3-30-21 by College Heights Herald

Volume 96, Issue 23

Week of March 30, 2021

COLLEGE HEIGHTS

HERALD

WOMEN WOMEN STORY ON PAGE 3

OF WESTERN

PHOTOS BY ALLIE HENDRICKS

2 NEWS

Week of March 30, 2021

WKU to release misconduct records: What's next By Laurel Deppen

WKU will release sexual misconduct records within the next 30 days that were the subject of a years-long lawsuit against the Herald. Following a Kentucky Supreme Court decision in a similar case involving the University of Kentucky and its student newspaper, the Kentucky Kernel, WKU decided to release the records. There wasn’t recent legal preceding in the Herald case which led to the move. Bob Skipper, director of media relations, said Andrea Anderson, general counsel, hoped the release of the records would bring the lawsuit “to resolution.” “That would end the need for the lawsuit,” Skipper said. Michael Abate, one of the attor-

neys representing the Herald, said the newspaper would have the right to contest any information the university would withhold even if the university’s release of the records could mean dropping the lawsuit. Skipper said WKU is waiting to see if UK will appeal the Court’s decision, but doesn’t believe that would affect the release of the information. The Herald requested sexual misconduct records in 2016 with student-identifying information redacted from every public university in the state. WKU refused, citing violation of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act. WKU and Kentucky State University were the only universities to not comply with the request. “This is what we said we would do all along now that we’ve got the

guidance from the court system,” Skipper said. “We can release the records without a concern that we would face any kind of blowback from the federal government through a FERPA violation.” Abate said his reaction to the records’ release was, “What took them so long?” “The federal law is very, very clear that even education records can be redacted to maintain the privacy of students,” Abate said. “The notion that [the Kentucky Supreme Court decision] somehow clarified law that was not clear is incredibly disingenuous on the university’s part.” Abate said it still remains to be seen what redactions the university will make in the release of the documents, but the Court made clear only small, student-identifying

information should be redacted. The initial request sought sexual misconduct records between 2011 and 2016. Since the announcement, the Herald has requested the same documents from 2016 to present. “I’m glad they’re [releasing the documents], but they shouldn’t have put us through four years of expensive and time consuming litigation when all they’re going to end up doing is what every other university did from the very beginning,” Abate said.

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

On March 31st from 11am - 2pm we will host the Market on the Avenue in front of PS2! Shop from local vendors and meet our team!

Week of March 30, 2021

3 female professors on what led them to WKU By Debra Murray

March is Women’s History Month, a time for female professors to reflect on the motivations and challenges that lead to their careers at WKU. According to the 2020 Factbook, 53% of all WKU employees are women — 681 of 1,052 WKU faculty. Laura McGee Laura McGee is a German language professor and serves as principal investigator of the Chinese Flagship program. She is highly proficient in German and understands Spanish and French. During high school, she studied French and Latin before becoming a foreign exchange student. “I wanted to see more of the world,” McGee said. “Instead of having 12th grade in my same high school, I applied to be a high school exchange student. I originally wanted to go to France, however, the organization that accepted me didn't have more host families in France available, and I ended up going to Germany for a year. I really set my mind to immersing myself in the language that I graduated with good skills in German and a real love of Germany.” McGee still keeps in touch with her host family from her year in Germany. She said she travels with her German host sister she met in college. “I have some contacts with members of that original host family I have seen in recent years,” McGee said. “In college, I did another exchange and did a whole junior year abroad in college. I had a wonderful host family again, and have contact with them even in recent years.” McGee graduated with a degree in German from a liberal arts college. After college, her first job was working at a newspaper.

“I was able to use my liberal arts background which means good at writing good persuasion, and just creativity and problemsolving,” McGee said. “All of those things [were used] to write a design resume, and the second-largest newspaper in Salt Lake City hired me because I could present myself well enough for what they wanted.” McGee served as principal investigator of the Chinese flagship program while she was head

“I have this ambition that I want to be a university professor someday.” -Nahid Gani of Modern Languages from 2009 to 2020. She said there are only a dozen or so flagship programs in the U.S., so this program makes WKU stand out. “During that time period, the Chinese flagship was moved into modern languages,” McGee said. “I became the principal investigator, which means you are the top individual who has responsibility for that grant. I help provide oversight and support through regular work with the faculty who run the flagship.” McGee said she has developed several lifelong friendships during her time traveling. “I have a really close relationship with my dad, and with my siblings, and with other members of my family,” McGee said. “I also just really value some of the friendships that I have, both here and abroad, and since I came to WKU in particular, I have been able to travel to

Germany almost every summer, and I have strong friendships there that have been important for me in my life over a very long period of time — I mean decades. So some of the people there are like family for me as well.” Nahid Gani Nahid Gani is an associate professor of geology. Gani said teaching was always a passion for her. “I actually had two types of passion when I was itching to become a medical doctor,” Gani said. “So that was one of the passions that I really wanted to do. And then to become a university teacher, so many family members are teacher educators.” Gani studied for her undergraduate degree in Bangladesh where she is originally from. To go to college in Bangladesh, a person has to take an admission test, where their score allows them to decide what subject to study. “We have to do a really extensive admission test to get into that any university in Bangladesh,” Gani said. “My choices were different because I wanted to study pharmacy, or microbiology, or biochemistry, and then I did not get it because my score was not that high. So then I actually got geology.” Gani moved to the U.S to pursue her doctorate in geology. “I have this ambition that I want to be a university professor someday,” Gani said. “So I had this ambition like I want to do a Ph.D. So we did not have a Ph.D. [program]. So that's the beginning like I was applying to different universities in the U.S. and in Canada. Then I got admitted to the University of Texas at Dallas. So I came to Texas first here, and I completed my Ph.D. in geology successfully within the year that was assigned to me.” Geology is a male-dominated

NEWS 3

field, which Gani said she can see as a woman who studied geology. “It was a lot of challenge to do the fieldwork, particularly if you don't have a female advisor,” Gani said. “You always have to have some sort of challenges.” Since geology is a field focused on going and obtaining research and spending time in the lab, women can be deterred from wanting to pursue it. “It is field-dominated, laboriented work,” Gani said. “I mean the most of the decision was made previously by the males that the women out in the field cannot do those hours [so] they can collect data. It can be a hassle. In my country, I have my masters and then one of the faculty members said, ‘No, you cannot do that fieldoriented research.’” When Gani first started at WKU, she had to learn how to balance taking care of her children and her career. “When you become a faculty member and then if you have kids, that's a different kind of challenge you have to face when I came here at WKU,” Gani said. “My husband was commuting, he was in New Orleans, and I was here with the kids. I was in a tenure track position, so it was challenging for me to actually do this.” Helen Sterk Helen Sterk is the head of the communication department and a professor. Sterk got her start teaching high school after graduating from college. “I taught from high school for three years, that was my first job out of college, and I enjoyed teaching,” Sterk said. “I enjoyed working with ideas with students. I didn't really enjoy all of the work that went along with teaching high school that included patrol and making STORY CONTINUES ON PAGE 8

4 COMMUNITY

Week of March 30, 2021

What will the world look like post-COVID? 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

Since the early excitement of an extended spring break a year ago, we have been wondering what life would be like in a post-COVID world. Now that there are multiple vaccines and widespread vaccination, we are closer to that reality than we have ever been. Though, what have the events of this virus done to our society? What has it changed, culturally or physically, about the ways we go about our daily lives? The U.S. has lost over 500,000 lives to COVID-19. These are unprecedented numbers which have not been seen in a century. These are lives and families that are changed forever because of these losses. This alone is enough to cause changes in society that could be hard to see for some, especially in the ways people think about the world around them. However, these are not the only differences we might see. One of the largest issues in the U.S. that has surrounded the efforts to contain the virus have been masks. The wearing of masks here has become a fervently divisive phenomenon socially and politically. It became an immensely important topic for the 2020 presidential race and an issue that has divided families themselves. Mask wearing may just now be common for the people in the U.S., but it is not uncommon elsewhere across the world. Many who live in China, Japan and Korea, to name a few, wear masks without the fear of COVID-19 behind it. Though the reasons for wearing them are quite different at times, the risks of no masks have stuck all the same in those societies. The question now is how will the

People walk into Target in Bowling Green. Target is among other stores BRITTANY FISHER across Bowling Green that have put up signs informing customers to wear face coverings.

mandate of masks affect the culture and daily lives of Americans in the future? This is a complicated question to answer. Opinions around masks can differ even between counties or cities, much less across the U.S. as a whole. For some people, masks have become synonymous with everyday activities. Myself, along with many others, have even gotten to the point where we sense something is missing when we watch a movie or show. Media like this sometimes hurts our suspension of disbelief because the protagonist or other characters do not wear that oh-so-common facial covering. Despite the importance of masks in slowing the spread of COVID-19, there are many who are skeptical and against the use of masks. This is one of the biggest reasons that masks will likely stay a divided issue for quite some time in the U.S. It is impossible to determine what the future of masking will become, but it is quite safe to say that this is not an issue that will resolve before we get COVID-19 under control.

As for the opinion of this editor, masks work. Scientific evidence shows that many of the face coverings we wear do, in fact, have a high success rate of stopping the spread. For more evidence, you can look at many other countries who were far stricter on quarantining and masks as comparison. Countries like New Zealand have recovered almost, if not fully, and now allow public gatherings without masks or fear. For this reason, we should continue the use of mask wearing and social distancing. I, like many of us, am tired of the limitations COVID-19 has brought, but it is more than worth it to save the lives of thousands. What are your thoughts on a future after COVID? What will the world look like after the pandemic? Submit your thoughts to the Herald! Community Page Editor Loren Gaskin can be reached at loren. gaskin722@topper.wku.edu.

FUN PAGE

WKU Herald 3/30/21 Trivia Puzzle

Trivia Variety

1. How many presidents have attended Harvard University? (a) 6 (b) 4 (c) 8 2. Where is Old Smoky? (a) Blue Ridge Mountains (b) Appalachian Mountains (c) Cumberland Mountains 3. How big was the first G.I. Joe action figure? (a) 8 inches (b) 12 inches (c) 10 inches 4. In a recent Gallup Poll what food did Americans hate the most? (a) Brussel Sprouts (b) Oysters (c) Liver 5. What was the first co-ed college in America? (a) Baylor University (b) Oberlin College (c) Westminster College 6. How many men took part in Doolittle's Raid on Tokyo in 1942? (a) 80 (b) 110 (c) 50 7. What president introduced the term "Silent Majority?" (a) Harry Truman (b) Franklin Roosevelt (c) Richard Nixon 8. How long is the Panama Canal? (a) 51 miles (b) 36 miles (c) 71 miles 9. How long was it before Custer's Last Stand was published in newspapers? (a) 6 days (b) 11 days (c) 18 days 10. What indian tribe was known to settlers as the "Cossacks of the Plains?" Puzz (a) Comanche (b) Blackfoot (c) Sioux

16 19 23

38 42

48 53

WKU Herald 3/30/21 Sudoku 1

50 51 WKU Herald 9/8/20 Sudoku 1

61 65

70 72

40 41 42 43 45

8 2

33 34 35 36

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

23 25 27 28 30 32

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

Staff Animal group Patches up Newspapers, e.g. Relative The Lord of the Rings figure Newcomer, briefly Wipe clean Ill-tempered Strong black coffees Boardroom bigwig Squid’s squirt Farm measure Honorarium Achieves

48 Fraternity letter 50 Stumble 51 Russian country houses 54 Table scraps 56 Lake Volta locale 57 Buenos ___ 59 Between ports 60 Bonanza brother 61 Exhort 62 Tidings 63 Pink Panther actor Herbert 64 White House nickname 66 ___ de vie

4 5 6 5 1 2 8 8 4 21

5 7 3 92

6 4 73 3 1 4 6 97 2 1 5 9 6 7 6 1 2

Last week's crossword solution:

8 2

3 5

P E T A

B I P E D

E D N E E L I S O A B P O E

O P C M A R A I S C O P A D R T V E A S M E N G E T R S E A T F I T E N L A W S F E T A S E U D L E R D L K A Y E D Y

B R A I L

S E L F T A P R Y R S E T R R I I A E T L E S

L E A K O R B I T A S E I V K I N E T T Y Y A H O L E W I S L O C G A T L L A E T I C U N I B E T

1.c 2.a 3.b 4.c 5.b

T R Y

PuzzleJunction.com

O A R P

O D E M

6.a 7.c 8.a 9.b 10.a 3 4 1 7 9 2 6 5 8

Sudoku Solution R O I O R

9 2 6 5 1 8 7 4 3

5 7 8 4 3 6 2 1 9

SudokuT Solution

4 1 9 2 6 5 3 8 7

8 5 3 1 7 9 4 6 2

7 6 2 8 4 3 5 9 1

2 9 4 6 8 7 1 3 5

1 6 8 3 7 5 3 9 5 2 4 1 rivia9Puzzle 8 2 7 6 4

13 French friends Female sib 17 Happen again 20 21 Mascara site Exploits 24 Muse of poetry Winglike 29 Orderly 34 35 36 Coincide Elevator alternative 39 40 41 Game fish Zenith 44 Hunchback of Notre 47 Dame novelist Rascal 52 Fireplace tool Mile-High City 58 59 60 Summer in France 63 64 Dander Sierra ___ 68 Cancel Allows for 71 Colorado resort King topper Down Twisty curve Golf shot 1 “C’est la vie” Wooded 2 Mediterranean Potato feature island Carry 3 Writer Asimov Music of India 4 Cocktail forerunner 1943 Bogart film 5 Without (Fr.) Sand dollar 6 Swelling reducer Rodeo rope 7 Height Bleacher feature 8 Gather Aesop’s also-ran 9 Hence Woodwinds 10 Bear or wolf, e.g. Glitch 11 Colorado native From square one 12 Fish eggs Tablelands 15 Hart Seek damages 21 Early auto Impudence

Trivia Variety

26 29 31 34 37 38 39 42 44 45 46 47 49 52 53 55 58 61 63 65 67 68 69 70 71 72 73

Solution

1 5 8 13 14 16 17 18 19 20 22 24 25

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

Across

PuzzleJunction.com

1.c 2.a 3.b 4.c 5.b

U Herald 3/30/21 Crossword

PHOTO

Week of March 30, 2021

COMEBACK KIDS PHOTOS AND WORDS BY GUNNAR WORD

n the small community of Metcalfe County, basketball has been more than a game for generations. The first time Metcalfe County won a fourth Region basketball championship was in 1985, leading them to their only fourth Region championship under the coaching of Tim McMurtry. Fast forward to 2001, the last time Metcalfe County won the 16th

District championship, under the coaching of McMurtry. He left a great legacy and mark on the history of basketball not only to Metcalfe County but the 4th Region. Now, Metcalfe County basketball head coach Brandon Brockman has brought a 16th District title back to Metcalfe County for the first time in 20 years in

his fourth season with the Hornets, as well as bringing home an All “A” Regional title in 2019. To top off a championship season, Brockman received the 4th Region Coach of the Year award as his journey of putting Metcalfe County basketball back on the map will continue next season.

(TOP) Metcalfe County High school head basketball coach Brandon Brockman consoles Hornet senior Sawyer Edmonds after a season ending lose to Greenwood High School.

"We are just really blessed to have the community support that we do here in Metcalfe County. It is truly a blessing." -Brandon Brockman

Brandon Brockman, head coach in the Metcalfe County Hornets shares a moment himself on the way to play Clinton County in the 16th District Championship.

Sporting Times reporter Keaton Jessie interviews Metcalfe County Hornets Basketball head coach Brandon Brockman after winning the 16th District Championship for the first time in 20 years. (LEFT) The Metcalfe County Hornets draw up a game plan to defeat Clinton County in the 16th District Tournament. “If you come out afraid to fail you will not succeed, go out there and play like I know you can!” Brockman said to his team. (TOP) Metcalfe County basketball head coach Brandon Brockman gets mobbed by fans after stepping off of the bus, returning from a 16th District tournament win for the first time in 20 years for the Hornets on March 18, 2021.

8 NEWS

Week of March 30, 2021

STORY CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3

sure students weren't kissing in the hallways and that sort of thing. And I thought I would rather teach at the college level. So, I started working on my master's degree and absolutely fell in love with learning.” Sterk graduated college in 1974 and said during that time, the only jobs women did were becoming a secretary, nurse, or elementary school teacher, but none of those were appealing to her. “When I started my master's work I thought, ‘I love learning,’” Sterk said. “I love researching. I love making sense of things and trying to figure out why something is happening. So it's like I came to life in my master's program, and it was right here at WKU.” After graduating with her master’s from WKU, she went to the University of Iowa for her doctorate. “My husband had gone to the

University of Iowa and started his Ph.D. program and I thought, ‘Well, I guess I will too.’ Of course, that's kind of the way life went for women. You would go where your husband went. And I think those days are kind of in the rearview mirror.” Sterk has a background in theatre and still watches community theatre in Bowling Green. “I actually loved theatre more, but when I went to Iowa and looked into their theater program, they had not graduated a Ph.D. candidate in theater for over 10 years,” she said. “However, it is a super productive place for communications.” Sterk participated in theater in high school as an actress but also helped backstage for some productions. She met her husband in her high school theatre. “I was running lights for a show,” Sterk said. “It was called Blood Wedding. And [my husband]

played a character that was called the moon, and he was completely covered in silver body paint, he was a freshman, I was a junior. So I just sort of, you know, angled my way into his life.”

"I love making

sense of things and trying to figure out why something is happening." -Helen Sterk

Sterk is beginning the retirement process. June 30 is her last day as department head, she will be on leave in the fall and teaching

next spring then officially retire after that semester ends. She said she plans to spend her retirement with her family and friends, then possibly develop higher education in Pakistan. “My husband died 16 years ago, so I'm a single person,” Sterk said. “I can make choices in my life. I have an opportunity to be on a grant to develop women’s leadership in higher education in Pakistan. If that grant comes through I'll be spending two years developing leadership skills, communication skills, and negotiation skills in women who are department heads or deans in universities in Pakistan. What a grand adventure.” Debra Murray can be reached at debra.murray940@topper.wku.edu. Follow her on Twitter @debramurrayy

BEST OF THE

VOTE NOW AT wkuherald.com/boh

NEWS 9

Week of March 30, 2021

Flex dollar fee unchanged amid pandemic education By Leo Bertucci

WKU students who do not have a meal plan have continued to pay a $300 food expense despite the unusual conditions of the COVID-19 pandemic. A full-time WKU student who, lives off campus, opts out of a student meal plan and continues to take at least three in-person courses on the Bowling Green campus, must to pay $300 for a mandatory meal plan every semester. Students can use the mandatory meal plan dollars, also known as Flex dollars, at on-campus dining locations throughout the semester. The $300 Flex dollar charge was set when WKU agreed to a 20-year contract with food company Aramark in 2017. Beginning in Fall 2022, students will have to pay $325 per semester for the Flex dollar plan. Starting in Fall 2026, the plan will

cost $350 a semester. The revenue from the Flex dollar plan helps fund major on-campus projects, such as the construction of the WKU Commons. Max Chambers, a senior English major from Elizabethtown, and former Herald staffer, has paid for Flex dollars since Spring 2020. Chambers has rarely used their Flex dollars during the COVID-19 pandemic, so they currently have over $600 flex dollars stored in their account. “If I’m on campus a lot, I might use $100 [per semester], but I barely use any and last semester I was entirely online,” Chambers said. Chambers believes the mandatory meal plan is not necessary. “If people who live off campus have kitchens and places to store food, there’s no reason they should have to buy food on campus,” Chambers said. The contract between WKU and

Students stand in line at the food court in Downing Student Union on August 27, 2020.

RICHARD GREGOR

Aramark states that the two parties can agree to renegotiate the financial terms of the contract if WKU’s financial conditions change. Mike Reagle, assistant vice president for Student Engagement and executive director for Housing and Dining, said WKU has not attempted to renegotiate the terms of its contract with Aramark during the COVID-19 pandemic “as it is not necessary to do so.” “Aramark has been a tremendous partner and has worked with us every step of the way to continue to operate our food service in a manner that meets the needs of both WKU and Aramark,” Reagle said in an email. Chambers said WKU should not force students to pay for Flex dollars during the COVID-19 pandemic because purchasing food at oncampus dining locations requires in-person contact. “So many classes have moved online, so many people have chosen to move all their work online so they don’t have to come in contact with people, so it frustrates me that the school is asking me to come in contact with people in order to use this money that they have taken from me,” Chambers said. “I would prefer not to go to campus to buy food because it’s safer to just purchase food in my own home.” According to the dining services contract, Flex dollars that are not used during the current semester can be spent in future semesters if the student continues to attend WKU. WKU would retain any unused Flex dollars once a student on the mandatory meal plan graduates or stops attending the university. Nico Fitzpatrick, a senior film major from Lexington, rarely used his Flex dollars from last semester, so he has had plenty to spend this semester, he said. “I had like $600 this semester, and

I’m down to like $400 this semester at this point, but I’m trying to spend as much as possible so it doesn't vanish into nothing,” Fitzpatrick said. Fitzpatrick said students who qualify for the Flex dollar plan should not be required to pay the $300 expense, especially since the unused Flex dollars will not be refunded. “For people who aren’t paying for it through scholarships like I am, that’s just $600 that will vanish into thin air for the most part,” Fitzpatrick said. The COVID-19 pandemic emphasized the inconvenience of traveling to campus just to use Flex dollars, Fitzpatrick said. Leaving your home is not the best choice when contactless options are available. Jordan Amis, a recreation administration major from Nashville, occasionally spends the Flex dollars in his account by making expensive purchases at P.O.D. and Chick-fil-A. Because WKU requires a group of off-campus students to pay $300 for a mandatory meal plan, it seems like the plan itself is a “cash grab,” Amis said. “It takes away the liquidity of your money because that’s just $300 that you could’ve spent anywhere, but now you can only spend it on campus,” Amis said Amis wishes WKU would allow students to use their Flex dollars anywhere on campus. “I think one thing that I don’t love about them is that you can only use them for dining,” Amis said. “I would love it if you could use them at the WKU Store when you’re buying your textbooks.” Leo Bertucci can be reached at leo.bertucci665@topper.wku. edu Follow him on Twitter @ leober2chee.

10 SPORTS

Week of March 30, 2021

WKU begins C-USA play with series against Marshall By Jake Moore

WKU Softball will begin Conference USA competition with a fourgame away series against rival Marshall April 1-3. The Hilltoppers have the momentum coming off a 2-1 extra-innings victory against the Kentucky Wildcats, who were ranked No. 7 in the country in the USA Today/ NFCA Coaches Poll, on March 24. The team enjoyed every second of the stunning upset victory, but redshirt sophomore Taylor Davis made it clear after the game that the most important thing for the Hilltoppers is to succeed during conference play. “In the grand scheme of things, this win is a big deal,” Davis said. “But it’s also not the win we want. At the end of the season we want to win [the] conference… We’re going to enjoy this win, but on Friday we’ll practice again, [and] it’s going to be in the past.” The Marshall Herd have accumulated a record of 11-4 so far this season. Marshall was picked to finish second in the C-USA East Division in a preseason poll of C-USA coaches. Senior Aly Harrell was given Preseason Player of the Year honors back in February. Three other Marshall players, senior Sierra Huerta, junior Mya Stevenson and senior Saige Pye were all named to the C-USA Preseason All-Conference Team. Harrell has impressed so far this year, currently owning a .417 batting average with an on-base percentage of .533 and four home runs to her name. The Herd have been able to depend on both sophomore Ashley Blessin and senior Laney Jones to cover most of the innings, with the two pitchers owning a 2.55 and 1.36 ERA respectively and combining for 34

WYATT RICHARDSON

WKU outfielder, Taylor Davis (6) celebrates after making a diving catch during the game against Kentucky on Wednesday, March 24, in Bowling Green.

strikeouts. The Herd is batting .313 as a team compared to WKU’s .340 average. Marshall is currently 2-1 against common opponents, defeating Bowling Green State and splitting two games with Valparaiso. WKU is 3-0 against those squads. WKU head coach Amy Tudor is familiar with the Herd as her

squads have gone 7-10 against Marshall during her time at WKU. The two teams haven’t been able to play each other since a three-game series on April 4-6, 2019, when the Herd took two of three matchups from the Hilltoppers. The Hilltoppers were initially scheduled to play Lipscomb Tuesday, March 30, before traveling to Huntington, West Virginia, to

begin their series with the Herd, but that game was canceled Sunday. The Hilltoppers will have had plenty of rest by the time they arrive on Marshall’s campus, as they will not have played since their upset of Kentucky. Softball beat reporter Jake Moore can be reached at charles. moore275@topper.wku.edu. Follow him on Twitter @Charles_JMoore.

SPORTS 11

Week of March 30, 2021

Hilltoppers to travel after initial C-USA series By Wyatt Sparkman

The WKU Baseball (11-13), (1-3, CUSA) dropped its first Conference USA series 3-1 against the Charlotte 49ers (14-9), (3-1, C-USA) to open conference play this spring. WKU was able to muster a 17-16 win Sunday afternoon to end a four-game skid prior to the next series. WKU doubled their runs they had in the previous three games against Charlotte. “The difference between winning and losing is the execution part,” head coach John Pawlowski said following Sunday’s win. “In the first three games of this series, I thought Charlotte, give them credit, they executed. They did the things they needed to do, and we just had to find a way to grind out a win.” Sophomore Matthew Meyer was the top batter in the series for WKU. After going 0-for-9 at the plate in the first two games against Charlotte, Meyer went 5-for-9 with seven RBIs and two home runs in the last two games. “It sucks I went 0-for-9 and the other half is baseball, but I’m definitely not deterred by that and just glad I could get back to what I was doing before that,” Meyer said. Before this past weekend, the Hilltoppers’ last C-USA series was May 1619, 2019, against Old Dominion. Now there are seven more series WKU will

be in for the remainder of the regular season. Next up the Hilltoppers will go on their first C-USA road trip of the spring to Miami to play Florida International April 1-3. The Panthers (9-12), (1-3, C-USA) are coming off a series lost to Old Dominion 3-1 by a combined score of 45-26. The Panthers are currently on a three-game skid going into the series against the Hilltoppers. WKU is 8-15 all-time against the Panthers and currently own a twogame win streak over their C-USA foe dating back to the 2019 season. The Hilltoppers have outscored the Panthers 20-5 in the past two games and have not faced them since March 24, 2019. As of Sunday, both programs are floating around .370 in slugging percentage this season and .360 for on-base percentage. “We can carry a lot of good things away from this weekend over to next weekend and that’s a good thing," Meyer said following Sunday’s walk-off win over the 49ers. WKU will be opening the series against the Panthers Thursday starting at 6 p.m. CT. Baseball beat reporter Wyatt Sparkman can be reached at steve. sparkman280@topper.wku.edu. Follow Wyatt on Twitter at @WyattSparkman3

WKU outfielder Ty Crittenberger (22) slides into first base during the game ALLIE HENDRICKS at Nick Denes Field on Mar. 27, 2021. WKU lost 0-6.

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12 SPORTS

Week of March 30, 2021

An end to an era: What’s next for the Hilltoppers By Kaden Gaylord

The 2020-21 WKU men’s basketball (21-8) season has officially reached its end after losing to conference foe Louisiana Tech (23-8) 72-65 in the quarterfinals of the NIT tournament. “There was a lot of different challenges, same for every team, but when you reflect and look back, there are memories that you'll never forget about the pain will eventually heal and go away but the memory will be there for the rest of your life,” head coach Rick Stansbury said. With no more Hilltopper basketball played this season, many questions remain in the offseason. Will junior Charles Bassey declare for the draft? Will seniors Taveion Hollingsworth and Josh Anderson take the extra year of eligibility given to athletes this year due to COVID-19? Or will they call it a career at WKU and pursue dreams of being professional basketball players? It was announced Saturday afternoon that sophomore Jordan Rawls will enter the transfer portal, will other players follow his lead? Who will replace the production of Bassey? Is this the end of an era? “There were a lot of bright moments, we had a lot of big wins,” Stansbury said. “When they look back and see some of the non-conference wins we had, put ourselves in position to win a regular league championship and have an opportunity in that last game [conference championship] but didn’t take advantage of it.” Stansbury said there is nothing but pain and hurt right now but there’s a lot of positive things these players can take from this season. WKU had nothing but high hopes entering this season, with the expected minimum being winning the Conference USA Tournament and a possibility of making a NCAA Tournament run. But for an abundance of

Western Kentucky’s Charles Bassey (23) does his post game interview after finishing with a double-double of 24 points and 17 rebounds.

reasons, that didn’t happen. When Stansbury brought in Anderson, Hollingsworth, Bassey and Carson Williams, some tabbed them as the best team Stansbury would ever have on the Hill.

GUNNAR WORD

This season turned out the same way the previous three seasons ended, with the Hilltoppers losing in a championship game of some sort. In 2018, WKU lost to Marshall 6766 after the ball rolled out of the rim.

In 2019, WKU lost to Old Dominion 62-56 after being outscored 15-9 in the last four minutes when the game was tied. In 2020, the Hilltoppers lost 78-72 in overtime in the conference regular-season championship against North Texas. COVID-19 prevented the rest of that season from being played, but it was still an important game to be won because they would’ve been the No. 1 seed. And of course, this season, again, against North Texas 61-57 in overtime, in the conference championship, after being up by seven points with less than three minutes left in regulation. This came after WKU won its first regular season championship since joining C-USA, and you could feel the excitement and hope in the area just for it to be shattered the next week. “I’ll definitely say that regularseason championship brought us all together,” Hollingsworth said. “It was good to see everybody happy. That was just a good feeling.” What made this season extra painful is that the Hilltoppers were in a position to be an at-large bid for the big dance. Losses to Charlotte, Old Dominion, and the blowout loss to Houston took them out of the running. The stain of being a turnoverheavy team while not being able to make the clutch shot when it mattered shadowed this team like a dark cloud. This team will always be a fan favorite, and one of the best teams in WKU history, but will forever be plagued by the painful losses in the most important games while never being able to take the next step. Men’s basketball beat reporter Kaden Gaylord can be reached at kaden.gaylord559@topper.wku.edu. Follow Kaden on Twitter at @_KLG3.