September 13, 2016

READ PRESIDENT GARY RANSDELL’S OPEN LETTER

OPINION, PAGE A4

PHOTOS FROM THE BALLOON CLASSIC PHOTO, PAGE A6

TTUESDAY, UESDAY, SSEPTEMBER EPTEMBER 113, 3, 22016 016 > W WESTERN ESTERN KKENTUCKY ENTUCKY UUNIVERSITY NIVERSITY > VVOLUME OLUME 992, 2, IISSUE SSUE 7

Campus police investigate racist letters

BY JACOB DICK HERALD.NEWS@WKU.EDU

Editor’s note: This article contains graphic language.

President Gary Ransdell released a statement Sunday night publically denouncing an incident of racial hate against a WKU employee two days after the College Heights Herald published a story on the incident.

“We will have zero tolerance for actions by any among us at WKU who seek to degrade, discriminate against, or belittle others,” Ransdell said in an email to faculty and students.

“However, I would caution all of us not to conclude that these actions by a few are reflective of the whole.”

Campus police are in-

vestigating the complaint filed by the assistant dean of the University College, Michelle Jones, after three threatening notes containing racist and hate-filled language were found in her office on South Campus.

Jones said she found the messages folded individually under her South Campus office door on Aug. 26, after not being in her office for a 10-day period. The documents were typed and printed with racial remarks targeting Jones for being an African-American.

The hallway Jones’ office is in is accessible to faculty and students, but she believes a university employee is responsible.

“I was in disbelief this could happen on campus,” Jones said. “Now I’m worried we have a faculty member

thinking this way, teaching minority students who might not feel safe to speak up.”

She wouldn’t describe all of the hate speech in the messages, but did say one of the letters stated: “This is bullshit, you should take

sages, and sat alone in her office because she couldn’t believe what she read.

“I remember chuckling to myself because I thought at any moment someone was going to knock on my door and tell me I was be-

Now I’m worried we have a faculty member thinking this way, teaching minority students who might not feel safe to speak up.”

- Assistant Dean of the University College Michelle Jones your black ass back to Africa so this campus and America can be great again.”

Jones said she had immediate hesitation about what to do after reading the mes-

ing pranked,” Jones said.

A Herald request to campus police for the incident report and documents sent to Jones was denied, citing an ongoing investigation.

Sgt. Rafael Casas said the incident had been under investigation and the department would be interviewing employees who work near Jones’ office to see if anyone remembers seeing anything. Casas said there are cameras throughout the building, but not in the hallways where faculty members’ offices are located.

This is the second case of a WKU community member being targeted by racist actions this academic year. Cheyenne Mitchell, a senior from Lexington, had her car vandalized with a racial slur on Aug. 31.

Jones said she didn’t know why she had been targeted with the letters, but several administrators did confirm the subject of diversity and

SEE LETTERS PAGE A2

STEP AFTER STEP

ISEC, TRIO programs merge after budget cuts

BY NICOLE ARES

National Pan-Hellenic Council’s fraternities and sororities held their annual Yard Show at Downing Student Union auditorium on Thursday, Sept. 8. Each fraternity and sorority had their own stepping routines which they performed onstage.

NPHC is a collaborative organization of nine historically African-American fraternities and sororities which formed in 1930; six of WKU’s competed for bragging rights.

HERALD.NEWS@WKU.EDU The Intercultural Student Engagement Center and TRIO Programs have merged together following university budget cuts that occurred last spring.

With a $50,000 budget cut to the former Office of Institutional Diversity and Inclusion, the OIDI was eliminated and reorganized into the ISEC. “Lynne [Holland] was very interested in how the TRIO program used that same model with the Intercultural Student Engagement Center,” said Brian Kuster, vice president for student affairs. “When we had the budget cut last spring, we

SEE ISEC PAGE A2

TOP: After the Yard Show, all the fraternities and sororities performed around the auditorium including Iota Phi Theta, pictured, on Thursday Sept. 8 during the Yard Show in DSU auditorium. Jeff Brown/HERALD

MIDDLE: Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity brothers, Indianapolis senior, Prince Holmes, left, Plantation, Fl. junior Brent O’Connor, middle, and Louisville senior, Harrison Hill, step Thursday, Sept. 8 during the Yard Show in DSU Autitorium. Ebony Cox/HERALD

BOTTOM: Senior Kierra Muhammad of Cincinnati yells during the Zeta Phi Beta skit at theYard Show onThursday, Sept. 8, 2016 in the DSU auditorium. Ebony Cox/HERALD

SEPTEMBER 13, 2016

A2

LETTERS

Continued from Front inclusion was heavily discussed at a University College faculty meeting scheduled to kick off the semester.

Vice Provost of Personnel and Policy Richard Miller said the subject needed to be heavily reviewed at the time because a candidate for the director of the School of University Studies, whom Miller said was an African-American woman, decided to end her candidacy during the search for the position.

Miller and Provost David Lee both confirmed the candidate cited several reasons for ending her candidacy, including an environment that made her feel uncomfortable.

“Any time we have a candidate end their candidacy because they perceive a problem with the work environment, there should be a call to address the issue,” Miller told the Herald on Friday.

It is not known how Jones was involved in this meeting, if at all, but Miller initially said the subject was geared toward work concerns for African-Americans.

Jones is the only African-American administrator in the college.

“We have a despicable racist in our midst and every member of the WKU community should be outraged,” Miller said. “This is a hedonist, intolerable act this institution needs to take serious.”

On Sunday night, the editorial board of the Herald met with Lee, Chief Diversity Officer and Dean of Students Lynne Holland, Vice President of Public Affairs Robbin Taylor and interim director of the School

ISEC

Continued from front merge those two concepts together?”

Additionally, the OIDI director position was dissolved and previous OIDI Director Andrea Garr-Barnes was “immediately released from any further responsibilities at WKU,” according to a letter from Holland, dean of students, on April 26.

The Herald reached out to Lynne Holland for a comment, but she did not respond at time of publication.

After the merger, Martha Sales became director of both the TRIO Programs and the ISEC effective July 1.

“I would like to think I’ve been promoted or given this job because of the success I’ve had with TRIO,” Sales said.

The TRIO Programs are federally funded and serve first generation and low income students of all ages. The WKU program is located in Jones Jaggers Hall room 132.

After the merger of the TRIO Programs and ISEC, Sales saw it as a way to reach a larger population of students. Generally, the programs assist the university with recruitment, retention and graduation efforts, Sales said.

“The merger is great because it promotes access and success at a greater level,” Sales said. “With TRIO we can only serve a smaller population, but with this center [ISEC] we can take what we’ve learned from TRIO and grow with it to the larger population.”

The ISEC is now located in the Downing Student Union room 2041.

This is a recent move from its previous location in the Sofia-Downing House.

“I feel like this is an ideal space and

COLLEGE HEIGHTS HERALD

of University Studies Dawn Hall to discuss the incident and how the campus community should proceed.

Herald editors were able to ask questions about the timeline of events and Hall explained what she witnessed after Jones found the letters on Aug. 26 in her office.

“Michelle was in shock, and [reacted] how would anyone react to this,” Hall said during the meeting.

Hall said she remembered missing a call from Jones the afternoon of Aug. 26 and later saw Jones bring the notes to the office of Merrill Price, associate dean of University College.

Jones talked to Price about the incident and Hall said Jones decided to spend the rest of the day at home.

After talking to Jones about the situation, Hall suggested a complaint should be filed with the university’s legal counsel and the campus police.

On the following Monday after the incident, Jones emailed the legal department and the Equal Employment Opportunity office to make an official report as well as making a report with the police.

Price said she and Jones attended a meeting with representatives from the university’s legal counsel and EEO on the following Monday after the incident to discuss the appropriate procedures. Price also confirmed the dean of University College, Dennis George, was told of the incident on that Friday and was officially notified on Monday.

Price also said the meeting with the University College faculty and staff wasn’t inspired by the former job candidate’s comment and her comment didn’t necessarily pertain to race.

“It’s kind of a misrepresentation because race wasn’t specifically mentioned, but you could maybe gather that from what she said,” Price said. “I do think it’s important to be concerned when a comment like that is made by a candidate, because successful women, especially women of color, have to do more to seem as competent to men when in certain environments.

There can be unfair expectations.”

The Herald sought comment about the incident and the way it was handled from Holland on Thursday afternoon before the story was published online Friday, but she referred all questions to Provost David Lee in an email response to the Herald.

Miller and Lee confirmed they had both seen the letters sent to Jones and a conference call among administrators was arranged Sept. 2 to discuss what should happen next.

“Things like this get reported in a variety of ways with different offices notified at different times,” Lee said. “There were a number of folks who had a role who talked about how to proceed.”

Lee did have a meeting with members of the School of University Studies the Tuesday following the incident to briefly address that an incident had occurred and a fellow faculty member had been targeted.

“It just seemed natural that was the group who needed to be talked with because they are in the best position to provide support for Michelle,” Lee said. “We should be supportive of faculty who are targeted and try to resist fear and distrust that the perpetrator would like us to embrace.”

Despite the Sept. 2 conference call and Lee’s meeting with the School of University Studies, an official statement from university administration wasn’t released until after the Herald’s story was published online Sept. 9.

“The proper administrative response should have been proactive instead of reactive,” Miller said. “I think the institution’s response has been inadequate.”

In an interview Monday, Miller said the Sunday response from Ransdell was appropriate, but he would have preferred a more swift reaction from the WKU administration.

In an interview Thursday, Ransdell said he had been aware in passing that an incident may have occurred, but he wasn’t fully briefed on the situation until Thursday morning.

Lee confirmed Ransdell was not in attendance at the Sept. 2 meeting.

Jones said she hopes the person who sent her the letters is removed so people won’t think that type of behavior is tolerable. She said safety isn’t necessarily a concern, as the way the writer went about the attack was “cowardly,” but she couldn’t help being disturbed by the incident.

“It’s been stressful,” Jones said.

“I’m a resilient person and I thought I could handle things, but I can’t handle the anonymity of the message. I’ll always have to wonder about other’s actions toward me and if they were the one who wrote it.”

getting students in. We want students to understand that this is their university, so it doesn’t matter where we are located because the whole university belongs to them,” Sales said.

Kuster also added the Black Cultural Center, also previously housed in the Sofia-Downing House, moved along with the ISEC. Sales also heads the Black Cultural Center.

“The Black Cultural Center was located in the Sofia Downing House during spring 2016 because that was where the ISEC office was located. It was always intended to be with the ISEC office,” Kuster said.

Sales also added a similar goal between the programs is to improve on retention and graduation. Since the Black Cultural Center and ISEC are fairly new, Sales is still in the process of setting groundwork for the programs.

With regards to the Black Cultural Center, Sales is still “meeting with student organizations that are involved with that program, meeting with faculty and staff, connecting and collaborating with important key stakeholders and individuals to make sure that vision is still reached.”

While she views the social and cultural aspects of the center as equally important, Sales is trying to take a “holistic” approach by focusing on academics as well.

That is why Sales feels the Black Cultural Center pairs well with the ISEC because they have similar goals in improving retention and graduation.

In order to address this issue, Sales hopes to collaborate with offices who already do it well, learn from them and provide the services or those touch points that students

might not be receiving right now.

“We don’t just want to identify what’s been done, but we also want to identify what’s not being done and fill in the gaps. I think the cultural and holistic component helps fill in those gaps,” Sales said.

Additionally, Sales has created a scheduled plan for the ISEC’s fall semester. September will be “Live” month, October will be registration month, November will be student activism month and De-

cember will be recognition month.

“For the first semester, we want to tell everyone who we are, what we’re about and what we hope to accomplish,” Sales said. “We want to get as many students in here as we possibly can and ask them what they need.”

Reporter Jacob Dick can be reached at 270-745-6011 and jacob.dick@wku.edu.

Follow him on Twitter at @jdickjournalism.

Reporter Nicole Ares can be reached at 270-745-2655 and nicole.ares@wku.edu.

WKU Cultural Enhancement Series 2016-2017 Schedule

Anne Lamott

Sarah Parcak

Ben Sollee

Black Violin

Joel Sartore

David Sedaris

September 27, 2016

February 15, 2017

October 20, 2016

February 21, 2017

November 7, 2016

April 22, 2017

All events are hosted at Van Meter Hall Auditorium at 7:30 p.m. CST. NO TICKETS REQUIRED. SEATING IS LIMITED. FREE ADMISSION TO THE CAMPUS AND COMMUNITY.

wku.edu/go/ces

Constitution Week 2016

Sept. 13-16

All Week Activities: “Celebrate the Constitution” display at the Cravens Library on the Fourth Floor by the Information Commons area.

See their website, wku.edu/library/dlps/gov law/constitution.php Sponsored by Cravens Library

Tuesday, September 13

Wednesday, September 14

Friday, September 16

“Title IX, Equal Protection, and Separation of Powers: What We Talk About When We Talk About Trans-bathroom Laws”

Study Abroad Fair

It’s a Birthday Party!!

11:00-2:00pm Preston Center

Come CELEBRATE at a good ole fashion American style cookout with hot dogs, potato chips and cookies.

Facilitated by Dr. Patricia Minter, Department of History 3:30-4:30 Room 2113 DSU Sponsored by Department of History

Sponsored by Study Abroad and Global Learning

Pizza and Politics Series One Vote One Court: The 2016 Election and the Future of the Supreme Court

Grise Hall Front Lawn 11:00-1:00pm Sponsored by The Political Engagement Project

Grise Hall Room 339 12:30-1:30pm Facilitated by Dr. Jeff Budziak, Department of Political Science Sponsored by Department of Political Science

#Toppers Vote: Election 2016

SEPTEMBER 13, 2016

A3

COLLEGE HEIGHTS HERALD

Faculty, staff face tuition discount changes

BY EMMA COLLINS HERALD.NEWS@WKU.COM Tuition discounts given to eligible partners and spouses of faculty and staff have been terminated this semester.

Faculty and staff were notified via email late July 2016.

In the same email, Human Resources Director Tony Glisson said the 50 percent tuition discount program offered to the dependent children of faculty and staff members was being evaluated for potential changes.

Ultimately, it was decided not to change the tuition discount program for dependent children for the time being.

Following Glisson’s email, Shane Palmquist, an associate director in the department of engineering, said he was concerned about the effect these changes, particularly potential changes to the dependent children tuition discount program, would have on WKU’s faculty and staff.

“I understand that the University is dealing with financial problems and is trying to balance and manage these challenges as best as possible,” Palmquist said in the email. “However, cutting benefits cuts more than just money from the bot-

tom line. It cuts morale.”

Palmquist said the tuition discount for children was one of the reasons he chose to to come to WKU 12 years ago. Palmquist said he could understand if the university chose to cut these tuition benefit programs for future employees; however, he said he strongly urged the university to consider any changes to the policy that would affect current employees who have “invested a significant amount of time and energy into this institution.”

Josh Marble, chair of WKU’s staff council, said faculty and staff have expressed mixed emotions about the changes to the tuition discount program for spouses and partners via email.

“Some are disappointed because they were utilizing that benefit and it was a real cost saver,” Marble said in an email. “However, there are also those that know that times are tough in regards to budgets and sacrifices have to be made.”

In a follow up email to Marble’s email, Staff Regent Tamela Smith said there was only a small percentage of employees who had spouses enrolled in the spouse tuition discount program. Smith said it was hard for the mem-

bers who did take advantage of the program, and she said she has heard of some of the enrolled individuals transferring to other universities.

If WKU chooses to end the dependent children tuition discount policy, Marble feels it will cause discontent

see those cuts but many realize that we have to adjust to the current economic times or face an even greater problem that could be much worse for us all in the future.”

Ann Mead, senior vice president for finance and administration, said in an

Some are disappointed because they were utilizing that benefit and it was a real cost saver.”

Josh Marble from faculty and staff who have children attending WKU through the program.

However, Marble believes many of the employees understand losing the spouse and partner tuition discount program is part of a plan that will ultimately benefit them.

“I think many look at the big picture and realize that Kentucky really needs to focus on securing the state pension program and that some cuts, although they hurt right now, are worth it if it means we’ll have a solid pension plan when they reach that milestone,” Marble said. “Don’t get me wrong, most don’t want to

email the termination of the partner and spouse tuition discount program was part of the $6 million budget reduction plan.

Mead said cutting the program saved WKU $112,000.

In addition to changes to the tuition discount programs, faculty and staff are also facing changes in regards to the number of free meals they receive each semester from WKU and Aramark. In a joint email sent in early August to all faculty and staff, Mead and Steve Hoyng, regional district manager for the WKU Restaurant Group, said employees would no longer be receiv-

ing one free meal a week, but rather one per month.

According to the email, the free meal may be used anytime throughout the month for breakfast, lunch or dinner at the Fresh Food Company. Unused meals will not roll over to the next month.

In addition to these changes, the staff council also voted in August to discontinue the discounts page on the staff council website.

Marble said the council voted to discontinue the page because the council felt it was not able to make the page as effective as it could be. Marble said the page had low hits and was not an exhaustive list of the discounts offered in the Bowling Green community.

“We thought it could be better but we just don’t have the resources right now,” Marble said. “We’re going to shop it around and see if the SGA or maybe human resources might take responsibility for it, and they might have the power to kind of make it what it should be.”

Reporter Emma Collins can be reached at 270745-6011 and emma. c o l l i n s 3 9 9 @ t o p p e r. w k u . edu. Follow her on Twitter at @thebest_dilemma.

Applications open for next WKU president

BY MONICA KAST HERALD.NEWS@WKU.EDU As of Aug. 23, potential WKU presidents could begin the official application process.

The application and job description was posted on Aug. 23 and will close Oct. 22. The posting is available through the WKU website, Inside Higher Ed, a website that provides news and job postings about higher education, and the Isaacson, Miller website, the executive hiring firm used by WKU for the presidential search.

“Western Kentucky University seeks applications and nominations for the next president of the University,” the posing on the Isaacson, Miller website reads. “This is an opportunity to lead the largest and highest performing comprehensive public institution of higher education in Kentucky, located on

one of the most beautiful campuses in the country.”

Michael Baer, vice president at Isaacson, Miller, said the posting was created through information gathered through campus forums as well as meetings the firm held on campus. Baer also said the firm did extensive research and reading about WKU. “We absorbed a lot of information about the institution and drafted the position profile, and then shared it with the search committee,” Baer said.

After the search committee was presented with the profile, Baer said it made some suggestions and edits to the profile, and then it was posted.

Baer said the next step for Isaacson, Miller is to do “extensive networking,” and look for individuals who would be ideal for the position.

“We talk to a lot of sources,” Baer said. “We want to per-

suade them that this is an opportunity they can’t pass up.”

At a presidential search forum was hosted by Baer and Dan Rodas, another vice president of Isaacson, Miller, on Aug. 29. At the forum, Baer and Rodas asked attendees to submit names

We want to persuade them that this is an opportunity they can’t pass up.”

Michael Baer of those they felt would make a good president.

Although no names were submitted at the time of the forum, Baer said since then, they have received several names. Additionally, the position has been posted in several higher education publications, such as Women in Higher Edu-

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE FOLLOWING STUDENTS WHO ATTENED NPHC GREEK 101!

Powell, Shuvon Eison, Lamon Hurst, Courtney Jefferson, Jada Barbee, Essence Smith, Jayauna McClendon, Nakilah

McKinnie, Braxtyn Rawlings, Brittany Chatman, Tyra Futrell, Ciara Gill, Danielle Beattie, Jocara Bailey, Andrea

cation. Baer said they have received several applicants through those publications.

Although there have been several forums hosted on campus since President Gary Ransdell announced his plan to retire, the forums may or may not continue in the

Buckner, Tanya Taylor, Karlesha Dailey, Danielle Sarver, Justice Vaughn, Ashley Holloway, Khristian Johnson, Celina

THE OFFICE OF STUDENT ACTIVITIES PUBLISHES NAMES OF STUDENTS INTERESTED IN JOINING AN NPHC ORGANIZATION TO ENCOURAGE TRANSPARENCY AND SAFETY FOR ALL STUDENTS INVOLVED. ANY AND ALL QUESTIONS MAY BE DIRECTED TO ALEX KENNEDY, COORDINATOR OF GREEK AFFAIRS AT ALEXANDRIA.KENNEDY@WKU.EDU

future. According to Presidential Search Committee Chair and Board of Regents member Phillip Bale, whether or not a candidate wants to participate in a forum would be up to the candidate and the Board of Regents.

“That is a decision that the full Board [of Regents] will have to make,” Bale said.

Bale also noted the candidate may want to remain confidential until a final decision is made, and therefore, a forum may not be held.

The presidential search committee originally announced it hoped to have a candidate hired by March 2017. Baer said Isaacson, Miller will continue accepting applicants for the position “until it’s filled.”

According to the job posting, the next president should be prepared to begin for the 2017-2018 school year.

“The ideal candidate will be available to take office on July 1 at the beginning of the 2017-18 fiscal year,” the posting reads.

Reporter Monica Kast can be reached at 270-745-6011 or monica.kast187@topper.wku.edu. Follow her on Twitter at @monicakastwku.

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OPINION

SEPTEMBER 13, 2016 > WESTERN KENTUCKY UNIVERSITY Have an opinion? Tweet us @wkuherald or find us on Facebook at WKUHerald as well. Let us know your thoughts about the editorial, or write us with what is on your mind.

OPEN LETTER FROM PRESIDENT GARY RANSDELL

LETTER TO THE EDITOR Yes,

September 12, 2016

To the WKU community:

In recent weeks we have experienced two cowardly, heinous acts directed at members of the WKU family – a student and an assistant dean. In both instances the individuals were targeted with hate speech. One incident involved vandalism of personal property and the other involved anonymous letters filled will racial slurs.

WKU Police are investigating these cases, and if the perpetrators are found they will be appropriately held accountable for their actions.

However, nothing will erase the damage that these two acts of hatred have done to our university community. We have made strategic efforts to enrich the WKU campus with a diverse population and have emphasized faculty, staff, and student recruitment efforts in ways that add greater racial and cultural diversity to our campus. We have made great progress – outpacing many other universities in the state in the growth of African American student enrollment as well as international enrollment for a number of years. Make no mistake, this effort has been intentional on our part, and we are a better university because of it.

I’m saddened at the vitriol that is dominating the national news cycle each day, and I am disturbed at the point to which civility, tolerance, and respect have diminished in our country. The impact of this national attitude is playing out in communities and on college campuses across the nation, and unfortunately we have begun to see the same here. We will have zero tolerance for actions by any among us at WKU who seek to degrade, discriminate against or belittle others. However, I would caution all of us not to conclude that these actions by a few are reflective of the whole. They are not.

We have and will continue to deal with these individual acts in an appropriate manner, involving the responsible personnel in EEO, University Police, Student Affairs, and/or others as necessary to ensure that the individuals directly affected by these acts are supported.

In the weeks and months ahead I want to encourage all of us to participate in opportunities to discuss issues of intolerance and the racial tensions that are erupting around us and seek ways to make a positive difference here on our campus. I’m calling on faculty, staff, and student leaders to engage in a concerted effort to elevate the awareness and understanding of these issues. Preparations are underway to host such dialogues and will be announced in due course. I also welcome your individual suggestions as to ways we can best demonstrate that WKU is indeed a place that welcomes and embraces all individuals no matter their background or individual preferences.

Our words are important, but our actions are critical. I call on each of you to act in an appropriate and responsible manner and to demonstrate our commitment as a campus family to a positive and welcoming environment where everyone can be successful.

Gary A. Ransdell

you

can

study

abroad!

I often overhear students talking about study abroad in Fresh Foods, in hallways and during events and the conversations end with, “That’s nice, but I can’t afford it,” or “I don’t have the time,” or “It will delay graduation.” If that is you, then I am here to tell you that you are wrong!

WKU and the Study Abroad and Global Learning office, otherwise known as SAGL, is committed to helping you turn “I can’t …” into “I CAN!”

In anticipation of the Study Abroad Majors and Minors Fair on Sept. 14, we are pleased to announce our latest way to help with study abroad costs: SAGL Passport Funding.

The first 100 Pell grant eligible students each year who apply to study abroad will receive $100 to help pay for their passport, which is valid for 10 years! This is in addition to regular financial aid, the World Topper Scholarship, up to $1,000 and perhaps a Diversity Abroad Grant.

Additionally, most departments and colleges have study abroad scholarships. Study abroad is more affordable than you think! In total, WKU invests over of $250,000 annually to support your study abroad dreams!

Ready to get started? Join us for the Study Abroad Majors and Minors Fair on Wednesday, Sept. 14 from 11 to 2 p.m. in the Preston Center. You can talk with returned students, faculty program leaders and the many partners who work to make sure you have a safe, once in a lifetime, educational experience.

Check it out! There are also free t-shirts for the first 500 students in attendance.

– Caryn Lindsay

EDITORIAL

Candid Conversation University commits to opening dialogue in light of recent events

THE ISSUE: The WKU community has recently come face-to-face with two incidents of particularly vile, blantant forms of racism.

OUR STANCE: WKU is now taking a stand against these acts and is committing to moving forward to address this climate.

None of us should remain apathetic we must all and mus work toward a solution.

Editors note: This piece contains graphic language.

F

irst, it was Cheyenne Mitchell, a Lexington senior who had her car vandalized with the n-word after a brief altercation between a friend of hers and the man who allegedly vandalized her car.

More recently, it was Michelle Jones, assistant dean of the University College, who reported finding three threatening notes containing racist language in her office.

Jones wouldn’t describe all of the hate speech in the letters when asked by a Herald reporter, but did

say one of the letters stated “this is bullshit, you should take your black ass back to Africa so this campus and America can be great again.”

As an editorial board, we’ve already voiced our opinion after the incident with Mitchell’s car: that the university must take strong, defined steps in confronting this kind of hateful climate.

Our opinion has not wavered in the short amount of time since Mitchell’s car was vandalized and it certainly will not change now in light of what Jones has also endured.

What has changed, however, is what WKU is now committing to.

On Sunday night, members of the Herald editorial board met with David Lee, provost and vice president for academic affairs, Dawn Hall, interim director of the School of University Studies, Lynne Holland, dean of students, and Robbin Taylor, vice president for public affairs, about the letters Jones had received and the steps WKU is taking moving forward.

During the meeting, Holland and Lee spoke about wanting to engage faculty, staff and students on a grassroots level about these

issues instead of opting for a topdown approach as an institution.

Some of these initiatives, which Holland spoke of, included a sort of “think tank” that would include faculty, staff and students engaged in discussions on matters of civility, tolerance and issues of diversity.

Lee said instead of a few people making the decisions up in the Wetherby Administration Building and having it trickle down in that manner, engaging the campus community at the base level and moving up would be the more appropriate way to combat this strain of hatred.

In regards to engaging the WKU community at a more grassroots level, instead of coming top-down, we agree with the steps WKU is now taking.

President Gary Ransdell in an open letter to WKU urged everyone to participate in opportunities to “discuss issues of intolerance and the racial tensions” that are happening around us and seek ways to make a positive difference.

From a student perspective, we cannot stress how important it is for students to be part of this ongoing dialogue. Engaging facul-

Brandon Carter* Editor-in-chief

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ty and staff is important, but students also need to be part of the discussion as we play integral roles in shaping campus ourselves.

Furthermore, we cannot give into apathy as we strive to move forward.

We cannot subscribe to a school of thought just because this might not be happening to us or people we know that it does not matter, or that it’s not our issue to confront.

While displaying shock at these acts is understandable and appropriate, do not let it blind you to other more covert acts of racism.

Take a stand when someone uses the N-word and other forms of derogatory language, but also take a stand when someone makes a passing racial joke, or insinuates another person as lesser than them.

Do not let yourself become numbed.

We have an opportunity before us to better shape this campus for everyone, and for our students, faculty and staff of color especially and we shouldn’t scoff at it or blow it off.

These conversations will not be easy and they will be painful, but WKU has not been a university to back down from difficult issues and we won’t back down now.

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SEPTEMBER 13, 2016

THE FUN PAGE

COLLEGE HEIGHTS HERALD

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SUDOKU

PREVIOUS SOLUTION

Across 1 Veggies in Mendel’s experiments 5 Wear away 10 Key with five sharps: Abbr.

14 Apiece 15 Name of nearly 20 French kings 16 Deceptive scheme 17 Albert/Gabor sitcom set on a farm 19 Spring flower 20 Auction unit 21 Remain firm 23 Chided 27 Slangy affirmative 28 Gives a hoot 29 Fingers in a lineup 32 Pictograph 35 Award for Tiger Woods or Roger Federer 36 Con’s early release 38 Spelling contest 39 High degree 40 1950s RCA innovation ... or this puzzle’s four longest answers?

41 Hwy., e.g.

42 Stat for Cy Young

43 Compensated (for) 44 Thesaurus entry 45 Top 40 listings 47 Solidify 48 “Space Oddity” singer David 49 Raised, as horses 51 Longed (for) 53 Amphitheater 57 Jan. honoree 58 Garden of Eden exile 59 Tom Selleck police series 64 Scalp parasites 65 Prefix with mural 66 “Go back!” computer command 67 Signs, as a contract 68 __ Tots 69 Thomas Hardy heroine Down 1 Pin for hanging 2 Organ associated with van Gogh 3 Crack pilot 4 Frankenstein creator 5 Make wildly happy 6 Legendary big bird

7 Belonging to us 8 Slimming-down strategy 9 Student’s composition 10 Type of shower or gown 11 Sitcom for which Candice Bergen won five Emmys 12 Most populous continent 13 In __: as a prank 18 Approving bobs 22 Israeli desert 23 Parts of acts 24 Big name in recent Cuban history 25 Drama in which Tatiana Maslany plays several clones 26 Back-and-forth talk 30 Unmanned spy plane 31 In a bad way 33 “The Dick Van Dyke Show” surname 34 Listened to, as advice 36 Pan partner 37 Old Ford model 40 They’re tried in court

START

END

44 Get in one’s reps 46 Tony winner Tammy 48 Soccer sphere 50 __ card: payment method 52 Block 53 Colombian metropolis 54 Chief Norse god 55 Bone near the radius 56 Mixed-breed dog 60 Before, poetically 61 United 62 Driller’s deg.

63 Palindromic call for help

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COLLEGEUNIVERSITY HEIGHTS HERALD SEPTEMBER 13, 2016 > WESTERN KENTUCKY

WKUHERALD.COM

PHOTO

Mylar Riggsbee, 8, holds her brother, Max Riggsbee, 2, in her lap as the two watch the balloons inflate at Balloon Classic on Friday at the Bowling Green-Warren County Regional Airport. Michelle Hanks/HERALD

Balloon Classic

People of all ages, from toddlers to the elderly, gathered with their family and friends to watch colorful hot air balloons fill the sky at the 26th annual U.S. Bank Balloon Classic Friday through Sunday, Sept. 9-11. The balloons, which came from across the country, were used for rides, the Balloon Glow show and a race. In addition to hot air balloons, the event provided inflatables and barbecue for the hundreds of people that attended. United Way of Southern Kentucky hosted the event this year at the Bowling Green-Warren County Regional Airport.

ABOVE: Phillip Nguyen, 17, of Bowling Green, left, helps Pilot of 30 years, Tommy Steinbock of Crestwood, and assistant Steve Wiggand, set up a hot air balloon during the 60th annual Balloon Classic on Friday at the Bowling Green-Warren County Regional Airport. Ebony

Cox/HERALD

LEFT: A Skycab hot air balloon team prepares a balloon for tethered rides during the Balloon Classic on Friday at the Bowling Green-Warren County Regional Airport. Matt Lunsford/HERALD BELOW: Tammy Tinsley, Debbie Law, Camden Tinsley, 13, all from Bowling Green, and Kathy King, of Clarksville, Tenn., take photos of balloons lighting up at Balloon Classic Friday at the Bowling Green-Warren County Regional Airport. Michelle Hanks/HERALD

SEPTEMBER 8, 2016

WKUHERALD.COM

COLLEGE HEIGHTS HERALD SEPTEMBER 13, 2016 > WESTERN KENTUCKY UNIVERSITY

LIFE

Buddy, an 11-year-old English Labrador swims during the Puppy Paddle on Saturday, Sept. 10 at the Russell Sims Aquatic Center. Buddy attends the Puppy Paddle every year, his owner Jean Grout said. Evan Boggs/HERALD

DOG DAYS OF SUMMER Puppies paddle at AQUATIC CENTER FOR annual fundraiser

BY EMMA AUSTIN

HERALD.FEATURES@WKU.EDU Over 100 dogs splashed and paddled together on Saturday at Russell Sims Aquatic Center for Bowling Green/Warren County Humane Society’s annual fundraising event dubbed “Puppy Paddle.”

Once a year, typically after Labor Day weekend, the aquatic center welcomes dogs and their owners to swim in the pool before closing for the season. The center hosts the event at no charge to the humane society, allowing all donations and proceeds to go directly to the shelter.

“It’s a great chance to interact with so many different people, and let your dogs socialize,” Amanda Hays, operations manager of the humane society, said. “It’s an amazing experience to watch all the dogs be so happy.”

The fenced-in area allowed dogs to run off-leash in and around the pool, swimming and interacting with each other while songs like “Who Let the Dogs Out” and “Bingo Was His Name-O” played over loud speakers.

The dogs also had opportunities to compete against each other in contests, including “Final Fetch” and “Benji’s Best Trick.” The DJ offered the animals a chance to come participate in karaoke, which he eventually opened up to the humans after a lack of interest from the dogs.

The Bowling Green/Warren County Humane Society hosts several other fundraising events throughout the year for people with all kinds of pets, Hays said, including “Paws for a Cause,” an event hosted

in October by Montana Grill, who donates an entire night of sales to the humane society.

“Events like [Puppy Paddle] are always so much fun,” Hays said. “Even if you don’t have a dog, it’s fun to watch everybody else’s interact.”

Rhonda Hagan, 54, came to Puppy Paddle on Saturday for the first time with her three dogs after hearing about it from her daughter. She said she had just taken her dogs to a similar event hosted by the shelter in Nelson County, and jumped at the chance to come to the one in Bowling Green.

“I feel like dogs aren’t viewed the same way they used to be,” Hagan said. “Now, they’re a part of the family, so people want to do things with their dogs that they can have fun at.”

Hagan, a volunteer at Barktown Rescue and the Humane Society of Nelson County, said she thinks it’s very important to support local rescues and humane societies. She said a growing sympathy for homeless animals contributes to the success of events like Puppy Paddle.

“Just watching [the dogs] is so much fun, I love it,” Hagan said.

The humane society partners with Dog’s Day Out, a doggie daycare and grooming facility in Bowling Green, to organize Puppy Paddle each year.

Pam Brown, owner of Dog’s Day Out and humane society volunteer of 15 years, said events like Puppy Paddle have an important role in raising funds to support the shelter.

“The adoption center runs solely on donations,” Brown said. “Without donations and events like this, it wouldn’t be able to function and stay open.”

In addition to paying for supplies and staffing to take care of the dogs, Brown said donations also pay for the dogs’ healthcare while at the adoption center. Many animals come into the facility with health issues, and are all fully vaccinated and spayed or neutered before joining their new family. Brown said donations and adoption fees go directly toward these costs.

“We do everything we can to keep them happy and socialized, and treated for anything they need to be treated for,” Hays said. “But we definitely couldn’t do it without the support of the community.”

Mark Thane, 68, came to Puppy Paddle for the fifth year in a row with his golden retriever, Bonnie, who he adopted from Taylor County Animal Shelter.

Thane said he tells people they won’t know how fun the event is until they come out and experience it themselves.

He said he enjoys the chance to bring his dogs out and let them off the leash to swim and socialize with other dogs and people.

“I try to go to most of the fundraisers for the humane society,” Thane said. “They do a great job; they need every dollar they can get, really.”

“The more money they raise, the more they can do for local animal rescue,” volunteer Toni Capelli said.

“It’s all about the animals, you know. Rescued should be the best breed.”

Reporter Emma Austin can be reached at 270-7452655 and emma.austin177@topper.wku.edu. Follow her on Twitter at @emmacaustin.

Zombie drama begins filming in Bowling Green

BY MILES SCHROADER, EMMA AUSTIN HERALD.FEATURES@WKU.EDU Although Kentucky may not immediately come to mind when one considers ideal film set locations, Bowling Green native Shawn Lindsey began filming in his hometown on Saturday night for his developing zombie drama, “Remnant 13.”

Producer Shawn Lindsey said he stopped in Senoia, Georgia, three months ago with his family to visit the set of popular AMC drama “The Walking Dead,” and was inspired to take on a similar project.

“It’s kind of interesting the way they basically take a bustling city and turn it into a complete desolate wasteland,” Lindsey said. “So, I said, ‘you know what?

I want to do the same thing.’”

Although “The Walking Dead” series begins in the post-apocalyptic world, Lindsey said “Remnant 13” will start from the beginning of the zombie outbreak.

“You’re actually going to see the outbreak happen, what caused it, and kind of follow the cast of characters from that point on and see how it happens,” Lindsey explained.

After Lindsey returned home, he began meeting with a screenwriter to work his vision into existence.

He said the process has been time-consuming and stressful, though he has learned a lot alongside his team.

Lea Hutton Beasmore, production manager, said she began her film career three years ago through stand-in work in a film titled “Hope Bridge,” which inspired her interest in movie production. Since then, she created a network called Kentucky Films, a Facebook group created to spread the word of films and projects created in Kentucky.

Makeup artist Brooke Galyan, right, gets Casey Liefermann ready for filming “Remnant 13,” a zombie television show, on Saturday, Sept. 10 in Bowling Green. Tyger Williams/HERALD Beasmore said Lindsey put his casting notice out on the page, which is when she began working with him on the project. Beasmore said she helps organize contracts and waiver and release forms; she also worked with Lindsey to host casting auditions.

The production is currently promoting it’s crowdfunding campaign, with a goal of raising $50,000.

Lindsey said at this point, he’s looking for a lot of lo-

cal support from Bowling Green.

While in Senoia, Lindsey said he talked to several businesses in the area, who told him about how the business community has grown since “The Walking Dead” came to their city.

“We think helping to bring this production to light will actually help the entire city of Bowling Green, and help bring tourism and things like that,” Lindsey

SEE ZOMBIES PAGE B2

B2 ZOMBIES

Continued from LIFE said. “I think that would be great for many small businesses in this area to jump onboard and be a part of it.”

Sylvio Wolf Busch, one of the main actors, said he’s not a huge fan of horror films, but the script for “Remnant 13” stood out to him.

“It was a little different; it had a better narrative,” Busch said. “The other thing that sold me on it was the passion of the creator, with Shawn [Lindsey] kind of being the driving force behind it.”

In his online campaign summary, Lindsey said he wanted to create a project that gave young professionals the chance to build their resumes and career, as well as increase their chance of success in the industry.

Brandon Smith, a 26-year-old theater student at WKU, was hired onto the production as the assistant direc-

SEPTEMBER 13, 2016

COLLEGE HEIGHTS HERALD

tor. He said he originally auditioned for an acting role, and when he wasn’t casted, he contacted Lindsey and Beasmore about working on the production crew.

“When I auditioned for this, I wanted to get something really dramatic and serious under my belt,” Smith said, explaining that most of his acting experience with theater had been in comedic roles. Smith is currently writing a series of his own, and said having experience as an assistant director behind the cameras has helped prepare him.

“It can get a little stressful, but it’s a labor of passion,” Smith said. “So you make time for it and enjoy it.”

Reporters Miles Schroader and Emma Austin can be reached at 270-745-2655 Fake blood is sprayed onto James Cadotte on the set of “Remnant 13,” a zombie and miles.schroader178@topper.wku. television show, on Saturday, Sept. 10 in Bowling Green. Mhari Shaw/HERALD edu and emma.austin177@topper. wku.edu.

Learn and Earn program expands to main campus

BY ELISABETH MOORE HERALD.FEATRUES@WKU.EDU Beginning at WKU’s Glasgow campus, Learn and Earn was created as a scholarship program to pair participating students with business partners in need of entry-level employees.

Now, the Learn and Earn program has reached out to WKU’s main campus to help both students and businesses in Bowling Green.

To be hired, students must sign an agreement with the participating business partner, which will allow the student to receive an hourly wage and a scholarship from the employer at the end of the semester as long as he or she is successful in the job and can meet the GPA requirements.

The scholarship can range from 25 percent to 50 percent of the student’s tuition according to Leslie Witty, project manager for WKU Learn and Earn.

Along with the scholarship, students

will be paid hourly wages that range from $8 to $13.25 per hour.

“As long as the students stay in good standing with the employer and complete the requirements of the program, they are guaranteed a semester [of work],” Witty said. “However, most employers prefer if the students can continue for additional semesters.”

Christina Dawson, founder of Southern Kentucky Jobs, has been partnered with the Learn and Earn program since July of 2016. According to its website, SOKY Jobs is an “advocate for sustainable economic growth in Southern Kentucky.” Through the partnership, Dawson introduced both McDonalds and the Kentucky Grand Hotel and Spa to the Learn and Earn program.

The program is meant to help students, but it is also valuable to employers, Dawson said. Through the scholarship, employers are investing into the student’s future as well as creating

a positive effect on employee performance and the student themselves.

“The student must fulfill their obligations to their employer for the entire semester to receive the scholarship,” Dawson said. “This is valuable insurance to the employer and decreases turnover. Due to the financial burden being lifted from the student, this increases their likelihood to complete their education and they will graduate with little to no student loan debt.”

Terri Davis, a non-conventional student majoring in social work at WKU Glasgow, now works at Akebono in Glasgow 24 hours a week under the contract signed between Akebono and WKU. “It’s a good balance for me considering I’m a college student, mom, wife and now a part-time worker,” Davis said. “I pretty much set my own hours.

As long as I get my 24 hours done by Friday, I’m in good shape.”

To attain a job through the Learn and Earn program, students must apply to make sure they are eligible, attend orientation and successfully complete soft-skills training through the program, Witty said. Learn and Earn then checks in regularly and provides coaching and support through the Student Development Coordinator.

For a student to be chosen for any position, a variety of factors are considered, such as GPA, previous work history and how students perform on soft-skill assessments. These factors then determine a viable set of candidates for any position which will be sent to be interviewed by the employer, who makes the final hiring decision, Witty said.

“We want students to complete the semester successfully, so we provide as much support as we can for them,” Witty said. “It should be noted, however, that as the majority of these positions are entry-level, for most positions, majors are not as significant as candidate dependability and soft-skill readiness. We want to make this program available to as many students as possible.”

Although the program began at

WKU Glasgow, Learn and Earn now helps students on Bowling Green’s campus as well. SOKY Jobs actively works to help recruit employers who post on the SOKY Job website to partner with the Learn and Earn program, Dawson said.

“Students who graduate with work history on their resume are much more likely to obtain employment,” Dawson said. “Even with a degree, it’s very difficult for anyone to land a good job with no work experience.”

Reanna Poynter, a freshman nursing student, used Learn and Earn to find a job at Sitel in Glasgow. Poynter said Sitel is very considerate of her school and social schedule.

“They work me on my days I don’t have class and they also ensure that I have time for family, friends and homework,” Poynter said. “I do plan on keeping this job through my college career. If something ever did happen and I didn’t stay at Sitel, I would for sure stick with the Learn and Earn program.”

Learn and Earn is currently partnered with seven businesses both in Bowling Green and in Glasgow, though more are being accessed through SOKY Jobs and local businesses near each campus.

Witty said the main problem Learn and Earn deals with is showing employers that even though they are providing scholarships to students, they wind up saving money through this program by getting high-quality student employees and cutting down on employee turnover. Additionally, training and advertising expenses are lowered because all of the student positions are part-time only.

“It truly is one of those rare win-win scenarios,” Witty said. “Learn and Earn is an excellent way to bring industry and education together, thus helping meet regional workforce demands and economic development needs in the process.”

Reporter Elisabeth Moore can be reached at 270-745-6288 and Elisabeth.moore938@topper.wku.edu. Follow her on Twitter at @emoore938.

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SEPTEMBER 13, 2016

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COLLEGE HEIGHTS HERALD

Alpha Tau Omega hosts first philanthropy week

BY KALEE CHISM HERALD.FEATURES@WKU.EDU Many Greek organizations devote a week to their philanthropy during the year; Alpha Tau Omega fraternity joined this tradition last week with it’s very first Happy Daze Philanthropy Week. “I think it’s gone amazing, I’m so proud of all of them and all the work they have put into this,� Sarah Stankiewicz, Brandenburg senior and ATO sweetheart, said. “It’s a great cause and it’s a great group of guys trying to make a difference.�

The organization was not sure what to expect in attendance, according to ATO’s chapter president, Andre Dowell. “I think we knew that with it being our first philanthropy week there might not be a whole lot of attendance, or a lot of people coming to it,� Dowell said. “But I know that if we just keep up the good work and continue this philanthropy week each year that it’ll grow and it’ll be successful each and every year on the Hill.�

This week included events such as fundraising nights at Griff’s, PopWorks and Stackz. Events also included a tabling event about suicide prevention giving students the opportunity to win prizes, an ice cream social hosted in Downing Student Union’s Nite Class and the Before I Die Wall. ATO partnered with the Counseling and Testing Center and the National Alliance on Mental Illness, to which all proceeds went.

Dowell said his favorite part of the week was hearing stories from students about suicide prevention and hearing the impact the philanthropy week has made on them and the community. “I hope students take away the fact that suicide awareness is a very important cause,� Stankiewicz said. Having an aunt commit suicide made Stankiewicz relate to the cause on a personal level; she said people need to be aware of mental illness and suicide and the role they have as a world issue.

Louisville sophomore Allen Clark, writes on the “Before I Die� wall during ATO’s Happy Daze event on Friday, Sept. 9 outside of Downing Student Union. This is ATO’s first philanthropy week, which raises awareness for the Alliance on Mental Illness. Mhari Shaw/HERALD ATO is hoping to continue the philanthropy week in the future, expanding and getting the word out to more people. “I think they will continue it in the future; I think that they’ll extend the wall and make it a bigger thing, do more events throughout the week to make people more aware of everything going on,� Stankiewicz said.

ATO hopes to spread awareness of help and resources both on campus and in the community for people struggling with mental health. “I’m hoping that they feel if they ever want to be able to speak up when it comes to suicide prevention

or awareness that they know we are here for support, and if not then we are here to provide them with resources they may need,� Dowell said. “We want people to know that at the end of the day there’s always going to be someone there to help you if you’re struggling with anything, whether it be depression or anxiety,� Braden VanMeter, ATO sophomore of Louisville, said. “It’ll all get better eventually, it just takes time.�

Reporter Kalee Chism can be reached at 270-7452655 and kalee.chism704@topper.wku.edu.

Residence hall sustainability focus of new task force

BY ELISABETH MOORE HERALD.FEATURES@WKU.EDU WKU’s Residence Hall Association, otherwise known as WKU RHA, recently developed an initiative called the Sustainability Task Force, a student-led group that will work with RHA, Housing and Residence Life and the Office of Sustainability to make residence halls more eco-friendly and sustainable. “We are hoping to reduce electricity and have recycling have a bigger impact within residence halls,� sophomore Hailee Bernard, national communications coordinator for RHA, said. “We want all of WKU to start focusing on the effects we have on our environment and ways we can help and we are hoping to start with residence halls.�

In an email sent to the residence

halls, Bernard said the task force will focus on education through passive and active programs and events using both short-term and long-term projects. It will also advocate to help improve the level of sustainability present in the residence halls on campus.

The task force is currently in the process of recruiting members who are passionate about sustainability, according to senior Jacob Holt, RHA president. Once the task force is created, the members will elect a chairperson to run the group and begin working toward creating a more sustainable campus. “We can’t keep passing it off anymore,� Holt said. “A lot of people don’t know there are a lot of small things you can do, like this cup I brought. This is a cup you can buy at Starbucks. It is a few dollars and it is reusable and it is also recyclable. So, that one time I accidentally throw it in the trash, I don’t

feel guilty about it.�

The group will be very student-focused, Holt said. Though the task force currently does not have any major plans, the chairperson and task force members will do the majority of the planning and problem solving that relates to sustainability on campus. “I don’t want to commit them to something and then that is something that they don’t exactly want to do,�

Holt said. “I want it to be a student-led group that they are passionate about.�

Any student living on campus in a residence hall or in the Kentucky Street Apartments can join the Sustainability Task Force. Members need to be creative and ready to share their ideas and to put those ideas into action, Bernard said.

The task force will participate in many residence hall renovations coming up, Holt said. It will be working with new buildings from the ground

up to make sure they are environmentally friendly. Recycling initiatives are also being worked on around campus. “For example, something that has been on my radar is the Kentucky Street Apartments, which are owned

by Western,� Holt said. “There is no recycling area for those two buildings, so if they are Western-owned or Housing-owned, it should be important to have recycling facilities there as well.� “There is a quote I really like, which is ‘try something and if it doesn’t work, try something else,’� Holt said. “I try to live by that. If this works and goes well, then we will keep doing it and that has been kind of my theme for RHA this semester.�

Reporter Elisabeth Moore can be reached at 270-745-6011 and Elisabeth.moore938@topper.wku.edu. Follow her on Twitter at @emoore938.

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SEPTEMBER 13, 2016

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COLLEGE HEIGHTS HERALD

freshmen shootout winners Each semester the Herald holds a photo contest for freshman photojournalism majors. The freshman have one week to submit a feature photo to our photo editors showing a slice of life in our community. Traditionally the winner earns a spot on the Herald photo staff, but this semester we were so impressed that we decided to offer two spots. We are happy to welcome the winner, Evan Boggs, and second-place finisher Michelle Hanks onto our photo staff.

-Mike Clark, Photo Editor

ABOVE: Roger Murray, a Catlettsburg local, sits in his restored 1936 Ford Coupe Deluxe before taking part in the Catlettsburg Labor Day Parade early on Monday, Sept. 5.

Murray said he enjoys watching children scramble for the candy he tosses onto the sidewalk. Evan Boggs/HERALD

RIGHT: Stacey Phelan, from Mount Juliet, Tenn., wipes sweat from her forehead while taking a break in between coaching sessions at the Midwest Track Days event Sunday, Sept. 4, at the NCM Motorsports Park. Phelan was one of the few female riders at the event. “People expect I need to work harder to earn acceptance because I’m a woman,” Phelan said. Michelle Hanks/HERALD

B5

REECER’S PIECE Continued from SPORTS

er teams in Conference USA have very talented receivers as well and the Toppers need to improve in coverage by then.

Another weakness was the quarterback play for WKU. Coming into the game, White was the nation’s leading passer. However, it’s easy to be that after you played one of the worst defenses in the nation.

Against the nation’s best defense,

FOOTBALL

Continued from SPORTS Ridley and redshirt junior receiver ArDarius Stewart. The two wideouts combined for two touchdowns and torched the Tops’ secondary for 237 of Alabama’s 475 total yards.

“They’ve got athletes all over. All of their players have the measurables, and they’re tough to defend,” Brohm said. “Their perimeter players are good, and they have a good young quarterback who can run the ball, move the pocket with him and he can chuck it deep. They obviously are the best team for a reason.”

WKU’s offense failed to string together enough positive plays to move the chains, but Brohm didn’t forget his bag of tricks and exciting brand of football in Bowling Green.

After 12 consecutive pass plays to open the game, it appeared red-

VOLLEYBALL Continued from SPORTS

The marquee matchup of the entire invitational was held on Saturday evening. WKU took on Big Ten opponent Michigan State (81) in what would turn out to be a thriller of a match as it went the full five sets which ended with the Lady Tops falling to the Spartans.

“They played their guts out,” Hudson said. “I’m disappointed for them, not in them tonight.”

The Spartans were not only a big

SEPTEMBER 13, 2016

COLLEGE HEIGHTS HERALD

White simply didn’t play well. While I sympathize with White considering the competition he went up against, 10-24 for 135 yards and an interception just isn’t good enough.

Graduate student Tyler Ferguson and redshirt sophomore Drew Eckels did play better and were more composed than White, but they both played during garbage time.

Overall, White is still obviously the starting quarterback of this team, but he really took a step backward this week as Ferguson and Eckels both brought some-

thing a bit different to the table.

White’s performance against Miami University of Ohio this coming weekend will really be something to watch as this could turn into a potential storyline.

Despite the few negatives, you have to be pleased with the Toppers after this weekend. The game was still quite interesting in the third quarter, plus beating the spread against the Crimson Tide is impressive.

If you still aren’t impressed, take it from future Hall of Famer Saban who said after the game he

doesn’t think that he “has ever been more disappointed after a victory.”

While the game did turn into a snooze fest in the fourth quarter, this WKU program can look back on this season and know that it gave the Crimson Tide and a future Hall of Fame coach quite the headache.

shirt senior running back Anthony “Ace” Wales was going to record WKU’s first carry of the game, until he pitched the ball back to White who found senior wide receiver Taywan Taylor for a 59-yard gain on Brohm’s patented flea flicker play.

The big gain led to a 26-yard field goal three plays later, giving the Tops their first points of the game.

“We knew we had to take some shots up the field and in one-onone matchups, but unfortunately we didn’t win,” Brohm said. “We had the one trick play early but other than that it was hard to move the ball effectively and get yards. They make you earn it.”

But back-to-back WKU interceptions in the next two offensive series — including a 55-yard interception returned for a touchdown by Alabama senior safety Eddie Jackson — took all of the remaining air out of the Hilltoppers.

WKU entered halftime trailing 17-3 and was never able to get any traction, surrendering 21 second-half points.

“I think the best thing that our team does is we play one week at a time,” Brohm said. “We know we’re going to have a couple really tough games on our schedule each year, and that’s how we want it. We have to find a way to learn how to compete get a little closer in these types of games.”

After a week in which they played “Sweet Home Alabama” and “Dixieland Delight” during practice to get used to the crowd noise in Bryant-Denny Stadium, the Hilltoppers will change the tune but keep the intensity levels high in preparation for Miami (OH), another non-conference opponent.

“Going into this game at Miami, we’re going to have to have the same intensity going into Bama by treating them like they’re the highest in

the country,” junior wide receiver Nacarius Fant said. “Last game we came out with energy and this game we’re going to do the same thing and come ready to play.”

Coming off a game in which the defense performed admirably against the best team in the nation, Brohm expects his offense to regain the pace and production from week one.

“I like the way we’ve played to this point, and we’ve got to continue to build upon that and understand that [the defense] has to carry us for a while,” Brohm said.

“Our offense needs to catch up.”

Kickoff for Miami (OH) is set for 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 17.

team, but they were a big hitting team. MSU as a team hit .300 in the match against the Lady Toppers.

The Hilltoppers put on an impressive display of offense in their own right, but the Spartans were able to get the win in the end.

“They are such a great team, they are so physical. It was just a great game to play,” Lucas said.

Cavanaugh again threw down a match-high 22 kills to go with a .400 hitting percentage and two blocks. Lucas had a match-high statistic in her line as well with 51

assists accompanied by 10 digs, one block and one service ace.

“She’s (Cavanaugh) playing in such a rhythm right now, it’s a lot of fun to watch her play,” Hudson said.

O’Connell and Engle held strong for the WKU defense with 14 and 12 digs, respectively.

The Lady Toppers were happy to go two and one in their home tournament and are looking forward to moving through the season with confidence.

“Those are two really good quality wins, and we did it in convincing

fashion. I’m really proud of the steps that our team is taking,” said Hudson.

WKU will be back in action on Friday, as they will travel to take on the University of Pittsburgh in the first game of the Pittsburgh invitational tournament.

“We are right on track, we just have to keep building and see where it goes from there,” said Lucas.

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 Evan Heichelbech can be reached at 270-745-6291 and evan.heichelbech059@topper.wku.edu.

Follow him on Twitter at @evanheichelbech.

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 Tops splits matches to close homestand

BY TYLER MANSFIELD HERALD.SPORTS@WKU.EDU The WKU women’s soccer team took the field at the WKU Soccer Complex twice this weekend for two non-conference matches.

The club, who opened its homestand the week before with wins over Austin Peay State University and Georgia State University, split a pair of outings this weekend as the Lady Toppers fell 1-0 to Louisiana State University on Thursday night, but defeated Morehead State University, 2-0 on Sunday to close out the homestand.

On Thursday versus the Tigers, the Lady Toppers found themselves trailing early off a single-digit goal from one of the opposing club’s junior forwards.

Delaney Sheehan found the back of the net at the 5:08 mark off a corner from freshman defender Marlena Cutura to record the game’s single goal.

LSU fired 10 total shots on the night including junior forward Jordan Baucom’s and junior midfielder Debbie Hahn’s three attempts each. Sophomore goalkeeper Caroline Brockmeier played the full 90 minutes for the group, saving four shots in the shutout.

LSU fired nearly a handful of shots over the course of the opening five minutes, but one was deflected while one was saved by WKU’s junior goalkeeper Allison Leone. The Tigers grabbed the 1-0 lead off the corner kick as Cutura found Sheehan’s head at the far post to beat Leone.

Although it trailed, WKU would battle back. Just three minutes following Sheehan’s header, freshman midfielder Christina Bragado tried a header of her own as she pushed Brockmeier into action.

The Lady Toppers were rewarded four corners in a span of 15 minutes and nearly scored on senior defender Olivia Fitzgerald’s try at the 12:21 mark. The experienced player attempted a header, but it was cleared off the line by a LSU defender.

“I thought we played really well,” Head Coach Jason Neidell said following the defeat. “We had a couple

of mistakes, one that ended up being costly on a corner kick early, but I’m really proud of our kids. I thought we gave tremendous effort tonight.”

WKU had another opportunity to try and tie the contest after junior defender Shayna Dheel controlled the ball in space after losing her defender in the 39th minute.

The playmaker fired a shot toward the goal, but sent it just high as the Lady Tops went into the locker room with the one-score deficit.

“We just acted like it was still a ‘0-0 game’,” Fitzgerald stated on carrying the early deficit. “We just wanted to come back, keep fighting and don’t think about the goal that got put into the back of our net.”

In the first 15 minutes of the second half, Bragado and senior midfielder Haley Baldridge each had chances. Baldridge fired a strike from 25 yards out following a kick from the corner, but Brockmeier denied Freshman forward Chandler Backes (5) takes a shot on goal against Morehead the opportunity. Bragado, on the State’s goalie Eva Helgadottir (1) during WKU’s 2-0 victory Sunday, Sept. 11 at the other hand, tried a header off soph- WKU Soccer Complex. Evan Boggs/HERALD omore midfielder Nicole Roseland’s it also gives us a lot of confidence,” with Helgadottir, where she beat corner nine minutes later, but it was Backes said following her stellar out- out the freshman and sunk a shot. also saved by the Tiger goalkeeper. ing. “It gives us a lot of confidence.”

“All throughout the season, Jason “They’re a SEC school and they’re The Lady Toppers, as a whole, athletic, but I don’t think we strug- outshot the visiting Eagles, 22-4, in- [Neidell] has said that we should get into these opportunities to attack the gled with that,” Fitzgerald noted. “We kept up with their ath- cluding an 8-1 advantage in shots on keeper, and I just saw that the centerleticism and played really well.” goal. The team also had 13 corners back was a little bit vulnerable and I The Lady Toppers would be compared to Morehead State’s two.

Backes fired a shot in the third could turn her, and I did and then able to control the ball most of the final 10 minutes of ac- minute, but the Eagles’ fresh- just attacked the goalkeeper and tion, but they couldn’t find an man goalkeeper Eva Helgadot- slid it in,” Backes stated on her goal. opening through LSU’s defense. tir was there for the save, as she WKU, who now holds a 4-3-0 reSenior midfielder Caitlin Hesse finished the meeting with eight. cord, opens Conference USA play tried an attempt from the top of the “Well, obviously it wouldn’t have at Marshall on Thursday at 6 p.m. box with 40 seconds remaining but been the same game if she wasn’t on the The Lady Toppers hold a 2-1 lead it went wide left of the goal, allowing in the all-time series against the field today, right?”

Neidell said.

“She’s the Tigers to hold on for the victory.

“I’m proud of the way we played, been incredible. She’s a team player.” Thundering Herd, but the HuntingThe Lady Toppers would try ton, West Virginia, squad came into there’s just little details that we need to take care of,” Hesse said. eight more shots throughout the Bowling Green and escaped with a “That goal that we let slip in re- remainder of the half on the offen- 2-0 victory in last season’s outing. ally early was something that we sive side while the defense would “It’s conference play now,” Neihad talked about and wanted to keep Morehead State from at- dell said. “Everyone’s looking to get make sure we didn’t let happen.” tempting a single one as the home off on the right foot. Marshall’s a Against the club from Morehead club led by a goal at intermission. great opponent, so we’re gonna have on Sunday, WKU turned things It would only take WKU four at- our hands full on Thursday night.” around and returned to the win column thanks to goals by fresh- tempts before adding to its lead in the man forward Chandler Backes in second half. Just over 13 minutes into Reporter Tyler Mansfield can be both the 16th and 58th minutes. the final half of play, Backes gathered reached at 270-745-6291 and james.

“Getting two goals offensively –– I a loose ball, controlled it and found manfield143@topper.wku.edu. Folmean, that’s awesome for me, but herself in a one-on-one situation low him on Twitter at @ByMansfield.

WKUHERALD.COM REECER’S PIECE

SPORTS

SEPTEMBER 13, 2016 > WESTERN KENTUCKY UNIVERSITY » Volleyball: WKU Junior setter Jessica Lucas has been named Conference-USA setter of the week for the third week in a row.

FOOTBALL

WKU’s trip to Bama a positive experience

BY JOHN REECER HERALD.SPORTS@WKU.EDU

Who would’ve thought that losing by four touchdowns would feel so good?

Okay well maybe not so good, but the Hilltoppers’ trip to Tuscaloosa, Alabama, this weekend JOHN was definitely a posREECER itive one. They beat the spread against the best team in the nation while also making the Crimson Tide’s head coach, Nick Saban, go absolutely berserk on his offensive coordinator, Lane Kiffin.

Seriously, if WKU would’ve lost by 40 points the trip still would’ve been worth it just to see Saban’s tirade aimed at Kiffin.

However, the real success of the trip was the very surprising play of WKU’s defense. In just the first half, the Toppers only gave up one touchdown to the Crimson Tide.

The normally dominant Alabama running game was relatively shut down by WKU as the Crimson Tide only ran for 3.9 yards per rush that afternoon.

All opinions aside, that is incredibly impressive.

Not only did the defensive front seven impress, but the WKU offensive line also played very well against a program that has fielded some of the best defenses in the past few years.

Redshirt junior quarterback Mike White usually had enough time to throw the ball and the line also only gave up a handful of sacks.

Despite these positives, there are still some obvious red flags the Toppers need to address.

The obvious red flag is the defensive secondary was regularly picked upon time after time by a freshman quarterback.

Too many times there would be a Crimson Tide receiver running down the field wide open after breezing past the cornerbacks and safeties.

Yes, our defensive backs were being challenged by worldclass athletes. However, top-ti-

SEE REECER’S PIECE PAGE B5

Senior wide receiver Taywan Taylor (2) fights a tackle from University of Alabama linebacker Reuben Foster (10) as he runs the ball down field on Saturday, Sept. 10 in Bryant-Denny Stadium. Lex Selig/HERALD

A CRUSHING TIDE WKU falls to Crimson Tide, Miami (OH) up next

BY EVAN HEICHELBECH HERLAD.SPORTS.@WKU.EDU

A week after opening its football season with a 46-14 blowout of Rice and piling up 649 total yards of offense, WKU traveled to the home of the defending national champions and fell 38-10 to the Alabama Crimson Tide with just 239 total yards to show for it.

“Hats off to Alabama, they’re a great football team and we knew that coming in,” Head Coach Jeff Brohm said. “They did a great job on defense as they always do. They were able to shut us down, and we didn’t have a whole lot of answers.

I thought our defense played hard, and I liked the fight in our team.”

Redshirt junior quarterback Mike White struggled against the Tide, following up his 517-yard debut by going 10-24 for 135 yards and an interception. But if there’s any defense in the country that can make the nation’s leading passer look average, it’s one led by Nick Saban.

“They were bigger, faster and

stronger than Conference USA opponents and they gave us a run for our money,” redshirt senior offensive lineman Forrest Lamp said. “It’s frustrating when the offense isn’t clicking like it normally is. We’re used to scoring 40 or 50 points a game, so it’s frustrating.”

White left the game in the third quarter with a head injury. Graduate transfer Tyler Ferguson replaced him, going 7-10 for 55 yards. Sophomore quarterback Drew Eckels entered the game late and threw the only WKU touchdown of the game to redshirt freshman Lucky Jackson.

“I think Mike will be OK,” Brohm said. “He got a little doozie on the unnecessary roughness penalty where they threw him down.

We decided that he wasn’t all where he needed to be and we brought our other quarterbacks in.”

In a Monday afternoon press conference, Brohm said he is optimistic of White’s status for Saturday’s game against Miami Ohio.

“I think to this point he’s looking pretty good,” Brohm said. “I think

he’ll pass all the tests that he needs to.

We probably won’t know for a couple days, but I think he wants to play, and I think he wants to get back in there.

Our other two quarterbacks are going to work hard to be ready just in case.”

What White failed to accomplish on offense, the defensive line tried to make up for on the other side of the ball.

After a three-and-out by WKU to start the game, Alabama sophomore wide receiver Calvin Ridley ripped off the first of many big plays for the Tide, taking a pitch 48 yards to the WKU 31yard line. But the Hilltopper defense forced the offense off the field resulting in a missed field goal by Alabama.

“Our defense played unbelievable,” Lamp said. “All the credit goes to our defense, holding the number one team in the nation to 38 points. They were the ones who kept us in the game.”

The Hilltopper secondary was an entirely different story, however, as they gave up one big play after another to Ridley and redshirt junior receiver ArDarius Stewart. The two wideouts

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VOLLEYBALL

Lady Tops go 2-1 in weekend tournament

BY MATTHEW STEWART HERLAD.SPORTS@WKU.EDU This weekend was a special one for the 23rd ranked Hilltopper volleyball team (9-2) as WKU hosted the Holiday Inn University Plaza Invitational. The tournament has drawn some top tier programs to Diddle Arena, and this year did not disappoint.

The University of Southern Illinois, University of Cincinnati and Michigan State University took part in the weekend of competition.

WKU managed to defeat SIU and Cincinnati, but the Lady Toppers would fall to Michigan State.

“To have those teams come play here is amazing, it’s a great atmosphere. The crowd was amazing,” junior setter Jessica Lucas said.

Head Coach Travis Hudson and company found themselves in two matches on Friday. The team first faced off against the Salukis of SIU (7-3) for a 1 p.m. match-up.

“Even the one o’clock game on Friday was crazy, I’ve been here for two years now, and that’s the best fan support we’ve had,” Lucas said. “They are helping us out a lot, we need em.”

WKU would go on to win the game as they only gave one set to SIU. In the first match, the Hilltopper offensive attack managed to put up a team hitting percentage of .273 while holding the Salukis to a .181 clip.

Lucas nearly grabbed a triple double as the Conference USA preseason player of the year dished out 45 assists

to go along with nine kills and 16 digs.

Junior outside hitter Alyssa Cavanaugh had a match-high 16 kills.

Sophomore middle hitter Rachel Anderson and sophomore outside hitter Taylor Dellinger had 13 and 10 kills, respectively. Junior outside hitter Sydney Engle also got in on the double-digit kill list with 11 to her name.

The defense that held SIU to that low of a hitting percentage was led by senior Georgia O’Connell with 18 digs.

Engle also made some big defensive plays with 14 digs of her own. The performance was Engle’s third double-double of the season. Senior defensive specialist Kaelin Grimes added 10 digs as well.

The second match of the day for WKU was a showdown with the Bearcats of Cincinnati (4-5).

Early in the match there were some words exchanged through the net between Cavanaugh and of Cincinnati’s front line players. However, the exchange seemed to spark high-flying plays from Cavanaugh.

“I think Cincinnati challenged Alyssa through the net a little bit early on, and I don’t know that that’s the tiger you want to poke through the cage,” Hudson said. “She rose to the occasion and was awfully good.”

Cavanaugh led the way once again with a match-high 17 kills while hitting .533 in the contest.

Engle was the only other Lady Topper with double digit kills as she also hit above a .500 clip with a .524 hitting percentage on 11 kills, four assists and five service aces.

Sophomore outside hitter Taylor Dellinger (21) tries to block a spike from Southern Illinois during WKU’s 3-1 victory Friday, Sept. 9 in Diddle Arena. Erica Lafser/HERALD “Sydney Engle was the best volleyball player on the court tonight,” Hudson said. “She does so many things. She’s so good offensively. She can really serve; she scored so many points at the service

line. She is just a terrific player.”

Lucas also finished with 41 assists and eight digs to her name in the match as WKU would take down the Cats in straight sets, 3-0.

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