May 2, 2017

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OPINION, PAGE A4

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TTUESDAY, UESDAY, MMAY AY 22,, 22017 017 > W WESTERN ESTERN KKENTUCKY ENTUCKY UUNIVERSITY NIVERSITY > VVOLUME OLUME 992, 2, IISSUE SSUE 5522

Enrollment Experiment University looks towards new concept of international agents

BY ANDREW HENDERSON

Greeks ‘tug’ in competition

HERALD.NEWS@WKU.EDU

O

ne decade ago, President Gary Ransdell began pushing in earnest the internationalization of

WKU. Upon deciding to make international efforts a priority for the university, the question then became: How will WKU recruit on a global stage? In an interview with the Herald, Ransdell said he knew early on it wasn’t practical or feasible to gear up an admissions staff and have them travel the world. This is where agents come in.

Agents are people who represent organizations or firms across the globe who are hired to recruit students for a university. They receive a commission rate, typically a portion of an international student’s first-year tuition, in return for their services.

Agents are nothing new to higher education and are not exclusive to WKU. According to a 2016 report by the Bridge Education Group, 37 percent of U.S. universities and colleges work with international student recruitment agencies.

Brian Meredith, chief enrollment and graduation officer, said WKU has been contracting agents on and off again for the last 15 to 20 years, as long as Ransdell has been president.

“The vast majority of that recruitment is through agents, and then we infuse international recruitment representatives, officers, whatever you want to call them, as best we can,” he said.

Currently, WKU has a personal service contract for international recruitment approved by the Kentucky Government Review Committee from July 1, 2016, to July 30, 2018, through which WKU will pay $900,000.

Now, WKU stands at the altar of a new concept of utilizing agents, a sort of “super agent,” as described by Brian Dinning, budget analyst in International Enrollment Management—a person who can develop and foster relationships with other agents WKU couldn’t coordinate with by itself.

“The theory is that he will be able to develop newer relationships with a lot more agents...and then you’ve got so many more people working for you than we do now,” Dinning said. “Hopefully that will increase enrollment by increasing your number of agents.”

The ‘he,’ Dinning is referring to is Raza Tiwana. Tiwana resigned from his position of chief international officer–global recruitment at WKU on July 31, 2016, according to his personnel file. Tiwana’s resignation, however, was dependent upon a formal signing of an “exclusive recruitment agreement” with the university.

Before his resignation, Tiwana’s salary was $90,000, according to the fiscal year 2015-2016 budgeted salary information.

Information pertaining to additional expenses for Tiwana’s job could not be collected before publication.

Thus, this official agreement formed Edezell Consultants Limited on July 21, 2016 with Tiwana serving as Edezell’s principal agent.

… Edezell Consultants Limited …

Tiwana, in an email response to the question of creating Edezell, said the decision for him to start focusing solely on recruitment was an administrative decision to increase international enrollment given his expertise in the Middle East/North Africa (MENA) and South Asia regions.

“This concept helps me spend more time in the region in order to build continuous relationship with students and sponsored organization that fund students education,” he said in an email.

“This also gives WKU a huge advantage over other universities who travel to the region once or twice.”

Tiwana said he was traveling, but answered questions by email. However, after an initial inquiry, Tiwana did not

Dylan Striegel of WKU’s Kappa Sigma fraternity anchors the end of the rope during TUG, an annual inter-fraternity/sorority tug-of-war competition. NIC HUEY/HERALD

Members of Alpha Gamma Delta cheer after winning their first round matchup against Alpha Xi Delta. NIC HUEY/HERALD

respond to followup questions from the Herald.

According to a wire transfer request form, Edezell is located in Dubai, United Arab Emirates in Al Moosa Tower 2, Office 1904. But, according to email correspondence from Helen Whitfield, office manager of Al Moosa Towers 1 & 2, Edezell does not occupy an office in the tower.

Tiwana said he rents space from MBK Auditing, which is located in Al Moosa Tower 2, but Whitfield said tenants “are not allowed to sub-let their office space to other companies.”

Edezell is incorporated with the Ras Al Khaimah International Corporate Centre, RAK ICC, as an international business, according to a certificate attached with Edezell’s contract.

RAK ICC, according to the website uae-company.ae, “is a specially designated jurisdiction in Ras Al Khaimah Emirate, that works exclusively for International Companies administration and maintenance.”

… Agent contracts …

Edezell is part of a larger multi-contract WKU has for international recruitment through a personal service contract.

Jim Cummings, WKU’s chief financial officer, said multi-contracts have more than one agency/vendor involved. He said, in cases like these, WKU writes up a sort of master contract, for recruitment in this instance, and different agents are filed underneath.

So long as the amount paid out

Mary Fyfe, 20, a sophomore from Danville, pulls for Alpha Xi Delta sorority in the annual Tug event on Friday. This event is one of many during Greek Week for WKU sororities and fraternities. KELSEA HOBBS/HERALD

to the agents doesn’t exceed $900,000, the university isn’t required to update the contract with the state review committee.

However, Edezell was amended onto the existing contract in April 2017, meaning it was not included in the original multi-contract filed in July of last year. Maxine

SEE EXPERIMENT PAGE A2

MAY 2, 2017

A2 EXPERIMENT Continued from Front

Hardin, purchasing chief buyer, said Edezell was inadvertently left off the contract.

Cummings said he realized Edezell wasn’t in the original contract and informed Hardin to add it; he also said it’s fairly common to add subsequent vendors.

Hardin said these contracts go through herself, Ken Baushke, supply chain management director, and Ransdell before being sent to the Government Review Contract Committee for final approval.

Apart from Edezell, there are 10 other agents on the multi-contract, such as Valmiki Consultants Limited, Innovation World Consultants and Colibri Group, amongst others.

WKU had a prior multi-contract for international recruitment from July 1, 2014 to June 30, 2016. This contract was priced at $100,000 and included a total of 28 agents, according to records obtained by the Herald.

Per a records request, the Herald received the contracts and available invoices submitted by the agents included in the current multi-contract.

One such invoice submitted September 5, 2016, from Innovation World Consultants, for instance, bills WKU for $5,000 for the recruitment of two international students. These commission funds, Dinning said, come from tuition revenue generated by students.

Dinning said there is a standard template for these agent contracts, which is why a majority of the agent contracts, save for two (Edezell and IDP Education Limited), are identical regarding compensation, recruitment expenses, duration and other terms.

The going rate for recruiting an undergraduate student is $2,500, and

graduate students are $1,250, except for Edezell and IDP. Commission rates received by Edezell vastly differ from the other agents.

According to invoices obtained by the Herald, Edezell was paid approximately $163,000 for Fall 2016 commissions and approximately $285,000 for Spring 2017 commissions, according to the most up-to-date invoices.

Edezell’s commissions for this past fiscal year are a bit shy of $450,000.

Edezell receives a commission fee of 25 percent of first-year tuition, less international tuition surcharge and mandatory student fees, collected by the university for the enrollment of all new F1 visa international students

COLLEGE HEIGHTS HERALD

fees.

“People don’t like to see higher education as an enterprise, but we have to function financially, and the most successful...businesses invest money into their efforts with the idea that tenfold that money will come back in return,” he said.

In response to an open records request seeking information on how many students Edezell directly recruited, Andrea Anderson, assistant general counsel, said no such records exist.

This is another aspect where Edezell differs from other agents. For example, an invoice submitted by Learning Questa Educational Services lists the name of a student

People don’t like to see highter education as an enterprise, but we have to function financially, and the most successful... Businesses invest money into their efforts with the idea that tenfold that money will become back in return.”

Cheif Enrollment and Graduation Officer Brian Meredith from the MENA and South Asia regions, a combined 25 countries.

F1 visas are issued to international students who are attending an academic program or English Language Program at a U.S. university. They are the most common visa for full-time international students.

There are other commission payments stipulated as well, but the contract noted only one commission may be earned per new student.

Meredith said some people might get “sticker shocked” if they looked at that initial price tag, but said the tuition revenue generated outweighed the costs of paying the commission

which the agent recruited; the WKU student database confirmed the student is still enrolled at WKU. Cummings said last fall there were 80 new enrolled international students from the MENA and South Asia regions and that number increased to 135 for this spring.

“Commission calculation is based on total net tuition revenues of $2,315,378 for those students, with total commission payments to Edezell Consultants Limited during FY2017 expected to be approximately $437,630,” Cummings said, providing information related to the records request.

However, this does not necessarily mean Edezell directly recruited these students. As Cummings explained, if any student who meets the F1 visa requirement who comes from the MENA and South Asia region, Edezell receives a commission.

Regardless if students were recruited by another agent, or simply decided to come to WKU of their own volition without being recruited by an agent, Edezell receives a commission.

Dinning also confirmed this aspect of the contract.

“If they meet that criteria as defined in the Edezell contract then Edezell would get a commission,” Cummings said. … Super agent theory …

Dinning said the concept of a super agent is “kind of an experiment” done in the hopes of fostering new relationships with other agents in his region.

Meredith said several people came to realize after working with the international student recruitment process the benefits that would come to be associated with having people in-country, on the ground 365 days a year.

“The super agent...is kind of like a, you have a divisional rep and then you have all the little individual local reps. So it’s really someone who is absolutely tied to those countries, in-country, working with the agents within that country. So the idea behind that is the Edezell group would work with those other agents and help organize them,” Meredith said.

Of his own role, Tiwana said he continues to “cultivate relationships with our existing agents and am working towards adding new agents to WKU recruitment portfolio.”

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Meredith said it’s his understanding Tiwana is “working and building that network of agents and has been.” However, he said he could not speak to how many agents work underneath Edezell, or if Edezell itself has any other employees except for Tiwana. Tiwana did not respond to such questions from the Herald.

In an email, Ransdell said he was aware of the shifting dynamics for international student recruitment, and in this regard, saw the need for in-country focused aid. He said the intent with Edezell was to create an agent, or agents, who recruit solely for WKU. “The theory is that an exclusive agent knows us well and can sell WKU better if he or she is not representing multiple institutions,” Ransdell said in an email. “If this works in one geographic region of the globe, then it might work in other geographic areas too.”

According to the 2016 Fact Book, half of the top 10 foreign countries represented from fall 2015 enrollment come from countries representative of the MENA and South Asia regions.

Tiwana’s role of an agent, networking with other agents and bring them underneath the umbrella of recruiting for WKU, is about increasing international student enrollment as well as diversifying the university’s enrollment profile, according to Meredith.

These efforts come on the tail-end of fluctuating enrollment of international students. As previously reportILLUSTRATION OF RAZA TIWANA BY EMILY VOGLER/ HERALD

ed by the Herald, there was a 15.2 percent drop in international student enrollment between fall 2015 and fall 2016, a decrease of 209 students.

Without agents, Meredith said WKU wouldn’t have nearly the number of international students WKU currently enrolls, and the number of international students adds both cultural diversity and financial boostings that other regional institutions may not have.

“Most schools hover around six or seven hundred, 800. Most regional, comprehensive institutions I’d say they probably hover around 750; 800 is probably a safer bet,” he said.

However, Dinning said a small percentage of international students come solely through agents. He estimated within the last year the number was under 50 students. He said the university’s biggest marketing tool is still through word-of-mouth.

But, he also said agents are a tool they hope to expand upon.

Based on invoices obtained by the Herald, the total number of students recruited by agents, except for Edezell, total 15. But, as Dinning noted, an agent doesn’t get paid unless a student is enrolled here, meaning it costs the university little to put resources toward agents.

“We don’t have to pay the signed contracts with the agents, so there’s no money that we’re spending upfront,” he said. “We are giving part of the tuition money of that student, but that’s tuition money we never would have received otherwise.” … Defining an end goal …

Ransdell said the university has to be smart about replenishing recruitment efforts with new contracts to sustain “the numbers and dollar to which we have become accustomed.”

He said government sponsored contracts for international students which have been productive for WKU in the past, such as Brazil and Saudi Arabia, won’t last forever.

“An in country or regionally exclusive WKU agent may be more likely to develop such relationships and secure such contracts,” Ransdell said in an email.

Meredith said he, and his office, are going to be monitoring the number of students recruited from the MENA and South Asia regions closely.

He said if numbers continue to grow from what they were a year ago then “we know we’re probably onto something here in a positive way.”

However, he said even if enrollment doesn’t grow quickly the efforts should not be considered an immediate failure. He said context and current events in these countries also

ILLUSTRATION BY EMILY VOGLER/HERALD

needs to be considered, which he said is another reason to believe in Edezell.

“That’s another reason for being aggressive about moving toward an Edezell model...because the changing geopolitical climate constantly is evolving and changing, it’s never the same,” he said. “That’s why these institutions of higher ed. here, if we’re going be serious about recruiting, we’ve got to be aggressive about it.”

Using agents, however, can be controversial.

In the realm of higher education, the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) proposed new language for its policies which would prohibit its accredited institutions from using incentive-based compensation in international student recruitment, according to Inside Higher Ed. Mitch Leventhal, founding president of the American International Recruitment Council, said, to Inside Higher Ed, if the proposed policy goes into effect as originally written, institutions will have to cancel contracts they’ve signed with agencies. He also said this could have an effect on a national level.

Meredith said he can understand some of the ethical concerns people may hold about the agent process, but said anyone could cherry-pick and find negative aspects of any process.

With how WKU’s agent infrastructure is now, he said the university is recruiting students which are going to stay at WKU and students who are fully qualified academically.

However, this has not always been the case. Most notably, an April 2016 story in The New York Times details the university’s relationship with Global Tree Overseas Education Consultants, an agent, which according to Global Tree’s contract with WKU, Tiwana signed off on.

Of the 132 students admitted through Global Tree’s recruitment effort, referred to as the India Pilot Proj-

COLLEGE HEIGHTS HERALD

ect, 106 scored below WKU’s requirement on an English language test.

“It is ethically wrong to bring students to the university and let them believe they can be successful when we have nothing in place to make sure they’re successful,” SGA President Jay Todd Richey told the Times.

More than one-third of the students from India recruited through this campaign were asked to leave WKU, a follow-up story from the Times found. At least 25 students who came to WKU as recruited from Global Tree ended up leaving.

According to documents obtained by the Herald, after the Times published its story, Ransdell received a letter from Particia Donat, vice president of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) on May 6, 2016, regarding “the use of international recruiting consultants as a strategy to increase student enrollment” which had raised questions for SACS, WKU’s accrediting agency, “about Western Kentucky University’s ongoing compliance with the ‘Principles of Accreditation’.”

In the letter, Donat required WKU prepare a report that explained and documented the extent of WKU’s compliance with comprehensive standards of SACS’s “Principles of Accreditation,” which included standards for admission policies, academic support services and student records amongst others.

WKU provided the documentation required by SACS. In a August 16, 2016 letter, from SACS President Belle Wheelan, SACS determined that “the unsolicited information did not support a determination of your institution’s non-compliance with the ‘Principles of Accreditation’,” the letter read.

Philip Altbach, a research professor at Boston College and founding director of the Center for International Higher Education, told Inside Higher Ed, speaking on the MSCHE policy, he was in favor of anything which weakens the agent infrastructure and the legitimacy of the concept of agents.

“Agents represent institutions and not students, and agents represent those institutions which are paying them and are not in a position, if they’re kind of traditional agents, to recommend the best possible university or college for the student; they recommend the university or college which is providing them the money,” Altbach said.

As for WKU’s new experimental theory of a super agent, in the form of Edezell and Tiwana, Meredith said it’s too early to deem the effort a failure or success.

“Time will tell,” he said.

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WALK IN THE LIFE

Examining links between science and Catholicism

BY MILLIE RONKAINEN HERALD.OPINION@WKU.EDU

I

’ve had people ask me if it’s difficult to be a Catholic and a biology major several times since I started college. I suppose they ask this because of the assumed discord Millie between Catholicism Ronkainen and science. “Catholics don’t believe in evolution or global warming, right?

Is it weird when your professors talk about that stuff in class?”

Not really, because those are not statements representative of Catholic teaching.

Let’s look at evolution. It is important to understand that creation, according to Genesis, should not be entirely discredited. However, because God is not a human being, time does not pass for him the way it passes for us. A millennium to us could be an instant for God. Therefore, when the Bible states creation occurred in six days, followed by a day of rest, we have no authority to restrict that time frame to a literal human time frame of six days.

Think about it this way: humans were not even present until the sixth day–why should we subdivide creation into “days” according to human

standards? However, Catholics do believe the Bible is divinely inspired.

Therefore, we know this time frame comes from God and has significance, just likely not a literal one.

Also, if we are to acknowledge God as all-powerful, who are humans to say he could not choose the moment to attach a soul to a being, making it distinct from an animal? It is possible we were created through evolution from lower animals. Catholics just recognize God chose a specific moment to give us a free choice and differentiate us from animals by attaching a soul to our bodies.

Overall, Catholics understand God to be the driving force behind evolution and that he uses evolution to create what pleases him. Catholics do not believe that evolution is random and by chance, but that God is purposefully using it as a creative tool.

Now for global warming and climate change: Pope Francis wrote an encyclical, or official church document, about the dangers of climate change, over-industrialization and consumerism. He cites scientific evidence supporting global warming and warns humanity of our shared responsibility in the care of the planet.

He speaks of consumerism in regards to its effect on our culture by highlighting its impact on the people who are now living in toxic dumps,

sorting through our discarded trash for their livelihood. Pope Francis also points out its effect on our indifference towards protecting our resources.

Pope Francis uses a section of his encyclical, named “Laudato Si,” to commission a greater sense of responsibility from humanity. He encourages us to find alternative energy sources, avoid buying excessively and wasting what we purchase, use water responsibly and recycle what we can.

Pope Francis pleads with humanity to stop destroying ecosystems for our own interests. Essentially, in this encyclical, the highest human authority in the Catholic church is agreeing with the scientific evidence for global warming and calling us to a greater responsibility in taking care of our planet through environmental awareness and preservation.

Contrary to popular belief, Catholicism and science, especially biology, are extremely compatible. I think being Catholic has given me a sense of appreciation and awe at the beauty of creation, especially through the process of evolution.

Being Catholic has also convicted me to be environmentally conscience, not just out of respect for ecological creation but also for the sake of humanity, which will inherit the earth we leave behind.

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LETTER TO THE EDITOR

SGA president reflects on past two years of service For the past two years, I have had the tremendous honor to serve as Student Body President of WKU, leading the Student Government Association and representing all WKU students on the Board of Regents.

That comes to an end on May 2, when my successor, Andi Dahmer, takes the oath of office.

As I reflect on the incredible experiences I have had as president, I can’t help but think of the accomplishments we’ve achieved, accomplishments that would not have been possible without countless students, faculty and staff with whom I’ve had the pleasure of working.

In an era of rising tuition costs, fighting for college affordability has been a personal priority of mine as well as the organization itself. For two years, we’ve taken unprecedented steps to rally for higher education

at the Kentucky Capitol and lobby the General Assembly to reduce cuts to universities, working with university officials to successfully press lawmakers to stave off a 9 percent cut in the latest round of budget talks. And as chair of the Board of Student Body Presidents of Kentucky, I’ve worked to organize students across the state to advocate for higher education.

At WKU, we’ve established three new SGA committees: MyCampusToo, Sustainability and SAVES, which have revolutionized student efforts on diversity and inclusion, green living and ending violence and selfharm. We’ve expanded services for active military and veteran students, helped introduce Rave Guardian for campus safety and received statewide recognition for our efforts to raise awareness about sexual assault.

We’ve helped launch WKU’s first eS-

ports program and started the first SGA Voter Empowerment Initiative, registering hundreds of student voters.

And we’ve selected the tenth president of WKU, Dr. Tim Caboni.

We’ve also set a fairer GPA requirement for SGA and created new SGA scholarships, including for students with disabilities. We’ve reformed the representation of regional campuses in SGA, established a $2,500 partnership with WKU Student Legal Services and a $1,000 partnership with the WKU Counseling and Testing Center and introduced the Earn-A-Computer program to promote community service.

And for two years in a row, SGA has been voted as the best non-Greek student organization in the Best of the Hill competition. The legacy we have built together has been defined

by fearlessness and boldness. As I prepare to graduate, I cannot express how grateful I am to each member of the Hilltopper community for making my university experience greater than I could have ever imagined.

I’m also grateful that I can pass the baton to my friend Andi Dahmer, who has been an outstanding leader in the Student Senate. I have no doubt that Andi will serve our university with energy, vision and strength.

But continuing our legacy is not up to Andi alone. It’s up to every student who wants to make this university a better place.

I’ve seen what can happen when students fight for change, and I’m confident that the best of what Hilltoppers can do is yet to come.

LETTER SUBMITTED BY SGA PRESIDENT JAY TODD RICHEY

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49 Quote from Homer 50 Type of event 51 Door opener 53 Like most sonnets 54 “Seinfeld” regular 55 Social misfit 58 Brown ermine 61 Soft palate 63 Bigger than big 65 Popular street name 66 Invoice amount 68 PC linkup 70 Feather’s partner

Previous Solution

MAY 2, 2017 > WESTERN KENTUCKY UNIVERSITY

WKUHERALD.COM

PHOTO

Louisville freshman Ashley King

Nashville sophomore Brazil Smith

MISS BLACK WESTERN CONTESTANTS Lexington sophomore Alexus Reed

Ashland sophomore Hailey Whitehead

Owensboro freshman Danielle McHenry

Louisville freshman Keyvonne King

Louisville sophomore Kelsey Olden

Owensboro freshman Ayanna Cox

Photos and story

by Morgan Hornsby

MAY 2, 2017 > WESTERN KENTUCKY UNIVERSITY

Hailey Whitehead, a sophomore from Ashland, KY, recites her introduction during pageant practice. For Whitehead, the pageant helped her gain confidence and self-love.

“I wasn’t a fan of myself until now,” Whitehead said.

beyond beauty

MISS BLACK WESTERN PROVIDES COMMUNITY AND EMPOWERMENT

BY MORGAN HORNSBY HERALD.FEATURES@WKU.EDU An array of high heeled shoes, bobby pins and false lashes litter the floor of the small, beige dressing room in the Downing Student Union auditorium as contests prepare for the 47th annual Miss Black Western pageant.

Eight girls donned in matching pink t-shirts flutter around the room, asking one another for opinions on shoe choice and reciting monologues to themselves as they face wall-to-wall

mirrors.

In one corner, a contestant turns her face upward as another helps her smear a pink, glittery powder on her eyelids. On the other side of the room, various contestants take turns trying to tie a head wrap into a perfect bow for one contestant’s praise dance routine. Rhinestone-covered dresses and dashkis—bright, African tunics—are draped over each chair as the room buzzes in anticipation.

Forty-six years ago, Miss Black Western was established by Alpha Kappa Alpha when black women

were not allowed to compete for Homecoming queen. Every year, the sorority sponsors the pageant for African-American women on WKU’s campus. After holding an informational and auditions, practice for the pageant begins mid-February and continues until the show in late April.

Though the purpose of the pageant has changed since its origin, pageant chair Calvion Tandy said its goal is the same.

“The goal of the pageant is, and always has been, to build confidence in women,” Tandy, a senior from Hop-

kinsville, said. “We will continue to move forward and pursue the wishes of those that came before us.”

After months of practice and hours of getting ready, each contestant took her place onstage at DSU on Friday night. As the curtain opened, cheers erupted from the audience, and the girls began a group dance number to a compilation of upbeat music, including tracks from Beyonce and Bruno Mars.

Next, each contestant introduced

SEE BLACK WESTERN PAGE B2

Pageant Co-Chair Drew Hurt, Indianapolis senior, instructs the contestants after watching their rehearsal of the group dance routine two days before the show. The contestants have practiced at least twice a week since mid-February, usually until after 10 p.m.

Alexus Reed, a sophomore from Lexington, applies eyeshadow to Brazil Smith, a Ashley King, a freshman from Louisville, struggles to zip the dress of Kevonne King, a freshman from Nashville, just a few hours before the pageant begins. The contes- freshman from Louisville. The pageant consists of multiple sections, including formal tants helped one another get ready by assisting with makeup, hair and even finger- wear. nail painting.

MAY 2, 2017

B2

COLLEGE HEIGHTS HERALD

Kelsey Oden, a sophomore from Louisville, practices a praise dance while other con- Ashley King, a freshman from Louisville, practices her spring wear walk in front of testants get ready for their talent performance. The talents preformed by the contes- Alpha Kappa Alpha alumni members over a week before the pageant. Alumni play tants included monologues, skits and dances. an important role in the success of the pageant. “It’s something for us to look forward to each semester,” pageant chair Calvion Tandy said.

Ayanna Cox, Alexus Reed, and Keyvonne King (left to right) eat dinner together be- Keyvonne King, a Freshman from Louisville, takes a moment to collect herself before fore going to pageant practice. Though the girls did not know each other before the taking the stage on the night of the pageant. pageant, they now share meals together frequently and plan to continue this after the pageant is over.

BLACK WESTERN

Continued from b1

showed off their spring wear, followed by talent segments including monologues, praise dances and a spoken word poem. Then, contestants displayed their formal wear, and the top five were chosen to answer a question onstage.

At the end of the night, Alexus Reed, a Lexington sophomore was crowned Miss Black Western.

Reed, who recently transferred

from Savannah State, a historically black university, said the pageant helped her adjust to life on the Hill.

“The hardest part of the transition was not fitting in and feeling awkward,” Reed said. “Going to a HBCU, [historically black college or university,] where everyone was the same color, it was easier to connect with people.”

Reed said at WKU, she is one of three black girls in most of her classes. Her scholarly personality has kept her from fitting in, but she said the

find a $25 gift card to

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pageant created a presence of intelligent black women where she could feel comfortable.

Hailey Whitehead, who was awarded Miss Scholastic, Miss Congeniality and First Runner up, also feels participation in Miss Black Western has influenced her experience with collegiate education.

“As a black woman in college, people have looked at me and assumed that I was dumb,” Whitehead said.

“After a while, I started to believe them. The pageant made me realize

I was smart and gave me the confidence to let everyone know that.”

Whitehead auditioned for the pageant in hopes of gaining friendships with other African-American women and confidence in herself, and Miss Black Western helped her accomplish both of these goals.

“To me, it never felt like a competition,” Whitehead said. “It felt like we were all in it together.”

After the awards and participation trophies were distributed, and the

SEE BLACK WESTERN PAGE B3

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COLLEGE HEIGHTS HERALD

MAY 2, 2017

B3

The pageant opens with a group dance routine, followed by individual introductions Miss Black Western 2017, Alexus Reed, hugs her younger sister MaKayla Bullock, who for the judges and audience. The crowd, which consisted of alumni, friends, and fam- was waiting for Reed when she first exited the stage. As Miss Black Western, Reed ily, brought signs to encourage contestants. said she hopes to help other women gain confidence and acceptance. “I hope to inspire women who don’t feel connected to this campus, because it is a great place.”

BLACK WESTERN

Continued from b2

nal rounds of applause came to an end, the contestants carefully placed their dresses back into garment bags, wiped the make up from their eyes

and exchanged their high heels for bare feet. One by one, each contestant left, lugging their duffle bags and suitcases behind them and leaving the once vibrant dressing room empty and colorless.

Quinn Hogan, the 2015 pageant

said the individual transformations in the contestants outlasted the rhinestones and color of the pageant itself.

“You will feel yourself change after the pageant,” Hogan told contestants prior to their performance. “Being a

part of this, you will grow.”

Reporter and photographer Morgan Hornsby can be reached at 270-7456255 and morgan.hornsby945@topper.wku.edu.

A Q&A with Bassh’s Jimmy Brown

BY ANDREW CRITCHELOW HERALD.FEATURES@WKU.EDU

Nashville-based rock band Bassh headlined the 14th annual Mayhem Fest on Saturday, hosted by Revolution 91.7. Taking place at the SoKY Marketplace in Bowling Green, other bands on the bill included Morning Teleportation, Heron and Crane and Spirit Week.

Formed in 2015, Bassh is a collaboration between brothers-in-law Jimmy Brown (lead vocals/guitar) and CJ Hardee (bass). The band received recognition upon releasing their first single “Body” that same year, a song recorded by producer Bill Reynolds.

The band soon after started working with former Cage the Elephant guitarist Lincoln Parish, and released their next single “Animal” in collaboration with him in 2016. The band plans to release their first full-length effort later this year, a “mini-album” entitled “For Kathryn.”

The band has performed at clubs and festival slots around the country over the past two years, and will appear later this year at the Hangout Music Festival in Alabama. Brown took time before Bassh’s performance in Bowling Green to talk to the Herald about the band’s history and plans for the future.

Tell me a little bit about how initially Bassh came together.

Bassh came together through us making a record with Bill Reynolds (Band of Horses, Avett Bros, Lissie.)

We only ended up releasing one of those songs (Body) and things starting picking up pretty quickly after that.

It’s usually pretty quick, we bounce off each other, and sometimes we don’t know if something’s good until a few weeks later when our heads are not so deep in it, if that makes sense.

Your single “Body” has been Despite not played extensively releasing a fullon Revolution length effort, 91.7, and now the band has received nation- you’re headlining the Mayhem Fest. wide attention How much do you for the singles credit community you’ve released. and college radio How does it feel to receive acclaim to your success so far? as such a young group?

We’ve had great support from colWe were humbled and blown away by the reception to both singles. It’s been a lot of fun, and now we got some new tunes we are about to put out!

What is the collaborative process like between you two?

Wkuherald.com

lege radio stations across the country, and we wouldn’t be where we are at without it.

What was it like working with former Cage the Elephant guitarist Lincoln Parish?

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Lincoln has been cool; we’ve worked a lot with him now. In fact, the next record is co-written with and produced by Lincoln. We all get along really well and have a good laugh making noise together.

You’ve played a lot of club dates along with festival slots, do you prefer one over the other? Why or why not?

I’m big into festival slots because it’s outdoors and more chilled out, and there’s usually a good party going on somewhere after.

What can listeners expect from your upcoming mini album?

It’s next level for us. We are stoked to put it out; you’ll have to check it out to see what it sounds like.

Reporter Andrew Critchelow can be reached at 270-745-6288 and andrew. critchelow121@topper.wku.edu

@wkuherald @wkuherald

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Sunday, May 7th: 1pm-2am Mon-Thurs, May 8th-11th: 7:30am-2am Friday, May 12th: 7:30am-4:30pm Helm-Cravens is also open May 1-5 at 7:30am.

Extended hours are sponsored by WKU Libraries & Student Government Association.

COLLEGE HEIGHTS HERALD

MAY 2, 2017

B4 DRAFT Continued from SPORTS Now, Williams will earn the chance to help an offensive line that hasn’t produced a 1,000 yard rusher since Frank Gore in 2014.

“The (49ers) O-line coach called and said he was trying so hard to get me drafted,” Williams told the Bowling Green Daily News. “They’ve got a whole new staff this year. He liked me a lot, so he wanted me to come out there, and we made it happen.”

Halpin, a former walk-on turned four-year starter, will hope to make the roster to block for former Heisman winning quarterback Jameis Winston and Pro Bowl running back Doug Martin.

Despite not starting a game in a Hilltopper uniform, former quarterback Tyler Ferguson received a camp

invite from the Tennessee Titans where he’ll join Taylor. Ferguson’s path to the NFL has been different than most players. He originally attended College of Sequioas, a junior college in California. After ESPN rated him the No. 3 JUCO quarterback in the nation, he transferred across the country to Penn State. Ferguson threw just 15 passes in a Nittany Lion uniform before transferring to Louisville where he never saw the field. Finally, Ferguson came to WKU where he served as a backup quarterback.

Now, he’ll hope to make the roster backing up former No. 1 overall pick Marcus Mariota.

“Obviously, my college career was not one that many quarterbacks would want to have, but I’m glad that’s in the past and I can focus on this,” Ferguson told the Bowling Green Daily News. “I think like in

anything in life, there can be a positive experience out of anything you do. I definitely learned a lot of football, thats for sure, with Bill O’Brien and Bobby Petrino and Jeff Brohm.”

Former WKU linebacker Keith Brown received an invite from the Seattle Seahawks. Like Ferguson, Brown transferred to WKU from Louisville as a grad student. However, his time in Red and White was a lot more memorable than Ferguson’s. Brown led WKU in total tackles in 2016, recorded six sacks as well as two interceptions in his lone season. Brown will join George Fant as the two former WKU players on the Seahawks roster.

Former WKU long snapper Nolan Dowling received an invite to the Kansas City Chiefs’ minicamp. Unlike the other six players, Dowling started all 53 possible games in a Hilltopper

uniform, which is a program record.

Former WKU defensive tackle Omarius Bryant received an invite from the Baltimore Ravens, a franchise known for their history of elite defense.

Former WKU wide receiver Nicholas Norris is still waiting for his chance to join his seven teammates at getting a shot in the NFL. From May 12-15, teams may elect to hold their three-day post-draft rookie minicamp. In the middle of July, teams are permitted to open preseason training camp for rookies where the former Hilltoppers will begin their quest of making an NFL roster.

TRACK AND FIELD

meter steeplechase, as Savannah Ames placed third with a time of 11:52.29, her best finish in the event this season. Freshman Taylor Scarbrough recorded a new personal best with a time of 9:57.72, good for sixth place.

This weekend, WKU will compete in two different SEC events. Some athletes will stay in-state and compete at the Kentucky Relays, while others will go to the Ole Miss Open.

Both competitions will take place this weekend.

Continued from SPORTS

Senior thrower Jenessa Jackson throws during the Hilltopper relays on April 7 at the Charles M. Reuter Track and Field Complex. EVAN BOGGS/HERALD

SOFTBALL Continued from SPORTS first, driving in a run on a Texeira sacrifice fly. They’d drive in their last three runs in the second inning, as Ashley Leon and Texeira both recorded RBI singles, and Texeira’s drove in two.

“My plan today was to put some

more lefties in the line up to face (Shannon) Saile’s curveball, and we were able to do a great job bunting, walking and finding a way on base,” Tudor said. “I was really proud that the team was able to put up two runs early on them.”

Kat Downing pitched the majority of the game, going 5.1 innings. She took the loss, moving her to 14-12 on

Maor Seged finished second in the 400 meter hurdles, running a time of 53.53. Villaman competed in the event as well, finishing eighth.

Desmond Mobley had another quality long jump performance, finishing second with a distance of 7.39 meter. He also finished 10th in the high jump, recording a jump of 1.95 meter.

Jenessa Jackson continued her extremely successful throwing season, finishing third in the shot put with a throw of 15.28 meter, and fourth in the hammer throw with a distance of 53.53 meter.

WKU also had success in the 3000

the year.

“I thought Kat [Downing] threw well all weekend and was able to keep their batters off balance,” Tudor said.

“She did a good job and had a lot of fight and composure on the mound, battling the wind.”

Despite the sweep, WKU’s 10-13 conference record has put them fourth in their division, which is

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

Reporter Jeremy Chisenhall can be reached at 859-760-0198 and jeremy.chisenhall921@topper.wku.edu.

Follow him on Twitter at @JSChisenhall.

enough to get them into the postseason. They’ll wrap up the regular season with a trip to Richmond to play Eastern Kentucky University this weekend.

Reporter Jeremy Chisenhall can be reached at 859-760-0198 and jeremy. chisenhall921@topper.wku.edu. Follow him on Twitter at @JSChisenhall.

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COLLEGE HEIGHTS HERALD

MAY 2, 2017

B5

Tops lose series at La. Tech, host EKU Tuesday

BY TYLER MANSFIELD HEARLD.SPORTS@WKU.EDU After traveling to Ruston, Louisiana this past weekend and suffering a sweep by Conference USA foe Louisiana Tech, the WKU baseball team is now set to play its final midweek game of the season tonight at 5 p.m. against Eastern Kentucky University at Nick Denes Field.

Entering the weekend slate following a 22-17 home victory over Austin Peay last Tuesday, the Toppers looked to carry the momentum from that win into La. Tech. However, that wouldn’t be the case for WKU, as it wasn’t able to secure a single win and now looks to snap a three-game losing streak.

The Hilltoppers (13-32 overall, 4-17 C-USA) battled in the final two games of the series, but weren’t able to come out on the winning side of things. WKU, who continues to sit in 12th place out of 12 teams in the conference standings, lost the series opener 7-1 before falling 6-5 and 5-1, respectively.

Throughout the course of the weekend, La. Tech out-hit Western 27-17 while being outscored 18-8. Just four different Toppers recorded multi-hit games in the three contests while the club, as a whole, committed five errors.

In Sunday’s 5-1 loss, WKU and Tech were tied at 1-1 after six complete innings, but the Bulldogs went on to score two runs in each of their final two frames to complete the sweep.

In the bottom of the seventh, the Bulldogs’ Jon Washam singled to first base and then advanced to second on a WKU fielding error, which scored Raphael Gladu. Then, in the ensuing inning, Gladu sent a two-run home run over the left field wall to seal the deal for the Bulldogs.

Junior right handed pitcher Conner Boyd (43) looks to pitch during the Hilltoppers 3-1 loss against Charlotte on April 15 at Nick Denes Field. BROOK JOYNER/HERALD Colie Currie, Bryson Smith and Hunter Wood each finished with a hit each for the Hilltoppers. Jeff Ciocco started on the mound and allowed four walks, three hits and a run in 3.2 innings.

EKU (22-22, 8-13 Ohio Valley Conference) ventures into Bowling Green following a series defeat to Jacksonville State in Richmond. The Colonels played consistent baseball all throughout the weekend, but couldn’t overcome JSU’s high-powered offense.

Eastern won Sunday’s series finale, 107, to avoid the sweep.

WKU and EKU are familiar with one another, meeting back on March 8 in Richmond. In a 10-inning affair that the Colonels won 16-15, the two clubs combined for 31 runs on 34 hits and 19 walks. In the loss for the Hilltoppers, junior outfielder Steven Kraft led the way with two homeruns while driving in four runners and scoring three.

The Colonels are led by senior first baseman Ben Fisher, who is batting

.364 while starting – and playing – in each game this season. Fisher has recorded 64 hits on the year with 56 RBI and 20 homeruns.

Following Tuesday’s meeting with EKU, WKU returns to C-USA play with a three-game series against Marshall in Huntington, West Virginia.

Reporter Tyler Mansfield can be reached at (270) 935-0007 and tyler. wkuherald@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter at @CallMeMansfield.

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MAY 2, 2017 > WESTERN KENTUCKY UNIVERSITY

WKUHERALD.COM

SPORTS

» Baseball: Hilltoppers lose 10th straight conference game, drop series to Louisiana Tech.

WKU Track and Field takes home seven titles in Louisville

BY JEREMY CHISENHALL HERALD.SPORTS@WKU.EDU

Western Kentucky offensive lineman Forrest Lamp (76) hoists the Conference USA trophy after the Hilltoppers defeated La. Tech to win their second conference championship on Dec. 3, 2016 at Smith Stadium. SHABAN ATHUMAN/HERALD

history made Lamp, Taylor become highest draft picks in school history

BY SAM PORTER

HERALD.SPORTS@WKU.EDU

Although only two former Hilltoppers enjoyed the luxury of hearing their name called in the NFL Draft, a total of seven former WKU players will get the chance to live their dream of playing in the NFL. After slipping out of the first round, former WKU offensive lineman Forrest Lamp became the highest selected player in program history when the Los Angeles Chargers

selected him with the 38th overall pick.

About two hours later, the Tennessee Titans selected former WKU receiver Taywan Taylor with the 72nd overall pick, making Lamp and himself the two highest drafted players in program history.

Once the draft ended, it didn’t take long after the draft for a handful of other former Hilltoppers to hear their phone ring. Five more Hilltoppers earned invites to minicamps where they’ll get their chance

to make NFL rosters.

Former WKU offensive linemen Darrell Williams Jr. and Max Halpin both earned invites to NFL camps. Williams Jr. was invited by the San Francisco 49ers where he’ll be reunited with former WKU cornerback, Prince Charles Iworah.

Williams helped Lamp and Halpin anchor an offensive line that produced three different 1,000 yard rushers during their time on the Hill.

SEE DRAFT PAGE B4

WKU Track & Field shined in the Bluegrass State last weekend, finishing first in seven events at the Lenny Lyles/Clark Wood Invitational in Louisville.

The Hilltoppers were led by junior Khadijah Valentine, who won both the 100-meter and 200-meter dash events, with times of 11.60 seconds and 23.51 seconds.

“We had some positive things happen today, and Louisville provided a quality opportunity for us to clean up some things,” head coach Erik Jenkins said. “We won several events with solid performances across the board, including quite a few individuals achieving personal best. I was encouraged by the competitive and discipline approach of the group today.”

The men’s relay teams were dominant yet again, as the 4x100 meter team of Eli Minor, Ventavius Sears, Emmanuel Dasor and Will Bush finished first with a time of 39.58.

The 4x400 meter team of Denzel Villaman, Jonathan Hayden, Austin Hayes and Davonte Payne also finished first in their event, running a time of 3:08.52.

The relay members had success in other events as well. Dasor won his second 200 meter dash event of the year with a time of 20.64. WKU runners also took the second and thirdplace spots, as Sears finished second with a time of 20.76 and Bush finished third with a time of 21.17.

Hayden won the 110m hurdles with a time of 14.30. Minor and Bush finished second and third in the 100m dash, posting times of 10.46 and 10.52.

Kaila Smith grabbed WKU’s seventh title of the weekend, winning the 400 meter hurdles with a time of 1:00.4. Smith also ran in the 100m hurdles, finishing sixth with a time of 14.29.

SEE TRACK AND FIELD PAGE B4

WKU Softball clinches spot in C-USA Tournament

BY JEREMY CHISENHALL HERALD.SPORTS@WKU.EDU WKU Softball has clinched a spot in the Conference USA Tournament, the Lady Tops’ first postseason appearance since 2015 when they won the tournament.

“Being as young as we are and trying to teach what we’re doing with just one player on the team that’s been to the post-season before, it’s come down to the team believing and working hard,” Head Coach Amy Tudor said in a press release.

“It’s been fun trying to figure out the pieces to the puzzle.

I’m proud of this team and really excited to see what we can do moving forward.”

WKU suffered a sweep at the hands of Florida International over the weekend in the team’s second-to-last series of the year.

The series started with a 3-0 loss in game one of a doubleheader on Saturday.

Senior Kat Downing pitched a complete game for WKU,

giving up all three runs on one home run from FIU’s Dani Mowry. Aside from that, both teams were shut down offensively, and Downing faced one over the minimum following the home run.

In game two of the doubleheader, WKU lost 4-1.

FIU scored three runs in the first inning, as the Panthers’ Stephanie Texeira reached on a fielder’s choice and drove in a run, which was followed up by a double from Kasandra Castle that scored two more.

WKU answered with a run in the third when Jordan Mauch singled to bring home Paige Carter, but FIU held the Tops the rest of the way. FIU would tack on another run in the sixth inning to make it 4-1. Haylee Towers pitched her 12th complete game of the season for WKU, moving to 6-11 this year.

“I felt like both Downing and Towers threw well (Saturday) against a very good FIU team,” Tudor said.

“Keeping their speed off the

Junior utility player Jordan Mauch (19) runs home to score during the Lady Toppers’ 7-3 win on April 1 at the WKU Softball Complex. NICK HUEY/HERALD bases was definitely a focus for us this week and I think we executed that plan (Saturday).”

Game three ended in a 4-2 loss for WKU, but featured an uptick in offense compared

to the two prior games.

WKU scored both of its runs in the first inning, as Mauch singled to drive in the first run, and then stole second with Brittany Vaughn on third. On the throw down,

Vaughn advanced home and gave the Hilltoppers a 2-0 lead.

The Panthers answered back in the bottom of the

SEE SOFTBALL PAGE B4