February 23, 2017 by College Heights Herald

LEARN ABOUT ATTORNEY GENERAL ANDY BESHEAR’S VIDEO CONTEST NEWS, PAGE A3

SEE WHAT’S UNDER THE BIG TOP LIFE, PAGE B1

TTHURSDAY, HURSDAY, FFEBRUARY EBRUARY 223, 3, 22017 017 > W WESTERN ESTERN KKENTUCKY ENTUCKY UUNIVERSITY NIVERSITY > VVOLUME OLUME 992, 2, IISSUE SSUE 3366

Ransdell declines sanctuary status BY EMMA AUSTIN HERALD.NEWS@WKU.EDU

Kristina Arnold chants “shame” alongside other protesters after the Bowling Green City Commission decided to table the Fairness Ordinance on Tuesday at City Hall. Although the Bowling Green Fairness Coalition has been fighting for this cause for many years, this was the first time a city commissioner has proposed the ordinance as part of the official agenda. BROOK JOYNER/HERALD

City Commission tables fairness ordinance BY KATHRYN ZIESIG HERALD.NEWS@WKU.EDU

undreds of Bowling Green residents gathered in City Hall on Tuesday for the bimonthly City Commission meeting to hear the fairness ordinance read for the first time and tabled without discussion. Crowds assembled at Bowling Green City Hall before the meeting began and had filled the commission chamber to maximum capacity by around 4 p.m., 30 minutes before the meeting was scheduled to begin. The overflow of people stood and watched the meeting on a TV in the lobby, and more stood outside holding signs and chanting. The proposed fairness ordinance would add sexual orientation and gender identity as protected categories to existing civil rights laws. Bowling Green is the largest city in Kentucky without a fairness ordinance; as a result, anyone in Bowling Green can be legally discriminated against in housing, employment and other public accommodations if this discrimination is based on sexual orientation or gender identity. After it was announced the ordinance was tabled until the next meeting on March 7, crowds outside and in the commission chamber and lobby started chanting “shame, shame, shame” at the mayor and commissioners as they left City Hall. Brian “Slim” Nash, the only commissioner in favor of passing the or-

The Bowling Green Fairness Coalition hands out pins to supporters of the Fairness Ordinance at the City Commission meeting on Feb. 21 at City Hall. The Fairness Ordinance would extend protective rights to members of the LGBT community. BROOK JOYNER /HERALD

dinance, said he was disappointed in the outcome of the meeting but hopes to keep the discussion going. “Oftentimes, progress is done in small steps, and so I think we’ve made at least a step in the right direction tonight,” Nash said. Nash said in his eight years of previous experience on the city commission, he had never seen such a large group of people turn out for a meeting. There were about 200 people in attendance according to Patti Minter, WKU associate professor of history.

Following the meeting, supporters of the fairness ordinance gathered outside to hear Nash and others give the speeches they had prepared for the meeting, but did not get the chance to read. Minter started by thanking Nash, addressing the crowd and calling them to action. “I am tired of watching beautiful young people leave the city and leave Kentucky for places where the laws protect them from discrimination because we don’t,” Minter said.

SEE COMMISSION PAGE A2

President Gary Ransdell has declined to name WKU a sanctuary campus, which would extend certain protections to undocumented immigrant students on campus, according to a resolution passed by the University Senate last Thursday. The resolution supported allowing WKU to continue to admit undocumented immigrant students and to not share information about students unless required by subpoena, court order or warrant. The resolution also said WKU will not allow certain immigration and border protection services on campus for enforcement purposes without a warrant. In a response to the resolution delivered to University Senate Chair Kate Hudepohl Tuesday, Ransdell expressed his decision against declaring WKU a sanctuary campus, saying it is “a designation for which there is no legal status.” Ransdell said the resolution would put WKU at risk of legal trouble and endanger federal aid and funding. He also said the resolution would suggest a level of protection to students WKU cannot actually guarantee. “WKU, and especially the WKU Police, simply must comply with all state and federal laws,” Ransdell wrote in his response to the resolution. “We are an agency of Kentucky state government and must conduct our affairs responsibly.” The resolution stated “WKU will not allow Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) / Customs and Border Protection (CBP) / U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to be present on the university campus for enforcement purposes unless required by a warrant,” which Ransdell wrote “is not possible or prudent” and “WKU cannot interfere” if the listed services have reason or need to investigate a WKU student. The resolution also stated WKU would not share information about students unless required by subpoena, court order or warrant. In response to this provision, Ransdell said “WKU would cooperate with a local, state, or federal law enforcement agency investigation but would do so while fulfilling our obligations under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), which affords all college and university stu-

SEE SANCTUARY PAGE A2

Event empowers students through political education BY REBEKAH ALVEY HERALD.NEWS@WKU.EDU

Students gathered in Downing Student Union Monday to discuss and to get a better sense of politics. As a part of the events for Black History Month, Power UP: Understanding Politics Forum was focused on issues from the recent Presidential election. The program began by asking students to imagine what they would

do differently if they were in certain positions of power. From this, faculty began to define politics and why students should be involved. “You can’t act if you don’t know,” Intercultural Student Engagement Center Program Coordinator Kristina Gamble said. This was a phrase she tried to emphasize throughout the program. Gamble led the majority of the discussions and repeatedly posed questions to students.

With all of the recent events hosted by ISEC and other organizations this month, education has always played an important role, Gamble said. The goal was for each event to hit on a different medium, this event being political while others like the Black Violin performance, are more art based. Throughout the rest of the program, Gamble showed students demographics inside the Bowling

Green community and on WKU campus. She asked students to compare this information with the representation seen in leadership like the Board of Regents. Gamble explained to students “it’s important to have your seat at the table so your voice is heard.” Students were then asked to identify the biggest issue they face right now. Responses varied from immi-

SEE POWER UP PAGE A2

FEBRUARY 23, 2017

COLLEGE HEIGHTS HERALD

A2 Video contest aims to raise sexual assault awareness

BY JAMIE WILLIAMS

HERALD.NEWS@WKU.EDU

Attorney General Andy Beshear visited campus on Wednesday to introduce a new video contest in which students will raise awareness of sexual assault. The Voice of Justice contest aims to get students involved in educating their peers and supporting victims of sexual assault. Beshear visited WKU after the Student Government Association was the first group to show interest in the contest and reach out to him. “All college students deserve to be safe,” Beshear said. “This is supposed to be one of the best times of your life, where your future is limitless. You deserve to be safe, and no one deserves to be preyed on during these years.” The contest will require student groups to make a 30-second video that includes information on the free and confidential sexual assault hotline, 1-800-656-SAFE, and that increases awareness of on-campus sexual assault. Additionally, the videos should include information on being an active bystander in an assault situation and the reporting, investigating and prosecution process of campus sexual assault. Two $500 prizes will be awarded at the conclusion of the contest — one for the video that gets the most likes

on the attorney general’s online page and one for the video chosen by a panel of expert judges. Beshear said one of the four goals of his office is to seek justice for victims of sexual assault, and he wanted to get creative students involved in raising awareness on an issue that directly affects them. He said one in five women and one in 16 men were sexually assaulted on college campuses in 2015, yet only 10 percent of all on-campus sexual assaults were reported. “We have got to change that statistic,” Beshear said. “That’s why we’re launching the Voice of Justice contest.” Melissa Whitley, the executive director for Hope Harbor, said college students are one of the most at-risk populations for sexual assault. Whitley said the Voice of Justice contest is one of many opportunities for students to amplify voices of sexual assault victims. “It’s imperative that we must all use our voices — and speak with a unified message — of the intolerance of this crime,” Whitley said. Elizabeth Madariaga, the sexual assault services coordinator for WKU, said we often forget to support and believe survivors of sexual assault. She said it is the job of not only students, but faculty, government officials and the community as well to speak out for victims. “Let us be that voice of justice for our victims of violence,” Madariaga

Andy Beshear, attorney general for Kentucky, introduces Elizabeth Madariaga, WKU’s Sexual Assault Services Coordinator, during a press conference announcing the #VoicesofJustice video contest in Downing Student Union on Wednesday. The contest includes the creation of a short film that demonstrates the effects of sexual violence and misconduct. NIC HUEY/ HERALD said. “It is so incredibly important that we use our voice.” The WKU SGA already has plans to produce a video for the contest and is working with Yellowberri, a video production company in Bowling Green. The SGA has been involved in various projects to end sexual assault including creating the SAVES (Standing Against Violence and for Ending SelfHarm) committee and polling stu-

dents about on-campus areas where they feel unsafe. “We, like all universities, still have much to do when it comes to ending both sexual assault and rape culture at our university,” SGA President Jay Todd Richey said.

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

SGA offers new scholarships for marginalized groups BY JAMIE WILLIAMS HERALD.NEWS@WKU.EDU The Student Government Association prepared to make two new scholarships available for students and appointed a new senator during its meeting Tuesday. The SGA will be adding applications for the Jonesville Memorial Scholarship and the Students with Disabilities Scholarship to its website within the next few days. The Jonesville Memorial Scholarship, which was approved by the senate last fall, will be available to first-year African American WKU students from the Warren County Public School system or the Bowling Green School systems. This scholarship will total $850 and is provided by the SGA and the Center for Citizenship and Social Justice. This scholarship was created to

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“That’s not okay.” Minter said she began the fight for equal rights in 1999 and has been an advocate ever since. She also promised to continue until the day it is passed. “It’s time to add sexual orientation and gender identity to our existing civil rights ordinance, because until all of us have full and equal rights then none of us do,” Minter said.

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dents specific privacy rights.” The fourth provision in the resolution said “WKU will continue to admit undocumented immigrant students as the law allows and offer undocumented students equal access to university resources as appropriate.”

POWER UP

Continued from front gration issues to public education funding. Sophomore Michaela Carter discussed how funding for education has decreased and said there was a lack of diversity scholarships. This turned into a discussion of how politics play out in the classroom for minority students. “Politics do play a role in our everyday life,” Gamble said. Once discussions ended, representatives from the Student Government Association, Young Republicans, the Honors College, Kentuckians for the Commonwealth, ISEC and NPHC presented ways students could speak out through their organizations and

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memorialize Jonesville, a historical African American community located near WKU’s campus until the 1960s. In the late ‘60s, WKU bought Jonesville’s land in order to expand, and the residents of the community were displaced with little compensation. “Obviously no amount of money that we could throw at it will invent a time machine, so we could go back and convince the administration to properly compensate these people,” Senator Dillon McCormick said when the scholarship was approved in November. “But it is, in a way, the kind of symbolic gesture to atone for the wrong that we did.” The Students with Disabilities Scholarship will be the first ever disability scholarship given out by the SGA. The two scholarships will be worth $500 each and are for students with mental or physical disabilities. During the application process,

students will need to provide their requested accommodation from the Student Accessibility Resource Center or information from their doctor. According to the application, “Disabilities covered under this scholarship are defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.” During the meeting, Senator Chase Coffey presented a resolution that would allow former senators who resigned in good standing to attend the SGA’s end-of-the-year banquet. While the resolution was unanimously approved, it was later vetoed by the Executive Council. The council believed the resolution to be unconstitutional. After presenting his resolution, Coffey offered his resignation due to a time conflict with one of his night classes. Coffey said he wanted someone who would be able to be more active in meetings to have his seat. “I’d like to thank all of you, for get-

ting to serve beside you all through the Fall,” Coffey said during his resignation speech. “To all the new members — I welcome you to SGA, and I hope you enjoy your semester.” Since Coffey had already informed the Executive Council he would be resigning, a new senator was immediately appointed in his place. Olga Shoyat, a freshman, said she hopes to gain experience through SGA and that her international affairs major will help her in the organization. “I would like to be more aware of what is going on on-campus,” Shoyat said. “And eventually be able to make some type of impact and some type of change on-campus.” The next SGA meeting will take place next Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. in Downing Student Union.

Bowling Green resident Drue Eberhardt shared personal stories of discrimination he has faced while working in Bowling Green. “No individual, regardless of gender, religion, race or sexual orientation should ever be subjected to a hostile work environment like I was,” Eberhardt said. “And God forbid that you are, you should have legal protection.” Nash plans on bringing the issue to the next city meeting on March 7, followed by a working meeting, which is a “non-binding, non-voting

meeting” where the public will be able to give input. Nash said he believes the other commissioners are not supportive of the fairness ordinance possibly because of political strategies to stay neutral or because they believe it is a state or federal issue. “They haven’t denied that discrimination is happening; all they’ve said is that they don’t want to be involved in solving the problem,” Nash said. Despite the lack of progress with the fairness ordinance during the meeting advocates like Chris Hart-

man, the director of the fairness campaign, is optimistic about the future of the ordinance. “We’ll keep the pressure on; we’ll keep advocating; we’ll keep bringing people forward who have stories to share with the city commission about why a fairness ordinance is needed here,” Hartman said.

Ransdell wrote, WKU accepts students who meet admission standards and “all enrolled students have access to university resources and services, and all are valued members of the WKU family.” Ransdell said WKU will provide resources to support students adversely affected by President Donald Trump’s recent Executive Order, temporarily banning immigration

from seven predominantly Muslim countries. The resolution proposed providing these students access to immigration and legal advising as well as expanded opportunities to remain on campus and assistance during break periods. Ransdell said WKU will provide resources “to the extent it is lawful to do so.” “My record of embracing our in-

ternational students speaks for itself,” Ransdell wrote, ending the response with: “While I understand the symbolic gesture that accepting this resolution may provide, I believe it is more prudent to remain focused on those tangible things that we can do to support students who may be impacted by current or future immigration actions.”

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

Reporter Kathryn Ziesig can be reached at (270)745-0655 and kathryn.ziesig987@topper.wku.edu.

be empowered. Gamble said events like this can make an impact on students. She originally went to WKU as an undergraduate from 2005 to 2009. In comparison to her time as a student, she said students are recognizing power more. “Today in 2017, we are getting a larger crowd of students that can make a difference, just need direction,” Gamble said. Junior Autumn Johnson was vocal during the discussions and said “a lot of the same people are here and are trying to work toward a similar goal.”

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

WKU graduate Austin Wingate, from Elizabethtown, spoke with junior Darius Fields, from Lexington, at the Understanding Politics Forum on Monday in DSU. SILAS WALKER /HERALD

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FEBRUARY 23, 2017

COLLEGE HEIGHTS HERALD

School of nursing changes program degrees

BY BRYSON KELTNER

HERALD.NEWS@WKU.EDU

The WKU School of Nursing is officially terminating its associate degree program and expanding its baccalaureate degree program next semester. “Given that we were seeing so many students wanting in our baccalaureate program, and we were seeing decreased interest in our associate, we decided to close the associate program and open up more seats in the baccalaureate,” said Mary Bennett, who has served as the director of the WKU School of Nursing for 10 years. Bennett assured the switch will not currently affect the number of nurses graduating from WKU, but only change their degrees. “So, we’re going from about 80 students in the baccalaureate program to admitting about 120 this fall,” Bennett said. “We’re in the process of accepting those students now. We have about 140 applicants for those seats.”

Bennett said once the program gains some more resources, it may increase the number of seats to 160, which the Board of Nursing established as the base-line enrollment. Bennett said the School of Nursing is keeping an online program that allows LPN’s to receive their associate’s. “We are still keeping online LPN to ASM program because it’s one of only two in the state, and we still have a lot of LPNs out there who want to advance their career,” she said. “We don’t want to close the door on them.” Bennett said the primary reasoning the baccalaureate program has been seeing an increase in interest is because the profession has been moving towards the baccalaureate degree. “While it’s not a legal requirement that nurses have a baccalaureate, more hospitals are making it a requirement for hire, or if they hire someone with an associate’s, they require them to get a baccalaureate within a cer-

tain period of time,” Bennett said. Nate Morris, second semester BSM student from Kansas City, Missouri, shared his experience in the nursing Baccalaureate program so far while studying with a fellow nursing student at a Star-

“If it’s a clinical day, depending on what floor you’re working on – it could be like a surgical floor, a pediatric floor – you start your day when the nurse starts,” Morris said. Also in her second semester of the nursing program, Songbee Kim of Oak Grove

You really get to apply yourself in a lot of different areas, and then you know you’re going into a ﬁeld that’s going to help people.” Second semester BSM student Nate Morris bucks off campus. “It’s a big challenge,” Morris said. “You really get to apply yourself in a lot of different areas, and then you know you’re going into a field that’s going to help people.” Morris described typical days as a nursing student: lecture days usually consist of two lectures with a few breaks scattered from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Clinical days are more atypical.

shared her reasoning for switching to the nursing field her sophomore year. “At the time I wanted to be an optometrist,” Kim said. “I thought in the future there could be a possibility of robotics for that. So I was like, ‘What’s a job that would be in need forever?’ It would be nursing.” Kim said the best part about the program itself is the sense of unity among the

students. “After being in the nursing program, you have various opportunities to get to know them and be friends,” she said. “So, the experience you share with them is great.” Kim sees the switch to all baccalaureate degrees as a positive change. “I think it’s a good idea to have all the nurses be on track and to make sure they have the correct knowledge and best education to treat their patients,” she said. Bennett said although the logistics of the degrees are changing, the School of Nursing’s overall essence will remain the same. “As most people know, we have a really good-quality program,” she said. “Students have good pass rates. Almost all our students have jobs before they ever graduate. People heavily recruit them. So, we want to keep doing what we’re doing.”

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

Dual credit enrollment continues to rise BY CASEY MCCARTHY HERALD.NEWS@WKU.EDU The number of students enrolled at WKU with dual credit status continues to rise as the number of students without dual credit status continues to drop, according to the WKU enrollment office. The dual credit program is defined as a partnership between WKU’s Division of Extended Learning and Outreach (DELO) and area high schools to offer qualified students the opportunity to earn college credits as part of their high school curriculum. Dual credit programs are becoming increasingly more popular across the country as students try to get a jump start on their college careers, according to multiple reports. In Fall 2015, 1,859 students were enrolled in dual credit courses at WKU ac-

cording to WKU Enrollment. In Fall 2016, that number increased by nearly 500 with 2,348 students enrolled in dual credit courses. Brian Meredith, chief enrollment and graduation officer at, said the program is a great recruitment tool. “It lets a high school student get a taste for college courses and get a leg up on their freshman year,” he said. Meredith said the program helps students come in feeling more comfortable and confident. Not only does it offer a more dynamic enrollment structure for the university, it helps with retention as well, he added. “The state of Kentucky and WKU both benefit from a thriving dual credit program,” Meredith said. “It’s all about the students here, with anything we do, such as dual credit, that sets students up for the long haul.” Sharon Hunter, director of strategic enrollment

management and retention support, said the program aids the university’s regional stewardship, partnering with 45 high schools across the state. Hunter said the dual credit program tries to tailor to each high school’s needs in regards to specific courses and professors. Courses offered are generally colonnade courses or other general education requirements. “We try to look at everything we do from a student’s perspective,” Hunter said. Hunter explained students who come in with dual credit status are typically more focused in their degree attainment, graduating from WKU in 4.1 years on average. Students entering WKU as freshmen with nine or more credit hours from dual credit enrollment, holding a 3.0 GPA, had a retention rate of over 90 percent. Hunter said the marketing program at WKU has

been heavily involved with the program as well. Guest speakers from WKU visit dual credit classes at participating high schools in the area to discuss coming here when they graduate, Hunter said. In addition, there are special tours specifically for dual credit students, as well as letters and other communication acknowledging their achievements in involvement with the university. “They are WKU students while they’re in the program,” Hunter said. “Everything we do is about building a relationship.” Dewayne Neeley, program director of Dual Credit, said the program understands not every student who takes part will attend WKU. Neeley said giving students their own ID card helps them feel like they are a part of the WKU community, lifting some of the weight and stress of college away. “We want the students

here,” Neeley said. “And we want them to know that we want them.” Neeley said Dual Credit is a revenue generating detail for the university. The program pays for its own teachers and resources, while profits generated return to the university. In regards to the concurrent shifts in dual credit enrollment and non-dual credit, Neeley said he believes the benefits outweigh any negatives “It’s clear our tuition is significantly lower than a traditional student’s would be,” Neeley said. “I believe our division, our provost and our president support dual credit and our recruitment of potential students, seeing the reward worth the risk of losing possible revenue.”

Reporter, Casey McCarthy can be reached at 270745-6011 and casey.mccarthy573@topper.wku.edu.

The following students attended the NPHC Greek 101 Session on Januaryy 30th,, 2017:

Brianna Baldon Shea Malone Cayse’ Perry

Keiza Outen Chanel Watkins Greek Affairs

THE OFFICE OF STUDENT ACTIVITIES PUBLISHES NAMES OF STUDENTS INTERESTED IN JOINING AN NPHC ORGANIZATION TO ENCOURAGE TRANSPARENCY AND SAFETY FOR ALL STUDENTS INVOLVED. ANY AND ALL QUESTIONS MAY BE DIRECTED TO NPHC ADVISORS RANDALL P. BOGARD AT RANDALL.BOGARD@WKU.EDU OR JOSCLYNN.BRANDON AT JOSCLYNN.BRANDON@WKU.EDU Student Research Conference Student Workshop Series

Research Experiences And Creative Heights Tuesday, February 7 5:00 p.m. | HCIC 2007 How to Write an Abstract Leila Watkins

Friday, February 17 11:30 a.m. | GH 236 How to Visualize Research Data Leyla Zhuhadar Monday, February 27 4:00 p.m. | HCIC 2007 How to Make a Poster Rodney King

wku.edu/studentresearch

Tuesday, March 21 11:30 a.m. | HCIC 3005 How to Give a Talk Lance Hahn

FEBRUARY 23, 2017> WESTERN KENTUCKY UNIVERSITY

WKUHERALD.COM CARTOON

OPINION

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KALYN’S CORNER

Looking at the different labels in the black community

BY KALYN JOHNSON HERALD.OPINION@WKU.EDU

or some Americans there is a distinct difference between African-Americans and black Americans. The difference being, African-Americans are not far removed from first generation African immigrants, and black Americans are those whose ancestors underwent slavery in the United States. Even with distinctly different names, both groups experience oppression and can be clumped under the phrase of “black” because the phrase is used to describe all of us who possess features typical of someone of African descent, which isn’t a problem. But black American and African-American, I would argue, are the same idea. I enjoy both terms. They both have the ability to show those who read

my job application I have caramel colored skin, kinky hair that could be locked, twisted, braided or anything in between. It shows a heritage of the ages in a phrase or word. It shows what my ancestors went through and how the word black is meant to stay within our community, just as other racial slurs that have been taken as words of kinship and togetherness within the black communities. If you’re anything like me, you’ve thought that the term “black” was used to describe features and just thought that the same people who “don’t see color” also didn’t know the difference between brown and black. For some people this is true, but what is also true is that Black Power advocates adopted the word black and was “reserved for ‘black brothers and sisters who are emancipating themselves,’” which is the same way members of the black community

use a word that was once, and still is, a racial slur. The act of taking back a word that is still used to put members of a community down is to find pride in where you’ve come from. Pride in the dismantling of oppression and racism that was, and is continuously, faced not only by you but my those who came before. Like I said before, both phrases are fine, but it’s the context in which they are used that makes me fall to one end or the other. It’s the context that gets me. It’s something about the way a harsh tone says “African-American” that makes me say, “I’m unapologetically black,” or the way a racist says “black people” that makes some of us hold a right fist to the sky and proclaim I’m an African-American and belong here as much as everyone else. The division between the phrase African-American and black Amer-

ican is unnecessary, only because a racist doesn’t care if we were born here or not, they care we are different. The difference is when someone tells an immigrant from Africa to “go back where you came from!” They could, theoretically, go back to whatever part of Africa they came from if they pleased. However, the option does not exist for black Americans, because they were born here. To go back to a land they never knew would be the same as telling a white American to go back where they came from. In the end, we are both black, African and American. To be black is to have kinship to forced immigration and slavery. To be African is to have kinship to immigration. To be American is to have kinship to immigration and freedom. To embrace the word or phrase is to embrace where we came from and where we are headed.

ABOVE THE FRAY

Framing LGBTIQ rights, straight pride is not a thing BY ERICK MURRER HERALD.OPINION@WKU.EDU

Nearly 50 years ago in March 1967, veteran journalist Mike Wallace anchored a broadcast for the television documentary series CBS Reports, centered around “The Homosexuals:” a watershed, albeit negaERICK tive, moment for gay MURRER visibility. Wallace, in complete deadpan fashion, profiled homosexuality as one of the greatest concerns of modern society. “There is a growing concern about homosexuals in society, about their increasing visibility... Americans consider homosexuality more harmful to society than adultery, abortion, or prostitution.” Fast-forward 50 years later. Restrictions no longer exist for gay and transgender individuals to serve in the military; an Obama-era executive order, re-affirmed by President Donald Trump, bars federal contractor employee discrimination on the basis of LGBTIQ identity; anti-discrimination provisions exist for the overwhelming 89 percent majority of Fortune 500 companies; and samesex marriage is recognized in all 50 states. Despite these advancements, LGBTIQ equality still hangs in the balance.

A federal provision comparable to the Civil Rights Act of 1964 have yet to be passed to protect individuals on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity, but the quality of life for LGBTIQ people is now unparalleled to what it was in 1967. Nonetheless, LGBTIQ protections remain spotty on state and local levels, especially within our own community. On Tuesday, for the umpteenth time, the third-largest city in Kentucky refused to deliberate the merit of a fairness ordinance tacking on sexual orientation and gender identity for the purposes of anti-discrimination measures. City Commissioner Brian “Slim” Nash, the sole presenter of the Fairness Ordinance, said, as quoted by WBKO, “Do we want to be a community that says, we’re against discrimination… Or do we want to say that we’re a city that accepts the fact that the discrimination exists?” On Tuesday, the ordinance did not secure a second, which would have allowed for further discussion and voting. This detestable silence represents an unwillingness to recognize equal protection under the law for all. Nevertheless, how did this critical mass for LGBTIQ equality accelerate in a period of 50 years to go from only viewing LGBTIQ peoples as reviled pariahs in America, to that of protecting rights on the forefront of a new civil rights movement? The answer: the assertion of LGBTIQ pride and the humanization of queer experiences in the face of adversity and oppression, which

has sought to bring down and silence queer and trans voices. After CBS released their controversial 1967 broadcast, the Chicago Tribune’s review was entitled, “TV No Spot to Unload Garbage.” Comparably horrifying sentiments like this continue to pervade the consciousness of a sizable, queer-phobic ideology that seeks to erase, belittle and demonize the identities of LGBTIQ peoples on the flawed premises of religious, cultural and scientific terms. Thinking they represent a constructive approach to queer and nonqueer relations, some heterosexuals have asked what the underlying premise is for coming out or why the need to celebrate queer pride exists. “I’m straight, but I don’t take pride in being straight. Why do you feel the need to flaunt your sexuality - shoving an agenda down our throats?” Firstly, the experiences are non-comparable. Moreover, If by flaunting your sexuality, you mean, fighting against realities of physical or verbal assault because you are perceived or found out to be queer or trans, then by all means, I will continue to stand by those who champion the rights of queer people to live in an inclusive society that understands queer issues. According to The New York Times, the LGBTIQ community is subjected to the most hate crimes of any minority, and is more than twice as likely to be targeted than African-Americans. Straight people, with respect to their sexuality, are affirmed and in-

cluded anywhere they go. Without having to fear being fired or treated with inferiority, straight people freely talk about their weekend outings with their partner of the opposite-sex as well as walk the streets while holding hands not worrying about the ramifications of prejudice because of their relationship dynamic. Every mainstream sitcom or popular song revolves around heterosexual relationships – so being straight is far more than a function of a “bedroom activity,” and characterizes eventful, non-sexual, everyday life experiences. LGBTIQ peoples should be no different. In narrow-minded terms, these sentiments reflect an ignorance to the plight of LGBTIQ peoples by relegating our experiences to private, sexualized spaces. There is no need for straight pride because straight people are fully integrated, respected members of society. LGBTIQ rights should not be understood as a singular point in time when the wrongs against LGBTIQ peoples are made “right”; but rather, must be understood as a continual push for the betterment of LGBTIQ peoples’ lives and the advancement of an improved understanding of human sexuality and gender identity, as reflected by our cultural and legal norms. While pride in being straight is not a thing, LGBTIQ people’s lives are at stake. Our rights are non-negotiable, and justice is demanded.

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COLLEGE HEIGHTS HERALD

FEBRUARY 23, 2017

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Across

1 Reverberate 5 Shoot for, with “to” 11 Contents of some bags 14 Kind of wire 15 Check payee, maybe 16 Farm butter 17 Bistro 18 Alcove 19 Nile reptile 20 Attractive 22 Slangy denial 24 Experiences 25 Football’s Armstrong 26 Plunder 30 Almond candy 34 Vote to accept 35 “___ on my bed my limbs I lay”: Coleridge 36 Myrna of “The Thin Man” 37 Not being used 38 Microbes 40 Baedeker of the Baedeker travel guides 41 House vote 42 Dust remover 43 Old Ford 44 Vulnerability 47 Wicker material 48 ___ and for all 49 Lettuce type 50 Boxer’s bane 51 Hitch in the middle of rope 55 Hawaiian wreath 56 Andy Warhol’s forte

1. What was 'Rooster' Cogburn's full name in True Grit? (a) Rueben J Cogburn (b) Samuel L Cogburn (c) Henry E Cogburn 2. What was carved into Billy the Kid's tombstone at the end of Young Guns? (a) The Kid (b) Goodbye (c) Pals 3. In Rio Bravo, who played Feathers the gambler? (a) Ann-Margaret (b) Angie Dickinson (c) Maureen O'Hara 4. What was the name of the town in Unforgiven? (a) Whiskey Bend (b) Whiskey Gulch (c) Big Whiskey 5. What president's favorite movie was High Noon? (a) Bill Clinton (b) Richard Nixon (c) Ronald Reagan 6. In Blazing Saddles, what designer label is on Bart's satchel? (a) Versace (b) Gucci (c) Calvin Klein 7. What Indian chief complicated a trip for passengers in the movie Stagecoach? (a) Geronimo (b) Cochise (c) Crazy Horse 8. What was the name of the famlily in How the West was Won? (a) The Morgans (b) The Thompsons (c) The Prescotts 9. In North to Alaska, what popular 60s singer played the role of Billy Pratt? (a) Bobby Rydell (b) Fabian (c) Frankie Avalon 10. Val Kilmer played Doc Holliday in Tombstone. Who was the first choice for the role? (a) Willem Dafoe (b) Richard Gere (c) Sam Elliott

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

34 38

40 43

54 59

58 Discharge, as light 60 Ended a fast 61 Come into view 62 Greet the judge 63 Took place 64 Forward 65 Hebrew for “delight” Down 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Catchall abbr. Sticking point? Old 45 player Dentist’s request Overseas Appears Horse’s motion

8 E.U. member 9 Fixes up, like an antique 10 Artificial 11 Surgical procedure 12 Orient 13 Electric guitar hookup 21 Seal off 23 “Rocky ___” 26 Acadia National Park locale 27 African antelope 28 Butterballs 29 Mock, in a way 30 Traffic sign 31 Escort’s offering 32 Major artery

33 Parachute material 38 Macabre 39 Musical aptitude 40 Hobby shop buy 43 Bridge declaration 45 A wee hour 46 Some paintings 47 Rank 49 Boatload 50 Salad cheese 51 Joker, e.g. 52 Pop, in France 53 During 54 Judicious 55 Order’s partner 57 Mont Blanc, e.g. 59 Sawbuck

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

4 2 8 1

3 2

6 4 8 1

6 7 1 3 1

2 7 9

6 3 4

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

1 1 9

Previous Solution 3 2 3 8

4 6 7 1 6 3 7 5 2

8 6 9 1 7 4 6

5 5

FEBRUARY 23, 2017 > WESTERN KENTUCKY UNIVERSITY

Patti Minter, an associate professor in the history department at WKU, spoke to the crowd after the Bowling Green City Commission meeting on Tuesday. Members of the Fairness Coalition and the Bowling Green community gathered outside City Hall during the City Commission meeting on Tuesday. Commissioner Brian “Slim” Nash proposed the Fairness Ordinance, which would protect people from discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity or perceived gender identity. BROOK JOYNER/HERALD

Patti Minter addressed the crowd by City Commissioner Brain “Slim” Nash on Tuesday at Bowling Green City Hall after the City Commission meeting. Nash was the first commissioner to present the first reading of the fairness ordinance to the city commission, but it was tabled until March 7, the next city commission meeting. “I have never in my life seen a crowd show up in a city commission meeting for any issue that we were discussing,” Nash said when thanking the crowd. KATHRYN ZIESIG/HERALD

Fairness WKUHERALD.COM

PHOTO

City Commissioner Brain “Slim” Nash is applauded by the crowd in Bowling Green City Hall on Tuesday after a city commission meeting. Nash was the first commissioner to present the first reading of the fairness ordinance to the city commission, but it was tabled until March 7, the next city commission meeting. “All I’m trying to do is ensure civil rights for all people,” Nash said. KATHRYN ZIESIG/HERALD

Kristina Arnold, a professor in the WKU art department, drives a protest sign in to the ground at the City Commission meeting on Tuesday at City Hall. Arnold has previously participated in groups for social change, but became involved again after the election of last year. “I believe people have the right to live where they want, work where they want and shop where they want, regardless of their real or perceived gender identity or sexual orientation,” she said. BROOK JOYNER/HERALD

Liz Dunaway holds up a pride flag on the steps of City Hall in Bowling Green, following a City Commissioners meeting on Tuesday. The meeting’s agenda included the fairness ordinance in Bowling Green, but the item was pushed to a later date. In protest to the lack of acknowledgement towards the ordinance, citizens of Bowling Green gathered outside of City Hall and expressed their concerns. LYDIA SCHWEICKART/HERALD

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FEBRUARY 23, 2017 > WESTERN KENTUCKY UNIVERSITY

WKUHERALD.COM

LIFE

Frieda Pages preforms an act with the elephants and camels on Saturday, Feb. 18 at the National Guard Armory during the Circus Pages show. Circus Pages has been around for 27 years and they perform two shows every day for nine months out of the year. KATHRYN ZIESIG/HERALD

Mercedes Pages,18, and Vicenta Pages,31, paint faces during the intermission of the Jose Edwardo Valeiras juggles flaming torches during the Circus Pages show on Circus Pages show on Sunday, Feb. 19 at the National Guard Armory. Mercedes Pag- Sunday, Feb. 19 at the National Guard Armory. Circus Pages has been around for 27 es has been working for and traveling with the circus her entire life. KATHRYN ZIESIG/ years. KATHRYN ZIESIG/HERALD HERALD

Big Tops

Circus Pages visits Bowling Green BY KATHRYN ZIESTAG

HERALD.FEATURES@WKU.EDU Circus Pages came to the Bowling Green National Guard Armory this past weekend to perform their latest acts for the community. Circus Pages comes to Bowling Green each year for two days and attracts people of all ages to come see their show. Circus Pages performs with a wide variety of animals including camels, horses, elephants, dogs, lions and other big cats. People filed in each day with their

kids and families and participated in pre-show activities like face painting, elephant and pony rides, eating typical circus food and more. The circus also prides itself on its wide variety of acts. The group’s show lasts an hour and a half and includes many different acts such as aerialists, juggling, clowns, Earhart’s Globe of Death and more. Bowling Green resident and parent Matt Edwards, 35, came to the circus on Saturday with his daughter Cady Edwards, 3, and his wife Jen Edwards, 34. “We come every time they have it,” Matt said.

can Read-In is just a component of what the NCTE has hosted for several

SEE READ-IN PAGE B2

SEE ELEPHANT PAGE B2

According to the Circus Pages website, it has been produced by Jose Pages for over 25 years. Jorge Pages, grandson of Jose and one of the performers, said they travel nine months out of the year and perform two shows each day. Performer Mercedes Pages, 18, said she has been traveling and performing in the circus with her family her entire life. Pages performs in a variety of the different acts and, like the rest of the performers, helps with other tasks during the show, like face painting.

BY KALEE CHISM HERALD.FEATURES@WKU.EDU

Diane Wilkins of Auburn, english professor at Southcentral Kentucky Community & Technical College, reads passages from the book Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass to faculty, staff and students on Tuesday for SKYCTCs African American Read-In in celebration of Black History Month. GRACE PRITCHETT/HERALD projects prior to this, and she asked me if I wanted to team up and do it again this year. The African Ameri-

BY ELISABETH MOORE HERALD.FEATURES@WKU.EDU

Within sub-Saharan areas of Africa, elephants roam free in their natural habitats and among areas that are populated with humans. While humans and elephants try to keep their separate ways, there is a major human-elephant conflict arising as elephants raid and damage crops while looking for food and water. In one of the latest methods in sustainable agriculture and forestry, the Earth Watch Institute has been partnering with local farmers in Kenya to help minimize human-wildlife conflict. Much like the conflict with these elephants, the Earth Watch Institute focuses on preserving natural habitats while conserving land and resources that humans and wildlife need. According to the Earth Watch Institute’s website, elephants play an important role on Earth by creating and maintaining critical habitats for other species. Yet, in certain areas like Kenya, elephants sometimes eat or damage crops that can take a toll on agriculture production. Bruce Schulte, the department head of biology, recently accepted a grant through the International Elephant Foundation that will allow him to travel to Kenya and to work elephants and other wildlife in order to help remove any conflict they may have with humans, and vice versa. Along with the help of the Earth Watch Institute, Schulte will be finding new ways to sustain life and wildlife. Schulte will be traveling to Kenya for almost five weeks during the summer, along with a graduate student who will be staying for six or seven months. With the Earth Watch Institute, scientists and volunteers will help Schulte collect data and set up experiments that will help their overall cause. These scientists and volunteers will be working non-stop between July and December of this year. “I will be there for the summer

Read-in commmemorates black history Southcentral Kentucky Community and Technical College joined a national event to celebrate Black History Month. On Tuesday, SKYCTC hosted an African-American Read-In event where people can come and read a work by an African- American author, or just listen. “This is actually a national event that we decided to get involved in,” said Coni Waggoner, an assistant professor of reading and QEP coordinator at SKYCTC. “Participants can read a passage from a book, a poem, a part of a speech, or anything written by an African American author, or they can just come listen.” The African-American Read-In was started by Jerrie Cobb, and has reached colleges across the United States. “This event is sponsored and endorsed, if you will, by the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) and the International Reading Association,” said Waggoner. “Ms. Wendt is a member of the NCTE, and we’ve worked together on a few

Professor to research elephants

FEBRUARY 23, 2017

COLLEGE HEIGHTS HERALD

READ-IN

Continued from b1

Diane Wilkins of Auburn, Ky., English Professor at Southcentral Kentucky Community & Technical College, reads passages from the book “Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass” on Tuesday for SKYCTC’s African American Read-In in celebration of Black History Month. Wilkins chose Douglass’ autobiography because, she said, “Frederick Douglass is one of the most powerful figures that students read about... he is an inspirational figure to a lot of students.”GRACE PRITCHETT/HERALD

ELEPHANT Continued from B1

part until I have to come back for my day job,” Schulte said. “But I have collaborators in Kenya, scientists in Kenya who will be there along with

fieldworkers and my graduate student.” During the last twelve months, Schulte has been setting up a project that will help preserve land where the wildlife, like elephants, need to survive. This project includes interact-

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ing with the locals in Kenya to figure out how they interact with the land and how they develop. Due to the human need to develop more land to survive, Schulte’s project will allow locals to not infringe in key land that wildlife may need to thrive. Throughout the project, Schulte and the other project workers will have to find ways to work around the weather in Kenya, which can be temperamental by either raining too much, too little or just enough, which can affect agriculture for both the locals and the wildlife. Though the wildlife does not travel near humans often, if the agriculture for them is not giving enough food, animals like elephants may come and forage from human food, which can ruin large quantities of crops. “In North America, I would say that people tend to really like elephants,” Schulte said. “But, what they really have to understand is that the people who have to live with elephants have a very different perspective about elephants. The more we can travel, the more we can speak to people and read about what is happening in these spaces, the more we can understand the dilemma that people have in these countries.” The ultimate goal of the project is to find ways to help guide elephants and other wildlife away from human life while helping humans keep wildlife areas in good condition so the elephants and other wildlife do not need to interact with humans as much. “I have been working with ele-

phants for nearly 20 years and doing a lot with social behaviors and stuff like that,” Schulte said. “Elephants are known for having a lot of interaction with humans, for good and for bad. Because of that, I was working on wild elephants behavior, and the more I became involved with them, the more I had to consider the human aspect of their lives.” Michael Stokes, a biology professor, also helps with grants within the department and has done a previous project that helped introduce Schulte to the current Earth Watch Institute project he is working on. With the prevalence of WKU in places like Kenya, Stokes loans out a house to other WKU professors, students and other non-profits that are doing projects in that area. “We are a very internationalized department,” Stokes said, “We have people working all over the world, like in Asia, Africa, Central America and Europe.” Much like in Shulte’s case, many of the biology professors take on projects that will help their areas of study. Along with creating and maintaining these projects, the department also has a wide range of projects that both graduate and undergraduate students can participate in, which is not common in every department at WKU.

Reporter Elisabeth Moore can be reached at 270-745-6288 and Elisabeth.moore938@topper.wku.edu. Follow her on Twitter at @emoore938.

Wkuherald.com WKu's no. 1 source for campus news CALICO JACK

NEW AMSTERDAM

Go Lady Toppers!

years. NCTE invites schools, colleges and any other organization to take part in this event every year.” According to the National Council of Teachers of English website, the African American Read-Ins began in 1989 after the Black Caucus of the National Council of Teachers of English got a recommendation to begin the program by their Issue’s Committee. The National Council of Teachers of English joined the efforts in 1990. According to the website, the goal of the Read-In program is for it to become a traditional part of many Black History Month celebrations. The event was brought to SKYCTC last year, when Waggoner and Leah Wendt, the digital learning coordinator and assistant professor at SKYCTC, informally hosted the event last

spring. This year, the pair collaborated with SKYCTC’s Diversity and QEP Committees to officially start the event. Waggoner said the importance of diversity prompted her to begin the program. “Personally, I think diversity is more and more important every day,” said Waggoner. “SKYCTC is growing in leaps and bounds, and we just wanted to celebrate African- American History month in some way. I teach reading at the college, so it’s a perfect way to share the importance of literacy -- regardless of race, ethnicity, background, etc.” The event was open to the public, and Waggoner said she hopes it will help give participants the opportunity to share works by their favorite authors. Reporter Kalee Chism can be reached at 270-745-2655 and kalee. chism704@topper.wku.edu.

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FEBRUARY 23, 2017

SENIOR DAY Continued from B4

“They will definitely leave ... we have a saying to leave a place better than you found it and they will definitely leave this place better than they found it,” Clark-Heard said. Noble and Jones’ relationship is a special part of this season’s team. The two’s friendship is strong on and off the court. Playing on the same team for three years and being roommates, Noble and Jones’ chemistry has helped the Lady Tops win

PREVIEW

Continued from B4 Clark-Heard said about defending the Charlotte attack. “They are very good at getting the ball out really quick and getting up the floor. In that first meeting, we didn’t force them to use much of the shot clock. This time around, we

as many games as they have. Having two polished seniors with high basketball IQs in important leadership roles takes some pressure off the rest of the team. When asked of the fact that her time playing with Noble is coming to an end, Jones’ responded, “It’s hit. I don’t really like to think about it, but the time will come. After the season, it’ll be tough, but we’re going to enjoy it while it lasts.” With two great careers ending, the two teammates have paved the way for many years of Lady Topper success. Between the two, there’s been

four all-conference team selections and over 2,000-points scored. While the Lady Tops will still have a lot of returning pieces for next season, there will be something different about not seeing Noble and Jones run out of the locker room onto John Oldham Court. “I really enjoy that opportunity to challenge them every day,” ClarkHeard said. “They allow me to do that. They allow this staff to do that, and that’s why they’ve been successful, and that’s why this team has been successful. Every day coming to practice, the younger players and

have to make sure we’re locked in defensively.” Charlotte will look to become the first C-USA team to sweep the Lady Tops since WKU made the jump to C-USA in 2014. However, the Lady 49ers will have to do something that many teams have struggled to do this season: win in Diddle. The Lady tops boast an 11-game

home winning streak and a 12-1 overall record at home this season. As far as C-USA opponents go, the Lady Tops are 7-0 at home with an average margin of victory of 22.1 per game. “We went back and watched film from the first game, and we definitely had to clean up a lot of things,” ClarkHeard said. “We shot the ball well, it was a high-scoring game. I don’t

COLLEGE HEIGHTS HERALD the rest of the team see that. We always talk about how you can lead and lead by example, and that’s what this team does. They follow their lead.” Senior Day festivities will follow Saturday afternoon’s 2 p.m. game against Old Dominion in Diddle Arena.

Reporter Kenton Hornbeck can be reached at 859-445-7702 and kenton.hornbeck159@topper.wku.edu. Follow him on Twitter at @KentonHornbeck. think either team was happy with the way they played defense, but I’m sure they were happy to come out with the win.” Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. in Diddle.

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

Hilltoppers head into final road trip of the season BYMATTHEW STEWART HERALD.SPORTS@WKU.EDU

Not too long ago Head Coach Rick Stansbury and the Hilltoppers were talking about the high volume of road games to start off the season. Now, that seemingly never-ending cycle of road games is coming to an end. The Tops (13-14, 7-7 C-USA) are headed on their last road trip of the regular season, beginning with a tilt at the University of North Carolina Charlotte on Thursday and ending with a game in Norfolk, Virginia, against Old Dominion on Saturday. Charlotte has lost five of its last six games and very similar to WKU, is looking to bounce back before tournament play. The 49ers have four players averaging double figures with Jon Davis leading the way at 20 points per game, followed by Austin Ajukwa (11.8) Andrien White (10.5) and Braxton Ogbueze (10.1). Earlier this season the Tops bested Charlotte on Jan. 5 in Diddle Arena. It was a tight game from start to finish, but the Tops came out victorious with a final score of 82-80. Five Hilltoppers were in double-figures in that game, led by Que Johnson and Pancake Thomas who scored 14 apiece. The second game of the road swing pits WKU against the thirdplace team in C-USA. Old Dominion (16-10, 9-5 C-USA) is the opponent and the Monarchs

already collected a 79-67 victory over the Hilltoppers on Jan. 7 in Diddle. With a couple of wins this week, the Tops have a chance to pull within the top three of C-USA on this trip away from home. The Monarchs are the same team that ended WKU’s season nearly one year ago in the C-USA Tournament with an 89-77 win in Birmingham. The Monarchs were led by then senior guard Trey Freeman who hung 42 points on the Hilltoppers, 34 of which came in the second half. With Freeman now gone, ODU is led by a resurgent group of upperclassmen. Sophomores Ahmad Caver, Zoran Talley, B.J. Stith and junior forward Brandan Stith all average north of 10 points per game. In the Monarch’s earlier win over WKU, the trio of Talley, Caver and B.J. Stith combined for 63 of ODU’s 79 points. Brandan Stith did not play in that game. With the conference tournament approaching, any bit of momentum can help spark a team, and the Tops have a bit of that heading into Charlotte on Thursday in their most recent victory. The Tops were victorious in a matchup with the Blazers of UAB this past Saturday, winning by a final score of 76-64. After an abysmal offensive performance three nights prior against Middle Tennessee, junior forward Justin Johnson posted a career high 26 points to go along with 14 re-

Redshirt senior guard Pancake Thomas (12) drives to the hoop as he is defended by Middle Tennessee guard Tyrik Dickson (0) and guard Adonis Foote (45) during WKU’s 78-52 loss to MTSU on Thursday, Feb. 16, 2017 in Diddle Arena. SILAS WALKER /HERALD

bounds against UAB. Coach Stansbury noted his scorers need to continue playing at that level and hitting shots like they did against UAB. “We gotta carry this confidence on the road,” Stansbury said after the game. Tip-off on Thursday is set for 6 p.m. and can be watched via online

Bring the diverse ﬂavors of our community to your plate. Using only halal certiﬁed meats, this station is serving up a menu of crave crave-able able fare to satisfy all ya ll ttastes. astes. Monday-Thursday Lunch & Dinner ONLY AT Friday Lunch Only © 2016 Aramark. All rights reserved.

stream on Campus Insiders. Saturday’s game against ODU will tip off at 6 p.m. and will be broadcast on ESPN3.

Reporter Matthew Stewart can be reached at 859-797-3140 and matthew.stewart015@topper.wku.edu Follow him on Twitter at @MES_ WKU22.

FEBRUARY 23, 2017 > WESTERN KENTUCKY UNIVERSITY

WKUHERALD.COM

SPORTS

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL PREVIEW

» Men’s Basketball: Hilltoppers head into final road stretch of the regular season.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL SENIOR DAY

Lady Tops look to payback Charlotte BY SAM PORTER HERALD.SPORTS@WKU.EDU Despite a five-game win streak and complete control of first place in Conference USA, there’s still plenty on the line tonight for the WKU women’s basketball team. The Lady Tops (20-6, 12-2 C-USA) need to win three of their last four games to clinch the regular season C-USA championship and the No. 1 seed in the conference tournament. WKU will look to avenge one of its two conference losses on Thursday when the University of North Carolina-Charlotte visits Diddle Arena. Earlier this season, Charlotte defeated WKU 89-85 in overtime at the Dale F. Halton Arena in Charlotte, North Carolina. In that game, redshirt senior Kendall Noble led WKU with 27 points and 11 rebounds. “We didn’t play very well against Charlotte in that first game,” Noble said.“We gave up 89 points. We know they’re hungry for a win, and we’re expecting a really tough game. We’re going to have to be focused and locked in.” The matchup pits the top two scoring offenses in C-USA against each other. WKU comes in averaging a conference-high 75.3 points per game while Charlotte sits right behind them at 73.2. The 89 points scored against WKU in the first matchup still stands as the most points scored against the Lady Tops this season. Part of the reason the Lady 49ers have had so much success offensively is due to their ability to score in a number of ways. “I think they’re solid all around,” redshirt senior guard Micah Jones said. “Their posts and guards can both do a lot of things. That’s why they’re so good. They can spread you out, and they have a lot of threats. We just can’t let them get hot like they did in the first meeting.” The Lady 49ers come in to tonight’s game as the only team in C-USA to have four players averaging double figures. Grace Hunter, who led the team with 32 points in the first matchup, leads the Lady 49ers at 17.3 points per game. Joining Hunter in double figures are senior guards Ciara Gregory (14.4 ppg) and Lefty Webster (13.2 ppg), and forward Nyilah Jamsion-Myers (11.4 ppg). “We’ve got to change up our defense and make sure we can slow the ball down,” Head Coach Michelle

SEE PREVIEW PAGE B3

Redshirt senior guard Kendall Noble (12) drives to the basket as LA Tech’s guard Kierra Lang (3) defends during the Lady Toppers’ 67-58 win over LA Tech on Thursday, Feb. 2, 2017 in Diddle Arena. EBONY COX/HERALD

FULL CIRCLE

Noble, Jones prepare for final stretch BY KENTON HORNBECK HERALD.SPORTS@WKU.EDU Reflection is oftentimes an overlooked aspect of how an athlete spends their time. With senior night swiftly approaching, Lady Topper seniors Kendall Noble and Micah Jones both spent a moment reflecting on what have been two remarkable careers on the Hill before Thursday’s game against Charlotte. “It is definitely bittersweet but, you know, we’re going to try to stay focused and get two wins and worry about the senior night after the game on Saturday,” Jones said. “We’re just looking to stay focused” Throughout everything, the teammates have found friendship during their time spent in the Lady Topper basketball program. Noble and Jones have similar basketball backstories. Both hailing from two small, rural Kentucky communities, their mutual love of basketball was a guiding interest

throughout their early years. Both were prep star players during high school upon leading their respective programs to exceptional heights. Noble and Jones entered WKU the same year that Lady Topper Head Coach Michelle ClarkHeard took over. Although their time together may be ending, ClarkHeard said the experience of coaching both women has created a strong student-pupil relationship between the three. “Definitely will be bittersweet,” Clark-Heard said. “You know ... five years, and that’s five years that I’ve been in charge of this program. The staff and I agree, coach [Greg] Collins and I especially. They’re just two amazing young women who have definitely found a way to add their niche to our program and do everything they needed to do to help us be successful.” Statistically speaking, Noble will finish her career as one of the best players in the history of the program.

She’s received numerous accolades such as being named the 2016 Conference USA Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year. Even though she’s achieved largely unparalleled success in her time on the Hill, Noble maintains the mindset that got her this far: focusing on the task at hand. “I’m focused on the game’s first,” Noble said. “I’m glad senior day is after the game so we can save our emotions for after the game.” Along with Noble, Jones will finish her career in the prestigious 1,000-point club. Last season, Jones suffered a season-ending knee injury in the second week of the season against Louisville. She was granted a medical redshirt, so she could return for another season. During this season, Jones has taken on one of the main leadership roles on the team. Her leadership experience and consistency has provided a crucial element to the Lady

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BASEBALL

Hilltoppers’ bats off to a hot start in 2017 BY KENTON HORNBECK HERALD.SPORTS@WKU.EDU The explosive power of the Hilltopper baseball program’s bats revealed themselves last weekend after a three-game homestand against Valparaiso. Consistent hitting was the key for the Toppers with several players swinging hot bats. Junior outfielder Colie Currie had an exciting debut weekend with five hits, going 1-4 on Friday including a decisive home run. He followed up Friday’s strong performance going 2-4 on both Saturday and Sunday. Currie collected 13 runs batted in throughout the weekend and was a lynch pin at the top of the lineup. “I think we did good,” Currie said. “Pitching stepped up. Friday, we kind of struggled a little bit but our offense carried us and our pitching improved as the weekend went on.” Currie wasn’t the only Topper with a strong weekend at the plate. The Toppers had five separate players with multi-hit games. Senior catcher Hunter Wood had two multi-hit games going 2-5 on Friday and 2-4 on Saturday. Junior outfielder Stephen Kraft collected four hits during the weekend providing a crucial two knocks in Friday’s walkoff win. The most exciting offensive mo-

ment of the weekend came from junior outfielder Kaleb Duckworth. Going hit-less through nine innings, Duckworth showed his raw power by mailing a walk-off blast over the left field wall propelling the Toppers to a 5-3 win. The Toppers followed up Friday’s performance with a 4-2 win after graduate senior Thomas Peter’s go ahead home run in the 9th inning. WKU had issues closing out games in the late innings last season. With two close wins over the weekend, the Toppers displayed their heart and grit early and often. Close victories early in the season can provide baseball teams with the confidence and experience to grind out tight games later in the season. Currie was satisfied at his plate approach this weekend. After being one of many new faces on the team, the junior college transfer displayed poise in the lead-off spot providing numerous key moments at the plate for the rest of the team to feed off. “Just put the ball anywhere and make the defense make a play could lead to possibilities for us,” Currie said. “I just thought just don’t get under the ball, stay on top of the ball, just hit it hard and things worked out for us.” After failing to sweep the Crusaders on Sunday, the Toppers remain optimistic in their ability to stay in

Junior pitcher Paul Kirkpatrick led Hilltoppers on Sunday pitching 4.1 innings and getting two strikeouts. WKU fell 2-5 to Valparaiso in their first loss of the season. JACK ATKERSON/HERALD

games with their recent hitting production. “I know our hitters have worked really hard,” Head Coach John Pawlowski said. “They’ll continue to work hard. But you know sometimes that’s baseball. You got opportunities that come and go. I know they’re tough, they’re resilient, they’ll come back and they’ll find a way to get back out

there on Tuesday.” The Toppers will look to rebound against an upstart Belmont team on Tuesday in Nashville. As far as Currie is concerned, it’s just business as usual. “We just get back in the cage, get out here, take BP [batting practice], just drill and iron out the swings and we’ll be good to go.”