December 3, 2018

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2018

WESTERN KENTUCKY UNIVERSITY

VOLUME 94, ISSUE 14

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR:

Thanks for reading another eventful semester of news

BY EVAN HEICHELBECH HERALD.NEWS@WKU.EDU

If this is your first time picking up the College Heights Herald this semester, a lot has changed since the last time you saw us. We released our final print edi-

tion of 2018 today before the six-week (more like six-month if you ask me) winter break begins.

We’ve definitely kept busy here inside the Herald newsroom this semester with Cage The Elephant, the white squirrel, midterm elections and a campus-wide mold outbreak dominating the headlines

and front pages of the Herald.

Unfortunately for Hilltopper fans, the football team didn’t provide us with too many opportunities for positive news this season. If you’ve left us, come on back aboard and read the sports section again.

I promise you Rick Stansbury will find a way to keep his team in the news.

As this semester comes to a close, I want to personally thank all of our readers for continuing to support the Herald.

We truly care about our readers, and we will continue to bring you stories that matter. It’s never a bad time to start reading about what’s going on around you and how it may affect you. See you in 2019.

From broken and bruised to strong and free

CLASS OF 2018 FALL GRADUATES December 4, 2018

INSIDE TODAY: Every name of every December graduate

Earth science education sees drop, says research institute IVY CEBALLO • HERALD

Lauren Brown, 20, poses with a photo of herself in her apartment. Brown hid the physical abuse she was subjected to by her ex-boyfriend. Instead of attempting suicide again, she decided to report to the police department on her first day of junior year at WKU. Brown recently went back to her natural brown hair color, because her ex told her that she was less attractive with it. “This is who I am,” Brown said.

SEE FULL STORY ON PAGE A4

BY EMMA AUSTIN HERALD.NEWS@WKU.EDU

ILLUSTRATION BY FAHAD ALOTAIBI & EVAN MATTINGLY • HERALD

that the model is designed for WKU’s “unique strengths, culture and values.”

Ballman noted that WKU’s declining enrollment has resulted in declining revenue from tuition, causing the need for budget cuts. She said RAMP will help WKU return to a “cycle of growth.” WKU is also independently conducting an academic program evaluation.

WKU’s total enrollment has decreased from Fall 2017 to Fall 2018 by 4 percent, according to a recent report provided by the Office of Institutional Research. Enrollment has continued to decline since its peak of 21,124 students in Fall 2012.

Vice President for Student Affairs Brian Kuster said decline is expected because of WKU’s increased admission standards. WKU’s composite admissions index score has increased, which accounts for student’s high school GPA and ACT scores. He also attributed declining enrollment to a lower student population in Kentucky.

“There’s less high school graduates in Kentucky,” Kuster said. “There’s a higher graduation rate, but there’s less people in school. We have to do a better job recruiting students from Tennessee and Indiana and across the country.”

When WKU SkyTeach senior Olivia Santangelo chose earth space science as her concentration, she didn’t know she was the first science education major at WKU to do so in nearly a decade.

Now, more than three years later, the concentration will no longer be offered after Santangelo graduates in May. “Earth science is ridiculously important, especially with climate change, but it’s kind of difficult,” Santangelo said. “I do see where they’re coming from. If there’s only one student interested every several years, why continue to allocate resources?”

Geography and geology department chair Fred Siewers said the reason for low interest in geosciences at WKU is because earth science is not taught in high schools. Some high schools offer integrated science courses, which include earth science, but it’s not the sole focus of the course.

Santangelo’s school, Dixie Heights High School, was an exception. She said she’s known she wanted to teach for a long time, and when she took a geology elective at Dixie Heights, she knew that was the subject she wanted to focus on.

“It’s just science that you can touch,” she said. “It’s just Fred not as theoretical beSiewers cause [with] chemistry there’s a lot of stuff you Geography and Geology can’t see, you just kind of have to trust that it’s Department there, and it’s the same Chair with biology. In geology, you can really get out in the field and get hands on.”

Santangelo said she feels SkyTeach has prepared her with skills to teach, although, she has observe mainly in

WKU will implement a new budget model in December that focuses on a decentralized model to alleviate university debt and aid in student enrollment

SEE ENROLLMENT • PAGE A2

SEE EARTH SCIENCE • PAGE A2

RAMPING UP Plans developed to address enrollment, more

BY EMILY DELETTER HERALD.NEWS@WKU.EDU

S

tarting in December, WKU will begin to implement a new budget model that will have a more decentralized focus, will work to alleviate the university’s debt and aid in student enrollment.

Resource Allocation and Management Planning, RAMP, was developed for WKU by Huron Consulting Group, a consulting company that often aids higher education. Huron has developed a RAMP model previously for other universities such as the University of North Dakota, Temple University and Northern Kentucky University.

Provost Terry Ballman told faculty, staff and students attending a forum

A2 NEWS ENROLLMENT CONTINUED FROM FRONT

International enrollment has also decreased by 238 students from 2017, a 28 percent change. Saudi Arabia, with 225 enrolled, still accounts for the largest percentage of international students. Students from China, India and Kuwait reported a decrease in enrollment while Oman reported an increase of five students from 2017.

Kuster said that starting in Spring 2019, WKU will make a strategic enrollment Terry plan. Similar to the Ballman university-wide strategic plan, this will focus WKU Provost on growing WKU’s enrollment.

“Western has never had an actual plan on enrollment,” he said. “What do we want our student body to look like, how do you build that student body. The students that are going to generate revenue for the university are the students in the middle. Those are the students that we want to recruit.”

Huron managing director Andrew Laws said the main goals of RAMP are

EARTH SCIENCE CONTINUED FROM FRONT biology classes. Next semester she’ll have to commute 40 minutes to student teach in a high school with her subject.

The WKU Department of Geography & Geology began phasing out the earth space science program because of low enrollment. Santangelo will be the last to graduate from the program, Siewers said.

In 2017, WKU had 74 students working toward a bachelor’s degree in meteorology, according to the 2018 Fact Book. Siewers said meteorology is one major the department has never had to recruit for its high enrollment. Thirty students were enrolled in the geology major in 2017, and 38 in geography/environmental studies.

While not as many students major

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2018 WESTERN KENTUCKY UNIVERSITY

to aid in new academic program development, academic portfolio management, research collaboration, space management and administrative service delivery.

“Space is often considered the final frontier,” Laws said. “We see these models better facilitate the utilization of space. We want to make sure that we’re appropriately trading space and that people who need space have it, and people who have excess space have an incentive to share it.”

Three additional committees will also be formed: the Executive Budget Committee, the Auxiliary/Support Unit Allocation Committee and the Space Committee.

The Space Advisory Committee was the most recent addition to RAMP. Its goal is to develop “policies and procedures and act as a broker for space across campus,” according to a presentation shared at the forum which can also be found on WKU’s RAMP website.

Through the new space management plan, Laws said that a square foot at WKU costs $28, which would be paid by academic units, which would help set the rate per square foot. The Space Committee would also work as brokers of space. “[The Space Committee] would be

the broker of space,” Laws said. “They would deal with the trading of space, or what is the appropriate centralization of classroom space, or thinking of sharing technology to equip classrooms.”

Laws said space data is not perfect, and it will take time to make the data accurate. A main part of space allocation will be based on first right of refusal, which is a term used in business that gives the right holder the ability to act after potential competitors.

“Our goal is if you have first right of refusal of space, then you own it and you pay for it,” Laws said. “If you don’t have first right of refusal, then you get a free ride. What we want to do is incentivize every college in the school how much they want to pay for it and how much they want a free ride.”

buildings per square foot, so newer buildings will not have a higher cost per square foot than older buildings.

Spaces that are only used for specific purposes, such as chemistry labs and performing arts spaces will also be excluded from the cost.

“What WKU needs to understand is that this needs to be a crawl, walk, run kind of model,” Laws said.

in geology or geography, Siewers said the number of students taking courses in the department related to the cost is OK because of how many students take general education courses.

Departments across every college at WKU are conducting program reviews this year to evaluate whether they are meeting the needs of students.

Some programs like Santangelo’s have been phased out because of low enrollment. By fall of 2021, the Department of Modern Languages will no longer offer the French major. There were 22 students working toward a bachelor’s degree in French at WKU as of 2017, according to the 2018 Fact Book.

“I think that our program should be maintained, and maybe a case or two to be transformed or kind of realigned or rethought to meet the current needs,” Siewers said.

Santangelo said she knows the de-

partment’s numbers are decreasing and has had professors encourage students to send anyone who might be interested in a geoscience major their way.

“The geosciences in general—I think meteorology is doing pretty well—but the others I feel like people don’t know are viable career options,” she said.

The Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology predicts a net deficit of more than 135,000 geoscientists by 2022 because the total number of graduates is not enough to replace the retiring generation of geoscientists.

Fields include teachers, geographers, hydrologists, petroleum technicians, mining engineers, environmental en-

gineers and soil and plant scientists.

Santangelo said earth science is so important now because of how hard climate scientists have to fight to get people to accept the truth about climate change.

“This is a very widely accepted fact that is for some reason really hard to grasp for a lot of people, and I think that’s because there’s such a lack of basic earth science processes,” she said.

“There’s not a lot of understanding into why things are the way that they are.”

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Art department head Kristina Arnold said that under the new space management plan, departments were moving from “inhibitors of space to renters.”

Laws said the Space Committee will not be differentially charging

“We want to make sure that we’re appropriately trading space and that people who need space have it, and people who have excess space have an incentive to share it.”

Huron Director Andrew Laws ANDREW LAWS

Reporter Emily DeLetter can be reached at 270-745-6011 or emily. deletter304@topper.wku.edu. Follow her on Twitter at @emilydeletter.

Print managing editor Emma Austin can be reached at 270-745-0655 and emma.austin177@topper.wku.edu. Follow her on Twitter at @emmacaustin.

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A3 NEWS

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2018 WESTERN KENTUCKY UNIVERSITY

Title IX committee stalls completion of investigation

BY NICOLE ZIEGE HERALD.NEWS@WKU.EDU

WKU’s report from its Title IX committee has not yet been finalized, despite President Timothy Caboni promising its completion in October.

Caboni announced a review of the Office of Equal Employment Opportunity, the Title IX Office and the Office of Student Conduct following reports of former student body president Andi Dahmer receiving harassment in April.

Caboni formed a Title IX committee to take on the investigation, led by associate sociology professor Lauren McClain and associate director of the Counseling & Testing Center Karl Laves. The committee consisted of nine members, including faculty, staff and a student.

The committee presented the draft of its investigation to Caboni in August this year, and Caboni informed the Herald editorial board he expected the draft to be finalized in October.

“We’re working back and forth on not just that draft but my response to it,” Caboni said in the meeting. “My expectation is by early October we’ll have some announcements, not just on Title IX but on other changes and recommendations they’ve made.”

Bob Skipper, WKU’s director of public relations, said he suspected the draft was not yet finalized due to the need for the new Title IX federal regulations to be finalized, though he said he could not confirm that.

“The draft has not been finalized, and we cannot disclose any information until it is,” Skipper said.

The new Title IX federal regulations were proposed by U.S. Department of

Education Secretary Betsy DeVos on Nov. 18 and would include sexual harassment under Title IX violations.

The key provisions of the new rule emphasized taking “supportive measures” when investigating and responding to sexual harassment complaints, including academic course adjustments, counseling and no-contact orders.

The rule would also protect students accused of sexual harassment and assault by including a “presumption of innocence throughout the grievance process” and “an equal opportunity to review all evidence collected,” according to the U.S. Department of Education.

The proposed rule has not yet gone into effect.

McClain declined to comment further on the findings of the investigation due to the delay in a final report, but she said the process of the investigation was detailed.

“I’m extremely confident in our findings,” McClain said. “I’m very proud of the work that we did, and I think we did a very thorough job with our report.”

The Bowling Green Daily News reported McClain said she couldn’t go into details about the group’s work because she and other members signed confidentiality agreements.

The Herald reached out to Laves for comment and did not receive a response in time for publication.

The Herald reported Dahmer’s harassment allegations on April 24, which she made against eight Student Government Association senators.

Some of the harassment she said she experienced included senators cursing at her in her office, calling her derogatory names and anonymously ex-

TYGER WILLIAMS • HERALD

President Timothy Caboni sits down with the editorial board of the College Heights Herald to dicuss upcoming news for next semester on Aug. 24, at Student Publications.

changing group messages with each other wishing her physical harm.

Dahmer filed a complaint with WKU’s Title IX Office but was told her case did not qualify as harassment, and her case went through the Office of Student Conduct. According to Caboni, the committee reviewed case files and worked with outside assistants to understand how the law and its implications work, as previously reported.

“I’m very thankful that these individuals, some of whom were not on the payroll in the summer, invested countless hours to be able to understand what is a complex and difficult issue for universities nationally,” Caboni said during the Herald meeting.

On Aug. 31, Dahmer filed a lawsuit against WKU, Caboni, assistant gen-

eral counsel Andrea Anderson and director of student activities Charley Pride for verbal, mental and emotional abuse she said she suffered from their conduct after she said she experienced harassment as the former SGA president.

Dahmer also accused the defendants of discriminating against her based on sex, and not following university procedures such as the “Discrimination and Harassment Policy.” WKU denied all allegations in Dahmer’s lawsuit, calling them “maliciously untrue,” as previously reported by the Herald.

Nicole Ziege can be reached at 270745-6011 and nicole.ziege825@topper.wku.edu. Follow Nicole Ziege on Twitter at @NicoleZiege.

White supremacist organization recruiting on campus

BY JACK DOBBS

HERALD.NEWS@WKU.EDU

In recent months, a controversial organization has placed flyers, stickers and recruiting tools around WKU. The organization, known as Identity Evropa (pronounced “Europa”), is registered as a white nationalist hate group with the Anti-Defamation League and the Southern Poverty Law Center.

Both Bowling Green and WKU have been the recipient of Identity Evropa’s presence. Posters featuring Identity Evropa slogans and stickers of its logo, known as “The Dragon’s Eye,” have been placed at the Cravens-Helm Library on the Hill as well as at Spencer’s Coffee in downtown Bowling Green.

Aside from plastering signs all over town, Identity Evropa has engaged local and aspiring members in various hikes and outdoor activities around Bowling Green. These activities are logged on Identity Evropa’s Twitter account.

“They know how to handle a lot of things, and they are here to normalize themselves,” WKU senior Spencer Wells said.

Wells, who comes from a Jewish family, said he has experienced Identity Evropa’s practices on campus

first-hand. He said he first heard about flyers in Bowling Green from a shared Facebook post on Oct. 3.

From there, Wells said he spoke with a former supervisor at WKU Libraries who said she had noticed flyers in the hallway between Cravens and Helm library.

After finding the flyers in libraries, Wells said members of Bowling Green Mutual Aid Society and the Southern Kentucky Democratic Socialists of America patrolled downtown Bowling Green and WKU’s campus for flyers.

Wells said he or other members found posters in Downing Student Union and College Street.

“They’re doing a lot of intelligence gathering right now,” Wells said. “They just need to have one or two successes on campus, and then they’re gone.”

Identity Evropa is the latest in a line of “alt-right” groups. According to the Anti-Defamation League, the “altright” is known for consisting largely of white supremacy organizations like Identity Evropa.

The emergence of Identity Evropa’s propaganda on college campuses nationwide is known as #ProjectSiege, according to a report by the Southern Poverty Law Center.

Identity Evropa was founded in 2016

by Iraq War veteran Nathan Damigo and prides itself as an “American Identitarian” organization, according

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to its website. Identitarianism is defined as a movement that supports political and social agendas of certain racial or ethnic groups. Most of the time, identitarianism relates to European culture and heritage, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center.

“We are a group of patriotic American Identitarians who have realized that we are descended from the great traditions, history and people that flowed from Europe,” Identity Evropa’s website states. “We embrace the idea that our identities are central to who we are, and take pride in our history and rich cultural heritage. At a time when every other group is free to stand behind its identity, we choose to assert ours as well.”

A quick perusing of Identity Evro-

“We are not trying to limit their rights to free speech, but we are officially denouncing what they say.”

Executive Vice President GARRETT EDMONDS pa’s website will reveal photographs of organization members dressed in coats and ties and photographs showing Identity Evropa’s current leader, Patrick Casey, speaking to a crowd through a megaphone.

Identity Evropa’s website also features a prominent picture of a large banner reading “AMERICA FIRST— END IMMIGRATION” draped from a highway overpass. On Twitter, Identity Evropa’s feed consists mainly of photos showing posters with phrases such as “thank you veterans” and “Identity Evropa: European Roots American Greatness.”

While Identity Evropa does not officially publish membership numbers, it is a national organization which has hung posters all over the United States

“We are not trying to limit their rights to free speech, but we are officially denouncing what they say,” Edmonds said.

The resolution calls for the SGA Senate to officially denounce the practices that Identity Evropa has engaged in on WKU’s campus. The bill authors believe the leadership at WKU has a responsibility to discourage these events from taking place on campus and around Bowling Green.

“The only way to get rid of them is to get [campus] leaders to hold them accountable,” Wells said. “My main priority is keeping campus safe.”

Reporter Jack Dobbs can be reached at 270-745-0655 and jack.dobbs469@ topper.wku.edu.

CORRECTIONS • •

Sunday, Dec 9 1pm-2am Mon-Thurs, Dec 10-13 7:30am-2am Friday, Dec 14 7:30am-4:30pm

from La Jolla, California, to Bedminster, New Jersey.

The Herald reached out to local and national branches of Identity Evropa over its website and social media but did not receive a response in time for publication.

This recent advertising by Identity Evropa has resulted in swift action.

Some members of WKU’s Student Government Association along with other WKU students have spoken out against Identity Evropa.

An SGA Senate resolution has also been created addressing this issue.

The bill is authored by Wells, along with Executive Vice President Garrett Edmonds, Campus Improvements Committee chair Matt Barr and WKU student Ashlynn Evans.

•

•

A Nov. 27 story on page A1 about apparel store College Graffiti incorrectly referred to the sorority Alpha Omicron Pi as Alpha Omega Pi. A story on B3 with the headline “WKU alumna influences lives through philanthropy” stated Abigail Miller’s heart condition developed when she was 8 weeks old. The condition developed in the eighth week of the mother’s pregnancy.

In a story on A1 with the headline “Mold plagues universities across state,” five words were unintentionally cut. A paragraph about mold at Morehead University should have read “The Trail Blazer, Morehead’s student newspaper, reported Morgan also addressed mold in dorms. . .”

The Herald regrets these errors.

A4 NEWS

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2018 WESTERN KENTUCKY UNIVERSITY

Lauren Brown hugs Elizabeth Madariaga after her therapy session at the WKU Counseling and Testing Center on, Sept. 13. During the session, she opened up to Madariaga about the abusive relationship with her boyfriend of the past two years.

CONTINUED FROM FRONT STORY AND PHOTOS BY IVY CEBALLO

Some information in this story was provided through a personal essay written by Lauren Brown.

During her freshman year at WKU, Lauren Brown said she met someone who she thought was the man of her dreams. The pair met through volleyball on campus, and she said they instantly clicked.

“We had so much in common—it was like he was a boy version of me,” Brown wrote in a personal essay.

While she could tell he was older, she said she didn’t know his age at the time. She would later find out he was 30, 12 years older than her at the time—but she said that didn’t bother her.

Brown said they spent all their time together and explored new hobbies.

“My life was perfect,” Brown wrote.

About six months into the relationship, she said things changed. Her perfect match started to get angry over her outfits, who she spent time with or even who she followed on social media. The arguments started small with yelling and name calling but eventually escalated to physical abuse.

“I can still remember all the moments I got hit, all the feelings I had and how all I wanted was for it to stop,” Brown wrote.

Brown said the abuse ranged from tearing her clothes, being shoved to the floor, a belt to the back or being choked. Still, she stayed with him out of love. She said he had apologized every time, so she thought he didn’t

Lauren Brown lifts the cardboard she used to cover a hole in her old front door on Wednesday, Sept. 12, 2018.

Brown’s front door was replaced, but the door she said her ex-boyfriend punched through remained on her deck for weeks. “When it got to the point when he was continuously hitting me with a belt, I knew it was never going to get better,” Brown said.

mean to hurt her.

When she visited her parents she said she would make up stories to explain the marks and bruises.

“I defended him in all I did, only to go back to being beaten,” Brown wrote.

One day Brown decided she couldn’t take it anymore and decided to stand up for herself. She said she filed an emergency protective order against him. He violated it three times.

Due to violating the order, she said he was arrested, and she had to attend court to set a punishment. Brown said this was a difficult

time for her because of the previous attachments. On the day of court she was nervous to see him again.

“However, I felt support in all those with me and all those in my life who supported me,” Brown wrote. “I am no longer held down by my abuser. I am free.”

Today, Brown said she is stronger from the experience but still struggles on many days.

She explained how she thinks this encounter will help her realize how powerful she is.

“Stay strong and break the silence against domestic violence,” Brown wrote.

Lauren Brown relaxes with her teammates Joel Hochstetler and Bailey Watson in- between volleyball matches at the Kummer/Little Recreation Center on Tuesday, Oct. 9.

Brown said the couple is like her mom and dad. Two weeks before Brown petitioned for an emergency protective order against her boyfriend, she told Watson, her best friend, that their arguments get physical. “There are people that will believe you,” Watson told her.

Lauren Brown waits for a copy of a report of her ex-boyfriend’s violation of her emergency protective order from the Bowling Green Police Department on Wednesday, Sept. 12. Following her first class of junior year at WKU, Brown said she picked up her belongings from her perpetrator’s home and rushed to the police department to file. The court issued a domestic violence order after hearing her testimony and the testimony of her ex-boyfriend who violated the EPO by showing up at her volleyball match, where he was arrested in the parking lot.

Dakota Wellman lets Lauren Brown drive his truck to lunch together on Wednesday, Sept. 12. Brown said she met Wellman when she broke up with her ex-boyfriend for two months. Wellman was a friend to her when she returned to her ex-boyfriend who continued to abuse her. “Truly there will never be a person that understands, but the people that try, those are the people that are important,” Brown said.

Lauren Brown plays with her Chocolate Labrador Remi in the apartment she shares with her cousin on Friday, Oct. 5. Brown said her ex-boyfriend owns Remi’s parents. “I felt like if I left [him] I would be nothing,” Brown said.

OPINION

A5

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2018 WESTERN KENTUCKY UNIVERSITY

ILLUSTRATION BY ELLIE ALLEN • HERALD

HO HO HERALD

The Herald’s 2018 Christmas Gifts

BY HERALD EDITORIAL BOARD HERALD.OPINION@WKU.EDU

T

he holiday season is here, folks. This time of year always reminds us just how important it is to give back to those who have helped us, those who need help and even those who have done us dirty. Each year, we allot a number of presents to the people we think deserve it most. From our family at the College Heights Herald to yours, happy holidays.

DISCLAIMER: These gifts are as fake as President Trump’s tan. But it’s the thought that counts, right?

To President Timothy Caboni, we give a care package. Inside the care package is a calculator to help you manage all of this debt, a copy of The Grinch (there are some lessons we think you could learn from it) and a new closet full of bow ties for the new year.

To all the students who were forced to move from Minton Hall, we give a gift card to your local clinic. Breathing in mold for four months probably did a number on your immune system.

To the students in other residence halls still living in mold-infested rooms, we give you dehumidifiers. You’re re-

CONTACT US

quired to continue living there, so make the best of it.

To former football head coach Mike Sanford, a shiny blue participation ribbon is given for your efforts over the past couple of seasons. We thought this might pair nicely with that $1.2 million check.

To Cage the Elephant, have a red towel. Matt Shultz pulls out all the stops when he performs, but that means he spends a lot of time sweating profusely. There’s nothing like WKU’s iconic red towel to remind you of your roots and keep you (and all those people holding you while you crowd surf) dry.

To the softball team, we give the gift of gender equality in the form of golf carts. It’s a popular purchase here at WKU, and we thought you could use them to get from your locker rooms to the field. Just make sure the baseball team isn’t using the hitting facilities before you head over.

To Rep. Patti Minter, under your tree you will find two gifts.

First, we give you Thor’s hammer to help you break that glass ceiling. Second, you’ll see a power pantsuit and comfy heels—you have big shoes to fill now that Jody Richards is gone, but we’re sure you’ll do it and make it look better, too.

To Parking and Transportation, a long long long long long long long vacation. We’re sure you’re tired of riding around on your golf cart issuing citations, and we are definitely tired of receiving them. You deserve a break from all this nonsense, and so do we.

To Sen. Mitch McConnell, a check in your name issued to the university to help fund scholarships for students. If your policy isn’t going to make the cost of college any easier for us, maybe your pocketbook will do the trick.

To Housing and Residence Life maintenance staff, we give a SurePlunge toilet plunger.

We spent some time reading through those maintenance requests to break that mold story.

If there’s one thing we learned, it’s that a durable plunger is a necessary investment. On behalf of all students, we’re so sorry.

To the basketball team, we offer a get out of jail free card.

To the bat flying around the newsroom, we offer a free month’s rent. We kind of miss you and feel bad for evicting you so soon.

To Sherry and Tracy, we give our love. We’d give you more, but we can’t afford it.

Thank you.

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TUESDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2018 WESTERN KENTUCKY UNIVERSITY

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10 “Run ___ Run” (1998 film) 14 Aerial maneuver 15 Go gaga over 16 Receptive 17 Shrek, for one 18 About that time 19 One year in a trunk 20 Greenhorn 22 Means justifiers 23 Mr. Rogers 24 Upright 26 Small compact saddle horse 30 Kind of collar 32 Alaskan native 33 Atrium 38 Iranian coin 39 Tasteless 40 Banned apple spray 41 Associate 43 Slow down 44 Bakers’ wares 45 Bamboozled 46 Talk like a pig?

50 Long March leader 51 Polly, to Tom 52 Unchangeable 59 Shower alternative 60 ___ donna 61 Jejune 62 “___ From Muskogee” 63 Baltimore’s ___ Harbor 64 Twinge

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“Thanks ___!”

Theater section Poetic time of day Floored it Diacritical mark Enlighten Bullfight bull “Giovanna d’___” (Verdi opera) 9 Tough but pliable 10 “Houseboat” star 11 Sound off

12 Imparts 13 Apprehensive feeling 21 “Hoc ___ in votis” 25 Kind of grass 26 Painter Chagall 27 Assortment 28 Authentic 29 Beach bird 30 Concentrate 31 Gospel writer 33 Zoo feature 34 Weaving material 35 Astronaut Bean 36 Croupier’s tool 37 Historic Scott 39 Emotional collapse

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Ecol. watchdog Bronx cheers Caged tweeter Wooden shoe Temblor Sammy Kaye’s “___ Tomorrow” Lucy’s best friend Played charades River to Donegal Bay Trident part Spanish appetizer Word-of-mouth Diamond complement Advantage

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Last Weeks Solution (11/27) To solve the Sudoku puzzle, each row, column and box must contain the numbers 1 to 9.

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1. In 1998 what drug originally designed to treat angina was approved? (a) Vicodin (b) Zantac (c) Viagra 2. How many on-site workers were killed in the Pentagon as a result of the 911 terorist attack? (a) 96 (b) 184 (c) 251 3. What famous athlete was known as the 'Black Pearl'? (a) Pele (b) Michael Jordan (c) Arthur Ashe 4. What car was James Dean driving when he had his fatal car accident? (a) Ferrari Testarossa (b) Jaguar E-Type (c) Porsche Spyder 5. In what year did ratification of the 16th Amendment allow for federal income taxes? (a) 1913 (b) 1923 (c) 1906 6. What was the name of the first sound and color animated feature film? (a) Bambi (b) Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (c) Pinocchio 7. What aircraft dropped the atom bomb on Hiroshima? (a) Enola Gay (b) Lucky Lady (c) Memphis Belle 8. In 1946, Percy Spencer invented and sold what kitchen appliance? (a) Electric dishwasher (b) Garbage disposal (c) Microwave oven 9. Hillary and Norgay became the first to climb Mt Everest when? (a) 1942 (b) 1953 (c) 1959

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A7 PROCESS

STAY PUT.

Now you can have your Big Mac and never move your car.

McDelivery from McDonald’s and UberEats Now Available

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A8

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2018 WESTERN KENTUCKY UNIVERSITY

Skaters round a corner of the SoKY ice rink on Sunday afternoon. Temperatures reached a high of 65 degrees which resulted in some slushy areas of the rink. The rink is 6,000 square feet and accommodates up to 175 skaters.

SUNSHINE SKATE Ice skaters enjoy warm temperatures at SoKY Ice Rink PHOTOS AND STORY BY CHRIS KOHLEY HERALD.PHOTO@WKU.EDU

While temperatures reached up to 65 degrees this weekend, the seasonal SoKY Ice Rink remained open and welcomed skaters of all ages. Parents

Abandoned ice skates sit beside a bench at the SoKY Ice Rink on Sunday. The ice rink, located at the SoKY Marketplace, opened on Nov. 16 and will be open until Jan. 6.

watched as their children stepped over puddles on the ice on a balmy Sunday.

Lovers held hands as they tried to stay balanced. The 6,000 square foot rink opened on Nov. 16 and will be open until Jan. 6.

Patrons skate at the third annual SoKY ice rink, while temperatures reached up to 65 degrees. The rink is open to people of all ages and provided milk crates for learning skaters to lean on.

Joshua (right) and Benjamin (middle) talk with their mother Scarlet Losavio as she watches from the other side of the rink. The SoKY Ice Rink oers a discounted rate for children under 12 years old.

B1

LIFE

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2018 WESTERN KENTUCKY UNIVERSITY

RE-CYCLED

Alumnus manages own business in restoring bikes

BY ELEANOR TOLBERT HERALD.FEATURES@WKU.EDU

BY SPENCER HARSH HERALD.FEATURES@WKU.EDU

Almost everyone has ridden a bicycle in their life. Maybe it was during childhood, when they saw it as an outdoor toy of sorts. In many parts of the world, it’s a mode of transportation.

For Joseph Jones, bicycles are a dedicated hobby and source of income.

Despite the many possibilities a bicycle can create, they may sometimes be overlooked and forgotten. They get stowed away in a closet or garage.

They are even sometimes abandoned on roadsides. Jones, a WKU alumnus, sees this issue as a chance to get those frames back on the road after a quick tune up.

“Ideally the components are in working order, and the bike just needs to be lubricated and have disposables like tires, tubes, cables and brake pads and handlebar tape replaced,” Jones said.

Jones doesn’t draw huge crowds with his work, but his work offers people the experience to enjoy the positive qualities of owning and using a bicycle. A bike ride can offer a fun moment, a breath of fresh air and maybe even a little exercise.

Jones uses Instagram as his main platform for selling the bikes he restores under @jjrecycled. He said whenever he refurbishes a bike he can easily pay around $50 in replaceable parts, but he’ll also try to replace parts with stuff from the same era as the bike. He said he also finds all sorts of vintage bike parts online as well as at garage sales and flea markets.

“I have always been a hands-on kind of person and enjoyed building things and tinkering as a child,” Jones said.

Jones realized bicycles were a great way to get around when he was young.

He started off with a BMX bike and would take rides around and outside his neighborhood.

“When I was 14, I found an old 60’s Western Flyer 3-speed on the side of

Raw, an edible cookie dough store in downtown Bowling Green, expanded to a new location on Oct. 1: a kiosk in the Greenwood Mall.

Chloe Hohlbein and Bailey Dahlquist, both seniors at WKU, opened Raw in February 2018. Dahlquist is from the Chicago area, where he grew up with a similar store. They wanted to bring that to Bowling Green.

“We both lived here for three-plus years,” Hohlbein said. “We really like Bowling Green, so we decided to open up downtown.”

From the start, Hohlbein and Dahlquist knew they would want to eventually expand. After about a year at the original location, they knew they were ready.

“Expanding has always been something we’ve wanted to do,” Hohlbein said. “We just always thought it would be a storefront. The problem with that is that it is a lot of planning and a little bit more expensive.”

Hohlbein said at first, the idea was a little overwhelming. They would have to buy two of everything they already had, including both rent and supplies.

They decided to think of smaller scale things they could do to expand their

”Expanding has always been something we wanted to do.”

SPENCER HARSH• HERALD

Joseph Jones works on a 1960’s Bauer Weltmeister he purchased and rode on during his recent trip to Europe. “We purchased very nice vintage Italian and German road bikes and toured 400 miles in 18 days in Germany, Austria and Italy,” Jones said. “I was able to step into some real Italian shops and see some of the most vintage road bikes in the country where it all started.”

said.

Jones started learning more of the intricate mechanics of bicycles and continued finding older bikes on the side of roads and was even starting to

“When I was 14, I found an old 60’s Western Flyer 3-speed on the side of the road that was in need of some love. I chopped off a broom handle for a seat post and put some new tires on as well as brake pads and cables.”

JJ’s Re-Cycled owner JOSEPH JONES

the road that was in need of some love,” Jones said. “I chopped off a broom handle for a seat post and put some new tires on as well as brake pads and cables.”

Jones said it was a modest first “real” bike that he ended up putting roughly 500 miles on. He rode it around until the next summer, when he used every penny he saved to purchase a used Trek road bike that “opened a lot of doors.”

“I rode that bike 120 miles to Nashville and back a year later,” Jones

Student-owned business opens kiosk in mall

get them from friends that knew he was interested in bikes.

When he was 17, he bought 13 vintage bike bodies, refurbished them and turned them around for $100 a piece. When he was 19, he bought 36 bikes from someone, refurbished them and starting selling them for $100$300.

Ebay, Craigslist and the Facebook Marketplace can be flooded with ads for bicycles. More often than not, they’re used and have probably been left outside for longer than they’ve ever

been ridden. Maybe the owner has no use for it, or maybe it’s broken and the owner just wants to get it off their front porch or out of their garage. If you’re persistent and perhaps a little lucky, you’ll find an old-school Schwinn road bike or an Italian Peugeot racing bike from the 80s.

“The spring, summer and fall seasons are when I sell the most,” Jones said. “In the winter I will sell nicer components and frames online.”

Jones has sold around 20-25 bikes every year for the last few years. It’s a source of income for him, so he doesn’t typically give anything away for free, but he has done trade-ins and aims to rebuild or refurbish them for as inexpensively as possible for people who are in need.

He often makes posts on his Instagram account that show off bikes that are ready to sell, whenever he finds a new set of parts and he even posts just to show off rides he has taken. The Instagram profile is a gallery of shiny metal and colored frames waiting to return to pavement.

SEE RE-CYCLED • PAGE B3

WKU senior CHLOE HOHLBEIN business. That’s when they noticed the kiosks in the mall and had the idea to open one of those.

“We reached out to them not knowing if it would be anything, because the kiosks in the mall are usually more commercial,” Hohlbein said. “When we contacted them, they were all about it.”

As of now, they have only signed a lease through January. They expect business to be good due to holiday shoppers.

“More than likely we’ll continue to be out there just because it’s worked really well,” Hohlbein said. “It’s a good location.”

Holbein and Dahlquist have had to hire new employees to work at the mall. They also transferred the manager to the new location.

Jacob Schneider, 22, is a WKU alumnus and the manager at the mall kiosk.

He has been working at Raw since it opened and believes this expansion was a good move for the business.

“We have already improved sales, and it’s a great marketing tool,” Schneider said. “People come here and learn we have a store downtown with even more flavors.”

The more active atmosphere of the SEE RAW • PAGE B2

Student discovers her identity in her own artwork

BY KELLEY HOLLAND HERALD.FEATURES@WKU.EDU By making her studio look and feel comfortable with plenty of candles and plants, local artist Sarah Gust is prepared to get to work.

Her typical routine starts with surrounding herself by books she finds inspiring as well as a collection of stones.

Gust will then sift through notebooks filled with her sketches. She often revisits old sketches and revises them by adding color, serving as a way to build momentum for bigger projects.

Originally from Minnesota, Gust moved to Tampa, Florida, where she lived for five years and attended Florida College. She also worked at Busch Gardens as a professional body artist, painting faces and doing henna tattoos.

Eventually, she found herself in

BRENNA PEPKE • HERALD

Sarah Gust, a self taught artist, lives and works out of her home studio in Bowling Green. Gust says she “surrounds herself with plants so she can have her inspiration around her” at all times.

Bowling Green to attend WKU and to be closer to her friends, although she ended up deciding not to go back to school. Instead, she freelanced and took up any jobs that allowed her to continue using her creativity, such as commissioned portraits, teaching private art lessons and selling at local shops in Bowling Green.

Now, Gust owns Folk Sense Arts, where she sells her artwork. Some of the items for sale include colorful sketches and portraits of pop culture and historical icons like David Bowie, Frida Kahlo and Prince.

Growing up in a family of extroverted musicians, Gust said she had to find her personal identity through her artwork.

“I was never sure what I wanted to do but have always been drawn to the arts and knew that I would do whatever it took to stay near my creative expression,” Gust said in an email.

Working mainly with Gouache, an opaque type of paint, Gust said she finds it hard to pinpoint one thing that inspires her work. She typically paints whatever or whoever inspires her at the time. Describing her work as whimsical mixed media pop or folk art,

”I was never sure what I wanted to do but I have always been drawn to the arts,” Local artist SARAH GUST Gust is typically entranced by females who share her values as well as places she’s traveled.

“I wholeheartedly feel like art helps me process through my feelings and grounds me when I get unbalanced,” Gust said. “Art is also my second therSEE GUST • PAGE B2

B2 LIFE RAW CONTINUED FROM PAGE B1 mall’s location is one of the many differences between the storefront and the mall. Both Schneider and Hohlbein said neither one is better, just different.

“Definitely right now, business is better in the mall because there’s so many more people out there,” Hohlbein said.

In the summer, she believes business will be better in the storefront because not as many people will be shopping at the mall. She said both have different strengths that will be good to balance each other out.

Schneider said there are some differences to how it has to be managed.

Although it is similar in regards to employees, they must follow the rules of the mall, including store hours and holidays.

“In the store, we could close a whole week for Christmas,” Schneider said.

GUST CONTINUED FROM PAGE B1 apist because every project reveals my weaknesses and strengths.”

Gust’s best friend, Sara Volpi, met her around 2013 through a mutual friend. The two bond over art and sometimes collaborate together. The two previously rented a studio space downtown, where they would meet after work. Sometimes staying until 2 or 3 a.m., the two would work on projects or brainstorm ideas.

“Sarah has helped me push my creative potential further than I thought I could while also keeping me grounded,” Volpi said in an email. “She’s a fantastic person to bounce ideas off of.”

Volpi described Gust’s work as cheerful, lively and vibrant. She said Gust changed her mind about using pastels and drawing on inanimate objects.

“That girl can draw on a window pane and turn it into a lovely work of art,” Volpi said.

In addition to Folk Sense Arts, Gust is also the founder of the Bowling Green Makers, which is a group she created to foster community among local

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2018 WESTERN KENTUCKY UNIVERSITY

“In the mall, we can only close on Christmas Day.” There are also differences in the clientele. The storefront sees a lot of WKU students and families coming from activities downtown like restaurants and the Capitol Arts Center.

ety of different people.”

She said in the mall, they see visitors, mall employees and many other kinds of people of many different ages.

Schneider added that the customers in the mall are more unsure about eating raw cookie dough, while the storefront

“The store is definitely WKU through and through, with addition to a lot of families eating downtown. At the mall, it’s a very wide variety of different people.”

WKU senior CHLOE HOHLBEIN

“The store is definitely WKU through and through, with addition to a lot of families eating downtown,” Hohlbein said. “At the mall, it’s a very wide vari-

customers are regular fans.

In the next couple of years, Hohlbein said she hopes to have more mall locations and to continue to keep growing

makers and artisans. The group allows local artists to come together and let their work be seen.

“Sarah founded the Bowling Green Makers as a place where artists could come together and get their art out into the world,” Volpi said. “It has been a great success, spawning similar groups in Bowling Green.”

Gust credits her close friends with giving her the inspiration to keep growing creatively. A self-proclaimed introvert, she said her work has allowed her to stay connected to the outside world.

Gust said her ultimate goal while creating art is gaining a sense of freedom. She hopes to connect with a diverse audience, inspire and educate others to stay in touch with their true selves.

“I guess art is an outlet to bring out the beauty that already exists around me every day,” Gust said. “I create to get myself in a better headspace, to spread good vibes and help remind myself and others not to take life too seriously.”

Features reporter Kelley Holland can be reached at 270-745-6291 and kelley.holland872@topper.wku.edu.

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the business. She said that entails going to other cities, including Cincinnati and Louisville, selling different types products and catering more events.

She said she would like to expand to malls within the same management as Greenwood Mall.

Set to graduate in December, Hohlbein said she would ultimately like to put Raw on the map.

“Graduating in December will allow me to focus on new products, and ideas that I have wanted to explore since I haven’t had as much time with school,” Hohlbein said in a text message.

Raw is located on 432 E Main Ave. and at Greenwood Mall, 2625 Scottsville Rd. The storefront is open on Sundays through Thursdays from 3-8 p.m., Fridays from 3-9 p.m., and Saturdays from 1-9 p.m. The mall is open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m.-9 p.m. and Sundays from 11 a.m.-6 p.m.

Features reporter Eleanor Tolbert can be reached at 502-386-4608 and eleanor.tolbert@topper.wku.edu.

Issue 5 out Tuesday, Dec. 4 10 - 2 at Centennial Mall

LIFE B3

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2018 WESTERN KENTUCKY UNIVERSITY

Local band establishes its name with ‘Black Matters’

BY GRIFFIN FELTCHER HERALD.NEWS@WKU.EDU

A standard music album features 10-to-12 separate recordings issued as a collection on potential mediums like CD, vinyl and online music platforms. An extended play record or EP is similar but typically features four-to-six recordings. At eight recordings, local hip-hop group Waco Bell’s latest release, “Black Matters,” is a bit of an outlier.

Released on major music platforms like Spotify, Apple Music and SoundCloud on Oct. 20, production for “Black Matters” began in November 2016 shortly after the 2016 United States presidential election. Waco Bell frontman and rapper Reuben Bynes, 23, of Bowling Green wrote much of the album’s lyrics in consideration of the recent election and other social issues in America.

“It’s just my most modest viewpoint on how I view people and some of the shady things that they do,” Bynes said. “Whether it’s police, whether it’s fake friends, whether it’s politicians.”

Though Bynes had written primarily short stories and poetry before meeting with Waco Bell keyboardist and producer Scott Gardner, 30, a Bowling Green resident, in late 2014, he had grown interested in writing raps during his teenage years and saw an opportunity with Gardner.

Bassist Lee Williams, 27, of Bowling Green joined the group soon after.

First releasing its debut mixtape, “m.t.tendencies,” to music sharing sites like Bandcamp and SoundCloud in September 2015, the group has released two singles, two EPs and “Black Matters” since then. Bynes said each release is a manifestation of what the group was feeling and thinking at a given point in time.

“I’m taking these memories, these experiences, these thoughts that I’ve had and putting it permanently out there,” Bynes said. “It’s always going to be there as kind of a reminder of where I was at.”

As a black artist in Bowling Green, Bynes said “Black Matters” allowed him to express his ideas regarding racial and social injustice he’s expe-

”I’m taking these memories, these experiences, these thoughts I’ve had and putting them permanently out there.”

Frontman and rapper REUBEN BYNES rienced and witnessed throughout recent media. The album’s opening track, “Heartbroken,” attacks this issue head-on. The song’s hook and ending lyrics, “We just want to feel safe inside America / We heard it was great inside America,” are particularly evocative.

In order to best understand the significance of each song on the album, Bynes said he hopes listeners will stick

MICHAEL BLACKSHIRE • HERALD

Lee Williams, left, Reuben Bynes, center, and Scott Gardner, right, have been a part of the band Waco Bell for the past two years. Lee plays bass, Gardner does instrumentals and Bynes raps for the group. “I knew we made it when I googled our band name and they didn’t autocorrect it to ‘Taco Bell.’ That was a year ago,” Gardner said.

with “Black Matters” from start to finish. At a total runtime of just under 30 minutes, Bynes said he believes each song works best when taken not individually but as part of something bigger.

“I think that it can kind of change your perspective on what each song

said he hopes Waco Bell’s music might lend diversity to the status quo.

“I like using music to give a platform to someone who might not be heard as much as a 20-year-old white guy with a guitar,” Gardner said. “What role do I have in that conversation besides letting somebody else talk about it?”

“I think it can kind of change your perspective on what each song is or where it sits in significance when you actually listen to the full piece.”

Frontman and rapper REUBEN BYNES

is or where it sits in significance when you actually listen to the full piece,” Bynes said. “We’ve got things kind of positioned so that it feels like it moves and tells a story, and a lot of the things are continuous throughout the tracks.”

Though Gardner and Williams performed in nationally touring alternative rock band Sleeper Agent, a now-defunct Bowling Green band that gained success in the early 2010s and performed on both “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon” and “Late Show with David Letterman,” before joining Waco Bell, each member said Waco Bell has provided him a chance use music for a greater purpose.

Though many of the concerns discussed in “Black Matters” pertain not only to people of racial minorities, Williams said his main goal with Waco Bell is to help Bynes share his voice.

“At the end of the day, I have always viewed it as trying to build the best platform possible for Reuben,” Williams said. “Being able to be a part of something like that, I’ve really enjoyed.”

Gardner said he believes Bynes’ perspective is one not often heard in a community like Bowling Green. He

Despite not being the group’s principal songwriters, Gardner and Williams work to better the band in perfecting the instrumentals behind each rap and lyric. Williams said his process in helping write each song is simple.

“Send me a bare drum beat and give me two days,” Williams said. “I’ll come back with a bassline.”

As the band’s producer, Gardner feels especially responsible for ensuring each song sounds as good as possible. The group records in-house, but that’s no limitation.

Around 2012, Gardner created a personal rehearsal and studio space inside of a shack in his backyard. The space served as a horse carriage house likely around the time of the property’s construction in 1902.

Fitted with soundproofing foam throughout, dozens of cables, amps and microphones, the space is perfect for Waco Bell, which the group calls “The Beat Lab.” As the space has been around since Gardner and Williams’ time in Sleeper Agent, Williams said he can always relax when recording inside it.

“It’s just super comfortable,” Williams said. “This is just all the privilege of comfort. However long you want to

RE-CYCLED CONTINUED FROM PAGE B1

“Believe it or not, I do still ride bikes, too,” Jones said. “It’s tough having to sit down and build bikes for other people on beautiful days when I would rather be out riding.”

Jones has completed the 160-mile cycling trip “Ride Across Indiana” for the last three years and has broken his record each time.

In September, Jones and his girlfriend, Magnolia Ray, traveled to Germany and cycled over 400 miles in Europe in 18 days on vintage Italian and German road bikes. They even managed to fly their bikes back with them when they got back stateside.

Ray said she rides her bikes as often as possible because of the positive effects on her mental and physical health. She said she thinks people often think cycling is too difficult because they ride a bike that’s in disrepair or the frame doesn’t fit them.

“When you find the right bike, it’s your best friend,” Ray said. “I was shocked at how much of a difference it

SPENCER HARSH • HERALD

Alumnus Joseph Jones works on bicycles in a workshop behind his home in Bowling Green. Because he does all of his sales online, he’s able to do his work in his backyard. “When the weather’s nice I’m usually still back here working on something,” Jones said. “But it’s always worth it when I can get out and ride.”

made to switch a few parts out and get a frame that was fitted to my height and leg length.”

Ray said the trip she took with Jones to Germany was a rewarding experi-

ence because of the cycling they did.

She said she hadn’t done any training for it, but she was still able to do a 110 mile ride in 8 1/2 hours.

“It’s a very intimate and personal ex-

take to do it—cool. How many times you want to try it—cool.”

Gardner said the space allows him to work with each song until he believes it’s ready, which sometimes requires a song go through over 100 different mixes. Gardner said he’s willing to put so many hours into each song because of the end result. “[It’s] obsession, really,” Gardner said. “Just wanting it to be as good as possible and the song to be represented.”

Given the thousands of dollars a group might expect to pay when recording an album at a professional studio, Bynes said he’s grateful for Gardner’s meticulousness.

“You’re paying by hour, every hour, every time they touch your song … By the sixth hour, it doesn’t matter that they’re making money,” Bynes said about recording with a professional producer. “I think it’s awesome that Scott has the time to double down and listen to something over and over again until it’s literally, like, a living, breathing thing.”

With “Black Matters” having been released over a month ago, the group is looking to continue promoting the album by playing shows and potentially looking into making a music video. The group will play around midnight at local bar Rocky’s on Friday.

Bynes said he hopes listeners may connect with “Black Matters” and any future Waco Bell project by listening to it in its entirety. He said the message is there for anyone open to receiving it.

“I feel like if you definitely listen from start to finish,” Bynes said. “You’ll hopefully get a glimpse of what we were trying to talk about.”

Reporter Griffin Fletcher can be reached at 270-745-2655 and griffin. fletcher398@topper.wku.edu.

perience as opposed to being in a car or train,” she said.

One of Ray and Jones’ first dates was actually a “business trip” to pick up a frame from the Cincinnati area.

Jones also plays drums for local Bowling Green bands Spirit Week and Morning Teleportation. Jones graduated from WKU with a business degree and a German degree in 2018. Jones said he had an “opportunity to flex those muscles” on his recent trip to Germany. He also works for WKU at the Van Meter Auditorium as a techie.

Because Jones works as almost a jack of all trades, Ray said she’s able to help refer clients and provide support to his business.

When Jones isn’t playing keys on a stage or working sound equipment at WKU, he can be found diligently working on a frame in his workshop. On a day with nice weather, he can seen riding around town on occasion. Sometimes he may even be riding a tandem bicycle with his girlfriend.

Reporter Spencer Harsh can be reached at spencer.harsh755@topper. wku.edu. Follow him on Twitter at @ ActualSparsh.

SPORTS B4

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2018 WESTERN KENTUCKY UNIVERSITY

FOOTBALL

CONTINUED FROM PAGE B6 last two games of the regular season.

Stewart gave him a vote of confidence during the last several weeks of the season.

“I believe in Mike, I believe in his staff, I believe in our players,” Stewart told a Herald reporter on Oct. 31. “We have a lot of young players playing a lot of key roles. Everyone’s hope is that the growth that they are going through this year leads to many victories in future years.”

The confidence proved short-lived, and Sanford was fired on Nov. 25.

Compared to the Hilltoppers’ backto-back conference championship runs, WKU saw declining attendance throughout Sanford’s tenure. The low in attendance came against UTEP, when only 6,221 people showed up to watch the Hilltoppers get a win on senior night.

“It really hurt for them because of the complete lack of energy we had in the stadium that night from a crowd standpoint,” Stewart said. “Their final Topper Walk, it might have had a hundred people there, and that can’t be.”

Another major issue for WKU in Sanford’s firing was his $1.2 million buyout. With the university recently hitting a rough patch financially, the buyout was a tough pill to swallow for

WALKTHROUGH

CONTINUED FROM PAGE B6 the departure of current Dallas Cowboys quarterback Mike White. The Hilltoppers ranked 120th in total offense in 2018.

“We are going to return to a style of offensive play for which WKU has been known, and I’m very excited that we’re going to move to that,” President Timothy Caboni said at Helton’s introductory press conference. “He understands the expectation is we will compete for championships. Period.”

In addition to Helton’s experience running a high-powered offense on the Hill, there also weren’t any other candidates that really would have made sense for WKU. Many expected the

an athletic department that had over $1 million cut from its operating budget.

Stewart said that the buyout money came from cash that the athletics department had left over from when Brohm, Petrino and former women’s basketball coach Michelle ClarkHeard’s buyouts, which were paid to the university when they left.

“It’s certainly a costly move,” Stewart said. “I think it’s costly to continue in the direction we’re going as well. The good thing is, while we’re not happy about this outcome, we’re really 3-1 in terms of these because we’ve been on

of its future, one that has been through the ringer in the public eye and one that hopes and dreams of a return to the glory days that an ever-shrinking number of players got to experience.

That number might continue to drop as players who were loyal to Sanford might be tempted to transfer out of the program. When Brohm left, several of his players transferred, including star linebacker T.J. McCollum, who followed Brohm to Purdue.

“I think that they too know the reality of this,” Stewart said of the players.

“Mike was the fourth head coach that

“We are going to return to a style of offensive play for which WKU has been known. I’m very excited that we’re going to move to that.”

WKU President TIMOTHY CABONI

seasons before stops at Southern California and Tennessee.

While Tennessee struggled offensively last season, leading many to question whether Helton would be fired, the new coach sounded sure of himself. Even WKU President Timothy Caboni, not known for his sports obsession in the way that his predecessor, spoke of the need.

“We are going to return to a style of offensive play for which WKU has been known,” Caboni said. “I’m very excited that we’re going to move to that.”

Helton has a few tools at his disposal to make that happen. Duncan has a strong arm and the ability to move around in the pocket to run the longball offense that Helton says he wants to use. Wide receiver Jacquez Sloan showed himself to be a consistent deep threat before injury ended his year in 2018. Running back Joshua Samuel also put together the fourth-best rushing season by a freshman in WKU history in terms of yards.

WKU fans will hope for the best—that one of these years, on a cold November Saturday, they’ll get to rush the field again and celebrate with the champions.

They’ll find out in eight months.

the plus side three other times.”

WKU fans have not shown excitement for Hilltopper football over the last two years in the same way they did in the several years prior.

“Maybe we all took it for granted, you know, a little bit,” Stewart said. “Our intention is to get back to that type of place again and perhaps when we get back to it, it will mean more because unfortunately we’ve slumped down.”

In that team’s place sits one unsure

we’ve had in six years. Now we’ll have another head coach. Change has been a constant in our program.”

One thing that might keep many of the players in place could be Tyson Helton, the new WKU head coach and the man who recruited some of the offensive players on the roster.

Helton is the man tasked with bringing back the glory days of the Hilltoppers. He was offensive coordinator under Brohm for the 2014 and 2015

Hilltoppers to show interest in former Mississippi head coach Hugh Freeze, who resigned amidst a scandal he was in the middle of.

Many also expected athletic director Todd Stewart to show interest in West Virginia offensive coordinator Jake Spavital. Spavital helped coach redshirt senior Will Grier into the Heisman conversation this season, as he has thrown for 3,864 yards (which ranks fourth in the nation) and 37 touchdowns (which ranks second in the nation). The Mountaineers finished the regular season 8-3 thanks to their explosive offense, meaning Spavital is likely to be a candidate for more highly-touted Power 5 jobs.

When Stewart looked at his available options, Helton was at the top of the list, and for good reason. When Hel-

ton showed interest, there was no real tant jobs with prominent programs, but reason for Stewart to evaluate other the key difference between the two is options. that Helton has proven he can “He was the number one perhave success here. He’s helped son,” Stewart said. “So, when lead WKU to wins, bowl games you identify someone as the and a conference championnumber one person, and then ship.

Helton is set up to do just you begin discussions with fine at the helm of WKU footthem, and it’s validated that ball. He’s got a talented roster they should remain your numthanks to Sanford’s back-tober one person, and they are Tyson back highly-touted recruiting as equally interested in you, to Helton classes, as well as the experime there’s no reason to prolong it and to waste other people’s WKU ence and the knowledge to sucFootball time.” ceed in C-USA. Many fear that Helton’s Head Coach tenure will be similar to SanSports Editor Jeremy Chisenford’s. This is Helton’s first hall can be reached at 270-745head-coaching job, and it was Sanford’s 6291 and jeremy.chisenhall921@topfirst head coaching job as well. Sanford per.wku.edu. Follow him on Twitter at also had a resume that featured assis- @JSChisenhall.

Reporter Matt Stahl can be reached at 270-745-6291 and matthew.stahl551@ topper.wku.edu Follow him on Twitter at @mattstahl97.

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TUESDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2018 WESTERN KENTUCKY UNIVERSITY

Hollingsworth emerges as best point guard option

BY ALEC JESSIE HERALD.SPORTS@WKU.EDU WKU men’s basketball has found its point guard for the time being. Despite struggling to set up teammates, sophomore guard Taveion Hollingsworth did well enough scoring the ball to secure that role for the forseeable future with his performance in WKU’s win over Tennessee State.

Hollingsworth had just three assists compared to six turnovers when the Hilltoppers took on the Tigers Saturday, but he scored 19 points on 5-of-11 shooting (2-of-4 from 3-point range).

“Whatever Taveion does, he’s going to do it wide open,” head coach Rick Stansbury said. “Difference was this: first half he had five turnovers, second half he had one. So he got better, but he’s still a guy, with that ball in his hand, you better be able to stop him.”

Prior to Saturday’s win against TSU, sophomore Josh Anderson averaged just five points and 3.2 assists per game as the Hilltoppers’ starting point guard. Anderson had 14 assists and 21 turnovers through the Hilltoppers’ first six games. He was particularly bad in the loss to Indiana State with two points, five turnovers and no assists.

CHRIS KOHLEY • HERALD

WKU’s Taveion Hollingsworth (11) shoots from outside against Tennessee State on Saturday. Hollingsworth scored 19 points in the Hilltoppers’ 88-74 win in Diddle Arena.

to the point guard position. He also moved Josh Anderson into the frontcourt and kept him in the starting lineup.

“You have to guard him in transition, whether it’s a pull-up three or whether it’s off a ball screen, he has the ability to do those kind of things.”

Head Coach RICK STANSBURY

“Maybe I expect too much out of Josh,” Stansbury said after WKU’s win over UT Martin. “That’s where I’m at with him. I expect a whole lot more. It’s not where it needs to be.”

In back-to-back losses, WKU averaged only 62 points a game. That rough stretch led Stansbury to make the change and move Hollingsworth

“Josh got better,” Stansbury said after WKU’s win over TSU. “He was a much better player than before he started, but I’m making the move to help him too. He’s gotten uptight and feels the pressure of the position.”

Stansbury was confident in Hollingsworth heading into the matchup with Tennessee State.

“With the ball in his hands, [Taveion] is a guy that can really attack and score in different ways,” Stansbury said. “You have to guard him in transition, whether it’s a pull-up three or whether it’s off a ball screen, he has the ability to do those kind of things.”

Hollingsworth struggled with the lead role in the first half. He had 11 points in the first 20 minutes, but he also turned it over five times and did not record an assist. WKU did lead going into the break, but only by five points.

Stansbury stuck with the Lexington native at point guard for the second half. Hollingsworth dished three as-

sists to only a single turnover. The Hilltoppers also played their best second half of the season, outscoring the Tigers 50 to 41 and shooting 53 percent from the floor. Stansbury was impressed with Hollingsworth’s improvement throughout the game.

“I’m going to take the improvement in the second half,” Stansbury said. “He was better. Lots better. He had one turnover in the second half.

That’s good. I like that.”

The move also paid dividends for Anderson. Without the responsibilities of playing point guard, he broke out of his scoring slump.

In a more natural role, Anderson scored 15 second-half points, including an emphatic dunk to seal the victory. Anderson also got to the free-throw line six times due to his attack-first mindset. Anderson played with more freedom back in his previous role.

“I woud say I felt comfortable,” Anderson said. “Just being back in my natural position, I felt comfortable back on the wing.”

The Hilltoppers are still struggling to share the ball as well as they did at times last year, as they had six assists and 14 turnovers Saturday.

There are just two games remaining before redshirt senior guard Lamonte Bearden can be eligible to return for the Hilltoppers. He contributed 11.8 points and 3.4 assists a game last year. He totaled 131 assists compared to 92 turnovers. Until his return, Stansbury said his best option at the point guard spot is Hollingsworth.

“He’s not going to throw it through keyholes, that’s not who he is,” Stansbury said, “but you’ve got to guard him.”

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

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SPORTS

B6

TOP TO BOTTOM How WKU fell out of its ‘golden era’

BY MATT STAHL HERALD.SPORTS@WKU.EDU

On Dec. 3, 2016, WKU students and fans were rushing the field at Houchens-Smith Stadium. The WKU football team had just won its second straight Conference USA championship. Head coach Jeff Brohm’s high-flying offense, featuring current Dallas Cowboys quarterback Mike White, Tennessee Titans wide receiver Taywan Taylor and Los Angeles Chargers offensive tackle Forrest Lamp, had been beating teams into oblivion all season.

WKU proceeded to blow Memphis out 51-31 in the Boca Raton Bowl. A CBS Sports article published after the bowl win suggested that the Hilltoppers might go undefeated during the 2017 season.

“This is the golden era of Western Kentucky football, and it’s time to start thinking about them as a New Year’s Six team alongside the powers in the American Athletic Conference,” the article by Brandon Wise stated.

In that season where Wise put undefeated expectations on the Hilltoppers, they finished 6-7 with a loss to Georgia State in the Cure Bowl. Fast forward another year, and the Hilltoppers have finished their season 3-9 and fired head coach Mike Sanford.

The downfall started immediately following the 2016 championship game. Even before the game, Brohm had been rumored to be interested in the head coaching job at Purdue, a job that he took between the conference championship and the Boca Raton Bowl, leaving defensive coordinator Nick Holt with the reigns as interim head coach. Holt led the team to victory in the bowl game, but was never seriously considered for the full-time head coaching job and soon followed Brohm to Purdue, where both still currently coach.

Athletic director Todd Stewart instead opted to go another direction: Notre Dame offensive coordinator Mike Sanford. Sanford, despite coming off of a 4-8 season with the Fighting Irish, made a lot of sense for the Hilltoppers in that he was at that time the youngest head coach in the Football Bowl Subdivision, and he was a great recruiter, an area in which Brohm never excelled.

“Back-to-back conference championships and consecutive 10-win seasons for the first time in the program’s 97-year history have raised the bar to

SHABAN ATHUMAN • HERALD

Former WKU head coach Mike Sanford looks on during WKU’s annual pro day on March 30 at Houchens-Smith Stadium.

an all-time high level,” Stewart said during Sanford’s introductory press conference. “Our next head coach must aspire for greatness and be ready to take on the exciting challenges and opportunities that come with success.

Mike Sanford is that person.”

Sanford let the crowd know that he had some big aspirations for the team.

His five objectives, which were printed

we sit here they look like they are out there. They look like they are far-reaching.”

Those goals started to look shaky in Week 2 of 2017 when Sanford failed in his quest to beat his first Power 5 opponent. Big Ten opponent Illinois ran over the Hilltoppers 20-7, with WKU’s lone touchdown coming late in the game when it didn’t affect the outcome.

“Maybe we all took it for granted, you know, a little bit. Our intention is to get back to that type of place again.”

Athletic director TODD STEWART on a sign in the press room inside the stadium, were to graduate every player who came through the program, serve the community, win the C-USA Championship, beat a Power 5 opponent every year and win a New Year’s Six bowl game.

“I have some lofty goals for this program because I believe that’s where this program can go,” Sanford said. “I believe those goals are certainly—as

JOSEPH BARKOFF • HERALD

WKU’s Lucky Jackson (11) jumps for the ball during WKU’s game against Marshall at Houchens-Smith Stadium on Sept. 29.

For fans, it seemed that much of the problem was with Sanford. After several years of watching Brohm’s teams routinely score over 40 points on a weekly basis, Sanford’s run-first approach was boring to watch and felt to fans as if he were abandoning what had made the team great in the first place.

It didn’t help Sanford’s cause that he took such a hard-line stance with his style of football, which seemed to never give the best players the most touches.

Late in his tenure, after a particularly bad game against Middle Tennessee State, Sanford insisted it could work.

“What looks like a lot of called passes are indeed actually—a decent percentage are called runs with options,” Sanford said. “You’re essentially making them defend the entire field with utilization of triple-option football.”

After a close loss to Louisiana Tech at home in 2017, the Hilltoppers strung together four straight wins midway through the year. Those wins went a long way in determining their bowl eligibility, as WKU wound up losing four of its last five regular season games to finish 6-6 and far out of the C-USA championship picture. WKU proceeded to play one of its worst games of the season in the Cure Bowl against GSU, a game which Stewart cited as a point where he started to think that Sanford wasn’t working out as head coach.

“That was a really disappointing performance,” Stewart said. “Really as a team I felt like we lacked energy. Felt like Georgia State honestly wanted the game more than we did, and that was disappointing because we had a lot at stake.”

Following the 2017 season, the Hilltoppers had to deal with some of the program’s greatest players leaving.

White was drafted in the fifth round of the NFL Draft by the Cowboys and linebacker Joel Iyiegbuniwe was taken by the Chicago Bears in the fourth round.

The Hilltoppers also lost tight end Deon Yelder.

Sanford worked over the offseason to try to fill the team’s hole at starting quarterback. Redshirt sophomore Steven Duncan fell out of the race for Week 1 after the Hilltoppers’ annual spring game when he was arrested for a DUI and suspended for the first game of the season against Wisconsin.

When the Hilltoppers finally began the season, led by redshirt senior Drew Eckels, things were immediately ground to a halt. They dropped the Wisconsin game 34-3 and the next week blew a 21-point lead to lose to Maine, an FCS opponent, at home. It was WKU’s first loss to an FCS opponent since 2011.

Despite the loss, players on the team kept optimism for the rest of the year.

“It’s only Week 2,” cornerback DeAndre Farris said at the time. “We’ve got 10 more games left and that’s a lot of games that we can win.”

Things didn’t improve much from that point. WKU did nearly accomplish the goal of defeating a Power 5 opponent, as the Hilltoppers led Louisville 14-3 but eventually lost 20-17 after being outscored 17-3 in the second half.

The Hilltoppers finally got a win the next week at Ball State before dropping six straight games. They eventually got two straight wins to end the season against Texas-El Paso and Louisiana Tech.

It would have seemed Sanford gave himself some support by winning the SEE FOOTBALL • PAGE B4

THE WALKTHROUGH

Helton was right hire to get Hilltoppers back on track

BY JEREMY CHISENHALL HERALD.SPORTS@WKU.EDU

WKU’s hiring of Tyson Helton as the next head football coach has drawn reactions of praise and excitement from both current and former players, but reactions from the fan base haven’t been as positive.

Helton’s results as an offensive assistant certainly haven’t been perfect.

The 41-year-old head coach had the ad-

vantage of directing current New York Jets quarterback Sam Darnold during his time as Southern California’s passing game coordinator in 2016 and 2017, and that certainly went well.

Darnold totaled 7,229 yards, 57 touchdowns and 22 interceptions in those two years. His results as Tennessee’s offensive coordinator in 2018 weren’t as great. UT averaged just 196 passing yards, 129 rushing yards and 22.9 points per game. The Volunteers also finished the year 5-7.

But WKU’s situation is quite different than the one in Knoxville, Tennessee. The Hilltoppers aren’t going up against SEC defenses. This conference is much more of what Helton is used to from his time here as an offensive coordinator, a time in which WKU racked up an abundance of yards and touchdowns. The Hilltoppers were ranked fifth in the nation in total offense in each of Helton’s two seasons as the offensive coordinator on the Hill (2014, 2015). That included a passing game

that ranked second in the nation in total yards in 2014 and first in 2015. The Hilltoppers also ranked sixth in the nation in points in 2014 and second in 2015.

After the last two years without Jeff Brohm, it’s clear that an infusion of high-powered offense is exactly what WKU needs. Since Brohm’s departure, WKU’s offensive firepower has completely disappeared, especially since SEE WALKTHROUGH • PAGE B4