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OPINION, PAGE A4
LIFE, PAGE B1 TTUESDAY, UESDAY, OCTOBER OCTOBER 111,1, 22016 016 > W WESTERN ESTERN KKENTUCKY ENTUCKY UUNIVERSITY NIVERSITY > VVOLUME OLUME 992, 2, IISSUE SSUE 1133
University questioned in new legal protest BY JACOB DICK HERALD.NEWS@WKU.EDU A second legal protest was filed Friday concerning WKU’s proposed sports medicine complex, claiming the process for bids unfairly favors Med Center Health, which owns The Medical Center at Bowling Green. The latest protest from Western Kentucky Orthopedics and Neurological Associates claims the bidding process for the project –– which includes the sport medicine complex project and long-term deal for medical services at the university –– was a copy of the previous deal between Med Center Health and WKU with the time frame of bids and requirements favoring one particular bidder. “With most of the same terms as the [Letter of Intent] –– as well as a vague scoring system that provides WKU broad discretion on selecting a winner –– the new process appears to use the guise of competitive procedures to legitimize an agreement already made by and between WKU and Medical Center: a 99-year, $22 million deal consummated behind closed doors without using legally-required open competitive processes,” WKONA’s representatives state in the protest. WKONA is affiliated with Graves-Gilbert Clinic, a large medical practice in Bowling Green which currently operates the on-campus health clinic at WKU. This is the second legal protest from WKONA WKU’s partnership with The Medical Center. Both protests were filed to the state Finance and Administration Cabinet on behalf of WKONA by Frost Brown Todd LLC. The protest also states WKONA doesn’t wish to block or delay construction of a sports facility, but is concerned with the deal’s compliance with federal laws against the benefit of private businesses with taxpayers’ money and a potential monopoly that may affect health care customers in Bowling Green. Jonathan Miller, government relations specialist at Frost Brown Todd, said his clients are not objecting to WKU receiving a facility but are concerned with the process so far. “We’re really hopeful this doesn’t
SEE PROTEST PAGE A2
Jineth Bedoya Lima, a Colombian journalist who was abducted in May 2000 and August 2003, receiveed the Fleischaker Greene Award for Courageous International Reporting on Tuesday, Oct. 4, at Ransdell Hall. EVAN BOGGS/HERALD
pain for peace Colombian jOURNALIST receives award for courage BY EMMA COLLINS HERLALD.NEWS@WKU.EDU
A
n award-winning Colombian journalist and Nobel Peace Prize nominee visited WKU last Tuesday, Oct. 4, to receive an award for her courageous reporting in war-torn Colombia. Jineth Bedoya Lima, a journalist from Bogotá, Colombia, was the first recipient of the Fleischaker/Greene Award for Courageous International Reporting. She has spent decades covering the 52-year long war between the Colombian government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, one of the country’s largest rebel groups. This award is one of several awards, including the International Women of Courage Award presented by the United States Department of Defense, that Bedoya has won in the past several years. During her speech Tuesday, she said awards such as the Fleischaker/Greene Award provide motivation for her to continue her work as a journalist and an activist.
“There is no greater award than one that we receive from those who will carry on with our arduous work of informing and communicating,” Bedoya said. Bedoya said her career as a journalist began nearly 20 years ago when narco trafficking was very prevalent in Colombia. One of her first experiences was in Bogota’s La Modelo prison which housed members of the country’s various paramilitary and guerrilla groups. She was the first journalist to provide the prisoners with a chance to discuss the human rights violations they experienced in the prison, and Bedoya said it was the experience with La Modelo’s prisoners that persuaded her to combine journalism with social activism. “I supported campaigns to teach [the prisoners] to read and write; I helped them produce a newspaper for the jail,” Bedoya said. “When I wasn’t in the combat zone covering the war, I went to the prison to give them writing, composition and photography classes.”
During her time at the prison, Bedoya said she discovered that members of the police and the army were working with prisoners in La Modelo to run the country’s largest illegal network of kidnapping and arms trafficking. Bedoya publicly criticized the illegal network in Bogota’s newspaper El Espectador, and members of the network retaliated. While visiting the prison on May 25, 2000, Bedoya was kidnapped from the prison entrance and driven two hours outside of the city where she was tortured and raped by three of her captors. Bedoya said she survived the attack, but it was difficult for her to continue to live. “I had two options: exile, the alternative that the Colombian state gave me, and suicide, which is what I wanted,” Bedoya said. “ A deep love led me to choose what saved my life: journalism.” After the kidnapping, Bedoya said she refused to view herself as a victim. Instead, she continued to place herself in danger as a journalist, and
SEE JOURNALISM PAGE A2
Election caravan from ONE nonprofit visits WKU BY MONICA KAST HERALD.NEWS@WKU.EDU
An election caravan, encouraging students to contact presidential and congressional candidates about ending extreme poverty, visited campus on Monday. At the ONE VOTE 16’ Caravan, students were able to register to vote, view virtual reality films about women living in extreme poverty and jump in an adult-sized bounce house. The caravan is part of a campaign put on by ONE, a nonprofit organization focused on “taking action to end extreme poverty and preventable diseases, particularly in Africa,” according to a press release from ONE. The ONE Vote ’16 campaign hopes to “engage students on issues of extreme poverty ahead of November’s election,” according to the press release. To enter the White House shaped bounce house, the ONE campaign asked students to fill out “ballots” outlining issues that were important to them. These ballots will be shared with the Trump and Clinton presidential campaigns. Maggie Bridges, the ONE Vote ‘16 campaign representative, said she felt the White House shaped bounce
house attracted many students to the election caravan, but also represented how citizens can get involved with issues important to them. “We want the next president to have a plan when he or she enters the White House,” Bridges said. “Therefore, we’re giving you the opportunity to fill out a postcard or ballot, as we’re calling it and prioritize the issues that are important to you. Then you’re able to enter the White House after you cast your ballot.” The election caravan was hosted in partnership with WKU’s chapter for Americans for Informed Democracy, or WKUAID, the Honors College and the Office of Scholar Development. Charlie Harris, a ONE representative and WKU graduate, said the campaign is asking constituents to get involved, and “write to candidates to end extreme poverty.” Harris said many students had stopped by to learn more and fill out ballots about issues important to them. “It’s good to see Hilltoppers taking action to end world poverty,” Harris said. Louisville freshman Chase Schnell said he was walking through the South Lawn area and decided to stop. While visiting the election caravan, Schnell registered to vote.
Senior Parker Smith watches a virtual reality video on Monday, Oct. 10 at South Lawn. The video shows what a day in the life of a woman living in extreme poverty experiences. Members of the group one.org are collecting signatures and engaging with voters to petition the presidential candidates to help people in extreme poverty. MATT LUNSFORD/HERALD “There’s a pretty low voting percentage, so I think it’s important for everyone to vote,” Schnell said. The election caravan, which began at the Republican National Convention and the Democratic National Convention, has been traveling since
then. Harris said it was at Vanderbilt University in Nashville on Friday, and would be traveling to Virginia next. Bridges said the campaign began by focusing on the presidential election, but also focuses on states that
SEE ONE VOTE PAGE A2
OCTOBER 11, 2016
A2 JOURNALISM Continued from FRONT
she spent most of her time in combat zones covering the armed conflict. “I lost count of the hundreds of dead that I saw in these decades, of all the stories that I found and wrote, of the immense pain that I tried to capture in my writing,” Bedoya said. In August 2009, nine years after her rape and six years after her second kidnapping in 2003, Bedoya decided to publicly discuss her kidnapping and rape for the first time. She started a campaign No Es Hora De Callar, or It is Not Time to Be Silent, and became a voice for other women who were also victims of sexual violence. Bedoya said the campaign has the support of Colombia’s most widely read newspaper, El Tiempo. It is also an internationally recognized initiative that encourages women to denounce all violence. Bedoya said she believes sharing her experience as a victim of violence and starting No Es Hora De Callar was necessary to help her country. “If I hadn’t raised my voice, if I hadn’t given my testimony about what happened, then I am sure the world would not know that today in Colombia sexual violence exists in the midst of the armed conflict,” Bedoya said. Bedoya’s speech, which was trans-
PROTEST
Continued from FRONT have to go through the whole legal process,” Miller, who was secretary of the Finance and Administration Cabinet from 2007-11 during the administration of former Gov. Steve Beshear and was the elected Kentucky state treasurer from 2000-2007, said. “This can be easily resolved so the university and students can have a facility they need.” In its “Statement of Protest” WKONA claims WKU is securing the new $22 million building by “bargaining away the health care right of students, faculty, staff and, indeed, the region.” The Request for Proposals released by WKU last month specifically mentions in a section of background information the university is self-insured through an employee health program, with Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield as a third-party administrator responsible for providing a network with contracts offering discounted prices. Miller said a potential monopoly with Med Center Health at the center could negatively affect students and employees de-
COLLEGE HEIGHTS HERALD
lated by Spanish professor Melissa Stewart, received a standing ovation from the audience gathered in Ransdell Hall. President Gary Ransdell and Loup Langton, director of the School of Journalism and Broadcasting, described Bedoya’s visit to WKU as a true honor. “We’ve had a lot of business on our campus this year, but the honor of being part of this ceremony tonight is something that I hold very dear and that’s very special,” Ransdell said. Langton praised Bedoya’s commitment to the people of Colombia and her unwavering courage throughout her career. “She embodies everything a journalist should aspire to hold: a sense of dedication, professionalism, fairness, a deep rooted caring for others, particularly those who are most vulnerable and, of course, great courage,” Langton said. The award was given by the Fleischaker/Greene Fund for Excellence in First Amendment Issues at Western Kentucky University which was started in 2008 by Jon Fleischaker and Kim Greene. It was presented to Bedoya by Fleischaker, Greene and Ransdell. “Jon and I have long been believers in the importance and the power of a strong and independent news media,” Greene said during the pre-
sentation. “Of course, a news organization can only be as strong, it can only be as effective as its individual journalists.” Greene said Bedoya was chosen as the recipient of the award because of her commitment to the people of Colombia and because of the courage she has shown when faced with “incredible, personal peril.”
spite the university’s program. “Anytime a provider is pushed out of network, it can affect the price consumers pay,” Miller said. “For WKU students, especially on Medicaid, out of network costs could be prohibitive.” In an email, Director of Media Relations Bob Skipper shared a statement from WKU on the filing of WKONA’s second legal protest.
The original protest filed on Friday, Sept. 16, claims procurement laws and regulations to promote fairness and transparency weren’t followed in the execution of the deal with The Medical Center in August. WKU decided to withdraw its deal with The Medical Center and issue a Request for Proposals Sept. 20 after the state Capital Projects and Bond Oversight Committee in Frankfort told Pres-
If I hadn’t raised my voice...then I am sure the world would not know that today in Colombia sexual violence exists in the midst of the armed conflict.” Colombian journalist Jineth Bedoya Lima Bedoya was also nominated for this year’s Nobel Peace Prize. The winner was announced Friday, Oct. 7. Bedoya did not win; however, her fellow countryman, current Colombian president Juan Manuel Santos, did receive the award. Santos recently negotiated a peace accord between FARC and the Colombian government. If passed, the accord would have ended the Western Hemisphere’s longest war. Instead, Colombians voted earlier this
Anytime a provider is pushed out of network, it can affect the price consumers pay.” Frost Brown Todd’s government relations specialist Johnathan Miller “Since we are in an active bid process which may include multiple bidders, we will refrain from further comment on this; other than to clarify that this process in no way affects in-network providers or limits healthcare choices for faculty and staff.”
ONE VOTE
Continued from FRONT have open House of Representative and Senate seats. “We want all the elected officials to have a plan to fight extreme poverty when they enter office, whether that be the president, whomever he or she is, or whether it be the new House representative or senator,” Bridges said. Bridges said the ONE Vote campaign has recent-
month to reject the peace accord. Ariel Griffin, a sophomore from Madison, Mississippi, said she was also inspired by Bedoya’s commitment and courage. As a photojournalism major, Griffin said she aspires to be like Bedoya and focus on human rights issues. “That’s what I want to do, you know, have a voice for people who
ident Gary Ransdell and university administrators the deal might be tabled and a bidding process would be preferable Ransdell previously said the Capital Projects and Bond Oversight Committee would hear the bid proposals for the project by Tuesday,
ly been focusing on college campuses because of the “automatic foot traffic.” “On all college campuses, it seems like from what I’ve been able to tell here, students are really receptive to what we’re doing,” Bridges said. Bridges said she felt like college students were interested in getting involved with “things that matter,” even if they have never experienced those things, like extreme poverty, specifically. Bridges said the virtual reality trailer helped people see what it’s like to experience those things daily.
don’t have voices,” Griffin said. Griffin said hearing Bedoya’s story showed her the dangerous part of journalism, which is something she had never considered. “It’s scary, but at the same time somebody has to do it,” Griffin said.
Reporter Emma Collins can be reached at 270-745-6011 and emma. collins399@topper.wku.edu. Follow her on Twitter at @thebest_dilemma.
Oct. 18, but the due date for bids was set for Tuesday, Nov. 1 when the RFP was released. The Herald previously reported on a heated discussion at the Board of Regents committee meeting on Wednesday, Sept. 21, over the RFP process for the project. At that meeting, Regent John Ridley complained that he felt the timeline for the deal had been manipulated with such a short timetable for submitting proposals. “I don’t see how anyone is prepared to make a competitive bid when it has taken the person that we have structured this around months to make the deal happen,” Ridley said during the meeting. WKONA is requesting the Finance and Administration Cabinet halt the deal under the condition of the RFP at this time. Miller said the cabinet could take one or two months of deliberation before a decision is reached.
Reporter Jacob Dick can be reached at 270-745-6011 and jacob.dick@ wku.edu. Follow him on Twitter at @ jdickjournalism.
The ONE Vote ’16 campaign focuses in on extreme poverty and making that issue a priority with elected officials. “No matter who is elected, they should realize that these issues are important and prioritize them,” Bridges said.
Reporter Monica Kast can be reached at 270-7456011 or monica.kast187@topper.wku.edu. Follow her on Twitter at @monicakastwku.
CRIME REPORTS • Louisville junior Daniel Aroh reported on Oct. 5 about the theft and damage to his property, valued at $1030 • Bowling Green senior Jacob Starks was arrested on Oct. 6 and charged for Alchol Intoxication of the first offense. • Shanghai, China junior, Hao Hu reported on Oct. 8 his cell phone was stolen after allowing a subject to borrow it, valued at $550. • Bowling Green sophomore Francisco Serrano reported on Oct. 9 that occupants of a black Hyundai Tiburon threw a cup at him and his girlfriend while calling them racial slurs on Oct. 5.
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OCTOBER 11, 2016
COLLEGE HEIGHTS HERALD
SGA awards first desktop in computer program BY JAMIE WILLIAMS
HERALD.NEWS@WKU.EDU The Student Government Association presented the first desktop of its Earn-A-Computer program last Tuesday to a junior. Bobby Scott of Nashville received the iMac computer for free after completing 35 hours of community service. Scott worked with the Intercultural Engagement Center on campus and with children at Warren Elementary School to complete his hours of service. “My fraternity and some of the friends that I have, we go out and we kind of just spend time with the kids,” Scott said. “We take pride in showing
them the way and helping them live the dream that they want to live.” He encourages others to participate in the program not only to earn the computer, but to reach out and mentor young children as well. Scott, a computer information technology major, says his new computer will be vital to continued success in his schoolwork. His last computer recently crashed, and without the program he would have needed to buy a brand new computer. “I want to thank you guys for giving it to me, because I was definitely in need of a computer for my major,” Scott said as he addressed the SGA last Tuesday. “I appreciate it a lot.”
The SGA has worked with WKU Resource Conservation and WKU Information Technology to provide the computers to students who give back to the community. According to the SGA’s website, WKU Surplus routinely receives computers that are no longer supported by the IT department, but they can still be refurbished with minimal effort. “It’s a really cool program,” Josh Knight, SGA’s director of academic and student affairs, said. “It’s a way for the university to take equipment that they’re not using anymore, but has the latest software and is still in great shape, and it gets into the hands of students who could really use it.”
Murphy Burke, SGA’s director of public relations, stated in an email the SGA anticipates awarding 20 refurbished computers to students who complete the same community service requirements as Scott. These students’ applications have been approved by the SGA, but their laptops have not yet been fully refurbished. Currently, applications for computers are closed, but they will reopen next semester as more computers are refurbished.
Reporter Jamie Williams can be reached at 270-745-6011 and jamie. williams539@topper.wku.edu.
Rand Paul talks small government, socialism BY EMMA COLLINS
HERALD.NEWS@WKU.EDU United States Senator Rand Paul visited WKU’s main campus on Monday, Oct. 3, for a brief visit with students before heading back out on the campaign trail for the upcoming election. Paul, who is running against current Lexington mayor Jim Gray for a seat in the U.S. Senate, spent about 30 minutes speaking to a crowd of around 100 students gathered in the auditorium in Grise Hall. Paul spoke primarily about the downfalls of socialism while emphasizing the need for a smaller government. Paul also addressed a common concern among university students: the rising price of college. Unlike some of the politicians who have recently appealed to college-aged voters, Paul rejected the idea of free college. He said someone has to pay for college, and if the students are not paying for their education, other taxpayers will have to bear the cost. “I think that we are mistaking the debate sometimes by saying, ‘Well, college should be free,’” Paul said. Instead of looking for a solution to the increased cost of education, Paul suggested first finding the cause of the increase in tuition prices. He said one of the reasons the price of education has increased is because of a lack of competition in the education market. “If you have competition in the marketplace, you will get a reasonable price,” Paul said. “You don’t get a reasonable price when you exclude peo-
ple from the marketplace.” Paul accused the administration of President Barack Obama of harming the marketplace by inhibiting the success of both online and private colleges. He said both types of college were necessary to keep the price of public universities low. Paul said the education market was also compromised by barriers to entry, restrictions on supply and a subsidized demand. He said he believes there is too much emphasis on attending college and not enough emphasis on enrolling at a trade school as an alternative to college. “I went to college, I went to medical school, I’ve succeeded and I want you guys to succeed, but I also am not foolish enough to think that everybody should go to college,” Paul said. “We sort of downplay some professions at the expense of others.” Throughout his speech, Paul made multiple references to former Democratic presidential nominee Bernie Sanders. During his campaign earlier this year, Sanders appealed to college-age voters with his talk of what Paul referred to as “democratic socialism.” Paul said even Sanders’ idea of socialism is harmful to a country because of the large amount of power it gives to the government and the very small amount of freedom it allows the average person to have. He referred to the history of socialism as a “history of basically failure” because of the levels of poverty and violence found in socialist countries such as Cuba and the
former Soviet Union. “It’s not an accident that we have violence associated with socialism,” Paul said. Sam McFarland, an emeritus professor of psychology, questioned why Paul chose to use only countries such as Cuba, China and the former Soviet Union when discussing socialism. McFarland said the Scandinavian countries in Northern Europe also have socialist governments and have had as much success as the United States. “Every study shows [Scandinavians] are both healthier and happier and give more of their money than Americans,” McFarland said. Paul said although the Scandinavian countries do have some form of socialism, they are not purely socialist countries. Instead, they are a mix of capitalism and socialism. Paul said it is the presence of some capitalism that allows Scandinavia to be successful. “Socialism doesn’t work, and if you fix the price of anything, you will have either glut or shortages,” Paul said. Throughout his speech, Paul often referred to the presence of a government as a “necessary evil.” He said government is a necessity; however, it must be restrained, and giving the government too much power, as seen in socialist countries, does not benefit the people. The appropriate size of government is something Paul and his opponent Jim Gray do not agree on. During his visit for a meet and greet at the Warren County Democratic Headquarters in late September, Gray said he disagrees
with Paul’s belief that a small government will lead to a stronger economy. “You cannot shrink yourself to greatness,” Gray said. Instead of shrinking the government in an attempt to improve the economy, Gray said he would increase investments in an effort to increase economic opportunities. He said part of his economic plan also includes building infrastructure In addition to questioning Paul’s knowledge of Kentucky, Gray also questioned Paul’s commitment to the state. Earlier this year, Paul ran for the nomination for Republican Party’s 2016 presidential candidate. Gray said Paul may be unable to focus mainly on Kentucky’s problems if he still hopes to become president one day. When asked about his commitment to Kentucky, Paul said he has the track record to prove he is invested in the state. “I’ve made virtually all of my votes on the Senate floor,” Paul said. “I’ve conducted two filibusters on the Senate floor over 12 hours, so I think it’s kind of hard to argue I’m not doing my job.” Both candidates will have a chance to discuss their platforms when they meet for a debate on Monday, Oct. 31. The debate will be aired on KET at 8 p.m.
Reporter Emma Collins can be reached at 270-745-6011 and emma. collins399@topper.wku.edu. Follow her on Twitter at @thebest_dilemma.
OCTOBER 11, 2016 > WESTERN KENTUCKY UNIVERSITY
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OPINION
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COMMENTARY
Remember the vice presidential debate? BY TAYLOR HUFF HERALD.OPINION@WKU.EDU It may come as a shock, or just mild surprise, to most people that the vice presidential debate took place this past Tuesday at Longwood University in Farmville, Virginia. Tim Kaine, Virginia senator and Hillary Clinton’s running mate, clashed with Mike Pence, Indiana governor and Donald Trump’s running mate. The lack of intrigue from the public was reflected in the minuscule viewership the debate yielded. According to Nielsen ratings, only 37.2 million people tuned in to the Vice Presidential debate compared to around 84 million people who watched Clinton and Trump go at it Sept. 26. Despite having relatively no audience in comparison to previous VP debates, what these men say matter, and here’s why. As vice president, you’re basically the
nation’s backup plan if anything were to happen to the commander-in-chief. The ideas and values of these men will be reflected in America’s domestic and foreign policy, should either of them ever have to take control of the Oval Office. Even if Pence or Kaine never have to step up to the presidential plate, they will have at least some influence over creating legislation. As the foremost authority over the Senate, the vice president has the responsibility of casting a vote in the event of a tie. Given our country’s crippling political gridlock highlighted by the government shutdown of 2013, the idea of a tie in the Senate may not be bizarre. However, vice president Joe Biden has never had to do this. The vice president is also part of the president’s inner circle, assisting them in making decisions that could affect the entire nation. Given the immediate issues the next president will have to
tackle, such as filling a Supreme Court seat. The vice president also spends a lot of time with the president and is, therefore, subjected to being featured in most political memes. So if you think this election doesn’t affect you, it does affect who you’ll be laughing at for the next four years while scrolling through your Twitter feed. But who can really top Joe Biden memes? Now lets recap what happened in Virginia this past week. Several sources, including CNN, crowned Pence the winner of the debate due to his calm demeanor in the face of Kaine’s attacks on Trump. In all fairness to Kaine, he had plenty of ammunition citing Trump’s recent tax evasion scandal, his praise of Russian President Vladimir Putin and his degrading comments toward Mexicans, women and just about anyone
else with a pulse. It seems though Kaine was a little too strong for America’s taste, coming off as a little too rehearsed for the debate. Kaine is like your best friend’s dad who always has the worst jokes that you feel like you have to laugh at because the only alternative is lengthy, awkward silence. Pence, on the other hand, was about as cool and collected as a white man getting pulled over for a speeding ticket. Despite maintaining his composure, much of his air time was spent defending the actions of his running mate without going into much detail about his policies. One could argue Trump himself isn’t exactly clear on what he’ll do if elected, but he retains the promise that he will continue to surround himself with the best people. And that was more crystallized with his pick of Pence.
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
WKU shouldn’t rush with Request for Proposal We love our Hilltoppers here in South Central Kentucky, and the idea of building them a state-of-the-art indoor sports facility would normally bring the region together in harmony. The manner in which WKU has approached this concept, however, has deeply divided the community, and worse yet, threatens low-cost, high-quality access to health care services for the region. Last month, President Gary Ransdell announced that he had reached a secret deal with the Medical Center: In return for constructing a $22 million sports facility on campus, The Medical Center would potentially receive 99 years of exclusive rights to provide health care services to WKU students, faculty and staff. To be clear, this was no “gift”; The Medical Center would have reaped significant profits, while WKU would likely assume the risk of significant debt liability in the case of financial default. The deal generated significant concern among many of the WKU Board of Regents, and the proposal just squeaked by on a 6-4-1 vote. The administration had less luck with the Kentucky General Assembly; on Sept. 20, Democrats and Republicans on a legislative panel questioned the decision to proceed without a more transparent process. Given their concerns,
Ransdell withdrew the Letter of Intent with The Medical Center from consideration and committed to follow state procurement laws when reevaluating the project. Promising to rush through the project, WKU issued a new Request for Proposal just one week later. Unfortunately, little has changed. With most of the same terms as the original Letter of Intent, as well as a vague scoring system that allows the Administration wide discretion on selecting a winner, the new process appears rigged to simply formalize the original deal under the guise of competitive procedures. Ultimately, WKU’s proposal is bad public policy, and it potentially violates federal law. Monopolies in any context are bad for consumers. Imagine if a gas station owner “gifted” WKU with a building in exchange for a 99-year requirement that all faculty and staff purchase gas from its stores, regardless of price or quality. We’d naturally expect gas prices to rise and gas quality to decrease. In health care matters, exclusive deals threaten the very fabric of the community. Health care monopolies result in fewer providers, less patient choice, less innovation in care and eventually higher costs to patients and employers. In defending this deal, WKU officials
have promised that no one will lose their current choices and coverage. But that promise is inherently contradictory with contractual exclusivity: inevitably, students, faculty and staff will face higher costs –– if not service denials –– to seek their trusted medical counsel off campus and/or outside of the preferred, exclusive provider network. Indeed, the very day after the original Letter of Intent was formalized, WKU already tried to commence the process for restricting choices. On Friday, Aug. 19, Ransdell informed physician groups –– that had faithfully supported the community and university for 80 years –– that their services would be terminated under the new deal; and later, they were intentionally excluded from the network of physicians who would be available for WKU care. As a matter of federal law, this kind of arrangement may not be permissible. The federal Anti-Kickback Statute prohibits giving anything of value, with the intention of inducing referrals of business, that is payable in whole or in part by any federal health care program. Our own state laws contain similar prohibitions. With many students, faculty, staff and their families using Medicare and Medicaid, WKU must be vigilant to avoid this kind of liability. For all of these reasons, we have submitted a letter of protest to WKU
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and the state’s Finance Cabinet to block this Request for Proposal. Understand that we have no intention of blocking or delaying the construction of a sports center. Rather, our letter is another effort to urge WKU to proceed in a manner that is best for all on campus and the broader region: First, convene a public process that involves all segments of the WKU and Bowling Green communities to develop a solution that helps our sports teams without impairing health care choices for our citizens. And second, issue a new set of Requests for Proposals that individually bid out each service to spur real competition and best protect the taxpayers’ interests. While we share the community’s passion for sports and understand the University’s urgency to support its teams, we strongly recommend the Board of Regents take a more deliberate approach on this project to fully consider the needs of all stakeholders and protect WKU’s choices for the next 100 years. We can figure out a way to build a new sports center, but not on the backs, wallets and health care needs of WKU students, faculty and staff. By Drs. Craig Beard and Phillip Singer, Western Kentucky Orthopaedic & Neurosurgical Associates
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COLLEGE HEIGHTS HERALD
OCTOBER 11, 2016
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herald.advertising@wku.edu
FOR SALE BUY - SELL - TRADE: Games, DVDs, Records! Also, comics, toys, CCGs, RPGs, more! The Great Escape Records & Comics. 2945 Scottsville Rd (near Greenwood Mall) (270)782-8092
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Now hiring for all positions @ Pub by Novo! Bowling Green's newest upscale Sports Bar 2425 Scottsville Rd in the Greenwood Courtyard. City of Bowling Green accepting applications for the following positions: FULL-TIME POSITIONS: • Housing Recert Specialist: Deadline October 14, 2016 • Parks/Golf Maintenance Superintendent: Deadline October 21, 2016 • Irrigations/Spray Technician - Open Until Filled • Communications Dispatcher - Open Throughout Year PART-TIME POSITIONS: • Park Attendants • Fitness Instructor • Scorekeepers • School Crossing Guard • Athletics Laborer
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Interested applicants can apply online at www.bgky.org/hr/jobs or at the computers in the Human Resources Department in City Hall, 1001 College Street, Bowling Green. The City of Bowling Green is an Equal Opportunity Employer and Drug-Free Workplace.
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Across 1 Cuts (off) 5 Unwelcome stocking stuffer 9 Express gratitude to 14 Monogram ltr. 15 Starting poker pot contribution 16 Pocahontas’ husband John 17 Corp. assistant 18 “Lovely” meter maid in a Beatles song 19 Volunteer’s offer 20 “Rest those weary feet” 23 Tarzan actor Ron 24 Whole bunch 25 Spanish beaches 29 Div. the Phillies play in 31 Most of a mortgage payment, usually 33 Big oaf 34 Sheriff Taylor’s TV son 35 __ Fáil: Irish coronation stone 36 “Why not try the recliner?” 41 She raised Cain 42 “The Scarlet Letter” letter 43 Colorful Mattel
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46 “Couldn’t tell ya” 47 Casual pants 48 Starting point 49 Uproars 51 Not together 54 Slimming surgery, for short 55 Techie’s client 56 Skirt bottoms 57 Transitive vb. follower 58 Wall St. takeover 59 Mil. threestriper
A6
OCTOBER 11, 2016
COLLEGE HEIGHTS HERALD
COLLEGEUNIVERSITY HEIGHTS HERALD OCTOBER 11, 2016 > WESTERN KENTUCKY
WKUHERALD.COM
LIFE
Guide to fall
activities to do in bowling Green
» Guy Jordan: Turn to page B2 to read about a WKU professor who’s donating his game-show winnings to help fund study abroad scholarships for students.
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After a long summer with temperatures resting in the 90s, WKU students are now feeling the cool weather and seeing the changing colors of fall. Bowling Green has several fall-themed places, shops and activities in the coming weeks. Here’s a taste of what this fall has to offer.
jackson’s orchard
lost river cave
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For students who don’t want to brave the cold temperatures of the cave, the park offers a forest filled with nature trails surrounded by the changing leaves of fall. Lost River Cave is also home to the Scarecrow Trail, where various scarecrows crafted by companies and families stand tall. Students with an interest in art may especially love the scene's creativity.
spirit Halloween and Halloween express
Whether a student wants to give his or her dorm a spooky renovation or wants to buy some costumes, these are the places to go. Spirit Halloween, located on Scottsville Road, is a Halloween store that sells various costumes and accessories, along with Halloween-themed decorations and clothing. In the parking lot by Spirit Halloween is Halloween Express, a costume shop offering outfits for children, adults and pets. For students on a budget, the store has a clearance aisle with full costumes for as low as five dollars.
For students who are interested in the paranormal and the unknown or just enjoy a good ghost story, Unseen offers a ghost tour of downtown Bowling Green. 10 percent of ticket sales will be given to the Landmark Association, which preserves historic landmarks. The tour, opening in October, promises to give a terrifying history lesson, including visiting places not available to the public.
Adam Sims (Reporter)
Students who love nature may enjoy Lost River Cave. Lost River Cave is a seven-mile underground cave system; the park offers boat tours inside a portion of the cave.
unseen bg
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Students who enjoy the country life or the taste of a farmer’s market will enjoy Jackson’s Orchard. Located about four miles from campus, the orchard sits on top of a hill, and offers fresh apples, knickknacks, apple cider, pumpkin patches, hay rides, petting zoos and more. The orchard also has a snack bar, where visitors can purchase apple cider slushes and caramel apples. On weekends throughout October, Jackson’s Orchard hosts the Pumpkin Festival. Visitors can go on a hayride to the pumpkin patch and pick a pumpkin straight from the ground. The festival also includes apple-picking, corn mazes and pony rides.
skeleton’s lair
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For Halloween lovers looking for a traditional haunted experience, Skeleton’s Lair offers attractions including a haunted house, a haunted forest, a 3D section, a haunted hayride and a three-minute escape room. Fans of Friday the 13th may be interested in visiting the park Oct. 13 and 14, when Ari Lehman, who played child Jason in the first Friday the 13th movie, is scheduled to be a guest. Reporter Adam Sims can be reached at 270-245-2655 and michael.sims565@topper.wku.edu. Follow him on Twitter at @adamsimswriter.
Illustration by Sarah Schott
vid monster Students pair up, create video production company
BY FORDE WOMACK
HERALD.FEATURES@WKU.EDU A new competitor joined the advertising world this summer when WKU seniors Sam Kirby and Will Berry collaborated to create their own company, Vid Monster; a business offering various video and advertising services. Kirby said he came into the video production world at a young age through shooting videos and editing with friends. He now studies television and film production in the School of Journalism and Broadcasting. Berry learned technical video skills through a high school broadcasting class, where he learned how to edit video from a news standpoint. He also gained experience from working for the PBS station in Bowling Green. “Working in the TV and film program helped me build myself professionally,” Kirby said. “And if it weren’t
for the staff at the TV and film department, we wouldn’t have what we’ve made.” Kirby and Berry have worked freelance for weddings, commercials and other projects, building their new business from scratch. “We didn’t even have to take out a loan on this; it was all funded through me,” Kirby said. After forming the business idea over the summer, both Kirby and Berry worked together to handle legalities and acquire equipment. “So Sam [Kirby] has a really good spin on a lot of the creative ideas, and I have a good spin on the concepts for the branding and commercials,” Berry said. In its first two months, the company had gained around 20 clients; VidMonsters offers video services for short films, documentaries, commercials, music videos, weddings and more.
“The local thing is super important to us,” Kirby said. For example, he said they did a documentary for Operation P.R.I.D.E., a non-profit organization dedicated to community improvement. Vid Monsters will also be working on projects for Orchestra Kentucky, Hope House Ministries and United Way of Southern Kentucky in coming months. “We have an expansion plan to take place over the next 15 years to expand into three other locations in Kentucky and Nashville,” Berry said. Kirby added that Nashville would be “hard to get into because of the saturation of advertising, thanks to the music industry.” Berry said the plan is to have the company’s main location be in Florence, where it will be able to generate funds needed to expand to the more competitive markets in Louisville and
SEE PRODUCTION PAGE B2
Sam Kirby, 21, of Union Kentucky is a WKU senior Broadcasting major and founder of the video production company Vid Monster in Bowling Green. Starting as simple love of making videos for the internet, Kirby and friends coined the name Vid Monster in 2010. From there, the work that Vid Monster produces has grown from Youtube comedy videos to a professional business providing video and photography services for a number of different platforms, such as weddings, events, graphic design, branding and product work. Kelsea Hobbs/HERALD
Chinese newsletter promotes cultural relations BY JULIA ADAMS HERALD.FEATURES@WKU.EDU
Last November, Project Pengyou at WKU began producing The Pengyou Pages, a newsletter with a focus on Chinese-American relations. In English, “Pengyou” means “friend.” The newsletter aims to promote friendships and understanding between Chinese students and American students. Guthrie senior Melissa Smith, print media manager of The Pengyou Pages, said her interest in China began when she took a trip to Mongolia to teach English. “When I got back from that experience, my whole outlook on life changed,” she said. “I had a greater appreciation for things, like a hot shower.” Smith had a difficult time relating to the people she knew before the trip to Mongolia, and said she felt like she didn’t really identify with her friends after coming back. After her trip, Smith joined the Chinese Flagship Program at WKU, where she began to find connections with others. “Project Pengyou has become a platform for me to broaden the perspectives of our community,” Smith said, explaining that it offers a chance to hear about other perspectives even for those who have never left the United States. Project Pengyou is headquartered in Beijing and has chapters located internationally. The WKU chapter of Project Pengyou prints The Pengyou Pages every month during the school year. Wen Wang, a senior from Baoding, China, has contributed to the Pengyou Pages several times. She came to WKU two years ago to study abroad. Wang worked at Project Pengyou for a year before providing translations and editing to The Pengyou Pages. “I want people to know more about
SEE PENGYOU PAGE B2
OCTOBER 11, 2016
B2
COLLEGE HEIGHTS HERALD
Study abroad program takes students to Central Europe BY MILES SCHROADER
HERALD.FEATURES@WKU.EDU In the summer of 2017, 20 students will get the chance to study abroad in the Czech Republic and Central Europe, a program offered through the Owensboro-Olomouc Sister Cities program. “One key advantage this program has over others is the number of locations we go to,” Roger Murphy, associate professor of political science and one of the program’s leaders, said. “You get to see so many of the places where key events that shape the world happened. Especially when dealing with World War I and World War II.” The program takes students through Central Europe to countries including Hungary, Czech Republic, Poland and Austria, separating the program from other study abroad opportunities with
one destination. Murphy said students who participated in the program in past years fell in love with Central European culture; one student decided to live there after taking the trip through the program. “There’s so much of the culture that we experience,” senior Alexander Antoshak said, who traveled with the program this past summer. “It differed so much from American culture. We got to see kind of firsthand how they function as a society, and got to meet several government officials and politicians, several from the communist party.” Antoshak said his biggest take-away from the experience was seeing these cultural differences. “My favorite location was probably Budapest,” Antoshak said. “The city is full of amazing places and it has such a dark history to it.” One of the “amazing places” Antoshak mentioned was at a
parliament square, where students got to see where some of the massacres happened while under the Soviet and Communist rule. On the trip this summer, students visited the Auschwitz concentration camp in Poland. “You can’t explain how it feels to be there, so it’s definitely a plus to actually have that experience,” junior Katharine Belarmino said. Everyone learns about Auschwitz and what happened there during World War II, she said, but being able to visit was an experience she couldn’t put into words. Erin Greunke, faculty-led study abroad program coordinator and a faculty leader of the program, said a study abroad program can be beneficial to a student because the student actually gets to experience a completely different culture, rather than just reading about it.
“You can read a lot of stuff in textbooks and not remember any of it sometimes,” junior Travis Henson said. “Say you’re learning about Budapest, and you can remember going to Budapest and learning about it in the city; you have a memory reference point rather than just something you read in a book. So it doesn’t get lost in the clutter, it sticks out.” Murphy has been on the trip 15 times, and said he still looks forward to the next trip. “Going to places like Prague, Olomouc or Budapest and seeing where all of these historical events happened, even after going there as many times as I have, can still bring a lump to your throat,” Murphy said.
Reporter Miles Schroader can be reached at 270-745-2655 and miles. schroader178@topper.wku.edu.
Art professor donates winnings for scholarships BY LEAH JOHNSON
HERALD.FEATURES@WKU.EDU A WKU art history professor and record-setting game show contestant is gifting around $8,000 in prize money for scholarships given to students studying abroad in Venice this summer. Guy Jordan appeared in the season two finale of ABC’s “500 Questions” back in June, walking away from the show winning $169,000. He answered 241 questions out of 500, the current record for the show. Jordan is one of the professors leading a study abroad trip to Venice this summer. He said he is already funding $500 scholarships for the 14 students who are attending. “One of the things that was important to me as a young person was having the chance to travel,” Jordan said. “I felt like having the chance to do that
PRODUCTION Continued from LIFE
Nashville. “We have geographic reach to Cincinnati from [Florence],” he said. “It’s a cheaper cost of living than any of the
PENGYOU Continued from LIFE
my country and its beautiful parts,” Wang said. She loves everything about China; culture, people, history and food, she said. Wang is one of several students who contributes to The Pengyou Pages.
when I was young was transformative for me. And I know that my family and I are happy to be able to help students do that and students are really taking advantage of this.” Jordan said the trip was originally capped at 14 students but has been extended to include 16. The additional students will also receive a scholarship in the coming months. “My biggest worry right now is that, you know, we’re out of room and I wish we could accommodate more people,” Jordan said. Professor Brent Dedas is the other faculty member going to Venice. Dedas said he thinks studying abroad is an important opportunity for students. “There are not a lot of other experiences that could allow students to understand their global context in the world more so than studying abroad,” Dedas said. Dedas is teaching a studio art class
in Venice and will accompany students to the 2017 Biennale, along with Jordan. The Biennale is one of the world’s most prestigious contemporary art exhibitions. Dedas described it as the Olympics of art where artists come from their home countries to represent the contemporary art world. Dedas said he has been to Venice before, but he has never seen the Biennale. It was one of the things that excited him about the trip when Jordan approached him about going. “I think that the fact Guy Jordan is donating the $500 to each student that goes on the trip is one of the most admirable acts of generosity I’ve ever seen in academia,” Dedas said. Erin Greunke, the coordinator of faculty-led study abroad trips, said most students who study abroad choose faculty-led programs due to benefits like learning from WKU professors, lower
cost and experience. Some trips are offered every year, but Greunke said that even though the trips are the same, the experience is always different. Greunke said most students apply for some kind of financial aid for their trips to help manage the cost. She said this is the first time a faculty member has donated a scholarship for studying abroad that she knows of. Though the class limit was extended to 16 students, Jordan said he still feels a pang of remorse. The trip filled up in 24 hours and, after there was an outcry from more students who wanted to go, the extension was granted. “I wish I could take everybody,” Jordan said. “You always do.”
other places we want to expand, and a better competitive landscape.” “If business keeps going the way its going in the next three to five years, it would be a no-brainer to start [in Florence],” Kirby said.
Kirby and Berry work almost 80 hours a week to accommodate their growing clientele. “We’re bringing two contractors soon to help us with certain things,” Kirby said. “We’d like to hire someone
full time by next year, but we’re playing it by ear.”
There have been translations in Chinese as well as Russian. The Pengyou Pages have English and Chinese language articles next to one another in every issue. The Pengyou Pages are volunteer-based and student-produced. There is no set group of writers, so there are always new contributors.
Smith works on every issue, but there are currently no permanent editors. At this point, Smith is trying to recruit new people to work for The Pengyou Pages. The newsletter informs the community about the similarities between the United States and China to help bring understanding to cultural differences.
Reporter Leah Johnson can be reached at 270-745-6011 or leah.johnson138@ topper.wku.edu.
Reporter Forde Womack can be reached at 270-745-2655 and forde. womack368@topper.wku.edu.
Smith believes the newsletter “provides different perspectives to get away from that ethno-centric view.”
Reporter Julia Adams can be contacted at 270-996-2106 and julia.adams897@ topper.wku.edu. Follow her on Twitter at @JuliaSkyeAdams.
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OCTOBER 11, 2016
B3
FOOTBALL
Continued from SPORTS defense struggled to stop the quick attack from Tech, falling behind by as many as 25 points midway through the third quarter. The Toppers will look to regroup when they travel to Murfreesboro, Tennessee, for a matchup with conference rival Middle Tennessee State
REECER’S PIECE Continued from SPORTS
asked. This team has simply only beaten bad teams this year in Rice University, Miami (Ohio) and Houston Baptist University, and they have lost to below average teams in Vanderbilt and Louisiana Tech. If the Toppers want to have another interesting bowl match-up in December, then things have to change right now. A loss against the Blue Raiders this
VOLLEYBALL Continued from SPORTS
haven’t broken through yet,� Hudson said. “But it’s coming both those kids will have breakout moments, and when they do we are gonna be awfully hard to beat.� Sophomore middle hitter Rachel Anderson threw down 15 kills for her sixth 15-kill match of the year. Sophomore outside hitter Taylor Dellinger and junior outside hitter Sydney En-
COLLEGE HEIGHTS HERALD
University on Saturday. MTSU currently sits in first place of the C-USA standings and has an experienced quarterback leading the way in redshirt sophomore Brent Stockstill. “I mean, we don’t like to point fingers, but just as a defense as a whole we just have to get better,� junior defensive tackle Chris Johnson said. “From the d-line to the linebackers to the secondary and the whole de-
fense, we just have to get better and come back and be prepared for Saturday.� Thursday’s game against Louisiana Tech marked the first time redshirt senior left tackle Forrest Lamp had played since a Saturday, Sept. 17 away game at Miami (Ohio) when he suffered a lower leg injury. “It’s a big one,� Lamp said about this coming Saturday’s game. “Obvi-
ously Middle Tennessee is one of our biggest rivals, but it’s a big one because it’s the next one and that’s what coach always harps on every week. We’re in a one-game season every week and that’s why it’s a big one.�
Saturday will end the Toppers’ chance at being in the Conference USA Championship game before mid-October, and who knows how the team will react to a demoralizing loss like that. The bad news is unless WKU’s secondary can drastically turn things around in just one week of practice, then a big loss on the road in Murfressboro, Tennessee, could be what’s in store. However, the good news is if the Topper defense can make just enough big plays against the Blue Raiders, the offense lead by redshirt junior quarterback Mike White has more than
enough firepower to lead WKU to the victory. With a defensive problem like the one WKU has, it may actually be better if the Toppers don’t take this season one game at a time and start thinking about the season as a whole. This defense needs to develop a sense of urgency quickly as the success WKU will experience at the end of this season depends on their improvement from this point forward. If they don’t develop this sense of urgency, then expect multiple MTSU passing touchdowns for over 50 yards on Saturday.
My instincts tell me that with Head Coach Jeff Brohm at the helm, the Toppers will turn things around and finish this season off with a record like 8-5 or 9-4. However, if there is little improvement in this Topper defense from this point forward, I would be surprised if this team even makes it to another bowl game.
gle finished with nine and eight kills, respectively. As a team, WKU hit .261 at the net combining for 56 kills. “It just makes us a different team offensively when she’s [Anderson] is playing well,� Hudson said. “I think she is one of the best middle hitters that’s ever laced them up here.� All-American junior setter Jessica Lucas led the Lady Tops’ defense with 12 digs. This was Lucas’ eighth double-double performance of the year as she finished with 48 assists and 12 digs. Engle, senior defensive special-
ist Georgia O’Connell and freshman defensive specialist Emma Kowalkowski each added 11 digs. Cavanaugh and Lucas were honored with weekly conference awards again this season. Alyssa was named C-USA offensive player of the week and Lucas the co-setter of the week. After having a weekend off during the season, the Lady Tops are ready to get back on the hardwood. WKU takes on Lipscomb University (10-6) in Diddle Arena Tuesday, Oct. 11, at 7 p.m.
“It was nice, we had essentially a weekend off, and that’s unheard of during season,� Hudson said. “It was a really nice opportunity to just get away and kind of clear our minds, and hopefully we come back really good on Tuesday.�
Reporter Evan Heichelbech can be reached at 270-745-6291 and evan. heichelbech059@topper.wku.edu. Follow him on Twitter at @evanheich.
Reporter John Reecer can be reached at 270-745-6291 and john.reecer104@ topper.wku.edu. Follow him on Twitter at @Reece_12_Falcon.
Reporter Matthew Stewart can be reached at 270-745-6281 and matthew.stewart015@topper.wku.edu. Follow him on Twitter at @MES_ WKU22.
SOCCER
Lady Toppers win two matches over weekend BY TYLER MANSFIELD
HERALD.SPORTS@WKU.EDU The WKU women’s soccer team played two road matches this weekend and earned shutouts in both. The Lady Toppers (10-4-0 overall, 5-1-0 Conference USA) defeated longtime rival Middle Tennessee State University Friday, with a 1-0 win and then put a 2-0 downing on the University of Alabama at Birmingham Sunday, Oct. 9. WKU has now won seven of its last eight contests and has collected 15 points in C-USA play. With Sunday’s shutout, it was also the Lady Tops’ eighth of the season, five of which have come in conference play. “We’re really excited,� Head Coach Jason Neidell said following his team’s victory over MTSU. “A win tonight was a really important win. Another three points, another shutout –– our defense has just been very stingy; just excited to be in the position we’re in.� On Friday against the Blue Raiders, junior midfielder Andrea Larsen was able to find the back of the net at the 39-minute mark to score the eventual match-winning goal to help push WKU over the club from Murfreesboro, Tennessee. Senior forward Iris Dunn led all players with three shots and a pair of shots on goal while five other Lady Tops also had shots on target. Junior defender Nahyo Jalajel was credited with the assist on Larsen’s goal as she served in a free kick from the right side of the field and placed it into the box where the junior found it with her head. In goal for WKU, junior goalkeeper Allison Leone recorded her sixth solo shutout on the year with two saves while playing the full 90 minutes. The Lady Tops’ offense came out of the gates firing, as they forced Barnard into four saves over the opening 20 minutes of action. Dunn tried a close header but was stopped in the seventh minute before Jalajel nearly netted the go-ahead goal just over a minute later on a hard strike from 25-yards out, but WKU couldn’t get anything to go through. Larsen provided the breakthrough at the 38-minute mark of Jalajel’s free kick. Played in from the right side, Larsen met the ball with her head and sent it into the right corner to beat Barnard and give the Lady Tops the 1-0 lead heading into the locker room. Neither team was able to get a shot on goal over the final 20 minutes of the game, as WKU held on for the win in the rivalry match. In Sunday’s outing versus the Blazers, Dunn was able to score her fourth goal of the season at the 21-minute mark while freshman forward Chandler Backes netted her 10th score at the 41-minute mark to help give the Lady Tops another check in the win column. WKU controlled most of the match, as it out-shot UAB, 12-9 and had a 6-3 advantage in shots on goal. The Lady
Tops were also awarded four corner kicks compared to Alabama-Birmingham’s one. “I thought we played fantastic today,� Neidell said. “I thought we were outstanding in the first half –– probably the best half we’ve played all season. I thought we managed the game well in the second half.� Dunn led WKU with four shots, including two on goal, while Backes, junior forward Bria Mosely, senior midfielder Caitlin Hesse and sophomore midfielder Nicole Roseland also recorded shots on goal. In goal for the Lady Tops, Leone registered her seventh solo shutout while also making three saves. She has a record of 10-3 so far on the 2016 campaign. Both sides attempted four total shots throughout the opening 20 minutes before Dunn scored on a header at the 20 minute mark, which was assisted by Hesse and freshman forward Erin Jones, who made her first collegiate start. The goal gave the Lady Tops the 1-0 lead. “It was pretty awesome to get another goal in,� Dunn said. “It was a great cross from Erin [Jones], so it was just really cool to be able to help the team out.� Jones said she was nervous at first, but calmed down and was able to play her game. “It was pretty intimidating since I hadn’t started this season, but I was glad it happened,� Jones said. “I was glad it [her assist to Dunn leading to the score] happened. I got an awesome pass and I just took it down and crossed it and Iris [Dunn] was luckily there to finish it.� Just 20 minutes later, WKU doubled its lead on Backes’ goal. Mosley and sophomore midfielder Megan Morris, who were credited with the assist, were able to find the freshman who sent a shot to the lower corner from 23-yards out to give the Lady Tops the 2-0 advantage over UAB. The Blazers would try a few shots throughout the remainder of the match, but they wouldn’t be able to get any to go through the net, as WKU closed out another victorious league homestand. “I think the way we played today, if we can bottle that up and just keep that going, we’re going to just fine,� Neidell said. “We’ve been very stingy defensively and I think if we can just be consistent now, I think we’ve got the product we want on the field.� The Lady Tops will return to action on the road in Florida this upcoming weekend. WKU will meet Florida Atlantic University to open the road swing on Friday, Oct. 14, at 6 p.m. in Boca Raton, Florida, before meeting Florida International University to close it out in Miami at Noon on Sunday, Oct, 16.
Reporter Tyler Mansfield can be reached at 270-745-6291 and james.
mansfield143@topper.wku.edu. Follow him on Twitter at @ByMansfield.
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OCTOBER 11, 2016 > WESTERN KENTUCKY UNIVERSITY
WKUHERALD.COM REECER’S PIECE
SPORTS
» Volleyball: The Lady Toppers will take on Lipscomb University tonight in E.A. Diddle Arena at 7 p.m.
FOOTBALL
Defense needs to improve for Hilltoppers BY JOHN REECER HERALD.SPORTS@WKU.EDU In just a matter of weeks the WKU football team has had quite the fall. The team went from giving up just one offensive touchdown against the defending National Champions in the first half, to giving up a combined 86 points in losses against Louisiana Tech University and Vanderbilt University. JOHN To make matters REECER worse, the combined records of those two teams are now 5-7. Not exactly the type of teams you want to be giving up 43 points a game to. While the significant injuries of senior defensive back Marcus Ward and redshirt junior linebacker T.J. McCollum are reasons for this unfortunate fall, the play of the Hilltopper defense as a whole has been flat-out embarrassing. Six games into the season, WKU’s defense ranks 74 out of 128 teams in opponent yards per game as the Toppers are allowing 427.6 yards per game. Unless you have a quarterback like Brandon Doughty behind center on offense, you don’t deserve to be a winning football team with a defense like that. The problems the defense are facing this season deal with the one aspect of the game which has plagued them for the past five to six years: passing defense. Out of the 128 teams in NCAA FBS football this year, the Toppers rank 124th in passing defense as they have given up 321.2 yards per game through the air. WKU plays Middle Tennessee State University in their next game and the Blue Raiders rank 14th nationally in passing offense, so that should be a fun one for the Topper defense. With defensive numbers that bad, the question of just how good this WKU team actually is needs to be
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Redshirt junior quarterback Mike White (14) makes a pass during WKU’s 50-3 win over Houston Baptist Saturday, Oct. 1 at Smith Stadium. Ebony Cox/HERALD
Moving Forward Hilltoppers look ahead after defensive collapse at La. Tech
BY EVAN HEICHELBECH HERALD.SPORTS@WKU.EDU Just five days after a blowout win over FCS Houston Baptist, the WKU football team saw its 13game Conference USA winning streak snapped on Thursday, Oct. 7, at the hands of Louisiana Tech by a final score of 55-52 in Ruston, Louisiana. “It was a tough loss for us, but a lot of things can be learned from it,” Head Coach Jeff Brohm said. “A lot of corrections need to be made and we have to make sure that we use these defeats to allow our anger to motivate us to never lose again. I think our guys at this point understand that and we’ve got a lot of work to do this week.” The Hilltoppers (3-3
overall, 1-1 C-USA) committed two turnovers and gave up 561 total yards in the loss. The 55 points were the most a WKU team has given up since their 6766 overtime win over Marshall on Nov. 28, 2014. “I haven’t seen us play as bad as we did [since] two years ago,” Brohm said. “They hit some deep balls on us and we lost some confidence on the defensive side, and that caused us to be very vanilla, which we’re not good at. We have to make sure that we change things up, get after the quarterback, blitz … and do a lot more things than what we did.” “I think that getting beat three times in the first half over our heads for easy touchdowns was not good and we lost confidence because of that,” Brohm said.
“We’ve got to get that back and make sure we don’t allow that to happen again.” While the loss was disappointing for Brohm’s squad, there were a few bright spots on offense. WKU got the scoring started early, covering 50 yards in 10 plays on its first series. Senior wide receiver Nicholas Norris caught a nine-yard pass from redshirt junior quarterback Mike White on third and three to put the Toppers up 7-0 at the 11:15 mark of the first quarter. White finished the game with 340 yards on 36 of 50 passing and five touchdowns, three of which were hauled in by Norris. Even with the big performances from Norris and White, the defensive collapse essentially kept the Toppers from having a
chance to win late in the game. “If you simplify it, yes our offense did a lot of good things,” Brohm said. “Our special teams did some very good things but it was just not a good day on defense for us. All three units have to play good. If you can get two units to play great that’s awesome, but they all three have to play good. It just wasn’t our night on that side of the ball and we take full responsibility for it.” From that point on, the game went back and forth as WKU tied the Bulldogs three more times in the first half, but trailed 35-24 going into the locker room. After posting solid defensive outings against higher competition earlier this season, the Topper
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VOLLEYBALL
Lady Tops take down Southern Miss in four sets BY MATTHEW STEWART HERALD.SPORTS@WKU.EDU The 25th-ranked WKU volleyball team is about halfway through its 2016 campaign and they are currently sitting at 17-2 on the season. “I certainly didn’t think we’d be 17-2 at this point in the season,” Head Coach Travis Hudson said. “We have kind of really walked a pretty thin line for a while. I have just tried to stay focused on playing a little better every day, and hopefully we will continue to do that.” This past Thursday the Lady Toppers went to Hattiesburg, Mississippi, to face off against the Golden Eagles of the University of Southern Mississippi (14-6). WKU came back to Bowling Green with a win in its bag as the Lady Tops took down Southern Miss in four sets 3-1. “We are doing better every day, and that’s what I’m trying to stay focused on,” Hudson said. “It’s a good
win; Southern Miss is a really good team. These kids have been grinding. We have had a lot of ugly wins that we found a way to win and that’s a critical part of winning a championship.” For the fifth time this season, All-American junior outside hitter Alyssa Cavanaugh put up a 20-kill performance as she led the WKU offensive attack with 21 kills. “She [Cavanaugh] is still carrying a big load for us offensively,” Hudson said. “I still think us becoming the best version of who we can be is gonna have a lot to do with Taylor [Dellinger] and Sydney Engle. You know those are two kids that are incredibly capable offensively that just aren’t in a great rhythm right now and hopefully that happens, and when it does I think we are gonna be awfully good.” “The thing I can tell you about both those kids [Dellinger and Engle] is they care a lot, and I have spent a lot of extra time with them technique wise and stuff like that and we just
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Sophomore outside hitter Rachel Anderson (4) spikes the ball as rightside hitter Abbi Reid (10) attempts to block during WKU’s match against Florida Atlantic on Thursday, Sept. 22 in Diddle Arena. Evan Boggs/HERALD