2015 Homecoming Magazine

Homecoming 2015 • WKU Herald

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WKU HOMECOMING 2015

Letter from the editor

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t’s here. Toppers, your Herald staff has finally made it. After months of work, we’re proud to present you with something new: the Herald’s Homecoming magazine, our first magazine since the 1980s.

We’ve got about 30 pages of glossy photos and stories to help you reminisce on the Hill this Homecoming.

Best of all, some of you helped us out. Three pages in this publication are dedicated to stories and photos you sent us about your time climbing the Hill.

Not long ago, a colleague of mine at the University of Southern Indiana announced the release of a magazine his program put out. The title was “The Gamble,” and throughout the creation of this publication, I considered stealing the name several times.

It’s a gamble for a newspaper to try a magazine in a year of budget cuts. It’s

a gamble to get fast-paced news-junkies to work on extended deadlines without the need for all-nighters and black coffee. Working on this has been the equivalent of stumbling into an X-File case, and we’re all Dana Scully. I think our gamble turned out all right, though. Maybe I should try my luck at the slots next.

This magazine — our “gamble” — is our way to share memories of one of the biggest traditions on the Hill. As evident in the outpouring of WKU love you’ll read from our alumni on pages 21 and 26-29, Homecoming tends to grip the Hill with nostalgia.

It’s been hilarious and a bit crazy to hear your stories about how the Hill has changed.

Seeing guys — including our beloved retired advisor Mr. A — in skinny ties and girls with ‘60s frocks and beehive hair as we poured

through old photos for these pages also filled our office with a little old Hill magic.

On top of taking it old school, we’ve got some love for the Hill, whether it’s Gary giving “Jules” a shoutout at every graduation or our quarterback Brandon Doughty popping the question to former Lady Tops soccer player Sydney Sisler.

Don’t worry, we didn’t forget about the big game either. We’ve timelined our biggest games over the years, going from the 1960s with the late great Jimmy Feix all the way to our current killer season in the Brohm era on our new Homecoming website.

But I don’t want to give everything away. You’ll have to do some exploring of your own! Browse through our pages while you wait for kickoff, and as always, let’s go Tops!

­ Kae Holloway, — Editor-in-Chief

Editor-in-Chief

Section Editors

Copy Editor

Creative Director

Photo Editors

Kae Holloway

Nicole Ares Lashana Harney Andrew Henderson Madison Martin Mollie Moore Jonah Phillips

Callie Compton

Katherine Sproles

Alyssa Pointer Mike Clark

Digital Director Brandon Carter

Design Charley Nold

Advertising Kenzie Grubbs Emily Lindeau

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COLLEGE HEIGHTS HERALD

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A love story found in the most unlikely of places

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One family’s story of football on the Hill

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WKU HOMECOMING 2015

WHAT’S INSIDE 4

Tailgating map and schedule

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WKU ranked No. 1 campus to fall in love Follow fashion at WKU over the decades

8 See the start of the WKU Homecoming queen tradition

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WKU’s first yearbook celebrates its 100th year

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21, Alumni share their

26-29 stories from the Hill

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COLLEGE HEIGHTS HERALD

SCHEDULE Friday, Nov. 6 • 1952 Refrigerator Bowl Team Reunion, 5 p.m., on campus. The first football team in WKU’s history to reach post season play will hold its annual reunion. Contact: Ginny Hensley, ginny.hensley@wku.edu or 270745-4396.

• Hall of Distinguished Alumni Luncheon and Induction Ceremony, 11 a.m.-1 p.m., Sloan Convention Center, 1021 Wilkinson Trace. Presented by Franklin Bank & Trust. The 2015 inductees are Thomas A. George III, Naomi J. McAfee and Nancy L. Quarcelino. Contact: Tracy Morrison, tracy. morrison@wku.edu or 270-745-4395.

• Homecoming Parade “Under the Big Top,” 4:30 p.m., WKU campus to downtown. From student floats to Homecoming queen candidates to the Hilltopper football team, the Homecoming parade brings out the WKU spirit in all Hilltopper fans! The parade

begins at the intersection of College Heights Boulevard and the Avenue of Champions near Downing Student Union; it ends at Fountain Square Park in downtown Bowling Green.

Sponsored by Midtown by Brookside, www. midtownbg.com • Homecoming Concert in the Park, 5 p.m., Fountain Square Park. Featuring Buffalo Rodeo. As the Parade makes its way to downtown Bowling Green, enjoy music by Bowling Green’s newest recording artist Buffalo Rodeo. Bring your lawn chair, but be prepared to stand up and cheer! Sponsored by Midtown

by Brookside, www.midtownbg.com • Big Red’s Roar 2015, 6 p.m., Fountain Square Park. Following the parade and concert, be entertained by the Hilltoppers’ biggest cheerleaders: the WKU student body!

The annual Homecoming pep rally will get everyone geared up for Saturday’s Home-

coming game.

• Phi Delta Theta Open House for new house, 6-9 p.m., 330 Alumni Ave. •Alpha Tau Omega Alumni Reception, 7 p.m., 1346 Center St. • Pi Kappa Alpha Homecoming Dinner, 7 p.m., Hyatt Place, 1347 Center St. Charge is $40 per person.

• Pi Kappa Alpha Homecoming Reception, 9 p.m., Pike house, 1328 Center St. • Sigma Chi Fraternity Open House, 8-11 p.m., Sigma Chi house, 1340 Center St. Celebrating 50 years of brotherhood and friendship.

• Society of African American Alumni Memorial Service, 8 p.m., Chandler Memorial Chapel.

• Society of African American Alumni Homecoming Kickoff Party, 9 p.m., Par Makers Clubhouse, 1080 Brownslock Road.

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Welcome to the WKU Campus for WKU Football and game-activities. WKU takes pride in providing a safe family atmosphere that showcases the pageantry of college football. Enjoy your visit to the WKU Campus! For more information on reserved grass parking contact HAF at 270.745.5321. For any other parking or tailgating questions please contact the Athletic Facility Staff @ 270.745.3324

WKU HOMECOMING 2015

Saturday, Nov. 7 • Checkered Flag Chase, 8 a.m., National Corvette Museum Motorsports Park, 505 Grimes Road. Presented by the Bowling Green Area Lodging Association.

• Alpha Omicron Pi Sorority Homecoming Brunch, TBD by game time, AOPi house, 1556 Normal Drive.

• WKU Student Publications 65th Annual Homecoming Breakfast, 8 a.m., DSU, room 3024. Talisman and College Heights Herald.

• Sigma Chi Fraternity Significant Sig and International Sweetheart Recognition Brunch and Bar, 8-10:30 a.m., Sigma Chi house, 1340 Center St. Celebrating 50 years of brotherhood and friendship.

• Alumni W-Club Athletic Hall of Fame

Induction Ceremony and Brunch, 8 a.m., Diddle Arena, John Oldham Court.

• BSU/BCM Students vs. Alumni Flag Football Game, TBD by game time, Preston Complex. Sponsored by Baptist Campus Ministry.

• College of Education and Behavioral Sciences Homecoming Breakfast, 9-10:30 a.m., Ransdell Hall.

• Kappa Delta Homecoming Alumnae Brunch and Tailgating, TBD by game time, KD house, 1600 Chestnut St. • Phi Delta Theta New House Dedication Ceremony, 9 a.m., new Phi Delt house, 330 Alumni Ave. • Residence Hall Open Houses, 8:30 a.m.

• WKU Libraries Open House, 9-10:30 a.m.,

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5 Helm Library, room 100.

• Department of Agriculture Alumni Gathering, 8 a.m., WKU Floral Design Training Center, 514 Regents Ave. • Gordon Ford College of Business Homecoming Breakfast, 8:30 a.m., Grise Hall, 4th floor.

• Homecoming Opening Act, 8:30-10:30 a.m., Augenstein Alumni Center, 292 Alumni Ave. Sponsored by U.S. Bank.

• IMREC Sports Alumni Homecoming Brunch, 8 a.m., South Lawn.

• Ogden College Homecoming Tailgate, 8:30 a.m., South Lawn.

• Society of African American Alumni Tailgate Party, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Bates-Runner Hall, Lawn.

• WKU ROTC Homecoming Tailgate, 8 a.m., McLean Hall, Front Lawn.

• Alpha Tau Omega Homecoming Tailgating, 8 a.m., the Valley.

• Honors College Tailgate, 8:30 a.m., McLean, Front Lawn.

• Pi Kappa Alpha Homecoming Tailgating, 8 a.m., the Valley.

• WKU Track and Field Reunion, TBD by game time, South Lawn.

• BSU/BCM Homecoming Tailgating, TBD by game time, Baptist Student Center, 1574 Normal Drive.

• HOMECOMING FOOTBALL GAME WKU vs. FAU, 11 a.m., Smith Stadium.

After tailgating, take your seat in Smith Stadium as the Toppers welcome Conference USA opponent the Florida Atlantic Owls on Homecoming Day! • Alpha Tau Omega Gathering, 3 p.m., future ATO house location, 1346 Center St. • Sigma Chi Fraternity Zeta Mu 50th Celebration — cocktail reception at 6:30 p.m., dinner at 7 p.m., dance at 8 p.m. La Gala, 601 State St. Dance featuring The Jimmy Church Band.

• 2015 Homecoming Step Show, 7 p.m., Diddle. Sponsored by the WKU National Panhellenic Council.

• Alpha Tau Omega Finale Dinner, 7 p.m., Hyatt Place, 1347 Center St. • Phi Delta Theta Homecoming Event, 7 p.m., Corsair Artisan Distillery, 400 E. Main St. • Society of African American Alumni Association Old School/New School Party, 10 p.m., Knicely Center, 654 Campbell Lane.

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COLLEGE HEIGHTS HERALD

LOVE STORY WKU ranked No. 1 campus to fall in love

BY SHELBY BRUCE HERALD.FEATURES@WKU.EDU

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t his mother’s funeral in the spring of 1972, President Gary Ransdell decided he could not wait another day. Among a group of his loved ones, he knelt on one knee and popped the question to his WKU sweetheart Julie Bush: Will you marry me?

“Maybe it wasn’t a proposal story like everyone else’s, but it meant a lot to both of us,” Ransdell said. “In my mind, I thought of it as replacing one amazing woman with another.”

It’s been more than 40 years since Ransdell met the love of his life on the Hill, but according to a recent article by the online publication Bustle, WKU is still a university where students can meet their soulmates.

The Bustle article ranked the top five universities in the United States for falling in love; Western Kentucky University took the No. 1 spot.

At a fraternity rush event for Sigma Alpha Epsilon in 1971, Ransdell met his future spouse.

“I saw her and thought, ‘I have to join this one,’” Ransdell said.

Since the day the couple met, WKU has always been a significant part of Gary and Julie Ransdell’s lives.

“We have spent the last 18 years as president and first lady,” Ransdell said. “Our whole life together re-

Austin Stethen of Jeffersonville, Ind. proposed to his girlfriend Kyrstin Sutton-Davis on the Kissing Bridge behind Van Meter Hall earlier this semester. PHOTO COURTESY OF CHRISTAH CATO volves around WKU.” Although not every WKU love story has led to the couple becoming president and first lady of the university, plenty of other couples have found their soulmates on the Hill.

Austin Stethen of Jeffersonville, Indiana, and Louisville native Kyrstin Sutton-Davis’ engagement took place at the infamous Kissing Bridge located behind Van Meter Hall and Garrett Conference Center.

“I had absolutely no idea he was going to propose,” Sutton-Davis said.

During a walk on campus, Stethen lured his girlfriend up the Hill to the

Kissing Bridge, where he began to share the history of the bridge. Since it’s said that any couple who kiss on the bridge are destined to be married, the pair shared a kiss to follow tradition.

For Stethen, this was a part of the plan to surprise his girlfriend with his proposal.

“I grabbed the box from my pocket and knelt down, and she began to cry,” Stethen said.

With the wedding set for late 2017, this couple agreed that WKU will always have a large impact on their lives.

“I couldn’t have imagined a better

WKU HOMECOMING 2015 place for a proposal or a better way to do it,” Sutton-Davis said.

Unlike Stethen and Sutton-Davis, Zach Talton from Oldham County and Murray native Madison Schwettman-Talton began their love story on the Hill.

Schwettman-Talton, a cheerleader for the Tops, had no idea Talton had been on the field as Big Red with her during a WKU football game against the University of Kentucky in Nashville. That was when they first met.

“It wasn’t until December at a BCM dance that we actually began to see each other as more than just friends,” Schwettman-Talton said.

Less than two years later, they became engaged, but the proposal was nothing close to ordinary.

“Zach had been planning the proposal for months, and dozens of people knew about it,” Schwettman-Talton said.

The evening Talton proposed, Schwettman-Talton had no idea what would occur at the end of a girls’ night out.

“After dinner I got a phone call from my friend Josh Minton,” said Schwettmann-Talton. “There was panic in his voice. He told me there had been an accident on campus and I needed to get to the old alumni building as soon as possible.”

After arriving on scene to see police officers in front of Chandler Memorial Chapel, Schwettman-Talton and her friends were told the cops had been called due to a broken window.

As she approached the chapel, she realized the cop car’s lights were actually turned off.

“When we [arrived] inside, there was a violinist playing and Zach standing at the front. I was escorted

7 WKU alumnus and former Big Red mascot Zach Talton proposed to his wife Madison SchwettmanTalton, a former WKU cheerleader, at Chandler Memorial Chapel in 2014. PHOTO COURTESY OF CHRISTAH CATO

to my seat,” said Schwettman-Talton.

Talton then began to tell the story of their love through a book he wrote called “A Fairytale from the Top of the

couple, like many others from WKU, continue to feel as if this university plays a huge role in their lives.

“WKU is definitely where our fairy

Once he finally popped the question ... I said ‘Yes! Please!’ We were whisked away outside where a horsedrawn carriage was waiting to take us around campus.”

Hill,” which consisted of memories, funny stories, music, sweet moments and a letter of approval from Schwettman-Talton’s father.

“Once he finally popped the question ... I said ‘Yes! Please!’” Schwettman-Talton said.

Married now for three months, the

tale unfolded,” Schwettmann-Talton said.

These stories prove that affection for WKU can extend beyond the obvious aspects of its campus. With a little luck and opportunity, the Hill has proven to be a haven for falling in love.

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COLLEGE HEIGHTS HERALD

History of Dress The evolution of student style

BY SCOUT HARDIN HERALD.OPINION@WKU.EDU

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oday, the majority of us thoughtlessly throw together a combination of clothes and hope for the best. Our grandmothers would roll over in their graves if they saw the monstrosities we call wardrobes: a closet that consists mainly of sweatpants and old T-shirts.

In the past, dressing was an art. It was a way to woo lovers, generate confidence and express an identity. Lessons can be learned from the well-dressed students of yesteryear.

In 1907, WKU opened its doors to students as Western Kentucky State Normal School. Women gained more freedom, the masses could buy ready-to-wear clothing and the automobile industry was booming.

As time moved forward, so did fashion. In the ‘40s, full gathered skirts were worn. The Talisman of 1946 featured students looking polished and clean-cut. Girls curled their hair and often pinned it back in various styles.

The finished result was soft and romantic.

Gentlemen dressed formally by our modern standards. Trousers had a wide leg and were often pleated at the waist. A stylish gent at Western

Intertwined on the ledge, Lori Knight, a freshman from Benton, and her boyfriend Gabe Hernandez, a Louisville senior, look through their term planners. They were sitting in the lobby of the university center. PHOTO CIRCA 1981. CRYSTAL CUNNINGHAM/TALISMAN ARCHIVE Kentucky State Teacher’s College seldom forgot his necktie, cufflinks, tie clip and handkerchief.

During the ‘60s, jumpers and shift

dresses were popular picks among WKU students. Men wore brightly patterned button-downs, ruffled shirts and polyester leisure suits. And

WKU HOMECOMING 2015 we can’t forget that staple loved by hip men and women both: the bellbottom.

The ‘80s gave us rhinestones, shoulder pads and big, big hair. Workout clothing rose in popularity with Jane Fonda leading the way one leg warmer at a time.

The image of Gabe Hernandez and Lori Knight could have been taken straight from an episode of “Full

9 Karen Wolfe, a WKU alumna from Williamsport, Pennsylvania, left, applies finishing touches of eyeliner to Russellville sophomore Justin Harris before they go out. PHOTO CIRCA 2003. THOMAS CORDY/TALISMAN ARCHIVE

House.” Puffed jackets, sneakers and cuffed jeans were all the rage.

Knight’s scrunchied ponytail and bangs are a quintessential look. A can or five of hairspray kept the ‘80s hairdo in place.

The early 2000s were home not only to the modern Gothic but also to posh and hip-hop looks. Bare midriffs were all the rage, and with them came belly button piercings. Capri-length pants and cargo pants became wardrobe essentials. Men often wore shorts covered in logos as more colorful, decorative clothing was acceptable for gents.

2003 alumni Karen Wolfe and Justin Harris expressed their outlooks through their attire. Their mindset: Goth. Their appreciation of the darker things in life shined through in how they chose to dress.

Today, we are a melting pot of these styles. We have an opportunity to take elements from our past and wear them. The students before us knew a thing or two about how to put together a good-looking getup.

Let’s try putting away the sweatpants and seeing if we can make history like they did.

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COLLEGE HEIGHTS HERALD

Crown Jewels History of Homecoming queens at WKU

BY SYDNEY RAE DAVIS HERALD.FEATURES@WKU.EDU

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n the fall of 1949, WKU crowned its first Homecoming queen with a tiara made of cardboard.

The crown Teddy Lou Johnson was intended to wear was lost prior to her coronation, and thus the cobbled-together headpiece sat stately upon her head.

While the tradition of Homecoming queen has come a long way in the last 66 years, the intent behind it remains the same.

Mindy Johnson, assistant director of student activities with leadership and volunteerism, is the main resource for the 23 women nominated this year who are vying for the title and crown.

“We want the candidate who wins to be a representation of this university,” Mindy Johnson explained. “We want when someone sees her out on the field [to] say, ‘She’s WKU.’” Mindy Johnson sees the tradition of Homecoming queen as a way for women from diverse backgrounds who might never have met each other otherwise to come together and embrace the WKU spirit.

Suellyn Lathrop, the university archivist, said the tradition of Homecoming queen has changed over the years. Candidates now represent organizations on campus in which they

1956 Homecoming Queen Shirley Barnes. TALISMAN ARCHIVE are involved, and the process of winning is much more elaborate.

“I don’t know that [Teddy Lou Johnson] represented any organization as there were no fraternities or sororities at that time,” Lathrop explained.

“There is no mention of voting for or process of choosing Homecoming queen candidates in the 1949 Herald’s preceding Homecoming.”

Lathrop also added that campaigning to win the Homecoming queen ti-

WKU HOMECOMING 2015 tle is probably much more organized now than it was in its formative years.

Women can be nominated now from any organization on campus.

This year’s group of contestants represents organizations such as Greek life, the Honors College, the department of communication and others.

In the past, every candidate was

instead, they wear artificial flowers.

Mindy Johnson said this change occurred for a couple of reasons. Real mums are heavy and made candidates’ clothes sag where the flower was pinned on. Furthermore, candidates can keep artificial mums as keepsakes of their experience.

Last year’s Homecoming Queen Ellie

To me, it means I am a part of a tradition of wonderful women in the history of WKU.” allotted field time during the game.

Now, only the top 10 candidates, who are announced at the Big Red’s Roar pep rally, are allowed onto the field during the Homecoming game.

Homecoming queen candidates no longer wear live mums on the field;

Jolly from Cadiz said she admires former Homecoming Queens Betty McGuire and Taylor Emberton, queens in 1979 and 2013, respectively.

“I can only hope I get to continue my life the way they have, so deeply connected to WKU,” Jolly explained.

11 “To be able to have the same title that they do — I’m just so humbled.”

Jolly represented the sorority Chi Omega as well as Phi Gamma Delta and Phi Beta Sigma during her coronation year.

Mckenzie Perdew, a candidate this year from Shepherdsville, is representing the Honors College and said she is honored to have been nominated for this title.

“It’s hard for me to believe that people thought I was qualified for this nomination,” Perdew said. “To me, it means I am a part of a tradition of wonderful women in the history of WKU.” Hilltoppers vote for WKU’s next Homecoming queen on Nov. 2 on TopNet, and the top candidate will be crowned on Nov. 7 at the Homecoming game.

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COLLEGE HEIGHTS HERALD

Torn Together ACL injuries helped athletes find love through adversity

BY JONAH PHILLIPS HERALD.SPORTS@WKU.EDU

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he date was Jan. 20, 2015. Several weeks before, while he was spending winter break at home in Florida, sixth-year WKU quarterback Brandon Doughty had written “Will you marry me?” in the sand and taken a picture of it.

In January, he inserted a copy of the photo into a ring-shaped picture frame that proclaimed “Bling Bling I Got the Ring” around its edges. He wrapped it and waited for Sydney Sisler to return home to the couple’s apartment in Bowling Green.

A 2014 WKU alumna and former Lady Topper dual-threat midfielder and forward, Sisler was getting her nails done that Tuesday. She had been receiving texts from Doughty regarding the exact time she would be arriving home.

“So I get home, and all the lights are off, the TV is off, and Brandon is like fully dressed in nice clothes,” Sisler said.

This wasn’t the normal way Doughty would wait for her to get home.

“I walked in, and I said ‘What is going on in here? Why are you so dressed up?’ and he said we should go out to eat,” Sisler said. “But I told him that it was taco Tuesday and that I had bought the meat … and we

WKU HOMECOMING 2015 were making tacos.”

At this point, Doughty said, he thought everything was going downhill. Hearing Sisler’s response, he mentioned that he had gotten her something he thought she would like.

“So I unwrap this picture frame, but I can’t read the picture because of a glare on the screen, and I wasn’t really looking at the frame. I was just asking myself, ‘Why did he get me a picture frame?’” Sisler said. “But I looked up, and he was on one knee.”

Her first words were, “Brandon Doughty! No you did not!” These were followed by a resounding yes.

T

o an extent, people go to college to better their lives in some way. More often than not during that journey, they find rewards in unexpected places.

College athletes have two ways of enhancing their future lives: they can receive an education, and they can develop their skills as athletes — some in hopes of reaching a professional level.

When former Lady Topper Sisler selected WKU over the University of Kentucky, the Nicholasville native had familiarity and proximity to home in mind, as well as a love for the Hill.

Doughty had a similar love for WKU’s campus, but the Davie, Florida, native wanted to get away from home, not stay close.

“I kind of wanted to get away from home, so FIU and FAU were kind of out of the picture a little bit,” Doughty said, “but I also wanted to become my own man and move on from

[home].”

Sisler made her way to Bowling Green in 2009 and saw immediate action, starting all 20 games as a true freshman. She scored two goals and added three assists that season.

Doughty arrived a year later in 2010. He took a redshirt his freshman year as Kuwaun Jakes was set for an impressive senior season that would include a 106.91 overall quarterback rating with 1680 yards and 10 touchdowns.

When Sisler and Doughty began their respective 2011 fall seasons, something happened that altered their athletic careers and changed

13 sessions. Sisler said at first it was just friendly flirting in the training room, but the two started texting in December.

Sisler recalls the moment she could tell this relationship was something different.

“I remember I was in study hall, and it was raining, and I was saying that I didn’t want to have to walk to my house, and he was like, ‘I will take you!’” Sisler said. “So he drove me home, and I think he tried to kiss me, but I had already said bye and was out the door.”

Doughty shrugs off the story, saying he didn’t try to kiss her, but does

She always told me through all of that that everything was going to be all right.” their lives forever.

Sisler had a tear in her right ACL, and Doughty had a tear in his left ACL. “We had the same injury, which was kind of cool, and we both had the same therapist, Cindy — head volleyball coach Travis Hudson’s wife,” Doughty said. “She did our rehab, and that’s how we met. We call her ‘Cindy the love doctor’ because she kind of hooked us up; it was really cool.”

Sisler and Doughty agreed that they were acquaintances when they met in physical therapy. Afterwards, they became close friends, and eventually they were more.

The couple officially met in November of 2011 during physical therapy

recall Valentines Day of 2012, when he asked Sisler if she wanted to hang out. He grabbed her a Blizzard from Dairy Queen, and the two went on their first date.

After the couple had been dating for over a year, Doughty remembers adversity more than anything else bringing him closer to his future fiancee.

“It was in 2013 when I struggled on the field. I had thrown 14 interceptions. It was my first year with coach Petrino, and going through all of that, Syd was my rock,” Doughty said. “I threw five picks against Tennessee, and I got benched, and she always told me through all of that that everything was going to be all right.”

PHOTOS: Former soccer player Sydney Sisler and current quarterback Brandon Doughty are WKU’s newest power couple. LEANORA BENKATO/HERALD

14 It wasn’t just Sisler’s helping him through adversity that built this relationship from the ground up, though.

In Doughty’s mind, it was the adversity that built the relationship to begin with.

“All of those bad things led to something good … I tore my ACL, and that was the lowest point in my life.

That was the worst thing that ever happened to me, and through that I was able to meet my beautiful future wife,” Doughty said. “That was really the turning point — when I told

COLLEGE HEIGHTS HERALD riously to consider a thought he had been having for quite some time.

“Even back when we would hang out in the training room, I knew at a very early stage that this girl could be the one,” Doughty said. “I had never felt that way before, and it happened so fast. That’s when I said, ‘Wait a minute. Let’s slow this thing down a little bit and do this right.’”

Doughty decided Sisler was the woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with and joked that Sisler found out almost immediately.

was how to pop the big question.

“She was expecting it on Christmas Day because she came home with me, but I couldn’t just make it that easy for her. I made her sweat it out a little bit,” Doughty said. “But the ring was kind of getting hot in my pocket, and I really started to wonder how I should do it.”

Doughty tossed around several ideas, including proposing to her at halftime of a basketball game and even coordinating something with the radio.

All of those bad things led to something good... I tore my ACL, and that was the lowest point in my life. That was the worst thing that ever happened to me, and through that I was able to meet my beautiful future wife.” myself, ‘This girl is amazing’ — and I thanked God so much for bringing her into my life.”

Thanking God is something the couple tries to be mindful of in everything they do.

“It is something I take a lot of pride in: being a Christian athlete and being someone that a little kid can look up to,” Doughty said. “That is something I definitely try to bring into our relationship too.”

The couple attends church services locally at Hillvue and Crossland, and each said the other has strengthened them spiritually.

“We try to put Christ first in everything that we do,” Doughty said. “We pray before every meal, we make sure we talk to the Lord and we try to make sure every decision we make is the right one in the long run.”

The couple had been dating for 2 1/2 years when Doughty began se-

“She knew before I knew because I am like the worst secret keeper in America,” Doughty said. “Her family knew too. I was so scared to talk to her dad about it.”

He had never been so nervous in his life, but permission was granted, and prior to the Bahama’s Bowl on Christmas Eve of 2014, he had purchased a ring. All he needed to figure out next

He knew, though, that Sisler was shy and wouldn’t like the large crowd or all the attention, so he came up with a method of his own.

“One day, the good Lord was resting on my heart, and he said, ‘Brandon, this is the day.’ I will never forget it,” Doughty said. “It is so corny and so awful, but it is our story, so it is kind of cool.”

15

WKU HOMECOMING 2015 The couple will be married on March 6, 2016, in La Morada, Florida.

Much of the planning is underway — a process Doughty happily gave Sisler creative control over.

“Dating a D1 college football player is not easy. I was an athlete too, and I know what it feels like to not have time,” Sisler said. “I understand what kind of obligations he has, and I respect them. He spends a lot of time with football.”

With creative control, Sisler was able to incorporate some childhood dreams into the wedding plans.

“I always wanted a beach wedding, so we are getting married in the Florida Keys,” she said. “I have two dresses because we are taking pictures in the water after the wedding, so I needed one for the reception after.”

The couple will be married at the La Siesta Resort, and with the wedding date inching closer and closer, questions about long-term future plans arise. In this couple’s situation, those questions can be difficult to answer.

“That is the hardest thing about [the sports] business. You are never going to be in the same spot for 15 or 20 years. It’s just not going to happen,” Doughty said. “So it is going to be a little hard for us early, but we hope that at the end of my career, if everything works out and goes the way God wants it to, we will move to Florida. We haven’t talked about it much because I am in the middle of a season trying to set up a future for myself.”

Whatever that future holds, Doughty and Sisler will remain by each other’s sides.

“For me, she was someone that I am always very comfortable around.

It was never hard for me, and it never felt forced. I could just be myself, and she accepted me for who I am, and that is something she continues to do still to this day. It is something that I hold very dear to my heart,” Doughty said.

Sisler echoed a similar sentiment.

“It all happened so fast, but it was like God hand-picked him, put him in my face and said, ‘here you go,’” Sisler said. “It all happened at the right time, and that was how I realized this was special.”

Sisler recalled a time just a few

months into the relationship when she tried to tell Doughty “I love you,” and he told her no.

The couple agreed the “no” wasn’t out of fear of disapproval. The “no” was because they knew this relationship was something special — one they wanted to take their time on and get right.

“It all just kind of happened so fast, but it felt so natural,” Doughty said.

“I don’t believe in love at first sight, but if there was anything close to love at first sight, I kind of feel like that is how our relationship is.”

㄀㘀㌀㌀ ㌀㄀뫶圀 唀匀 䈀夀倀䄀匀匀 䈀伀圀䰀䤀一䜀 䜀刀䔀䔀一Ⰰ 䬀夀

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16

COLLEGE HEIGHTS HERALD

HOLT

One after another

BY EVAN HEICHELBECH HERALD.SPORTS@WKU.EDU

N

ick Holt has held a coaching position at seven different universities over the past 28 years and worked with accomplished coaches such as Bobby Petrino, Scott Linehan and Pete Carroll on his way to the Hill.

He was a part of the 2003 national championship team at the University of Southern California and later led the Trojan defense to three consecutive Rose Bowl victories.

Despite his success, Coach Holt said he would rather take the title of “Dad” and the honor of coaching both his sons on the same football team over any prestigious title or trophy.

“It’s really kind of a dream come true if you think about it,” he said.

Coach Holt stands at the helm of the Hilltopper defense — a position he took in 2013. Prior to his first season on the Hill, Coach Holt was the defensive coordinator and assistant head coach for the Washington Huskies for three seasons.

“When I used to be a coach at Southern California, I thought, ‘Wouldn’t it be great to have both kids playing for me’ at USC or the places I coached at the time, and it’s happened at Western

Then-junior linebacker Nick Holt looks up into the stands as the Hilltoppers prepare to take the field against University of Texas San Antonio Nov. 22, 2014, at Smith Stadium. MIKE CLARK/HERALD ARCHIVE Kentucky,” he said.

Coach Holt’s oldest son, also named Nick, is a redshirt senior linebacker for WKU and is the anchor of his father’s defense after he transferred from City College of San Francisco in 2014. “[WKU] is a really cool place. I’d never really heard of Bowling Green before I took my visit here,” he said. “The team kind of took me in, and they’re a closeknit group of guys. I’ve got good friends here; it’s a great community.”

One of Nick’s closest friends is his

younger brother Ben. Ben Holt is a freshman fullback and linebacker for the Hilltoppers and said he has always been close to his brother Nick despite the four-year age gap.

“I became closer to my brother even though he’s four years apart because we always moved and didn’t really know anybody,” Ben said. “So we always hung out for the first couple months after we moved wherever. Obviously football and sports helped with that.”

Nick and Ben agreed being the

17

WKU HOMECOMING 2015 coach’s sons isn’t always easy but that it has brought the two together.

“We’re very close,” Nick said. “Really, we’ve gotten closer the older we’ve gotten. When we were younger, we’d fight all the time like normal brothers, but it’s been really cool to have him playing for Western because I see him every single day now.”

Ben made the sacrifice of moving high schools for the third time from the West Coast to Bowling Green in 2013.

After garnering First Team All-State honors and being named Class 5-A District Two Player of the Year at Bowling Green High School, he was ready to join a new yet familiar family at WKU. “I wanted to come here the whole time, and I was just waiting for the opportunity,” Ben said.

Not only have all three Holts converged on the same school, but they’ve all funneled to the linebacker position.

Playing the role of coach’s son changes when you’re wearing pads and a helmet.

“This is my job,” coach Holt said. “It isn’t high school football or Pop Warner. This is what we do for a living, and you got to be successful or you won’t have a job. But by the same token, you can’t take yourself so seriously, and I do all the time.”

It would be an understatement to say the Holt family has learned a few things so far this season.

“I’m all over the place as far as being Mr. Intense, but I think being around [my sons], I’ve been taught to relax for a minute and enjoy the process,” Coach Holt said.

The two Holt siblings have also learned from each other.

“Football-wise, he’s a good

I wanted to come here the whole time, and I was just waiting for the opportunity.”

Freshman fullback and linebacker, Ben Holt good kid and he was always trying to help people, and I’ve always looked up to that.”

Ben said he has always had a good role model in his older brother.

“Both on and off the field,” Ben said, “he’s a great guy and a good leader.”

There may be an obvious Holt leader on the football field, but in other circumstances, all three Holt men attest

player, and he’s very physical,” the younger Nick Holt said of his brother.

“He does some scout team stuff, and he always gives 100 percent effort, and really I admire that.”

Nick said even as an older brother, he sees traits in Ben he really looks up to.

“Growing up, Ben was a little rambunctious,” Nick said, “but he was a

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18

unanimously as to who’s in charge: the matriarch of the family.

“Man, she’s the real coach,” Coach Holt said. “She’s the head coach, and I’m really the graduate assistant just hanging out.”

She is Julie Holt. Wife of Coach Holt and mother to Nick and Ben, Julie has 25 years of coaching experience herself as a former NCAA women’s basketball coach at esteemed programs such as Gonzaga and Idaho.

“We see her quite a bit,” Ben said.

“She always stops by practice, and she likes to come by and watch us. She’s a big supporter.”

Julie Holt coached her sons when they were growing up in a way similar to what her husband does now.

“She’s the glue that holds the family together,” the younger Nick Holt said.

“My mom’s amazing; she does everything for the family. We moved a lot, and she’s the one who always had to do everything because my dad would go out recruiting immediately or go to work. I feel very blessed that she’s my mother. I’m really proud of her.”

From bringing treats to practices for the whole team to doing things around the house, Julie’s efforts deserve maximum credit for helping make the Holts a strong family.

“She’s out here more than any other person I know. She’s all in, man; she’s the best. Every place she has been, she’s made that place better,” Coach Holt said.

When the last whistle blows after a practice or on game day, coach turns back into dad and players turn back into sons. Football is never too far away from everyday life in the Holt household.

“We have fun, but football’s never really far from our family,” Coach Holt

COLLEGE HEIGHTS HERALD said. “We’ll be [at home], and I’ll be like, ‘Hey Nick, what do you think of this guy?’ or, ‘What did you think of that call?’ So unfortunately, it doesn’t go too far away.”

Each of the Holt men has his own personality outside the world of football, and they operate as a normal fam-

than any player during practice.

Surely there are brief moments when brothers Nick and Ben wish they could trade places with Brady and be the young, innocent coach’s son without the pressure of being a player.

“I didn’t get to come around as much

Defensive coordinator Nick Holt, left, speaks to his son, linebacker Nick Holt, during WKU’s 59-31 win over Bowling Green State on Aug. 29, 2014, at Smith Stadium. MIKE CLARK/HERALD ARCHIVE ily off the field.

“It’s definitely a different dynamic,” the younger Nick Holt said. “My dad’s a lot more joking. We’ll talk about football at first, and my mom will shut that down pretty quick and say, ‘Hey, come on, we need some family time.’ We’ve got a good family dynamic outside of football.”

One person who stands out at practices is Brady Brohm. Brady, the 10-year-old son of Head Coach Jeff Brohm, paces the sidelines and has just as much — if not more — energy

as Brady, but I’d try to as much as I could,” Nick said. “It really is a good experience growing up as a coach’s kid. I guess you could say that I got into football because my dad was a coach.

I thought it was the coolest job in the world.”

Ben admires the fact that he gets to play with his brother under his dad.

“I’d be going into high school, and Nick would be graduating, you know, so I grew up watching him and looking up to him,” Ben said. “Just being able to say I got to play with my brother [is

WKU HOMECOMING 2015 special]. I get to experience him both as a team captain and a brother. It’s really cool.”

Years from now, when Coach Holt has retired and both his sons are done playing football, there will be a lot to take away from this season.

that’s something not a lot of people can say. It’s really a rare thing.”

Another positive is that all three Holts are on the same team with the same goals. “[Our goals are] winning a bunch of games, hopefully winning a Con-

Both of my kids are on the same team. They’re both on the field on game days in pads rooting for each other ... And sometimes I think, ‘Wow, man, what a special, special thing this is,” Defensive coordinator, Nick Holt “[I’ll remember] just how special an opportunity it really is that all three of us are together,” the younger Nick Holt said. “We get to have family dinners once a week, and I get to go to college in the same town as my parents, and

ference USA Championship, going to a bowl game and winning the bowl game,” Coach Holt said, “then looking back on it, saying, ‘We were successful, and I got to do it with my two boys.’”

19 Almost all of those goals are still realistic for the Tops with bowl eligibility already locked up.

“Both of my kids are on the same team. They’re both on the field on game days in pads rooting for each other,” Coach Holt said. “I’ll look down the sidelines and try to find both of my kids when I have time, and a lot of times they’re together and talking, and it’s really pretty cool. And sometimes I think, ‘Wow, man, what a special, special thing this is.’”

Even if all of those goals are not accomplished at the season’s end, one sentiment will remain above all onfield successes and their ramifications: A father, two sons and one family all making an impact on the same town together through football. WKU is just as lucky to have the Holt family as they are to have each other.

The School would like to acknowledge all of our athletes, band members, broadcasters, producers, radio host, faculty and students for their efforts in the 2015 Homecoming!

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20

COLLEGE HEIGHTS HERALD

LETTER FROM THE TALISMAN

H

illtoppers old and new, consider this your Homecoming greeting from the Talisman.

The moment we arrived on this Hill, we were split into different colleges and fenced off into dorms. Our majors are herds of like-minded individuals, further divided by meticulously planned class schedules and desk arrangements.

Different sections of campus revolve around themselves like miniature solar systems, their gravity trapping students and faculty within careful-

ly planned micro-ecosystems. Einstein’s Coffee for one, Java City for the other and maybe a Starbucks for good measure.

Homecoming is a break from the monotonous division of university life. It’s a time to remember our unifying spirit and celebrate its universality. It’s a time to raise our towels high.

The Talisman has celebrated Homecomings for decades, and our staff is looking forward to celebrating many

more as alumni. But for now, we’ll be there at the game standing up and cheering. We’ll be out on South Lawn tailgating, and we’ll be there when the Tops ring in another victory.

Don’t worry, we’ll be documenting everything along the way. Look forward to our Homecoming coverage in next year’s Talisman.

We’ll chronicle this year’s festivities in the name of history, but we need you to help make it memorable.

Hilltoppers old and new, it’s time to celebrate. Life, more life!

­­­­­­­— Tanner Cole & Naomi Driessnack Talisman Co-Editors-in-Chief

WKU HOMECOMING 2015

21

MEMORIES FROM THE HILL

Alumni share stories from their time at WKU On a crisp, beautiful Saturday afternoon in the fall of 1976, I had a life-changing experience. As a place kicker on the WKU football team, [I] ran on the football field before kickoff. As we came to the sideline toward our bench, I saw the cutest girl I’d ever seen twirling a baton on the sideline in the WKU marching band.

WOW! Her smile would melt the average guy, and the outfit she wore was sparkling black and red, and it dazzled in the fall sun.

My mind was more on her than the actual game ... sorry to say. I [asked] my friend who that cute blonde was, and he said, “That’s Betty Thompson, a scholarship twirler from Bowling Green, and she’s way out of your league.” I love a challenge. [Since I was] a scholarship kicker from Lexington, she happened to know who I was too. Shortly after that, we had our first date at the Iron Skillet Restaurant on Scottsville Road. To be honest, I think we were both real nervous but knew something special was happening.

Betty was a member of Chi Omega sorority and later became the sweetheart for Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity for two years in a row. I had the privilege of being a member. My college days changed the day I met her for

sure.

She was also crowned WKU Homecoming queen in the fall of 1979.

We married in 1983 and have three lovely children. We recently moved back to Chestnut Street here in Bowling Green and have the pleasure of walking to games and [hanging] out with our special college friends quite often.

My life totally changed that fall day on the football field in 1976. All of my friends tell me to this day, “McGuire, you sure outkicked your coverage when you married Betty”.

I’m a very lucky man, and I love you Betty! ­— Kreis McGuire, 1970s

Kreis McGuire first saw his wife Betty at a football game in 1976. He was on the football team and she was in the band.

PHOTO SUBMITTED BY KREIS MCGUIRE

See more alumni stories here on pages 26-29 and in full online at Homecoming2015.wkuheraldprojects.com

22

COLLEGE HEIGHTS HERALD

WKU celebrates the 100th anniversary of its first yearbook

BY NICOLE ARES & MADISON MARTIN HERALD.FEATURES@WKU.EDU

N

estled in the WKU Archives of the Kentucky Building lies a yearbook filled with the memories of Western Kentucky students during the early years of the 20th century.

The WKU Archives is part of the department of library special collections and preserves materials produced by staff, faculty, students and alumni.

In 1915, Western Kentucky State Normal School students made their first attempt to publish an annual. It was called the Vista.

The yearbook’s first pages contain a disclaimer: “It is a product in our best efforts in the time allotted us.

Take it for what it is worth. If you like it our efforts have been rewarded; if not, our efforts have been in vain.”

The Vista was only published once during the 1914-1915 school year, and the school didn’t publish another yearbook until the Talisman, WKU’s current yearbook, in 1924.

During the time of publication, the U.S. was fighting in World War I, Henry Hardin Cherry was the normal school’s president, J. Whit Potter sat on the Board of Regents and 3,500 students were enrolled at the school for the biennial period.

Suellyn Lathrop, university archi-

vist for the department of library special collections, doesn’t know why the Vista was only published once, but she speculates World War I, which lasted from 1914-1918, may have had something to do with it.

“It is strange that they only did the one and let it go,” Lathrop said. “It was the Normal School, so it ran a bit differently.”

Lathrop also speculated that President Cherry didn’t like to spend money, and the Vista possibly cost more than he could put into it.

Inside the Vista are a variety of collective moments in the forms of pho-

tographs, editorials, cartoons, timelines and more.

There is also a section of the yearbook designated to each class; as in modern yearbooks, the seniors were allotted a photo and a quote.

Mr. and Mrs. W. P. White, seniors and spouses at the normal school, decided to coordinate their quotes.

Mr. White’s quote reads: “See Mrs. W. P. White - he’s her husband.”

Mrs. White’s quote retaliated: “Very demure, very competent, very insignificant in size, but ‘somebody’s darling.’ She married during ‘books’ and took her honA photo from Western Kentucky State Normal School’s 1915 yearbook.

Called the Vista, it was only published once during the 1914-15 school year. Another yearbook wasn’t published until 1924, when WKU’s current yearbook, the Talisman, was first published.

PHOTO COURTESY OF WKU ARCHIVE

WKU HOMECOMING 2015 eymoon at recess. Yes, they lived happily ever after.”

In the section for the sophomore class, who were referred to as the “Kit Kats,” is a dictionary of words that defined their class.

“Elementary — what the Kit Kats aint,” was a defining word they chose.

Hand-drawn cartoons fill several of the pages of the Vista, and one of the illustrations features a student digging through the ground trying to find a diploma because degrees don’t grow on trees.

In the back of the Vista is a timeline called “Alma Mater’s Diary” to highlight the important events of the year. Following are a few of the submissions: “Dec. 1 — Senior girls make a

23

A photo from Western Kentucky State Normal School’s 1915 yearbook. PHOTO COURTESY OF WKU ARCHIVE mistake in arranging their Christmas program and put it to the tune of ‘Should My Tears Forever Flow.’”

“Feb. 11 — Mrs. Cherry teaches the Senior girls to flirt.”

“Oct. 22 — Chestnut hunt. Good times!”

While the Vista was only published once, it remains a prestigious document as one of the oldest publications at WKU.

24

COLLEGE HEIGHTS HERALD

Three grads to join Hall of Distinguished Alumni ­Thomas A. George III, 1982 Thomas A. George III has been covering sports — namely the National Football League, as a sports columnist for over 30 years. He said football is his passion.

“I’m most proud that I’ve been able to maintain a connection with the National Football League,” said George.

He got his start at WKU’s College

Heights Herald and then moved on to write for the Detroit Free Press, the New York Times and the Denver Post, where he became the Post’s first African-American columnist. Currently, George writes for SBNation.com.

George said he learned to be persistent while at WKU. At the Herald, he would often work from 4 or 5 p.m.

to 1 or 2 a.m.

He has been named the National Association of Black Journalists’ Sports Writer of the Year and the Sports Columnist of the Year by the Colorado Free Press Association.

He has returned to WKU for 20 summers to mentor a total of 260 aspiring journalists.

George said this recognition is humbling and special.

“I am very thankful,” he said.

Naomi McAfee, 1956 Naomi McAfee was the first woman from WKU to receive a physics degree at a time when women received less than 0.1 percent of engineering degrees.

She did not stop there.

After graduation, McAfee began her career as an assistant engineer at Westinghouse, where she would spend 38 years.

McAfee said she learned to be curious at WKU. “That probably served me better than anything else that I could have learned,” she said.

Her career blossomed, and she eventually became Westinghouse’s first female supervisory engineer.

McAfee played a leading role in the first government industry group to advocate using computer-aided information technology in the design engineering and manufacturing process.

She served a three-year term starting in 1982 on the President’s Committee for the National Medal of Science.

McAfee was part of the team that

designed the camera that took the picture of Neil Armstrong on the moon.

She said her work was very rewarding.“I enjoyed it thoroughly,” she said. “I felt like I was doing something good for the country.”

McAfee has been internationally recognized as a reliability-engineering expert and has consulted many international governments and industries. She has received national awards and honors from the American Society of Quality and the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers.

Nancy Quarcelino, 1977 Nancy Quarcelino is “one of the premier golf instructors in the country,” according to WKU News. A member of the Ladies Professional Golf Association and PGA, she played on WKU’s first women’s golf team.

“I’m really proud of the direction that golf took me,” said Quarcelino.

Quarcelino has coached amateur men and women, competitive junior

golfers and collegiate golfers among others. She began playing when she was 8-years-old.

Quarcelino’s passion for golf turned to teaching, and in 1992 she started the Nancy Quarcelino School of Golf.

The Nancy Quarcelino School of Golf is located at King’s Creek Golf Club, an Arnold Palmer Signature golf course in Spring Hill, Tennessee.

Quarcelino is a member of the LPGA Teaching and Club Professional Hall of Fame, was named LPGA National Teacher of the Year and has been named by both Golf Digest and Golf for Women as one of the Top 50 best female teachers nationwide.

Quarcelino said she can’t believe she will be “amongst the great” in the Hall of Distinguished Alumni.

“I’m really honored,” said Quarcelino. “I will wear it proudly.” ­­— Profiles by Tommy Sullivan

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MEMORIES FROM THE HILL (CONTINUED)

Who hasn’t busted their rear end walking up or down the Hill at least once during their stint at WKU? If you get by with once, I’d say you are charmed! “I hit the pavement four times I hit the pavement in a single trek near Cravens on a beautiful October day junior four times in a single year 1984. These bad babies trek near Cravens on were to blame.” PHOTO SUBMITa beautiful October TED BY STEPHANIE RUANTO day junior year 1984. These bad babies were to blame.

Every self-respecting ‘80s flash-dancing wannabe had a pair of these ugly slick-soled flats. They were usually worn with a Madonna-esque skirt or some scrunchy socks. I was rocking mine with some acid washed jeans when they slid out from under me full frontal on the sidewalk parallel to the library — the side next to the street, folks. I am talking foot and car traffic.

I gathered myself once, but by the fourth fall, I wouldn’t have cared if someone had just rolled me back to Central Hall (now Minton). Beware of those TOMs, girls — they may be stylish now, but they look mighty slippery! ­— Stephanie Ruanto, 1985

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Alumnus Silas Rudy Baskett, right, Class of 1954, and his wife Joyce Pursley Baskett: Lyn Fort’s parents. PHOTO SUBMITTED BY LYN FORT

I met Ken the first class of the first day of fall semester [in] 1976; he was 21, and I was 18. It sounds trite, but it truly was love at first sight. I remember walking up and down the Hill, holding hands, slipping through the ice — always with the buildings of WKU in the background.

Western, to me, is the heart in the hills of Kentucky. I always cherish my time spent there. ­— Lyn Fort, 1989

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WKU HOMECOMING 2015 My memories of campus in the 1970s are clear. Some things have changed: playing basketball on the outdoor courts behind present-day Poland Hall with the sound of those chain nets, or trying to go under the railway trestle on Russellville Road after a heavy rain. You typically could not pass due to high water! A few things haven’t changed though; there were parking space problems then too! We had concerts on campus: Linda Rondstadt, Jimmy

Buffet and Seals and Crofts to name a few. Best of all [were] the long walks up [the Hill] to early morning classes.

All in all, my memories of WKU bring back warm feelings and reflections on a college experience that prepared me for a rewarding first career. Now, years later, I am back on a campus that is more beautiful than in my undergrad days as a professor. Once a Topper, always a Topper! ­— Kirk Atkinson, 1970s

I grew up a little boy from a little town and in my younger years never bothered to have very big dreams. After all, what good could come my way: the classic low self-esteem trap so many of our youth fall victim to. Dreams of much bigger things than I previously dared to think about only really started to be a reality in my life when I came to WKU. I so clearly remember my first day on campus. I had my red 1975 Chevy Monte Carlo loaded up with those things I thought I would need with little guide other than instinct.

I made trip after trip shuffling those dorm room essentials up to the 16th floor of [Pearce-Ford Tower], sometimes waiting for what seemed like

hours for an elevator. I was scared to death but also as excited as I have ever been. For that dream of a brighter future was awaking. High school was not bad — I actually graduated valedictorian of my class — but college was the big league. Not just any college but the only real college I ever considered, WKU. Things worked out: my professors were good, some were great, and my many walks up and down the Hill formed memories that took me from that little guy from a little place called Roundhill to [a] man all grown up ready to take on the world. While I may not yet have achieved all my goals, WKU gave me the confidence to know that I can.

As I occasionally find my way back to campus, especially at special times like the annual Alumni College and Homecoming, I am hurled back in time to the fond memories of everything from doing better on a chemistry exam than I thought, to taking my first snow skiing trip with the campus ski club.

I am also rewarded with seeing my campus transformed into a worldclass academic institution. My heart swells with pride in seeing WKU evolve into what can only be described as a beautiful place... Thanks to WKU, I am now a Senior Chemist doing some pretty cool stuff; it could not have [happened] without WKU. — Ron Cardwell, 1990

Our basketball team was especially [good] during my years between 19621966. Each year we qualified to either play in the NCAA or the NIT. In ‘65, we beat Navy in the first round at Madison Square Garden. President Kelly Thompson made a quick phone call to Mrs. Mary Burt, our beloved dean of women and cheerleader sponsor.

The day we arrived for the game, Dean Burt had arranged for us to at-

tend the taping of a popular game show called “The Price Is Right.” We were playing our game that night, and timing between the show and the game was tight, so I prepared to bring my cheerleading outfit with me just in case I was the highest winner, and so it went.

The host Bill Cullen had me stand to explain why I was wearing the outfit.

By the end of that show, I had won a red

sports car! By halftime of the ballgame, the news was halfway around the world. A Peace Corp volunteer from Western had heard the BBC interviewing me. Little did I know while I was on TV, my hometown of Auburn [and] all classes on the Hill were taking time out to watch the show! What fun I had listening to the excitement the students had been having. ­— Kay Halpern, 1966

WKU weekly broadcast journalism, 1984. PHOTO SUBMITTED BY ANGIE JOHNSON

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COLLEGE HEIGHTS HERALD

MEMORIES FROM THE HILL (CONTINUED)

I graduated from WKU in 1960. Three children graduated in the ‘80s, and five grandchildren have either graduated or are now enrolled. When I graduated, I had so many friends … I so wanted to keep up with them that I started a chain letter to 11 of them. It got around once or twice a year and included pictures and an update on their lives. I started it in 1962, and it continued to circulate until 2014 (52 years). We all scattered to various states but managed to have a couple of reunions at a state park. Finally, email and Facebook took over, and we ended the letter. I’m sure our children and grandchildren will keep up with many of their friends in the new tech ways, but I think keeping friends for over 50 years in touch was special. Here’s a list of friends who were in the letter. I have included their married names:

Judy Johnston Brand, Betty Ruble Miller, Janice Walters Miller, Nancy Hughs Lee, Wanda Carman Gregory, Aileen Clay Hood, Betty Jane McFar-

land, Beverly Belcher Ritchie, Doris Reed Patrick, Martha Hoskins Tarter and Mary Holman. ­— Ozella Nelson, 1960

When I was 7 years old, my father …

E. Kelly Thompson became president of Western Kentucky State College.

We moved into the president’s home, which is now the office of the president. Thereafter, for the next 11 years, I lived on Western’s campus.

My father’s office was located in Van Meter Hall. As you walked through the front door, you turned left and went down to the end of the hall, and that was where his office was located. He had a policy that his door was always open. There were churchlike benches where anyone that walked in the door sat on the bench and would scoot down as he progressively worked

through the day. He would go to work at 4:30 a.m. to do all of his work, and then he would see people during the day. Literally hundreds of people have approached me to tell me of the influence that my father had upon their lives.

One day, he came home and said he finally knew what he wanted for Christmas. He wanted a new invention called the golf umbrella. My mother asked no questions and searched through the retail catalogues and purchased a golf umbrella for his Christmas present.

We did not know why he wanted a golf umbrella. Soon thereafter, we learned that when he was in his office and it

would begin to rain, he would grab his golf umbrella and walk out on campus.

In the rain, he would find a student without an umbrella and ask them to get under his umbrella. When he came home that night, he would tell us everything that anyone could want to know about that student such as their parents, their majors and their goals in life.

My father loved people. He did not want anything out of people. He just loved people and he said to me that there is not a better place in the world to get to know a person than under an umbrella in the rain.

— Judge Kelly Thompson

A reunion at Barren River in 1974 of some of the participants in Ozella Nelson’s chain letter. PHOTO SUBMITTED BY OZELLA MORRIS NELSON

Stories may have been edited or trimmed for space. For more stories in full visit:

Homecoming2015.wkuheraldprojects.com

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WKU HOMECOMING 2015

Most of The Wild Hares, a group of students who lived in Poland Hall, got together in 1975 to play flag football and form a team that played in the Intramural Championship “Under the Lights” two different years. For the past 34 consecutive years, they have reunited at Williamstown Lake to reminisce about their years on the Hill. PHOTO SUBMITTED BY TRACY BRIAN

I remember shutting the door to my room that first night on Western’s campus. New curtains were hung in the open windows; a peach colored bedspread lay across my bed. Without air conditioning in McLean Hall, the room was stifling and still. My roommate hadn’t yet arrived, and I felt this strange mixture of excitement and fear. I was alone, and I wondered, briefly, if I might cry. And then came a knock on my door.

When I close my eyes I can still see the night sky, hear the buzzing chatter of other freshmen moving into their dorms and feel the smooth coolness of the rock on which I sat. My suitemate, Talia, had introduced herself, and before I was able to muster a tear, we were out the door exploring campus and timing how long it would take to walk to each class. Sitting outside [PearceFord Tower], we looked at the stars and talked about the upcoming adventure.

During that first year, my roommates and I gathered every Sunday night to share goodies we brought from home and to talk about what we had done over the weekend. I can still taste the fried chicken from my granny and hear the laughter as Talia shared of how her mother had “spanked” her for coming in late. I can still see us there, sitting crossed legged on our beds, talking about tests and boys, pondering the past and planning the future.

College is many things: classes and homework, teachers and assignments, learning how to learn and how to do and how to be. It’s laying on the green grass in front of the dorm and just breathing in the scent of fall or spring, anticipating the beginning of something new. It’s returning home late and finding a friend still up waiting for you. It’s a late night run to watch movies at a friend-of-a friend’s apart-

ment, or ordering Hardee’s delivery at midnight. It’s squealing with delight over first kisses and crying in despair over broken engagements. It’s sleeping when you need to stay awake and staying awake when you need to sleep. It’s walking and talking and dancing and crying and laughing and yelling and even throwing a few things.

In the 22 years since I graduated from WKU, there has been nothing that quite compared to the sense of freedom and anticipation I felt then. Career preparation was an obviously important part of my college experience, but the most important lessons I learned didn’t come packaged in a syllabus or a book. The most important lessons I carry with me from my time at Western are instead found in the lives and hearts of the people with whom I experienced life … during those four years.

—Tricia Brown, 1993

If there is anyone old enough to remember 1947 and the returning GIs, the average age of the student body was probably 24. ROTC uniforms were everywhere, and the few of us who were in our teens were outnumbered. I was lucky to have a car, and there was always parking

available in front of Snell Hall. I would then drive to my next class, which was in Cherry Hall, and park across from the statue. Now when I drive through campus and view the sea of cars, I am truly overwhelmed. My mother, Edna Morrison, came to Western in 1922, and she

said that it was the happiest time of her life. My daughter, Lisa Hurt Grow, came in 1971. Our family has been a part of Western for almost a century, and my wish is that everyone can continue to say, “It was the happiest time of my life.” ­— Jean Hurt, 1940s

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