College Heights Herald September 3, 2013

TUESDAY , SEPTEMBER 3, 2013 • WESTERN KENTUCKY UNIVERSITY • WKUHERALD.COM • VOLUME 89 NO. 03

WKU

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UK

GRAND OLE

TOPRY

WKU sophomore wide receiver Stephon Brown dances in a circle of his teammates while celebrating WKU’s win against Kentucky at LP Field in Nashville on Saturday.

SHELBY MACK/HERALD

WKU rolls in win over Kentucky in Nashville

T

BY ELLIOTT PRATT SPORTS@WKUHERALD.COM

he Hilltoppers didn’t need a trick play called “Seminole” to get a win over Kentucky this year. In fact, WKU never let its foot off the gas in its 35-26 win over the Kentucky Wildcats in front of 47,623 fans Saturday night in Nashville.

The win marks the second straight for the Hilltoppers (1-0)

against Kentucky (0-1) to close out the four-game series.

Coach Bobby Petrino remains undefeated in season openers with nine wins and is 5-1 overall in his career against Kentucky.

“I love winning, and this is a great win for us,” Petrino said. “It is not about me, it’s about the players and the assistant coaches and how hard they worked and how much they invested into this team and this game. I’m just really proud of our players.”

SEE FOOTBALL PAGE 2

WKU coach Bobby Petrino greets President Gary Ransdell after the game. WKU won 3526 against Kentucky at LP Field in Nashville on Saturday night. JEFF BROWN/HERALD

COLUMN

From start to finish, Toppers controlled every part of Saturday’s game

BY LUCAS AULBACH SPORTS@WKUHERALD.COM Watching the WKU team that took the field Saturday against Kentucky must have seemed like some kind of weird dream to fans who have been watching

LAWSUITS

WKU SETTLED LAWSUIT IN MAY 4 CASES STILL PENDING PAGE 3

the Toppers for years.

The old-school red and white uniforms are gone, replaced by a red, black and chrome combination that looks like something from the future.

The stands were packed

WKU POET

STUDENT PUBLISHES BOOK OF POEMS PAGE 6

with Topper fans, with an announced attendance of 47,623 that had a lot of red in it. People definitely wouldn’t have believed that one a couple of seasons back.

The biggest difference, though, was in the perfor-

SCULPTURE

SCULPTURE FROM DOWNTOWN BOWLING GREEN FINDS A NEW HOME ON THE HILL PAGE 8

mance on the field — the Toppers dominated almost every part of the game against an SEC team.

Granted, Kentucky is not the class of the Southeastern Conference. They’re on the right track with a strong

WKUHERALD.com NASHVEGAS TAILGATING

GET A GLIMPSE OF THE WKU TAILGATING SCENE IN NASHVILLE BEFORE THE TOPPERS DEFEATED UK

2013 recruiting class and the direction of new coach Mark Stoops, but the Wildcats that took the field Saturday look like they might be in for a long season.

But the fact that WKU was SEE COLUMN PAGE 2

TUE 81°/55° WED 82°/57° THU 84°/59° FRI 88°/63°

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SEPTEMBER 3, 2013 • COLLEGE HEIGHTS HERALD • WKUHERALD.COM

NEWS BRIEF

Car rental program comes to campus

Students without a car on campus now have another way to get around thanks to Enterprise Rent-A-Car. The new program, called Enterprise CarShare, allows students over the age of 18 to rent one of two Toyota Corollas provided by Enterprise parked in the Barnes Lot on WKU’s main campus for $8 an hour on weekdays, $9 an hour on weekends, $56 daily or $35 nightly.

The program also accepts international driver’s licenses.

Jennifer Tougas, director of Parking and Transportation

Services, said the new program is a viable financial alternative for students who can’t always have a car on campus.

“About 30 percent of residents do not bring a car to campus, so there’s already a group who can benefit,” Tougas said. “If you’re not using your car on a regular basis, the advantage to the student is it can save them money on car insurance, fuel and parking permits.”

Fewer students with cars on campus also means less demand for already crowded parking.

“Parking lots end up being storage facilities on campus,” Tougas said. “People can now share one car instead of owning a car, and this can reduce parking demand by up to 16 vehicles.”

Those interested in the program must fill out a membership application, which requires a valid driver’s license and a Mastercard/Visa credit or debit card in the name of the student, faculty or staff member who plans to rent one of the available cars.

- Herald Staff

WKU wide receiver Nicholas Norris gets knocked out of bounds by Kentucky defensive back Fred Tiller. IAN

MAULE/ HERALD

COLUMN

CONTINUED FROM FRONT

able to thoroughly handle any SEC squad for 60 minutes speaks volumes to where the Toppers stand today.

The Toppers’ win over Kentucky last season was hailed as one of the biggest in school history, but it could have gone to the Wildcats pretty easily.

WKU won the game by winning the battle on the ground and on the clock, but Kentucky posted 172 more passing yards than the Toppers and would have come away with the win if Antonio Andrews’ overtime pass to Kawaun Jakes had hit the ground.

There was no drama this year. The biggest question in the fourth quarter was whether or not Bobby Petrino would get the Gatorade bath when time ran out (he didn’t).

Junior Brandon Doughty, seeing his first real action since Sept. 2011, was the best quarterback on the field, setting a new WKU FBS record with 27

completions for 271 yards and a touchdown.

The Topper running backs showed their depth — when junior starter Antonio Andrews, who finished with 99 yards, was benched after a pair of fumbles, sophomore Leon Allen took over the game with a 92-yard second half that included five runs of over 10 yards. Senior Keshawn Simpson added a couple of touchdown runs.

It wasn’t just the offense, though. The Topper defense only allowed nine points in the second half and controlled Kentucky quarterback Jalen Whitlow through the air before he was replaced by Maxwell Smith. The run defense left something to be desired, but that’s an entirely new group of starters on the defensive line — they should improve as the season goes on.

WKU controlled the pace of the game and executed Petrino’s offense with precision. In short, the Toppers gave fans a lot to be excited about moving forward.

It was a good win for the program, but while WKU fans celebrate the win over the Wildcats this week, the Toppers will be preparing for a tougher SEC foe.

Tennessee isn’t the national championship contender it was 10 years ago, but the Volunteer team WKU is set to face Saturday has one of the top offensive lines in the nation and several playmakers under new coach Butch Jones. Fresh off of a 45-0 beatdown of Austin Peay in their season opener, the Volunteers could use as many wins as possible before they start a six-week stretch that includes five AP top-25 teams.

There are still a lot of questions about how the Toppers match up with Tennessee heading into the weekend.

Saturday’s game in Nashville should put to rest any questions about how the Toppers have adjusted to the new coaching staff — WKU looked like a Bobby Petrino team against Kentucky.

FOOTBALL

CONTINUED FROM FRONT One of the most anticipated facets of the WKU football team heading into this season was how the offense would run under coach Bobby Petrino and how quarterback Brandon Doughty would man the ship.

In five of his previous seven years of college coaching, Petrino’s offenses have ranked in the top 10 nationally for total average yards per game.

The hype didn’t disappoint Saturday night in WKU’s 3526 win over Kentucky as the offense hung 487 yards on the Wildcats. Junior quarterback Brandon Doughty played a near-perfect game in his second career start by completing 27 of 34 passes for 271 yards and a touchdown.

Doughty said it was a blessing to start for an entire game. The junior’s last start in 2011 ended three plays into the game with an ACL tear.

“I was in the locker room before that game, and I said, ‘I just want to last that first series,’” Doughty said. “Once we got rolling, it was awesome. It was a great experience. I’m so blessed, I can’t even put into words how blessed I am.”

What made WKU’s offense execution seem flawless was the ability to balance the run and pass.

Kentucky first year coach Mark Stoops said the Hilltoppers did a good job of controlling his team in many areas on the field.

“They controlled us at the line of scrimmage, created some good run plays and good looks,” Stoops said. “We looked out of place. Simple things like leverage on the football, I thought we were very poor.”

While Doughty connected with eight different receivers on the game, the running game was handling business with three different running backs carrying the load.

A pair of Keshawn Simpson touchdowns and one from senior Antonio Andrews and sophomore Leon Allen helped establish the run game as a force Kentucky couldn’t stop.

Petrino said after the game the running attack is the biggest strength and compliments the passing system.

“That’s our strength right now,” Petrino said. “We have a good offensive front, good tight ends and a good group of running backs. I think Brandon (Doughty) really helped the running game because he was so accurate and completed a bunch of passes, and our players made plays after the catch. It was good execution overall on offense.”

The Hilltoppers came right out of the gate to start the game with an efficient drive with a healthy mix of run and pass plays. On WKU’s opening drive, Doughty was a perfect five-for-five for 45 yards.

Kentucky had no answer for stopping Andrews in the first quarter after 10 carries for 80 yards. Two fumbles from Andrews in the first half opened the door for Allen to shine in the third quarter. The sophomore only saw action in the second half but pounded out 92 yards on 10 carries and a 14-yard touchdown.

Andrews said it was great to see the added talent of running backs show out on the field.

“To see Keshawn come in and handle business, and Leon topping it off, that’s a good feeling, especially coming from the backfield,” Andrews said. “We have a lot of guys that can come in and step up when their number is called. It’s a good feeling.”

The win over the Wildcats gives WKU its second straight win over a Southeastern Conference opponent with the chance to add to it next week when the Hilltoppers travel to Knoxville to play Tennessee.

Coach Petrino said the win boosts WKU’s resume as a team that is moving up to a higher level of play in college football.

“It is great,” Petrino said. “I took some time last week to watch last year’s game to see how we matched up physically, and it says a lot about (former coach) Willie Taggart and what he did here with the program. I’m just on board to try to help build it and bring it to the next level.”

Corrections • Due to a Herald error, the WKU Lady Topper soccer team’s season record was incorrectly identified as 1-0 in an article in the Aug. 29 issue.

The correct season record at the time was 0-1. The Herald regrets the error.

• Due to a Herald error, Keenan Fish was incorrectly identified in a photo caption in the Aug. 29 issue. Fish was identified as an employee of Cloud 9 Hookah, but he is actually the co-owner. The Herald re-

grets the error.

• Due to a Herald error, Dana Bird was incorrectly identified as Gordana Popovic, who’s name was misspelled, in a photo from the Mud Happens Mud Run in the Aug. 27 issue.

The Herald regrets the error.

The College Heights Herald corrects all confirmed errors that are brought to reporters’ or editors’ attention. Please call 745-6011 or 745-5044 to report a correction, or email us at editor@wkuherald.com.

SEPTEMBER 3, 2013 • COLLEGE HEIGHTS HERALD • WKUHERALD.COM

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Dining services offers free meal to select students

BY KATHERINE SPROLES NEWS@WKUHERALD.COM With meal plan sales down from last year, Fresh Foods is taking a new approach at attracting student business by offering select students a free meal at Downing Student Union.

Steve Hoyng, resident district manager for WKU Restaurant and Catering, said his department marketed the free meal to students who are commuters within a certain area or students that had a meal plan last

year but did not purchase one this year. The meal is eligible to be used only at Fresh Foods within the first two weeks of school.

Students who fell into either category were sent an email from Dining Services last week notifying them of their free meal. After the free meal is used, students will receive a card showing what meal plans are available and how to sign up for them on TopNet, the email states.

Hoyng said the decrease

sales of meal plans from last year is likely due to the decline in WKU students this year.

The price of meal plans has also increased slightly. A meal plan with 21 meals and $100 meal plan dollars now costs $1,622. The lowest meal plan option costs $1,103 and comes with 10 meals and $25 meal plan dollars.

He said the promotion is needed to showcase the renovated Fresh Food Company, and said when visiting he hopes

students will notice the redesigned menus which offer more internationally known cuisine.

“I want to hear them say, ‘Wow, this is really nice,’” Hoyng said.

Hoyng said it’s possible in the future Fresh Food Company could offer other incentives to students to encourage them to stick with or purchase a meal plan.

“It’s possible,” he said. “We haven’t tried this before so we will see if there’s any benefit and see if it’s worth it first.”

Bowling Green freshman and commuter Duncan Beach said he liked the renovated DSU but it wasn’t a motivation for him to eat at the new Fresh Food Company.

“I might eat there if my friends really wanted to, but it’s just not in my plans or schedule to eat there right now,” Beach said. “I’d really like something that’s more convenient for me as a commuter like something I can grab to eat as I am passing by.”

WKU lawsuit settled in May, four still pending

BY TREY CRUMBIE NEWS@WKUHERALD.COM WKU may have settled one of the lawsuits against it shortly after the end of the spring semester, but there are still four more cases pending.

President Gary Ransdell said he was not worried about the current pending cases and is focused on other issues.

“We’ve got a great record of succeeding in whatever cases we’ve had to address over the years, so I’m not worried about any of those,” Ransdell said.

The four pending cases are:

Elizabeth Esters

Cheryl Lewis-Smith

Marilyn Gardner

Esters, a former employee of WKU, filed a lawsuit following voluntary retirement.

Ester alleges that a contract between her and WKU was breached. The lawsuit was filed on October 9, 2009. WKU filed for an appeal earlier this year.

Lewis-Smith, a former employee at WKU, filed a civil suit alleging her position was terminated due to her race and age. The lawsuit was filed on January 30, 2012. Discovery is in process. No trial date has been set yet.

Gardner, a current employee at WKU, alleges discrimination based on disability. The lawsuit was filed on May 24, 2011.

Discovery is proceeding. Wilkins said that the trial date is scheduled for some time in 2014.

Whitney Beckner

ries she suffered during her participation in the 2012 Miss Kentucky USA Pageant as a result of their negligence. WKU is defending the suit on behalf of the employees.

Deborah Wilkins, general counsel and chief of staff, said the Miss Kentucky Pageant and WKU were insured. Because of

this, if there is a finding against WKU’s employees, the university will not be financially liable, nor will the employees, Wilkins said.

“So, really there’s no downside to someone filing a lawsuit,” Wilkins said.

“If they win something, good. If they don’t, they haven’t lost anything.”

Beckner did not file against WKU, but against WKU’s employees as individuals. The initial lawsuit, filed on October 12, 2012, included two individuals, but was later amended to include eight additional employees. Beckner alleges inju-

Alpha Xi Delta looking to build house, increase visibility on campus

BY KRISTINA BURTON DIVERSIONS@WKUHERALD.COM To a WKU student who isn’t very familiar with Greek life, the number of girls within a particular sorority might not seem that important.

For Alpha Xi Delta sorority, who was initiated as a colony in January 2012, the number of new members to join their chapter made a huge difference in their future as a sorority.

Shepherdsville senior Victoria Henry,

president of Alpha Xi Delta, said their chapter has now essentially doubled in size.

“Right now our chapter is sitting at 80 and we just got 46 new members,” Henry said. “It’s a big deal for us that a chapter comes on campus this soon and is already above campus total.”

Henry said the sorority was just as selective as any other organization on campus when looking for members.

“It’s about the quality of girls, not the quantity,” Henry said. “It’s hard work

being in a chapter that is still establishing it’s traditions on campus, so the girls that are welcomed as new members are going to have to help to create those traditions and start our legacy which is a lot different from other chapters.”

Now that Alpha Xi Delta has reached campus total, they can now begin looking for a sorority house.

There is no requirement for the amount of members needed to build a sorority house, Henry said. According to Panhellenic requirements, 110 members are needed to reach campus total. The chapter currently has a total of 130 members.

Henry said the chapter currently has a suite in Meredith Hall, but they are looking to start fundraising for an actual house.

Not having a house hasn’t posed much of an issue for Alpha Xi Delta, Henry said.

“The chapter suite acts as a house pretty much for us,” she said. “It’s on campus and even in the same building that most of the chapter lives in anyways.”

Glasgow senior Chelsea Linder, a member of Alpha Xi Delta, is happy to have been a part of the chapter from its beginning stages up until now.

“The girls who got to be founding sisters of the chapter got to make decisions in what we wanted to do and what we wanted our standards to be,” Linder said. “It was so exciting to be able to make those decisions for myself and my sisters.”

Linder is also excited for her chapter to finally be on the same playing field as the others.

“Getting those members is a really big deal to us because compared to others we were short, but now it’s so awesome that we’re at the same total,” Linder said. “It’s important that new members continue that for us because it’s a huge advantage.”

A few members of Alpha Xi Delta also shared their hopes for the chapter’s future and what steps they want to see taken.

Louisville sophomore Ashley Grant is one of the new members of Alpha Xi

Delta. Grant said she is looking forward to raising awareness for Autism Speaks, which is the philanthropy that Alpha Xi Delta is associated with.

Henry also believes that philanthropy should be a point of focus for new members and also members that will join in years to come.

“When I come back in 10 years or five years, I really hope they continue to keep doing well, not only with recruitment, but also with philanthropy,” Henry said.

Henry said the philanthropic work she’s done with Autism Speaks is important to inform others about the cause.

“A big part of Alpha Xi Delta is raising awareness for WKU and the Bowling Green community that this is a huge disorder, even on WKU’s campus,” Henry said. “We do programs to help people who don’t know much about it and show them how to get involved and support or volunteer.”

Fort Branch, Ind., sophomore Sidney Hirsch would like to see Alpha Xi Delta become more competitive this year.

“I’d like to try to step it up with intramurals and other activities and see us become a strong chapter on campus,” Hirsch said.

Linder is also hoping to shine more in sorority activities, such as the ones that take place during homecoming and Greek Week.

“We got third in Spring Sing last year, which was awesome for it being our second time doing it,” Linder said.

“Having more girls should make it easier to continue to excel in areas like that.”

Henry’s biggest hope for the chapter’s future, though, along with philanthropy and doing well in sorority activities and recruitment, is for the sisterhood to continue to love and support each other in every way possible.

“Regardless of different opinions, at the end of the day, everybody loves each other,” Henry said. “Even our alumni support is still there.”

“Sorority life doesn’t end after 4 years — it continues for life.”

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OPINION

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2013

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STAFF EDITORIAL

TWEETS FROM THE HILL @waldo1906: UK fans saying they hit rock bottom.

How about your team lose 26 games in a row and then get back to me... #startedfromthebottom #WKU Sent 6:53 PM - 1 Sep 13 @BALRED: Just want to say to all those kids who wore UK to class everyday at WKU... Suck it!!! Go Tops and stop wearing that shit!!! #tops #wku Sent 5:52 PM - 1 Sep 13 @SeanWKURivals: Good to see both Rainey and Doyle get picked up today after being released yesterday, Rainey to the Browns - Doyle to the Colts #WKU Sent 2:07 PM - 1 Sep 13 @NickConderWKU: If a school treats my school terrible for decades, then we're gonna celebrate beating you. Course you'll be too scared to play us again #WKU Sent 1:01 PM - 1 Sep 13

NO BOYS ALLOWED

Change from coed dorm replaces negative stigma THE ISSUE: Pearce-Ford Tower is now an all-female dorm much to the dismay of many female students who desired a coed dorm or were hoping to avoid climbing down 26 floors during any mandatory fire drills.

OUR STANCE: WKU made a brilliant decision by changing PFT to an allfemale dorm, effectively ending the stigma the dorm has held for years as being dangerous or somehow prone to accidents and unruly students.

However, it has left some portion of the student body unhappy in its wake. Well, it’s still standing, so there’s that.

When WKU announced last fall that it would be changing PFT to an all-female dorm, there was a fairly negative response among students.

But here at the Herald, we’d like to offer a small round of applause to WKU, regardless of how popular or unpopular that decision may be among current students.

Let’s call a spade a spade here. That dorm has been the thorn in WKU’s side since it became coed.

And WKU has been pretty open about the necessity for its change.

When interviewed last fall about the change in PFT, Brian Kuster, the executive director of Housing and Residence Life, openly acknowledged PFT’s stigma as the driving force for the change.

“When they thought of Pearce Ford, they thought of negative things and the building really is, quite honestly, the nicest building we have on campus today,” Kuster said. “We wanted to get a fresh start and the best way to do that is to change the population in that building.”

It’s not as if the administration hadn’t already tried every trick in the book to change its reputation of “negative things.”

They released a slew of statistics proving that PFT was as safe as anywhere on campus. The Herald even wrote a front-cover story on this very issue in 2010 called “Tales of the Tower” which verified WKU’s claims.

And we mustn’t forget the $15 million WKU sunk into renovating PFT either.

So after all that effort, is anyone particularly shocked that this happened?

The only other option would’ve

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been to demolish the building altogether or hope it burnt down while no one was inside the dorm.

But the aftermath is still quite ugly for many current students.

Even if we move past the thought of having 860 girls sharing a living space, there’s still the fact that nonhonors freshman have no coed living option under this new dorm system.

Girls living in PFT can't have male guests in their dorm after a certain time and, frankly, that sucks.

Plus, because of WKU’s current policy requiring all freshmen and sophomores to live on campus, students wishing to avoid that kind of restriction have no choice.

So congratulations to WKU on what might be its best public relations decision made in the past 10 years.

But our deepest, most sincere condolences to all those poor, poor girls.

This editorial represents the majority opinion of the Herald's 9-member editorial board.

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@ThatSmileyLady: Can someone put WKU:35 UK:26 on my 2012 #WKU vs UK tshirt?

It needs to be updated. #champprobz #gotops #ultraproudalum Sent 12:34 PM - 1 Sep 13

@GRT53: Looks like there are some sore losers in blue today.

Don't get excited, we don't care about your football team either. #itsUKfootball #WKU Sent 10:27 AM - 1 Sep 13 @Yo_Mr_Mac: just wanna say s/o to #WKU football on the whippin they handed my #CATS. they've been on the rise for a while and they deserve respect. #BBN Sent 3:26 AM - 1 Sep 13

@JessicaAngelly: In the last hour I've tweeted about #WKU 14 different times. I'd say I'm an obsessed and proud hilltopper. #ComeAtMe Sent 12:31 AM - 1 Sep 13 @TheAdamDrummond: Dear Old Western’s day If you’re UK sucks to suck This was a haiku T-O-P-S. TOPS TOPS TOPS #WKU Sent 10:01 PM - 31 Aug 13 @KelseyMeyer17: Had such a good weekend! Blessed with some of the best friends I could ever ask for! #WKU Sent 2:16 PM - 2 Sep 13

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PHOTO

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2013

The view from the stands

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Nashville junior Quinna Hogan cheers at the WKU vs. UK game in Nashville on Saturday. TYLER ESSARY/HERALD

WKU fans celebrate after WKU scores a touchdown. WKU won 35-26 against Kentucky at LP Field in Nashville on Saturday night. JEFF BROWN/HERALD

Bowling Green senior Martin Turnley cheers at the WKU vs. UK game in Nashville on Saturday.

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THURSDAY'S CROSSWORD SOLUTION:

ACROSS 1 Nine-time Grammy winner Mary J. __ 6 Honeyed quaff 10 High point 14 Pine product 15 Nobel Peace Prize city 16 Mount color 17 Kind of elephant 18 Poof 20 Wide-headed fasteners 22 Peppy and then some 23 "Danger, Will Robinson!" sci-fi series 28 Big jerk?

29 Actress Thurman 30 __ cotta 31 Frequent award for Tiger Woods 32 Christmas buys 35 River mammal 37 "Lincoln" director 43 Godly 44 Group scuffle 45 Layered haircut 48 Get a giggle from 51 "Inferno" author Brown 52 Prosciutto, e.g.

53 Gilbert and Sullivan work subtitled "The Lass That Loved a Sailor" 56 Difficult high school sci. course 58 Solitary soul 59 Washing machine phase graphically shown in this puzzle's circles 63 Private account 66 One still maturing 67 "__ go bragh!"

68 Common Sundance entry 69 Author Radcliffe and a cape 70 Russian refusal 71 Preppy collars

DOWN 1 Strapped support 2 UCLA article 3 "Can I come out now?"

4 Really big 5 Bordeaux boredom 6 Chocolate treat 7 Purported ability 8 2001 boxing biopic 9 Step into, as a pair of slacks 10 West Point team 11 Appropriates 12 Facial cosmetics 13 Cabinet department created under Carter 19 Lady's pronoun 21 "Falling Skies" network

23 Schleps 24 Replace with an ellipsis 25 Supports 26 Drawing intro 27 Oscar winner Blanchett 31 Kathryn of "Law & Order: C.I." 33 Freq. sitcom rating 34 Sicilian six 36 Stately shader 38 Author Chomsky 39 Column enders 40 Mythical city of gold 41 Duff 42 DNA component 45 Soda born at the base of a California mountain 46 Go down, so to speak

47 Insomniac's prescription 49 Like one "k" in "knuckle" 50 Byrne's "Strange Overtones" collaborator 53 Ad __ committee 54 Bill's "Groundhog Day" co-star 55 False move 57 Places to stay 60 Craving 61 Howl or bark 62 Tell a tale 64 "A Dog of the Regiment" dog __ Tin

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SEPTEMBER 3, 2013 • COLLEGE HEIGHTS HERALD • WKUHERALD.COM

Student publishes book of poetry inspired by loss

BY LAUREN LORANCE DIVERSIONS@WKUHERALD. COM The flick of a lighter illuminates the world around her, a letter in her hand. The paper meets the flame, its quavering blue-white light spreading across one line, now two, the letter withering away before her eyes. Her words, now completely engulfed in fire, disappear into nothingness, now a memory. Suddenly, the flame is expelled, the only remnants of the letter’s existence are the gray ash floating atop the air, the charred specks of paper piling at the bottom of the sink basin.

On the days when ridding herself of bad thoughts was nearly impossible, junior Leta Summers jotted her thoughts down in letters as an emotional outlet. Burning them was an added release.

“I would take them to the sink and light them on fire and then put it out,” Summers said.

“It was my way of physically relieving myself of that and physically getting rid of that negativity.”

Summers would need this solace, as tragedy shook her family.

“When I was in high school, in between my junior year, my grandmother had been diagnosed with breast cancer,” Summers said. “She had been battling for awhile, and I would help take care of her, along with my mom and my aunts and uncles.”

Cancer. A frightening possibility to those unaffected by it, a horrifying reality for those who have faced it.

And even more devastating news followed. Not long after her grandmother died, her mother was diagnosed with ovarian cancer.

“Writing poetry kind of got my thoughts and emotions out,” Summers said. “That way, I could stay positive and be there for them."

As she watched both women struggle, their health deteriorating, their bodies becoming weaker, Summers would channel those feelings into a collection of poetry that she chose to save instead of burn.

At 23 years old, the English for Secondary Teachers major is a published author. Her debut book, “Jumping Anyway,” compiled between 2007 and 2012, was published with Itoh Press earlier this year.

The book, consisting of 95 poems, is a remembrance to her lost loved ones, including her mother, who, after a year in remission, died in 2011.

“The first section is actually about my mom,” Summers said. “It’s dedicated to her memory, and what I was experiencing during her death, and when she was diagnosed with cancer and when it came back.”

Other sections include dealing with loss and the transition toward acceptance.

“I had a friend that committed suicide, and there was a poem in there about it, and it was, like, nightmares and dreams,” Summers said.

“Then it started transitioning into nature, to where I started finding peace and just comfort and trying to be a comfort to other people as well.”

The serenity she found sur-

rounding her would prove to be an inspiration.

“Whenever it comes to nature, I’ll just see something that kind of just, like, sparks my attention,” Summers said.

“There was one about autumn and the leaves, and I just noticed the colors changing, and then it just kind of got me thinking about life itself and how much time passes and the changes and what all those changes mean to me as a person.”

Lisa Maine, an editor at Itoh Press, can remember her first time reading Summers’ collection.

“Her work struck me as very emotional, a personal journey through a difficult time in Leta’s life,” Maine said. “I was able to empathize with her, feel her pain and her joy.”

To Summers, if her words can ring helpful for someone, it was well worth writing.

“I’ve had a few people that have actually read it come up to me and talk to me about how much they can relate to it,” Summers said. “Being able to share in their experience and them to be able to relate to it means everything to me.”

Carol Itoh, CEO and owner of Itoh Press, took a chance on Summers’ ability to connect with an audience, though she is not a fan of poetry.

“Carol absolutely hates poetry, but she read some of mine and thought it was good enough to publish,” Summers said. “Pretty honored by that.”

Itoh said her company valued the significance of Summers’ writing.

“It is true I do not read poetry for entertainment, how-

Hardinsburg junior Leta Summers had her book of poems, "Jumping Anyway," published in July. IAN MAULE/HERALD ever, I have a submissions editor who approves every manuscript we accept,” Itoh said. “We assess a work based on its quality and not by our personal taste.

"Leta’s book was accepted based upon the fact her work was good and not on whether I like poetry or not.”

Summers says she hopes the book will help people going through their own struggles.

“The whole reason why I had even considered it being

ever published was because I wanted people to understand that they’re not alone,” Summers said. “I know somewhere out there, someone’s going through the same thing I did.”

And if readers, cast into their own pits of darkness, can spark their own glimmering light, then she’s done her job.

“I wanted them to know that they’re not alone and that they’ll eventually be happy,” Summers said. “You just have to get through the hurdle of what’s going on now.”

New study away options add to diverse variety available

BY PAUL WATSON DIVERSIONS@WKUHERALD. COM Go to Utah, watch the year’s best in independent film, meet celebrities and get academic credit for it. Too good to be true, right? Not according to Ted Hovet, a professor in WKU’s English and film programs.

Hovet and Dawn Hall, who works in academic support at South Campus, are organizing a trip over winter term in which students will travel to the internationally known Sundance Film Festival.

“Travel is one of the best teaching tools,” Hall said.

Hall and Hovet say they have taken students to film festivals in the past, but this year they wanted to go big.

“We’ve taken film students to the Louisville and Nashville film festivals in the past, and those were great,” Hovet said.

“And so we thought, why not go to an international film festival?”

As it turned out, Sundance was a perfect destination, according to Hall and Hovet.

They said that all of the film festival falls during WKU’s winter break and they knew pro-

fessors from other universities who had gone to Sundance for years.

“One of the highlights of the trip is that students get to interact with other students from other universities,” Hovet said.

But Hovet and Hall said that though the trip will be fun, its nature is completely academic.

“The first half of the class is online, before Sundance, so they have work to do,” Hovet said. “We’re going to hit the ground running.”

Louisville senior Kaitlynn Smith, who is going on the

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Sundance trip, seemed excited about this though.

“We have to be prepared,” she said. “One of the requirements for the class is that we have to see at least 10 films while we are there.”

Smith is not only going on the trip for love of the subject matter, but she is also writing her honors thesis on the Sundance Film Festival.

“I think that studying abroad goes a long way when you are looking for a job, after graduation,” she said. “It sets you apart because of the experience and perspective it gives you.”

Hovet said that experience is one of the most valuable aspects of studying away.

“Students get to do things they can’t do in Bowling Green when they study abroad,” he said.

The Sundance trip is just one of the many study away opportunities that WKU offers, including trips this winter term to Hawaii and Cuba. With all of these options, study away is an important experience for students to have, according to Hall and Hovet.

“Study abroad develops students and professors as well,” Hovet said.

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Parts of library undergoing repairs until early October

BY JACKSON FRENCH NEWS@WKUHERALD.COM Due to newly-arisen safety concerns, the office of Planning, Design, and Construction has been working over the summer to repair some flaws in the exterior of Cravens library.

Bryan Russell, director of PDC, said repairing the library was urgent because pieces of the building were falling out.

“We had some debris, over time, falling down nine stories to the ground, which creates a safety hazard around the building,” Russell said. “So that was our first priority to get repaired.”

He said PDC was made aware of the problem last fall and started making the repairs shortly after the school year ended in May. “We have some failures that have occurred and they have occurred in the brick veneer,” Russell said.

He said the brick ledges that separate the floors of the building on the top three levels have expanded over time. As a result, he said, the borders between the floors have started to get pushed out.

Debbie Pace, director of the project, said a faulty roof contributed to the flaws in the building’s exterior.

She said the roof, which has never before been replaced, has been allowing water to seep into the masonry, contributing to the bricks’ expansion.

“It was at the end of its lifespan so we needed to replace that,” she said.

Russell said the school is paying for the project with money from a deferred maintenance fund, which he said is a pool of money set aside for emergency maintenance work.

The repairs will cost $970,909, Russell said.

He said PDC is planning another phase of the repairs next summer to make other repairs that are not urgently needed.

“There were other things identi-

fied on the exterior of the building that need to be maintained and repaired but they’re not safety issues,” Russell said. “We only have a limited amount of money so we actually have to prioritize in our meetings which projects get funded and it is usually safety first.”

Pace said the progress on the repairs has been slower than expected.

“We weren’t able to complete as much as we anticipated,” she said, adding that the ledge angles gave PDC some difficulties.

Russell said the project is being completed in two parts. The first part, which PDC finished in the second week of August, consisted of removing rows of bricks, reattaching the ledge angles, which connect the exterior to the building’s structure, and resetting the bricks.

Throughout the summer, he said, the library remained open despite the maintenance work.

“We actually put a fence around the perimeter of the building,” Russell said.

“We put up barricades and put covered walkways so that people could still go in and out of the building and be safe and then we worked over the areas where pedestrians would go in and out of the building first.”

The second phase, he said, started immediately after the completion of the first step, and consists of replacing the roof.

He said PDC is planning another phase of the repairs next summer to make other repairs that are not urgently needed.

Pace said the progress on the repairs has been slower than expected.

“We weren’t able to complete as much as we anticipated,” she said, adding that the ledge angles gave PDC some difficulties.

Pace said the project is scheduled to be completed on Oct. 10, and despite earlier setbacks, is confident they can still make the deadline. “At this point, with the progress they’re making, they will definitely make that date,” she said.

THE REEL

Don’t get caught watching disappointing “Getaway”

BY BEN CONNIFF OPINION@WKUHERALD.COM As the old saying goes, when life gives you lemons, you make lemonade.

In the case of “Getaway” director Courtney Solomon, those lemons are GoPro video cameras, and the lemonade is far from palatable.

“Getaway” stars Ethan Hawke as Brent Magna, a former race car driver who is forced to lay low in Sofia, Bulgaria with his wife (Rebecca Budig).

After she is kidnapped from their apartment, Brent is forced to steal a tricked-out Ford Shelby Super Snake.

He must carry out all orders barked at him by “The Voice” (Jon Voight) from the car’s dashboard if he wants to see his wife again.

Things get more complicated, if you could call it that, when a young kid (Selena Gomez) tries to carjack Brent and ends up along for the ride.

What ensues is an atrocious barrage of car chases and crashes with minimal regard for storytelling.

According to IMDb.com, “Getaway” features more than 6,000 cuts as opposed to the average 1,600 of most films.

This means that the action is so frenetically edited from GoPro cameras mounted to the car that it’s difficult to tell, let alone enjoy, what’s happening on-screen.

What should be a late-summer romp turns out to be nothing more than migraine-inducing road rage.

To make matters worse, the story surrounding the set pieces is abysmal.

I still don’t know why exactly Mag-

na’s wife was taken in the first place or why he’s constantly strung along on high-octane objectives that feel as if they were ripped directly from a “Need for Speed” video game.

When “The Voice” finally explains things, it all hardly seems worth the trouble.

The characters’ backstories fail to garner any sense of empathy. Magna, his wife, “The Voice” and “The Kid” are all too one-dimensional for the audience to care about them.

Along with shallow characters, the screenplay, by first-timers Sean Finegan and Gregg Maxwell Parker, is riddled with dialogue that’s unintentionally funny.

The typically stellar Hawke is clearly overqualified for his role as Brent Magna, perhaps lending more of his chops than necessary to the part.

Gomez fares slightly better than I had anticipated, shedding her Disney charm in favor of a more hardened exterior as “The Kid.” But she is still difficult to take seriously since her chemistry with Hawke is nearly non-existent.

As “The Voice,” we don’t actually see enough of Voight to pass much judgment, although his accent becomes grating about halfway through the movie.

The film’s strongest sequence comes in its late throes when Magna chases down another vehicle.

The scene is a single-take, point-ofview shot from the Ford Shelby as it speeds close behind an SUV, dodging early morning traffic along the streets of Sofia.

There is no dialogue or musical score here; just the sounds of revving engines, shifting gears and squealing tires.

For roughly 90 seconds, your eyes are glued to the screen in this state of adrenaline-pumping nirvana. Afterwards, all you can think is, “Why couldn’t the rest of the movie be like this?”

Steer clear from this wreck.

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SEPTEMBER 3, 2013 • COLLEGE HEIGHTS HERALD • WKUHERALD.COM

Sculpture moves from downtown to campus

BY JACOB PARKER NEWS@WKUHERALD.COM Students who frequent the top of the Hill may have noticed a new addition to the landscape.

“To the Point,” a 1989 piece created by sculptor Donnie Firkins, has changed more than just its location on the corner of Chestnut and Main Street before becoming a fixture on campus.

Composed of steel sheets, the sculpture forms a curve Firkins said was inspired by flowing movements.

“I’m always fascinated by ribbon type movements that have a flowing nature,” Firkins, who attended WKU but didn’t graduate, said. “I applied that movement to art.”

The end product was a teal and blue sculpture with a flowing form, contrasting colors and lines on the structure leading into open space. However,

being used by skateboarders as a ramp for over twenty years took its toll on the piece.

Brent Oglesbee, head of the art department, said the sculpture was one of the only ones in Bowling Green when he first came to the city, and he began a restoration project with student Casey Berryman after noticing its deterioration in recent years.

“To the Point” underwent a yearlong restoration beginning in fall 2012, requiring grinding on the inside to take the rust off, re-welding the steel back to where it had been cut away, patching and sealing the body work, filling in dents, and a new, WKU red paint job before being completed in the spring 2013 semester.

“There was a full two semesters of grinding and fixing by the student, then the paint job was done very quickly,” he said.

Initially being afraid that it

was too late to save the sculpture because of the amount of rust, Oglesbee was pleased to see the outcome.

“I really appreciated that it was refinished,” Oglesbee said.

“It was so tired looking when I suggested we take it up as a project.”

The refurbished sculpture now resides near Felts Log House, in a dedicated area created for the piece.

“It looks great where it was placed,” he said. “I hope people will leave it alone so they can enjoy it.”

Firkins said he was pleased with the result and placement of his renovated work.

“I was glad to know someone appreciated it enough to keep it carrying on,” Firkins said. “I was very pleased, especially with where it’s placed. It needs to be away from everything else to work in its own space.”

A sculpture called “To the Point” has been restored and moved onto campus near the Felts Log House. The sculpture was created by WKU graduate Donnie Firkins in 1989 and was originally located in downtown Bowling Green.

KATIE MCLEAN/HERALD

Featured speaker to put freshman assembly to sleep

BY CAMERON KOCH NEWS@WKUHERALD.COM Students, faculty and staff may rest easier come tomorrow night after a lecture from “sleep doctor” James B. Maas.

Maas, the author of several books such as “Sleep to Win!” and “Sleep for Success,” will be the featured speaker at the annual freshman assembly in Diddle Arena at 6 p.m. on Wednesday.

Maas will have a busy day

on campus before fitween sleep and perfornally talking to WKU’s mance,” Ransdell said. newest students. He “Intellectually, physically will be speaking to and every other way.

WKU athletics per“It’s kind of a cool sonnel at 8 a.m. at the thing, we aren’t paying Jack and Jackie Harhim. He has a connection baugh Club and with with one of our regents WKU faculty and staff James B. Maas and he’s agreed to come at 11:30 a.m. in Gary Ransdell and do this for free,” he said.

Hall auditorium.

More than 2,200 freshmen President Gary Ransdell will attended last year’s assembly, moderate the assembly. and all freshmen are expected “It will all be around the to attend unless they have a theme of the correlation be- night class, Cort Basham, chair

CROSS COUNTRY

perience for them.”

The Toppers received a large contribution from sophomore Aaron Stevens.

Stevens finished in No. 35, a career best. Stevens competed in four races as a true freshman and previously held a career-best finish of No. 56 before Friday.

Jenkins said he expected Stevens to have a big day at Percy Warner Park.

“I was not surprised by Aaron’s finish at all,” said Jenkins, “If he keeps working, I think he’s going to surprise a lot of people in the next three years.”

Rounding out the Toppers’ top five runners were junior Kamohelo Mangojeane (18:26.42, No. 94) and sophomore Lucas Atherton (19:03.76, No. 100). Both runners were competing in their first race for WKU. Coach Jenkins said he hopes to build on Friday’s meet and continue to improve leading up to the conference championship at the end of the season.

“I was pleased with our competitiveness, and we’re going to learn from our mistakes and keep improving,” Jenkins said.

The teams will be back in action Sep. 14 in Nashville for the Commodore Classic.

FOOTBALL

“He’s a big, physical guy that moves around really well,” Petrino said. “We have to do a good job with our pad level and finishing and playing hard. Those guys we went against last week were big, physical guys — not as tall — but they were big and physical, so it’s really just relying on your technique and continuing to work hard at it.”

Petrino said in his weekly press conference that controlling the line of

CONTINUED FROM SPORTS man, and Friday was her first career race at the Belmont Opener.

Coach Erik Jenkins praised Mokone and Hill-Stirling for competing at a high level against solid competition.

“They both went out and handled it well,” said Jenkins, “The heat was a big factor as well as the tall grass, but they handled the course very well and I’m pleased with their finishes.”

Hill-Stirling’s No. 24 place finish was closely followed by sophomore teammates Lindsey Hinken (19:15.82) and Katie Lever (19:20.61) who finished No. 31 and 33, respectively. Sophomores Baylee Shofner (19:56.10) and Taylor Carlin (20:01.58) rounded out the Lady Toppers’ top five runners, coming in at No. 47 and No. 50.

Friday marked the first time the Lady Toppers’ top five runners all finished in the top-50 since 2011.

Jenkins said he was pleased with the performance of the women’s team in Nashville.

“They went out and competed,” said Jenkins, “This was a great learning ex-

CONTINUED FROM SPORTS On the other side of the ball, the Vols have senior Daniel McCullers, a defensive lineman plugging the gaps at 6-foot-8-inches and 351 pounds.

Coach Petrino said the team will have to rely on their technique to conquer such a big force at the line of scrimmage.

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of the Freshman Assembly Committee said in an email to faculty and staff.

Maas has taught at Cornell University for 48 years, held a Fulbright professorship in Sweden, has been a visiting teacher at Stanford University, and is the past-president of the American Psychological Association’s Division on Teaching, where he won the organization’s Distinguished Teaching Award.

He has also produced nu-

VOLLEYBALL

CONTINUED FROM SPORTS year.

“Are we ready to play this challenging of a schedule this early? Probably not, but it’s our only opportunity.”

The Lady Toppers opened the season over the weekend at the Mortar Board Premier at Purdue. WKU swept Alabama A&M in the tournament opener 3-0 before losing to Southern California, the No. 4 team in the NCAA. However, the team was able to bounce back and defeat No. 16 Purdue on its home floor in five sets in its third game of the weekend. The game was the first five-set game for WKU since Sept. 14, 2012.

“It definitely tested us mentally, but I think it was a great eye opener for what the season will be,” Ashley Potts, senior defensive specialist, said. “We have a lot to improve and that was only our first tournament, but we’re excited to see where we end up.”

Next up for the Lady Toppers is a game against Belmont, which will take

scrimmage was one of the high points in the team’s win over Kentucky. But if the team wants to move to 2-0 in the SEC in front of another large crowd, they’ll have to continue to fix mistakes in practice.

“We gave up some big plays (Satur-

merous film specials on sleep research for PBS, BBC and other television organizations.

Every freshman who attends the assembly will receive a lapel pin during the event.

The pin signifies the beginning of the “college experience,” and reads “WKU 2013: The Beginning…” and features an image of the Guthrie Bell Tower in its center, according to an email sent to all freshman.

The assembly will end at approximately 6:50 p.m.

place tonight at 7 p.m. in Diddle Arena.

The Lady Bruins dropped two of its first three games this past weekend at an invitational tournament they hosted.

According to Hudson, Belmont is completely different from the teams WKU played this weekend, which is a good thing for his team.

“The teams we played this weekend are big, huge, physical, athletic teams and Belmont is a very athletic team in their own right, they’re just not as big physically,” Hudson said. “They come with a completely different style.

They’re much quicker...They return everybody. I expect a significant challenge and I have tremendous respect for what they get done.”

This coming weekend WKU will be traveling to Tallahassee, Fla., for the Florida State tournament.

The first game of the tournament will be Friday at 10 a.m. against the No. 23 Ohio State Buckeyes. Last year, the two teams met in the WKU Invitational with OSU beating the Lady Toppers 3-1.

day) — we have to get that corrected,” Petrino said. “…I think that’s what’s most important to me this week is that we come out in practice and that everyone understands that we’re going to work hard and get better each day.”

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Lady Topper soccer grabs season’s first win

BY JONAH PHILLIPS SPORTS@WKUHERALD.COM

WKU finished off a busy weekend by evening out it’s win-loss column with its first win of the season over Indiana State University 2-1.

The Lady Toppers (1-1-1) started their weekend off in an overtime-fueled nail-biter this past Friday against Conference USA foe Rice. The Toppers outshot the Owls 23-8, but even two overtimes couldn’t yield a difference between the two, as the game ended 0-0.

The Lady Toppers found themselves in the driver’s seat for the better part of the game, but couldn’t net the ball past Rice goalkeeper Amy Czyz, who stopped all 11 shots on goal that were blasted her way.

WKU found a spark late in the first half when it totaled six shots on goal in the last 15 minutes.

The team also dominated the second half and overtime periods, outshooting the Lady Owls 8-4 in the second half of regulation and 7-0 in overtime.

“We need to be sharper and better technically with the skill of the game,” coach Jason Neidell said of their game against Rice. “If we would have been a little bit cleaner technically, then better things would have happened.”

The two best chances for the Lady Topper squad came with 2:23 left in the second half when freshman midfielder Christine Gordon’s free kick nearly found the upper left

SOCCER

CONTINUED FROM SPORTS used to as well.

“When so many of us (freshman) are getting to play, and our team is so big, and you have people coming in and out all the time, there are a lot of different parts that go into winning a game,” freshman

corner before an impressive Czyz save. Later, senior midfielder Chrissy Tchoula would fire a shot on goal with 50 seconds remaining in the game, but to cap off an impressive night, Czyz would be there again for the save, finishing the game 0-0.

The squad barely took a breath and was at it again this past Sunday at the WKU Soccer Complex, this time finding their first win of the season.

Freshman midfielder Haley Baldridge netted a goal at the 18:49 mark. Her goal was found off an equally impressive pass from fellow freshman Iris Dunn, and would end the 220-minute scoreless spell the Lady Toppers were on.

“I do whatever I can to help the team,” she said about the goal. “Everyone out there contributed, and I wouldn’t have gotten through to get the shot off without that pass from Iris.”

WKU’s 11-member freshmen class made significant offensive impact over the nonconference weekend slate, firing 27 of the Lady Toppers 47 shots against Rice and Indiana State.

Indiana State fought back late in the first half, using Kate Johnson’s goal off the crossbar in the 40th minute to set the game even going into the half.

But that was all the offense ISU could muster, with the Lady Toppers totaling twice as many shots as the Sycamores with 24.

Sophomore forward Lauren Moats’ goal in the 74th minute

broke the tie after senior Kiersten Ottaway sent a corner kick sailing into traffic, and after being punched around in the box was sent to the back of the net.

Moats’ goal was her second game winner, and the eighth of her career.

“It’s great,” Moats said. “It’s great to get a few goals and to get our first win, but it’s just the

start.”

The Lady Toppers’ success on Sunday could be accounted for by the much more aggressive lineup and formation that was went with in the latter half of the weekend.

“We are still tinkering with a lot of things,” Neidell said. “But I definitely think we are starting who plays well with who — it’s a process that’s just going to

take some time.”

The Lady Toppers return to action at 7 p.m. Thursday at the WKU Soccer Complex as they continue their non-conference slate against Austin Peay.

The Lady Governors are enjoying a 3-0 start to the season after knocking off ArkansasLittle Rock last week.

striker Iris Dunn said. “Just figuring out how everybody plays, and how everyone is going to mesh together has been a challenge.

Baldridge and Dunn combine for a deadly attack for the Lady Toppers. Dunn found Baldridge with a pass that the Liberty, Mo., native would smash into the back of the net

for WKU’s first goal of the regular season.

These two are not the only freshman to look out for — freshmen accounted for a staggering amount of WKU’s total offense this past weekend against Rice and ISU, firing 27 of the Lady Toppers 47 shots “At this point, I’d say it would be near impossible to have the

chemistry that we had at the tail end of last season, and it’s not just the younger players,” Neidell said. “The team is still trying to figure out who plays what kind of game and so on.

Midfielders Caitlin Hesse and Christine Gordon, as well as defender Olivia Fitzgerald are just a few that have seen significant minutes in their

young Lady Toppers careers.

“Adjusting is just a process,” Neidell said. “Not only have these been (the freshman’s) first college soccer games, but it was also their first week of school and their first time in their new city. It’s all been a process that we are still working on, and we will continue to grow as the season goes on.”

WKU freshman forward Iris Dunn attempts to score during the team's 2-1 victory over Indiana State in Bowling Green on Sunday. JEFF BROWN/HERALD

SPORTS

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2013

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FOOTBALL

Toppers talk

TENNESSEE

VOLLEYBALL

Tough road ahead for Lady Topper volleyball team AUSTIN LANTER SPORTS@WKUHERALD.COM

After playing two teams in the American Volleyball Coaches Association top-25 poll over the weekend, the road doesn’t get any easier for the Lady Toppers in their second week of the season.

Tuesday night, the team will battle defending Ohio Valley Conference champion Belmont. The Lady Bears are also favored to win the conference this year.

WKU (2-1) will close out the weekend with two more games against top-25 teams.

Coach Travis Hudson said that the challenging schedule at the beginning of the season is necessary if WKU wants to be recognized on the national stage.

“We’re not getting a lot of help nationally playing in the Sun Belt Conference,” he said. “The RPI and everything is getting drug down. To put ourselves on the map nationally, we have to do it very early in the SEE VOLLEYBALL PAGE 8

WKU junior tight end Mitchell Henry breaks through the tackle of Kentucky linebacker Josh Forrest to score a third quarter touchdown. IAN MAULE/HERALD

WKU prepares for Volunteers

BY ELLIOTT PRATT SPORTS@WKUHERALD.COM WKU football and large stadiums have become a bit more familiar with one another recently. Last week’s win against Kentucky saw 47,623 fans, the 15th largest crowd to ever watch a Topper football game.

The largest crowd to watch WKU came just last year, when the Toppers rolled down to Alabama in front of 101,821 fans for the defending national champions’ home opener.

This Saturday will bring back familiar memories of the second largest crowd WKU has ever seen as the Toppers head to Knoxville Saturday for a matchup with the Tennessee Volunteers for an 11:21 a.m. kickoff.

With the big stadium comes a big team. Four of the biggest crowds for WKU have come in games against Alabama, LSU, Nebraska and Tennessee in the past four years, all resulting in big losses for the Toppers.

In 2009, WKU dropped a 63-7 game in front of a sea of 98,761 orange and white faith-

Next Game

Saturday Sept. 7th Neyland Stadium

11:21 a.m.

ful at Neyland Stadium to witness the Vols’ first game under then head coach Lane Kiffin. It was the second-largest crowd to ever watch a WKU game.

In Tennessee’s home opener against Austin Peay Saturday, the era under new coach Butch Jones began with 91,169 in attendance.

Redshirt seniors on the team like Tyree Robinson have had their share of moments in front of large crowds. Robinson said previous experiences will help prepare him for Saturday “It prepared me a lot because when I was a freshman we had to play Alabama, and LSU as a sophomore,” Robinson said. “Now that I’m a senior, I know what to be ready for when we get there. I know the crowd is going to be unbelievable, and I know we just have to be zoned in on the

field.”

Robinson admitted that as a freshman the experience was a bit overwhelming.

“I wasn’t used to a crowd like that because coming out of high school we never saw a crowd near like that,” Robinson said. “Going out there I was like, ‘wow.’ It’s amazing to see honestly. It had me ready to play in front of a big group of people.”

Robinson and the redshirt seniors are familiar with Tennessee, and so is WKU coach Bobby Petrino.

“I know a lot of the players either in recruiting or in going against them,” Petrino said.

“They have a big physical offensive front. (Running back) Rajion Neal is a guy I’ve known since high school that’s a very, very good runner and has really good instincts and good vision.”

The crowd, as well as Tennessee’s offensive line, will provide a few of WKU’s biggest obstacles on Saturday. The line stands taller than 6-foot2-inches with two men reaching 6-foot-6 inches.

SEE FOOTBALL PAGE 8

CROSS COUNTRY

Cross country squads start season at Belmont

BY ANDREW WEIGEL SPORTS@WKUHERALD.COM The football team wasn’t the only WKU action in Nashville this weekend — the men’s and women’s cross country teams kicked off their 2013 season Friday evening at the Belmont Opener at Percy Warner Park in Nashville.

Junior David Mokone and sophomore Louise Hill-Stirling were WKU’s top finishers.

Mokone, a first-team AllSun Belt Conference selection a year ago, finished No. 5 in the 5,000-meter race, coming in with a time of 15:57.02.

This marks his seventh career top-10 cross country finish. Mokone improved on his finish at the Belmont Opener last year, when he came in seventh-place.

Hill-Stirling recorded a time of 18:59.19 to capture No. 24 in the women’s 5,000-meter race. She competed in four races as a freshSEE CROSS COUNTRY PAGE 8

Freshmen add solid depth for Lady Topper soccer

BY JONAH PHILLIPS SPORTS@WKUHERALD.COM When coach Jason Neidell announced the biggest freshman class he had ever signed before this season, a new era was born — and these players have already made an immediate and direct impact.

This massive class — 11 deep — filled the plates of both the coaching staff and the veteran players, who immediately were given the task of ushering such a large portion of the team into a completely new environment both on and off the field.

“They have come in very physically fit,” Neidell said. “They are strong enough for the college game. They also definitely have a learning curve, and I think they know that. You will continue to see them get better and better as the season goes on.”

Along with the 11 freshman, the Lady Toppers returned eight starters, but even that couldn’t hush concerns about the team being able to mesh and communicate well enough for the season-opener against Utah.

Luckily for the team, not only was this the largest recruitment class in the program’s 12 year history, it was also one of the most talented.

Spearheading the freshman attack is midfielder Haley Baldridge, who arguably has made the biggest impact of the freshman thus far. Not only did she score the only Lady Topper goal in their preseason game against Morehead to secure the tie, but Baldridge also gave the Lady Toppers their first goal of the season against Indiana State, helping the squad to their first win with a 2-1 victory “It’s definitely been a challenge to mesh with so many other freshmen coming in as well and so many of us playing,” she said. “But we’ve definitely gotten a lot better since training began.

Baldridge said communication between the younger and older players has helped them mesh during the first few games.

“The seniors have done awesome leading us,” she said. “Letting us know what to do and where to be — it’s made the process a lot smoother.

The sheer number of new players

WKU sophomore Lauren Moats scores a goal to give WKU the lead during the team's 2-1 victory over Indiana State in Bowling Green on Sunday. JEFF BROWN/HERALD is not the only barrier of communication WKU must topple. The depth of

the roster also proves a challenge to get SEE SOCCER PAGE 9