October 12, 2017

UPDATE ON THE HERALD, WKU LAWSUIT

THE OPPORTUNIST: PUNTER JAKE COLLINS PACES HILLTOPPERS

NEWS, PAGE A3

SPORTS, PAGE B6

TTHURSDAY, HURSDAY, OCTOBER OCTOBER 112, 2, 22017 017 > W WESTERN ESTERN KKENTUCKY ENTUCKY UUNIVERSITY NIVERSITY > VVOLUME OLUME 993, 3, IISSUE SSUE 1144

Strategic planning process kicks off

BY CALLIE MILLER HERALD.NEWS@WKU

“The series provides our majors a wonderful opportunity to do handson production work, while also providing the greater community with high-quality productions for young audiences,” Jordan said.

“The Yellow Boat,” by David Saar,

President Timothy Caboni held a kick-off event for the new strategic planning committees on Monday night in Downing Student Union.

Caboni has created separate committees and appointed co-chairs for each committee. Those co-chairs then chose a variety of up to 10 other WKU students, staff and faculty to be a part of their committees.

Each group will help create a plan to help guide the university for the next 10 years. The current strategic plan formally ends in 2018.

The committees include Academic Innovation and Excellence, Student Success and Experience, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, Research, Scholarship and Creative Endeavors, and Budgeting, Efficiency and Infrastructure. An additional Philanthropy and External Relations group will be formed at a later time.

Those committees will report to an overarching Steering Committee, headed by professors Paula Potter and Bruce Shulte.

Monday evening, the committees were organized into separate tables with microphones to record the conversations.

“I have an understanding of how I think this is going to go, but it’s not up to me,” Caboni said. “It’s up to us.”

Caboni charged the individual groups to “create an overarching goal statement for their area of focus. Additionally, underlying strategies should be created to support the larger goal.”

Among the goals for the collective groups are to improve student learning, create a practical and 10year revisable roadmap for the fu-

SEE THEATRE PAGE A2

SEE PLANNING PAGE A3

During a rehearsal for the children’s play “The Yellow Boat” on Tuesday, in the Gordon Wilson Lab Theatre, cast members Austin Higgins, Conner Keef and Reagan Stovenour act out a scene in which the main character Benjamin, played by Higgins, draws while other cast members act out the drawings for the audience. GRACE PRITCHETT /HERALD

Setting sail WKU theatre debuts student-led show

BY NICOLE ZIEGE HERALD.NEWS@WKU

T

he theatre and dance department will debut “The Yellow Boat” Friday as part of the WKU Children’s Theatre Series.

“The Yellow Boat” is the first of three student-directed children’s shows as part of the Children’s Theatre Series. All plays in the series are student-directed, student-designed and sometimes student-written, said Carol Jordan, the faculty coordinator for the WKU’s Children’s Theatre Series.

Alumna publishes novella, ‘Revenge in the Bluegrass’

BY ADRIANNA WATERS

HERALD.NEWS@WKU

A WKU graduate has recently published her first mystery-thriller novella, set in Kentucky and released on Oct. 4.

Carol Maupin, who graduated from WKU in 2016 with a degree in Radio Broadcasting, wrote the novella “Revenge in the Bluegrass,” and released on Oct. 4. The novella is a mystery-thriller that follows Mattie McGraw, who is on the run after discovering the governor she works for had his opponent killed in the campaign race.

Maupin first started writing the novella in 1996. After taking some time off, she finished “Revenge in the Bluegrass” in 2012.

According to Maupin, one of the most significant obstacles in the writing process is having a blank page and not being able to finish writing.

“Sometimes the writing process is smooth, and you could write for hours,” Maupin said. “Sometimes, you’re just blank.”

However, writer’s block is not the only obstacle Maupin has faced. In

2015, she was diagnosed with colon cancer, which put her life on hold.

At the time of her diagnosis, Maupin was attending WKU and working full-time, but cancer took a toll on her employment opportunities and physical well-being. After surviving colon cancer, Maupin said she became more determined to publish her novella.

“This dream did not die,” Maupin said. “This fueled me to pursue my dream of being a published author.”

While writing, Maupin said she is inspired by “everyday life and talking to people,” because it gives her a chance to create new characters and identities. Additionally, Maupin said she draws inspiration from other authors, such as Danielle Steel, James Patterson and John Grisham.

With the release of her first novella, Maupin said she hopes readers will be engaged in the story, which she described as having “lots of twists and turns,” and relate to the characters.

While Maupin thinks writing is a “great hobby that gives me the ability to be creative,” it could also be an opportunity to “give back to people who have given so much to me.” Maupin

Courtesy of www.authorhouse.com

said she hopes she can give back portions of revenue from the novella to cancer support organizations, specifically Gilda’s Club.

According to their website, Gilda’s Club, which has a location in Lou-

isville, is a nonprofit affiliate of the Cancer Support Community. The organization is facilitated by licensed professionals and welcomes all individuals who have been affected by cancer.

Maupin praised Gilda’s Club for their impact on families affected by cancer and the support they gave her during her cancer treatment.

“When I went through three cancer surgeries, they were there for me,” Maupin said. “They encouraged me and helped me get back to my physical self and well-being. I have so much respect for their organization.”

Before she published “Revenge in the Bluegrass,” Maupin also wrote a children’s book called “Gabby and Bella the Rescue Dogs.” People can order both books on Amazon.

Maupin acknowledged her path to publication has been full of twists and turns.

“My sister’s friend told me that writing is not about the destination, but the journey,” Maupin said. “It has been such a crazy journey for me.”

Reporter Adrianna Waters can be reached at 270-745-6011 and adrianna.waters406@topper.wku.edu.

COLLEGE HEIGHTS HERALD

OCTOBER 12, 2017

A2 THEATRE

Continued from front follows the true story of how Saar lost his young son Benjamin to AIDS in the 1980’s.

“It’s a joyful exploration of life and art and the ways that we use the arts to deal with life’s most painful moments,” Jordan said, regarding the play.

Senior Colin Waters, the student director for the play, has directed shows at WKU since his sophomore year.

However, this will be the first children’s show that he has led.

“My main focus is on corralling the actors and helping them best grasp their characters, the story we are trying to tell and how we will use their performances to tell that story,” Waters said.

As a student director, Waters said that he also focused on creating the “overall vision” for the show and

“bridging the gap” between technical and performance aspects.

“I love directing this show,” Waters said. “Each actor brings such a different level of vulnerability and creativity, which with this show is wildly important.”

Waters said the greatest challenge was finding the balance between “having fun” with the cast and “holding a level of authority and respect.”

“This cast, however, has been extremely respectful and has done a great job with taking my direction, making my job so easy,” Waters said.

Jordan said one of the biggest challenges for the production team was “finding a way to bring the visual elements to life.”

“Colin [Waters] and his designers have found really creative ways to use the acting ensemble during the fantasy sequences,” Jordan said.

About 30 students worked on the

production, including designers, board operators, medical liaisons and eight cast members.

“I am so proud of all the work they have put in, and I am ready for audiences to see this beautiful work they have created,” Waters said.

WKU junior and theatre major Conner Keef plays Benjamin’s father in the show. Keef said he wanted to perform in the play because it was “a great opportunity.”

“Children’s shows help you become a more versatile actor,” Keef said.

Keef said his biggest challenge as an actor in the show was learning different ways to communicate emotions in his role. He said he was able to overcome that challenge because of help from Waters. Keef said this is the second time that he has worked with Waters as a student director.

“The director must have great decision-making skills to make the show

exactly as they want,” Keef said. “He knows the steps it takes to get to the end result, which is really important.”

Keef said he also wanted to emphasize how “amazed” he has been by the work of the design teams, including lighting, sound, props and costumes.

“We’re a solid group that is willing to work together,” Keef said. “They all have done a really amazing job. They really added a lot to the show.”

Keef said that “The Yellow Boat” is a “heart-breaking and heart-wrenching story.”

“Audiences will have an understanding of what it means to die and what it means to lose a child,” Keef said. “They will also have an understand the sacrifices that parents make for their children.”

Reporter Nicole Ziege can be reached at 270-745-6011 and nicole.ziege825@ topper.wku.edu.

Correction

An article in Tuesday’s edition of the Herald titled “Committee discusses academic freeze option,” named Jim Berger as the academic quality committee member who began discussion of an academic freeze option. The idea originated from committee member Dale Rigby. The Herald regrets the error.

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COLLEGE HEIGHTS HERALD

OCTOBER 12, 2017

A3 Garrett renovations aim to be ‘relevant’ to students

BY NICOLE ZIEGE HERALD.NEWS@WKU.EDU The Student Government Association met with a planning committee to discuss ideas for the renovations to the Garrett Conference Center during its meeting Oct. 10.

John Burse, a member of the Garrett Conference Center Renovation Planning Committee, spoke at the meeting. Burse said he and the members of the committee hope to “transform” the Garrett Conference Center and make it “relevant” to the students on campus. Burse also said Garrett Conference Center would be renamed to “Garrett Hall.”

As to whether or not the Garrett Conference Center would be remodeled or torn down and then rebuilt, Burse said the committee was “in

the middle of analysis.” He said the committee wants to “minimize the disruption of students as much as possible.”

The committee brought pictures of design spaces and had the members of the SGA Senate choose which design spaces they would want to see used in Garrett Hall.

The committee also brought in a “graffiti wall,” which they set up near the entrance to Panda Express earlier in the day and allowed students to write suggestions on for the renovations. Some of the ideas included adding a McDonald’s restaurant and gender-neutral bathrooms.

During SGA President Andi Dahmer’s executive report, Dahmer said she “failed to elect someone” and made an error in the number of senators that were meant to be appointed during the last senate meet-

ing. She said that there are supposed to be 36 senators in total, but only 34 senators were elected.

Because of this error, Dahmer appointed freshman Jayden Thomas for the open senator position. Thomas, who is an international relations major, ran for a senator position during the fall election. He said he wanted to focus on diversity and inclusion.

“I hope that I can work with all of you to think of some great ideas for campus,” Thomas said in his appointment speech.

During the next senate meeting, SGA is expected to vote on four bills.

The first bill is Bill 15-17-F, which proposes allocating over $1,400 from Organizational Aid Appropriations for the Physical Education Majors Club, National Association of Home Builders and Jump Rope Club.

The Senate is expected to vote on

Bill 16-17-F, which proposes allocating $200 from the Senate Discretionary fund to “support the Interfaith Workshop on Sustainability and Social Justice.”

The third bill is Bill 17-17-F, which proposes allocating $30 from the Senate Discretionary for the “promotion and implementation” of Mission: Thank You Veterans.

The Senate is also expected to vot on Bill 18-17-F, which proposes allocating $1,840 from Organizational Aid Appropriations for the Student Affairs Graduate Association, American Institute for Architecture Students, Delta Sigma Theta and WKU Men’s Rugby Team.

Reporter Nicole Ziege can be reached at 270-745-6011 and nicole. ziege825@topper.wku.edu.

Status conference requested in Herald lawsuit HERALD.NEWS@WKU.EDU

Lawyers representing the College Heights Herald have requested a status conference in the lawsuit brought against the publication by WKU. Additionally, the Society of Professional Journalists has given the publication a grant to fund the expenses incurred in the lawsuit.

According to US Legal, a status conference is a “pre-trial meeting of attorneys with a judge.” The purpose of a status conference “is to lay out the progress of the case and set a timeline for discovery matters and a trial,” according to US Legal.

WKU sued the Herald in February after Kentucky Attorney General Andy Beshear ruled that WKU had violated Kentucky’s Open Records Act by denying to give records related to faculty and staff members of the university who have violated the sexual misconduct policy.

Beshear also ruled that WKU had violated the Open Records Act by refusing to allow his office to review the records. WKU submitted the sexual

PLANNING

Continued from front ture and revise the budget model to ensure resources are deployed in support of institutional priorities.

Committees will meet weekly and come together as a larger group monthly. October through December of this year will be used for data collection, assessment of strengths, challenges, opportunities and weaknesses and drafting of preliminary reports.

Nov. 9 and Dec. 6 are the next two meeting dates where committees will discuss their progress, things they have learned and solicit feedback.

“I think we should grab this opportunity to be innovative and creative,” Cheryl Stevens, Ogden College of Science and Engineering dean and member of the Steering Committee, said. “I like change, and I hope that we will generate aspirational ideals.”

One of the guiding questions Caboni asked committees to seriously consider, among institutional changes and budgeting priorities, was things WKU is doing now that has outlived their usefulness or arehave longer core to the university’s mission.

“I think Dr. Caboni said something that was very energizing,” Psychological Sciences department head Kelly Madole said. “That we should be aggressive and creative and bold in our committees.”

Madole is a co-chair of the Re-

misconduct documents to the Warren Circuit Court in August for in camera review by the court.

Mike Abate, the attorney representing the Herald, said a hearing was supposed to have been scheduled within 30 days of the submission of the documents. Abate said they requested a status conference to “keep the case moving.”

“The documents were turned over in ... August, and we just kind of wanted to get together with all the parties and the judge, either in person or on the phone and kind of figure out what’s going to come next in the litigation,” Abate said.

Abate said the motion for a status conference was filed Monday, but “we don’t know yet what that next step will be, that’s why we want to have the conference.”

Abate said as a result of the status conference, he hopes “we would get a quick briefing schedule,” as well as access to an index that was prepared for the court, detailing each redaction from the sexual misconduct documents.

“We certainly think we want to have as quick of a briefing schedule as we can get, and we think we have a right search, Scholarship and Creative Endeavors committee. She added that she is excited to see the collaborations that come from these groups of people who wouldn’t typically have the chance to collaborate.

Working groups will each present a 10-page paper to the Steering Committee in December with five to seven goals to work on in the next decade.

In January, the working groups will hold open forums to share their draft goal, strategies and action items and collect feedback. They will compile recommendations for the Steering Committee by February. The Steering Committee will form a draft plan in March.

The committee will then present the plan to the WKU community and revise the plan based on feedback, and in August they will present the plan to the Board of Regents for approval.

Caboni began the night by saying that he will make the process as transparent as possible to the community and all WKU stakeholders.

In the spirit of transparency, Caboni said each step would be shared with the community.

There will be a strategic planning website that will have milestones and news releases along with videos of events, draft reports, implementation updates and a place to share feedback.

“I want folks to understand that this is a process where everyone who wants to play a part will be heard, and

to get that index, so we can see what they’re claiming is confidential and why, and why we can’t receive redacted copies,” Abate said.

Additionally, the Herald has received a ANDY $5,000 grant from the of ProfessionBESHEAR Society al Journalists, or SPJ, Legal Defense Fund Kentucky “in support of the ColAttorney lege Heights Herald’s General efforts to obtain public records relating to campus sexual misconduct by faculty and staff,” according to an email from Mark Bailen, counsel for SPJ. Chuck Clark, director of WKU student publications, said $5,000 is the maximum amount SPJ typically distributes through the Legal Defense Fund.

“That the SPJ Legal Defense Fund chose to award a grant to the College Heights Herald signifies that they see this as an important case,” Clark said.

SPJ is a journalism organization “dedicated to encouraging the free practice of journalism and stimulat-

Courtesy of The Attorney General’s

BY MONICA KAST

I think we have a tremendous group of folks who are volunteering to help shape the future of the university,” Caboni said.

ing high standards of ethical behavior,” according to their website. The Legal Defense Fund provides “journalists with legal or direct financial assistance,” according to the Legal Defense Fund web page.

The Legal Defense Fund also helps cover court fees, through a partnership with the National Freedom of Information Coalition, according to their website.

On Monday, Beshear said Warren Circuit Court Judge Steve Wilson is currently reviewing documents submitted by WKU and might be providing guidance to Beshear.

“In the end, I think this is all about accountability,” Beshear said. “You have to have some transparency to enforce accountability.”

Beshear said in the case of sexual misconduct documents, “we deserve to know, as citizens, as parents, how safe a campus is and how they handle these horrific situations when they occur.”

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

Reporter Callie Miller can be reached at 270-745-6011 and caroline.miller528@topper.wku.edu.

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OCTOBER 12, 2017 > WESTERN KENTUCKY UNIVERSITY

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OPINION

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KALYN’S CORNER

Insensitive Halloween costumes

BY KALYN JOHNSON HERALD.OPINION@WKU.EDU

Illustration By: Jennifer King

digital junk food Reality distortion fields: social tools gone wrong

BY DAVID HORMELL HERALD.OPINION@WKU.EDU

A

dvertisers wanted to increase their online influence, but generalized advertisements tended to be too macroscopic. The advent of Google AdSense in 2003 punted targeted, contextualized advertising tactics to mainstream status.

Based on location and searched keywords, Google crafts a tailored ad experience to the user. According to internet trend analysis agency BuiltWith, over 12 million websites now use Google AdSense.

Contextual advertisements experience more considerable success because they’re based on the user’s likes and dislikes. I’ve received a few contextual ads today, imploring me to revisit New Mexico, to see John Mulaney in Louisville and to listen to Passion Pit’s new album.

The uptick in the popularity of data-mining has inspired social media sites to adopt a similar approach. On paper, it makes sense: the internet is always sprawling and expanding.

People want to manage the informational flood and make sense of the static. On Facebook, users are capable of “hiding” posts and “unfollowing” friends. Twitter enables users to “mute” words and users. A

happy user experience translates to increased user engagement and as a result, more revenue for Mark Zuckerberg and Jack Dorsey.

Unfortunately, the rise of the tailored user experience means the rise of echo chambers, where one logs on Facebook or Twitter to validate their opinions and feelings. It’s the equivalent of digital junk food. It accomplishes little, other than providing some fleeting felicity. By actively constructing personalized mediascapes, we run the risk of accidentally crafting a reality distortion field where facts bend at will and where truth is conflated with opinion.

In The Filter Bubble, author Eli Pariser writes: “Personalized filters sever the synapses in the brain.

Without knowing it, we may be giving ourselves a kind of global lobotomy.” Instead of the internet existing as a global intersection of thought and digital discourse, isolation from differing viewpoints render it fragmentary.

In the last 15 years, the internet user is placed in a position of power as an active consumer.

It’s a remarkable concept. In reality, it’s a digital dystopia predicated on predictability.

After an unusually contentious election, Public Radio International (PRI) published an article entitled

“Sorry Mom, the kids won’t be coming home for Thanksgiving this year”

by Caitlin Abber. The article centered around the trend of millennials skipping Thanksgiving in hopes of avoiding “inevitable arguments.” It’s just one example of electronic thoughts and personalized mediascapes materializing in daily life in painful ways.

The anxious nature of the internet is unbalanced and unhinged, teetering between chaos and randomness.

Neither outcome is comfortable.

Contextualized ads and tailored user experiences can help make sense of the compounding complexities of the internet to a certain extent.

Some social tools are helpful when used responsibly. Muting certain words, hashtags or users on Twitter for a set period can decrease notification fatigue or prevent ugly cases of harassment. But the incorrect use of these tools – to unfollow your friends of differing political propensities – contradicts the goal of civil discourse and the initial intentions of the internet.

Each person receives a preselected digital narrative, and there’s a lot lost in translation. We miss out on differing viewpoints and consequently contribute to further political polarization.

And we’re fine with it.

When we think of blackface, we may think of early 1900’s America, when African Americans were not prominent actors but instead white actors covered their bodies in black paint or charcoal to portray African Americans. As we approach Halloween, I find it necessary to remind our student body that dressing up as a character who is not of your race is acceptable, but coloring your skin to look like that individual is unacceptable and makes you look insensitive.

The New York Time’s Black Voices columnist Zeba Blay believes that “At this point, it has been thoroughly established on nearly every corner of the internet that blackface is bad. The history of blackface, with its roots in racist minstrel shows, has been outlined. The racist implications of blackface, the way it stereotypes, exaggerates and demeans black features, has been explained.”

I wholeheartedly agree with Blay. We are living in an era where the world is at our fingertips. As college students, we should know better than to be so insensitive, but we also know this isn’t the case due to past circumstances. The Washington Post reported that University of Central Arkansas student, Brock Denton, dressed up as Bill Cosby and painted his face black. The post reports that Denton “posted a photograph of his seemingly purposefully offensive costume to his Instagram account with the caption ‘It was a bold night.’” Denton was promptly expelled from his fraternity.

As students with some form of intellect, we would also think that faculty and staff would know not to wear blackface. However, a faculty member at the University of Oregon was suspended for doing so in 2016.

In a statement released to The Los Angeles Times, the University of Oregon Provost Scott Coltrane stated that Nancy Shurtz’s costume “forced our campus to face some very difficult truths about racism, ignorance and the state of inclusivity on our campus. Her costume mimicked the historic stereotype of blackface and caused offense to many who witnessed it.” While I have never seen a professor or student go to class in culturally insensitive costumes in my years at WKU, I think it necessary to remind everyone that blackface is not acceptable.

Blackface is not only racially insensitive but outright hurtful. It is the mocking of another human being without thinking of where blackface came from. It is to completely disregard the struggles of African Americans and take America almost a century back in progression. I’m not saying that we cannot dress up as Beyonce, just don’t wear blackface.

KALYN’S CORNER

The vegas shooter: he’s not a “lone wolf”

BY KALYN JOHNSON HERALD.OPINION@WKU.EDU

On Oct. 1, concert-goers had hopes of ending their night at the Route 91 festival with a high energy show from Jason Aldean. Those hopes were cut short when Stephen Paddock took it upon himself to cause terror in a crowd of hundreds.

I didn’t find out about the event until the morning after it happened. I was scrolling through Facebook and saw that there had been yet another mass shooting. From that moment, and even today, media outlets call Paddock a “lone wolf” as they continue to piece together why a wealthy man would commit such an act. But they’re all avoiding the phrase “do-

mestic terrorism.”

NPR stated that the “The Patriot Act defines domestic terrorism as an attempt to ‘intimidate or coerce a civilian population; to influence the policy of a government by intimidation or coercion; or to affect the conduct of a government by mass destruction, assassination, or kidnapping.’” If that is what we’re defining as terrorism, either The Patriot Act needs to be updated, or we need another mainstream phrase that isn’t “lone wolf” for an individual who takes the lives and injures so many people for no political gain.

USA Today interviewed Chris Robinette who specializes in arena and stadium security who stated “I don’t think a lot could have been done to prevent

this,” as Paddock did not have a mental health history or a criminal background. But that’s an unacceptable response. There is a call for change lead by politicians when the threat isn’t domestic with events like 9/11, or when the individual has ties with ISIS, but for some reason, we don’t have the same kind of urgency when there is no political gain. We begin talks of policy on how we can make it harder for immigrants to get into the country and retrieve guns when there are terrorist attacks. When it is an American citizen who is murdering other American citizens for no political gain, then we begin to see responses like Robinette’s.

The New York Times has reported 28 mass shootings since 2007. It’s a bit sickening to realize that we are be-

coming desensitized to a “lone wolf” murdering a mass number of people, regardless of the reasoning. We can see this desensitization demonstrated on our own Facebook and Twitter feeds today. People are moving forward with their lives and will continue to do so until another shooting happens which jolts us back to square one. When terrorist attacks occur, they shake our nation to its core and remind us that we are vulnerable to outside forces and policy might not always protect us. However, when it is a mass shooting, we hold one another close, tell our family and friends that we love them and send out thoughts and prayers that aren’t backed up by proper action. We cannot become desensitized to our nation’s history of gun violence.

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1. What country was the first to use postcards? (a) France (b) Austria (c) United States 2. The lingua is the technical term for what body part? (a) Thumb (b) Toenail (c) Tongue 3. What European country has the longest coastline? (a) Norway (b) Italy (c) Scotland 4. Whose Indian name means 'One Who Yawns?' (a) Geronimo (b) Cochise (c) Crazy Horse 5. What is the first name of the bumbling Inspector Clouseau played by Peter Sellers and Steve Martin? (a) Henri (b) Jacques (c) Claude 6. What is the name of the pub in An American Werewolf in London (1981)? (a) The Crown and Dragon (b) The Hare and Hound (c) The Slaughtered Lamb 7. In what month in 1969 did man first land on the moon? (a) September (b) July (c) April 8. Hera's jealousy caused Zeus to turn who into a white heifer? (a) Demeter (b) Hestia (c) Lo 9. In British Columbia, where does a famed sea serpent reportedly reside? (a) Lake Okanagan (b) Emerald Lake (c) Lost Lake 10. In what year was the last cigarette advertisement in North America aired? (a) 1976 (b) 1970 (c) 1982

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15 16 14 1 Bursae 5 86 is a high one 18 19 17 10 Old Testament 22 20 21 twin 14 Certain horse 23 24 25 race 15 Rocket type 26 27 28 29 30 31 16 Mekong River 33 34 32 land 17 Magnani of “The 36 37 35 Rose Tattoo” 18 Throws a party 39 40 38 20 Having a will 42 43 41 22 Kindling 23 Carnival sight 44 45 24 In good shape 26 Discuss, as 46 47 48 49 50 51 between enemies 55 52 53 54 28 Fourth down option 57 58 56 29 ___ judicata 32 At full throttle 60 61 59 33 Greek cheese Copyright ©2017 PuzzleJunction.com 34 Robe for Caesar 35 After gun or 56 Brightly colored 7 Baseball’s Master 30 Everglades wader compass fish Melvin 31 Billfish 36 Sprout 8 Rough stuff 57 Bluish greens 33 Heartthrob 37 Island in 9 Roman goddess of 34 Orange relative 58 Costner role Micronesia good luck 59 Filly’s father 37 Green 38 Irish river 10 Oxlike antelope 60 Circumvent 39 Sovereign 39 Ocean menace 11 Port ___, Egypt 61 While lead-in 42 Maui dance 40 Choler 12 Top-notch 43 Puddinglike 41 Soak flax 13 Cold war initials Down dessert 42 Main Web page 19 Salon job 44 Church offering 43 Powerful 1 Boxer’s reach, e.g. 21 Concerning 46 Singer Tori 44 Receiving set 24 Sound system 2 “Rule Britannia” 47 South American 45 In the past necessity composer Indian 46 Number one 25 Top the 3 Safety harness 48 Bygone title Hun competition 4 Geographical 49 Qualm 49 Immature 26 Mill output boundary 50 Marked down 52 Chemical 27 Love, Italian-style 51 Orient 5 Easy on the eyes warfare agent 29 Teddy Roosevelt, 6 Mathematician 53 Food additive 55 Concept e.g.

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

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2017-2018 Cultural Enhancement Series Presents

R O B E R T

eich

OCTOBER 18, 2017 7:30 P.M. CST VAN METER HALL

Copyright ©2017 PuzzleJunction.com

FREE ADMISSION. Seating is on a first-come, first-served basis.

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OCTOBER 12, 2017 > WESTERN KENTUCKY UNIVERSITY

WKUHERALD.COM

PHOTO

A five-year resident of the McBride complex and a lifelong resident of Cairo, Ill., Shayla Brooker describes her home and community as close and supportive in times such as these. “I want stay in Cairo but have no choice,” Brooker said. “This is all my kids know and to uproot and move somewhere else is hard. This is our livelihood.”

THIS IS

CAIRO STORY AND PHOTOS BY ABIGAIL DOLLINS

S

ettled between the Ohio and Mississippi rivers, lies the southern-most city in the state of Illinois: Cairo. Cairo was once a home to over 15,000 people, but in 2014 the population was reported as 2,576.

Fifteen percent of this population lives in the Elmwood and McBride public housing units. A housing report shows` after years of neglect,

Edward Harris visits a friend at the soon-to-be demolished McBride complex, Sunday, October 8. Harris has grew up in Cairo, Ill., and has seen it transform into the town that it is today. “I’ve lived all around here,” Harris said. “I mean I’ve hopped from Chicago and all over but this is home.”

more than 1,300 health and safety issues remain at the housing complexes, including mold, infestation, lead paint and standing water.

The department of Housing and Urban Development has plans to demolish these units but not rebuild them, forcing generations of Cairo residents out of their homes.

This is Cairo and these are the faces that call it home.

Neighbors, Angela Mitchell (left) and Earlene Lyons (right), enjoy an evening on their front porches at the Elmwood apartment complex. Both Lyons and Mitchell have started looking for places to move. Lyons fears the unknown.

Although she is not a resident, DeShawna Washam brings her 5-month-old son, Devoe Johnson, to visit his dad at the Elmwood apartment complex. “I was born and raised here,” Washam said. “But there are really only a few people left.”

WKUHERALD.COM

LIFE

OCTOBR 12, 2017 > WESTERN KENTUCKY UNIVERSITY

Sara Volpi, WKU Literary Outreach and Southern Kentucky Book Fest Coordinator, introduces the panel of professionals to discuss the book and Netflix spinoff “13 Reasons Why” at Russell Miller Theater Tuesday night. SOPHIE KRAUS/HERALD

igniting awareness ‘13 Reasons Why’ sparks discussions on mental health

BY LAUREL DEPPEN HERALD.FEATURES@WKU.EDU

Each year, the Southern Kentucky Book Fest selects a novel to be read and discussed within the Bowling Green community as a part of their SOKY Reads! program. Their choice this year is Jay Asher’s “13 Reasons Why,” the book that inspired the hit Netflix series.

As part of the SOKY Reads! program, several different events centered around discussion of the novel have taken place. On Tuesday, a panel discussion was held at Russell Miller

Theater. A panel of professionals in the mental health field was asked to attend to comment on the dark nature of the novel and its Netflix adaptation. The panel wasn’t only meant for professionals to share their personal opinions on the story, but also for students to voice their opinions and ask questions regarding how mental health and suicide are dealt with in the novel and the series.

The hour-long discussion posed many different questions. The most prevalent was whether “13 Reasons Why” were more harmful or beneficial to young people. Panel members

and attendees raised arguments for and against the series. Some argued any show that begins discussion on mental health issues is beneficial, while others said the way it is presented is harmful because it seems to show a problem and offer no hope or solutions.

“There’s no helpful information in the book,” panelist Masami Matsuyuki said. “You need to have a support system, or if you don’t have a support system go to counselors, mental health professionals -- you need support to be able to use this information in a helpful way.”

The controversial nature of this piece of fiction is something that Sara Volpi, the literary outreach coordinator at WKU and Southern Kentucky Book Fest coordinator, said added to the importance of the discussions that were held at the panel.

“The commercial aspect of [the show] ended up overshadowing the real issue at hand which is that some people need to know that there are resources available …There is hope, and I think that Jay [Asher] when he wrote it initially, did want to share a message of hope … It is a very tough

SEE BOOK FEST PAGE B2

Tailgates to foster future connections Burgers to fly at Friday’s parade

BY LAUREL DEPPEN

HERALD.FEATURES@WKU.EDU

Before the big game on Oct. 14, students, their families and alumni are welcomed to socialize at several different tailgating tents on South Lawn.

Several different WKU organizations have begun planning for Saturday’s game and the tailgating opportunities that come with it. Many are offering games, food and scholarships, but amidst the fun is a social component that could lead to opportunities in the future.

“Our current students could definitely use this as a networking opportunity with our alumni base,” Caitlin Greenwell, the coordinator of constituent relations at the Manhurin Honors College, said. “I would suggest the students to just strike up conversation.”

The purpose of each tailgating tent is to bring people together in a fun and lighthearted atmosphere.

Blair Jensen, an assistant director in the department of Housing and Residence Life, emphasized the mission of organizations involved in the tailgating tents.

“Mostly the tailgate tent is about just providing opportunities for people to connect or reconnect in some cases …The whole point of it is that you’re continuing to foster a connection.”

Students looking to use this as a networking opportunity are encouraged to come out and meet people, according to Jensen.

BY SARAH YAACOUB HERALD.FEATURES@WKU.EDU

Falmouth sophomore Kenton Hornbeck attempts to catch a ball while holding a cup in his mouth during pregame tailgating Thursday on College Heights Boulevard. SHABAN ATHUMAN/HERALD “It’s not just about opportunities presented to [students] it’s as much about [prepping] a student to take advantage of those opportunities,” Jensen said. “I would want students to feel confident in attending some of the homecoming festivities and not being afraid to introduce themselves to alumni. At heart, you’re all Hilltoppers and if you have nothing else in common, you have that in common.

That can be a jumping off point.”

Departments such as Housing and Residence Life and the Honors College are not the only WKU organizations that will have a set-up. Several alumni organizations, including the Alumni Association and the Society

of African American Alumni, are also hosting a tailgate focused on bringing people together.

Colleges including The Gordon Ford College of Business and the College of Education and Behavioral Sciences also have events planned involving food and networking opportunities.

Through the fun and excitement of game-day, students, alumni, faculty and families are encouraged to connect and share their Topper pride.

Reporter Laurel Deppen can be reached at 270-745-2655 and laurel. deppen774@topper.wku.edu.

If you happen to see burger patties whirling through the air or precarious bubbling lawn mowers rolling by your feet at the Homecoming parade, do not be alarmed. It is the Ogden College float that’s coming your way.

Homecoming is an annual week of fun and festivities for WKU students and staff, with activities ranging from luncheons to tailgating to intramural sports, and of course culminating in the big game. The Homecoming parade, held this year at on Friday night, is among the most anticipated and prepared-for events of the series. It is a night filled with performances from the WKU Marching Band and floats prepared by the different colleges and organizations of WKU. Of all the floats at the parade, one stands out to most onlookers: the Ogden College float, which consists of a man on a trailer with a smoking grill throwing burgers at predetermined people—mostly faculty and alumni— along the route. Ogden faculty pushing plastic bubble mowers and push lawnmowers get in formation and perform drills at the shrill call of a whistle

SEE GRILL AND DRILL PAGE B2

OCTOBER 12, 2017

B2

ESLi classes to educate nonnative English speakers

BY NOAH MOORE HERALD.FEATURES@WKU.EDU From international festivals to refugee centers, Bowling Green distinguishes itself as a leading city regarding diversity. Although diversity is a critical component of the city’s makeup, many face difficulties in assimilating to U.S. culture. That’s where ESLi comes in.

ESLi, or English as a Second Language International, is a program designed to help international students become fluent in English to be admitted into universities. Dawn Winters is the director of ESLi and has seen a tremendous impact on students from the many classes offered.

ESLi was founded on WKU’s campus in 1999 when WKU had almost entirely domestic students. Over the past 18 years, ESLi President T. Ryan

“The students are so engaged in the material because it directly impacts their day-to-day lives,” Winters said. “They all clearly enjoy being in the class. It’s amazing to see how their English has improved on a collective and individual basis.”

Senior director of academics Dawn Winters

Hall has witnessed the shift of the university from a commitment to internationalization.

“When ESLi first came to campus, internationalization was in its nascent stages,” Hall said. “Most of the services on campus were designed

BOOK FEST

Continued from b1

show, but it is bringing up conversations that I think needed to be had,” Volpi said.

The story has been widely referred to as triggering. Part of the SOKY Reads! program involves distributing free copies of the novel. While doing this, Volpi said she asked parents to read it before allowing their children to do so.

At the end of this discussion, Volpi and the panelists wanted to stress the importance of seeking help for mental health issues, even if finding help wasn’t presented well in “13 Reasons Why.” The Counseling and Testing Cen-

GRILL AND DRILL

Continued from b1

from the grilling man. When the trailer reaches the square, it stops to serve burgers to students and faculty members, who can adorn their sandwiches with the condiments available.

This routine is known the Ogden College Precision Grill and Drill Team, and it is by now an annual tradition at the parade. The idea was created in 2009 by Bruce Kessler as an innovative way to combine a love of grilling with comedian Dave Barry’s description of the Lawn Rangers, a precision power lawn mower drill team.

Although many new students often seem confused by the unlikely Homecoming scene, it has become a crowd favorite over the years. Unlike a traditional float, the trailer isn’t heavily decorated. It is simply preceded with a banner announcing it. Then the lawn mower drill team proceeds to add the flair.

Kessler is the man at the grill, and he has been since the start of the Grill and

for domestic students, and ESLi and WKU worked together to make WKU a more welcoming and effective environment for international students to come and study.”

The program has developed from 10 students to over 175, even with internationalization being on the decline as of late. The program’s evolution has been predicated by a yearning for helping motivated students.

“ESLi is dedicated to its core mission of serving students who have academic goals; however, we have plans to serve students who have language needs for different purposes, which is what this program aims to do,” Winters said.

This evolution has sparked new class opportunities for its students.

ESLi has innovated a BSA (Bachelor’s of Science and Arts) English class for Spanish-speakers, designed to help them further their reach in the business world through linguistic abilities. The reactions have been positive.

“The students are so engaged in the material because it directly impacts their day-to-day lives,” Winters said. “They all clearly enjoy being in the class. It’s amazing to see how their English has improved on a collective and individual basis.”

This program, if successful, could lay the framework for new classes for non-English speaking students in a path to fluency for the ESLi program.

With a new university president and a changing national climate, ESLi is orienting their goals in new ways.

“My hope for ESLi on WKU’s campus is to continue to build relationships with departments and campus leaders to help achieve international goals. I would like for ESLi and WKU to work closely together, just as we always have, to develop new strategies and innovations to serve the ever-important international student population,” Hall said.

ESLi stays true to its core mission of serving students who have academic goals and will continue to have a direct impact on the students’ quality of life and goals, whether it be in the classroom or the world itself.

Reporter Noah Moore can be reached at 270-745-2655 and noah. moore768@topper.wku.edu. Follow him on Twitter @noah_moore18. ter, which offers many psychological services to WKU students, is located in room 409 in Potter Hall. Panelist Brian Lee also encouraged people struggling to seek help from the community and to be aware of instant anonymous, services such as the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (1-800-273-8255) and the Crisis Text Line (741741).

More events based on “13 Reasons Why” will continue during the rest of the SOKY Reads! program. Author Jay Asher will be reading from the book, speaking about it and signing copies Oct. 21 at SKyPAC.

Reporter Laurel Deppen can be reached at 270-745-2655 and laurel. deppen774@topper.wku.edu.

Drill Team. He said the absurdity of the idea is part of the fun—seeing the department head of mathematics grilling in the middle of the parade, flanked by professors and their mowers, is a sight unique to the Ogden College float at the homecoming parade.

“We do have a great time...people really seem to enjoy the ridiculousness of having lawnmowers in the parade,” said Kessler.

Among the other Ogden staff organizing the float is Melanie Redden.

Redden, a communications specialist at Ogden College, is in her first year helping with the Grill and Drill Team, and she said the involvement of the faculty adds to the hilarity of the float.

“It’s so funny for the students because they see their biology, chemistry and math professors pushing lawnmowers through the parade,” Redden said.

Reporter Sarah Yaacoub can be reached at sarah.yaacoub214@topper. wku.edu and 270-745-2655. Follow her on Twitter at @sarahyaacoub1.

COLLEGE HEIGHTS HERALD

B3

COLLEGE HEIGHTS HERALD

OCTOBER 12, 2017

Illustration By: Jennifer King

Domestic Violence Awareness Month receives attention

BY GRIFFIN FLETCHER HERALD.FEATURES@WKU.EDU

Barren River Area Safe Space, or BRASS, is a domestic violence shelter located in Bowling Green.

Since its creation in 1980, BRASS has served Warren County and its nine surrounding counties by providing shelter and assistance to victims of domestic abuse.

In a combined effort to support and honor these victims, BRASS teamed up with local organizations Hope Harbor, whose focus is on sexual assault prevention, and the FFOYA House, a non-profit community arts venue, last year to construct a joint project wherein survivors of domestic abuse and sexual assault would be welcomed to attend art workshops held at the FFOYA House.

The organizations were able to secure an Art Meets Activism grant from the Kentucky Foundation for Women, which funded and made possible their vision.

With the goal to empower victims of abuse through the expression of art and writing and the development of creativity, workshops were held in both August and September, and several more will be offered in the spring.

FFOYA House co-founder and WKU professor of journalism Amanda Crawford is the lead artist on the project and led various joint art-writing workshops this fall.

Crawford views artistic expression as a beneficial way to find strength in oneself and to healthily recover from emotional and physical trauma. “[Art] can be healing. It can also be empowering,� Crawford said. “Being creative and using your creativity can inspire you to do new things.�

As part of the BG Gallery Hop and in commemoration of Domestic Violence Awareness Month, the partnered organizations will host an art, literature and music show on Friday, Oct. 13 at the FFOYA House community arts venue. It will include the art and writing of survivors and volunteers who participated in sessions of the fall workshops, along with the

work of various local writers, musicians and artists.

Though this will be the second-annual Domestic Violence Awareness Month show hosted at the FFOYA House, Crawford notes that “survivors are intrinsically connected� to this year’s adaptation, given the new inclusion of survivors’ artwork.

The event will begin at 5 p.m. with the BG Gallery Hop art display, which will include examples of murals, self-portraits and literature. Around 6 p.m., featured readers will share a variety of poetry and prose, and interested visitors will be welcomed to read personal material by way of an open mic. A printed zine featuring the work displayed at the Gallery Hop will be distributed during this time. A concert featuring the bands Wet-Eyed Liars of Bowling Green and Chew of Atlanta will close out the night from 8-10 p.m.

As opposed to a cover charge, the event is free and welcome to all ages.

Donations of non-perishable canned goods and personal care items are encouraged and will be collected at the front door and contributed to BRASS. The FFOYA House will accept donations until next week.

Executive Director of BRASS, Tori Henninger, is excited to recognize the work of survivors and local artists within the Bowling Green community.

According to Henninger, BRASS served 405 women in its shelter last year and serves 35-40 domestic abuse victims in-shelter on a monthly basis. In its outreach, BRASS currently aids more than 2,600 people by way of residential services. “We provide comprehensive, wrap-around service to all victims,�

Henninger said. “We work to provide services through their victimization to become survivors.�

BRASS offers three primary services, including emergency shelter for victims in need of immediate protection, nonresidential services such as assistance in court and financial advising to those who qualify and housing assistance, wherein BRASS helps survivors find renting opportu-

nities and assists with utility deposits.

Though BRASS is located in Bowling Green, representatives travel to each of the other nine counties within BRASS’ jurisdiction at least every other week.

These representatives provide outreach service by means of educating victims on what makes a healthy relationship and how to parent effectively. “Our mission, in summation, is to provide services to victims of domestic violence so that they can be survivors living a life free from abuse,�

Henninger said.

Through its partnership with the FFOYA House and Hope Harbor, BRASS hopes to raise greater awareness among the public of Bowling Green. “Domestic violence is a crime that does not discriminate, and the more people that we can reach out to with

community awareness gives us a greater chance of reaching out to a victim of domestic violence,� Henninger said.

A survivor of domestic abuse herself, Crawford supports BRASS and its mission. “One of the reasons I personally support BRASS is I’ve been where these women are,� Crawford said.

Because Crawford has experienced domestic abuse and realizes the importance of public understanding, she hopes Friday night’s show can inspire others and rightfully celebrate the spirit of countless survivors. “People should take the opportunity of Domestic Violence Awareness Month to help out their local shelter,�

Crawford said. “It’s important to remember that they’re there.�

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

THE GREAT ESCAPE BOWLING GREEN presents another amazing sale:

25¢ ALL-MUSIC SIDEWALK SALE SAT, 10/14 (10 a.m. - 5 p.m.)

WKU Surplus Online Auction!

Surplus items to be auctioned will include YHKLFOHV KRPH DQG RIÀFH IXUQLWXUH RIÀFH VXSSOLHV HOHFWURQLFV ERRNV ÀOLQJ FDELQHWV DUW UXJV HWF 7R YLHZ DQG ELG RQ LWHPV JR WR ZZZ JRYGHDOV FRP 4XDUWHUO\ online auctions last 2 weeks and will be held on October 15th, -DQXDU\ WK $SULO WK DQG -XO\ WK

THOUSANDS of Vinyl LPs, 45s & 78s, CDs, Cassette Tapes, Magazines & 8-tracks will be offered for the ridiculously low price of only

25¢ EACH on our sidewalk!

Also: 20% OFF ALL MUSIC ITEMS INSIDE THE STORE (10 a.m. - 9 p.m.)

Video Games, DVDs, VHS, Books, Posters, Apparel, etc.-if it’s music-related, it‘s 20% off! (Come early! Come often! Fresh stock added regularly during sale hours!) And, all Music Supplies will be 20% off! (Boxes, bags, inner & outer sleeves and more!)

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OCTOBER 12, 2017

B4

COLLEGE HEIGHTS HERALD

Lady Toppers trying to find back of the net

BY CASEY MCCARTHY HERALD.SPORTS@WKU.EDU The Lady Topper soccer team is still looking to end its scoreless stretch as it heads into a pair of matches at home this weekend. WKU (3-8-1, 0-4-1) will host Florida Atlantic on Friday at 6 p.m. at the WKU Soccer Complex before facing Florida International on Sunday at 1 p.m.

WKU has gone 680 minutes of game time without scoring, with seven consecutive matches played without a goal. Their last goal came Sept.

3 against Evansville, when junior Megan Morris found the back of the net in the 75th minute.

WKU last played Friday night, Oct. 6 in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, against Middle Tennessee State, losing 1-0. The Lady Toppers outshot the Blue Raiders 17-7 (8-3 on goal) in the match but were unable to match Peyton Depriest’s goal in the 16th minute.

The Lady Toppers were able to apply plenty of pressure to the MTSU defense but failed to convert any of their opportunities.

The team was scheduled to play Alabama-Birmingham on Sunday, Oct. 8, but the match was canceled due to inclement weather from Hurricane Nate. The match was initially pushed up from 1 p.m to 11 a.m. to avoid the weather but was still unable to be played.

WKU has five games left on its schedule this season and will look to secure its first conference win this weekend. The Lady Toppers will look to build momentum Friday against FAU as they approach the final stretch of the season.

FAU (7-6-2, 2-3-1) is coming off a heartbreaking 3-2 defeat at the hands of Charlotte on Sunday, Oct. 8, a match the Owls led 2-0 in the second half.

Redshirt junior Sarah Gorham jumps to head the ball during the game against Vanderbilt Sept. 8 at the WKU Soccer Complex.

In their upcoming game Friday, the Lady Toppers are looking to score their first goal since Sept. 3. SILAS WALKER/HERALD Pernille Velta, a sophomore forward from Norway, leads the Owls this season with 10 points (3 goals, 4 assists). Ebba Blomqvist, a junior defender from Sweden, leads the Owls in scoring with four goals this season so far.

Blomqvist was named Sun Conference Player of the Year in 2017, while playing for Keiser University, and led the team to two consecutive titles.

WKU last played FAU Oct. 14, 2016, in Boca Raton, Fla. The Lady Toppers lost the match 1-0.

WKU will close the weekend stretch against Florida International on Sunday. FIU (1-9-0, 0-5-0) has also struggled this season, with only three goals this season.

The Panthers’ lone win came on an own goal against Jacksonville on Sept. 3, winning 1-0. The team last played on Sunday, Oct. 8, losing 2-0 against Old Dominion.

Senior forward, Courtney Phillips leads the Panthers with two points (1 goal) on the season. Phillips leads FIU this season in shots with 18 on

the year.

WKU has three players with over 18 shots on the season, with Sarah Gorham leading the team with 25, Chandler Backes with 24 and Hannah Chua with 19.

The Lady Toppers defeated the Panthers in its last matchup on Oct. 16, 2016, in Miami, Florida, winning 1-0.

Reporter Casey McCarthy can be reached at (270)-929-7795 and casey. mccarthy573@topper.wku.edu.

WKU hoops set for Hilltopper Hysteria

BY TYLER MANSFIELD & JEREMY CHISENHALL HERALD.SPORTS@WKU.EDU WKU’s annual tipoff event for both its men’s and women’s basketball teams, Hilltopper Hysteria, will take place Friday evening at Diddle Arena.

Hysteria, which is designed to excite fans for the upcoming Hilltopper and Lady Topper basketball seasons, will begin at 7 p.m. with introductions of the women’s program and a scrimmage.

Introductions of the men’s program are slated for 7:30 p.m. After the Hilltoppers are introduced, both teams are then scheduled to participate in the annual Shooting Stars Challenge.

The Hilltoppers will scrimmage afterward.

Hilltopper Hysteria will provide the first look at the WKU men’s team since its trip to Costa Rica in August.

It’ll also be the unveiling of Rick Stansbury’s second team as head coach of the Hilltoppers.

Following last year’s edition of Hysteria, WKU posted a season record of 15-17.

But Friday will give fans an almost entirely new look as debut eight newcomers — a group of young players that garnered national recruiting attention — will be introduced to the crowd at Diddle for the first time in the red and white.

The WKU recruiting class was ranked in ESPN’s top 10 before the loss of five-star center Mitchell Robinson.

Stansbury’s 2017 class includes four freshmen: guards Josh Anderson, Taveion Hollingsworth and Jake Ohmer and forward Marek Nelson. It also consits of four transfers: graduate transfer guard Darius Thompson, graduate transfer forward Dwight

Coleby, redshirt junior guard Lamonte Bearden and redshirt sophomore forward Moustapha Diagne.

This year will be the final Hilltopper Hysteria for senior forward Justin Johnson, the only returning starter for WKU. Johnson has eclipsed 1,000 points, totaling 1,120 in his career at WKU. He is 302 rebounds away from eclipsing the 1,000 rebound mark as well. Johnson recorded exactly 302 rebounds last year, a career-high.

He led all of Conference USA in rebounds and double-doubles a season ago and has played in 30-plus games in all three seasons at WKU. The event will also serve as a warmup for a lot of early home games in Diddle Arena this year. The Hilltoppers will play their first five games at home, including exhibitions, and will play 18 home games in total this season, meaning they’ll spend over half of their regular season at home. Last season, WKU posted an 11-3 record at home.

WKU’s first exhibition after Hysteria will be on Nov. 1 against Campbellsville in Diddle Arena.

Similar to the men’s squad, the WKU women’s team also features a majority of newcomers. Head coach Michelle Clark-Heard’s sixth Hysteria will introduce eight new Lady Toppers, which includes five freshmen, a sophomore and two transfers.

WKU’s freshmen class consists of Elizabeth Anderson, Raneem Elgedawy, Sherry Porter, Terri Smith and Nichel Tampa. Rounding out the newcomers for Clark-Heard’s 201718 club is sophomore Arame Niang and juniors Alexis Brewer and JaNoah Daniels.

“The adjustment has been great.

We have a lot of new faces and a lot of new things to teach,” Clark-Heard said on Tuesday. “We’re really proud

Correction A story which ran in the Oct. 10 edition of the Herald, “Attendance numbers down at WKU and across C-USA” said the attendance number for WKU’s home game against Vanderbilt in 2016 was 26,717. The actual attendance number was 23,674. This error has been corrected in the online version of the story. The Herald regrets the error.

of Ivy [Brown] and Tashia [Brown] for stepping up and trying to put our players in the best position so they can understand and know what’s going to happen in the next month or so.”

A pair of returning All-C-USA selections, Ivy and Tashia Brown enter their senior seasons as the two primary leaders of WKU’s team.

Ivy Brown, who was named First Team All-C-USA after averaging 13.1 points and 8.2 rebounds per game during her junior season, was named the Co-Most Valuable Player at the team’s postseason banquet.

Named Second Team All-C-USA after scoring 13.4 points per game -including being named to the C-USA All-Tournament Team after averaging 13.4 points over three games -Tashia Brown said that she expects a lot of the newcomers.

“Each one of our freshmen has their own capabilities,” Brown said.

“They’re very talented and very quick. Sherry [Porter] has done a great job. Sidnee [Bopp] had a good finish last year, and it has carried over into this year.”

WKU finished 27-7 overall, and 16-2 in C-USA play a season ago, sweeping both the regular-season

and conference tournament championship in the process. The Lady Toppers also reached the NCAA Tournament for the third time under Clark-Heard.

WKU will be away from Diddle Arena more than it’s there this season.

The Lady Toppers open it’s season at home Nov. 2 against Union University (Tenn.), but won’t play again in Bowling Green until Nov. 14 in a marquee matchup versus national powerhouse Notre Dame. Following that contest, WKU doesn’t play another home game until Nov. 30.

With just 13 home games in 201718, WKU will play 17 of its games on the road. Last season, the Lady Toppers posted a 9-3 record away from Diddle Arena while winning 14 games – with just one loss – in Bowling Green.

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

Reporter Tyler Mansfield can be reached at 270-935-0007 and tylermansfield@yahoo.com. Follow him on Twitter at @_TylerMansfield.

COLLEGE HEIGHTS HERALD

OCTOBER 12, 2017

B5 COLLINS

Continued from b6 primary punter for 11 of the 14 games and earned All-Conference USA Freshman Team en route to WKU’s 2015 Conference USA Championship run.

Collins finished his first active season with a 41.7-yard average, tying for sixth in school history for yardsper-punt average. He also served as the team’s placeholder on field goals.

“I just grabbed an opportunity and got on the field any way I could,” Collins said of his runaway success.

“I started holding that year too. Garret [Schwettman] said he wanted to get me in there instead of [Brandon] Doughty so he could get some work in during practice.”

A year later, Collins continued his success and found himself on the Ray Guy Award Watch List, an award for the nation’s best punter, for the second time heading into the season. After claiming the third-best single-season mark in school history with an increased 42.7 yard-per-punt average and booting a career-long 60-yarder at Florida Atlantic, Collins earned 2016 All Conference USA Second Team and 2016 CampusInsiders. com All-Sophomore All-American Team honors.

But even beyond the perfection of his on-field craft, Collins’ unique value to his team is further illustrated by his presence in the locker room.

“Jake’s a guy that wants to do whatever it takes on the field and also wants to have the team’s back,” redshirt junior kicker Ryan Nuss said.

“That’s the type of person he is on

VOLLEYBALL

Continued from b6

while allowing opponents a .223 hitting percentage.

For her performance in last week’s pair of conference matches, Alyssa Cavanaugh earned C-USA Offensive

FOOTBALL

Continued from b6

an opportunity to have the breakout game Hilltopper fans have been anticipating against Charlotte. The 49ers are giving up over 30 points a game this season and have given up at least 24 in each contest. However, Charlotte is coming off its best defensive performance of the season in a 14-3 loss to Marshall while

and off the field, and he will literally help you with anything. It’s good to have a teammate like that, and he’ll be a friend for a very long time.”

Nuss started his career at WKU at the same time as Collins, and before winning the starting kicker job prior to the start of this season, he was in constant competition with other

doing something wrong with kicking, he can be like, ‘Hey your plant foot is not up enough, or you need to get the ball up a little bit more.’ He’s just a leader on the field and off the field as well.”

Looked upon now as a veteran upperclassman, Collins has been one of the steadying hands for WKU in

“Jake’s a guy that wants to do whatever it takes on the field and also wants to have the team’s back. That’s the type of person he is on and off the field, and he will literally help you with anything.

It’s good to have a teammate like that, and he’ll be a friend for a very long time.”

Redshirt junior kicker Ryan Nuss

ways went back and forth with St. X and Trinity just about every day, and I mean I love him a lot. I know he put a lot of faith in me and trust in me. I can’t pay him back enough for that.

He gave me my opportunity, and I’ll be grateful for that forever.”

Collins earned another Ray Guy Award Watch List tab this preseason and has been more active — and thus more important — this season for the Hilltoppers than ever before.

Through five games, Collins has already punted 26 times including six critical punts for an average of 52 yards and a touchback in last week’s 15-14 win over Texas-El Paso.

“My goal is for Jake to not have to play so much,” Sanford said with a smile. “That’s my job offensively for us to keep Jake over there as the number one leader and cheerleader, inactive except for on PAT’s and field goals.”

Collins is graduating with a degree in exercise science in the spring and plans to enter into WKU’s MBA program while he plays out his last year of eligibility in 2018. As for any future kicking plans, he calls it “a dream” but said that if professional goals don’t work out, he will be “grateful” for his time on the Hill.

“The biggest thing I’ve learned is just to be available and any opportunity that comes up, just jump on it.”

placekickers, including Collins himself.

“There was a time there where we were competing each day and … every competition breeds success for everybody,” Nuss said about competing with Collins early on. “Him being the punter now, he knows that if I’m

the transition from the Brohm era to Sanford and his staff.

Brohm, an alumnus of Collin’s St. Xavier arch-rival Trinity High School, is the coach Collins credits for allowing him to arrive where he is today.

“I had a really good relationship with him,” he said of Brohm. “We al-

Player of the Week honors. The award is the second of the year for Cavanaugh and the fifth of the senior’s career.

Cavanaugh’s most notable performance came against Southern Miss, where she tallied 24 kills – just two shy of her career high – as the Lady

Toppers defeated the Golden Eagles 3-0 for their conference-record 30th straight win over conference foes.

Friday’s match at UAB is slated for a 7 p.m. start while start time for Sunday’s match at FIU will begin at noon.

The Lady Toppers will return home Oct. 20 to kick off another four-game

homestand against Texas-El Paso.

WKU managed just 15 points against a winless UTEP team. Sanford mentioned he hopes to get more downfield throws on Saturday. Redshirt senior quarterback Mike White is averaging just over 10 yards per completion in 2017 after averaging over 15 yards per completion last season.

“Lately, we’ve been working on... beating the press man and getting downfield,” redshirt freshman wide receiver Xavier Lane said. “We just

have some little things to work on.

We’re not perfect. I feel like we just have to come together, and when we do, we’ll rise to the top. I think we’re close to busting open.”

The Hilltoppers and 49ers kick off at 3:30 p.m. Saturday at HouchensSmith Stadium. It will be the first time the two programs have ever faced off.

“For us, the theme this week is to continue to find ways to win,” Sanford said.

“We all want style points. I want to score a lot more points than we are.

But number one, we have to accomplish the mission of winning football games. We have a chance to push our winning streak to three.”

Sports Editor Evan Heichelbech can be reached at 502-415-1817 and evan.heichelbech059@topper.wku. edu. Follow him on Twitter at @evanheich.

Reporter Clay Manlove can be reached at 270-724-9620 or at clayton.manlove475@topper.wku.edu.

Follow him on Twitter at @ctmanlove58.

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

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OCTOBER 12, 2017 > WESTERN KENTUCKY UNIVERSITY

WKUHERALD.COM

SPORTS

» Topic: Men’s and women’s hoops kickoff Hilltopper Hysteria Friday night

WKU to face winless Charlotte

BY SAM PORTER HERALD.SPORTS@WKU.EDU

For the second week in a row, the WKU football team will play against a Conference USA opponent without a single victory this year.

The Hilltoppers host Charlotte Saturday for their homecoming matchup in a C-USA East showdown. The 49ers enter the game 0-6, including a 35-31 loss to North Carolina A&T of the FCS level. Charlotte, which many polls have ranked at the bottom of the nation, lost its first four games by an average of 24.25 points. However, the 49ers have kept things interesting in their first two C-USA games, only losing by one point to Florida International and 11 to Marshall in their last two outings. With a win, the Hilltoppers will improve to 4-2 overall which would top last year’s 3-3 start through the first half of the regular season.

“We’re really hoping for a packed house,” redshirt junior punter Jake Collins said Monday. “In the past, Homecoming has always been a really good turnout and we hope that’s the same. We want to run out of the tunnel and see a packed Houch.”

WKU, which ranks third in C-USA in scoring defense, allowing just 19 points per game and first against the run (122 yards per game), will get its first test against a true dual-threat quarterback this season. Charlotte quarterback Hasaan Klugh leads all C-USA quarterbacks in rushing yards with 301 and is averaging exactly 4.0 yards per carry to go along with five touchdowns. Klugh has accounted for all 10 of Charlotte’s touchdowns this season (five passing, five rushing). While he may be the most significant running threat out of all the quarterbacks in C-USA, Klugh’s performance through the air has been quite the opposite. Klugh ranks dead last among the 14 quarterbacks in C-USA in passing efficiency (89.1), throwing eight interceptions and completing less than 50 percent of his passes in 2017.

“They do have an athletic quarterback, and they like to mix it up with the run and pass,” WKU coach Mike Sanford said. “They run a similar scheme to what Nevada ran with Colin Kaepernick. A lot of pistol formations and zone reads. We have to play assignment football when they line up in those sets.”

While the defense has been the superior phase of the WKU football team in 2017, the offense will have

SEE FOOTBALL PAGE B5

Redshirt junior punter Jake Collins Kneels on the sidelines during WKU’s 20-7 loss to Illinois on Sept. 9. SILAS WALKER/HERALD

The opportunist Jake Collins has proven to be more than just an on-field specialist for WKU

BY EVAN HEICHELBECH HERALD.SPORTS@WKU.EDU Three falls ago, Jake Collins was a high school placekicker just looking for a chance to kick at the next level.

Two falls ago, he was a redshirt player who didn’t even go through fall camp.

This fall, Collins is one of WKU’s most important players, and he’s doing it from a position that oftenhas a minimal to average impact on the actual game.

Collins is a punter. His job is to switch the field position in favor of the Hilltoppers as best he can. But, if his team were playing as best as it possibly could, Collins would never even step foot on the field.

So how can someone with such an inverse relationship to his team’s success be so crucial to every win he and the Hilltoppers collect this season?

His head coach said it best, and he fit it all into one breath.

“Jake Collins might be one of our better leaders on the team, and he’s played at an exceptional level,” WKU head coach Mike Sanford said.

Coming out of Saint Xavier High School in Louisville, Collins was a placekicker willing to do anything to keep playing football. After having contact with both the University of Louisville and Kentucky, Collins had offers from Centre College and Morehead State heading into the last month of the spring 2014 recruiting period before signing day.

“I was getting recruited by a few other schools, but coach [Greg] Nord who is now the special teams coordinator at Florida came to St. X one day and hooked me,” Collins said. “The next week I was down here on my visit, and it doesn’t take much to fall in love with this place. I knew I wanted to be here.”

Nord served as the running backs coach under Jeff Brohm at WKU in 2014, and if it wasn’t for a family relationship (Nord’s nephew played at St. X with Collins), Collins may have never gotten a preferred walk-on opportunity at WKU. “So [Nord] was at all the games, and he said he liked what he saw. I just kept emailing coach Brohm, and I knew this was a place I could really

excel,” Collins said.

While Collins’ journey to get to the Hill was engineered in part by chance, his starting spot today is all traceable to his character.

After redshirting in 2014 as a preferred walk-on who didn’t go through fall camp, Collins said he still viewed himself mainly as a kicker and was kicking field goals, practicing kickoffs and punting in practice during his freshman season.

“Then the next camp we installed the rugby punt,” Collins said. “I was still doing all three: kicking field goals behind [Garret] Schwettman and competing with kickoffs with [Ryan] Nuss that second year, and I was also punting. And when they installed the rugby punt, [the coaches] asked, ‘Do you think you all can do it?’ and I was like, ‘Yes, yes, yes. Give me the opportunity.’ And I ran away with it and tried to perfect it as much as I could.

Since then it’s kind of taken off.”

Ever since the installation of the unconventional rugby punt, Collins installed his own presence into

SEE COLLINS PAGE B5

Lady Toppers gather momentum before road trip

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The Lady Toppers will leave Birmingham to travel to Greater Miami, Florida, on Sunday to face FIU, who sports a 2-10 record as they welcome in WKU. Junior outside/right side hitter Margherita Bianchin leads the Panthers offensively with 127 kills on the season on a .185 hitting clip. Senior outside hitter Taija Thomas follows close behind with 121 kills on a .170 hitting percentage. Freshman setter Aleksandra Grigoreva paces the Panthers with 231 assists.

Sophomore libero Helene Thelle leads the Panthers on defense with 165 digs while senior middle blocker Mariana De Paula Silva leads FIU with 34 blocks. The Panthers are hitting a dismal .164 on the season

SEE VOLLEYBALL PAGE B5

Yellow Tail

The Lady Topper volleyball team will be back on the road this weekend for a pair of conference matches against Alabama-Birmingham Friday and Florida International Sunday.

WKU brings massive momentum into the pair of Conference USA matches after a record-offensive performance over Austin Peay Tuesday evening, setting a new school record with a .549 hitting percentage in a 3-0 win over the Governors.

“We always pride ourselves in being able to come after you from multiple positions; that’s when we’re at our best,” WKU head coach Travis Hudson said Tuesday evening.

“We’ve had some nights where some

to go back out on the road.”

With the four-match home slate in the books, the Lady Toppers now must shift their focus to a pair of road games this weekend.

UAB welcomes in WKU with a 9-12 record and has dropped three of their last four matches.

The Blazers are led on the offensive side of the net by senior outside hitter Gabby Deshotel, who has 238 kills on a .202 hitting percentage in 2017.

Following Deshotel is senior outside hitter Haley Jared with 218 kills on a .179 hitting clip.

Junior libero Emily Martinez leads the Blazers on defense with 281 digs while junior middle blocker Victoria Young has 71.0 blocks to lead UAB. The Blazers are hitting at a .214 hitting clip as a team while holding opponents to a .196 percentage.

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individuals have had to carry us, but tonight was one of those nights that we did well offensively at multiple positions.”

Despite the offensive performance, Hudson was not pleased with how the defense started the match but saw the defensive kinks work themselves out as the game went on.

The Lady Toppers (19-2 overall, 5-0 C-USA) allowed a .296 hitting percentage in the first set but saw the Governors drop to a .200 clip after three sets.

“Every opportunity to get better on the defensive side of the ball is a good opportunity right now,” Hudson said. “Tonight I thought we got better as the match went on and we saw [Austin Peay’s] hitting percentage go down, and it was a great opportunity to work and get better before we have

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