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TTUESDAY, UESDAY, APRIL APRIL 118, 8, 22017 017 > W WESTERN ESTERN KKENTUCKY ENTUCKY UUNIVERSITY NIVERSITY > VVOLUME OLUME 992, 2, IISSUE SSUE 4488
Online donation platform launches BY CASEY MCCARTHY HERALD.NEWS@WKU.EDU WKU launched its own crowdfunding platform on Monday to fund projects by students, faculty and staff including study abroad trips, research equipment and gear for teams and clubs. Heather McWhorter, director of leadership annual giving at WKU, and Jennifer Pyle, associate director of leadership annual giving, have been working on the platform since January. The new platform, SpiritFunder, uses Buzz-well, a crowdfunding platform for college development offices. McWhorter said they saw this as an opportunity for those on campus to have a chance to feel as if they are having a direct and positive impact. “We would love to see it become another vehicle, just like our online make-a-gift page, just like our direct mail pieces we do, where people can really feel like they’re a part of something and really feel like they can make a difference,” she said. McWhorter said the platform will not have any fees attached for the first year in a trial run. She said she hopes it can remain that way after the trial and allow people who can’t necessarily make a large donation feel they have made an impact. Ashlea Moses, a sophomore film major, said the platform is definitely something she would use once she learned how to do so. “Film students need to go out and make projects that aren’t just class projects, so getting funding for that would make it a lot easier and will help in the career field,” Moses said. “So I think that’s a really great idea.” Pyle said while SpiritFunder will be used for mostly student projects, it’s a great platform for projects faculty members are working on. “Ideally, this is going to turn into a way that benefits our students, first and foremost,” Pyle said. “But, we want our alumni and our broader WKU community and friends to feel engaged and up-to-date on the really cool things that are happening on campus and feel like they can have a direct and positive impact.” Campuses across the country have
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Western Kentucky University freshman Hoyeol Lee represents Korea in the International Olympics Ping Pong tournament hosted by Beta Gamma Omega fraternity on Friday in Dowing Student Union. Lee and his teammate Jaemin Ko won their first match, but then lost to the ESLi (English as a Second Language International) department team. SILAS WALKER/HERALD
Give for Gold New fraternity hosts International Olympics for a cause
BY CALLIE MILLER HERALD.NEWS@WKU.EDU
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nternational students at WKU had the chance to demonstrate their skills in a variety of sports in the second annual International Olympics spanning four days last week. Eight international student organizations registered, doubling participation from the first Olympics. The Indian Students Association successfully defended its title from last year as winner of the Olympics. WKU’s newest fraternity, Beta Gamma Omega, a multicultural fra-
ternity established Feb. 10 this year, hosted the International Olympics along with the Council of International Student Organizations in an attempt to get international students more involved at WKU. Beta Gamma Omega’s philanthropy is the International Center of Kentucky, so the fraternity is donating all of the money collected from registration fees for the International Olympics to the International Center to benefit refugees from around the world. Flavio Chavarri, chairman of the committee for the International Olympics and founder and president
of Beta Gamma Omega, said the purpose of the International Olympics is “to create a light-hearted competition where all international students and American students can get together, know each other, and integrate by participating in these wonderful games.” Chavarri, a Peruvian student, said most international students only know other WKU students from their own countries and in their organizations, but through the International Olympics, they get to meet international students from all across the globe.
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New sustainability award honors green efforts BY REBEKAH ALVEY HERALD.NEWS@WKU.EDU The ground is a bright shade of green, the cherry blossom trees are in bloom and students are taking their studying outside: all signs of spring’s arrival. This spring, the sustainability department is working to keep WKU a beautiful and sustainable place through its Green Squirrel of Approval certification program. The program has an online submission form where different departments can find out how sustainable they are being and receive a rating. Sustainability Coordinator Christian Ryan said it is a way to educate and raise awareness on ways departments can be more sustainable and environmentally friendly. Ryan explained by going through the process and reading the questions they are learning about different things they can do. Ryan said she has already gotten feedback from some departments that want to raise their rating by implementing more sustainable procedures. After the submission is filled out, which takes approximately 15 minutes, the rating is provided immediately. The system is based on an acorn rating, with a maximum of four acorns Ryan said they have had 14 submissions already. Most have received
a rating of two or three acorns. Ryan said there’s room for departments to learn and improve. Sophomore Savannah Molyneaux, president of the SGA sustainability committee, said she hopes to see all future buildings constructed in an environmental and sustainability conscious way. “We want them to be the most energy efficient, sustainable and use the least waste,” Molyneaux said. After the launch last week, the first groups to participate were the Pres-
sustainability. They also tested questions on these groups to ensure it was accurate and fun, Ryan said. From this collaboration came a wide range of questions. The submission asks questions on topics departments may not think of with sustainability, like if they use local providers for catering, or if they use transportation in their department, do they use eco-friendly cars or vehicles. Each department is sent a photo of its Green Squirrel of Approval rating to share on social media or put on
It’s remarkable that just participating in something positive for our campus is incentive enough.” Sustainability coordinator Christian Ryan ident’s office and Student Government Association. Office of Research Integrity, the WKU Store, Theatre and Dance and the Provost and Academic Affairs department followed. When generating the questions, Ryan said they worked with many other departments like transportation, dining and waste management to find how they related to campus
their website. “It’s remarkable that just participating in something positive for our campus is incentive enough,” Ryan said. Ryan said the program ties into the WKU spirit of publicly making an effort to do better. The idea of a Green Office Certification isn’t unique to WKU; however,
the idea of a squirrel and the details are different than other campuses. Ryan said she often looks to other campuses for ideas on sustainability because there are rarely original ideas. Ryan said this is something she has been working for since she started in her position. Looking to the future, Ryan said she hopes to get physical window decals for departments to display. Ryan said she also hopes to expand the program to residence halls. Molyneaux said SGA has teamed with the Residence Hall Association task force, which is committed to sustainability. Molyneaux said it’s important to connect with the different groups working toward the goal of sustainability to make more progress. Students need to be thinking about the daily things they can do to sustain resources, she said. Ryan said it was important to start with the departments because students seem to be the most aware of sustainability practices and through the program will hopefully see best practices being modeled. “After years of thinking about it, it’s exciting to see it coming together,” Ryan said.
Reporter Rebekah Alvey can be reached at 270-745-6011 and rebekah.alvey660@topper.wku.edu.