that I wasn’t going back to Minton was really disappointing,” Gilstrap said

SEE MINTON • PAGE A2

Government shutdown impacts WKU students

BY REBEKAH ALVEY & ABBIGAIL NUTTER HERALD.NEWS@WKU.EDU

WKU graduate student Jenna Hammond spends part of her time as a student interning at Mammoth Cave through the Cumberland Piedmont Network. On the job, she observes and monitors wildlife and assists the park with whatever it needs. During January, Hammond said she helps look through smaller, private caves and has

a short window to count bat populations to observe the impacts of white nose syndrome, a disease which has impacted millions of the bat population.

On Dec. 20, Hammond was warned by her boss to take home anything she may need immediately and hasn’t been able to return to work since because of the national government shutdown and the consequential shutdown of Mammoth Cave.

“I’m not allowed to do my job,” Hammond said. “It’s a terrible situation.”

Hammond, among other students, is

HERALD STAFF

Restriction tape dissects walking paths at Mammoth Cave National Park on Oct. 8, 2013. National Parks closed due to the federal government’s shutdown, which began on Dec. 22, 2018.

feeling the effects of the government shutdown in the form of missing federal grants, the inability to complete time-sensitive research and missing paychecks from internships or federal jobs.

President Donald Trump warned in early December he would shut down the government over funding for the border wall if a resolution was not made soon. On Dec. 21, about one quarter of the federal government officially shut down.

SEE SHUTDOWN • PAGE A2

A2 NEWS MINTON

CONTINUED FROM FRONT Gilstrap said she was disappointed by the lack of communication between WKU and Minton residents.

“There are improvements that can be made with mass communication and letting us prepare better,” she said. “It’s been a very stressful experience for all of us in the honors college, having Minton taken away twice with little time to prepare.”

While the university thought Minton was on track to be reopened on time, Caboni said mold measurements cannot be taken until after the removal process.

Once it realized the hall needed additional work, it decided it would be best to

SHUTDOWN

CONTINUED FROM FRONT hundreds of thousands of federal employees have been unable to work and have gone without pay. The shutdown only impacts federal employees and programs rather than state institutions. But the effects are trickling down to universities.

A federal grant helps Hammond pay for her graduate assistantship with the Cumberland Piedmont Network. She said this grant helps pay tuition for graduate school, and she said her paycheck from her internship helps cover rent and grocery bills. Due to the shutdown, which is now the longest-lasting shutdown in American history, Hammond said she’s missed a paycheck and is unsure how she’s going to pay rent.

“It’s impacting my overall ability to be a student,” Hammond said.

Additionally, Hammond said there has been confusion and uncertainty because no one knows how long the shut-

”These effects are more isolated but can cause major problems for those impacted.”

Department Head of Political Science SCOTT LASLEY down will last. She said she wasn’t sure if she needed to pay her tuition herself or wait for the shutdown to end and use her grant but is feeling the pressure to avoid having a late payment. She said she’s received little guidance from WKU but doesn’t blame the university since it is an uncertain situation.

“It’s a major issue,” Hammond said.

“No one seems to know what to do about it.”

Even if the shutdown is resolved soon, it may have long-term impacts for upper-level or graduate students. While Hammond, who is in her last semester of her master’s degree, said her research is not being impacted, she knows of other students who may graduate later than planned because they cannot work on their research.

Jason Polk, a WKU geoscience professor, said many students conduct research at Mammoth Cave. Due to the shutdown, they cannot access their sites to perform research which is time sensitive in some cases. If the shutdown persists, he said some students will miss the opportunity to gather specific research which could delay their graduation.

In some cases, Polk said students may

TUESDAY, JANUARY 22, 2019 WESTERN KENTUCKY UNIVERSITY remain closed to prevent another move during the semester.

“You can’t just say you’re a student-centered university,” Caboni said.

“You have to walk the walk, not just talk the talk, and what’s most important is that the decision we made is in the best interest of the health and welfare of our students.”

Due to the opening of Hilltopper Hall and persistence rates from first to second semester, Caboni said there was some automatic flexibility which allowed the university to close Minton for another semester without having issues finding places to put students.

“Sometimes doing the right thing is really hard,” Caboni said.

To help former Minton residents, Caboni said the university has discussed pursue a completely different topic if they cannot access the parks. Hammond also explained some students need funding to travel for their research which is not accessible during the shutdown.

Across different entities, Polk said the shutdown has made an impact on classes, field trips and activities. He explained students working in the USDA labs have not been able to go in, and they could have time-sensitive samples waiting for them to process.

Polk said students who work with Mammoth Cave or other federal entities are essentially federal workers and are impacted the same. He said missing paychecks can be detrimental for students because of the costs associated with college.

If the shutdown persists, Polk said WKU is looking at what can be done to help students. He said the two main solutions could be finding ways to supplement funding for students such as Hammond who are missing paychecks and developing “plan B’s” for student research projects.

After speaking with colleagues at other universities, Polk said the issues WKU students are having are happening elsewhere. He said in the science community, the shutdown is starting to trickle down and cause more of a concern.

Due to the shutdown, the National Parks Service is losing about $400,000 per day and has furloughed over 16,000 employees.

Some national parks have remained accessible to visitors, while some have been closed completely, according to a statement released on its official website. Because of the closings, most parks have no NPS-provided visitor services such as trash collection, road maintenance, restrooms or facilities, according to the statement.

The lack of services has resulted in overflowing trash on national park grounds across the US, according to Business Insider. The parks are also facing limitations on emergency services.

Mammoth Cave is not immune to these worrying developments, according to a Facebook post shared the day the shutdown began.

“During the federal government shutdown, we will not monitor or update social media,” the post stated. “Some Mammoth Cave National Park areas are accessible; however, access may change without notice, and there are no NPS-provided services.”

The park remains open to visitors, who are warned of the limitation of emergency services via a recorded phone message in addition to its post on Facebook from December.

Currently, Friends of Mammoth Cave, a non profit organization dedicated to Mammoth Cave National Park, have been rallying volunteers to help greet

”You have to walk the walk, not just talk the talk, and what’s most important is that the decision we made is in the best interest of the health and welfare of our students.”

WKU President TIMOTHY CABONI implementing free laundry throughout the semester. Conversations about giving additional credit to Minton residents are ongoing. When students were initial-

HERALD STAFF

The visitor center at Mammoth Cave National Park remains closed due to the federal government’s shutdown. Park paths, parking lots and the cave entrance remain blocked off to visitors.

Park rangers continued to patrol the area for trespassers and strictly enforced the park closure.

visitors in lieu of the government shutdown and absence of visitor services at the park.

This is not the first time in recent history Mammoth Cave has closed due to a government shutdown. In 2013, the federal government entered a 16-day shutdown when Congress failed to agree on a budget for the following fiscal year.

A 2013 Herald article showed how the previous shutdown affected the WKU Police Department updating its website with crime statistics. It also affected students and faculty working and researching at Mammoth Cave.

Scott Lasley, the WKU department of

ly moved from Minton in the fall, they were given $1,000 in credits for spring semester housing.

No matter where the student was relocated, Bob Skipper, director of media relations, said students would pay the discounted Minton rate of $1,245.

Caboni assured everyone was working tirelessly to open Minton for students, and the university spared no cost.

News Editor Rebekah Alvey can be reached at 270-745-6011 and rebekah. alvey660@topper.wku.edu. Follow Rebekah Alvey on Twitter at @bekah_alvey

Assistant News Editor Emily DeLetter can be reached at 270-745-6011 or emily. deletter304@topper.wku.edu. Follow her on Twitter at @emilydeletter.

Political Science, said the current shutdown has impacted Kentucky in a number of ways, including farm service centers, small business loans and Federal Housing Administration.

“These effects are more isolated but can cause major problems for those impacted,” Lasley said.

Lasley said that while the shutdown’s effect has been negative to Kentucky’s national parks, the 2018-2019 government shutdown has additionally had a negative impact on other institutions in the state such as WKU and its student body. While he said the federal government is working to address problems coming from the shutdown, the financial aid process has become complicated.

For students, Lasley said it is important to remain informed on the situation as the effects of the shutdown filter through the economy. He said the issues leading up to the shutdown are not going to be resolved overnight and will continue to be part of the policy discussion.

News Editor Rebekah Alvey can be reached at 270-745-6011 and rebekah. alvey660@topper.wku.edu. Follow Rebekah Alvey on Twitter at @bekah_alvey

Abbigail Nutter can be reached at 270745-6011 and abbigail.nutter168@topper.wku.edu.

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TUESDAY, JANUARY 22, 2019 WESTERN KENTUCKY UNIVERSITY

NEWS A3

VeoRide bikes find a home on WKU’s campus

pus.

The 175 bikes came in boxes and HERALD.NEWS@WKU.EDU were constructed in the Preston Center in December then were sent out around campus from there.

VeoRide bikes are officially availWheeler said the original bike modable on WKU’s campus and can be el the university tested only had three accessed through the company’s app. speeds, but he decided it wouldn’t The bikes, which arrived on campus a suffice going up the Hill. week before the end of the Fall 2018 “I’m glad we went with the sevsemester, are similar to Bird scooters en-speed model,� Wheeler said. and other ride sharing programs, alTanner Whatley, a sophomore from low students to pick up and drop off Crestwood, said he apprecithe bikes at any location. The ates WKU’s effort of trying bikes can be rented for 50 something new on campus, cents per 15 minutes, $17 per but he initially had problems month or $70 per year. with the lock on a bike.

A survey taken last fall Whatley said the lock showed significant interest wouldn’t lock, and it charged for a bikeshare program on his account for the entire campus. Before the bikes arnight, and he had to bring Brad rived, a committee consisting Wheeler the bike up to his dorm room of students, faculty and staff so it would stop tracking and determined where to place Assistant vice charging him. He was also “geofences� for the bikes, ac- president concerned that someone else cording to Brad Wheeler, the of business would use the bike and acciassistant vice president of services dentally charge his account. business services for WKU. “Luckily I was able to get Wheeler said he thinks the into contact with them, and bikes are doing well on campus since I got a refund for the over-charge,� their recent arrival. He claimed they Whatley said. “They were a little conare “moving across campus,� as he fusing with how to deal with the probhas noticed just from in front of his lem, but it was all handled with. All in office that students have been utiliz- all the bikes are nice and cheap, good ing them. to get around campus, fast without Wheeler said students have quick- having to wait for a bus but are a hasly gravitated toward the bikes and sle to deal with when broken.� amassed about 100 rides per day in Wheeler said WKU will have more the first few days they were on cam- statistics concerning the bikes in the

BY NATASHA BREU

BRITTANY MORRISON • HERALD

WKU brings VeoRide bikes to campus for students to rent and ride. The rates for the bikes vary, with options to rent them by the minute, month or year.

spring and will be able to track bike usage through heat maps by the end of February. “We want to just see everyone have a good time,� Wheeler said.

Amelia Kolb, a senior from Louisville, said she has used the bikes several times around campus. “I enjoyed using them, but I’m interested to see how many students on campus will actually utilize them,�

Kolb said.

Wheeler said he also wants to see how the bikes are used in the commu-

nity whether it’s downtown, around Mellow Mushroom or even on South Campus. He also stressed the importance of helmet safety when utilizing the bikes and hopes city-wide improvements can be made to make roads safer for students and pedestrians.

News reporter Natasha Breu can be reached at 270-745-6011 and natasha.breu597@topper.wku.edu. Follow Natasha on Twitter @nnbreu.

Faculty continues administrative conversations

BY EMILY DELETTER HERALD.NEWS@WKU.EDU

Members of the WKU faculty and staff are continuing efforts to address the administration following events that took place during the Fall 2018 semester.

In December 2018, full-time, non-tenure eligible faculty were originally notified they would receive a letter notifying them of termination or rehire. Provost Terry Ballman retracted the statement in an email to all faculty Dec. 5.

“We have to figure out as an institution how we take our scarce resources and deploy them where we’re going to be most successful as a university.�

WKU President TIMOTHY CABONI In the email, Ballman cited a decline in tuition dollars, scheduling methods and the Comprehensive Academic Program Evaluation as reasons why the university does not fully know WKU’s instructional needs and costs for the 2019-20 academic year and thus why the letters wouldn’t be sent on time.

She also apologized for the “unnec-

essary alarm, hurt, consternation and frustration� the original announcement had caused.

At a meeting with the Herald editorial board on Friday, President Timothy Caboni said the purpose of CAPE is not to reduce faculty but rather to take a closer look at what WKU is offering and the demand for programs. “We have to figure out as an institution how we take our scarce resources and deploy them where we’re going to be most successful as a university,� Caboni said. “Doing that requires difficult conversations.�

The Senate Executive Committee held an emergency meeting Dec. 6 to address WKU’s Academic Affairs Policy 1.2000 and to draft a resolution.

This policy requires that any full-time, non-tenure eligible faculty be notified

by WKU by Dec. 15 if they will not be rehired for the following academic year.

The resolution presented by the SEC at the December University Senate meeting read, “The proposal to both change and violate the spirit of an employment protection policy for faculty in the middle of the academic year was an egregious action by the university’s administration that has rightfully resulted in frustration and erosion of trust in the administration amongst all faculty. There is a need for a strong statement of support for non-tenure eligible faculty from the administration.�

The Senate passed the resolution.

Conversations concerning the faculty’s overall role and power making changes through administration are still a topic of conversation. A meeting was held Friday by two University Senate committees to discuss viable ways

to shift such power structures in the future.

Faculty Welfare Chair Lauren McClain and Academic Quality Chair Heather Strode led the meeting between the two committees. McClain said she and Strode decided to have the joint meeting after the emergency SEC meeting in December. “A lot of people expressed a lot of ideas, and we thought the best way going forward was to have our two com-

mittees work together on expectations for faculty administration communications,� McClain said.

The committees have planned more meetings during the semester to discuss further communications between the faculty and administration.

Assistant News Editor Emily DeLetter can be reached at 270-745-6011 or emily.deletter304@topper.wku.edu. Follow her on Twitter at @emilydeletter.

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OPINION

A4 EDITORIAL

TUESDAY, JANUARY 22, 2019 WESTERN KENTUCKY UNIVERSITY

MOLDY MISHAP

PHOTO BY JOSEPH BARKOFF EDIT BY SPENCER HARSH • HERALD

WKU fails to deliver on its promise, closes Minton until fall

BY EDITORIAL BOARD HERALD.OPINION@WKU.EDU

The Issue: After shutting down Minton Hall in November and forcing more than 300 students to move out mid semester in order to address mold issues, WKU said the honors residence hall would be ready to reopen for the spring 2019 semester. Last week, the university reversed course and announced Minton would remain closed until the fall.

Our Stance: WKU made the correct move in deciding to keep Minton Hall closed for the remainder of the spring semester in order to ensure the health and well-being of its students, but the lack of communication to Minton residents left room for improvement in handling the situation.

Imagine this: You’re more than halfway through your first semester in college, and just when you’re starting to get totally adjusted and comfortable to living away from home for the first time, you suddenly have to do it again. Your dorm is being closed so the university can remove excessive amounts of mold inside the building to make your new home habitable again.

To make matters worse, you have to move out over a weekend’s time and move into another dorm on campus.

You’re likely to be assigned a new roomWe were PROMISED REPEATEDLY by hrl staff that we would be back in Minton by spring 2019, and here we are less than 48 hours before students were supposed to start moving in. Thanks @ wku for the short notice. Outrageous.

ellie @elliephelps5

mate, one you’ve probably never met before. Oh, and that new dorm you’ve been assigned to? Somewhere, there is probably mold inside of it too.

To ease your mind, the university ensures you your now old room will be ready for you to move back into by the start of the spring semester. To ease your pocket, the university awards you a $1,000 credit toward your spring housing bill.

By the way, fall semester final exams are less than a month away when you first hear the news.

That’s a lot of shakeup in one month’s time for a college student, and the residents of Minton Hall lived through that chaos for the closing weeks of the fall semester. But the twists in the story don’t end there.

Now, the relocated Minton students will likely never step foot inside their once familiar, once cozy honors home on the Hill again after WKU announced less than a week before the start of the spring 2019 semester that Minton would remain closed until fall 2019.

A failed guarantee partially negates the goodwill of the university. WKU’s intentions are undoubtedly in the right place to ensure the health and safety of its students, but the communication process in this decision was hardly adequate.

On Monday, Jan. 14, volunteers were being rounded up to help move Minton

keegan @keegan_gray3

Wku: going through massive layoffs, tuition increase and widespread mold problems Also wku: nEW BiKEs

Lauren @lauren_millay

residents back in. Less than two days later, those plans were no longer necessary.

After the mold clean up was done, further tests revealed a living environment the university was not comfortable allowing its students to live in, so it opted to keep the dorm closed. This was the only correct move to make for WKU. However, six days before the start of the spring semester is not the first time the possibility of necessary additional remediation efforts should have been recognized, especially given the complexity and potential depth of a mold outbreak.

WKU’s lack of foresight and failure to deliver on its promise was unfair to Minton residents and discouraging for any potential future Hilltoppers.

President Timothy Caboni said Minton students will continue to pay a discounted $1,245 rate regardless of where they are living this semester. This is the least the university could do, and it is the only compensation the 348 relocated residents have received thus far.

Situations like these can either build or erode the trust between a university and its students. While the university should be applauded for making an unpopular yet proper decision, it missed an opportunity to be proactive and cater to its misplaced students. A productive move was announced in an extremely unproductive way, ensuring justified frustration from all involved.

No one procrastinates more than WKU dealing with mold

Shalyssa

@AlyssaMarieee98

Hey @uofl, let’s follow WKU’s example and close the dorms with mold in them until the problem is FIXED not just cover up.

WKU Herald

Were you surprised #WKU didn’t reopen Minton Hall in time for the spring semeser?

Very, they said it would be open

McCall @mccallponzer

wku keeps playing me with this minton stuff

CONTACT US

Stone Cole @colesweasy

What happened to Minton staff? Do they have jobs? Did WKU kill them off?

We may never know

DISCLOSURES

Not very, mold is tough to completely get rid of

Vote

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Arthurian Lore ©2019 PuzzleJunction.com

1. What is Arthur given as a wedding gift by Guinevere's father? (a) Scabbard (b) Round Table (c) Horse 2. Who is Arthur's biological father? (a) Duke of Cornwall (b) King Pellinore (c) Uther Pendragon 3. Who is the most noble of King Arthur's knights? (a) Galahad (b) Lancelot (c) Gawain 4. Who gave Arthur his sword? (a) The Lady of the Lake (b) Morgan LeFay (c) The Green Knight 5. Where is King Arthur buried? (a) Canterbury (b) London (c) Glastonbury 6. Who is King Arthur's best friend, and in lore is asked to throw Arthur's sword into the lake? (a) Sir Percival (b) Sir Bedivere (c) Sir Kay 7. What knight is infamous for his betrayal of King Arthur? (a) Mordred (b) Maleagant (c) Morien 8. Who retrieves the Holy Grail? (a) Sir Gareth (b) Sir Galahad (c) Sir Tristan 9. What was Guinevere's fate after the fall of Arthur? (a) Committed suicide (b) Married Lancelot (c) Spent remaining days in a convent 10. What magic power did Arthur's scabbard have? (a) Gave Arthur amazing strength (b) Protected him from injury (c) Changed Arthur's appearance 1.b 2.c 3.a 4.a 5.c

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Copyright ©2019 PuzzleJunction.com

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A6

PHOTO

TUESDAY, JANUARY 22, 2019 WESTERN KENTUCKY UNIVERSITY

JOSEPH BARKOFF • HERALD

Ryan Dearborne (second from left), chairperson of the MLK Planning Committee, helps make preparations before the 21st annual march commemorating Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. outside the Warren County Justice Center Monday in Bowling Green.

HAVING A DREAM Bowling Green celebrates the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr.

TYGER WILLIAMS • HERALD

People wait in line to be served breakfast at Parker-Bennett Elementary School for the MLK Memorial Breakfast for the Bowling Green community to come out and gather on Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Monday.

JOSEPH BARKOFF • HERALD

Mason Bailey drags Megan Bailey to State Street Baptist Church to escape the cold and celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day, after participating in the march.

JOSEPH BARKOFF • HERALD

Lydia Nathan, 15, from Bowling Green, helps commemorate Martin Luther King Jr’s. dream by marching from Warren County Justice Center to the State Street Baptist Church on Jan. 21 in Bowling Green. “This is my first year coming here,” Nathan said. “It’s really inspiring to be here.”

JOSEPH BARKOFF • HERALD

People gather at State Street Baptist Church to commemorate Martin Luther King Jr. Day Monday in Bowling Green.

B1

LIFE

TUESDAY, JANUARY 22, 2019 WESTERN KENTUCKY UNIVERSITY

10 tips for keeping your New Year’s resolutions

BY JULIE SISLER HERALD.FEATURES@WKU.EDU

Making and keeping New Year’s resolutions isn’t easy. Coming back to school isn’t easy. Making and keeping new school-year resolutions definitely isn’t easy. Though not easy, it can be possible if you follow a few simple tips.

LYDIA SCHWEICKART • HERALD

Ashley Reynolds is the executive director of Kids on the Block, a nonprofit that helps kids learn about important issues associated with childhood through puppets. Reynolds has worked at Kids on the Block for six years and explained that she believes they’re needed now more than ever. “It can save lives,” Reynolds said. Kids on the Block explores a variety of topics, including autism, abuse and bullying.

NO STRINGS Puppet nonprofit aims to help kids

BY KATELYN LATTURE HERALD.FEATURES@WKU.EDU An educational program on the move has been in Bowling Green for nearly 34 years.

South Central Kentucky Kids on the Block, Inc., is one troupe of an international puppetry organization with the purpose of educating elementary-age children about sensitive, personal and social issues affecting them.

“I really believe in our mission,” said Ashley Reynolds, an administrator for Kids on the Block. “We have 19 lessons, and all these lessons impact their lives.”

According to its website, the local troupe performs approximately 340 times each year in Warren County and surrounding counties. Kids on the Block hosted a summer camp in 2018 where children were able to try their hand at puppeteering.

Jennifer Lindsey has worked as a guidance counselor at Parker-Bennett-Curry Elementary School for 13 years. She started asking Kids on the Block to come in when she began her

time as counselor because she remembered their positive impact on her students when she was a kindergarten teacher.

“The kids love the puppets,” Lindsey said. “The content that they share is so relevant to their lives.”

Kids on the Block uses a puppetry style known as bunraku, a traditional Japanese form. Half-life-size dolls are manipulated by handlers dressed and hooded in black. This dress allows puppeteers to blend in with the black drape background rather than everyday clothing that might clash with and distract from the puppet and its story.

Twenty puppets are featured on Kids on the Block’s website. Each puppet has its picture posted along with its name and a description of its personality, likes, dislikes, abilities and disabilities. One of the organization’s original puppets, Mark Riley, is described as a boy who has cerebral palsy and loves to write for his school newspaper as well as study history and math.

The Kids on the Block’s program director, Amanda Guerra, also works as a puppeteer. One of her favorite pup-

pets is Renaldo Rodriguez, a boy who is blind and loves checkers and all sports.

Guerra has worked for Kids on the Block since graduating from WKU in December 2010. She said she believes the puppets are important because the

”The kids love puppets. The content that they share is so relevant to their lives.”

Guidance counselor JENNIFER LINDSEY children easily relate to them.

“I’m able to teach children in a unique way,” Guerra said.

The staff at Kids on the Block is not always able to see the fruits of its labor, Guerra said, since its programs are more about prevention.

As a guidance counselor, Lindsey SEE PUPPETS • PAGE B2

1. Start small. Instead of making it your goal to wake up and go to the gym every morning, commit to going to at least two group exercise classes like Zumba or yoga every week. It’s important to know your limits and to not try and make drastic changes too quickly.

2. Be specific. Outline your resolution and all it includes. If your resolution revolves around a fitness plan, be specific about what all you want to accomplish every week. Set mini goals within your larger goal. By giving yourself a clear idea of what your goals are, you’re more likely to know how to stick to and achieve them.

3. Change one behavior at a time.

Instead of making a variety of goals that require time and effort, focus on one at a time. Kick off the semester with focusing on your study skills and school-related goals in order to ensure you start the semester off right. Then, move to working on a goal that deals with physical and financial wellness.

Once you’ve accomplished this, prioritize what other goals you’d like to achieve. By taking things one goal at a time, you’re able to dedicate yourself more to it and see it through instead of getting overwhelmed by how many different things you want to accomplish.

4. Plan ahead of time. Make a game plan to help you accomplish and maintain your resolution. If your resolution is to apply for more scholarships for next year, plan ahead by researching scholarships and picking an application or two to complete each week. By planning ahead, you better set yourself up to follow through.

SEE NEW YEARS TIPS • PAGE B2

NF Records founder reflects on a lifelong passion

BY LAUREL DEPPEN HERALD.FEATURES@WKU.EDU Nameless Faceless Recording Studio, or NF Records, was named for the audio engineers and producers in the music industry that are often behind the spotlight—something that owner and head audio engineer Justin Eckerd prefers.

Though Eckerd grew up moving from city to city, he spent most of his formative years in Kentucky. After his basic training in the National Guard, he went to the University of Louisville but said it didn’t fit what he was looking for. He left to work in Fort Knox as a government contractor until one of his friends convinced him to go to WKU in 2008.

Eckerd attended WKU for about two years until he was deployed to Iraq, which he said “threw a wrench” into his college career.

“When you’re in a really tough position, it kind of makes you start to think about life, especially being in Iraq,” Eckerd said. “It made me start to think about where my direction in life was going.”

Eckerd said he returned to Bowling Green, his home for the past 11 years, with the “headstrong idea” of finishing college and pursuing music, which he always wanted to do.

Eckerd was 4 years old when his parents bought him Fisher-Price toy instruments, and he taught himself guitar during his childhood. He played in his church’s band and started asking questions about the production side of music. Eckerd said he fell in love with it.

Eckerd established the name NF

TYGER WILLIAMS • HERALD

Eckerd, owner of NF Records, opened his recording studio in 2016. Eckerd started off learning guitar when he was 4 years old and was inspired by the production side of music which led him to where he is now in Bowling Green.

Records in 2015 and began recording out of his house while he worked as a car salesman. He said he wasn’t driven enough to pursue music full-time until he ended his engagement.

Eckerd said he was supposed to get married in August 2016, but he opened NF Records’ commercial location instead.

“It put me in a really kind of lonely place, but at the same time I was happy because I was pursuing this full time,” Eckerd said. “So I took all of that negative energy—everything that was happening around me in my environment, all that hurt—I took it and channeled it into this.”

Over two years later, Eckerd runs NF

Records out of its downtown location full time. He said he wants it to become “bigger than life.” NF currently serves around 200 clients.

With his dog Blackwell by his side, Eckerd has recording sessions almost every day. He said he wants to make his clients feel at home and makes every interaction encouraging. Because of this, he has been called the “DJ Khaled of Bowling Green.” Eckerd said he drew inspiration from Khaled’s charisma and work ethic.

Eckerd said one of his recent clients was struggling with the impending death of his mother. The client and his half brother, who also lost his mother, worked with Eckerd to record a song

about their mothers. Eckerd said the atmosphere in the studio was heavy and set a kind of reverence.

“I was kind of in a way thankful that I was part of their lives in that moment,” Eckerd said. “It was very rewarding to be a part of that and give them a product that they can be absolutely proud of for ages. Something they can go back and listen to and reminisce on.”

Allen Witcher, who makes music under the name The Vinci, said he has known and worked with Eckerd since the studio opened. Eckerd said Witcher is very similar to him, and they quickly became friends.

Witcher said Eckerd does work in nearly all genres and can match each client’s vibe.

“He’s a musician that can fit anything an artist brings,” Witcher said.

Eckerd said he anticipates NF Records expanding to larger cities, but he wants Bowling Green to remain its home base as a way to give back to the people that gave to him.

“There’s been so many pioneers, so I won’t say I want to pioneer a change in Bowling Green,” Eckerd said. “I think I want to be the guy who steps up and takes control of the change.”

Eckerd said there have been Bowling Green musicians who found success in the industry and moved away without returning to help the music community.

“I want to expand the name for sure but always bring it back to Bowling Green,” Eckerd said.

Features editor Laurel Deppen can be reached at 270-745-6291 and laurel. deppen774@topper.wku.edu. Follow her on twitter at @laureldeppenwku.

B2 LIFE

TUESDAY, JANUARY 22, 2019 WESTERN KENTUCKY UNIVERSITY

‘Critter Classic’ held to help shelter pets find a home

BY KELLEY HOLLAND

HERALD.FEATURES@WKU.EDU

The Bowling Green/Warren County Humane Society held its annual “Critter Classic” event on Saturday in Diddle Arena. While WKU basketball went head-to-head with FAU, the Humane Society held on-site adoptions outside.

The event has been held for about eight years, giving fans the opportunity to find their new best friend at the game. The Humane Society brought four cats and six dogs to the event, hoping to find them forever homes with adoption fees being 50 percent off.

Donations from the organization’s wish list were also being accepted, and anyone who brought an item to donate to the Humane Society received a voucher for free Lady Topper Basketball tickets.

Shortly after the event began, the Humane Society had already received around $200 in donations. In an email, the shelter said two dogs were adopted during the game, and there were several inquiries about other animals.

“We are looking for a home for each and every one of these animals,” said Alicia Phillips, adoption counselor at

NEW YEARS TIPS

CONTINUED FROM PAGE B1 5. Seek out and accept help. If your resolution is to get a 4.0 GPA this semester, you’re likely going to need help. Don’t wait to find the appropriate academic resources, like tutoring and advising. The sooner you take advantage of the resources available to you, the more likely you are to have a strong beginning to your journey to achieving your goal.

6. Use your support systems. Let your friends, roommate, family and any oth-

PUPPETS

CONTINUED FROM PAGE B1 does sometimes get to see the results of the puppetry programs. She said children have disclosed issues such as child abuse after watching Kids on the Block.

Lindsey said she also learns a lot from the Kids on the Block performances.

While watching Kids on the Block with her students, she said she often thinks to herself, “Oh yeah, I need to remember that when I am teaching.”

Many of the children will recall something said by a Kids on the Block puppet even weeks after the performance, Lindsey said.

After each presentation, Kids on the Block has a time of reflection for the children. They are able to write letters and draw pictures, and some children have stayed after in order to ask more questions of the puppeteers.

One of Lindsey’s students stayed after a performance last year to ask more questions. She said many of the questions the student asked were sending up red flags, meaning the administration might need to investigate and intervene in the child’s situation.

the Humane Society. “Our biggest goal here today is not the donations but to give these animals homes.”

Phillips also said she wants the public to understand what the Humane Society does besides simply taking in animals. After taking in an animal, it gets vetting done, including a spay or neuter procedure.

“That’s the biggest part of what we

do,” Phillips said. “Without that spay and neuter, we’re gonna keep having animals in the shelter.”

The Humane Society is also pushing for laws to be passed in Kentucky which require all pets to be spayed or neutered. Many states have already implemented these mandatory spay and neuter laws to help with overpopulation of homeless animals.

Dena Wilson, a manager at the Humane Society, said she hoped the “Critter Classic” would bring more attention to the shelter and give the community an opportunity to learn more about it.

Along with the on-site adoptions, the Humane Society also offered a variety of pamphlets on dog and cat behavior such as housetraining and obedience training.

The shelter will also open up an educational building soon to give information to the public about what it does and why it is important. It will be holding a variety of events, including kitten yoga and game night.

“Everybody has a sad aura when it comes to shelters,” Phillips said.

“They would not be here if you spay and neuter your animals. It literally starts with you.”

The Humane Society will be holding another “Critter Classic” with on-site adoptions on Thursday at the Lady Topper Basketball game. Donations such as clay cat litter, clorox wipes and liquid detergent will result in a ticket voucher for free admission to the game.

JOSEPH BARKOFF • HERALD

Features reporter Kelley Holland can be reached at 270-745-6291 and kelley.holland872@topper.wku.edu.

Shelby Worthington, 25, a BG native and WKU alumna, holds a cat brought into Diddle Arena for a special half off adoption pre-game event on Saturday. “I come to all the games,” Worthington said.

“The cats are an added treat today.”

er appropriate party know you’re dedicated to this specific resolution. Tell your roommate you want to cut down on money spent eating out so they can help you stay on track and encourage you. Go to office hours to let your professors know you’re working toward an A in their class and establish a relationship with them so you will be more comfortable asking for help.

7. Track your progress. Making note of how you’re doing can go a long way in motivating and keeping yourself on track. If your resolution is to spend more time reading, keep track of the books you’ve read and even make a note of which ones were your favorite.

Reynolds said during the 2017-2018 school year, one of the students was able to disclose she had been abused by her mother’s boyfriend.

The young girl had been admitted to the emergency room for a medical issue. She leaned over and whispered to the nurse that her mother’s boyfriend had abused her, and a puppet had told her it was important to tell another adult, Reynolds said.

While not every disclosure or impact of the program is seen, lives are still being changed.

Both Reynolds and Guerra said they have had adults stop them to tell them of the times they remember watching Kids on the Block perform at their own elementary schools when they were children. The adults still remember the lessons and specific things they heard during the various Kids on the Block programs, Guerra said.

Even though the puppets cannot move their arms on their own, they have a long and lasting reach on the lives of children in the Bowling Green community.

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

This helps you maintain your resolution instead of having a one hit wonder for the year.

8. Remember it’s OK to mess up.

There will be obstacles in your way, and it’s all right to stumble on your journey. The important thing is to pick yourself back up and keep working toward your resolution. If you get a low grade on a test, don’t give up on your resolution. See if there’s anything you can do to raise your grade and then learn from the situation.

9. Keep constant reminders to help you maintain the progress you’ve made. If your resolution is to attain a

certain GPA this semester, don’t break good study habits next semester. Keep reminders to ensure you maintain the habits you use to reach your resolution this semester.

10. Celebrate your successes. Focusing on the positives of what you’ve accomplished can help motivate you with further resolutions and keeps up your own morale. Don’t be afraid to treat yourself or give yourself a day off.

You deserve it!

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.

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SPORTS B3

TUESDAY, JANUARY 22, 2019 WESTERN KENTUCKY UNIVERSITY

MEN’S BASKETBALL

CONTINUED FROM PAGE B4 Hilltoppers an 89-percent chance of winning. For a time, it seemed the ball would finally roll WKU’s way.

The Hilltoppers made their move at the end of the first half. WKU trailed 24-20 with under eight minutes to go in the half when the offense came alive. The Hilltoppers went on a 23-10 run that put them up nine at the break.

The collapse began with Anderson fouling a 3-point shooter, and it snowballed from there, as FIU rallied for a 77-76 win. WKU coughed the basketball up 11 times in the second half and

only had six assists and was outscored 33-16 over the final 11 minutes of action.

Stansbury continued to harp on the theme of his team’s inability to finish games after the loss.

“We’ve talked about this three times in a row,” Stansbury said. “We have to figure out ways to finish games. Winning and losing is a fine line. You have to understand, we you get up in the second half, you have to put your foot on someone’s throat.”

The Hilltoppers were finally able to shake off the horrid second-half performances this past Saturday. In a reversal of roles, WKU found itself down

26-14 to FAU. The Hilltoppers shook off the bad start and were able to tie the game at 40 while holding the Owls scoreless for about four minutes of game action to earn their second C-USA win, 72-66 WKU forced 10 turnovers and made its mark at the line, going 16-of-17 from the free-throw line in the second half.

As opposed to the previous three losses, Stansbury said he saw composure from his squad.

“I didn’t see any panic from our guys,” Stansbury said. “I liked the look in our guy’s eyes. I like the look of our team. Sometimes it takes some hard

lessons to learn from.”

Despite being just a few plays away from a 5-0 start in C-USA, the Hilltoppers find themselves 2-3 and trying to claw back up the standings. At the time of publication, the Hilltoppers had yet to play their Monday night game against Marshall. Stansbury will hope to use the tough losses as teaching moments for his young team with the next opportunity taking place Thursday at Southern Mississippi.

Men’s basketball reporter Alec Jessie can be reached at 270-745-6291 and alec.jessie226@topper.wku.edu. Follow Alec on Twitter at @Alec_Jessie.

Elgedawy, Lady Toppers surge to 5-0 C-USA start

BY DRAKE KIZER HERALD.SPORTS@WKU.EDU

The WKU women’s basketball team headed into its first road trip of Conference USA play on quite a tear, as the program had just rattled off four straight wins at home.

An excursion to Florida did not slow down the Lady Toppers (11-8, 5-0 C-USA) one bit, as the program continued blasting opponents during its games in the Sunshine State.

Now winners of six straight, WKU is undefeated so far in C-USA play and seems poised to make another deep run in the C-USA Tournament at the conclusion of the season.

“This team can score, that’s not the problem,” head coach Greg Collins said. “The problem’s making sure that we lock down on the defensive end and guard players and make them earn baskets … I think an area that we’ve really got to get better at, and I talked to the players about this, is making sure we’re better at guarding the post.

And that doesn’t fall solely on Raneem or Arame or Jae’Lisa’s shoulders, it’s team defense.”

Though Collins referenced not relying solely on any player, including sophomore forward Raneem Elgedawy, the reigning C-USA Freshman of the Year took it upon herself to take an assertive role in the Lady Toppers’ last two outings.

Though she was far away from her native Alexandria, Egypt, Elgedawy made herself at home on the road and returned to form for the Lady Toppers in wins over Florida International (316, 0-6 C-USA) and Florida Atlantic (316, 0-6 C-USA).

”The problem’s making sure that we lock down on the defensive end and guard players and make them earn baskets.”

Head Coach GREG COLLINS

During the Lady Toppers’ two-game Florida swing, Elgedawy averaged a double-double, as the sophomore tallied 26.5 points and 12.5 rebounds per contest.

Elgedawy also became the first WKU post player with two consecutive 25-point games since Chastity Gooch accomplished the feat in January 2014.

Elgedawy was not herself in WKU’s

QUIT STAHL-ING

CONTINUED FROM PAGE B4 of conference play. When one member of the team has an off night, the rest of them find a way to step up and crush whatever opponent is unlucky enough to be in their way.

A big difference between the two was the weight of preseason expectations. Stansbury’s group was anchored by his long-awaited five-star recruit Charles Bassey, and Taveion Hollingsworth was ready to come back even better than he was in his fantastic freshman season, with the rest of the team looking ready to build off of last year’s NIT run.

On the other side of the coin, the Lady Toppers were coming off of consecutive C-USA championships, but a lot of things had changed. Former head coach Michelle Clark-Heard jumped ship to take a job at Cincinna-

last game before departing for Florida.

Elgedawy posted nine points and four rebounds against Marshall (108, 4-1 C-USA) on Jan. 12, but she also committed a team-high four turnovers in only 20 minutes of action.

Redshirt junior forward Dee Givens spoke about Elgedawy at practice on Jan. 15.

“Raneem, she’s quiet,” Givens said.

“So, she really doesn’t say much. But when she’s out there, she knows what she’s doing. And sometimes, some days, she might feel down, or she might be lacking in confidence, so I just try to help her build her confidence back up and, you know, just try to do what I can.”

Givens’ words of encouragement must have gotten through to her teammate, as Elgedawy started to get back on track against FIU in Miami on Thursday.

The Lady Toppers sank 10 3-pointers for a third consecutive game thanks to seven made 3-pointers from Givens alone. Givens finished with a career-high 31 points against the Panthers, while Elgedawy scored a career-high 28 points and grabbed a team-high nine rebounds in an easy 94-82 road victory for WKU. Elgedawy and Givens combined to score 59 of WKU’s 94 points against FIU, the most points any two Lady Toppers have combined for in a single game since Nov. 22, 2005. On that date, Crystal Kelly dropped 38 points against Charlotte. Current WKU assistant coach Tiffany Porter-Talbert added 21, bringing the duo’s collective point total to 59.

During the second quarter against FIU, Elgedawy capped a performance for the record books by pulling up from distance and netting the first 3-pointer of her young career.

Elgedawy’s good fortune continued against FAU in Boca Raton, Florida, on Saturday.

Although the Lady Toppers lost their streak of 10 made 3-pointers against the Owls, WKU made up for that deficiency by holding FAU to 30 percent shooting from the floor and 16 percent from deep. Elgedawy notched a teamhigh 25 points, 16 rebounds, five steals and two blocked shots in an 81-50 blowout win for the Lady Toppers.

“On the offensive end, she’s really working hard at making sure she’s getting closer to the basket on post-ups,” Collins said. “That’s a lot harder to double-team, that’s a lot harder to stop, and so she’s getting deeper in the lane, close to the rim, and that gives her a higher-percentage chance of making those shots and finishing around the basket.”

Elgedawy achieved her third double-double of the season after only the first two quarters, lighting up FAU for 15 points and 11 rebounds in 20 minutes of game time.

“The other thing she’s really focused

ti, and the team had lost key members to graduation in Tashia and Ivy Brown.

Nobody would have been surprised if new head coach Greg Collins and the Lady Toppers had gone through a rebuilding year. So far they haven’t, despite a shaky start in non-conference play, one that can be explained away by the fact they were matching up against some of the blue bloods of women’s basketball such as reigning National Champion Notre Dame.

Since C-USA play started, the Lady Toppers are 5-0 compared to the men’s 2-3 record. One of the biggest differences between the two is the way they finish games, something that has perplexed Stansbury, especially recently, with his team blowing several huge leads, including a 21-0 lead at Old Dominion.

“You’ve gotta understand,” Stansbury said. “When you get up in the second half, you gotta put a foot on somebody’s throat.”

JOSEPH BARKOFF • HERALD

Raneem Elgedawy drives to the net while being fouled by Southern Illinois University’s defense in Diddle Arena on Nov. 20.

on, even more importantly than [offense], is rebounding,” Collins said.

“She was really upset that she didn’t get that one extra rebound to get the double-double at FIU. And so, she was upset so much that she had a double-double at halftime today … I was really proud of her effort on the boards.”

Through five conference games, Elgedawy is the only player who ranks in the top five in both scoring and rebounding in C-USA. Elgedawy is averaging 19.8 points and 8.6 rebounds per contest, good for third and fifth in the league, respectively.

WKU will look to extend its winning streak during a two-game home stretch this week.

The Lady Toppers will tip off their homestand with a contest against Southern Mississippi (9-10, 1-5 C-USA) on Thursday. WKU leads the all-time series 5-3, including victories over the Lady Eagles in the championship round of the C-USA Tournament in 2015 and 2017. WKU and Southern Miss split two games a year ago with each team winning at home.

Two days later, WKU will welcome Louisiana Tech (10-9, 2-4 C-USA) to

Bowling Green on Saturday. Although the Lady Toppers have won six straight over the Lady Techsters, LA Tech still leads the all-time series 26-19. Senior guard Kierra Anthony is the leading scorer in C-USA through six games, averaging 20.2 points per contest for LA Tech.

Dating back to Feb. 25, 2016, the Lady Toppers have won 22 consecutive C-USA games in Diddle Arena.

WKU will have a chance to extend its program record for consecutive home conference victories to 24 straight after another slate of league foes.

“We’ll get up and down the floor with them and see what happens,” Collins said. “I really want to make sure we get our kids back and get healthy, get rested, get back in the gym, clean up the little bit of things we’ve got to do and try to keep rolling.”

WKU will seek a 6-0 start in C-USA play Thursday at 6 p.m. in Diddle Arena.

The women’s team does just that.

While the men’s team has a tendency to hit once and then lose focus, the women knock their opponent out and keep punching until the final buzzer sounds.

“We were pretty solid with our focus,” Collins said after the 30-point victory over Marshall. “What we were doing defensively and for the most part offensively, they brought a real mature approach.”

The players get it. After the loss to FIU, redshirt junior wing Jared Savage made it abundantly clear he knows the underlying issue behind the skid.

“We just lost our focus,” Savage said. “I mean, we’ve done that for three games now. We’ve gotta be better than that. We didn’t finish.”

Hollingsworth had the same line of thinking after the Marshall loss, one that the Hilltoppers let slip away after being up 11 points at the halftime break.

“We kind of relaxed a little bit,” Hollingsworth said. “It really got them going.”

There’s no reason to believe they won’t pull out of this current slump.

They’re entering an easier portion of conference play, and the team is simply too talented to not figure this out.

It finally played well enough in the second half on Saturday to get a win against Florida Atlantic, not the best team in C-USA for sure, but still a positive sign, even if it’s hard to trust that it will carry over due to the inconsistencies. Meanwhile, at FAU, the women’s team won 81-50.

WKU fans will hope the men’s team can continue to look across the gym to find some of the consistency and competitive fire it’s missing.

Women’s basketball reporter Drake Kizer can be reached at 270-7452653 and clinton.kizer287@topper. wku.edu. Follow Drake on Twitter at @ drakekizer_.

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

TUESDAY, JANUARY 22, 2019 WESTERN KENTUCKY UNIVERSITY

SPORTS

B4

JOSEPH BARKOFF • HERALD

WKU head coach Rick Stansbury adds some direction for his players in the final minutes against Florida Atlantic University in Diddle Arena Jan. 19. Stansbury and WKU snapped a three-game losing streak coming back against FAU for 72-66 final.

HARD LESSONS

Hilltoppers hope to learn from blown leads

BY ALEC JESSIE HERALD.SPORTS@WKU.EDU

With five Conference USA games in the books, a troubling trend has emerged for the Hilltoppers: second-half implosions. Before Saturday’s victory over Florida Atlantic, WKU had blown leads of 15 points or more in three consecutive games.

The first collapse occurred against Old Dominion. The Monarchs came into the game with an upset win over 25th-ranked Syracuse at the Carrier Dome but dropped their first conference game at home to Marshall. The Hilltoppers got off to a dream start, finding themselves up 21 with 13:07 left in the first half. But ODU, led by senior guards B.J. Stith and Ahmad Caver, closed the gap to seven by the end of the first half.

QUIT STAHL-ING

Men’s team can learn from Lady Toppers

BY MATT STAHL HERALD.SPORTS@WKU.EDU

Remember when the Hilltopper men’s basketball squad was going to cruise through Conference USA like a hot knife through butter on its way to being a bracket-busting Cinderella story?

Hasn’t happened.

Isn’t going to happen.

It’s not that the Hilltoppers are a bad team, and it’s certainly not for a lack of talent, as head coach Rick Stansbury’s squad has talent coming out its ears.

It’s all about the group’s inconsistency.

“We have to figure ways to finish games,” Stansbury said after a recent loss to Florida International. “Winning and losing’s a fine line.”

The Hilltoppers will have to learn how to finish games somewhere. Fortunately for them, a positive role model isn’t far away.

On the other side of WKU’s reversible basketball schedule, the Lady Toppers have played like an absolute force to be reckoned with since the beginning SEE QUIT STAHL-ING • PAGE B3

ODU finally drew even with the Hilltoppers after a Stith dunk at the 11-minute mark. The Monarchs got their first lead of the game with nine minutes to go and never looked back, winning 69-66. The Hilltoppers’ 13 turnovers and 14 offensive rebounds allowed the comeback. The Monarch bench outscored WKU’s 24-2, as well.

“Even when we got up, we knew they were going to come back.”

Sophomore guard JOSH ANDERSON After the loss, head coach Rick Stansbury emphasized that his team cannot get comfortable while leading.

“You go up by 20, we can’t relax,”

Stansbury said. “Twenty points mean very little in today’s basketball.”

Sophomore guard Josh Anderson attributed the comeback to a lack of focus on the defensive end.

“Even when we got up, we knew they were going to come back,” Anderson said. “So, we had to tighten up on defense, and I feel like we did a poor job on that.”

A Jan. 12 trip to Marshall offered WKU a chance to get back on track, but more of the same occurred. WKU went on a 21-8 run and at one point led by 15, and the Hilltoppers maintained an 11-point lead heading into intermission.

WKU was unable to continue its solid play in the second half. The Hilltoppers scored an abysmal 27 second-half points on just 40-percent shooting from the floor. Marshall squeaked out a 70-69 win.

Stansbury reiterated that his team

must play with energy and effort the entire game.

“We’ve got to find ways to be able to do some things we do for 40 minutes,” Stansbury said. “Can’t do it for 30 minutes on the road against good teams. Can’t do it for 35 minutes. Got to be able to do it for 40 minutes on the road, and that’s where we haven’t been as good as we need to be to beat a really good team like Marshall.”

Sophomore guard Taveion Hollingsworth admitted the team did more relaxing with the big lead in the second half.

“It was us,” Hollingsworth said. “Give them credit, they were tough in the second half. But we relaxed a little bit, and it really got them going.”

In the next game, WKU squared off with Florida International, a matchup in which ESPN’s BPI metric gave the MEN’S BASKETBALL • PAGE B3

Helton already inspiring confidence

BY MATT STAHL HERALD.SPORTS@WKU.EDU

New WKU football head coach Tyson Helton has stirred up excitement over his planned return to a Jeff Brohm-esque brand of football since he was hired to replace Mike Sanford. Helton held a team meeting on Sunday, which proved to be no exception.

Helton, formerly the offensive coordinator at Tennessee, also served as WKU’s offensive coordinator under Brohm. He spoke of how excited he was to see the team and start preparing it for the upcoming challenges.

“The meeting went great,” Helton said. “Guys were really excited, really happy to be back, ready to work. Had a great look in their eye, so we’ll see about a month from now if we’ve still got that same look.”

Helton also spoke of how his job has changed since early signing day.

“It’s slowed down a little bit,” Helton said. “Not a lot. I think the early signing day helps a lot, so you can take a little bit of a deep breath, and then you come back after the holidays, and you get going on the recruiting trail again, and you really get to identify some needs.”

Helton said he didn’t have a set number of players he wanted to sign and that he was moving forward to getting the players who are already on

the team ready to go for the season.

Helton signed 17 players to his first signing class during the early signing period.

“I just like our team right now. I really do. Have that same feeling when I first came back here in 2014,” Helton said. “Hopefully we can keep developing and make something happen.”

JOSEPH BARKOFF • HERALD

WKU’s new head coach Tyson Helton speaks during his first press conference as the new head coach of the Hilltoppers at the Harbaugh Club in Houchens-Smith Stadium Nov. 27.

Helton also spoke about WKU’s spring football game, which he announced at Friday’s basketball game will take place on April 13.

“The plan is always to try to make it an experience for the fans,” Helton said. “But you gotta get through spring, you gotta see how healthy you are at the end of spring. But if we can do a real spring game-like atmosphere, I think it’s good for the fans.

It’s good for the team.”

Wide receiver Lucky Jackson shared his excitement about getting to play in Helton’s offensive system, which Helton says will return the team to the days of airing it out offensively with a dynamic passing attack.

“It’s a receiver’s dream when you hear things like that,” Jackson said.

“Just because there’s plays out there for you to make. No other place a receiver would rather be.”

Jackson also spoke about some of his goals for the remainder of the offseason and for spring practice.

“Just getting faster,” Jackson said.

“Stronger, learning the game mentally. Kind of correcting some of the mistakes that I had throughout the season last year.”

Defensive lineman Juwuan Jones also spoke on Sunday and discussed his surprise about being named a Football Writers Association of America Freshman All-American after last season.

“I guess I did enough to become freshman All-American,” Jones said.

“Thank god every day for that.”

The Hilltoppers, who finished last season 3-9, will start the 2019 season with a home game against Central Arkansas on Aug. 31 at Houchens-Smith Stadium.

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