October 26, 2017

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2017

WESTERN KENTUCKY UNIVERSITY

VOLUME 93, ISSUE 19

Students express concern over alert system

BY CAMERON COYLE HERALD.NEWS@WKU.EDU

Multiple students have voiced concerns about the delayed text message alert sent by WKU regarding the shots fired on campus last week.

On Oct. 17, multiple shots were reported to have been fired on campus around 11 p.m. near College Heights Boulevard and the Registry Apartments. Many students who did not hear the gunshots were alerted by Joe Imel, director of media operations at the Bowling Green Daily News, who tweeted about shots being fired shortly after 11 p.m.

Around midnight, WKU sent out a text message to students that read, “WKU Alert: WKUPD assisted BGPD to a report of shots fired at Registry Apts. at approximately 11:05 pm. At this time there is no evidence of any shots fired.”

Witnesses helped police locate five .223 caliber shell casings the following day. On Thursday, Oct. 19, campus police held a press conference where they shared they had three unnamed suspects.

At the press conference, WKU police showed photographs of the suspects, one with a rifle, in the North Diddle parking lot near the campus police station on Oct. 17.

New Albany, Indiana, sophomore Olivia Eiler was studying in her room in Southwest Hall when she heard about the shooting.

“I am involved with News Channel 12 on campus, and that’s where I initially heard about it around 11 [p.m.],” Elier said.

“There was a lot of conTim fusion in the group Gray about what was happening and what was WKUPD fact and what wasn’t. I public didn’t get the text from information Western Kentucky unofficer til midnight, so I was surprised that it was an hour between the time that I heard about it from friends in the university, you know, warning me for my safety.”

Elier said she understood why the university might have wanted to wait to send the text, but said she also thought it was a matter of safety.

“I understand that you don’t want to spread misinformation, that you want to make sure that it’s an actual event before you start spreading panic with SEE SHOOTING REACTION • PAGE A2

KATHRYN ZIESIG • HERALD

Barbara Burch’s term as faculty regent will soon be coming to an end once the new faculty regent is elected. Burch has been working at WKU for 21 years and been regent for three.

NOT DONE YET Faculty Regent reflects on term

BY REBEKAH ALVEY HERALD.NEWS@WKU.EDU

F

or Barbara Burch, who has served in multiple roles on campus, Oct. 27 was scheduled to be her final Board of Regents meeting as faculty regent.

Burch served as faculty regent for the standard three years. As faculty regent, she attends University Senate meetings and serves on the Board of Regents as one of the three constituent positions.

The current faculty regent election results have been thrown out, after ineligible voting by part-time faculty members. The University Senate will hold a third election on Friday, with the new faculty regent being sworn in at the Dec. 9 Board of Regents meeting.

Burch will remain the faculty regent until that time.

From 1996-2010, Burch served as provost and vice president for Academic Affairs and was briefly interim president in 1997.

“I didn’t really ever think about becoming a faculty regent,” Burch said.

While coming back from a meeting a couple of days before nominations for

Faculty Regent were due, Burch said she received many emails and voicemails. When returning the calls, she found out Robert Dietle, faculty member and current interim director of the School of Journalism and Broadcasting, wanted to nominate Burch for the position.

“I’ll never forget it,” Burch said.

During that election, Dietle said there were not many faculty members who were eligible to run for faculty regent, and he was worried about a lack of response. When considering Burch, he said he thought she would be successful in the position because of her previous roles and knowledge of the budget and administration.

Burch accepted the nomination and was the only nominee that year. Burch said she was stunned, but considered the position to be an honor and a privilege.

Burch said she suspects people were eager for the faculty voice to be better heard at that time.

At a Board of Regents meeting on Oct. 31, 2014, the board swore Burch into her new position. She said the job of a regent is an important and difficult one that requires a lot of commitment, responsibility and time.

“For a regent, in general, their com-

mitment to the university is absolutely the highest,” Burch said. “But it’s different when you’ve lived inside the university and participated in it, and you kinda know it from ‘A to izzard.’”

While every regent brings different skills to the board, Burch said the faculty regent uniquely represents the perspective of the faculty. Additionally, she said she felt as though her position as provost helped her understand other aspects of the university.

During her three-year term, Burch said there had been several accomplishments. She said one was serving on the presidential search committee and selecting Timothy Caboni as WKU’s next president following Gary Ransdell’s 20 year presidency.

She said there was a lot of difficulty and scrutiny throughout the process, due to the discussion of having an open or closed search. Burch said this made selecting the right president more critical.

“I am very proud of work the board did; I’m [appreciative] of the the participation and contribution that others made and the trust that was given to the board,” Burch said. “But at the end of the day, I’m very pleased to be a part

SEE BARBARA BURCH • PAGE A2

Glow Walk honors people affected by cancer

BY LILLIE EASTHAM HERALD.NEWS@WKU.EDU

WKU’s Relay for Life hosted its third annual Glow Walk on Tuesday night to support the American Cancer Society.

The Relay for Life is a national organization that strives not only to fight cancer through fundraising, but also provides a chance to celebrate

the lives of survivors and those still battling cancer, according to Warren County Relay for Life, a close partner of WKU’s chapter.

Student organizer and Danville senior Taylor Stewart said the Glow Walk is now WKU Relay for Life’s most significant event of the year since they have discontinued the Relay for Life event due to restructuring.

“I grew up going to Relay for Life,”

Stewart said.

She said she is passionate about the American Cancer Society because of how cancer has affected her personally.

Stewart spent her childhood at Relay for Life events because her father is a cancer survivor.

When Stewart came to WKU, she met William Christian Lewis Shadburne who would strengthen her desire to raise money for the cause.

Shadburne was 22 years old and a senior at WKU when he passed away from cancer in 2016.

Allie Blythe, a participant in the Glow Walk, said she also has a personal connection to the cause. Her grandmother had breast cancer, and she felt that almost everyone should have reason to support Relay for Life.

“It’s important to raise money for

SEE GLOW WALK • PAGE A2

A2 NEWS

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2017 WESTERN KENTUCKY UNIVERSITY

SGA fails to pass resolution supporting Dreamers

BY NICOLE ZIEGE HERALD.NEWS@WKU.EDU

After heavy debate, the Student Government Association failed to pass a resolution supporting a “clean” D.R.E.A.M. Act during its senate meeting Tuesday.

Resolution 2-17-F supported the “endorsement of a clean” D.R.E.A.M. Act by the Congress of the United States. This comes after the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which provided “temporary

protection from deportation for hundreds of thousands of young people who were brought to the United States as children,” was rescinded on Sept. 5, 2017, according to Resolution 2-17-F. “The rescinding of the D.R.E.A.M. Act runs contrary to our ideals as Americans,” Bowling Green junior Francisco Serrano, author of the resolution, said in favor of the resolution.

Serrano, said rather than speaking for those affected by the rescinding of DACA, he wanted to tell the Senate about his family’s story of immigration. Serrano said his father escaped the war in El Salvador in 1989, and

his mother followed in 1993. He described his family as coming from “humble beginnings.”

“People don’t flee to this great country to disrespect our laws,” Andi Serrano said.

Dahmer The clean D.R.E.A.M. Act would “allow for the SGA adjustment of status of president many of our current and past students,” referred to as “Dreamers” in the D.R.E.A.M. Act, “who may otherwise be without immigration status and at

CONTINUED FROM FRONT

BARBARA BURCH CONTINUED FROM FRONT

of that decision.”

Burch said this is an exciting time at WKU, and the past three years have been very transitional. She said she was also excited about Caboni’s drive to improve communications with faculty and transition to a system of shared governance.

Burch said faculty and staff were previously drivers of a university, but over time, participation has diminished.

Burch said the idea of shared governance has always been important to the university but has become more challenging to implement. However, she said the board and president are committed to the idea of including faculty voices in decision making.

Looking forward, Burch said three primary challenges are facing WKU. She said the first is the financial crisis and rising costs at WKU, which she said concerns many people. Burch

SHOOTING REACTION CONTINUED FROM FRONT

before you start spreading panic with students, but I think within 10 minutes they could have gathered that there was a danger,” Eiler said.

Munfordville sophomore Jon Lawler was also in his dorm when he found out from his roommate that someone had fired shots on campus.

“It was just kind of a scary deal not knowing what was happening because no one had said anything really about

SEE SGA • PAGE A3

pant holding a glow stick.

At Centennial Mall, Relay for Life had t-shirts, glow sticks, concessions and a raffle before the event began.

The walk allowed participants to use apps such as Venmo and Cash App to make purchases, to raise the maximum amount of money.

The walk itself went from Centennial Mall to the Preston Center and drew attention from students on campus.

Warren County Relay for Life will be hosting its annual Pink in the Park at the Bowling Green Hot Rods ballpark on Oct. 28.

GLOW WALK

cancer because it’s one of the leading causes of death in America,” Blythe said.

Approximately 38.5 percent of people will be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime, according to the National Cancer Institute. According to a CBS News poll, 54 percent of Americans said they or an immediate relative had been diagnosed with cancer.

It is statistics like this that inspired Josclynn Brandon to be the WKU Staff Advisor for the Glow Walk. Like so many others, Brandon had a personal connection that drew her to Relay for Life after her grandmother passed away from lung and brain cancer.

“We are here to light up the path of cancer,” she said to the crowd as they prepared to walk, with each partici-

threat for removal from the school, and the country, if Congress fails to act within six months from the date DACA was rescinded,” according to Resolution 2-17-F. Resolution 2-17-F states a “clean” D.R.E.A.M. Act is “necessary” for these young people to “obtain a more permanent immigration status.” The new version of the D.R.E.A.M. Act would include “the parents and families of students so they may adjust their status.”

Upon further clarification, Serrano said only immediate family members

Reporter Lillie Eastham can be reached at 270-745-6011 and lillie. eastham496@topper.wku.edu.

GRACE PRITCHETT • HERALD

BreeAnn Burgess (left), a junior from Owensboro, participates in the Glow Walk benefitting the American Cancer Society on WKU’s campus Tuesday, with junior Sydney Fones of Bowling Green (center).

said making sure college stays affordable should be an extensive discussion on the board.

Dietle said the next faculty regent needs to insist on a more realistic and sustainable budget rather than ap-

proving student success and retention, which was a lengthy discussion at the Board of Regents retreat over the summer. Burch said student success is vital to a university’s mission and they can’t afford the number of students

“I am very proud of work the board did; I’m appreciative of the participation and contribution that others made and the trust that was given to the board.”

Faculty regent BARBARA BURCH

proving “fantasy numbers.” Patricia Minter, who served as faculty regent for seven years before Burch, said the current financial issues were “entirely preventable.”

Burch said another challenge is im-

who drop out or transfer.

Lastly, Burch addressed the need for more appropriate faculty compensation. Under Ransdell’s administration, she said there was a big push to make the campus a beautiful place rather

it,” Lawler said. “I think the text alert was really late, so I feel like that should have went out kind of quicker.”

Lawler also said he felt students would feel more at ease when police take “whoever it was” into custody.

Louisville junior Ethan Conkin thought campus police should be further along in their investigation at this point.

“It’s been a week since, so I think they should have a little more of an assurance like narrowed it down,” Conkin said. “I know it’s hard for those cases like to figure it out.”

WKU Police Department detective and public information officer Tim Gray said they have received more tips and are still working down on tracking down those leads.

“As soon as we get to a point where we’re able to release that information and that we’re confident in what that information put out there is, we’re going to be updating all of our media,” Gray said.

Gray said investigators came on Monday and “really hit the ground running on some information.”

He said campus police has some

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than addressing the needs of faculty and staff.

Dietle said faculty and staff have not had raises in 10 years, while the budget has increased “substantially.”

Burch said the next faculty regent needs to be competent in knowing how to bring forth the faculty voice while staying involved in the strategic planning process.

Due to the delays in results, Burch will be attending the next Board of Regents meeting as faculty regent and said she is unsure when the next faculty regent will be sworn in.

After 21 years at WKU, Burch said she doesn’t want anyone to think her stepping down from this position means she is leaving. After spending an extended period in higher education, she said she is extremely committed to student success.

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

leads on who the suspects might be, but they are keeping the information private until the evidence can be considered concrete.

“We do believe that there was some type of previous incident between either said person or persons that led up to this but what exactly the details of that incident, whether it be an argument or whatnot, we still don’t know,” Gray said.

Reporter Cameron Coyle can be reached at 270-745-6011 and cameron.coyle803@topper.wku.edu.

NEWS A3

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2017 WESTERN KENTUCKY UNIVERSITY

Scheduling software aims to simplify registration

BY EMILY DELETTER

HERALD.NEWS@WKU.EDU

Priority registration for class scheduling for the Spring 2018 semester began on Monday. This is the second semester that WKU has used a new software called Schedule Planner to aid students in the course registration process.

Associate Director of the Academic Advising and Retention Center Jennifer Markin said in an email that registration for Fall 2017 courses was a test pilot for the Schedule Planner on the student side only.

Registration for Spring 2018 courses will be the first time that all aspects of Schedule Planner are live.

According to the WKU Academic Advising and Retention Center, over 11,000 unique users have utilized Schedule Planner since it was implemented last April. They also estimated that more than 900 new users used the software this month.

The software gives students the opportunity to optimize course selec-

SGA CONTINUED FROM PAGE A2 would be included, including siblings and parents of the student.

“This is necessary because keeping students’ families together assures their academic success,” according to Resolution 2-17-F. Serrano said a “significant number” of students are affected by DACA on campus.

Director of academic and student affairs Emily Houston said WKU is considered “one of the best schools in the area” for undocumented students and other states, like Tennessee often “send their undocumented students here.”

SGA President Andi Dahmer said students who are undocumented “often don’t report” if they are protected under DACA. “Your constituents are among those protected by DACA,” Legislative Research Committee Chair Lillian Nellans said in favor of the resolution. “We need to do something for these students, and we need to do it now. This sends a message to those students that we are a tolerant campus and that we accept all students.”

Senator Alex Sergent opposed the

tions and schedule needs, which are then sent to their TopNet accounts for registration.

WKU offers step-by-step instructions online to show how to use Schedule Planner. Students are able to add courses, add breaks, generate multiple versions of their possible schedules and send their preferred schedule to the shopping cart. Their selected schedule sits in the shopping cart until their registration day, where students only have to click one button to sign up for their courses.

Morgan Harris, a senior interdisciplinary studies major, said she noticed a big difference with the Schedule Planner software.

“I’m able to see my options in real time and build in breaks for work,” Harris said. “It’s a one-step process that can be less stressful.”

WKU is also in the process of hiring senior academic advisers. These advisers, which were first approved by former President Gary Ransdell, will aid students trying to change a major, minor or area of concentration.

“These [adviser] positions could be a really good resource to help freshman

and people switching their majors from getting overwhelmed,” Harris said.

Andrew Hartley is a senior biology major and said he thinks the Schedule Planner is a really good system for

resolution. He said he did not think the resolution represented SGA’s role on campus.

“As a university, it is not our place to

argument,” Sergent said. “It is important to support this as Americans in our personal beliefs, but we represent the students of the university, and not all

”I’m able to see my options in real time and build in breaks for work.”

WKU senior MORGAN HARRIS

freshmen and younger students.

Hartley said he did not find the course scheduling process to be stressful once he declared his biology major, but the process was much more difficult when he had a general exploratory studies major.

“I remember scheduling to be a bit of a rush,” Harley said. “It was hard to

“If we are to represent all students, then we need to hear both sides of the argument.”

SGA senator ALEX SERGENT

put our political hat in a ring,” Sergent said.

Public Relations Committee Chair William Hurst said that while he is “in support of DACA,” he did not think that “it is this university’s decision to make federal government decisions.”

Senator Mark Clark said the resolution isn’t referring to criminals.

“We cannot reduce them to objects,” he said. “People’s livelihoods are at stake here.”

Sergent said the Senate needed to “come to a compromise.” He said the debate over passing Resolution 2-17-F was becoming a “battle of rhetoric.”

“If we are to represent all students, then we need to hear both sides of the

of the students agree with this.”

Nellans disagreed with Sergent. She said saying the Senate is “not supposed to vote with what 51 percent of students feel on everything.”

“We’re supposed to vote for what’s best for our constituents, which oftentimes means protecting marginalized

wake up at 5 a.m. not knowing if you were going to get into all the classes you needed. Foreign languages like Spanish were always the hardest because they filled up so quickly and were necessary to have.”

Students like Jeffersonville, Indiana, junior Christy Lester, who is double-majoring, found complications going through the advising and scheduling process.

Lester, who has a double major in communication disorders and Spanish, said the shopping cart feature’s convenience eased a lot of her stress.

Lester said she has two different advisers with whom she has to communicate and coordinate course schedules.

“It allowed me to get organized, save my classes ahead of time and register at the click of a button,” Lester said. “I didn’t have to wake up early, look for each [Course Registration Number] and enter them individually.”

Reporter Emily DeLetter can be reached at 270-745-6011 and emily. deletter304@topper.wku.edu. Follow her on Twitter at @emilydeletter.

minority communities,” Nellans said.

Hurst said passing the resolution would be a “political statement.”

“We serve the majority,” Hurst said.

“We don’t know if the majority approves of this resolution.”

With 12 votes in favor of the resolution and 17 opposed, Resolution 2-17-F failed to reach a majority and was not passed.

After the meeting, Dahmer said the Senate doesn’t just vote for the majority, and that statement is “incorrect.”

“It’s important that senators realize that they were chosen to represent all of their constituents,” Dahmer said.

“The Dreamers on this campus deserve to be on this campus as well as this country as much as any other student here.”

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

CRIME REPORTS • • •

Newburgh, Indiana, freshman Angelica Morrison reported the theft of a bluetooth speaker from her room in Pearce-Ford Tower worth approximately $65 on Oct. 23.

Midway state freshman William Gerrow was issued a citation for possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia in Hugh Poland Hall on Oct. 24.

Chrisney, Indiana, freshman Dakota Deller reported his cell phone worth approximately $743 stolen from Preston Center on Oct. 24.

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A4

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2017 WESTERN KENTUCKY UNIVERSITY

OPINION TWITTER TIME

Do you support the Fairness Ordinance?

BY TAYLOR HUFF HERALD.OPINION@WKU.EDU

Supporters of the Fairness Ordinance came out in droves for Bowling Green’s first ever Pride Fest this past Saturday. A Fairness Ordinance is a piece of legislation that would grant members of the LGBTQ certain legal protections in areas where they are likely to be discriminated against such as housing, employment and other forms of public accommodation. For example, if your boss found out that you were gay and was not okay with that, they could legally fire you based on your sexual orientation.

Supporters of the Fairness Ordinance have argued that all humans should be treated with dignity and respect. Opponents of this legislation argue business owners should not be forced, by law, to go against their morals while trying to make a living. You can read more about the Herald Editorial Board’s stance on the Fairness Ordinance in this past Tuesday’s issue of the College Heights Herald. But we wanted to hear your thoughts on this subject that continues to affect the Bowling Green community.

In a recent Twitter poll, we asked: Do you support the Fairness Ordinance which provides legal protections to members of the LGBTQ community?

POLL

YES: 80%

NO: 20%

308 people responded to this poll

ILLUSTRATION BY EMMA AUSTIN • HERALD

PART-TIME CRIME Part-time faculty deserve a say in regent election

BY HERALD EDITORIAL BOARD HERALD.OPINION@WKU.EDU The Issue: Barbara Burch, the current faculty regent, may finish her term in this position this Friday, Oct. 27. The election, which would decide the new faculty regent, has been stalled due to ineligible voting. Only full-time faculty members were allowed to vote in this election, a longstanding policy for WKU. Since some part-time faculty members also voted, the results were thrown out.

Our Stance: The faculty regent is a voting member of the Board of Regents, an independent governing body that administers to the needs of the university. The faculty regent is responsible for addressing faculty concerns in University Senate meetings, as well as reporting on what happens during Board of Regents meetings. The part-time faculty is just as much a part of this university as everyone else. Therefore, their voice should be heard in this election. t some point in your college career, if you haven’t experienced this already, you will likely sit through a class where your professor goes off on a lengthy tangent about an unfair practice taking place at WKU. More often than not, faculty are stuck with the short end of the stick whether it is an insufficient amount of faculty parking or the bloated salaries of athletic coaches compared to

A

other faculty salaries.

These reasons are why the position of faculty regent, who is responsible for addressing faculty concerns during Board of Regents meetings, is so important.

So it is outrageous that part-time faculty, a position that has increased in number at WKU by over 20 percent since the Fall 2012 semester, does not have a say in who this person will be. 416 parttime faculty members will not have their voices heard in an election that will affect how issues will be settled in Board of Regents meetings.

After the first attempt at electing a new faculty regent was dismissed due to none of the candidates receiving the required 50 percent of the vote, a second election attempt was deemed inconclusive as it was discovered that some part-time faculty participated in the voting process.

According to the WKU Fact Book, as of Fall 2016 part-time faculty comprised 35 percent of the entire faculty population.

How can one expect to get an accurate representation of faculty issues when almost half of them can’t choose who represents them?

Mac McKerral, a professor in the School of Journalism & Broadcasting, and Claus Ernst, a professor in the Department of Mathematics, are the two top candidates for the position of faculty regent.

In an e-mail from Ernst, he noted that, according to Kentucky law, “ ... voters must have the rank of instructor, assistant professor, or above. Thus there is not much WKU can do to change [the] rule

directly. Whether this is the right thing to do is questionable. There are over 400 part time instructors and many full time instructors that are not tenure track. All of these are specifically excluded to either vote or be a candidate. I am open to allow full time permanent instructors to be candidates, or to let part time faculty who have been with WKU for a number of years vote. One can argue about the specifics of what permanent means or how many years one should have worked for WKU before allowing folks to be part of the process.”

When reached for a comment, McKerral wrote in an e-mail, “I have stated consistently during the election that while the board seat is for the ‘Faculty Regent,’ its constituency — the entire board’s constituency — is all faculty, staff and students at WKU — the WKU community. That community is connected at all levels. We rely on each other. We cannot be severed. tI also would be remiss if I did not tell you that who can vote in this election — while worth discussing — is not as important as what is at stake in the election, and encouraging those who can vote to seriously consider the choices and to vote is most important.”

Given that the next election is scheduled for this Friday, it would be next to impossible to change the legislation regarding voter requirements. However, this does raise suspicion as to whether the outcome of the faculty regent election will be an accurate representation of the faculty population at WKU.

SYNTHESIS

The precarious pitfalls of conditional contentment

BY DAVID HORMELL HERALD.OPINION@WKU.EDU

Teddy Roosevelt once called comparison “the thief of joy.” He was right.

The act of comparison isn’t innately insidious. It can spark self-improvement and push us to better ourselves.

Nearly a century after Roosevelt’s death, it’s increasingly easy to take the seemingly innocuous act of comparison too far.

The result is a bad brand of conditional contentment, where a person creates a set of self-imposed prerequisites for their happiness to happen. The arbitrary terms for our contentment is usually predicated on a formulaic “if then” statement. If I get x, then I’ll be happy.

It’s a sneaky and subtle problem that

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actively prevents the presence of joy.

In my own experience, playing the comparison game lent itself to a great deal of anxiety and self-doubt because I set absurdly high expectations for myself and was disappointed in my ensuing reality.

For six years, I retroactively compared myself to literary greats. For example, Mary Shelley published the now canonical “Frankenstein” in her early twenties. I managed to convince myself if I didn’t conceive the next great novel in a similar timeline, I was a failure.

As a result, each birthday didn’t bring me any kind of joy. Instead, I ended up having intense, full-fledged bouts of existential dread each time another candle was added to my annual cookie cake. In retrospect, that kind of thinking was silly and nonproductive.

The act of comparison doesn’t always take place with larger-than-life celeb-

rities. It can take place with peers, too.

College can be a hotbed of inadequacy, and in the wake of social media’s ubiquity in daily life, it’s easy to feel excluded from a better narrative.

Earlier this year, a new study entitled “Association between Social Media Use and Depression among U.S. Young Adults” emerged. In an interview with NPR, co-author Brian Primack said, “You might watch all these interactions [on social media] where it seems like everyone else is connecting. That could lead to feeling excluded.”

It’s not necessarily Facebook’s fault.

While the verdict is still out on whether Mark Zuckerberg is a man or a machine, I don’t think he had entirely evil intentions at Facebook’s inception.

Instead, our tendency to play the comparison game stems from how we use social media platforms like Facebook or Instagram.

Namely, our perfectionist propensity to portray only the good things in our life.

Our online presence is often empty because we make it that way. We take time to intricately stitch together a fragmentary piece of fiction for an active, reactionary audience. At the expense of honesty, we put our best digital foot forward.

How do we get to happy again?

We must erase our personal terms for conditional contentment. Instead of playing the comparison game, spend time thinking about the things in life you’re thankful for – perhaps it’s a dog, a significant other or the benevolent breeze you felt as you bounded up the Hill today. Spend less time online and more time being physically present.

Don’t worry about the things you can’t change. Accept life as it is.

You’re you, and that’s enough.

DISCLOSURES

OUR TEAM

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1. In what state does Breaking Bad take place? (a) Texas (b) Arizona (c) New Mexico 2. Chemistry teacher Walter White was employed at what high school? (a) J P Wynne (b) R B Bennett (c) H J Hunter 3. Walter's son has what disease? (a) Multiple Sclerosis (b) Cystic Fibrosis (c) Cerebral Palsy 4. For what government agency does Walter's brother-in-law Hank work? (a) FBI (b) DEA (c) CIA 5. Who does Walter first recruit to help distribute drugs? (a) Jesse Pinkman (b) Ted Beneke (c) Skinny Pete 6. What street name does Walter use when conducting his business? (a) Ginsberg (b) Heisenberg (c) Newberg 7. Who is the crooked lawyer hired by Walter? (a) Elliot Schwartz (b) Steven Gomez (c) Saul Goodman 8. Where does Walter manufacture the drugs? (a) RV in the desert (b) Partner's tool shed (c) In his basement 9. How old is Walter White? (a) 55 (b) 50 (c) 42 10. Where does Walter moonlight to earn extra money? (a) Bowling Alley (b) Pawn shop (c) Car wash

Solution 1.c 2.a 3.c 4.b 5.a

6.b 7.c 8.a 9.b 10.c

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15 16 14 1 Iraqi port 6 Steep rugged 19 17 18 cliffs 21 22 11 Baglike structure 20 14 Revealed, as a 23 24 25 secret 15 Island west of 28 29 30 26 27 Maui 32 16 Miracle response 31 17 Broadcaster 33 34 35 36 37 38 19 Hasty escape 20 Rational 39 40 41 21 Internet messages 45 42 43 44 22 Bit of filming 23 Hardly Mr. Cool 46 47 25 Macho guys 26 Disclose 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 28 Incendiary 56 57 55 31 Eucalyptus muncher 59 60 58 32 Like some customs 61 62 63 33 Dig in Copyright ©2017 PuzzleJunction.com 34 Beatific 36 Prospector’s need 62 Diarist Samuel 13 Building material 38 To the ___ degree 39 Bankrolled 63 Ethyl acetate, e.g. 18 Encounter 39 Music genre 40 Athletic game 22 Look after 41 Saffron-flavored 42 Splits up 24 Wipeout?

Down dishes 45 Fortune 25 Vatican City 42 Lone-Star State 46 Light-footed 26 One of the Clantons 1 Gadfly larvae city 47 Stream 27 Extinct flightless 2 Atmosphere 43 Large lizard 48 Gambler’s hope bird 3 Don’t draw, in 44 Swindled person 49 Blazing 28 Infamous 1972 poker 45 St. Paul’s 52 Strip of wood hurricane 4 Urban ___ architect 55 Back muscle, for 29 Abbr. after many a 5 Pitches 47 Salad ingredient short general’s name 6 Scale 49 Crackerjack 56 Formerly popular 30 Peruvian coin 7 Pro ___ 50 Smart-alecky song 32 Auxiliary 8 Dead against 51 Without purpose 58 Blackbird 35 Mandela’s org.

9 Highlander 53 Prison term 59 Dye-yielding 10 Word said with a 36 Design item on a 54 Prince of Wales, shrubs dress, maybe salute e.g.

60 A Judd 37 It’s often left 11 Tubular food 56 Mountain pass 61 Friend of Frodo hanging 12 Stops sleeping 57 Early afternoon

Previous Solution

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

9

5

2 4

2

7

3

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8 2 9 4 5 7

2 1 4 1 3 6 5

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

3 6 5

5 3

1 4 6 5 2 1 3

2

4 6 9 1

Copyright ©2017 PuzzleJunction.com

8

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Copyright ©2017 PuzzleJunction.com

7

A6

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2017 WESTERN KENTUCKY UNIVERSITY

PHOTO

Jennifer West visits her client, Patricia Ardary, for her postpartum visit to see how she and Logan Bradley Hawkins were doing since the birth. She asked an array of questions and even helped check on Adary’s cesarean incision that opened up. “Would you like for me to help you with it while someone is here with you? I don’t want you to do it while you’re alone.” West said.

SUPPORT ROLE Local doula guides families through pregnancies PHOTOS AND STORY BY EBONY COX HERALD.PHOTO@WKU.EDU

B

owling Green resident Jennifer West is a mother of five and a doula. A doula is an emotional and physical support person that

helps women and their partners through the process of their birth.

West is currently in Midwifery School taking online class at the Midwives College of Utah.

“Birth is a pivotal life experience for most women,” West said. “It is something that can be empowering or traumatic. I’ve experienced both sides of that. My hope is that all women will feel empowered by their birth

experiences and that they will feel as though they are supported in their choices. I love that through my job I am supporting women and helping them to find those choices. My birth experiences shaped who I am as a mother, in many ways, and I hope to help support other women through their birth experiences, so that they can begin motherhood feeling strong, confident and empowered.”

The West family including (left to right) Lincoln, 8, Jefferson, 6, Emma, 4, Jennifer, Jack, 10, and Allie, 12, drink in Dr. Zevia All Natural Soda as a family during snack time. “Dad promised them soda since they were behaving yesterday.” Jennifer West said. “My kids are so hyperactive that ironically soda calms them down except my 4 year old Emma.”

Jennifer West grabs her phone and reviews some paper work before heading to Owensboro to meet with one of her clients at her 38 week mark. “I meet with clients twice before the birth so I have some type of relationship with them before the birth,” West said. “I meet with them once after the second trimester and again at 38 weeks. I’m with them the duration of the birth and stay with the mother until they are in their postpartum birth room and a final postpartum visit.”

Jennifer West comforts one of her clients, Patricia Ardary, 30, as she has a contraction. West is considered a doula which is an emotional and physical support person during birth. “She was worth every penny my mother paid for her,” Ardary said.

Benjamin, Emory and Krystin Waldron listen to doula Jennifer West ask different questions about whether or not they have packed just incase she goes into labor unexpectedly.

B1

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2017 WESTERN KENTUCKY UNIVERSITY

LIFE Bosnian coffee display to be at Kentucky Museum

BY NOAH MOORE HERALD.FEATURES@WKU.EDU

ways been the Preston Center’s core focus.

“We’re here for students,” Arnold said. “That’s our job.”

In Sims’ 13 years of service to the Preston Center and the WKU student body, she describes the Preston Center’s faculty as an “eclectic but close group” and believes such closeness is what keeps the Preston Center strong

The rich Bosnian coffee taste is not something someone can quickly brew in a Keurig.

That is why the Kentucky Museum will host a Bosnian coffee demonstration today from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. in honor of the international year of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The Kentucky Museum, located on Kentucky Street, has also been home to “A Culture Carried: Bosnians in Bowling Green” for the past month and will continue until June 2018, but this exhibition is just one facet of the IYO or International Year Of program which is currently in its fourth year.

The event itself is part of an academic course within the Folk Studies department in the Potter College of Arts and Letters, and it provides an opportunity to expose students to cultural customs of Bosnia and to intrigue students to become globally-oriented. Meghan Loughry, a student in the course, held a role in planning the demonstration.

“I am very excited about experiencing the demonstration, as well as learning more about Bosnian culture, especially from two women who live in Bowling Green but still practice their culture,” Loughry said.

The subject of Bosnian coffee is something that has intrigued all sorts of people for ages. The long and often complicated process begins with roasted coffee beans that are pulverized into a fine powder and cooked in a small copper-plated pot with a long neck. After boiling, the water is set to the side, and then coffee is added to it and boiled again.

The experience is part of the yearlong celebration, which began this past May and is characterized by a film festival, cultural workshops and demonstrations throughout the year that works to spotlight not only the country but the demographics of this country’s immigrants living in Bowling Green.

Previous events include a seminar called Bosnia and Herzegovina 101 held in the Downing Student Union to highlight the cultural distinctions between the U.S. and the Eastern European country. Also, in mid-September, WKU held the Bosnia and Herzegovina film festival, which displayed a wide range of films depicting the Bosnian war from 1992 to 1995. The film festival focused on the political past of the country in hopes of bringing the issues to light to those in attendance.

The relationship between Bowling Green and Bosnia and Herzegovina

SEE PRESTON • PAGE B2

SEE BOSNIAN COFFEE • PAGE B2

CASEY MCCARTHY • HERALD

Maureen Harrison, a member at the Preston Center for the past three years, signs up for door prizes on Membership Day in the Preston Center lobby.

Harrison works as a seamstress in Bowling Green where she lives.

FITNESS FOR ALL Preston Center celebrates 25 years

BY GRIFFIN FLETCHER HERALD.FEATURES@WKU.EDU

In commemoration of the Raymond B. Preston Health and Activities Center’s 25 years of service, the Preston Center hosted its Membership Day Wednesday, in which anyone could access its facilities for free. Prizes like free basic fitness assessments, free ORAC rentals, free 30-minute massages and commemorative t-shirts were also drawn.

Membership Day was primarily a day of appreciation for current fulltime students, but served to educate non-students about Preston’s various programs and job opportunities as well.

Preston Center office coordinator Becky Sims, who is also a member of the Preston Center 25-year Anniversary Committee, emphasized Membership Day’s role in informing WKU students, faculty and alumni.

“We designed it to educate what we have to offer here and how to take out memberships and how to become more involved in our programs,” Sims said.

These programs include the Preston Center’s Outdoor Recreation Adventure Center, or ORAC, which sponsors various adventure trips and features a bike repair shop, WellU, WKU’s health and fitness promotion program and the

Intramural Recreational Sports program.

Preston Center Assistant Director of Health and Fitness and 25-year Anniversary Committee member Alissa Arnold credits these programs’ success partly to students and student workers.

“We have a large amount of student employees . . . We really focus on a lot of student development here,” Arnold said, discussing the relevant job experience many Preston Center positions have to offer.

and in a planning stage.

Sims noted Phase Three would be centered around student interest, which she said has always been of utmost importance to the Preston Center.

“It’s all going to be focused on what students want,” Sims said. “In the 25 years that I’ve seen that Preston’s been here, that has been our top priority . . . student engagement.”

Since starting at the Preston Center in 2004, Arnold agreed that attention to students and student needs has al-

“It’s all going to be focused on what students want. In the 25 years that I’ve seen that Preston’s been here, that has been our top priority . . . student engagement.”

Preston Center office coordinator BECKY SIMS

Along with calling attention to Preston’s offered programs, Membership Day is intended as a precursor to Preston’s eventual Phase Three project.

Phase Two was completed in the spring of 2010 with the creation of Preston’s revamped fitness center.

Phase Three hopes to feature a rock-climbing wall and outdoor recreation center for students, Sims said.

Though no official construction dates are finalized, the project is underway

Filmmaker Matt Schrader visits Bowling Green

BY LAUREL DEPPEN HERALD.FEATURES@WKU.EDU As a part of the Southern Circuit Tour of Independent Filmmakers, Matt Schrader’s documentary “Score” was featured at Bowling Green’s Capitol Arts Center on Tuesday night.

South Arts, a regional nonprofit organization dedicated to bringing artistry to different communities throughout the South, offers a touring set of independent films with its filmmakers, known as the Southern Circuit.

Through the Southern Circuit, South Arts’ mission is to engage southern communities with film as an art form.

According to its website, “The Circuit takes the audience away from their televisions, computers, tablets and phones to connect them with independent filmmakers – live! Southern Circuit transforms watching film from a solitary experience into a communal one.”

The Circuit continued Tuesday night

at Capitol Arts Center as the Bowling Green community was welcomed to a screening of the film “Score” and to hear from director Matt Schrader.

“Score” is a documentary film focused on the creativity and challenges of being a Hollywood composer. It offers audiences a unique look inside the composing process. Film was something Schrader always found interesting.

Schrader went to college at the University of Southern California to study journalism. “I was pretty sure that was going to be my path,” Schrader said. “I guess [film] was just a casual interest I had for a while.”

The University of Southern California is known for its film program.

Schrader became interested and later was accepted into their program.

“They tell you to have one degree that’s going to be your job and to have one that’s like a fun thing, a hobby or something you enjoy,” Schrader said.

He recalled finding himself very interested in the bonus features offered

on DVDs. Through this, he found an interest in film scores.

After entering what Schrader called the “Netflix era,” he discovered an appreciation for documentaries.

“I started really enjoying documentaries. That was my favorite thing to watch. Netflix has such a great archive of those that you could watch a great documentary every night,” Schrader said.

While watching all of these documentaries, Schrader thought of a documentary he would enjoy seeing.

“I started to think, it would be really cool if someone made a documentary about film scores, about film composers and what they do, because I don’t really know what they do. I can’t wait to watch that documentary,” he said.

Several years passed and Schrader continued to pursue his career in television news. He conducted interviews and edited stories for projects.

“I kind of realized I at least had the technical skills to put together maybe some kind of documentary,” he said.

Schrader then decided to contact film composers to see if he could make any progress on this documentary, a process he admits to not having a thought-out plan. He recalled his mindset being, “Let’s see if they’ll bite.”

“We were persistent and polite,” Schrader said. “And to our surprise, a lot of composers thought it was a cool idea.”

Each interview with a composer opened the door to an interview with another. Forming these connections allowed Schrader to conduct 67 interviews.

“People thought it was a cool topic so we kept on with it,” he said. “All in all, it took about two and a half years to shoot and edit and finish the film. We had to figure out at every step of the process what comes next. I’m a journalist, I’m not a filmmaker … It’s kind of cool that we knew nothing about this starting out and were able to figure it SEE FILM SCREENING • PAGE B2

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2017 WESTERN KENTUCKY UNIVERSITY

B2 LIFE

Study abroad office takes advising to students

BY BROOKE WRIGHT HERALD.FEATURES@WKU.EDU

WKU Study Abroad and Global Learning recently set up booths across campus to spread the word about opportunities to study in different countries and earn college credit.

These booths have been set up in the Environmental Science and Technology building as well as Jody Richards Hall with SAGL student representatives advising students who have any questions about studying abroad.

SAGL student representative president Linsey Boerrigter said these ad-

vising booths are more accessible to students across campus.

“The main purpose of the booths is to take advising to the students,” Boerrigter said.

Boerrigter also said the booths make it easier for students who have any questions about studying abroad and do not have time to come in for an advising appointment in the Honors College and International Center.

As of now, the study abroad office in HCIC room 1014 holds walk-in advising hours Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. Student representatives will be there to help other students if they are struggling with

something.

“The SAGL student representatives are students who studied abroad and are able to help guide others in the application process,” Boerrigter said.

“Students come in a lot, and relationships are formed. Getting advice from peers really helps everything along.”

Krista Erickson, a study abroad advisor, also commented on the walk-in advising.

“Applying to study abroad doesn’t have to be a formal process,” she said.

“Students can also check on other things whether it be questions they have about something or just helping them click that ‘apply now’ button on

the website when they’ve decided they want to study abroad.”

SAGL also holds the study abroad fair in the fall semesters. Students are able to learn more about study abroad opportunities as well as financial assistance there.

“I think more students are getting the idea of involvement,” Boerrigter said. “More people are realizing that studying abroad is a great opportunity.”

Reporter Brooke Wright can be reached at (270)745-2655 and brooke. wright184@topper.wku.edu.

Happy Gas Improv Troupe to hold open practice

BY OLIVIA MOHR HERALD.FEATURES@WKU.EDU

Happy Gas Improv Troupe will hold an open practice for students to join in on improv games this Thursday from 7 to 9 p.m. in Gordon Wilson Hall.

The practice will be open “to anybody and everybody” who wants to try out improv, said Franklin, Tennessee senior Paige Brouillette, president of Happy Gas. Brouillette said she hopes students have a good time at the open practice and that they learn more about improv.

She said many people who come to Happy Gas’s shows have never tried improv before, so the open practice will give them an opportunity to try it out for themselves.

“I hope they find a new love or just a fun way to express themselves,” she said.

Brouillette said improv requires team work.

“I hope that people really see how much of a group effort it is,” she said.

PRESTON

CONTINUED FROM PAGE B1

Maysville junior Conner Keef, a member of Happy Gas, said the open practice provides an opportunity for students who are thinking about auditioning to see what goes on during practices, and he hopes it gets them excited and helps them better understand improv and the work that goes into it. Auditions will take place next

ditioning,” Keef said. “If they are intrigued in improv as an art form, I hope open practice gives them a new appreciation for improv and how difficult it is.”

The open practice will consist of games including “Helping Hands,” “Clap On” and “Shift Left.” It will also consist of the “Yes, And” game, which

“I hope that if they are interested in joining the team, open practice makes them even more enthused about auditioning. If they are intrigued in improv as an art form, I hope open practice gives them a new appreciation for improv and how difficult it is.”

Maysville junior CONNER KEEF

fall.

“I hope that if they are interested in joining the team, open practice makes them even more enthused about au-

means participants must accept what their team members set up for them and expand upon it. The “Yes, And” game represents a principle of improv

Reporter Olivia Mohr can be reached at olivia.mohr564@topper.wku.edu and (270)745-2655.

and up-to-date.

“We work very well together,” Sims said. “My co-workers and the students are what makes it great.”

After 25 years as the heart of health and fitness at WKU, the Preston Center is still advancing and working to best serve its members.

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

FILM SCREENING

S THI IS IT

because improv is collaborative and team-focused, said Louisville junior Travis Ryan, an initiate wrangler for Happy Gas. Ryan said he hopes students who come to the open practice will walk away from it with a better understanding of improv and how Happy Gas works, what they value and how they spend their time.

“Hopefully people appreciate the process we do a little more and see that maybe it’s not as easy as it looks,” Ryan said.

Ryan said the open practice will give students the chance to try out improv just for fun or if they are planning on auditioning for the team, and it will give students a chance to try something new.

“If you want to do improv, it’s a great opportunity to just come try it out,” he said.

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CONTINUED FROM PAGE B1 out and end up someplace. To some extent, we’re proud of what we’ve accomplished.”

Schrader saw the Southern Circuit as an interesting opportunity to connect people to independent films.

“It sounded like a really cool thing for us to be able to show to people especially because our movie is about a lot of other movies that people do know,” Schrader said. “We thought that if people watch our movie there’s a good chance that they’ll like it.”

BOSNIAN COFFEE CONTINUED FROM PAGE B1

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has had an ongoing presence, culminating in the more than 5,000 Bosnian immigrants living in Bowling Green today. But Loughry is confident these experiences aren’t going to end soon.

“Not only this, but in November there will be another event hosted by my class, and it will be all about Bosnian pita,” Loughry said.

Schrader elaborated on the importance of music in film and how different it can be, calling it “the heart of the movie.”

Schrader shared what he’d learned most from the process.

“If you’re dedicated enough, and take it step by step, and every day for a couple years make things just a little bit better, at the tail end of that you can end up with something that’s kind of cool.”

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

The pita also has political significance, serving as something cheap made to feed families during the Bosnian civil war.

As for IYO’s future, Cuba has been selected as the 2018-2019 country of the year and will continue this tradition followed by Kenya the following year.

Reporter Noah Moore can be reached at 270-745-2655 and Noah.moore375@ topper.wku.edu.

CORRECTION PLUS MANY MORE...

NOTHING WILL BE HELD BACK!

•

In Tuesday’s edition of the Herald, there was a duplicate photo on the page entitled “Pride Time.” The photo which was supposed to be in the middle left corner was a photo of Kristin Blanchard and Jonathan Lovelace at their wedding at the Pride Festival on Saturday, Oct. 21.

The Herald regrets the error.

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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2017 WESTERN KENTUCKY UNIVERSITY

SPORTS B3

Lady Toppers looking for strong end to season

BY CLAY MANLOVE HERALD.SPORTS@WKU.EDU

The Lady Toppers will look to end their regular season home schedule on a high note this weekend as they play host to a pair of conference rivals in Marshall and Alabama-Birmingham.

WKU sits at 23-2 (9-0 in Conference USA play) going into this weekend and has won 19-straight matches coming off last weekend’s wins over Texas-El Paso and Texas-San Antonio.

Although defensive struggles hounded the Lady Toppers early on in the past two matches, the kinks worked themselves out later as WKU has won 28-straight sets, their last set loss coming in a 3-2 win over Florida Atlantic in the C-USA opener.

Head coach Travis Hudson stressed the importance of working on defense in practice this week, as well as getting the team rested and healthy.

“We’ve got to continue to defend better,” Hudson said. “Offensively, we’re not super sharp right now. What we need right now is a break because our kids are worn out. We’re trying to be in the NCAA Tournament before the conference tournament ever starts, and it’s really hard mentally for our kids.”

Senior setter Jessica Lucas suffered a bone bruise and strained ligaments in her elbow in a road game at Florida International on Oct. 15, but has continued to play with an elbow brace.

Other than that, Hudson cited no other major health concerns with the team.

A young Marshall squad sits at 9-14 coming into its Friday evening match against the Lady Toppers and have an even 4-4 record in C-USA play.

Leading the Herd offensively is sophomore outside hitter Jac’cara Walker, who has amassed 306 kills on the season while hitting around a .212 clip. Sophomore middle blocker Madison Hill follows with 259 kills on a .255 clip.

Defensively for the Herd, freshman defensive specialist Jessa Long has a team-high 272 digs while sophomore setter Madelyn Cole follows with 214 digs. Freshman middle blocker Addisyn Rowe has 78 blocks for Marshall.

FOOTBALL CONTINUED FROM PAGE B4 get QB pressure to get them out of their comfort zone.”

The WKU defense may face its toughest challenge of the year without some key players. Redshirt junior defensive lineman Evan Sayner will have to undergo season-ending surgery on his leg and redshirt freshman safety Devon Key and senior defensive back Joe Brown are both questionable. Brown, who leads WKU with two interceptions, has missed two straight games. Key, who is the second leading tackler on the team, missed his first game of the year last week against Old Dominion.

Defensively, the Owls rank first in C-USA in interceptions with 12. FAU cornerback Chris Tooley leads all of C-USA in interceptions (4) and has also returned a fumble for a touchdown so far in 2017.

Over the past four games, redshirt senior quarterback Mike White has

DARTT CONTINUED FROM PAGE B4

Ryan Mahaffey has helped out coaching the offensive line. Offensive graduate assistant Matt Mitchell has helped assist with Mahaffey’s role at tight end while graduate assistant Harris Bivin has stepped up to fill any void left by Dartt’s temporary absence.

“Coach Mahaffey and coach Bivin stepped up,” Sims continued. “It’s next man up just like it is with the players. They’ve done a great job. Nothing slowed down from game planning and everything we do to prepare for games.”

Despite not physically being able to be at practice, Coach Dartt still has found a way to make an impact. Laughing at his assistant’s grittiness and passion for his job, Sanford said Dartt has been texting him and his staff in-

SOCCER CONTINUED FROM PAGE B4 the winner advancing to the NCAA Tournament. This season, the tournament is being hosted by Florida Atlantic from Nov. 1-5, in Boca Raton, Florida.

WKU has two matches remaining on its schedule to jump up in the standings, including the home finale next Friday, Oct. 27, against Marshall, before closing out the regular season on Sunday, Oct. 29, at Alabama-Birmingham.

WKU will honor its five seniors with a post-match ceremony on Friday.

Seniors for the Lady Toppers include Allison Leone, Hannah Chua, Nahyo Jalajel, Shayna Dheel and Bria Mosley.

Marshall will close out its season with the match Friday against WKU. The Thundering Herd are coming off a 3-0 loss against Texas-El Paso last

As a team, Marshall has compiled a .202 hitting percentage and has outkilled teams 1090-1038. Marshall has given up a .206 hitting percentage to opponents this season.

WKU will turn around on Sunday to face an 11-14 UAB squad, who will face UTSA on the road on Friday evening before visiting the Lady Toppers.

The Lady Toppers swept the Blazers 3-0 on Oct. 13 in Birmingham, hitting a .281 clip while holding the opposition to a lowly .009 hitting percentage.

Redshirt senior outside hitter Gabby Deshotel leads the Blazers on offense with 280 kills working around a .191 hitting clip. Fellow senior outside hitter Haley Jared follows with 245 kills on a .172 attack percentage.

Defensively for UAB, junior libero Emily Martinez leads the squad with 352 digs while Deshotel follows with 201. Junior middle blocker Victoria Young has 75.0 blocks for the Blazers.

As a team, the Blazers have had a solid offensive year, hitting at a .203 clip while out-killing opponents 12421156 on the season. However, the UAB defense has held strong, holding opponents to just a .196 clip on the season.

For her performance last week, Alyssa Cavanaugh was named Conference USA Offensive Player of the Week for the third time this season. The senior had 39 kills in last weekend’s pair of home games, 19 against UTEP and 20 against UTSA. With Cavanaugh’s award, the Lady Toppers have been recognized for individual awards each of the past eight weeks since not being recognized in the season’s opening week. WKU has picked up a total of 13 individual awards this season.

The match against Marshall is slated for a 6 p.m. start time on Friday evening while the Sunday match against UAB is scheduled for noon. The two matches will be the final regular season home matches for the Lady Toppers before hosting the C-USA tournament from Friday, Nov. 17 to Sunday, Nov. 19.

Reporter Clay Manlove can be reached at (270) 724-9620 or at clayton.manlove475@topper.wku.edu. Follow him on Twitter at @ctmanlove58. proven why he was named preseason C-USA Offensive Player of the Year.

White has thrown 10 touchdowns over the past two games after throwing just two over the first five games. White and company will look to continue their productive play in what could easily be the highest scoring game of the year in Houchens-Smith Stadium.

“We’re going to need every single one of the Hilltopper fans, students, anybody within six hours who wants to come watch a great football game,” Sanford said. “Come here and let’s pack the Houch. It’s going to be a great challenge for us, we’re going to be tested mightily against a team that’s moving the ball at will on everybody in our conference.”

FAU and WKU kickoff at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday.

Reporter Sam Porter can be reached at 270-799-8247 and sam.porter270@ gmail.com Follow him on Twitter at @ SammyP14. formation while watching film on his laptop from the hospital. Dartt found his way back into the football office for the first time on Sunday. He is expected to get more information about his recovery process this week.

“I know he wants to get back out there and get in the offensive linemen’s face and coach them hard,” Sanford said. “When you have a procedure like that, you have to allow the doctors and healing process to play itself to a certain extent. We’re taking it day-byday.”

The offensive line will look to continue to improve as the Hilltoppers host Florida Atlantic in a C-USA East showdown. With a win, the Hilltoppers will officially be eligible for a bowl game.

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

Thursday. Sophomore Jordan Sackaris leads Marshall with five goals and one assist on the season as both teams will be looking to secure a crucial victory.

Closing out the regular season Sunday, the Lady Toppers face off against UAB in Birmingham, Alabama. The Blazers are coming off a 1-0 loss to Louisiana Tech and will face MTSU on Friday before facing WKU on Sunday in their home finale.

Four players have six or more goals on the season for the Blazers, with senior defender Amy Brewer leading the team with nine goals and five assists total on the year.

The Lady Toppers will be looking to close out the regular season on a fivegame win streak paired with a little bit of luck to continue playing past the regular season.

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

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2017 WESTERN KENTUCKY UNIVERSITY

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SPORTS WKU Soccer fighting for postseason spot

BY CASEY MCCARTHY HERALD.SPORTS@WKU.EDU

“You think about who you do it for and why you do it,” redshirt senior offensive lineman Jimmie Sims said.

“Coach Dartt, especially since he was going through that, it gave us a little boost. To play for a coach like that is always in the back of your head.”

Dartt, who will turn 34 this December, is in his first year as a coach on the Hill. He was an offensive lineman on three Division III National Championship teams at Mount Union in Ohio.

He began coaching at Wheaton College in Illinois and remained there from 2008-2011 until becoming the offensive coordinator and offensive line coach at his alma mater from 2012 through last season.

“Talk about a tough guy, he coached through that and had some major, major issues from a health standpoint,” Sanford said.

The next-man-up philosophy has been a major theme of this WKU team as several players have been asked to step up in place of the starters. The same thing applied to filling coach Dartt’s void as well. Tight ends coach Ryan Mahaffey has helped out coaching the offensive line. Offensive grad-

Coming off a strong second half against Texas-San Antonio last Thursday, the Lady Toppers bring a threematch win streak into their final home match tomorrow against Marshall at the WKU Soccer Complex.

WKU (6-8-1, 3-4-1 C-USA) was able to hold the Roadrunners to a 0-0 draw coming into the second half before scoring three themselves, securing a 3-1 victory. Sophomore defender Aleksandra Kozovic opened the scoring for the Lady Toppers on a free kick just minutes into the second half, the first of her collegiate career.

Junior forward Hannah Cady scored her first goal of the season, and first since her freshman season, coming off an assist from senior Hannah Chua, her fourth of the season. Cady’s goal came late in the match Thursday in what quickly became a flurry of goals to end the game.

With Cady’s goal in the 82nd minute which gave WKU a 2-0 lead, UTSA (213, 1-7 C-USA) put themselves on the board moments later as Jordyn Lacy cut the Lady Topper lead in half with less than five minutes to play.

Sophomore forward Chandler Backes would secure the WKU lead less than a minute later, scoring off a deflection of freshman Deven Jackson’s shot attempt. Backes’ goal was the sixth of the season and the 16th of her young career.

Senior Allison Leone secured four saves in the victory, surrendering her first goal since Oct. 6 against Middle Tennessee State. WKU’s defense held the Thundering Herd to just five shots on goal, as WKU led the match in both shots (10-8) and shots on goal (6-5).

The Lady Toppers’ win last Thursday helps the team as it makes a push towards postseason play in Conference USA. The win puts WKU in a tie with Marshall at 10 points on the season, with WKU holding the slight advantage after the victory. Charlotte and Florida Atlantic sit three points ahead of the Lady Toppers in the final two spots.

Both teams, Charlotte and FAU, have one match left to play.

The top eight teams in C-USA, as determined by points will advance to a single-elimination tournament, with the winner advancing to the NCAA Tournament. This season, the tourna-

SEE DARTT • PAGE B3

SEE SOCCER • PAGE B3

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First-year offensive line coach Geoff Dartt, who will turn 34 this December, had an operation on Oct. 13 to remove two brain tumors. Head coach Mike Sanford said several players wrote “Coach Dartt” on their arm tape during the Hilltoppers’ game against Charlotte the day after Dartt’s surgery.

DARTING FORWARD WKU playing inspired as Dartt recovers

BY SAM PORTER HERALD.SPORTS@WKU.EDU

The WKU offensive line knew it would be facing some adversity in 2017, but nothing quite like it has thus far.

First year WKU offensive line coach Geoff Dartt dealt with issues such as dizziness and imbalance throughout the first part of the season.

He was originally diagnosed with vertigo, which is a symptom for a range of conditions. Bryan Schneider, WKU’s associate athletic director, decided to take Dartt to get an MRI on Tuesday, Oct. 10, during the week of WKU’s Homecoming matchup with Charlotte.

Dartt was living with two brain tumors.

Just three days after the MRI revealed the brain tumors, Dartt underwent a significant surgery on Friday, Oct. 13, and was forced to miss the Hilltoppers’ Homecoming matchup against Charlotte.

“The fact that it was originally diagnosed as vertigo, you think it’s just one of those deals where you have to suck it up and roll,” head coach Mike Sanford

said on Monday, 10 days after Dartt’s successful operation. “That was coach Dartt’s mentality, he was like ‘I’m just going to keep coaching.’ But when we found out exactly what happened, he told me in a very matter-of-fact manner and didn’t make it seem like it was a big deal. I handled it in a very matterof-fact manner until I got in my office and realized that it was a significant procedure he was going to undergo.”

One day after the surgery, the WKU offensive line put up its best performance of the year. For the first time all year, the offensive line didn’t allow a single sack. Redshirt senior quarterback Mike White had a season-best game, throwing for nearly 400 yards and five touchdowns as well as rushing for a touchdown.

The offensive line also helped open the run game as well. Redshirt junior running back D’Andre Ferby and sophomore running back Quinton Baker averaged nearly six yards per carry after the duo averaged less than four yards per carry entering the contest.

Several players, including redshirt freshman wide receiver Xavier Lane, wrote “Coach Dartt” on their tape in the Hilltoppers’ 45-14 route of Charlotte.

WKU set to host Kiffin and high-scoring FAU

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the run. However, the Hilltoppers have struggled against the run in their last two games, giving up over 250 rushing yards in each game along with six total touchdowns. The Owls’ offense is entering Bowling Green on a roll, scoring 38, 58 and 69 points in its past three games, including seven rushing touchdowns in a 69-31 victory over North Texas last week.

“FAU is really good at running the ball so we’re going to be really good at our run fits this week,” redshirt junior defensive lineman Julien Lewis said. “We have to force them to throw and get QB pressure to get them out of

SEE FOOTBALL • PAGE B3

Yellow Tail

A game with huge Conference USA implications will take place in Bowling Green on Saturday when the WKU football team (5-2, 3-1 C-USA) hosts Florida Atlantic (4-3, 3-0 C-USA).

FAU got off to a rocky 1-3 start, but has reeled off three straight C-USA wins by an average of 28.6 points and currently sits atop the C-USA East standings.

The Owls are coached by former Alabama offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin who has quickly gotten the pro-

Briles have put in place.”

One major asset of the turnaround at FAU has been the offensive production, most notably in the run game.

Briles and company currently rank first in C-USA in scoring offense (39.1 points per game) and rushing offense (285.6 yards per game). FAU running backs Devin Singletary and Greg Howell have combined for over 1,300 rushing yards and 17 touchdowns through seven games.

Quarterback Jason Driskel is averaging 7.1 yards per rush, more than any starting running back in C-USA, and has found the end zone five times as well. Two weeks ago, the WKU defense ranked first in C-USA against

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gram back on the right track in his first year as head coach after the team went 3-9 last year. Kiffin also brought along former Baylor offensive coordinator Kendall Briles, who directed the number one scoring offense in the nation in 2015.

“He’s done a great job,” head coach Mike Sanford said about Kiffin. “One storyline about FAU in the offseason was the amount of transfers they brought in, but when you look up and down their production, a good chunk of their offensive and defensive production comes from players that were at FAU prior to him arriving on campus. That speaks obviously to the change that coach Kiffin and coach

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