January 24, 2017 by College Heights Herald

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TTUESDAY, UESDAY, JANUARY JANUARY 224, 4, 22017 017 > W WESTERN ESTERN KKENTUCKY ENTUCKY UUNIVERSITY NIVERSITY > VVOLUME OLUME 992, 2, IISSUE SSUE 2277

Board names preferred presidential candidate BY HERALD STAFF

Tim Caboni is the presidential search committee preferred candidate to be the next president of WKU.

HERALD.NEWS@WKU.EDU The Board of Regents has selected a preferred candidate for the next university president and will take its final vote on Friday, according to university officials. Preferred candidate Tim Caboni has served as the vice chancellor for public affairs at the University of Kansas since 2011. He has a master’s degree in Corporate and Organizational Communication from WKU, graduating in 1994. “I am humbled to have been selected as the preferred candidate for the presidency of WKU,” Caboni said in a press release.

COURTESY OF UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS

During his time as KU’s vice chancellor for Public Affairs, Caboni helped fundraise $50 million to support the construction of a new health education building at the University of Kansas Medical Center, according to his curriculum vitae. WKU is currently in a joint agreement with the University of Kentucky and the Medical Center to host classes at the Medical Center campus. An

RFP for a new Medical Center building was proposed last December, but no appropriate bids were received that matched its specifications. Caboni noted that if chosen as university president, he would promote a focus on the health of Kentuckians. “One of the great roles of WKU will be to provide for rural Kentucky and for the region those folks who are necessary to make sure every Kentuckians health is strong and better,” Caboni said. WKU is one of three universities Caboni has publicly been made a candidate for university president in the last year. In March 2016, he was announced as a candidate for the president vacancy at Georgia Southern University. In November 2016,

he was announced as a finalist for the same position at the Valdosta State University. A former student nominated Caboni for the position at WKU; however, as an alumnus, he has had his eye on the vacancy since President Gary Ransdell announced his retirement last January. “It is incredibly humbling to be returning to WKU and my alma mater in a way I couldn’t have understood until last night,” he said. “The number of people who have both wished me well and welcomed me back has been overwhelming.” Caboni has also served as the associate dean of the Peabody College of Education and Human Development

SEE CABONI PAGE A2

University Senate calls meeting for president

BY MONICA KAST

HERALD.NEWS@WKU.EDU

The University Senate discussed the preferred candidate for university president and called for a special meeting to discuss the candidate after several forums during its first meeting of the spring semester. Senate Chair Kate Hudepohl discussed the candidate during her report to the senate. Hudepohl said she was contacted by Julia McDonald, assistant to the president, and was told the senate would have the opportunity to meet with the preferred candidate Tim Caboni Wednesday. This will be a separate meeting from the faculty forum that will take place next week. “I felt like even though I was a little taken aback by the rushed nature … I still feel like it’s an opportunity,” Hudepohl said. Hudepohl said she didn’t “know what the point is,” but still felt like it was “an opportunity to meet him.” Hudepohl added that although this meeting will be specific for the senate to interact with Caboni, it will be an open meeting for anyone to attend. Mac McKerral, journalism professor, spoke before the Board of Regents last semester in favor of an open presidential search. At the senate meeting, McKerral said he felt by continuing with a closed search, the Board of Regents had created a “template” that “will be followed for a long time.” “I think the difficult thing, the challenge that we face, is that how much do we want to blame the new guy, rather than blame the old guys?” McKerral asked. At the end of the meeting, a new order of business was introduced by Douglas Smith, sociology department head. Smith was serving as an alternate on Thursday for senator Jerry Daday. Smith motioned the senate meet in a specially-called meeting next Thursday, “to discuss the presumptive candidate.” The motion was seconded and passed, with the majority of senators saying they would be in attendance at the specially-called meeting. Hudepohl said she would work to find a space and time for next Thursday for the special called meeting. Additionally, changes to Policy 1.1013 outlining consensual relations between faculty and students was approved, after discussion over changes in language in the policy. Patti Minter, chair of the faculty welfare and professional responsibilities committee, lead the discussion. Minter said the committee had worked on revising the policy for over a year and had discussed a “variety of wording.” “Having looked at this for over a year now, we think this is the best way,” Minter said. The changes were approved, al-

SEE SENATE PAGE A2

A group of volunteers participate in songs of protest during the women’s march in Nashville, TN, on Saturday, January 21, 2017. EVAN MATTINGLY/HERALD

Roni Nashed, a freshman at Belmont University, participated in the Women’s March Saturday Jan. 21, 2017 in Nashville, a day after getting her first feminist tattoo. “I decided to get my tattoo the day of the inauguration because it’s important that all women stand together and support each other during the presidency. I went to the march to stand with my sisters as we approach this upcoming term,” Nashed said. EMILY MOSES/HERALD

Cumberland Park in downtown Nashville, TN, was the starting place of the women’s march on Saturday, January 21, 2017. The march brought 15,000 women, men, and children into solidarity and peace. “When we tire of the status quo, it is impossible for it to survive,” Kutonia Smith Bond of the Nashville Feminist Collective said. EVAN MATTINGLY/ HERALD

Students join Women’s March on D.C. BY EMMA AUSTIN HERALD.NEWS@WKU.EDU

early 30 WKU students hopped on a bus this past weekend to join more than 500,000 women’s rights protestors in Washington, D.C. The Women’s March on Washington was held on Saturday and contributed to the turnout of more than 1 million men and women rallying around the U.S. The mission of the marchers was to join in diversity to show a “presence in numbers too great to ignore,” according to the Women’s March official website. An estimated 4,814,000 “sister marchers” joined from around the world, with participating locations in all 50 states and in major cities across the globe according to the site. The WKU Center for Citizenship and Social Justice sponsored a bus to take students to Washington, D.C. for the event, initially posting on Facebook to gauge interest in the trip. Aeryn Darst, a recent WKU graduate and program support coordinator for CCSJ, said she was surprised

by the response the center received after the Facebook post. “We got a lot of interest,” Darst said. “We were expecting like 10 students to be interested.” Some students had to be put on a waitlist, she said, because of the limited transportation space.

powers students to use their voice around issues that they’re passionate about,” Ashwill said. Louisville sophomore Morgan Woodrum said minoring in gender and women’s studies played a role in her interest in attending the march this weekend. Learning about gen-

I think it’s important to remember to be kind and have an open ear.” Louisville Sophomore Morgan Woodrum

The group left Bowling Green late Friday night, arriving in Washington, D.C. in the morning as the march began. Leah Ashwill, CCSJ director, said she saw the Women’s March as the exact type of opportunity the center believes is important to expose students to. “We really feel like this just em-

der and other social issues around the world encouraged Woodrum to learn more about people and their differences, she explained. “It’s important to realize that people feel and believe the way they do for a very important reason,” Woodrum said. “I think it’s important to remember to be kind and have an

SEE WOMEN’S MARCH PAGE A2

A2 CABONI

Continued from FRONT at Vanderbilt University from 2005 to 2011. His education includes a bachelor’s degree in speech communication and rhetoric from Louisiana State University, a master’s degree corporate and organizational communication from WKU and a Ph.D. in Higher Education Leadership and Policy from Vanderbilt University. “For me, my WKU experience was both important and informative,” he said. “I use the work that I did there every single day in my current profession.” Caboni is married to Kacy SchmidtCaboni who works for the University of Kansas Endowment Association. “My wife has not yet been [to WKU], but I am excited to show her where I spent time and where I got my master’s degree,” he said. The preferred candidate has also

WOMEN’S MARCH Continued from FRONT

open ear.” Woodrum said she believes Americans still need to make their voices heard and take advantage of living in a democracy. Though Woodrum has marched and participated in protests previously, she said nothing she had experienced compared to the capacity of the crowd she was a part of on Saturday. “It was huge,” she said of the crowd. “It was insane.” Darst said she hoped the experience would provide students with a positive experience of political activism. The goal of CCSJ is to encourage interest in social justice and create a positive change and impact on the world, Darst explained. “We want students to be inspired to fight for what they believe in no

SENATE

Continued from FRONT though not unanimously. Additionally, provost David Lee introduced new business regarding university distinguished professor selection and appointment. After discussion about introducing new

JANUARY 24, 2017

co-authored “Institutional Advancement: What We Know, ” which evaluates empirical research on advancement of higher education. Caboni will be visiting WKU for meetings and campus forums on January 25 and 26, according to uni-

same conversation to campus next week,” he said. The Board of Regents will make a final decision during its quarterly meeting on Friday. Caboni is the only candidate who has been made public during the search process. A decision

COLLEGE HEIGHTS HERALD

• • • •

One of those things I’ve talked about along in this process is the importance of collaboration, cooperation and transparency...” Preferred Presidential Candidate Tim Caboni

9:30 a.m. Staff forum, Downing Student Union, 3002-3007 1:30 p.m. Student forum, Downing Student Union, 3002-3007 3 p.m. Faculty forum, Downing Student Union, 3002-3007 5-6:30 p.m. Public/community reception, Augenstein Alumni Center, Robertson-Feix Ballroom

These forums will be followed by a public announcement and Media Q&A that will take place in the Augenstein Alumni Center Robertson-Feix Ballroom on Friday at 2:30 p.m. “I look forward to working with governance, with faculty, with staff and with students to figure out together what the shared aspirations for WKU and how we can do them together,” Caboni said.

versity officials. “One of the things I’ve talked about all along in this process is the importance of collaboration, cooperation, transparency, and I will bring that

was never formally made on whether or not the presidential search would be open or closed. The forums that will take place on Thursday include:

matter what that belief is,” Darst said, “to really have an invested outlook on their community at every single level, from personal community to worldwide.” Before the march, Darst said she anticipated the experience building a sense of community among marchers and supporters of the cause, who all fight for a lot the same goals. The Women’s March website listed guiding principles for the march, highlighting nonviolence and community. “There was never a moment that I felt unsafe,” Woodrum said. “It was safe, and there was a lot of unity between us.” Bowling Green junior Alexa Hatcher said participating in the march made her realize how many people out there share her perspective. “I tend to think of things a little bit more as an outsider,” Hatcher said. “Being there and seeing the amount

of people who were there helped me realize that we are the majority. We are the popular vote. We are going to stand our ground, and this isn’t the end.” Hatcher said she believes the unity is important, and marching does make a difference. “That’s why it’s important, because of the domino effect,” she said. “We are standing up for what’s right, and it’s recognized.” Hatcher recalled one chant she heard radiating throughout the crowds during the march: “we’re here to stay, how do you like your first day.” “I thought that was awesome, and it kind of proves what we’re talking about,” she said. “We’re here, and we’re staying here.” Several activists spoke to the crowd on Saturday, including actress Scarlett Johansson, who Hatcher said she was able to watch on one of the screens lining the streets. Hatcher

said Johansson’s speech connected to her on a personal level when she spoke about the defunding of Planned Parenthood. Hatcher said addressing these issues on a local level where they most affect individuals is how outcomes can be changed. With recent events, Darst said she sees a lot of people who are realizing their place in the world and want that place to change. “The way I see it, and I’m pretty sure Leah would share this opinion as well, is that there are a lot of reasons to be interested in something like this, no matter what your background is or your identities or anything,” Darst said. “There’s a lot of involvement so it’s kind of like a personal interpretation from a lot of students to say why it’s important to them.”

steps to the process that would allow a professor to apply or be selected, the policy passed, although once again not unanimously. Student Regent Jay Todd Richey, in his report to the senate, discussed preferred candidate Caboni. Richey, who served on the presidential search committee, said he was “ex-

tremely proud of the quality of candidate that we got.” “I would have infinitely preferred, personally, this to be open,” Richey said of the presidential search. Richey also encouraged senators to attend the meetings next week and the faculty forums with Caboni in order to meet him.

“I hope you all will give Dr. Caboni a chance,” Richey said. “He’s excited to meet you all.”

Reporter Emma Austin can be reached at 270-745-6011 and emma. austin177@topper.wku.edu.

Reporter Monica Kast can be reached at 270-745-6011 and monica. kast187@topper.wku.edu. Follow her on Twitter at @monicakastwku.

JANUARY 24, 2017

COLLEGE HEIGHTS HERALD

Topper Grill and Pub awaits liquor license approval BY REBEKAH ALVEY HERALD.NEWS@WKU.EDU Aramark and WKU are expecting to hear back about a liquor license “any day now,” Gary Meszaros, assistant vice president of business and auxiliary, said. The license will be used at Topper Grill and Pub, which is located on the first floor of Garrett Conference Center. After being told the licensing request would be denied last year when it was originally filed, Aramark withdrew the request. If the request had been denied, gaining approval for future projects concerning alcohol at WKU would be much more difficult to do, according to a previous Herald article. Aramark applied for the license again last fall and is still awaiting a response from the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control regarding approval. This year, minor changes have been made to accommodate the license and Alcohol Beverage Control standards to increase the likelihood of the license approval. The pub’s location on the first level of the building is part of the reason the license was not approved last spring when the pub opened. A separate elevator is needed so the alcohol can be kept separate from students, Meszaros said. Obtaining a liquor license also depends on the restaurant’s ability to sell a certain ratio of food to alcohol. Since

Topper Grille and Pub is the latest addition to Western Kentucky Universities Dining options on campus. Topper Grille and Pub is located on the first floor of The Garret Conference Center, caddy corner to Panda Express. It will serve pub style food such as burgers and pizza, along with a drink menu including beer and wine. LEX SELIG/HERALD

the pub would share a kitchen with the Garrett Food Court, the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control was concerned about this ratio being met, according to a previous Herald article. The Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control typically responds to requests in about 90 days, according to the article, which was published in

September 2016. “It is a long-term process, but so far everything looks good,” Meszaros said. The idea of obtaining a liquor license stemmed from a SGA resolution made two years ago when renovations were made to the conference center. Some students expressed disappoint-

ment when it was announced the pub would not be serving alcohol as originally planned.

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

Campus construction continues progress BY REBEKAH ALVEY HERALD.NEWS@WKU.EDU Over the break progress has been made on several construction projects around campus. Work on Parking Structure 3 and Hilltopper Hall has begun while the Ogden College Hall and CVS pharmacy are nearing completion. The foundation for Parking Structure 3 is complete and during the first week in February, the floors will be added according to Director of Facilities Bryan Russell. The new structure will be located by the Creason lot and will create 500 additional parking spaces. “The project is following the budget and is on schedule,” Russell said. Ogden College Hall will soon house 36 laboratories, student lounges, a student success center and the dean’s suite for the Ogden College of Science and engineering. The primary structure is completed, and the roof is 95% done, Russell said. The building is being finished starting on the ground floor then

working up. The ground floor has all the mechanical work done and drywall is being put up, which Russell described as “the first phase of finished.” The project is on track, and is scheduled to be completed in December of this year, Russell said. The CVS located near Alumni Hall is close to completion; there is no firm date, but it is expected to open in February, Russell said. It will be one of the few convenient stores and pharmacies that are in walking distance on campus. “It is a great asset for students and faculty, and we are in full support,” Russell said. Construction on Hilltopper Hall also began over the break. It is a 405 bed facility funded in part by the Student Life foundation, Russell said. The hall is located in the Valley portion of campus, and is set to be ready for students by August 2018.

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

Construction begins on Hilltopper Hall, the new Residence Hall located in the valley. The building is scheduled to be completed in August of 2018. MICHELLE HANKS/ HERALD

WKUHERALD.COM EDITORIAL

OPINION

JANUARY 24, 2017 > WESTERN KENTUCKY UNIVERSITY Have an opinion? Tweet us @wkuherald or find us on Facebook at WKUHerald as well. Let us know your thoughts about the editorial, or write us with what is on your mind.

Reigning Regents: Shared governance must be more than a concept BY HERALD EDITORIAL BOARD HERALD.OPINION@WKU.EDU

THE ISSUE: The Presidential Search Committee and the Board of Regents for months refused to answer the question of whether the search for WKU’s next president would be an open search. Now it’s too little too late to have that discussion.

OUR STANCE: The lack of transparency in this process has been atrocious. It’s time we redefine the concept of shared governance at this university and what it means for us all moving forward.

f you haven’t heard it yet, you can read it here first, folks. Tim Caboni, current vice chancellor for public affairs at the University of Kansas, was named the preferred candidate to be the next president of WKU. The Board of Regents will extend a formal offer to Caboni for the presidency at its meeting this Friday. Which is to say it’s all a done deal, it’s clear he’s going to be the next president. You don’t have a public reception and public announcement unless it’s a done deal. However, if the board decided to extend an offer to someone else other than Caboni, then we all will have been thoroughly bamboozled. Until the board acts, he is still only the preferred presidential candidate. Caboni is being offered up to us on a silver platter, bowtie and all, as the board carefully inserts a tube down our throats and straps us to a gurney, so we’re unable to voice issue with what it has done. Our intention here is not to demonize Caboni’s potential presidency before it even begins. A few of us on the editorial board had a phone interview with him, and we honestly look forward to getting to know him better. However, the veil of secrecy perpetrated by the search committee and the board is appalling. Back in September, we editorialized the issue of a closed search when it was first revealed that Isaacson, Miller, the search firm aiding the Presidential Search Committee, intended to keep the search closed. The search committee obediently followed along ever since. For the search to be open, the full Board of Regents needed to vote on the matter, but ever since September that action was not taken. It was likely never even up for consideration. The board’s intention to ever vote on the matter is a bald-faced lie in of itself as they kept us all in limbo for months. Let us not be fooled on the matter. The Presidential Search Committee was made up of six sitting regents, meaning they had a quorum. The search committee itself had the minimum number needed to act as the board on matters if necessary, but it elected to play the man behind the curtain. We said it in September, and we’ll say it again, we paid Isaacson, Miller to the tune of $185,000 to whisper in the board’s ear. This is a large sum of money when you consider a study published in the Chronicle of Higher Education found the average costs of hiring a search firm was $79,000. Search firms have increasingly become the norm for universities, but not everyone is sure they’re the best option. Michael Poliakoff, now president of the American Council of Trustees and Alumni, in a 2014 interview with the Omaha World-Herald in regards to the University of Nebraska searching for a new president, said search firms are the most common method for universities, but the ACTA recommends “leaders consider consultants to help structure, but not run, a search.” Since there’s been little to no trans-

parency in the search, we have no idea how much control was given to Isaacson, Miller. Did Isaacson, Miller waltz in with a short list of preferred candidates one day as the search committee discussed the complete snub of the hit animated film “Lego Movie” in the 2015 Oscars? It’s possible, who’s to really say? According to Poliakoff, it’s always the search firms who benefit financially as well as the new president in these closed searches. Poliakoff noted a connection between the jump in average salaries for college presidents and the use of corporate headhunters. “Sometimes headhunters are shuffling sitting presidents from one job to another and getting them a higher salary with each move,” he said to the World-Herald. “Though many firms offer a flat fee, it’s also common for them to charge onethird of the new hire’s first year’s pay.” We’ll be paying careful attention to the contract that’s drawn up for Caboni and how heavy of a hand Isaacson, Miller may be playing in it.

candidates valued confidentiality and preferred to remain unknown to the WKU community. But Caboni himself has never had an issue with letting the public know he was being considered for administrative level positions at other universities. Valdosta State announced him as one of four candidates to be their president in November of last year, and he was named as one of four candidates for president at Georgia Southern University in March of last year as well. “Many of the candidates don’t want to risk jeopardizing the position they hold with taking a new opportunity,” Richey said. The Herald can confirm Caboni did indeed keep his job at University of Kansas after it was revealed he was a candidate at both schools; thus not affecting his employment or potential candidacy. Frank LoMonte, executive director of the Student Press Law Center, called the use of closed searches “fundamentally undemocratic” in a

But for what reason are these searches conducted in the parking lot of Arby’s at 2 in the morning, or so we assume. One main reason boiled down to the idea of confidentiality. Regent Philip Bale said to a Herald reporter without a guarantee of confidentiality many of the applicants would not have applied for the position. This runs counter to a 2015 statement issued by the American Association of University Professors. “The rationale for such secrecy is that open meetings discourage applications from highly qualified candidates, although no evidence has ever been offered to suggest that this is in fact the case,” the statement reads. The search committee and the board members kept the confidentiality aspect running so much they elected to meet out of state with candidates, and their meeting in early January wasn’t the first time they did so. In fact, meeting outside the state isn’t out of the ordinary for presidential search committees. Back in 2015, the University of Iowa Board of Regents’ search committee interviewed presidential candidates at a Chicago airport because it “afforded a higher degree of confidentiality, as it was unlikely that any of the candidates would be singled out in the throng of transients as being there as candidates for the Iowa presidency,” according to a report by the AAUP. Student Regent Jay Todd Richey told a Herald reporter many of the

2014 interview with Kentwired. “There is really only one reason to do a closed search, and that is to protect the ego of the candidates who don’t get selected. That’s it,” LoMonte said to Kentwired. “There’s no other reason to deny the public access to information about the candidates and the opportunity to question them.” Did the board sacrifice meaningful engagement with the campus community to spare the fragile egos of those they passed over for the job? Again, who’s to say? We’ve all been locked out of the room since this began. Sure, they held forums before the search was fully under way, but so what? We were never given the opportunity to know if our input was taken seriously since we never got to meet any of the candidates. The bare minimum the board could have done was hold open forums with the final four candidates it had been considering since early this month, but it seems even setting the bar that low was too much of a hurdle for the board. After all, as far as the public knew, a final decision wasn’t supposed to come until March. The entire month of February could have been dedicated to meeting the four final candidates. Each of them could have gotten an entire week for us to meet them, for them to get to know the campus and community. But the silver platter has already been polished. Where then do we go from here?

We could demand the board hold open forums for the four candidates it considered earlier this month, but that’d be more of a disservice to those people than anyone else. They’re likely candidates at other colleges and have already moved on. From here it’s our responsibility as a newspaper to keep everyone informed about the details surrounding to Caboni’s potential presidency and our continued responsibility to report on actions taken by the board. We’ll be front and center for the open forums this Thursday. If you’re unable to make it, follow us along on Facebook where we’ll be live streaming all of them and on Twitter for continued coverage. But it’s our collective responsibility to care about what’s happening, to attend the forums if you can and to ask questions yourselves. As for the board, a strong redefinition is in order for how it makes decisions. Part of the board’s code of ethics is “to accept the spirit of academic freedom and shared governance as fundamental characteristics of University governance.” For us on the editorial board, the idea of shared governance means everyone should have a say in how the board operates and in the decision-making process; yet, this definition is not shared by our administrators. During the Herald meeting with the Administrative Council, one of our editors posed a question about the idea of shared governance and if it runs contrary to having an open search. President Gary Ransdell enlightened us on what the term actually means. In Ransdell’s opinion, shared governance does not mean everybody shares in every decision. The board has its responsibilities, faculty has some, the administration has some and as does staff. Interestingly enough, students were not included in this list. Apparently, the responsibilities of students at WKU lie solely in academic performance for the sake of the university and not having a role in shaping this university’s decisions. “It doesn’t mean everybody is engaged in every decision,” Ransdell said. Ransdell believes the term of shared governance is used too loosely in regards to specific responsibilities for segments of the campus population. In our opinion, one can rarely be too loose when talking about a democratic process of sharing governance in what happens at our university. This lack of confidence in the board is reflected in the Fall 2015/ Spring 2016 Faculty Work Life Survey. The survey found 14.61 percent disagreed and 20.15 percent strongly disagreed the board “supports the faculty’s role in institutional governance”; 17.88 percent disagreed and 20.91 percent strongly disagreed the board “has a genuine interest in seeking input from the faculty, staff.” However, even more telling is how 24.94 percent said they had no basis for judgment for the former question and 25.69 percent had no basis for the latter question. Shared governance needs to be more than a mere idea at this university. The board must work harder to engage with the campus community, and that includes the sitting regents making an effort to learn who they’re representing and what those people are concerned about. The flip side is true as well, we as a collective need to know who these people are to better understand how the university works and to hold them accountable. From here on out, we at the Herald will take this idea of shared governance and make it more practical, more democratic, more inclusive and worth something where everybody can be engaged in the decisions that affect them. We hope everyone joins us in this

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COLLEGE HEIGHTS HERALD

JANUARY 24, 2017

THE FUN PAGE Across

1. In what year was London's population decimated by plague? (a) 1686 (b) 1705 (c) 1665 2. When did Bonnie Prince Charlie land in Scotland to lead a rebellion? (a) 1738 (b) 1789 (c) 1760 3. When did Boston have their famous tea party? (a) 1771 (b) 1773 (c) 1776 4. In what year was the Bastille stormed? (a) 1777 (b) 1761 (c) 1789 5. Admiral Lord Nelson was killed on board the HMS Victory when? (a) 1805 (b) 1791 (c) 1832 6. The Hindenburg crashed as it came in to moor in New Jersey in what year? (a) 1946 (b) 1937 (c) 1929 7. Europeans first set eyes on Australia when? (a) 1633 (b) 1510 (c) 1606 8. When was the Battle of Hasting fought? (a) 1215 (b) 1066 (c) 1105 9. In what year did General Custer make his last stand at the Little Big Horn? (a) 1887 (b) 1896 (c) 1876 10. When was the U-2 spy plane piloted by Gary Powers shot down in Soviet territory? (a) 1960 (b) 1955 (c) 1966

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

3 5 4

7 7 4

2 4

4 8

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

5 3

8 1

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

1 1

6 8

7 6

12 13 14 15 1 Ceremonial splendor 17 18 16 5 Invitation request 19 20 21 22 9 Churchill’s “so few”: Abbr. 23 24 25 12 Like Darth Vader 13 Chocolate source 26 27 28 29 30 31 14 Old Roman road 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 16 Wise one 17 Eye-opener? 39 40 41 42 43 18 Computer command 44 45 46 47 19 Cur 48 49 50 51 21 Kind of cuisine 23 Youngster 52 53 54 55 56 57 24 Watered down 26 Kind of shot 58 59 60 61 62 29 ___ Appia 63 64 65 66 67 31 Swindle 32 In accord 69 70 68 35 States further 39 Builder’s need 71 72 73 40 Floorboard sound Copyright ©2017 PuzzleJunction.com 42 Voiced 44 Gym site, briefly 72 Limerick language 10 Do penance 41 “Dungeons & 46 Whole bunch 73 Hard to fathom 11 Stinky Dragons” beasts 48 Walker, briefly 13 Arrest forerunner 43 Lease 50 Consume Down 15 Mythical bird 45 Church niche 51 Track action 20 Donate 47 List abbr. 52 Ruffle 1 Game piece 22 Yellowfin, e.g. 49 Forever, poetically 56 Starr of song 2 Egg cell 25 Cooling-off period 52 Chumps 58 Big party 3 Catalan surrealist 26 World view 53 Oblivion 59 Stone pillar 4 ___ down, as a 27 Hideous 54 City-like 63 Long pass coin 28 Fat unit 55 Showy flowers 64 Pine exudation 5 Stethoscope 30 Chafe 57 Traffic sign 66 Distinctive flair finding 33 Business letter 58 Biz loan giver 68 Goya’s “Duchess 6 Burn with hot abbr. 60 Wait of ___” 34 Journey segment water 61 Tart plum 69 Required things 7 Dictionary abbr. 36 Follow 62 Curly cabbage 70 Singer Falana 8 Big citrus fruit 37 Lackluster 65 Sonnet ending 71 Prince, to a king 38 Overfill 9 “Bingo!” 67 Time out?

Historical Dates

4 5 6 7 2

9 7 6 2

4 3

2 9 1

JANUARY 24, 2017> WESTERN KENTUCKY UNIVERSITY

WKUHERALD.COM

PHOTO

“THE PEOPLE ” UNITED

A protestor points to the word “Fascist” on his sign while a Trump supporter fakes tears in response from inside a restaurant on Pennsylvania Avenue. Demonstrators shouted and pressed signs against this window while those inside sipped champagne and watched. This continued until a woman got up and closed the blinds.

photos and Story by Abby Potter

Protestors crowd the sidewalks of Pennsylvania Avenue in front of the National Archives Building as they wait for President Trump’s Inaugural Parade to begin. “I, Donald John Trump, do solemnly swear—” With these words, the 45th President of the United States began the oath of office. As Trump’s voice boomed from speakers along Pennsylvania Avenue, a chant began to drown out his voice: “The people united will never be defeated!” “That I will faithfully execute,” Trump’s disembodied voice continued. “THE PEOPLE UNITED,” demonstrators roared back. “The office of President of the United States.” “WILL NEVER BE DEFEATED!” This was just one of many chants ringing out along the inauguration parade route in Washington D.C. Friday, Jan. 20, 2017.

Terry Perry, an anti-Trump protestor from Pa., dances to a cover of Michael Jackson’s “Man in the Mirror” during the ANSWER Coalition’s protest of Donald Trump’s inauguration. Hundreds of demonstrators filled up Navy Me“Folks in Kentucky […] have a proud history of remorial Plaza, overflowing to sidewalks from 7th to sistance,” Capillo said. “The organizers who are heirs 9th St. on Pennsylvania Avenue. to this tradition must love the people better than our The anti-Trump protest was organized by the AN- politicians. We must serve the people and organize SWER, Act Now to Stop War and End Racism, Coali- them to fight the power that we can plainly see exists tion. only to exploit and steal from us.” Despite chilly temperatures and intermittent rain, The ANSWER Coalition protest was just one of protestors chanted and waved signs for hours before many demonstrations throughout D.C. on inauguand after the inauguration. ration day. While this protest was under way, thouA series of musicians and speakers took the mic, sands of demonstrators made their voices heard advocating for the rights of workers, immigrants, outside the fences and security checkpoints surpeople of color and members of the LGQTBQ com- rounding the Washington Convention Center and munity. One speaker, Greg Capillo from Lexington, the parade route. represented the Kentucky Workers League. Capillo’s Walter Smolarek of the ANSWER Coalition said speech reminded demonstrators that resistance is the official estimate was 5,000 protestors at Navy not limited to big cities like D.C. Memorial Plaza.

A banner with a quote from Martin Luther King Jr. hangs outside a home in Washington D.C. Friday, Jan 20, 2017, as inauguration events begin to wind down for the day. During inauguration weekend, D.C. was transformed by the influx of Trump supporters and protestors. This included the hundreds of thousands of demonstrators involved in the Women’s March on Saturday, Jan. 21 which broke public transit records in the city.

Will Hudgins raises his voice and his snack during the ANSWER Coalition inaugural protest in Washington D.C. Friday, Jan. 20, 2017. Hudgins travelled from Seguin, Texas with his partner Daisy and their 13-month-old daughter Azelia to protest Donald Trump’s policies on education and immigration. “I fell in love with a Hispanic woman,” he said, “and our child should not have to suffer for that heritage.”

WKUHERALD.COM

LIFE

JANUARY 24, 2017 > WESTERN KENTUCKY UNIVERSITY » Topic: Read about a faculty-led trip to the inauguration of President Donald Trump on B3.

Potter fans pair up in magical speed dates BY HERALD STAFF HERALD.FEATURES@WKU.EDU

Core leaders (from left), Brandon Render, Veronica Reed and Chasity Rodgers lead a Black Lives Matter meeting at the FFOYA House on Thursday Jan. 19, 2017. The Bowling Green BLM chapter discussed about their various projects and future events and shared their feelings about the inauguration. Even though members of the Bowling Green BLM dread about Trump’s presidency, core member Veronica Reed said “there is nothing we should fear because there are still laws, I don’t feel like Trump’s presidency will change anything.” MICHELLE HANKS/HERALD

social jusTICE

Local actvists hold meeting for change BY DANIELLE CHAVIS HERALD.FEATURES@WKU.EDU The Bowling Green, Kentucky Black Lives Matter chapter held an open forum Thursday to address concerns of equality and inclusion within Warren County and the surrounding area. Taking place at the FFOYA House in Bowling Green, audience members asked questions concerning the goals of Black Lives Matter and how to address those goals locally. Black Lives Matter was founded in 2012 and has since addressed an array of national issues concerning racial injustice. According to the organization’s website, Black Lives Matter is a “chapter-based national organization working for the validity of black life.” Working with the local Louisville chapter, the Black Lives Matter movement of Bowling Green was founded in November of 2016. When asked about why she got involved in the Black Lives Matter movement, panelist Chasity Rogers

said she believes the organization fights for the interests of her and her family. “I decided to join because I have four black brothers and a black father and two black nephews,” Rogers said. “I have to fight for them and will not allow them to be a hashtag. They will succeed and not be a stereotype.” The audience asked the panelists a variety of questions concerning how to confront racial issues in the community. Some of the issues brought up by the panel included the court case Jeffery Queen v. City of Bowling Green and Dustin Rockrohr — a 2016 case in which a Bowling Green firefighter sued the city over alleged discriminatory behavior in the fire department — as well as the death of Gynnya McMillen, a 16-year-old African American who died in a Kentucky juvenile detention center. “There are a lot of injustices in Bowling Green and surrounding areas,” panelist Veronica Reed said during the meeting. The local Black Lives Matter chap-

ter, although new to the area, has been actively involved with voicing and demonstrating their concerns within Warren County. In addition to regular meetings, the organization has also held vigils for young African Americans such as Gynnya McMillen at the Warren County Justice Center. Reed said collaborating with venues that stand with the organization’s cause such as the FFOYA house is important. The FFOYA house have described themselves as being a nonprofit community art venue that plays an active role in civil rights and social justice in the Bowling Green community. The venue has also held social activism events for causes such as renter’s rights in the community, domestic violence awareness and sexual assault awareness. “People fear people of color; it is important to have allies,” Reed said. “Allies gather other supporters.”

Reporter Danielle Chavis can be reached at 270-745-6011 and danielle.chavis191@topper.wku.edu.

A local Harry Potter Alliance Group is inviting the community to a firsttime event: Harry Potter Speed Dating. The event is meant to be a fun way to have the club-members interact with one another while pretending to be their favorite fictional characters. “This is an event that the members came up with as a fun event that will allow them to dress and play as their favorite character in a speed dating event,” Bertena Varney, Chapter Coordinator and Advisor, said. “There will be characters from the original Harry Potter Series, Fantastic Beasts, and Cursed Child. This is the first time for the event but the challenging thing so far is to get people to really ‘let go’ and have fun. We have been so active with social issues this past year that we just wanted to have fun.” This event is put on by the Fandom of the Phoenix-The Harry Potter Alliance, an international group that focuses on social activism efforts such as the Accio Book Drive, the Harry Potter Reading Night and the More Love Letters Campaign. J.K. Rowling recognizes the group and the Bowling Green Community Chapter currently has over 25 members. The group is using the Harry Potter Speed Dating event as a way to celebrate their one-year anniversary and encourage membership with anyone in the community above 18. “I hope that this event will bring more people with a passion for Potter to our group,” Kae Delph, the Vice President of the Fandom of the Phoenix, said. “I’m hopeful that new people can see what we see in these books and movies -- a new way to see our community and a way to make this world a better place, little by little.” According to Delph, planning the event helped the members to engage with the books and expand their “creative freedom.” “It really hasn’t been super challenging -- we have an amazing group of creative people that have helped come up with starter questions for everyone to think about when getting into character and everyone is super excited,” Delph said. “I think maybe the hardest part is the characters we know the least about, but then again this is a chance for fans to make predictions, albeit small ones, and have a little creative freedom.”

SEE DATING PAGE B2

Hardin Planetarium celebrates its 50th year BY ELISABETH MOORE HERALD.FEATURES@WKU.EDU

The Hardin Planetarium will be celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. Originally opened in 1967, the Hardin Planetarium still contains the original structure and sound system included when it originally opened. It has since upgraded to a new projector, though the original is still located in the planetarium. The Hardin Planetarium was named after WKU President Kelly Thompson’s son, Hardin Cherry Thompson. There is currently only one full-time staff member, Ronn Kistler, and multiple student helpers and interns. Before Kistler began his career at the planetarium, he graduated from college with a degree in biology. Throughout college, Kistler performed as an actor, which led him to his first job in a performing arts foundation in his home town of New YorkCity. Failing to get a job in any biology labs, Kistler went to work for a high school English teacher in a performing arts foundation, which lasted for five years. With thoughts of being a Broadway actor, Kistler got involved in many different areas of the theater, including an area called arts in education.

After five years, Kistler broke away from that foundation and created his own company with a few of his colleagues. The original foundation Kistler was involved in focused on performing in schools, though Kistler’s new company was interested in branching out while using arts in education. “The whole idea of using the arts to help teach other subjects has, in time, become a big initiative in differentiating education,” Kistler said. “We were interested in using theater for other venues.” When Kistler moved to Kentucky, the arts in education movement was not as advanced as it was in New York, so he decided to further his teaching degree. Kistler was aiming to teach public school, which led him to take an astronomy in education class led by Richard Gelderman, professor of physics and astronomy and director of the Hardin Planetarium. During this class, Gelderman asked students to create a planetarium show, where Kistler thrived due to his previous theatrical experience. Due to the retirement of previous director Roger Scott, Gelderman became the new planetarium director and asked campus administration to create a full-time position at the Hardin Planetarium. With his previous class experience with Kistler, Gelder-

man advised Kistler to apply for the job. “I love my job with the planetarium, but I can’t dedicate my time with the planetarium like Rodger Scott did,” Gelderman said. “There were a number of great applicants, but Ronn stood out because of his performing arts experience and the way it complimented my astronomy experience.” Starting in fall 2011, Kistler and Gelderman realized they would need a new system for the planetarium since the old system was from 1967, when the planetarium opened. The planetarium managed to get a new system for $50,000, which was installed toward the end of 2011. Currently, Gelderman directs and produces each planetarium show, and Kistler acts out each show during its running time. “I love to create the shows and to work out the kinks during dress rehersal and to get the show going the first time,” Gelderman said. “I love creating the content and developing the story and finding a story that gets across the lesson, so it isn’t just a lecture in a round building, and Ronn is great working with that.” According to Kistler, part of the goal of the planetarium is to inform visitors about the different information that science provides and to engage them into continuing their research

and knowledge of science and astronomy. Kistler said one of his favorite commodities at the planetarium is

SEE HARDIN PAGE B2

Ronn Kistler of Long Island, NJ has been working four and half years at the Hardin Planetarium. This year marks the 50th anniversary for the Hardin Planetarium since 1967 when it was first built. “I enjoy doing the shows for the public and student groups”, said Kistler. TYGER WILLIAMS/HERALD

JANUARY 24, 2017

COLLEGE HEIGHTS HERALD

Calendar Tuesday, Jan. 24

WEDNESDAY, Jan. 25

Student Government Association Meeting Location: Downing Student Union 2081 Time: 5 p.m.

Dr. Caboni Introduction Location: Faculty House 100 Time: 3-5 p.m.

THURSDAY, Jan. 26 Staff Campus Forum-Presidential Search Location: DSU 3002 Time: 9:30 a.m. Student Campus Forum-Presidential Search Location: DSU 3002 Time: 1:30 p.m. Faculty Campus Forum-Presidential Search Location: DSU 2--3 Time: 3 p.m.

FRIDAY, Jan. 27 Board of Regents Meeting Location: Mass Media and Technology Hall Cornelius A. Martin Regents Room Time: 9 a.m. Public Annoucement Media Q&A Location: Augenstein Alumni Center, Robertson-Feix Ballroom Time: 2:30 p.m.

DATING

Continued from LIFE Delph said she believes activities like speed dating will allow the community to see the links between the social justice issues in the books and the real world, encouraging them to make a difference. “I really think activities like this force us to stop and think about these characters as real people,” Delph said. “They have many amaz-

HARDIN

Continued from LIFE the amount of interactive activities involved throughout the planetarium. Outside of the projection room, there are multiple interactive exhibits like a black hole simulator and a thermal camera. There are also

ing quirks and complexities and these are what make them so relatable. When we think about the characters in this way, we are then able to look past just the characters Rowling has created and see the social issues that they are struggling with so that we can find those a little more easily in our world and help in any way we can.” Varney said the event will be used as a fun way for the members of the club to let loose, and break free from

the seriousness of the social justice issues the group focuses on. “During the event the characters will be doing speed dating just as it is in real life. They may ask questions such as ‘what is your patronus?’ or even questionable ones such as ‘how long is your wand?’” Varney said. The Fandom of the Phoenix hopes this event will encourage membership and promote awareness. The Harry Potter Speed Dating event will take place at the Bob Kirby Library

shows that allow the audience members to speak up and interact with Kistler as he performs the show. “We really started to make a push towards this shortly before I came here,” Kistler said. “Dr. Gelderman had taken over the direction of the planetarium at that point, and he brought me on as a coordinator and

ever since, we have been adding a little bit more to the planetarium, which had been in a decent state for at least 12 years, and some of the exhibits had been here since 1980.” The goal for Kistler is to update every exhibit in the planetarium and to have some form of interactive feature on the exhibits themselves. This

at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, January 24, and attendants must be 18 years or older to attend. Once at the event, participants will be given a character and a list of questions to go off of. “Just come and hang out with us,” Delph said. “The more people participating, the better.”

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

would hopefully bring in the community more, said Kistler.

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

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JANUARY 24, 2017

COLLEGE HEIGHTS HERALD

Faculty leads students on inauguration trip BY MADISON MARTIN HERALD.FEATURES@WKU.EDU

On an overcast Friday in the nation’s capital, certain WKU students had the opportunity to experience a presidential inauguration and surrounding political events for the first time. Political Science Department Head Saundra Ardrey, led a group of students and faculty to Washington D.C. for a short trip to experience the historical event. She has been doing so since 1989, according to a press release. The students arrived in the city Wednesday night and were gone by Saturday morning. The group visited the Capitol the day prior to the presidential inauguration, scoping out different politicians’ offices and meeting with some of Kentucky’s federal representatives Senator Rand Paul and Representative Brett Guthrie. But WKU wasn’t solely represented by the faculty-led group, as some students decided to experience the weekend on their own. Andi Dahmer, a Louisville sophomore, traveled to the capital with her brother to be a part of the presidential inauguration and Women’s March on Washington. The pair took an early flight to arrive right at the beginning of the ceremony, and return to Bowling Green just in time for class on Monday. “It was like the ultimate sibling-bonding weekend, for sure,” Dahmer said. Some students attended the inauguration ceremo-

Angela Orend, 43, travelled from Louisville, Ky. to protest at Trump’s inauguration. Orend is an adjunct sociology professor at the University of Louisville. “I teach about how to resist oppression,” she said, “And I have a responsibility to demonstrate that resistance for my students.” ABBY POTTER/HERALD

ny on Friday, while others joined the ranks of protesters in the parade route. Kara Hodges, a junior from Bowling Green and participant in the faculty-led group, said she decided to make the best of the trip despite not being a fan of the election results. Instead of attending the inauguration, she accompanied one of the peaceful protest movements during the day. Security checkpoints to access the parade took hours to get through, Hodges said. “I think it was [a valuable experience] because a bunch of us like stood

up for what we believed in, and we peacefully used our First Amendment, which some of us had never done before,” Hodges said. Dahmer, in contrast, stood in a non-ticketed area to view the ceremony. She noticed a divisive undercurrent flowing around her, where Trump-supporters and opposing college students had gathered within the same vicinity. “I know that it was a little tense with the people surrounding me, just with the differences in political beliefs,” Dahmer said. The contrasting atmo-

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sphere stood out to her when she participated in the Women’s March on Washington the following day. She described the march as “incredible” and said the “whole day sort of felt like a hug.” “You almost felt like an instant connection when you were talking with people,” Dahmer said. “Just because like you’re there in solidarity, and you’re standing up for the rights of an entire gender.” When summing up the trip, the two were glad to have participated in the nationally-significant day and weekend, regardless

of how they viewed the new president. “It’s just cool because there’s not a lot of people that go to inaugurations, and there’s not very many inaugurations that happen,” Hodges said. “It’s really like a phenomenal experience, even if you don’t necessarily agree with the politician who’s being inaugurated,” Dahmer agreed. “It’s just a really cool thing to experience, like that history aspect of it.”

Reporter Madison Martin can be reached at 270-7452655 and madison.mar-

JANUARY 24, 2017

COLLEGE HEIGHTS HERALD

Thundering Herd tramples the Hilltoppers

BY MATTHEW STEWART HERALD.SPORTS@WKU.EDU On Saturday night the Hilltopper basketball team continued to play against the top teams in Conference USA as it traveled to Huntington, West Virginia, to take on the Marshall Thundering Herd. The Tops came up short once again after coming off losses to Old Dominion, Alabama Birmingham and Middle Tennessee State. The Herd took down the Hilltoppers by a final score of 94-80, despite starting the game strong and having six players score in double figures. With the loss, Head Coach Rick Stansbury’s squad fell to 9-11 on the season while Marshall improved to 12-8. “When they shoot the ball like that, it’s hard for anybody to beat them,” Stansbury said in a postgame press conference. “Nineteen of them [three-pointers], 12 in the second half, and [Jon] Elmore’s the one that got them going. Elmore’s the one

Freshman guard Tobias Howard (1) drives toward the basket during the Hilltoppers 79-66 win over Alabama State on Nov. 12, 2016 at Diddle Arena. KELSEA HOBBS/HERALD just in transition, pulling up the Tops had a 14-point lead in transition. Him, [Austin] over the Herd. Loop and [Stevie] Brown“I thought we played ing, those guys were making really well in the first half,” shots from everywhere. In junior forward Justin Johnthe first half, I thought we son said in a postgame press kept them from getting as conference. “We played hard many easy, open shots. I … Everybody plays good at didn’t think they had the home. The good thing about same rhythm in the first half, it is we’ve got seven of our but in the second half, they next 11 at home, so that’s a got it going.” positive.” WKU opened up the first Marshall would come half scoring early and often. back with an offensive Five minutes into the game, stretch of it’s own. The Herd

went on a 21-4 run including a period where they scored 13 straight points. Johnson was the highlight of the first half for WKU as he had 13 points on six of nine shooting along with six rebounds in the opening half. He finished his night with a season-high 21 points to go along with nine boards. The veteran forward also had a season-high with 10 made field goals on 16 shots. The second half was all Marshall as they outscored the Toppers 26-9 after the game was tied at 44. WKU managed to get back within 10, making it 70-60 with 9:13 remaining. After the Tops were able to cut into the Marshall lead, the Herd turned it on once again going on a 21-6 run to go up 91-66 with 4:45 to play. “I thought our guys battled,” Stansbury said in a postgame press conference. “It’s not an easy atmosphere tonight. Marshall really got it going, but I thought we battled. Does that mean we’re great at stopping people because we battled? No. But

I walk in here and always hate getting beat, but I can look everyone in the eye and say my guys -- we might not always play smart, but we played hard, and that’s all I can ask for right now.” Senior guard Que Johnson finished with 13 points. Senior forwards Ben Lawson and Anton Waters each ended up with 11 in the points column. Freshman and senior guards Tobias Howard and Pancake Thomas finished with 10 points each. The Tops are back in action this Thursday in Diddle Arena as they host the University of Texas El Paso (513). The Tops will be looking to get back to their winning ways as seven of their last 11 games are in Diddle. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. against the Miners.

Reporter Matthew Stewart can be reached at (859) 7973140 and matthew.stewart015@topper.wku.edu. Follow him on Twitter at @ MES_WKU22

COMMENTARY

Criticism of Stansbury may be misguided BY EVAN HEICHELBECH HERALD.SPORTS@WKU.EDU When WKU men’s basketball Head Coach Rick Stansbury was asked how to stop Marshall from winning in its own building last weekend, all he could do was chuckle and say, “I don’t have the answer to that one,” and how couldn’t he? The first-year WKU head coach is no stranger to success on the court, but this season has been a challenge for the entire Hilltopper program. When former Head Coach Ray Harper parted ways with

WKU last spring along with key perimeter players Fred Edmond, Chris McNeal and Marlon Hunter, Stansbury took over and was handed a fragmented roster with zero guards in place for the 20162017 season. Stansbury had to scramble to get enough scholarship players for the start of the season, and he did so admirably, bringing in three established graduate transfers and seven players in total. But like any team with a collection of players who come in with little to no chemistry together, the Toppers have had a difficult time putting it all together. Stansbury ultimately didn’t

have the answer to stop Marshall at home, where the Herd are a perfect 10-0, as the Tops fell 94-80. WKU now sits at 9-11 on the season, and some fans on social media have started to question if Stansbury is the man for the job. But any criticism toward the head coach is misguided. Stansbury has coached rosters with McDonald’s All-Americans and he has coached rosters less-talented than the one he is dealing with now, but any evaluation of the job Stansbury has done thus far must be done with caution. Stansbury was tasked with building a roster as soon as

he got the job, and in the wake of losing three forwards in redshirt sophomore Willie Carmichael, and freshmen Marko Stajkovski and Marty Leahy for various reasons, the roster is down to 10 players and the job is only getting tougher. WKU is currently on a four-game skid, losing four straight contests on the road all by double digits. If there’s any good news in the short term, the Tops return home on Thursday to play a 5-13 Texas El Paso team that has yet to win on the road this season. But the real good news comes as soon as next season with

McDonald’s All-American recruit Mitchell Robinson headlining a haul of talent coming to the Hill in the fall. Stansbury will essentially have a new roster next season and a chance to prove himself to Topper fans if they still need convincing. While Stansbury is a seasoned and veteran coach, it’s difficult to evaluate him as such in this situation.

Reporter Evan Heichelbech can be reached at 502-4151817 and evan.heichelbech059@topper.wku.edu. Follow him on Twitter at @evanheich.

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JANUARY 24, 2017

Senior Guard Kendall Noble (12) passes the ball down to Freshman Guard Malaka Frank (15) after Marshall University Forward McKenzie Akers (5) lost it during the Lady Toppers 73-57 win over Marshall on Saturday Jan. 21, 2017 at Diddle Arena. TYGER WILLIAMS/HERALD

LADY TOPPER

road for its trip to the Lonestar State, where it’ll face Texas El Paso on Thursday night at 8:05 p.m. in the Don Haskins Center. UTEP is a group that currently sits in 11th out of 14 teams in the C-USA standings with just two conference wins under its belt. The Miners (5-13 overall, 2-4 C-USA) return home on Thursday after dropping a 97-76 decision to their rival Texas San Antonio on Saturday. It was a game in which UTEP shot 46 percent from the floor (2861) and netted a season-high eight three-pointers, but a combined 58 points from a pair of Roadrunners allowed the home club to topple UTEP. UTEP is led by senior guard Sparkle Taylor, who leads the team in scoring with 16.4 points per game. Along with contributing points wise, the experienced floor leader is also the squad’s second-leading rebounder with 6.4 boards per night. Continued from SPORTS

“Yeah – that’s gonna be the tough part,” redshirt senior guard Kendall Noble said when asked how the team can carry its momentum away from home. “This is gonna be a tough road swing in Texas, but the coaches are gonna prepare us and I think we’ll be ready.” Noble carries the Lady Tops with 14.9 points per outing while also averaging 6.5 rebounds and 4.7 assists. The Hazard native and defending C-USA Player of the Year is currently the only Division I player in the nation averaging at least 14.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 2.5 steals per game for the season. Along with Noble, junior forwards Ivy Brown (13.7 points/8.6 rebounds) and Tashia Brown (14.0 points/4.5 rebounds) combine to score 27.7 points and pull down 13.1 boards per game.

Reporter Tyler Mansfield can be reached at 270-745 6291 and tyler. wkuherald@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter at @RealTMansfield.

Sophomore forward Willie Carmichael (12) drives past a Kentucky Wesleyan College defender during the Hilltoppers’ 103-97 double overtime win over Kentucky Wesleyan College on Saturday Nov. 5, 2016 at Diddle Arena. Carmichael had seven points for the game. Shaban Athuman/HERALD

PLAYERS

about him too.” Stajkovski had Continued from SPORTS played limited minutes for the Tops this season, three to be exact. The 6 foot 7 guard from Serbia has decided to take his talents to the professional ranks after not seeing much of the court during his time in America. “Marko left, he went to go play pro ball in Germany,” Stansbury said. “He’s got a division two contract in Germany, so that’s where that is. Marko hadn’t played at all ... I mean Marko had a hard time playing. What was shocking was he said he had a division two contract to go back and play in Germany which you know a lot of people can get a division two contract and play on a team. That’s kinda what he wants to do and that’s good.”

Stansbury said he wasn’t too surprised or blindsided by the losses of Carmichael or Stajkovsky, but was caught off guard with the Leahy situation. “Marty was the one that was a little shocking,” he said. “First off, I didn’t know about the engineering school, only being able to get in it in February. He tried to get us to help him figure out a way that he could get in in the summertime or something. It’s impossible. Marty would have been a good player in the future. I really believe that he was a good piece.” With barely enough players to run full scrimmages in practice now, Stansbury said he does anticipate adding any eligible players for the remainder of the season.

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COLLEGE HEIGHTS HERALD

JANUARY 24, 2016 > WESTERN KENTUCKY UNIVERSITY

WKUHERALD.COM

SPORTS

Lady Toppers forward Ivy Brown (23) and Marshall University forward Talequia Hamilton (0) fight for a rebound during the Lady Toppers’ 73-57 win over Marshall University on Saturday Jan. 21, 2017 at E.A. Diddle arena. SHABAN ATHUMAN/HERALD

Lady tops on top Lady Toppers excelling in ‘tough’ conference

BY TYLER MANSFIELD HERALD.SPORTS@WKU.EDU The WKU women’s basketball team is playing nearly perfect basketball in the middle of conference play. The Lady Toppers (14-5 overall, 6-1 Conference USA) have won four straight games, including nine out of their last 10, and recently closed out their longest homestand of league play, which included three contests. On Saturday afternoon, WKU welcomed a Marshall club into Diddle

Arena looking to get revenge on the Thundering Herd, who upset WKU in the C-USA tournament quarterfinals last March with a 66-63 win. The Lady Tops were able to do exact that revenge, defeating the club from Huntington, West Virginia, 73-57. “You know, it’s always in the back of your head, but it’s just another game and another chance to put us in a good opportunity for the conference standings and another opportunity for ourselves to get better,” junior forward Ivy Brown said on Saturday regarding the loss to Marshall last season. “A lot of people stepped

up today and we need that every single day.” WKU forced 17 turnovers and made the Herd (11-6 overall) fall to under .500 percent in conference play, as the team now sits at 3-4 in the league – one that WKU Head Coach Michelle Clark-Heard calls “tough.” “I think every game in the conference is a big win,” the fourth-year head coach said after her team’s victory Saturday. “Just because they’re hard to come by and this is a tough conference. At the end of the day, what we want to make sure we’re doing is protecting our home court.”

One thing the Lady Tops have not done much of this season is lose on John Oldham Court. WKU is 10-1 inside Diddle Arena so far in 2016-17 and has won nine straight games, as it last suffered a home defeat on Nov. 16 in a 71-68 setback to Texas Arlington. At the time, that loss may have been bad for their resume, but the Lady Tops bounced back and upset the then No. 23 ranked Indiana three days later in Diddle, which has been the biggest home victory of the season. After being in Bowling Green

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Men’s basketball down to 10 active players

BY MATTHEW STEWART

HERALD.SPORTS@WKU.EDU The Hilltopper basketball team has seen three players leave the program for different reasons in the past week and a half. Sophomore forward and University of Tennessee transfer Willie Carmichael and freshmen guards Marty Leahy from Australia and Marko Stajkovski from Serbia will no longer be a part of the Hilltopper basketball team. The Tops now have just 10 active players on the roster. “It’s real difficult to deal with, especially now in a time where we almost need everybody,” sophomore forward Jabari McGhee said. “We were starting to get a good feel for Marty like as a

person really. People had to make the best decisions for them and we wish them the best of luck, we just got to move forward.” Carmichael was suspended from the team earlier in the season after the exhibition games and had returned to the team for a short time. In the time that he was back with the Tops, he saw little playing time. “Willie hasn’t been with us basically all season,” Head Coach Rick Stansbury said. “That’s nothing new there. He wasn’t with us and wasn’t playing.” Leahy has been the most productive of the three players, and has an interesting reason for not being able to remain a Topper. “Marty is gonna go back to Austra-

lia,” Stansbury said. “It’s a unbelievable situation. I hate it for him. There’s an engineering school, it’s called the Queenslands. You check it out, it’s one of the best in the world. The only way he can get in it is to get in it in February. If he doesn’t get in it this February, he can’t ever get in the school again ever.” Stansbury said Leahy’s decision is “tough” and he “hates” that he can’t finish the basketball career that he started in America. “He always wanted to come to the U.S. to experience the opportunity to play basketball, but he knew always what he wanted to do,” Stansbury said. “Like I told him, I don’t like it but I respect it. I hate it for Marty. It’s been a tough battle for him ever since he’s

been here. First off he’s a great young man, great student. It’s all academics with him. He’s a great kid. You want your son to grow up and be like somebody, he’s one of them.” Leahy’s teammates said they will miss the talented Australian guard and remember him as a quiet but funny guy. “He was just different,” McGhee said. “He was real quiet, but it was like a quiet that you have to like. You have to smile. I’m going to miss him, honestly.” “He’s quiet, but he’s a funny dude,” junior guard Tyler Miller said. “He’s just a competitive person and I like that about him too.”

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