April 9, 2019

Herald Town Hall for SGA Elections - Wednesday, April 10, at 6 p.m. in GRH 2064 - Tune in on Facebook!

TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 2019

WESTERN KENTUCKY UNIVERSITY

VOLUME 94, ISSUE 24

Final academic program evaluation recommendations released

BY REBEKAH ALVEY HERALD.NEWS@WKU.EDU

The final recommendations from the Comprehensive Academic Program Evaluation process have been released, and 101 programs have been recommended for suspension.

Following former Provost Terry Ballman’s resignation, recommendations for CAPE have been directly passed to the Board of Regents for approval during the next Academic Affairs Committee meeting on Friday, April 12.

In an email sent to faculty and staff Monday, acting Provost Cheryl Stevens confirmed the CAPE Committee had completed its review of WKU’s 380

academic programs and will be ready to present its recommendations to the Board of Regents Committee.

Stevens said through CAPE, the committee has identified 209 programs to maintain as they currently are, 55 programs to transform, 15 programs to grow and 101 programs to suspend.

The suspended programs include 11 undergraduate degrees, four graduate

degrees and 86 other credentials such as minors and certificates.

Of those 101 programs recommended for suspension, 42 have no enrollment, according to the Board of Regents agenda.

“Given a declining population of high school students, downturn in the SEE CAPE RESULTS • PAGE A8

‘DON’T WASTE THIS CRISIS’ Larry Snyder offers hope for WKU after his resignation

BRITTANY MORRISON • HERALD

Political science associate professor Shannon Vaughan speaks during a special called University Senate meeting on Thursday April 4. During the meeting, faculty passed a vote of no confidence in former Provost Terry Ballman’s leadership.

BY NICOLE ZIEGE HERALD.NEWS@WKU.EDU

F

or Larry Snyder, former dean of the Potter College of Arts and Letters, March 26 was a hectic

day.

At noon, Snyder and search committee members met for two hours to discuss the three finalists for the College of Health and Human Services vacant dean position.

Shortly after the meeting at 2:30 p.m., Snyder said he met with then-Provost Terry Ballman for about 30-45 minutes about the dean search, after which, Ballman told Snyder there was one more thing they needed to discuss.

Moving to the table in her office, Ballman informed Snyder there was a “need to make a change” in dean leadership at WKU. In 10 minutes, Snyder signed her prepared resignation letter.

“It was non-specific,” Snyder told the Herald in an interview on Monday. “I asked for specifics. The only reason that I was given was that I had not been a good university citizen and supported the needs of the [Potter]

college over those of the university. I asked for examples, but there weren’t any, at least not provided.”

After resigning as dean, Snyder said he returned to his office in the Ivan Wilson Fine Arts Center, gathered all of the immediate staff in the office and told them what had happened. He said before he finished telling them about his resignation, Ballman had sent out an email to all faculty and staff, informing them about his resignation.

Ballman wrote in the email that Snyder “will be on leave preparing to resume his duties as a member of our faculty.” His resignation went into effect the next day, and she declined to give a reason for his resignation in multiple settings throughout the week, stating it was a personnel matter.

Snyder said he holds no animosity toward Ballman for his resignation.

“The provost gave the right response, and that is, ‘This is a personnel decision that cannot be discussed publicly,’” Snyder said. “This is not how I would have liked to walk out the door, but I’m OK.” Snyder said he would have preferred to tell the PCAL faculty and staff about his resignation himself. He did not provide a statement addressing his

Ballman’s resignation and the impact it has on WKU

BY EVAN HEICHELBECH HERALD.NEWS@WKU.EDU

Larry Snyder woke up on March 26 as one of the most experienced deans at WKU, second only to Cheryl SteMHARI SHAW • HERALD vens. By the end of that day two weeks Larry Snyder’s resignation from dean of Pot- ago, that fact would no longer be true. ter College of Arts and Letters was announced Less than two weeks after Snyder March 26. After a leave of absence, he will return was asked to resign as dean of Potto campus as a faculty member in the religious ter College of Arts and Letters by studies department in January 2020. then-Provost Terry Ballman, a whole lot else would also change, leaving WKU’s administration flipped on resignation until the next day.

“Quite frankly, had I been able to do its head and turned sideways before that, it might have softened the reac- coming out with a totally new look.

In the days following Snyder’s tion and response of it,” Snyder said.

Snyder said he fully understands forced resignation, an outcry of proSEE SNYDER • PAGE A3

SEE RECAP • PAGE A8

Emily DeLetter Working “Workingfor for the the Herald Herald d has has been been an an invaluable experience and has added invaluable experience and nd has added so so much much to to my my college college e career. career. Not Not only was I able to learn more about only was I able to learn n more about being being aa journalist, journalist, II also also so met met great great people and made connections people and made connections nections that that can can help help me me today, today, tomorrow tomorrow morrow and and in in the future.

It’s a fascinating experience the future. It’s a fascinating ng experience to to be be “in “in the the room” room” when when en big big stories stories break and being part of the break and being part of the team team responsible responsible for for reporting reporting g and and writing writing impactful stories.

The lessons impactful stories. The lessons I’ve I’ve learned learned in in and and out out of of the the he newsroom newsroom are priceless and are knowledge are priceless, and are knowledge owledge II will will carry carry with with me me throughout throughout ut the the rest rest of of my professional career. my professional career.”

@wkuherald WKU Herald @wkuherald

Apply today! wkuherald.com/apply

NEWS A3

TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 2019 WESTERN KENTUCKY UNIVERSITY

SNYDER

CONTINUED FROM FRONT and respects the right for the provost and university president to make leadership changes. “Academic administration is always in a precarious location, even at the best of times,� Snyder said. “And these are not the best of times.�

Beginning on the day after Snyder’s resignation, students protested outside Wetherby Administration Building, calling for answers. The protests continued until April 1, when Ballman met with students to address their concerns at a public forum hosted by the Student Government Association.

Students also chalked messages across campus, demanding transparency and showing support for the former dean. Some of these messages included “Justice 4 Dean Snyder,� “PCAL Matters,� “Tell Us Why� and “No Comment.�

Snyder said he did not expect the students to respond to his resignation like that, but he said the student workers in the dean’s office were “in tears� and angry after he told them about it. “I was shocked, honored and humbled, quite frankly, by their responses,�

Snyder said, referring to the students who protested against his resignation. “It was very spontaneous and organic.�

WKU faculty reacted to the resignation by holding a special called University Senate meeting on April 4. Snyder said he chose not to attend the meeting and not to provide a statement at the meeting because he wanted the discussion to focus on issues larger than himself. “The events surrounding my resignation might have been the catalyst, but the issue was about more than me,� Snyder said. “I thought it needed to stay that way. I did not want to make things worse by being there, and I didn’t want the focus to be on me because the issues that needed to be discussed were bigger than me.�

The University Senate meeting ended in a vote of no confidence in Ballman’s leadership as provost. The next day, Ballman announced her resignation as provost.

�The events surrounding my resignation might have been a catalyst, but the issue was about more than me.�

Former dean of Potter College LARRY SNYDER

In an emailed statement, Ballman said she decided stepping down would be in WKU’s best interest after discussing with President Timothy Caboni. She will serve as assistant to the president for special initiatives until Aug. 30, 2020, at which time she will become a full-time, tenured faculty member in the Department of Modern Languages. “Serving as your Provost has been both an honor and a privilege, and I am proud of the things we have ac-

GRAPHIC BY REBEKAH ALVEY

complished this year,� Ballman said in the email. “I remain confident in the future of WKU. This is a remarkable, student-centered institution, and our students will continue to enjoy the transformative educational opportunities that are a hallmark of the WKU experience.�

Snyder said he was the co-chair on the search committee that brought Ballman to WKU in August 2018, and he wanted apologize to her for how her time as provost has ended. “This is not the way for anybody to end their career, only eight months in,� Snyder said. “I’m very sorry for her that it’s ended this way. I desperately wanted her to be successful. We needed her to be successful. I’m very sorry that this did not work out.�

To WKU’s faculty, staff and students, Snyder said the events following his resignation were “unprecedented,� and he hopes they continue to work together, like they did after his resignation. “Don’t waste this crisis,� Snyder said. “This is a remarkable moment where faculty and students are bound together around a common cause, and that cause is, ‘What kind of university do we want to be, and as we transition, what kind of university do we want to become?’�

Snyder said he has been overwhelmed and “brought to tears more than once� by the heartwarming responses from faculty, staff and students after his resignation as dean. “I hope folks will look back at my time and see that I worked hard to build and sustain a sense of community, that I tried to do my job fairly and humanely,� Snyder said about how he hopes he will be remembered as dean of PCAL. “I do want folks to think that they were

WKUHERALD.COM CONNECT WITH US ONLINE @WKUHERALD

heard at least and that I took the time to interact with them.�

Snyder said he will be on leave during the fall semester but will teach again in the religious studies department in January. He has been a member of WKU’s faculty since 1993, and he worked in the dean’s office at PCAL since 2003.

Snyder said he didn’t see his return to teaching in the faculty as a “demotion� because he had thought about returning to it anyway. “I got into this profession to be a faculty member,� Snyder said. “I had

never really aspired to academic leadership. I love the classroom, and I miss the classroom.�

Snyder offered advice for WKU’s faculty, staff and students as they moved forward into the future. “There’s so much anxiety and uncertainty,� Snyder said. “Folks shouldn’t be afraid of the worst. It’s going to be OK. We’re going to get through this.�

News reporter Nicole Ziege can be reached at 270-745-6011 and nicole. ziege825@topper.wku.edu. Follow her on Twitter at @NicoleZiege.

TREKFEST

SALE APRIL 4 - 15

SPECIAL 12 MONTH FINANCING AVAILABLE* Ä&#x2026; 30.05*0/"- </"/$*/( "7"*-"#-& 8*5) 3&, 3&%*5

"3% $$06/54 0''&3&% #: 0.&/*5: "1*5"- "/, 8)*$) %&5&3.*/&4 26"-*<$"5*0/4 '03 $3&%*5 "/% 130.05*0/ &-*(*#*-*5:Ăž 6#+&$5 50 $3&%*5 "11307"-Ăž */*.6. .0/5)-: 1":.&/54 "3& 3&26*3&%Ăž ĂźE>> */*.6. 163$)"4& *4 3&26*3&%Ăž

OPINION

A4

TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 2019 WESTERN KENTUCKY UNIVERSITY

ILLUSTRATION BY MADALYN STACK • HERALD

THE VOICE OF CHANGE Provost’s resignation is proof student voices matter

BY HERALD EDITORIAL BOARD HERALD.OPINION@WKU.EDU

Issue: WKU was in a frenzy for nearly two weeks after the forced resignation of Larry Snyder, the former dean of Potter College, until Provost Terry Ballman stepped down from her position on Friday.

Our stance: Ballman’s resignation partially ended the questioning from faculty and students about the value of WKU’s programs and transparency, and it is largely because of the voice of WKU’s students.

Campus was covered in chalk, students gathered to sing protest songs and a general aura of confusion and displeasure surrounded WKU from the time Larry Snyder was forced out of his role as dean of Potter College to when Terry Ballman left her position as provost.

While the initial campus uproar arose from a communication debacle, the situation’s ending had a much clearer explanation.

Ballman’s resignation from her position came less than 24 hours after the University Senate passed a vote of no confidence in her as provost.

The resolution passed with 50 votes in favor, 10 against and three abstentions.

University Senate Chair Kirk Atkinson said he had not seen a vote of no confidence passed since he started working at WKU in 2000, and

this rare occurrence led to Ballman stepping down after it became obvious she had an unprecedented lack of support.

However, the role of concerned student voices in this situation cannot be understated. There weren’t huge numbers of students protesting, but those who did made sure their voices were heard.

At the minimum, the chalk and protest songs got others asking questions about a situation that could have potentially flown under the radar, since not all members of the student body consistently pay attention to faculty issues.

When the chalk was washed away by WKU facilities, Caboni tweeted he supported the chalk messages and other types of similar expression, adding he had notified WKU facilities not to erase any more messages. Continuing to erase the chalk would have been a First Amendment issue, and Caboni understood that.

Additionally, the Herald wouldn’t have been able to ask Ballman questions as soon as it did if the campus outcry had not led to an open forum where students questioned her in the Student Government Association Senate Chambers on April 1. Before this, Herald reporters had attempted to call and email Ballman, but they weren’t able to get a response. When the effort was made to see Ballman in her office, the reporters were told she was out of town.

This was the first time Ballman had to actually answer for any decisions the university made within the past week.

This week’s poll:

Last week’s poll:

WKU Herald

How did student protests affect your view and understanding of the Larry Snyder resignation?

It made me more aware I didn’t understand I felt it was unnecessary

WKU Herald

How much does Larry Snyder’s resignation as dean of Potter College concern you?

It’s extremely troubling

45%

It bothers me some

18%

Not a big deal to me I’m too confused to know

16% 21%

772 Votes

Vote

CONTACT US

A few days before the open forum, some faculty members admitted they were afraid to speak out against Ballman because they feared for their job security. After the open forum, though, there was a sense of unity on campus between students and faculty members due to a shared concern about the university’s lack of transparency and judgement on which programs mattered. The vote of no confidence was then passed just three days later.

Ballman’s resignation serves as a moral victory for faculty and students in this fiasco, as does the solidarity shown between them in their joint support of Potter College programs and transparent communication.

Unfortunately, it still doesn’t make up for the disastrous situation and the loss of a dean who wholeheartedly supported liberal arts.

Ballman deserves some respect in her decision to step down, since understanding one’s own shortcomings isn’t extremely common.

However, to stay in her position despite backlash from students and a vote of no confidence from faculty would have only made a bad situation worse.

In an interview with the Herald in January, Caboni said, “I wouldn’t want to look at a bridge designed by an engineer who never took an art class.”

Going forward, he and those around him should remember those words and how this situation panned out when deciding the fate of programs at WKU.

DISCLOSURES

Griffin Fletcher* Copy Desk Chief

OUR TEAM Evan Heichelbech* Editor-in-chief

Cameron Coyle* Opinion Editor

Kayla Robinson Distribution Manager

Spencer Harsh* Print Managing Editor

Matt Stahl* Sports Editor

Andrew Lee Advertising Manager

Advertising: 270.745.2653 Editor: 270.745.5044 Opinion: 270.745.4874 Newsroom: 270.745.6011

REPORT AN ERROR herald.editor@wku.edu 270.745.5044

herald.advertising@wku.edu herald.news@wku.edu herald.opinion@wku.edu

Opinions expressed in this newspaper DO NOT reflect those of Western Kentucky University’s employees or of its administration.

Jeremy Chisenhall* Mhari Shaw* Digital Managing Editor Multimedia Editor Emma Austin* Engagement Editor

Abigail Dollins* Will Hoagland Assist. Multimedia Editor Advertising Adviser

*Denotes editorial board members. The Herald publishes on Tuesdays during the school year.

The first copy is free, and additional copies are $1 each, available in the Student Publications Center on Normal Street.

Rebekah Alvey* News Editor

Laurel Deppen* Features Editor

Carrie Pratt Herald Adviser

Emily DeLetter* Assist News Editor

Brandon Edwards* Design Editor

Chuck Clark Director of Student Publications

1906 College Heights Blvd #11084 Bowling Green, KY, 42101-1084 www.wkuherald.com

Craig Ostertag Ad Creative Director

FUN A5

TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 2019 WESTERN KENTUCKY UNIVERSITY

FUN PAGE Across

3 9

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

1 5 9 14 15 16 17 18 20 22 23 24 26 28 30 34 37 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 48 50 52 56

5 3 8 2 4 7 9 6 1

7 9 2 6 1 3 5 4 8

6 1 4 8 9 5 2 7 3

2 4 6 3 7 9 1 8 5

9 8 5 4 2 1 7 3 6

1 7 3 5 6 8 4 2 9

3 2 1 9 8 4 6 5 7

4 5 9 7 3 6 8 1 2

8 6 7 1 5 2 3 9 4

59 61 62 65 66 67 68

3

Thin strip In the distance Brandish Mystery writer John Dickson ___ Corporate image Lassitude Mystique Firebug Entebbe locale In a frenzy Fitting Science course Festive time Writer Asimov Modus operandi After gun or lock Boorish Fountain order Senegal neighbor Fruit-peeling device Old-time oath Medley LaBeouf of film Fairy tale figure Peek Beginning Eschew Elders Indochinese language Hollywood favorite Shred Adversary Margarita fruit Subway Bakery item City on the Rhone

1

2

3

4

5

14

15

17

18

20

28

41

43

44

58

62

5 9 7

38

13

31

32

33

53

54

55

39

45

51 59

49 52

60

63

61 64

65

66

67

68

69

70

71

Copyright ©2019 PuzzleJunction.com

69 Came to 70 Great Lakes city 71 Sail support Down 1 2 3 4 5 6

Diving duck Chuckle Impressive display Passages Petting zoo animal One of seven “little” ones 7 Old Mogul capital 8 Spacious 9 In a feeble manner

10 11 12 13 19 21 25 27 29 31 32 33 34 35 36

Vacation spot Author Bagnold Island feast They’re spotted in casinos Cat, e.g.

Potluck choice Vaughan of jazz Basically Antique shop item African nation Cheese in a ball Fabricated E.P.A. concern Shopping center Hip bones

38 41 45 47 49 51 53

College bigwigs Fraud Heredity unit Small tropical flea Living room piece Time being Magadhan language ___ has it ...

Not be frugal Tibetan priest De novo Sgt. Snorkel’s dog Makeup artist?

Biblical boat Hit the slopes

54 55 56 57 58 60 63 64

Last Weeks Solution (4/2) T O R S

N O T A T T R I W O O O W N

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

5

12

27 30

48

50

11

42

47

57

26

37

40

56

10

23

29

36

46

9

19

25

35

8

22

24

34

7

16

21

1 6

2 8

6

R E H A B

5 7 4 2 9 6 8 3 1

2 1 6 8 7 3 4 5 9

3 8 9 4 5 1 6 2 7

7 2 1 6 3 5 9 4 8

6 4 5 1 8 9 2 7 3

9 3 8 7 4 2 1 6 5

© thewordsearch.com

THE HERALD IS

NOW HIRING Be a part of our team and gain experience, references, connections and memories

Apply online at: wkuherald.com/apply Positions offered in journalism, photography and design

E B O N

P O L I T E

E T U D E S

S R O A R E A R Y C F U S O T O A C D F O B I G P R E S R I L U N D A D E O P R E N A T T A T

Y U L E T R E E S

A B U T S T A N K

L A B T R U S T Y

R A I N Y

E L L I P S E

S T S I P T A L E E M P T T A R O S K S N

N O O D L E

D O D G E R

D O W N T I M E

A B L E I G A V I D

S T E E R

R E T S

8 5 3 9 6 4 7 1 2

4 9 2 5 1 7 3 8 6

1 6 7 3 2 8 5 9 4

A6

PHOTO

CHRIS KOHLEY • HERALD

Fireworks explode in the air after the Bowling Green Hot Rods’ home opener on April 6.

Bowling Green Ballpark was renovated over the summer and now features new food options, a fountain for children to play in and a sidewalk spanning the entire ballpark.

TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 2019 WESTERN KENTUCKY UNIVERSITY

IVY CEBALLO • HERALD

Ballpark visitors watch the fireworks show that followed the Bowling Green Hot Rods’ home opener on Saturday, April 6.

LET’S PLAY BALL

Hot Rods host opening games of the season

IVY CEBALLO • HERALD

A double exposure of Hot Rods pitcher Steffon Moore shows him deliver a pitch against the Dayton Dragons on April 6. Moore’s time on the mound cut was short after allowing five runs in only an inning and a half, which would seal the Hot Rods’ fate, as they went on to lose their home opener 6-0.

CHRIS KOHLEY • HERALD

The Bowling Green Hot Rods held their first home game of the 2019 season on Saturday, April 6.

Bowling Green welcomed the Dayton Dragons for a two-game series.

CHRIS KOHLEY • HERALD

The Bowling Green Hot Rods and the Dayton Dragons face the American flag during the national anthem on Saturday. The Hot Rods lost 6-0 on Saturday but went on to beat the Dragons 13-2 on Sunday.

NEWS A7

TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 2019 WESTERN KENTUCKY UNIVERSITY

WKU students react to the anti-vax movement

BY ABBIGAIL NUTTER

HERALD.NEWS@WKU.EDU The anti-vaccination debate in the United States has reached WKU, where students shared their opinions about the movement and its supporters.

Earlier in March, Gov. Matt Bevin said in an interview with Bowling Green talk radio station WKCT that he intentionally exposed all nine of his children to chickenpox in order for them to catch the disease and become immune.

“Every single one of my kids had the chickenpox,” Bevin said to WKCT. “They got the chickenpox on purpose, because we found a neighbor that had it, and I went and made sure every one of my kids was exposed to it, and they got it. They had it as children. They were miserable for a few days, and they all turned out fine.”

Bevin said he recommended for parents worried about their children contracting chickenpox to vaccinate, but he still spoke against government-mandated vaccinations.

The introduction of vaccines caused the number of chickenpox cases to decrease in the U.S. by 85% between 1995 and 2006, according to a CBS article.

An article published on the Parents magazine website listed several reasons some parents support the anti-vaccination movement, including

overwhelming the immune systems of young children, delaying vaccines until children’s immune systems are more mature, toxins found in vaccines, vaccines being ineffective, vaccine courts and possible side effects.

The Center for Disease Control estimated the risk of a serious allergic reaction from any vaccine is one in a million doses.

Freshman and interior design major Tabitha Willgruber said she is pro-vaccination and disagrees with the claim that vaccinations are linked to autism.

“It’s honestly sad to see how selfish these parents are and how popular it is to put your child at risk,” Willgruber said.

When asked about Bevin’s comments regarding vaccinations, Willgruber said she believed it was wrong and harmful to the children.

“Chickenpox is completely preventable with a vaccine, so it is reckless of him to purposefully expose his children to a virus that not only causes them pain now but could potentially do so in the future as well,” Willgruber said.

WKU student Allen Brewer said he witnessed the dangers of life without vaccination as a young child.

“I knew a lady when I was a child that was walking with leg braces because she had had Polio before vaccinations,” Brewer said.

Brewer said he believes the concept of herd immunity is another reason

FAHAD ALOTAIBI • HERALD

The anti-vax debate drew local attention with Gov. Matt Bevin’s comments in an interview with the radio station WKCT. Bevin mentioned how he exposed all of his children to chickenpox so they would become immune.

why vaccinations are essential.

Biochemistry major and senior Johnny Mollman said he also is passionately in favor of vaccinations.

“The anti-vax movement has no scientific basis at all,” Mollman said. “It’s all based on a study that got redacted and had tons of ethical flaws in it.”

Mollman discredited the merits of the anti-vax movement due to the fact that its basis has been proven false several times.

“I’m a very science-based person,” Mollman said. “I believe in facts and evidence, and all of the evidence — every doctor, every researcher, every study that’s been done — has pointed to the benefits of vaccines and no danger.”

News reporter Abbigail Nutter can be reached at 270-745-6011 and abbigail.nutter168@topper.wku.edu.Follow her on Twitter at @abbeynutter.

Pension bill could affect KERS future for the state

BY NICOLE ZIEGE HERALD.NEWS@WKU.EDU

As Kentucky’s state legislative session ended, a higher education pension bill that could impact WKU employees passed in the Senate and House of Representatives and landed on Gov. Matt Bevin’s desk for his signature.

House Bill 358 is intended to help address the cost of the Kentucky Employee Retirement System and provide retirement options to higher education institutions and their employees.

The bill also declares an emergency regarding the potential financial increase Kentucky’s public universities face with their employer contribution costs.

KERS is one of two state retirement systems WKU currently participates in, the second being the Teachers Retirement System.

Through KERS, the current employer contribution rate for Kentucky’s public universities is about 49.5% of each employee’s salary. These public universities include WKU, Northern Kentucky University, Eastern Kentucky University, Morehead State University, Kentucky State University, Murray State University and the Kentucky Community and Technical College System.

In the last fiscal year, WKU’s costs to KERS under this rate totaled about $9.7 million.

However, WKU’s employer rate to KERS could increase from about 49.5% to 83.4%, an increase of $7 million next year.

The bill postpones the proposed rate increase for another year and allows participating universities to receive a 25-year payout requirement for the unfunded pension liability.

The House and Senate did not reach an agreement on the bill before the 10day veto period. A conference committee was appointed to work out the differences between the two chambers, and the final version of HB358 with a Free Conference Committee Report was passed.

If Bevin vetoes the bill, the House and Senate will be unable to override the veto since the legislative session

has ended.

Rep. James Tipton, one of the bill’s 19 sponsors, said the bill was created after listening to concerns of the public universities that participate in KERS over the potential increased costs.

“I think we understand that we have a severe pension crisis in the state,” Tipton said. “We have to start somewhere, and we have to create a path forward that’s feasible.”

“It’s a completely manufactured crisis. It was designed to make people look for ways out of the system.”

Kentucky state representative PATTI MINTER

For WKU, the 454 employees currently under KERS will be able to continue accruing their benefits under the plan.

Tony Glisson, WKU human resources director, said if the bill is approved by the governor, there will be a calculation done at the university to examine potential risks for employees if WKU left KERS. He said the university is continuing to monitor the bill and how it will affect its employees.

Under the bill, universities can voluntarily cease participation from KERS and would then need to follow certain requirements in place of their participation. The universities would need to create their own alternative retirement programs, which would need voluntary defined contribution plans similar to a 401(k).

The effective cessation date for universities that choose to leave the program would be June 30, 2020, according to the bill.

WKU has already created its own alternative retirement system, known as the optional retirement plan, and eligible TRS employees may choose the plan as an alternative.

At most state universities, faculty have chosen to be in Kentucky’s TRS, which is in better financial standing than KERS. TRS has about 57.7% of the

money it needs to provide promised pensions compared to 16% for KERS. Many university staff employees in Kentucky belong to KERS. Due to the system being underfunded, employers like WKU must pay increasingly large amounts of money to continue participating in the program, according to the Lexington Herald-Leader.

President Timothy Caboni addressed the approval of the bill in an email to faculty and staff on March 28, 2019.

“As you know, we have advocated this session for pension reform that provides both security for our employees and stability and predictability in our budgeting process,” Caboni said in the email. “HB358 FCCR gives us choices, and how we proceed as a university depends on the results of an actuarial study that will be done to determine WKU’s unfunded liability.”

Caboni added once the study is complete, WKU will decide if exiting KERS is an appropriate financial option for the university.

The bill does not only affect public universities: All other KERS employers in the state that are privately managed and supported by the government were added onto the bill in an amendment, affecting about 31,000 employees in Kentucky.

”I think we understand that we have a severe pension crisis in the state. We have to start somewhere, and we have to create a path forward that’s feasible.”

Kentucky state representative JAMES TIPTON

These employers include local and district health departments, domestic violence shelters, rape crisis centers, child advocacy centers and any other agencies eligible to opt out of KERS. Like the public universities, they face the increase in employer contribution costs.

If approved, the bill would freeze the current employer contribution rates for these “quasi-governmental employers” for one year and allow most employees from these agencies to continue collecting future retirement benefits in the current pension plan.

One provision in the bill criticized

by Democrats was the 30-day payment mandate, where all employers that will continue in KERS will be required to make payments. If payments are not made within 30 days, all employees of that employer will be taken out of KERS and begin accruing future benefits in a new plan similar to a 401(k).

Also, if the payments are not made within the 30-day period, benefit checks to retirees from that employer will be suspended until the employer makes its payments.

Rep. Patti Minter, who voted against the bill, said the increase in KERS employer contribution rates was only proposed to cause employers to opt out of the system and cause the pension system to collapse.

“It’s a completely manufactured crisis,” Minter said. “It was designed to make people look for ways out of the system. It’s a way to destroy the pension system from within.”

Although the bill has been praised for allowing “freedom of choice” in retirement systems, Minter said the KERS employer agencies outside of the public universities did not ask to be added onto the bill and their employees will be harshly affected if they can’t make the 30-day payment mandate.

Minter said she wanted the House to wait and allow Kentucky’s public pension task force to identify the actuarial costs of the bill before approving it. As WKU was one of the bill’s main supporters, Minter, who is a WKU history professor, said it was hard to vote against her employer, but she had to “do what she felt was right.”

“A pension is a promise,” Minter said. “The outcome of this bill is tragic, but I hope it is one we can reverse in the next legislative session.”

If approved, the bill will go into effect July 1, 2020.

News reporter Nicole Ziege can be reached at 270-745-6011 and nicole. ziege825@topper.wku.edu. Follow her on Twitter at @NicoleZiege.

You’re invited to Student Publications

ICE CREAM SOCIAL

Learn about jobs at Herald, Talisman, and Cherry Creative.

April 17, 1-3 -33 P.M. M Located across from Jody Richards icha Hall all

A8 NEWS

TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 2019 WESTERN KENTUCKY UNIVERSITY

Regional campuses face declining enrollment

BY LILY BURRIS HERALD.NEWS@WKU.EDU

On-campus enrollment at WKU regional campuses has decreased, while online enrollment has gone up over the last few years.

WKU has three regional campuses in Elizabethtown-Fort Knox, Glasgow and Owensboro. Overall enrollment at the regional campuses has decreased by about 16% from 2016 to 2017, according to the WKU 2018 Fact Book.

“I think that students are making decisions about what delivery methods they are wanting for pursuing higher education degrees,” Beth Laves, the associate vice president of the Division of Extended Learning and Outreach, said.

From 2016 to 2017, the enrollment at Elizabethtown-Fort Knox campus decreased by about 25%, the Glasgow campus by about 15% and the Owensboro campus by about 9%. Laves said the decrease of traditional students and the low unemployment rate are affecting the population across all campuses.

“There are fewer people going back to college,” Laves said.

According to the revenue summary of the 2018-2019 operating budget, DELO is projected to spend more than $1.4 million in the 2018-19 year compared to more than $2.4 million budgeted for the 2017-18 year.

“It’s hard to make the time to be in a face-to-face class, and so I think that students are driving this,” Laves said.

There has been a 64% decrease in overall enrollment at the Owensboro campus since its establishment in 2009, according to an article by The Owensboro Times.

There were 410 students enrolled in

CAPE RESULTS

CONTINUED FROM FRONT

number of international students, and reduced state allocations, we need to optimize allocation of scarce resources to promote and support growth,” Stevens said in the email.

Of the suspended programs, 36 came from Ogden College of Science and Engineering, 26 from Potter College of Arts and Letters, 23 from College of Health and Human Services, 15 from College of Education and Behavioral Sciences and one from Gordon Ford College of Business, according to agenda materials.

Initially, CAPE results were intended to go through a dean level, CAPE committee and provost recommendations before being presented to the Board of Regents.

On Friday, April 5, former Provost Terry Ballman announced she would be stepping down from her position, effective immediately. Following the announcement, President Timothy Caboni released a statement and said the CAPE process would skip the provost level of recommendations.

CAPE was initiated Aug. 29, 2018, in part with the strategic plan to “engage deans and department chairs in a comprehensive academic program review to ensure WKU has an appropriate mix of study options and efficiently

RECAP

CONTINUED FROM FRONT tests and demands for a reason why from faculty, staff and students led to a University Senate vote of no confidence in Ballman on April 4. Before lunchtime of the following day, Ballman was out as provost, announcing her resignation in an email to faculty and staff.

Less than a half hour later, Stevens, who had served as dean of Ogden College of Science and Engineering since 2012, was named acting provost by President Timothy Caboni.

A public vote of no confidence is unprecedented at WKU. Following the vote, WKU released a statement saying that a vote of no confidence is “exceedingly rare in higher education and at our institution.” David Lee, university historian and former provost, said he was “not aware of any action similar to the action the University Senate took” with the vote.

With the Comprehensive Academic Program Evaluation serving as the

KENDALL WARNER • HERALD

Elizabethtown-Fort Knox is one of three regional campuses of WKU. Overall enrollment at these campuses has decreased by about 16% from 2016 to 2017.

online classes in the Owensboro campus region in the Fall 2017 semester compared to 266 students taking classes on the campus in that same time, according to information The Owensboro Times obtained from Bob Skipper, director of media relations.

According to the same information, there were 355 students enrolled in online classes in the Fall 2018 semester for the Owensboro campus.

“There’s been a transition from

more to online, reaching online students as opposed to those who are just face-to-face in the classroom,” Skipper said. “They are also looking at making sure that the programs at each of those campuses is relevant to the communities.”

However, the regional campuses are still being used, according to Laves.

Students come to the campuses for academic advising, financial aid meetings, computer labs, tutoring and oth-

deploys scarce resources,” according to the CAPE website.

During the process, tenured faculty positions will remain a priority. Teaching obligations may change, but WKU does not foresee a reduction in workforce, according to the website.

Through the review, all academic programs were evaluated on multiple levels and were classified as either “grow/enhance,” “maintain,” “trans-

mand than supply, meaning there are not enough resources within the program to meet the quantity of students.

Deans and department heads were not required to release ongoing recommendations. The only college to release preliminary recommendations to the public was Potter College.

In her update on the CAPE process during the Board of Regents meeting, Price said not all faculty know the

“The purpose of the program is to be interdisciplinary, and none of those majors have been recommended for suspension. The classes won’t go, so I argued that the major shouldn’t go either.”

WKU professor JOSEPH HOFFSWELL

form” or “suspend.” In a February Board of Regents Committee meeting, Merrall Price, now interim dean of Potter College of Arts and Letters, explained “maintain” is for “robust, healthy” programs, which will include more than 50% of programs evaluated.

The second-largest group is “suspend,” and “transform” is for programs in need of “systemic change in a fundamental way” in order to better reflect what students need. “Grow/enhance” is for programs with more de-

dean-level recommendations for their programs yet, as deans have taken different approaches to informing their departments.

One of the programs within Potter College recommended for suspension was the popular culture major.

Joseph Hoffswell, a professor who teaches several courses in the popular culture studies program, said when the initial CAPE recommendations were released to Potter College faculty and staff by former Dean Larry Snyder, he and others within the communication

backdrop, the landscape and future outlook of the university’s leadership has changed drastically at a time when stability and experience are crucial.

University Senate Chair Kirk Atkinson said he sees Ballman’s resignation as a way for WKU to move forward.

“We’re at a crossroads, and we need to be able to move forward,” Atkinson said. “I still have great hopes and trust that we can band together to remain a student-centered and student-focused university.”

On Monday, exactly 13 days after Snyder’s resignation, WKU moved forward, announcing the CAPE Committee’s recommendations to suspend 101 of 380 programs across campus.

Those tasked with answering to the proposed suspensions include four interim deans and an acting provost just days into her new job. The only dean serving on a permanent basis, Corinne Murphy of the College of Education and Behavioral Sciences, is in her eighth month at WKU. The recommendations for suspension will be presented to the Board

of Regents on Friday and include 11 undergraduate degree programs, four graduate degree programs and 86 other programs which award certificates and minors.

An informal survey released to faculty before the University Senate’s special meeting last week also revealed a lack of confidence in Caboni.

Of 365 faculty responses to the survey, which asked about the confidence in Caboni’s leadership, 54.2% of faculty voted it lacked confidence in Caboni (12.3% of respondents abstained from voting yes or no).

In response to the University Senate’s vote of no confidence, which came after the informal faculty survey, Bob Skipper, WKU’s media relations director, issued a statement saying “WKU takes shared governance seriously.”

In Caboni’s email addressing Ballman’s resignation, he said “a vote of no confidence is a powerful statement and one that I take very seriously.”

Beyond the scope of the Hill, the dismissal of Snyder has also resonated on a national level.

er kinds of student-support services.

“I think that the regional campuses are strong,” Laves said. “I would say that even though our on-site numbers have declined, they are very important parts, in my opinion, of the university.”

News reporter Lily Burris can be reached at 270-745-6011 and lily.burris203@topper.wku.edu. Follow her on Twitter at @lily_burris.

department appealed the recommendation to change popular culture to potentially “transform” or “maintain.”

Hoffswell reached out to alumni and wrote in the appeal how WKU’s popular culture major was a “difference maker” when it came to finding postgraduate jobs.

The appeal was denied.

WKU is one of two schools in the United States currently offering popular culture as a major, the other being Bowling Green State University in Bowling Green, Ohio.

“Since pop culture is interdisciplinary, we’ve had students come from broadcasting, music, art, folklore, communication, and the list goes on,” he said. “The purpose of the program is to be interdisciplinary, and none of those majors have been recommended for suspension. The classes won’t go, so I argued that the major shouldn’t go either.”

There are currently 12 students in the major. If the major is suspended, the only course that will no longer be taught is a senior seminar and independent study for students in the major. Other popular culture courses will continue to be offered as interdisciplinary and Colonnade courses.

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

On Monday, the top story on Inside Higher Ed, a widely read news site in the academic world, was titled “How not to fire a beloved dean,” and the photo accompanying the story was a portrait of Ballman.

“Like many institutions, Western Kentucky is facing challenges,” the story reads, “including steep state funding cuts. So while the university reviews academic programs with some regularity, the stakes are high this round.”

Now, Ballman will serve as an “assistant to the president for special initiatives” until August 2020, at which point she will become a tenured faculty member in the Department of Modern Languages.

Skipper said Ballman’s role as assistant for special initiatives was new, and he did not know what the roles of the position entailed.

Editor-in-Chief Evan Heichelbech can be reached at 270-745-6011 and herald.editor@wku.edu. Follow Evan Heichelbech on Twitter at @evanheich.

B1

LIFE

TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 2019 WESTERN KENTUCKY UNIVERSITY

WKU alum finds success with creative passion

BY JULIE SISLER HERALD.FEATURES@WKU.EDU

dency to think logically and not make decisions based on emotions. He said Witcher meticulously works at improving his music.

“He’s a force,” Eckerd said.

Aside from their working relationship, Eckerd said he and Witcher are good friends. He said Witcher was key in building NF Records.

“I haven’t had a really solid friend like that in years, and he’s really shown himself to be a very trustworthy person, really good friend and brother,” Eckerd said.

In a society that puts so much pressure on doing things at a recommended time and pace, WKU alumnus Adam Moore is a revolutionary.

Moore said he’s been in the arts since he was a child and was in arts magnet programs throughout his education prior to attending WKU. He said he got into graphic design by designing for friends’ bands.

“Doing stuff on your own is a good way to get into anything,” Moore said.

“I know people who went into design programs and didn’t really find their own place and didn’t know what to do when they were out.”

At the end of his sophomore year, Moore left school to pursue his dream of working with both graphic design and music by accepting a job in Nashville.

“I got a job working as a freelance designer for a record label,” Moore said.

“And at the same time, my band was doing a lot and playing a lot.”

Moore said even though the money wasn’t great, the work was.

“It’s cool work that really isn’t around anymore,” Moore said. “And it got me into working into a design environment pretty early.”

Moore said he began doing more freelance work soon after in order to gain more experience and tune his skills. Moore graduated from WKU in 2007 after going back and forth between working and school.

“If I had to do it over again, I wouldn’t change it,” Moore said. “I don’t know what I would think about school if I was doing it right now. I loved my college experience, but I think the most valuable part of it is being around like-minded people as well as being immersed in situations with other people.”

Though this unorthodox path presented some challenges for Moore, he said it ultimately enabled him to make the most of his time.

“Right out of college, your twenties are when you have the most energy,” Moore said. “If you’re not putting that to some good purpose, it’s to your own detriment.”

To Moore, this time in an individual’s life can prove to be the most impactful, as it was for him. Moore said he hopes students will take advantage of this time and do the most with it even if it means trying some things that don’t work.

“I definitely think pushing hard in your twenties is super valuable,” Moore said. “You have to figure out as quickly as you can what directions you want to push in. But during that time, almost anything doesn’t hurt. You can push and see where it goes.”

Greg Leppert, a close friend of Moore’s from college, said he believes

SEE VINCI • PAGE B3

SEE MOORE • PAGE B3

CHRIS KOHLEY • HERALD

Bowling Green hip-hop musician The Vinci poses for a portrait at NF Records. His collaborative project with Bowling Green producer and NF Records owner Justin Eckerd, called “Earthlings,” was released on April 5.

SECOND CHANCES

Rapper turns incarceration into music career

BY LAUREL DEPPEN HERALD.FEATURES@WKU.EDU

Each day, Allen Witcher thinks about how he could be sitting in a prison cell.

The fact he is now able to make music is something he refers to as a miracle.

Following a first-degree robbery charge in 2011, Witcher was incarcerated until 2015. While in prison, Witcher said he learned more than he had during his time in college.

Witcher, 28, said he “dove in headover-heels” to his pursuit of music while incarcerated. He said his time confined in a single space taught him patience.

Witcher said he taught himself to read music and studied music theory.

“All I did was rap and write,” Witcher said.

Among the few items Witcher was allowed to have with him in prison was a collection of CDs, including titles from Jay-Z and Eminem, some of his musical influences, and a keyboard he’d saved up for.

Witcher said he’s drawn to hip-hop because he believes it’s “poetry in motion.” Witcher said he started writing poetry when he was 12 as a way of coping with his father’s death, and it wasn’t until he was in his late teens that he changed his poetry into hip-hop.

Witcher’s cousin Jordan Witcher said he and Witcher have been close since childhood. Following Witcher’s prison sentence, Jordan said it was hard for them to remain in contact.

The cousins ended up meeting again for the first time after Witcher’s prison sentence in a studio in Bowling Green

where Witcher worked. Jordan said he couldn’t even tell Witcher had been incarcerated.

Now, Witcher creates music under the name The Vinci and considers himself an “advocate for second chances.”

“As far as my past goes, hopefully people can learn from that and not repeat the same mistakes and not be defined by your past, you know,” Witcher said. “You can make a positive change, and people do change.”

Jordan said he believes Witcher has changed for the better.

“Everything that he does, his whole artistry, is curated by him and his two personas,” Eckerd said.

The names of Witcher’s “two personas” are both derived from Leonardo da Vinci. Witcher said he was inspired by how da Vinci worked in multiple fields, including the arts and sciences.

Witcher said he wanted to do that in a modern sense by writing, engineering his own music and making music videos and films.

Eckerd said he believes Witcher mirrors da Vinci because of his ten-

“As far as my past goes, hopefully people can learn from that and not repeat the same mistakes and not be defined by your past, you know.”

The Vinci ALLEN WITCHER

“He really, really has changed as a human,” Jordan said. “He’s come from hell to heaven, and it’s — I’m really proud of him.”

Along with making music, Witcher does freelance video work under the name Leotheshooter to financially support his artistic endeavors. He said he enjoys making his own schedule, being creative and not being “put in a box.”

Justin Eckerd, the owner of NF Records, said Witcher’s work both as Leotheshooter and The Vinci play into each other because he makes his own music videos.

Music and theatre students perform opera comedy

BY SARAH YAACOUB

HERALD.FEATURES@WKU.EDU This year’s collaboration between the WKU departments of music and theatre and dance was hardly what comes to mind when one pictures an opera.

The performance consisted of Joseph Haydn’s opera “La Canterina,” which features a young woman with a flair for the dramatic who manages to win the hearts and fortunes of two men amid frequent fainting spells, and W.S. Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan’s “Trial by Jury,” a comedic opera originally set in a 19th century courtroom.

Colby Clark, a Bowling Green senior, played the bailiff in “La Canterina” and the courtroom sketch artist in “Trial by Jury.” “‘Trial by Jury’ is hysterical, and it’s totally outrageous,” Clark said.

“There’s a wedding between a bride and groom, and at the altar the groom

KENDALL WARNER • HERALD

Student actors and actresses from WKU’s Department of Theatre and Dance perform “La Canterina,” or “The Diva” in English, in collaboration with WKU’s Department of Music on Saturday, April 6, 2018, in the Russel H. Miller Theatre in the Ivan Wilson Fine Arts Center building. The comedy opera, originally written by Joseph Haydn, tells the story of a mother and daughter navigating their way through tricky 18th century romance.

turns tails and runs, so the bride calls a court together to sue the groom for leaving her at the altar.”

Clark said the setting of “Trial by Jury” was moved from the 1800s to the 1980s, and WKU’s performance of the opera contained references to Bowling Green and Cherry Hall that did not appear in the original.

Clark said that while the costuming and set looked different than it would have in the original version of the opera, “the story itself maintains its integrity.”

Sarah Chapman, a music education student and Bowling Green native, played Angelina, the vengeful bride, in “Trial by Jury.”

“Basically, this woman got stood up at the altar by her fiance,” Chapman said. “The whole jury and the whole courtroom is in love with her, so they kind of ignore the fact that she’s a little bit aggressive.”

SEE OPERA • PAGE B3

$99 A MONTH! LEASE NOW!!

270-846-1000

ATTENTION ALL FULLTIME UNDERGRADS!

DON’T FORGET TO SPEND YOUR FLEX! CAN BE USED AT ALL RESTAURANT LOCATIONS INCLUDING

®

®

B3 LIFE

TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 2019 WESTERN KENTUCKY UNIVERSITY

MOORE

CONTINUED FROM PAGE B1

Moore sets an example for other artists, particularly those who stray from the path of what one’s “supposed” to do.

“Adam is a prime example that, as far as the professional journeys of artists are concerned, orthodoxy is a myth,” Leppert said.

Moore moved around and also found work in other aspects of graphic design such as marketing. Moore said he finds each job he had taught him something unique about his craft, whether it was about directing photography or how to design for a specific campaign.

Throughout his career, Moore continued to work on freelance pieces, which he said is easier than ever in this digital age.

“I have an Instagram account that I kind of funnel all of my personal, creative work into,” Moore said. “It is so much easier to be an entrepreneur now than it has ever been, and a lot of kids don’t get that — they think things are harder than they are. But you can draw a picture of a duck and build a Shopify store, send it out on Instagram and sell a T-shirt in an hour and a half.”

Because of this, Moore said he sees unlimited opportunities for artists if they’re willing to work hard and try new things.

Moore now works as a product designer at Eezy, a Bowling Green stock art website.

“At this point in my life, I’m really excited about having a stable life,” Moore said. “I have a family, and most of my life has been working crazy hours to get these big projects done and to make a career for myself, but now I’m excited about a regular nineto-five job.”

Moore said this is a new experience and has allowed him to slow down.

“I’m trying to balance work and life for really the first time,” Moore said.

Despite this, Moore said he is still pushing himself to learn new things.

“I’m trying out my entrepreneurial

OPERA

CONTINUED FROM PAGE B1 In keeping with the shift of time period to the 1980s, the members of the jury embodied various eighties stereotypes.

“We’ve got some punk rockers, we’ve got a new-age girl, we’ve got a homeless man, we’ve got some people with perms, we’ve got a Madonna,” said Chapman, whose character wore a plaid scrunchie beneath her wedding veil.

Carol Jordan, an instructor in the Department of Theatre and Dance, directed both operas.

“It was my first time directing an official opera,” Jordan said. “For me, that was exciting because it was a whole

JOELEEN HUBBARD • HERALD

Adam Moore is a WKU alumnus and graphic designer based in Bowling Green. “I actually graduated from WKU years ago and got to intern at the Capitol Theatre back in the day. It was my first ever internship, and it was a really cool experience,” Moore said.

bone right now with my side business where I sell stuff that I design,” Moore said. “I’m enjoying the low pressure, fun stuff that exercises all the parts of my brain.”

Shepherd, owner of Spencer’s.

“The Spencer’s ‘badge,’ as I call it, was sort of a one-off idea,” Shepherd said. “It’s not a long-term logo, but it had so much going for it that we decid-

”At this point in my life, I’m really excited about having a stable life.”

Graphic designer ADAM MOORE Moore uses his Instagram, @haroldapples, and his website, natdrygoods.com, to promote his side business and gain more exposure.

Moore’s more recent work includes the Spencer’s Coffee logo, which he designed for longtime friend Justin

ed to print it on just about everything.

It’s clever, it’s eye-catching, it’s just super cool.”

Moore and Shepherd also have new projects for Spencer’s in the works.

“Some of the elements of that badge are making their way into a refreshed

brand identity for Spencer’s, which will feature a few different icons and type treatments,” Shepherd said. “Adam’s hard at work on that right now in between his hundred other projects.”

Leppert said Moore’s dedication, openness to change and creativity are what set him apart from other artists.

“Being friends with Adam is a masterclass in understanding that creativity doesn’t need a moment, it doesn’t need an ill temperament or a tortured backstory,” Leppert said. “Creativity can come just as well from patience and kindness and a desire to pass through time leaving joyful artifacts in your wake.”

Features reporter Julie Sisler can be reached at 270-745-6291 and julie.sisler389@topper.wku.edu.

voices over the full orchestra. “[Opera] is an incredibly valuable experience,” Jordan said. “It’s a slightly different kind of singing than traditional musical theatre singing, and to get that kind of training and versatility, I think, is really important.”

Taylorsville sophomore Elizabeth Walker stage managed the production.

“Being a stage manager for an opera is different, because you have to take care of not only just the script and the actors memorizing their lines but everything with the music as well — any choreography that’s going on,” Walker said. “Every single component all comes together.”

Walker said she also enjoyed the collaborative aspect of the production.

In the beginning, she said rehearsals KENDALL WARNER • HERALD

“For me, that was exciting because it was a whole new genre with new conventions.”

The actress who plays Apollonia holds the actress who plays Gasparina and fans her after being fought over by two men who attempted to woo her during a performance of “La Canterina.”

new genre with new conventions.”

Jordan also said expanding into a new format taught the students valuable skills. For instance, no microphones are used in operas, so performers had to practice projecting their

were only with the music director, but once staging began, the actual director was added.

“It was just interesting to see them collaborate together on both their strengths and bring it all together for

one gorgeous performance,” Walker said.

Emily Tuverson, a musical theatre student, played a reporter in “Trial by Jury,” the second opera in the show.

She said she believes the operas defied many audience members’ expectations.

“We’ve had people say, ‘Oh, I’ve never been to an opera before, but this one was really funny,’” Tuverson said.

Jordan said she believes some people have misconceptions about opera

VINCI

erything was just made from scratch,” Witcher said.

As a whole, “Earthlings” took about two years to produce, with most of the time dedicated to mixing. Witcher described himself as a perfectionist, so

“This one’s for the earth,” Witcher said, referring to “Earthlings.” “The next one’s for the spirit.”

Witcher, laughingly, said his solo project would be “pretty weird,” combining hip-hop with jazz and soul. But

Department of Theatre and Dance instructor CAROL JORDAN

CONTINUED FROM PAGE B1 Witcher described his first fulllength album, “Earthlings,” which was released April 5, as a collaborative concept album. Witcher and Jordan worked together along with Eckerd to craft the album.

Witcher said they approached the album’s concept by imagining they were visiting Earth as outsiders.

“That was us trying to find a balance of the spiritual and the earthly,” Witcher said.

The process of creating the music was based on feeling, Witcher said. He said they would play off of each other’s work and would often yell lyric ideas at each other.

Jordan said making the album was the “most fun experience” he’s ever had.

“With this album, we all came together, and everything was pretty much made on the spot — the beats and ev-

“With this album, we all came together, and everything was pretty much made on the spot the beats and everything was made from scratch.”

The Vinci ALLEN WITCHER

being able to get the final product out was a “weight off his shoulders.”

Though Witcher said “Earthlings” was focused on appealing to a mainstream audience and combined the work of multiple artists, he has another album in the works that is more personal to him.

his project isn’t one based on catering to an audience but rather based on his feelings, he said.

Eckerd recalled a conversation where Witcher said, “We made the stuff everybody wanted to hear, now we’re making the stuff that matters.”

Jordan said he has heard four songs

being only for “high-class” individuals.

“These are very accessible, they are very entertaining,” Jordan said. “They are not high, muckety-muck kinds of shows that you have to be an elite opera snob to understand.”

from Witcher’s personal project. He said it gave him goosebumps.

“He really, really reached down deep into the dark side of himself,” Jordan said. “When he lived that dark side, he lets you live it with him through his music and what he went through.”

Witcher said his ultimate goal was to create, make a positive impact on the world and follow the mantra “leave it better than you found it.” Each day, he aims to be better than he was yesterday.

“The greatest artists have always said something that has sparked a change either in people or in nation,” Witcher said. “You know, the greatest people can really — the greatest artists can really change the world with their words.”

Features reporter Sarah Yaacoub can be reached at 270-745-6291 and sarah.yaacoub214@topper.wku.edu. Follow her on social media at @sarah. yaacoub.

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

B4 SPORTS

TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 2019 WESTERN KENTUCKY UNIVERSITY

Defensive line pleased with spring progression

BY ALEC JESSIE HERALD.SPORTS@WKU.EDU

The WKU football team has less than a week until its annual spring game.

Practice reps become that much more precious and important as spring ball winds down, especially for a defensive line, as many football games are won in the trenches. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I like the intensity on both sides,â&#x20AC;? redshirt junior Jeremy Darvin said after the 11th spring practice. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think the offense really got a lot of confidence, so their confidence is pushing [the defense] more, so you get a more fiery practice.â&#x20AC;?

WKU has 18 defensive lineman listed on its current 2019 roster. Unlike at other positions, WKU returns its best lineman from a season ago, including Darvin, junior DeAngelo Malone and redshirt sophomore Juwuan Jones.

Malone and Jones led the team in sacks with six and five, respectively, last year. Darvin was tied for fifth with 2.5 of his own.

Malone and Jones were also in the top 10 on the team in tackles last season with 60 and 42, respectively.

Darvin, Malone and Jones played in all 12 games a season ago. Redshirt senior Jaylon George was the only other returning defensive lineman to play in all 12 games last season.

Defensive ends coach Jimmy Lindsey said he is pleased with the progres-

CHRIS KOHLEY â&#x20AC;˘ HERALD

Jeremy Darvin performs drills during a WKU football team spring practice at Houchens-Smith Stadium on April 6. WKU will hold its Red vs. White scrimmage on April 13.

of strides. Juwuan Jones continues to get better. As a group, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m pleased with the progress theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve made through the first 11 practices.â&#x20AC;?

Although the group is still young, Lindsey said he believes last season provided invaluable experience heading into 2019. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re still a young group,â&#x20AC;? Lindsey said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;But we have some experience, so hopefully now some of the guys can concentrate a little bit better in those critical situations and continue to take their play to the next level and help us Redshirt junior be the best defense that we can be.â&#x20AC;?

With the group taking off later last JEREMY DARVIN season, Lindsey said he expects more from the defensive line in 2019. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Build on last year,â&#x20AC;? Lindsey said. sion of the returning linemen during â&#x20AC;&#x153;I thought those young guys sorta hit this spring. â&#x20AC;&#x153;DeAngelo Malone is having a good their stride the last three games of the spring,â&#x20AC;? Lindsey said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;[Redshirt se- year. Just be better. Be better, and then nior] Carson Jordan has made a ton set the tone for us on defense.â&#x20AC;?

â&#x20AC;?I like the intensity on both sides.â&#x20AC;?

Darvin said he has been taking charge of the young group of linemen and is trying to push the groupâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s play to the next level heading into the fall. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I see myself as a leader,â&#x20AC;? Darvin said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Because Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m very vocal. Very smart. I think two and a half years into the system, I know the defense well. So not only can I help out the tackles but also the ends as well.â&#x20AC;?

Malone was very specific with his goals for this season. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Basically, 10 sacks, I can get more than that,â&#x20AC;? Malone said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;At least 60 tackles and about 15 tackles for loss.â&#x20AC;?

Malone said he has learned from his experience gained in 2018, and it will help him be a better player in the fall. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I learned to use my hands better,â&#x20AC;?

Malone said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;If I use my hands, the lineman wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be able to block me like they was and just finishing, getting to the [quarterback].â&#x20AC;?

Pass rush has also been a major emphasis for this unit heading into 2019. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Big. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s what weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been harping on,â&#x20AC;? Darvin said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We gotta get to that quarterback, especially the tackles.â&#x20AC;?

Darvin said he envisions the Hilltoppers having the best defensive line in Conference USA when itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s all said and done for 2019. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Last year we made a good stride in the direction we want to go as being the best defensive line in Conference USA,â&#x20AC;? Darvin said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;But I think this is our year inside and outside. We got the guys, we got the talent. Everybodyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s got the size and speed. They know the defense. I think this is our year to show we are the best defensive line.â&#x20AC;?

Reporter Alec Jessie can be reached at 270-745-6291 and alec.jessie226@topper.wku.edu. Follow Alec on Twitter at @Alec_Jessie.

WKUHERALD.COM CONNECT WITH US ONLINE @WKUHERALD

RECORD STORE DAY:

SAT, 4/13 OPEN AT 7 a.m.! (3 Hours early!)

Note: our Louisville store opens at 8 a.m.

FREE STUFF CD SAMPLERS, POSTERS, STICKERS & more!

20% OFF used LPs, CDs, Tapes 50% OFF used 45s,78s

EXCLUSIVE RELEASES

David Bowie, Doors, Fleetwood Mac, U2, Queen, Jeff Tweedy, The Grateful Dead, Weezer and many, many more!

And, at other locations of the Great Escape: LOUISVILLE: Live Music, 50¢ LP Sale & Pop Art Show MADISON, TN: DJs from WXNA spinning records: 10-2 NASHVILLE, TN: Three live bands, starting at 12 p.m.

Also, make sure to check out our new Murfreesboro, TN store!

Supplies limited; free merchandise, sale items and exclusive releases DYDLODEOH RQ D ÂżUVW FRPH ÂżUVW VHUYH EDVLV 1R KROGV RQOLQH RU VSHFLDO orders or mail orders. Availability of Record Store Day titles may not be guaranteed. Limit one copy per customer for each exclusive title.

THE

GREAT ESCAPE Near GREENWOOD MALL, by KROGER 2945 Scottsville Road, Suites B17 & B18

270-782-8092 / thegreatescapebg@gmail.com TheGreatEscapeOnLine.com

P R E M I E R E FA C I A L A N D B O DY WA X I N G

50% OFF

1 ST S E RV I C E

2300 Gary Farms Blvd Bowling Green In front of Dick's Sporting Goods 270.938.2508 waxingthecity.com

SPORTS B5

TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 2019 WESTERN KENTUCKY UNIVERSITY

Hilltoppers feeling blue after MTSU matchup

BY KADEN GAYLORD HERALD.SPORTS@WKU.EDU WKU suffered its first Conference USA series loss this season 3-0 against Middle Tennessee State, bumping the Hilltoppers down to fourth place in the conference standings.

“I told the team that if somebody would have said that we won seven games in our first four Conference USA weekends, would we take that?

And everybody in that group said we would take it. That being said, we can be better than that,” head coach John Pawlowski said in a press release. “We strive to be better than that, but it’s where we are and we have to take it and move forward.”

The first game saw the Hilltoppers down early 6-3 against the Blue Raiders at the end of the fourth inning. The pitching for the Hilltoppers kept the game close for the next few innings, but a lack of offensive production held WKU back.

A five-run eighth inning made the score 13-4 in favor of the Blue Raiders, making for the largest margin of defeat for the Hilltoppers since facing Kentucky.

Game 2 was a much closer and high-scoring affair between the teams.

“We strive to be better than that, but it’s where we are and we have to take it and move forward.”

Baseball head coach JOHN PAWLOSKI The Blue Raiders had control of the game early, putting up 11 runs compared to the Hilltopper’s four after five innings of play. WKU proceeded to score five runs in the sixth, highlighted by a grand slam by junior first

JOSEPH BARKOFF• HERALD

WKU pitcher Reece Calvert pitches during the third game against University of Memphis at Nick Denes Field on March 10. WKU lost the game with 10-4.

baseman Richard Constantine, to pull within two, but it wasn’t enough, as the Blue Raiders ultimately prevailed 1310.

In the third game, Middle Tennessee outscored WKU nine runs to one within the first four innings. The Hilltoppers were kept off the board for seven of the nine innings, while the Blue Raiders scored in four of the nine.

Middle Tennessee won the game 11-4 and completed the sweep.

For the series, junior right fielder Jake Sanford went 7-for-14 in plate appearances with three runs scored, three RBIs and one home run. Constantine went 8-for-13 with five runs scored, five RBIs and one home run.

In the absence of graduate transfer Davis Sims and junior left fielder Ray Zuberer III, the Hilltoppers were led

by Constantine and redshirt freshman

Aidan Elias.

“Injuries are part of baseball, but everybody practices hard and works hard to be ready for their opportunities,” redshirt junior outfielder Dillon Nelson said. “I’m happy for Richard and Aidan, they deserve every moment of their success. Those guys work hard all the time, and they’re two good dudes.”

This is the first time this season WKU has been swept by a conference opponent and its second time overall for the season, the first being to Memphis in the middle of its seven-game losing streak. WKU moves to 14-15-1 on the season and 7-4-1 in conference play and is currently on a four-game losing streak.

The Hilltoppers’ next game is against the Belmont Bruins. WKU has won five out of its last six games against the Bruins dating back to 2016. Belmont

RUNNING BACKS

CONTINUED FROM PAGE B6 “We want to win,” Appleberry said.

“Our motto this year is ‘Just Win.’ So, whatever it takes, we’re just going to do what we got to do. We’re going to put points on the board.”

But neither player will see the field unless they can protect their quarterback.

“Running the ball is the easy part,” Chachere said. “But the hard part is the pass protection when you’re in a pass offense. That becomes the thing that maybe in their game was down the line — I put it up front. And then from

“Our motto this year is ‘Just Win.’ So, whatever it takes, we’re just going to do what we got to do.”

Sophomore running back GINO APPLEBERRY there, whoever blocks and pass protects, those are the guys who get the chances to run the ball.”

A familiar face has also returned, as redshirt junior Quinton Baker is back at WKU. Baker spent last season at Portland State after being removed from the team in April 2018. Due to NCAA

currently sits at 15-16 overall and 10-5 in the Ohio Valley Conference. The last time the two teams played each other, WKU won 15-7, scoring seven runs in the third and hitting five home runs overall for the game. The game is scheduled to begin at 5 p.m. on Tuesday at Nick Denes Field.

After facing the Bruins, WKU will head back out on the road to face Marshall. The Thundering Herd currently sits at 18-13 overall and 6-6 in the conference.

WKU has lost four of its last six, including a sweep in 2017, against the Thundering Herd. The first game will be on Friday at 2 p.m.

Baseball reporter Kaden Gaylord can be reached at 270-745-6291 and kaden.gaylord559@topper.wku.edu Follow him on Twitter at @_KLG3.

transfer rules, Baker will have to sit out in 2019 unless he is granted a waiver.

WKU is still awaiting the NCAA’s ruling, Helton said on March 23.

Jakairi Moses is looking for a return to form after an injury kept him out for the entire 2018 season. The redshirt sophomore led WKU running backs with 20 receptions as a true freshman two years ago, totaling 426 all-purpose yards and two touchdowns.

Redshirt sophomore KeShawn McClendon and redshirt senior Marcelis Logan, who have combined for only nine games played and one career carry, will provide depth.

Samuel said he’s been trying to lead his “family” by example this spring.

“Every back brings something to the table,” Samuel said. “I’ve actually learned from them, as well. You know, we all got a capable aspect of us. We just build each other up, but we know at the same time we have to compete.”

Although no single player has become the top dog yet, Chachere said he is confident his guys will be hungry and comfortable rising to the occasion once the season begins.

“I’m seeing a group coming together,” Chachere said. “I think our strength is going to be our bond. Not six individual guys, but six guys together. I think we’ll be back-to-back, and that’ll lead to a very successful season for us.”

Sports reporter Drake Kizer can be reached at 270-745-2653 and clinton. kizer287@topper.wku.edu.

Follow Drake on Twitter at @drakekizer_.

WKUHERALD.COM CONNECT WITH US ONLINE @WKUHERALD

TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 2019 WESTERN KENTUCKY UNIVERSITY

SPORTS

B6

KATIE STRATMAN• WKU ATHLETICS

Junior pitcher Kelsey Aikey is WKU’s all-time leader in saves and has accumulated an 8-6 record this season.

KELSEY CLUTCH

Junior pitcher leads in the field with confidence

BY SOPHIE AUSTIN HERALD.SPORTS@WKU.EDU

Leader. Competitor. Confident. Fighter.

These are the words WKU softball head coach Amy Tudor used to describe standout junior pitcher Kelsey Aikey.

“There’s not a replacement for confidence,” Tudor said. “She is a confident player, and we feed off of her.”

As a junior in high school, the Iowa native was originally committed to play at a junior college just an hour and 45 minutes from her home in Cedar Falls, but she signed with the Hilltoppers in 2016.

Now a Division I athlete who describes herself as homey and very close with her family, Aikey recalls her move to Bowling Green.

“When I got the opportunity to come out here and got a chance to look at the campus and my teammates and my coach, I just fell in love.” Aikey said.

“So it’s definitely a transition, but you get used to it.”

After graduating from a class of 140 students at Waverly-Shell Rock Senior High School, located in Waverly, Iowa, Aikey arrived on the Hill to a surprise.

“You go from being the one to coming to college and nobody knowing you or just being average when you get here,” Aikey said of her transition from being a star player at Waverly-Shell to just another face at WKU. “But you just buckle down and get used to it.”

Aikey did just that, posting an exceptional freshman season in 2017 during which she made the Conference USA All-Freshman Team, C-USA Commissioner’s Honor Roll and had an outstanding performance in the circle at the 2017 conference tournament. The freshman pitched 11.2 innings to allow no earned runs and entered a bases-loaded, no-outs inning to allow no runs and get the Hilltoppers out of the inning.

“A lot of raw talent, a fighter — those are the things I saw in her,” Tudor said.

“She was put in a lot of tough situations her freshman year, and I think it made her tougher.”

The junior, having only built on that momentum, has proven herself as a key player in the 2019 season. So far this season, Aikey has been named C-USA Pitcher of the Week twice in addition to leading the conference in saves, now holding records for the most career and single-season saves in WKU softball program history.

Aikey’s success this season has

helped the Hilltoppers record the best start to a season in program history.

They have recorded three C-USA series sweeps, are 27-8 overall on the season and 10-2 in conference play.

Tudor and her players have been asked repeatedly over the season what

“A lot of raw talent, a fighter — those are the things I saw in her.”

Softball head coach AMY TUDOR makes this team so special. Aikey said she believes there has been a change of dynamic within the team that has facilitated its success.

“Coach T’s talked a lot about how we have five seniors on the team this year, which we only had one last year.

So she’s just talked a lot about playing for them,” Aikey said. “Not only playing for Western and playing for yourself, but knowing that these kids have a month and a half left, so just playing for them and putting everything you’ve

got onto the field.”

In addition to filling the role as starting pitcher on many occasions, Aikey has filled the high-pressure role of a relief pitcher during her career on the Hill.

“When I’m in that moment, and it’s 3-2, bases loaded and we’re up by one, just like telling myself that I’ve worked so hard for this moment,” Aikey said.

“And kind of going back to your teammates being there for you, they tell me all the time that they thrive when I pitch.”

While Aikey’s motivation in the offseason, maturity and adaptability are traits that Tudor credits her achievements to, Aikey attributes much of her success under such a high-pressure role to the support of her teammates.

“Just knowing that they’re going to have my back and reminding myself that I’ve worked so hard for this and this is a moment that I want, this is a moment that every pitcher should want,” Aikey said. “Otherwise, I don’t know why you would play softball.”

Aikey and the Hilltoppers will be back in action on Saturday at home against North Texas.

Reporter Sophie Austin can be reached at 270-745-2653 and Sophie.

Austin380@topper.wku.edu.

Running backs coach prepares for spring game

BY DRAKE KIZER HERALD.SPORTS@WKU.EDU

WKU football has only two practices left before the Red vs. White game this Saturday, which means it is almost showtime for the offense first-year head coach Tyson Helton has been crafting with offensive coordinator Bryan Ellis for the last four weeks.

Although Helton is remembered for the pass-first mentality he displayed during his tenure as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at WKU from 2014 to 2015, an affinity for the ground game is hidden beneath gaudy stats collected through the air.

WKU averaged 42.8 pass attempts per game during the 2014 season, but Helton also called 33.0 rushes per game. In 2015, pass attempts dropped to 39.6 per contest, while rushing

stayed almost exactly the same at 33.1 attempts per contest.

Helton’s offenses averaged over 155 yards per game on the ground during his two seasons on the Hill, which will

position.

“I’m expecting from them at the end of the game, at the end of the tape when I grade it — that they play a winning game,” Chachere said Tuesday. “If it

“I’m expecting from them at the end of the game, at the end of the tape when I grade it — that they play a winning game.”

Running backs coach GARRET CHACHERE

likely be the expectation once again.

Following the abrupt departure of Montario Hardesty on Jan. 30, new running backs coach Garret Chachere has been tasked with pushing a relatively inexperienced group to contribute in an offense seeking balance that’s “tough to deal with” for the op-

was based solely on our group, would it be a win, or would it be a loss?”

The Hilltoppers have six running backs listed on their roster, one less than the seven they had last year after redshirt junior Marquez Trigg left the program on Sept. 18, 2018.

D’Andre Ferby exhausted his last

year of eligibility last season, while Conference USA All-Freshman Team member Garland LaFrance moved to receiver this spring after racking up 564 all-purpose yards and 20 receptions as a true freshman in 2018.

Redshirt sophomore Joshua Samuel is the likely starter from the returning players, as he also earned C-USA All-Freshman Team honors in 2018.

His 641 rushing yards ranked eighth in C-USA and were the fourth most ever by a WKU freshman.

Another strong candidate for carries is sophomore Gino Appleberry, who scored three touchdowns and finished third on the team with 196 yards rushing in 2018.

Appleberry said he’s worked on understanding fundamentals, which has helped him feel confident pushing his teammates during “up-tempo” practices this spring.

SEE RUNNING BACKS • PAGE B5