April 20, 2017

SEE OUR COVERAGE OF WWE LIVE

FAMILY STITCHES: READ ABOUT WKU’S SMITH BROTHERS

NEWS, PAGE A2

SPORTS, PAGE B6

TTHURSDAY, HURSDAY, APRIL APRIL 220, 0, 22017 017 > W WESTERN ESTERN KKENTUCKY ENTUCKY UUNIVERSITY NIVERSITY > VVOLUME OLUME 992, 2, IISSUE SSUE 4499

SGA proposes reparations for all black students

BY JAMIE WILLIAMS HERALD.NEWS@WKU.EDU The Student Government Association passed resolutions to support reparations for black students, causing varied response from senators and students.

Resolution to Support Reparations

part of Dahmer’s campaign.

The bills aim to help students afford study abroad opportunities, which have been shown to improve retention, and to support sensitivity training throughout the student body. This training would teach students how to positively interact with minority groups such as the LGBT+ community.

Savannah Molyneaux, Dahmer’s running mate and current chair of the Sustainability committee, was elected executive vice president. Kara Lowry, also on Dahmer’s ticket and current secretary of the senate, was elected administrative vice president.

The resolution aims to send a message to the university that it should acknowledge slavery is “a debt that will never be paid.” The resolution also called for a special task force to be established by WKU to research test-optional admissions and geographically-weighted admissions and for all black people to have full and free access to WKU, including free tuition.

“This is something that I think is more importantly about sending a clear message than it is about actually trying to strive for the institution to actually give out free tuition to everybody,” said one author of the bill, Senator Brian Anderson.

The other author of the bill, Senator Andrea Ambam, said universities like to claim diversity without acknowledging the negative effects of slavery and segregation on black students. Ambam said past racial disparity has evolved into economic disparity in today’s society, making it difficult for black youth to attend college.

“If you really care about diversity, if you really care about inclusion, if you really care about making this campus safe and accessible to everybody, having the student government’s support of reparation for black students would be amazing,” Ambam said.

SEE ELECTIONS PAGE A3

SEE REPARATIONS PAGE A3

(From left to right) Louisville sophomore Savannah Molyneaux, Louisville sophomore Andi Dahmer, La Grange sophomore Kara Lowry and Buckner freshman Conner Hounshell gather for a hug after hearing the election results at midnight Wednesday in the SGA Chamber. Dahmer was elected student body president while Molyneaux was elected executive vice president and Lowry was elected administrative vice president. MICHELLE HANKS/HERALD

fresh faces Dahmer, Molyneaux elected president, executive vice president

BY JAMIE WILLIAMS

HERALD.NEWS@WKU.EDU

Louisville sophomore Andi Dahmer was announced as the next student body president as Student Government Association elections came to a close shortly after midnight on Wednesday.

Dahmer, who is currently a senator and chair of the MyCampusToo committee, was overwhelmed with gratitude after her win.

“I could not have done any of this without my team,” Dahmer said.

“We’ve been working at it for months.”

Out of 1,579 votes cast in the election, Dahmer received 930 votes. Ke-

nan Mujkanonvic received 305 votes while Lily Nellans received 212.

The senate chambers erupted into cheers as Dahmer’s name was called, and she received hugs from various members of her campaign while close to tears.

After the results, Dahmer was excited to reward herself with a chocolate milkshake.

“I’ve been so nervous I’ve barely eaten anything all day,” she said with a laugh.

Dahmer is already working on two pieces of legislation to start off her presidential career. These bills will focus on improving retention rates, especially in marginalized groups, which was a large

Ransdell holds forum over performance-based funding

BY JAMIE WILLIAMS HERALD.NEWS@WKU.EDU Under the state’s new performance-based funding model, WKU will receive $3.83 million from the funding, which is a net gain of about $142,000, according to information provided by President Gary Ransdell at a forum Wednesday afternoon.

Ransdell held the forum to speak and answer questions about the new model. Ransdell was the chair of the Postsecondary Education Working Group which submitted the proposal for the new method to state government.

Ransdell said the goals of the model are to increase the number of bachelor’s degrees earned by all Kentucky students and to increase retention and progress toward degrees in a timely manner.

“The state wants to use this model as a means to better serving students, better working with public

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schools, better services to retain and graduate students, and putting more students into the work system with a bachelor’s degree,” Ransdell said.

The four-year university model will distribute funds with 70 percent based on performance and 30 percent based on vital campus operations. It will also include safeguards to adjust for smaller schools to give each institution an equal opportunity for funding.

The performance will be based on student success including number and types of bachelor’s degrees awarded, student progress at various points of credit hours completed and course completion compared to other state universities.

The 30 percent of campus operations is based on institutional support, academic support and maintenance and operations, each making up 10 percent of the total.

The model will be phased in over the next three years. In the upcoming

President Gary Randell discusses Kentucky’s proposed higher education performance funding model during an open forum on Wednesday in Mass Media and Technology Hall auditorium. BROOK JOYNER/HERALD 2017-18 year, the model will be used to distribute $42.9 million in performance-based funds.

Reporter Jamie Williams can be reached at 270-745-6011 and jamie. williams539@topper.wku.edu.

A2

APRIL 20, 2017

COLLEGE HEIGHTS HERALD

WWE brings new energy to Diddle Arena

BY REBEKAH ALVEY

HERALD.NEWS@WKU.EDU Diddle Arena was packed with people of all ages cheering, booing and chanting.

Rather than a typical WKU sports team, these fans were celebrating their favorite WWE wrestlers.

WWE Live made its return to Bowling Green after four years Monday night. The two and a half hour event didn’t lack energy or enthusiasm.

Fans came out with mock belts, face paint and posters.

The main headliners were Naomi, AJ Styles, Dolph Ziggler and Randy Orton.

For 31-year-old Bowling Green resident Carlos Greene, Monday night’s event was his seventh time seeing WWE live.

Like other fans, Greene had traveled previously to other events in Nashville, Louisville and Indianapolis.

Greene said he was excited not to need to drive this time and was looking forward to seeing Shinsuke Nakamura, who won his match against Dolph Ziggler.

Greene said he enjoys watching WWE because of the theatrics and excitement associated with it. He said at live events, there’s a good energy in the crowd.

This energy was on full display during the top fights

when titles were on the line.

These matches included a fight between current US Champion Kevin Owens versus Sami Zayn and Tag Team champions, the Uso’s versus American Alpha. Kevin Owens and the Uso’s maintained their respective titles from these matches.

One of the night’s highlights was when Women’s Champion Naomi faced off against five other women including Becky Lynch, Natalya, Tamina, Carmella and Charlotte. Naomi emerged with her title intact.

The night’s main event was a match between WWE Champion Randy Orton, AJ Styles and Baron Corbin. After an intense thirty minutes, Orton was victorious and kept his title.

Some people, like freshman Jim Loos, were at their first WWE live event. Others have been watching on television and attending events for years.

Freshman Drake Kizer said it was his tenth live event. He said he is a lifelong fan, and started watching when he was about four years old and attended his first live event when he was eight.

Kizer said WWE is a way to connect with his family and bond, especially with his dad.

Kizer said he was most excited to see Randy Orton “The Viper” who holds the WWE championship belt.

corrections

•

A story printed on A1 in Tuesday’s paper referred to Daniel Salami as David Salami. The Herald regrets the error.

•

A story on A3 referred to “the dean of the School of Journalism and Broadcasting...” The correct position title is director of the School of Journalism and Broadcasting. The Herald regrets this error.

WWE Champion Randy Orton was one of the featured superstars at WWE Live. Orton went up against AJ Styles and Baron Corbin for title match to be the WWE Champion. He ended up winning the match to continue being the champion on Tuesday at Diddle Arena. TYGER WILLIAMS/HERALD Bowling Green native Marcia Gilliam, 60, attended the event with her son and brother and was excited to see Orton’s match.

Gilliam has been to seven live shows and has seen WWE stars like The Rock and Stone Cold at shows like WWE Smackdown and Raw. She said she likes the pure entertainment and hype about WWE. With a smile, she also admitted the male wrestlers weren’t too bad to look at either.

Gilliam was glad they brought WWE back to Bowling Green and said the crowd this year was a lot bigger than previous years. In a previous Herald article, it was estimated that 3,500 tickets were sold in the last WWE live event in 2012.

Director of campus and community events Rachel Goodman said approximately 3,600 to 4,000 tickets were sold this year, priced $15 to $95.

Goodman said the increase in ticket sales may be attributed to the four-year break at WKU. The high turnout of families on a Monday night after Easter impressed WWE, she said.

For some people, coming to these events are like reliving their childhood. Junior Zach Miller said he had been watching since he was a little kid.

“It reminds me of the good old days,” Miller said.

Goodman said through a partnership with Ticketmaster, more people were able to find out about the event at WKU. She said hosting events like WWE provide the university with financial benefits and increased exposure.

Senior Tyler Olson said these events attract the community and bring in more people than basketball.

Olson said when children come to WWE Live, they associate WKU with the expe-

rience and are more likely to attend.

Goodman said putting the event together involved a lot of moving pieces. She said many departments helped, including the police, ticket office, athletics and facilities management.

Goodman said she also approached Charlie Pride to find organizations to provide volunteers.

Junior Kyle Smith and other members of the Phi Delta Theta fraternity were able to volunteer at the event.

Smith said he had never attended a WWE live event before but was excited for the experience. Goodman said the WWE promoter was pleased with the event and is hoping to make Bowling Green a regular spot on tour.

Reporter Rebekah Alvey can be reached at 270-745-6011 and rebekah.alvey660@topper.wku.edu.

MINOR IN

Citizenship &

SOCIAL JUSTICE

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

A3

APRIL 20, 2017

COLLEGE HEIGHTS HERALD

Two professors win national scholarship, plan to go abroad

BY BRYSON KELTNER HERALD.NEWS@WKU.EDU Two WKU professors are about to head abroad for Fulbright awards. Saundra Ardrey and Johnny Chan will soon leave the Hill temporarily to complete programs in South Africa and China, respectively.

“It has been on my academic bucket list to teach at a historically black college,” Ardrey said. She will teach for a year at the University of Limpopo in South Africa beginning this summer.

Ardrey said Limpopo reminds her of her undergraduate program at Winston-Salem State University.

“It lacks some of the resources that other universities have, but when you talk to the faculty and the students, the enthusiasm and the intellectual curiosity are very vibrant,” she said.

Ardrey has been the department head of the political science department for over a decade and is also the director of the African American studies program. Although this opportunity will require her to step down as department head, she will be helping the University of Limpopo develop curriculum to establish a major in political science.

In addition to teaching, she will be doing research. Her dissertation was on political behavior of African-American women in the American South. She wants to see if what she discovered in her previous research applies to women in South Africa as well.

Johnny Chan is a finance professor who has received a Fulbright Scholars award, and will be traveling to China. The Fulbright program fosters education and mutual understanding between the U.S. and other countries. LYDIA SCHWEICKART/HERALD Ardrey also shared the word, “sankofa,” or “to give back.”

“I want to get back to the reason I entered this field in the first place,” she said.

“Teaching is a passion. I want to be able to share ideas and opinions and help influence the next generation of students.”

Kam “Johnny” Chan, professor of finance, will be teaching at Zhongnan University of Economics and Law in China for five months starting in the fall.

“Besides teaching, I will leverage this opportunity to conduct a research project about the impact of local Chinese political leadership changes on local firms’ tax avoidance behavior,” Chan said.

Chan also said he will use some of his commission to give public lectures and do re-

ELECTIONS Continued from A1

Elected to senator positions were Lucas Knight and Emily Houston as senior student senators and Luke Edmunds, Amy Wyer, and Ashley Cox as junior student senators. Ryan Richardson, Savannah Reynolds

REPARATIONS

Continued from A1

Several senators disagreed with the bill, saying free tuition for black students would still have to be paid by others — whether by fees on other students or by taxes paid to the government.

“It will disadvantage other people from getting the same education,” Senator William Hurst said. “I am not discounting that there is an obvious disadvantage to African-American students, but this resolution would discriminate against other populations.”

Senator Lily Nellans said the propositions of the resolution might feel unfair, but in reality it would just give black students the same benefits that white students have had historically.

“A lot of times equality can feel like oppression for those who are losing their advantage, but that’s not a reason we shouldn’t fight for equality,” Nellans said.

After much debate, the resolution ultimately passed 19-10-1.

Ambam told a Herald reporter on Wednesday she and Anderson recognized the resolution put forth “a lofty request,” referring to its call for all black students to receive free tuition, but she said she believes it is important to start the conversation.

“I have no doubt that it started up conversation already,” Ambam said.

“To me, that’s the first step.”

Regardless of the administration’s response to the resolution, Ambam said she plans to continue trying to encourage conversation around the issue.

“The point of a resolution like this is basically to make a huge statement saying that the Student Government Association recognizes the impact that slavery has had on black people today and that changes need to be made,” Ambam said.

One student, Carter Gross, commented on the Herald’s article about the resolution posted on Facebook and said he wonders if the SGA will consider giving free tuition to Native American students to compensate for settlers pushing them off their land, or to Asian Americans to compensate for the racism they have suffered in America, or if “this is just virtue signaling at

search seminars at other Chinese universities.

He said he is most looking forward to getting first-hand experience with Chinese culture and tying it to the student learning experience.

“It is also an invaluable opportunity for me to interact, brainstorm and share knowledge with the faculty there in research and teaching,” Chan said.

Chan said there is a 10page comprehensive online application for the award with a deadline in August every year.

“There are two milestones after the online application,” Chan said. “First, in late November, they informed me that I was recommended for further consideration by a peer-reviewed committee in the U.S. Second, in late March, I was formally informed to receive the Award by the Ful-

and Conner Hounshell were elected sophomore student senators.

Twelve students were elected student senators at large: Lily Nellans, Kenan Mujkanovic, Ian Hamilton, Zach DeBord, Jordan Tackett, William Hurst, Asha McWilliams, Dillon McCormick, Jacob Giannelli, Morgan Wysong, Divya Gangavelli and Deekshita Ma-

the expense of other students to make the SGA feel good about themselves.”

Student Rachel West replied to Gross’s comment and said she believes the resolution’s proposition is a good thing.

“This is the first step for change for many communities,” West commented. “Do not speak on behalf of them.

Sometimes it takes one brave soul to step forward so that others will follow.”

Saundra Ardrey, department head for political science and director of WKU’s African American studies department, received a Fulbright Scholars award, and will be teaching and conducting research at the University of Limpopo in South Africa. LYDIA SCHWEICKART/HERALD bright Commission.”

Two of Chan’s students spoke about their experiences in Chan’s classes and said they are excited for his opportunity.

“The setting in Dr. Chan’s class is a very interactive one,” Owensboro senior Nick Simon said.

“He’s always writing things on the board to explain to us in depth about certain topics in a very easy to understand way,” Simon said. “Dr. Chan’s classroom is also a very comfortable setting to be learning in.”

Buyun Pan, a senior exchange student from China , said Chan is one of his favorite professors at WKU. “I think we all like him because he makes finance fun to learn,” Pan said. “He likes to encourage participation in class. He did a fantastic job to let us realize how finance is important and common in

das.

In addition to the elected positions, all six referendums were passed including resolutions making the SAVES (Standing Against Violence and Ending Self-harm), MyCampusToo, and Sustainability committees permanent.

The other three resolutions included lowering the SGA’s GPA require-

our daily life.”

Chan said he will miss his students and colleagues the most, but he is excited to return to WKU in spring of 2018.

Ardrey shared Chan’s feelings as well as her own of missing some comfort items.

She said she will not have air conditioning and will lack some materials that are readily available at WKU. She also said she wishes these faculty Fulbright recognitions will serve as inspiration to other WKU faculty members.

“There are so few faculty that apply, especially African-American faculty,” Ardrey said. “So, I’m hoping this will encourage other faculty of color to apply.”

Reporter Bryson Keltner can be reached at 270-745-6011 and philip.keltner856@topper.wku.edu.

ment from a 2.5 to a 2.0, creating regional campus ambassadors in the SGA, and making executive discretionary spending reports more accessible to the senate.

Reporter Jamie Williams can be reached at 270-745-6011 and jamie. williams539@topper.wku.edu.

RECORD STORE DAY CELEBRATION

Resolution to Support Parking Ticket Forgiveness The SGA also passed a resolution that would allow students to pay for the $10 late fee incurred on parking tickets that are unpaid after seven days by donating items to the on-campus food pantry. The authors of the resolution said they hope this system can be expanded to whole tickets in the future, though Parking and Transportation Services does not support that idea at this time.

This resolution passed unanimously with 31 votes.

Resolution to Support International Graduate Tuition Scholarships Finally, the SGA passed a resolution to support matching international graduate student scholarships to the amount of credit hours their degree requires.

Currently, these students receive scholarship funds for up to 36 hours of their degree program, but approximately one in four graduate degree programs at WKU require more than 36 hours to complete. Students in these programs have to bear a greater financial burden, and are often unable to work off-campus or apply for other scholarships to cover their tuition due to their international status.

The resolution recommends scholarships given by credit hour match the degree length of the student instead of capping at 36 hours.

The resolution passed 30-1-0.

The last SGA meeting of the semester will be Tuesday, April 25 at 5:00 p.m. in Downing Student Union.

Reporter Jamie Williams can be reached at 270-745-6011 and jamie. williams539@topper.wku.edu.

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APRIL 20, 2017> WESTERN KENTUCKY UNIVERSITY

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Conflicting Conversation University correct IN not disclosing TITLE IX investigation records

LETTER FROM GARY RANSDELL

S

exual assault investigations, which fall under Title IX provisions in the Office of Civil Rights, are among the most important matters we face in American higher education. Because of the importance and delicateness of such matters, we at WKU are taking such investigations very seriously.

WKU is one of three Kentucky universities appealing Open Records Opinions issued by Attorney General Andy Beshear with regard to such investigations. A lot of ink has been devoted in recent months to the appeal filed by WKU naming two campus newspapers, the College Heights Herald and the Kentucky Kernel, as party defendants, not to mention the press releases and comments from Mr. Beshear over the last couple of months. Most of media reporting has focused on Mr. Beshear’s decision to “side with” the newspapers against the universities and his suggestion that universities are violating Open Records law in an effort to protect the identity of “predators.”

WKU believes additional information will bring about a better understanding of the dispute, and the reasons why universities have declined to release the records pertaining to such investigations.

State universities are expected to exercise transparency and honor the public’s right to information, while also refusing inspection of records exempted from public inspection under Kentucky law. State universities must also comply with federal laws, (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, Title IX, Violence Against Women Act, etc.) and the U.S. Department of Education, which require universities to keep certain records confidential, specifically in this case, documents that comprise Title IX complaints and investigations of sexual misconduct and sexual assault investigations. The reason for requiring this confidential-

ity is twofold: to protect the safety and privacy of the victim, and to encourage a victim to report a violation.

It is these very records—documents of Title IX investigations—which the newspapers have demanded access.

Because universities cannot disclose these records without violating these state and federal laws, the newspapers were denied access to the records.

The newspapers appealed to the Office of the Attorney General, asking that Mr. Beshear, as Attorney General, review the refusal to allow access.

Previous Kentucky attorney generals have upheld decisions of state agencies to deny inspection of these types of records. Mr. Beshear, howev-

files with “the exception of the names and personal identifiers of the complainant and witnesses …”

As a result, we find ourselves in litigation involving two student newspapers, three state universities, three Kentucky circuit courts, and the Attorney General, over records that the law has repeatedly made clear must be kept confidential.

Mr. Beshear and the newspapers suggest that a victim’s identity can remain confidential simply by removing or not disclosing the name of the victim and witnesses (if any) from the records. This suggestion has also been rejected by the courts. Using internet resources alone, a person could sift the

If the records are not confidential, anyone can request access to the records—including those with ill intent towards the victim and/or witnesses.”

Western Kentucky University President Gary Ransdell er, decided to take a different position: Asserting his right to inspect the investigation records, he directed WKU (and UK and KSU) to deliver the records to his office so that the records could be reviewed by him / his staff.

In light of the state and federal law, which would be violated by doing so, the universities could not, and did not, provide the investigation records to Mr. Beshear or his staff.

As a result, Mr. Beshear issued a series of opinions, where he stated each university had violated Open Records laws, and further directed that the two newspapers be immediately allowed to inspect and copy the investigation

information contained in records, “put two and two together,” and identify witnesses and /or a victim.

On a college campus, faculty, staff, and students come in contact with and often know each other. If the date, place, time, and description of the complaint circumstances become public, it is reasonable to expect friends, acquaintances, or others can eventually, if not immediately, determine who filed a particular complaint.

If the records are not confidential, anyone can request access to the records—including those with ill intent towards the victim and/or witnesses.

The now identifiable witness and vic-

tim are exposed to potential threats, humiliation, and public question/condemnation. There is no question victims would be discouraged from coming forward in the face of these risks.

Mr. Beshear’s comment that professors are “predators,” (his words), without any basis or evidence, is the sort of generalized condemnation, which does nothing to engender trust in the investigative process on the part of anyone—victims, witnesses, or accused.

Mr. Beshear is critical of WKU, stating it expects the public (i.e., him) to “trust” that it will investigate and resolve Title IX complaints. By placing legal responsibility for Title IX complaints and investigations squarely on universities, the federal government has done exactly this—not only trust it to do so, but requiring it.

Furthermore, it isn’t the universities’ place to trust the newspapers or the Attorney General with these records— the right to privacy belongs to the victims and accountability for protecting these rights lies with the universities— not the newspapers or the Attorney General.

As I have recently stated, our absolute priority is to protect the identity of the victim in a Title IX investigation, and we will continue to do so as long as the law requires it. Only the victim has the right to choose to make a crime against him or her public. To my knowledge, none have contacted either the newspapers or Mr. Beshear with such information.

The bottom line: WKU is obligated to comply with established law and legal precedent, even if it draws the ire of the Attorney General. The matter is being considered by three Kentucky judges. WKU recognizes its obligation to await a final adjudication regarding whether such records are exempt for public disclosure. Mr. Beshear and the newspapers should do the same.

Fighting fiction: the Herald will continue to pursue records, transparency COMMENTARY FROM ANDREW HENDERSON

A

s I’ve said before, and will reiterate once again, when the College Heights Herald requested faculty and staff sexual misconduct records in November of last year, our intention was, and still is as such: not to drag anyone’s name through the mud or publish sensationalized details of sexual misconduct or assault. Our purpose and intent remain the same as it has for over 90 years, to hold the university accountable.

The Herald editorialized this issue twice in the past, which I think is rather an appropriate amount of ink to dedicate to the issue, in addition to our ongoing coverage of the matter. In these editorials, as opinion editor, I’ve argued that the release of such Title IX records would come to benefit victims, promote accountability at the university and, ultimately, WKU and the Herald share similar philosophies when it comes the issue.

However, I could not stay silent when I was informed by a source that President Gary Ransdell had been telling people the Herald had been misrepresenting the story of the lawsuit. This was a serious claim which is why I reached out to him to pen his letter, and also to make us aware of any such errors.

The possibility we had made factual errors remained, as it always can, yet neither Ransdell, nor anyone in his office, have explicitly told us how we misrepresented the story or reported any factual errors. Essentially, I was never told how we were at fault, just that we were. In an email to me, in response to my inquiry to write said letter, he said “we do believe that neither the Herald or the AG have portrayed this matter accurately.”

If you were to ask me to pinpoint the most significant qualm I have with his letter, I’d direct you towards this line, “Mr. Beshear and the newspapers sug-

gest that a victim’s identity can remain confidential simply by removing or not disclosing the name of the victim and witnesses (if any) from the records.”

I will scream from the mountaintop until I lose my voice, the College Heights Herald will not ever publish the names of victims of sexual misconduct/assault. The only time we would ever, ever consider doing so is with that person’s explicit consent and permission. Even then we’d walk a fine line of publishing such information.

The attorney general gave WKU the opportunity to submit the Title IX records with the identity and personal

victims.

In a story reported by the Daily News, Ransdell said making sexual misconduct records public would hurt WKU’s process for reporting sexual assault.

No institution, program, policy or process is above reproach, above criticism, above being improved upon. The only way this hurts the process is if it is revealed the process has hiccups or flaws.

He went on to say if you want “to put a chill on sexual assault prevention, then make it clear to women or men who choose not to go to the police but who want to file a complaint that their personal choice is subject to open re-

These are already public records, and the information Ransdell claims can be garnered to identify victims is heavily redacted in the records she received.”

College Heights Herald Opinion Editor Andrew Henderson identifiers of students redacted to protect them, an “in camera” or private review of the documents to determine what is and is not releasable. The attorney general does more than suggest a victim’s name be given confidentiality; his office gave WKU the opportunity to do just that.

Additionally, Ransdell’s ludicrous claim there’s a boogeyman out there scouring the internet, sifting through the information contained in these records, putting “two and two together” to identify witnesses and/or a victim, all the while connecting threads of string to photos and post-it notes on a bulletin board is a sensational fairytale, which does nothing more than scare

Lashana Harney* Editor-in-chief

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Craig Ostertag* Design Editor Jacob Dick* Print Managing Editor Spencer Harsh* Andrew Henderson* Copy Desk Chief Opinion Editor Mhari Shaw* Evan Heichelbech* Sports Editor Shaban Athuman* Photo Editor

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cords.”

I would have Ransdell know Herald reporter and digital editor Nicole Ares has had copies of Title IX investigations from several different Kentucky universities for months. These are already public records, and the information Ransdell claims can be garnered to identify victims is heavily redacted in the records she received.

So when he claims those with “ill intent towards the victim and/or witnesses” would threaten, humiliate or condemn them, we have to ask where those people are, seeing as the information we’ve received from other universities is already public record.

Beshear said without a confidential

review by his office, institutions could hide issues related to sexual assault, and the “universities’ actions are attempting to turn Kentucky’s Open Records Act into a ‘trust me’ law.” I agree with him on this stance, the ruling in our case, and the others as well, has the dangerous potential to gut Kentucky’s Open Records laws.

After looking over some of the records the Herald has received, I cannot say in confidence I would trust WKU either. Which, after all, is part of my job not to completely trust the university; healthy skepticism isn’t fatal.

There have been noted trends in the records the Herald has received from other universities where faculty and staff members are simply given training sessions for sexual misconduct or still work for the university for months after the fact an investigation has turned up evidence of wrongdoing. So, you’ll have to excuse me if I don’t see WKU as the shining beacon on the hill when this seems to be consistent across the board.

Ransdell told a Herald reporter he wanted to determine the best course of action in this case without making a media spectacle for victims and the accused. But his recent actions and public comments suggest otherwise. I realize, however, my role in responding doesn’t help this either. For that, I am apologetic, but I could not stay silent when attempts have been made to discredit our reporting and scare victims.

The bottom line: the Herald is dedicated to getting this story right, protecting the identities of victims and reaching out to victims and the accused parties even if it draws the ire of the administration. The Herald recognizes in the final adjudication these records may not be exempt for public disclosure. We’ll continue to report the story to the fullest extent just the same.

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The Sport of Kings ©2017 PuzzleJunction.com

1. When was the first Kentucky Derby? (a) 1875 (b) 1860 (c) 1887 2. Which of the Triple Crown races is the oldest? (a) Preakness Stakes (b) Belmont Stakes (c) Kentucky Derby 3. Who was the first horse to win one million dollars? (a) Citation (b) Man O' War (c) Secretariet 4. How many Triple Crown winners were there in the 20th century? (a) 15 (b) 7 (c) 11 5. Who was Seabiscuit's greatest rival? (a) Assault (b) War Admiral (c) Bold Venture 6. What Triple crown race is run at the shortest distance? (a) Belmont (b) Kentuck Derby (c) Preakness 7. By how many lengths did Secretariat win the Belmont? (a) 21 (b) 31 (c) 11 8. Who was the only Triple Crown winner who was undefeated at the time of his victory? (a) Seattle Slew (b) Cigar (c) Affirmed 9. What Triple Crown winner did Man O' War defeat? (a) Gallant Fox (b) Sir Barton (c) Whirlaway 10. Who was the first filly to win the Kentucky Derby? (a) Genuine Risk (b) Winning Colors (c) Regret

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APRIL 20, 2017 > WESTERN KENTUCKY UNIVERSITY

WKUHERALD.COM

PHOTO

Sami Zayn jumps to tackle Kevin Owens during their march on Monday at Diddle Arena during WWE Live. Owens defeated Zayn to hold onto his WWE United States Championship title. KATHRYN ZEISIG/HERALD

RUMBLE IN the ARENA

W

WE Live took over Diddle Arena on Monday. Some of the featured superstars were WWE Champion Randy Orton, United States Champion Kevin Owens, SmackDown Tag Team Champions The Usos and SmackDown Women’s Champion Naomi. The seats filled up with the crowd. Many spectators yelled and cheered for the wrestlers. From counting down the wrestlers pins to cheering on the winners, WWE is family friendly entertainment as well as global.

photos and copy by: Tyger Williams & Kathryn Zeisig

The crowd is cheers and shouts for the two tag teams as they wrestle their way to pinning one another. The Uso brothers go against Chad Gable and Jason Jordan for the SmackDown Tag Team Championship belt on Monday. TYGER WILLIAMS/HERALD

Trinity Fatu, AKA Naomi, raises the Smackdown Women’s Championship belt after WWE Champion Randy Orton was one of the featured superstars at WWE Live. Orton winning against Natalya, Carmella, Charlotte, Becky Lynch, and Tamina Snuka in a went up against AJ Styles and Baron Corbin for title match to be the WWE Champisix-pack challenge on Monday at Diddle Arena. KATHRYN ZEISIG/HERALD on. He ended up winning the match to continue being the champion on Monday at Diddle Arena. TYGER WILLIAMS/HERALD

The Usos go against Chad Gable and Jason Jordan for the title for SmackDown Tag Team Champions. Jey Uso grabs Chad Gable in a headlock during the match. The Uso brothers are members of the legendary Samoan Anoa’I Family and are the current SmackDown Tag Team Champions TYGER WILLIAMS/HERALD

Frank Boone, 46, of Russelville is with his daughter Dana Boone cheering on the WWE wrestlers in Diddle Arena. This was Dana’s first WWE live with her dad and it was her 14th birthday present. “It’s a lot of fun; the story line keeps you excited,” Frank said. “You get to root for the good or the bad guys.” TYGER WILLIAMS/HERALD

APRIL 20, 2017 > WESTERN KENTUCKY UNIVERSITY

WKUHERALD.COM

LIFE

» Event: Check out our preview for humorist David Sedaris’s appearance at Van Meter Hall this Saturday.

Event informs on sexual assualt

BY ANNA LAWSON HERALD.FEATURES@WKU.EDU

Take Back the Night is an international event that started in protest to the violence against women while they are walking at night. However, as the event has grown over the years, it now deals with violence against all genders.

This year’s march and rally, which has been going on for about eight years, is expected to bring in 500 people. Over the years, the march has raised awareness that all human beings have the right “to be free from violence, to be heard, and the right to reclaim those rights if they are violated.” The event is part of Sexual Assault Awareness Month.

Immediately following the march, a benefit show will take place at the FFOYA house, featuring Nashville musician Emma Dilemma and local band Heron and Crane. All donations collected at the show will go towards Hope Harbor Sexual Trauma Recovery Center in Bowling Green.

Elizabeth Madariaga, the sexual assault services coordinator at WKU, said the event provides a platform for people to work together to raise awareness.

“It helps to increase awareness,” she said. “It allows as a safe space for people to come together to show solidarity and support as well as lets people know of resources on our campus and community. It’s an easy way to get people involved and to help people make a difference.”

According to RAINN, an anti-sexual assault organization, an American is sexually assaulted every 98 seconds. On top of that, college-aged women are three times more likely to be sexually assaulted than women of other ages.

Madariaga said the event is im-

SEE TBTN PAGE B2

Junior Adrian Sanders embraces senior Natalie Rickman after finding out that Rickman won first place in Goldenrod Poetry Festival in Cherry Hall on Monday April 17. SILAS WALKER/HERALD

Goldenrod Annual poetry festival honors finalists and features WKU alumna as visiting poet

BY OLIVIA MOHR HERALD.FEATURES@WKU.EDU Under the fluorescent lights of room 125 in Cherry Hall, students gathered to hear poetry read aloud.

The Goldenrod Poetry Festival is an annual celebration of student poetry. This year, it took place on Monday at 7:30 p.m. Students were permitted to submit up to five poems into a student poetry contest per person and English Club members chose 10 finalists. The festival features a guest poet each year who choos-

es three winners. This year’s guest speaker was WKU alumna Maggie Woodward. On Monday, Woodward led a workshop with the 10 finalists and had dinner with them before the festival. At the festival, finalists read their poems aloud. Woodward then read several of her own poems and announced the three winners.

“I love WKU so much, so it feels very natural to be back in Cherry Hall,” Woodward said. “It feels weird to have given the reading because I remember watching the readings as a student. It felt like coming home.”

Woodward graduated from WKU in 2014. She was a finalist at the Goldenrod Poetry Festival her junior and senior years at WKU, and won second place her junior year.

She lives in Oxford, Mississippi. She started out as an English literature major and switched to creative writing her senior year at WKU. Woodward will graduate from the University of Mississippi (Ole Miss) as a Master of Fine Arts next month.

In August, she will start a PhD program in film and cinema studies

SEE GOLDENROD PAGE B2

Local artists perform to raise money for refugees

BY KALEE CHISM HERALD.FEATURES@WKU.EDU Last weekend, local artists and musicians came together to raise awareness and funds for refugees.

Bands for Refugees was held at local music venue, Tidball’s, on Saturday, donating all proceeds to the International Center for Kentucky.

The performances included the Wet Eyed Liars, The Black Shades, and Former Friends of Young Americans (FFOYA), as well an art raffle, including works by artists Danielle Patton of Bird and Bone Jewelry and Meranda Caswell of Scraps n Scratches.

Melissa Cary, the event’s coordinator, said the political attitudes toward refugees and immigrants is what brought her to creating the fundraiser.

“The current political climate in the United States had myself and my close friends feeling almost lost as to what we could do to help,” Cary said.

“With the proposal of the border wall and the attempts at banning immigrants, including refugees, I wanted to do something. One of my oldest and best friends comes from a family of Cambodian immigrants, so this is something close to my heart. Help-

ing out the International Center of Kentucky is one way myself and the art community can contribute something positive.”

Cary said, the musicians were so willing to work for the cause that making the lineup was one of the most exciting parts of creating the event.

“The most exciting part was the willingness from all the bands, artists and the venue. It was really easy to put together,” Cary said. “The most difficult part was telling other bands that the lineup was already set.”

Cary said that this event will open people’s minds to immigrants and refugees, refuting the stereotypes and encourage inclusiveness.

Tidball’s and the artists and musicians involved were the key roles that made this event happen., Cary said.

“I would like to give a huge thank you to John Tidball and the rest of the Tidball’s crew for giving the space to hold such an event,” Cary said. “And of course a very special thank you to the members of FFOYA, The Black Shades, and Wet Eyed Liars and the numerous local artists and artisans for donating their work to the raffle.

Without any of them none of this would have been possible.”

All of the proceeds benefited the International Center of Kentucky,

Amanda Crawford (left) and Robert Tobias (right) of the band Former Friends of Young Americans perform at the “Bands for Refugees” on Saturday at Tidball’s. Local bands played at Tidball’s to show support for refugees , with all profits going toward the International Center of Kentucky. JACK ATKERSOM/HERALD and Cary said she hopes to continue this event in the future.

“I would love to continue this as an annual event,” Cary said.

The main goal was to raise enough money to help impact the Center, and the event did just that.

“The main goal was to raise money for the Center, which was achieved

by raising $600 from the cover charge at Tidball’s and the art raffle featuring donations from local artists and artisans,” Cary said.

Reporter Kalee Chism can be reached at 270-745-2655 and kalee. chism704@topper.wku.edu.

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APRIL 20, 2017

B2

COLLEGE HEIGHTS HERALD

Nationally-recognized humorist to visit WKU BYANDREW CRITCHELOW

HERALD.FEATURES@WKU.EDU

Author, comedian and radio contributor David Sedaris will bring his signature humor to Van Meter Hall on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. Famous for his humorous essays, stories and diary entries, the New York-based humorist has released 10 collections of short stories and essays over the course of his career and has contributed numerous essays to publications such as “The New Yorker.”

Whitney Pastorek of Entertainment Weekly has referred to Sedaris as “preeminent humorist of his generation” due to his self-deprecating style and confessional delivery. The audio version of Sedaris’s 2013 book “Let’s Explore Diabetes with Owls” received a Grammy nomination for Best Spoken Word Album at the 56th

GOLDENROD Continued from B1

at the University of Southern California. She teaches introduction to creative writing and freshman composition classes at Ole Miss and is a senior editor of the literary journal, “Yalobusha Review”.

The poems Woodward presented are mainly from her thesis collection and a book she wrote coming out this year called “Found Footage.”

At Goldenrod, Woodward chose Natalie Rickman as this year’s first place winner with her poem “Poetry.” Emily Houston won second place with her poem “They Told Me Their Stories” and Heather Borders won third place with her poem “Riptide.”

Allison Call, Alayni Hilton, Kalyn Johnson, Jessica McCormick, Adrian Sanders, Cassidy Townsend and Natalie Turner were the other finalists.

The 10 finalists got their poems archived at the library, and the three winners won small cash prizes.

Jerod Hollyfield, an assistant professor in the English department, is co-adviser of the Goldenrod Poetry Festival, along with assistant professor Gillian Knoll. Hollyfield said he thinks Goldenrod is an important event.

“I think it’s a great testament to the capability of writers and the talented writers at WKU,” Hollyfield said. “I think it’s also important to have an event dedicated to poetry because

TBTN

Continued from B1 portant for the Bowling Green community but especially WKU students. 11.2 percent of all students experience rape or sexual assault in college, according to RAINN. “This is their time,” Madariaga said. “They are moving on to be future leaders. How they act and their attitudes toward issues will affect the future of their children and grandchildren. College age is a high-risk time, and it’s important to work on shifting that rape culture. We need to stop victim blaming and excusing behaviors and instead work on ending sexual assault.”

Madariaga said she enjoys seeing students let their voices be heard.

“We love having the campus community involved, and it’s great to see the students taking pride in their community and the desire to keep us all safe,” she said.

Hope Harbor has been involved with the event since the 1990s. Each year, Hope Harbor works with WKU and community organizations at the Sexual Assault Prevention Month committee to plan events in April, like Take Back the Night.

Annual Awards Sedaris’s latest book, a collection of diary entries by Sedaris spanning decades entitled “Theft by Finding” will be published May 30. In addition to his writing work, Sedaris has also made numerous radio appearances on NPR and has made several appearances on the late-night television circuit.

Currently on a national speaking tour, Sedaris’s appearance at WKU will be free to all students and seating will be at a first-come-first-serve basis.

The event is part of WKU’s Cultural Enhancement Series, which is focused on providing the community and campus with performances and speeches from national-recognized artists and intellectuals. According to WKU’s Cultural Enhancement website, the goal of the series is to “chal-

lenge our audiences, to expose them to new ideas, and give them new perspectives on our world.”

Kelly Scott, Event Coordinator for the Cultural Enhancement Series and Communications Coordinator at the Potter College of Arts and Letters, said Sedaris will be a unique addition to the roster of guests for the series due to his humorous work.

“According to my records we’ve never had an author of this genre for the CES,” Scott said. “The CES Committee tries to bring new and different speakers, artist and performers each year. Humor is never off the table.”

Started in 1997, the Cultural Enhancement Series has brought such widely-recognized names as Bill Nye, Neil Gaiman and Doc Watson to WKU. This year’s Cultural Enhancement season calendar will close out

with David Sedaris and has included performances and talks by Black Violin, Sarah Parcak and Ben Solee. The 2017-2018 season will be announced at the event Saturday.

Barnes and Noble will be present in the Van Meter Lobby before Sedaris’s appearance, selling some of the author’s books. After his appearance, Sedaris will be available to sign books for attendees.

“Mr. Sedaris will stay until the very last person has left the building,” Scott said.

The Cultural Enhancement Series Committee will review suggestions for speakers, artists and performers submitted by an online suggestion box in September.

it’s an art form that we don’t necessarily encounter or even think about regularly anymore.”

Hollyfield described Woodward as “a really interesting artist who’s both an artist and a scholar, which is something you don’t always encounter.”

Woodward considers herself a

connects with people and to not be afraid to bear it all,” she said.

Natalie Rickman won first place with her poem called “Poetry,” which was based on an exercise in a book called “The Poetry Gymnasium: 94 Proven Exercises to Shape Your Best Verse” by Tom C. Hunley, an English professor at WKU. Woodward said

mail. Rickman said she enjoyed the exercise.

“I’ve never written an erasure before, so it was cool to try out that form,” Rickman said.

Rickman, a graduating senior from Bowling Green, said Woodward inspired her to look into the MFA program at Ole Miss.

“I had never heard about Ole Miss’s MFA program, and Maggie spoke so highly of it, so I’m definitely going to look into it, and there’s no admission fee so I’ll probably even apply to it,” she said.

Rickman said she is excited to win first place at Goldenrod and proud to be part of WKU’s creative writing department. She also feels grateful to WKU’s faculty and staff.

“The faculty and staff at WKU have been so helpful and so inspiring and so encouraging,” she said. “Also, the creative writing department is full of really awesome, talented, kind people.”

Rickman said she feels her poetry shares the same confessional style as Woodward, and she admires Woodward’s poetry.

“It was funny, it was honest, it was a little bit heartbreaking,” she said.

I think it’s also important to have an event dedicated to poetry because it’s an art form that we don’t necessarily encounter or even think about regularly anymore.”

Asisstant Professor of English

Jerod Hollyfield

confessional poet, and she said she hopes her poetry will encourage the finalists and those who heard her present her poems to write confessional poetry.

“I hope that they took away the idea that it’s okay to write super confessional poetry and reveal secrets about yourself in poems because it

she enjoyed the way Rickman approached the exercise and she enjoyed the way the other two winners ended their poems.

At Woodward’s workshop, finalists wrote erasure poems. They wrote the poems on postcards and addressed them to whomever they wanted.

Woodward sent the postcards in the

Megan Talcott, the Director of Prevention Education at Hope Harbor, said the event is a great time for everyone to come together to fight sexual violence in their community.

“It is important to let survivors know that they are not alone, that

“Unfortunately, college students are at a high risk of experiencing sexual assault, and all too often the violence is never reported,” she said. “When we come together to talk about the issue we help make it easier for survivors to know their re-

“It is important to let survivors know that they are not alone, that there are people who support them,” Director of Prevention Education at Hope Harbor

Megan Talcott

there are people who support them,” she said. “It is also important to let community members know that we are not okay with sexual assault in our community.”

According to Talcott, it is estimated that only five percent of assault on college campuses is ever reported.

sources and how to get help.”

The event will consist of a short rally before-hand with a speaker and music, followed by a march around downtown and ending with a candlelight vigil at First Christian church.

There will be poetry readings from two area survivors and a survivor

Reporter Andrew Critchelow can be reached at 270-745-6288 and andrew. critchelow121@topper.wku.edu.

Reporter Olivia Mohr can be reached at 270-745-6288 and olivia. mohr564@topper.wku.edu

speaking about their experience.

“Expect a very powerful scene,” Madariaga said. “It’s very empowering to speak out against such a prominent issue in our society.”

Talcott said she hopes victims of sexual assault realize they are not alone.

“People care and want to help,” she said. “They can change the culture, and we need everyone to do their part so that we can eliminate sexual assault. I hope they will walk away feeling empowered to change their community.”

Madariaga said she hopes the event will shine a light on resources in the community and the importance of the issue.

“I hope people will feel empowered and realize how important of an issue this is and how it affects our entire community,” she said. “My hope is that sexual violence will end. Survivors will be supported, not blamed and our culture will shift so that accountability for perpetrators is incredibly high.”

Reporter Anna Lawson can be reached at 270-745-2655 and anna. lawson850@topper.wku.edu

WKU’s 2016-2017 Cultural Enhancement Series presents

NPR Humorist and Best-selling Author of Me Talk Pretty One Day and When You Are Engulfed in Flames

Saturday April 22, 2017 7:30 pm cst Van Meter Hall Free Admission / Open to campus and community Seating is limited and on a first-come, first-served basis wku.edu/go/ces / Follow @wkuces on Facebook and Twitter Contact cultural.enhancement@wku.edu or call 270-745-4375

Coming fall 2017: Alpha Xi Delta House

COLLEGE HEIGHTS HERALD

APRIL 20, 2017

B3

A Q & A with local artist Emily Hendricksen

BY CHRIS DIMEO

HERALD.FEATURES@WKU.EDU Emily Hendricksen is a Kentucky-born artist and University of Kentucky graduate. She has previously worked at the Kentucky Museum on campus and now remains involved in her community art studio in town.

On Tuesday, she gave a talk in Downing Student Union about her newest exhibit, which is set up on campus in the Intercultural Student Engagement Center. The exhibit, entitled “The Feminine Figure,” explores perceptions of the female body and its role, as well as her own reflections on the subject.

After her talk, she discussed her work and inspirations.

What was your exhibit about?

What was the message you were trying to communicate?

The main theme from this exhibit was the female image and my thoughts and feelings about what that image is. There are a few select works from two different series I’m creating still. One series is my Tarot Card Series, in which I highlighted the idea of the feminine figure taking on roles/meanings of cards that would normally be represented with

a male figure. The idea is that women are very capable and embody those traits and characteristics that men are often portrayed as having.

The other series I have in the exhibit that I touched on during my talk was from The Unknown Series. The images I have are responses to things that I have experienced in the most recent few months. They deal with my inner feelings and thoughts about the female body and how my past experiences have affected me. These works, which I consider to be my most powerful and most important right now, are how I’ve dealt with some deeply personal issues. Art has been my outlet and the way I heal myself.

Why are you passionate about this topic?

I’m passionate about art, I believe, because it’s something that I’ve always been drawn to. I’ve made art ever since I was a small child, like most children of course. But I found myself through art. It’s how I began to identify myself, how to express myself when I couldn’t articulate what I wished to. As I said before, it has also been a source for healing, a way to share with others my experiences in hopes that it will help them in some small way. Art is, for my journey in life, a way for me to grow and learn things about the works around me, which then allows for me to teach others so that they may grow too.

this message needed to be spread because of negative experiences, or is it more a celebration of beauty you have observed?

Would you say the messages about the female body in your work are more directed at men or women, or is it a universal message that all people can connect with?

In my work, I don’t really seek to aim the messages to any particular group or gender. They’re just my responses to things I’ve experienced or have feelings about, hopefully those can translate to others and connect [to] others, but no particular audience really.

What led you to become interested in creating works about the female image? Did you feel that

I’m not sure if there was one specific thing or experience that led me to become interested in the female figure/body, more like over the course of my life, being a [woman] myself, I’ve dealt with body image issues and social/political issues. As for the messages I wished to convey, some did stem from not so great experiences, and some from my own gradual progression as an artist and as a human being. I think all the ‘negative’ and ‘positive’ experiences were and are necessary for humans to grow and learn, and sometimes it can be very difficult to deal with.

That’s why I use my art to help myself grow and heal, and if others happen to be impacted by the art and in turn allows them to grow and heal, then I think that’s what matters the most.

Digital Reporter Chris DiMeo can be reached at 270-745-6288 and christine.nalani.dimeo@gmail.com.

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COLLEGE HEIGHTS HERALD

APRIL 20, 2017

B4

Five things to watch for in the Red White Game

BY TYLER MANSFIELD

HERALD.SPORTS.WKU.EDU

WKU’s annual spring football game will kickoff at 3 p.m. Saturday at Houchens-Smith Stadium. Admission and parking are both free, and there will be a postgame autograph session with the Hilltopper coaching staff and players. Here are the top storylines to keep an eye on in the game.

Sanford’s style of play Not only will the Hilltoppers get to play in front of what should be a nice crowd for the first time in 2017, but it will also be Mike Sanford’s inaugural game as WKU’s head coach, technically speaking.

Fans and media have been able to catch a glimpse of how Sanford coaches throughout the course of spring practice leading up to Saturday, but it’ll be interesting to see how he directs his Topper club in a game setting. While Sanford is known for being an offensive guru himself, it will be interesting to see how his style compares to former head coach Jeff Brohm’s creativity on the offensive side of the ball.

PREVIEW

Continued from b6 ment to our offense and execute it a few times a game, we can keep any defense on their heels.”

As far as the running back position goes, neither redshirt junior D’Andre Ferby or redshirt senior Leon Allen will be playing on Saturday. Sophomore running backs Quinton Baker (White team) and Marquez Trigg (Red

BASEBALL Continued from b6

lead in hits with teammate Dane Myers, as both have 47. DiCaprio’s average is top-10 in the conference.

This is the first and only series that Rice and WKU will play against each

Along with Sanford, fans will also get a first look at the new assistants, including offensive coordinator Junior Adams and defensive coordinator Clayton White.

The running back depth chart It’s no secret that all eyes will be focused on the running back position in Saturday’s spring finale. Out of WKU’s four main running backs, two are making comebacks from injuries.

Redshirt-senior Leon Allen, who suffered a gruesome leg injury in a Sept. 10, 2015 game against Louisiana Tech, has showed great progress and participated some throughout spring practice before it was announced at the end of last week he would not participate in any more spring activities.

Along with Allen, rising redshirt-junior D’Andre Ferby suffered a season-ending shoulder injury in WKU’s season opener on Sept. 25, 2016 and has also participated in spring practice. He will not suit up on Saturday either, giving two young backs a chance to prove themselves early.

Rising sophomore Quinton Baker (542 yards, 4 touchdowns) and rising

redshirt-sophomore Marquez Trigg (298 yards, 2 touchdowns) are two backs that stepped up and produced when called upon last season. Most importantly for WKU, both are fully healthy.

wan Taylor both gone from the program, Sanford and his staff turn to their rising talent to replace the record-breaking duo.

Rising senior Nacarius Fant and rising redshirt sophomore Lucky Jackson will be two of WKU’s main receivers, while rising redshirt senior Kylen Towner and rising redshirt freshman Xaiver Lane will also play big roles.

It is unclear if Fant will play in Saturday’s game after rehabbing a knee injury suffered at the tail end of the 2016 season.

Defensive side of the ball Despite losing Branden Leston, TJ McCollum and Omarius Bryant, the Hilltoppers return 14 defensive starters, giving them a strong foundation on that side of the ball.

Of those returners are Derik Overstreet, Marcus Ward, Joe Brown, Joel Iyiegbuniwe, DeAndre Simmons, Tanner Reeves and Ben Holt - all of whom played important roles a season ago.

Ward, a fifth-year senior, suffered a season-ending knee injury at Alabama in week two of the 2016 season and received a medical redshirt for 2016. The defensive back is one of the Hilltoppers’ main leaders and a team captain.

Mike White back under center

After a successful debut season as WKU’s starting quarterback, redshirt senior to be Mike White returns as the Hilltoppers’ pilot for one final year.

In 2016, White threw for 4,363 yards and 37 touchdowns with just seven interceptions.

Behind White is redshirt-junior Drew Eckels and redshirt-freshman Steven Duncan.

Wide receiver position WKU’s wide receiver position is another area that will also be tightly contested. With standout wide receivers Nicholas Norris and Tay-

Reporter Tyler Mansfield can be reached at (270) 935-0007 and tyler. wkuherald@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter at @CallMeMansfield.

team) will both have opportunities to prove themselves as competition for the starting position starts to heat up.

Both Trigg and Baker have just one start a piece in their short careers.

However, both made the most of those starts. Trigg ran for 98 yards in just the first half in his lone start while Baker ran for 103 yards on 20 carries in his.

With an inexperienced and banged

up receiver core, the depth of the running back position may come in handy. All four backs could be used in a number of ways.

“I feel like we have good handle on it. We have potential to be explosive,” Baker said. “We have a lot of weapons and everything you need.

We have speed, power and shift. It’s a brand new offense but it is coming along. We’re taking it day by day. As of

now, things are going well. I feel like if you’re not out there Saturday, you’re going to be missing something big.”

The Red-White spring game kicks off at 3 p.m. on Saturday in Smith Stadium.

other this season. Rice has a slight upper hand in similar opponents so far, as they lost to Southern Miss two games to one, while WKU got swept by the Golden Eagles back at the beginning of April.

Rice has a marginal advantage over WKU in most team stat categories,

including batting average and runs, but WKU leads in a few categories, including total bases and home runs.

Friday’s game will be at 5 p.m., Saturday’s will be at 1 p.m. and Sunday’s will be at 12 p.m. After this series, WKU will head to Austin Peay for one game during the week before head-

ing to Louisiana Tech for another weekend series.

Reporter Sam Porter can be reached at 270-799-8247and sam.porter270@ gmail.com Follow him on Twitter at @ SammyP14.

Reporter Jeremy Chisenhall can be reached at 859-760-0198 and jeremy. chisenhall921@topper.wku.edu. Follow him on Twitter at @JSChisenhall.

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B5

Freshman infielder Bryson Smith catches a ball during practice before their game against Austin Peay on Wednesday at Nick Denes Field. SHABAN ATHUMAN/HERALD

BROTHERS Continued from b6

there for them.

“He let us play different sports, and we came to find out baseball was just the right fit for both of us,” Marshall Smith said. “He’s there for us whenever we need him to talk different approaches with baseball, and life. So, he’s been a big influence on my life, and I’m sure Bryson’s as well.”

Even though he wasn’t pushing them, he was still coaching them.

Bryan Smith was the little league coach for his kids and also coached them in summer leagues. Once that official coaching ended, Bryan still found himself using his expertise to help his kids.

“I love just kind of interjecting,” Bryan Smith said. “I trust the coaches whether I should or not. Most cases I should; I trust them in knowing the game and helping them out and coaching them. But when I would get home, I would kind of interject, ‘Well I thought you could have done this or you could have done that,’ or ‘Good job here.’ I don’t think I ever beat them up, ever, when they made a mistake.”

His sons confirmed that he was always there to give suggestions when they were needed, even calling on his past experiences as a ballplayer to help.

“He always jokes around with the past that he’s had with his coaches and how he was as a player, and relates that to different things that we

do,” Marshall Smith said. “Maybe it’s mechanically, or at the plate, or in the field, so he’s been a big help there.”

In their family baseball experience, it hasn’t been that often that the Smith brothers played on the same team.

Due to age differences and the fact that they went to different schools, it’s been a rare occurrence for them to be on the same side.

“One year we got on the same team in little league,” Bryson Smith said.

“Our ages just barely matched up, so we’d be on the same team. And then we had one or two summers when I was 15 or 16 that we got to play together as well for travel ball.”

Other than that, the two have been on separate teams until their paths collided again at WKU. But in all their time apart on separate teams, they played against each other just once.

“We did play against each other one year when he was a freshman and I was in seventh grade,” Bryson Smith said. “I was still going to a private school in our hometown and he (Marshall) went to the public school.

At the private school, I got to play with the JV team, so we were able to play against each other there, so it was pretty neat.”

There was a bit of a debate as to what the final score was.

“I (won). We won 12-1 or something,” Marshall said before his brother cut him off with laughter.

“No,” Bryson said. “He has a bad memory. It was a close game, and I think I had more hits than him too.”

Their dad helped settle the debate,

I think he decided that he might want come join me here too.”

Now reunited on the same team, the two have gotten to share a special bond, even playing together in the middle infield and turning double-plays.

“We got to turn one right over there,” Bryson said, pointing at second base on Nick Denes Field. “It was a pretty neat experience, to be able to do that at the collegiate level with your brother.”

With their college careers, the Smith brothers have carried on what is becoming a longstanding tradition of baseball success in the family.

Their father is proud of them but he’s proud because they’re working hard.

“Whether they do good or bad on the field, I care because I know they care, but I think that’s probably the proudest thing for me, is knowing that they know how to do it the right way,” Bryan Smith said. “They strive to be the best they can be in whatever they’re doing.”

to a degree.

“I would tend to think Bryson has a better memory with that kind of stuff,” Bryan Smith said, as he laughed. “But you know I don’t really know. I do remember Bryson had a good little game. I’m thinking Marshall’s team may have won. I don’t think it was a blowout, but Marshall’s team won. It’s funny how they remember that stuff.”

The two went on to high school, as Marshall Smith went to the IMG Academy in California, and Bryson Smith went to San Marino High School, also in California.

Prior to becoming teammates at WKU, Marshall went to San Diego State before transferring to Brunswick Community College, where he had a .314 batting average and posted a 4.0 GPA. After that stop at Brunswick, he finally found his home at WKU as a redshirt sophomore this season. Oddly enough, it was his younger brother who pushed him in this direction.

“It’s actually kind of funny, I chose to go here first, and Marshall transferred from junior college,” Bryson, a true freshman on the team, said.

“I think after I told him how much I loved it here when I went on my visit,

Reporter Jeremy Chisenhall can be reached at 859-760-0198 and jeremy. chisenhall921@topper.wku.edu. Follow him on Twitter at @JSChisenhall.

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WKUHERALD.COM

SPORTS

» Football: Five things to watch for in Saturday’s spring game.

BASEBALL PREVIEW

Baseball looks to regroup vs Rice

BY JEREMY CHISENHALL HERALD.SPORTS@WKU.EDU

Brothers Bryson and Marshall Smith joined the Hilltoppers this season. Marshall said the decision to come to WKU was easy because his brother had committed to play here and he loved the coaching style of John Pawlowski. “It’s everyone’s dream to play with their brother,” Marshall said. SHABAN ATHUMAN/HERALD

Family Stitches For Marshall & Bryson smith, America’s Pastime Becomes a Family Affair

BY JEREMY CHISENHALL HERALD.SPORTS@WKU.EDU To those who have played it, the game of baseball is often much more than America’s pastime. To some, it’s a brotherhood. To some, it’s even a way of life. To WKU’s Smith family, it’s both of those things and more.

Bryson and Marshall Smith are brothers and teammates together in their first year as a part of the Hilltopper baseball team. They’re both hitting .250 or better this year, and they’re not the only talented players in their family. Their dad, Bryan Smith, played at Campbell University from 1978-79 before transferring

to Clemson University and playing there from 1980-82, where he hit .296 his senior year.

The baseball family tree extends even further back, as Bryson and Marshall’s grandfather played baseball in college, and their brother played as a child.

“It’s been good for all of us. It is a family thing, especially with these two at the same school,” Bryan Smith said. “This kind of allows us to get back together, so it’s kind of neat, and it’s fun to see them when they get on the field at the same time. It’s good structure for those guys, for my guys, for the future, and that’s what I think this is all about.”

Bryan said baseball is just like life

and that’s what makes it so great.

“You’re going to have ups and downs every single day,” Bryan Smith said. “Good years, bad years, and you’ve got to find how to live on an even keel, and just handle all of that on a daily basis. That’s one reason I love baseball. All walks of life in baseball, just like in the real world, so it’s good.”

Despite the fact that the Smith patriarch loves baseball for its similarities to the real world, and the fact that he played at a high level all the way through college, he didn’t expect his kids to play it. When they focused on baseball, he was always

SEE BROTHERS PAGE B5

WKU is back at Nick Denes Field this weekend to take on the Rice Owls in a three-game series. They’ll be looking to bounce back from a series sweep that they suffered at the hands of Charlotte last weekend.

The Hilltoppers currently hold an 11-25 record and will be going up against an Owls team that is 1325. Rices is also coming off a series loss against Southern Mississippi.

Tied for last place in the Conference USA standings with 4-11 conference records, both teams will be looking to climb up from the bottom of the cellar.

WKU’s expected starters for the weekend will be Ryan Thurston on Friday, Paul Kirkpatrick on Saturday and Evan Acosta on Sunday. Thurston has a 5.54 earned run average with a 3-3 record this year. Kirkpatrick sports a 5.27 ERA, the best among the three starters, and a 2-5 record. Acosta comes into the series with a 6.34 ERA and a 1-4 record.

As for the offense, the Hilltoppers will be looking for big production from Colie Currie, the team’s leader in at-bats with 133, hits with 39, triples with four, walks with 15, batting average with .331 (minimum 100 atbats) and on-base percentage with .395 (minimum 100 at-bats).

The Hilltoppers are also getting some great pop in their lineup from Thomas Peter, who currently leads the team in home runs with seven.

He’s also leading the team in slugging percentage with .534 (minimum 100 at-bats).

Rice’s pitching staff is led by Zach Esquivel, who has a 3.22 ERA and a 3-4 record in 15 appearances this season, eight of which were starts.

Rice’s offensive attack is led by Dominic DiCaprio, who’s leading the Owls in batting average with .356, slugging percentage with .500, onbase percentage with .435 and home runs with four. He’s also tied for the

SEE BASEBALL PAGE B4

SPRING GAME PREVIEW

Plenty of learning left to do for Hilltopper offense

BY SAM PORTER HERALD.SPORTS@WKU.EDU

WKU football players do high-knee drills before going through their plays during practice on Tuesday at Smith Stadium. The Hilltoppers will have their Red-White Spring Game on Saturday. MICHELLE HANKS/HERALD

In just two days, Hilltopper fans will get a glimpse of an offense not quite familiar to the one seen in recent years.

Fans can expect to see a more balanced offense instead of the up-tempo, high-scoring offense seen in recent years. Senior quarterback Mike White and junior quarterback Drew Eckel’s knowledge of Mike Sanford’s new offense will be put to the test on Saturday when the two lead their respective squads for the Red-White Spring game.

“There’s definitely some more learning left to do,” White said. “This is our 14th practice, and you can’t build an entire offense in 14 practices. We’re going to show people we have gelled as a group. We’re finding a lot of young guys to step up. You’ll definitely see a group that is hungry, wants to play and keep the winning tradition alive.”

Last season, White ranked third in the nation in passing efficiency.

Although his yards and touchdowns

may not reach last year’s totals in this more balanced offense, his overall efficiency should remain the same in year two of leading the offense.

White also factors into expected uptick in the running game. One of White’s bigger challenges this spring has been learning the zone read that Sanford has a history of success with. Most recently, Sanford coached former Notre Dame quarterback Deshone Kizer, who is projected to be drafted in the early rounds of next week’s NFL Draft. Kizer broke several quarterback rushing records while leading the Fighting Irish offense, including the single season rushing touchdown record.

Unlike last season, White will be asked to use his legs as well as his arm if this offense wants to reach its full potential.

“The cool thing about this offense is that we’re going to do multiple things,” offensive coordinator junior Adams said. “With the quarterback-driven run game, we’re making the defense, as we like to say, ‘defend 12.’ If we can add the zone read ele-

SEE PREVIEW PAGE B4

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