September 6, 2016

HERALD STAFF STANDS WITH KENTUCKY KERNEL

LADY TOPS WIN TWO GAMES OVER WEEKEND

OPINION, PAGE A4

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eSports curriculum coming to university

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$0 2007 - 2008 - 2009 - 2010 - 2011 - 2012 - 2013 - 2014 - 2015 - 2016 12 13 15 16 08 09 10 11 14 17

BY MONICA KAST

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HERLAD.NEWS@WKU.EDU The WKU eSports team is preparing for the upcoming competition season as well as working with the Gordon Ford College of Business to help students with a desire to work in the gaming industry.

Patricia Todd, marketing department chair and co-advisor of the League of Legends Club at WKU, said the eSports program “is really in its infancy,” but is hopeful because they have received the support of President Gary Ransdell.

“It’s really a growing area,” Todd said about the industry. “A lot of needs in a lot of places.”

Todd added that currently in the marketing department, students are able to have a social media concentration as well as work toward a certificate in applied data analytics. Todd said she’s worked closely with members of the eSports team to create curriculum that will help students who want to work in the gaming industry after graduation.

“It’s current curriculum,” Todd said. “We can always, in the marketing department anyways, focus on projects that are geared to the gaming industry.”

The eSports team has also recently began pursuing corporate sponsorship, according to Todd.

Twitch, a potential sponsor, is “the world’s leading social video platform and community for gamers,” and a division of Amazon, according to the Twitch website.

Louisville sophomore John Hay has been working to organize the eSports program and the Twitch sponsorship. He said whenever the academic portion of the program is approved, the sponsorship will become official.

“As of yet, Twitch has partnered with several schools,” Hay said. “But I don’t know that anyone has taken them up seriously on the academic partnership.”

Twitch, described as “social video for gamers,” attracts over 100 million viewers per month, according to its website. Video game competitions are often broadcasted on the Twitch website.

SEE E-SPORTS PAGE A2

Keller begins as new Honors assoc. director

Retirement payout

Ransdell’s salary

Photo by: EMILLY KAST/HERALD Graphic by: CRAIG OSTERTAG/HERALD

‘Golden handcuffs’ Ransdell contract includes 10-year payout incentive

BY JACOB DICK HERALD.NEWS@WKU.EDU

P

resident Gary Ransdell will be paid nearly $119,000 a year for 10 years, or nearly $1.2 million in total after his presidency in addition to retirement benefits, as guaranteed by a directive in his employment contract.

According to the longevity incentive clause of Ransdell’s contract approved by the Board of Regents in 2002, if the president retires after Jan. 1, 2012 with a “satisfactory” performance evaluation, he is entitled to an annual payment of 25 percent of his salary for 10 years.

These benefits were designed in the contract to mature over the course of Ransdell’s presidency, a tactic referred to in executive hiring as “the Golden Handcuffs.”

“I think the Board had a desire to keep us here but I think they also knew the compensation levels weren’t competitive with other institutions at the time, so that was a way to offset other levels in the compensation package,” Ransdell said.

In 2002, Ransdell’s annual base salary was set at $210,320 with a 25 percent raise guaranteed on Jan. 1,

2007 if the president received a “satisfactory” evaluation. When 2007 came around, the board, chaired by the same regent in 2002, Lois Gray, approved an addendum to Ransdell’s contract extending his employment to 2022 with a 15 percent raise in 2012 and a 10 percent raise at the beginning of 2017.

Ransdell’s salary is estimated to be $475,319 after the 2017 raise, making the 25 percent retirement payment roughly $119,000 over 10 years. This post retirement payout is in addition to a $5,000 annual premium per year long term care policy for the president and his wife when they need assisted living arrangements. Ransdell said he doesn’t believe this deferred incentive will affect his state retirement.

In the November 2002 minutes from the meeting where regents accepted the president’s contract, Regent Kristen Bale, chair of the President’s Contract Review Committee, echoed the idea Ransdell should be enticed to continue his work towards WKU’s future.

“Recognizing the remarkable achievements to date, which have led to unprecedented progress on our campus, the President’s Contract Review Committee believe that Western Kentucky University should

make every effort to continue this path of transformation,” Bale said.

“Therefore, an innovative contract and compensation package has been developed for Dr. Ransdell with the conviction that, under his inspired leadership, even greater heights await our wonderful university.”

From Ransdell’s own words in the November 2002 minutes, the president was happy to continue his work with a board completely in tune with one another.

“So I’m grateful for this Boardjust this week, I received a comment from a president of another university in Kentucky complimenting me on our Board and how fortunate we are to have a Board that is cohesive, that’s focused on a strategic plan and transformation; he was most complimentary of the relationship that I’m fortunate to enjoy with this Board,” Ransdell said at the 2002 meeting.

Ransdell said after four years into his presidency he was planning for the long-term at WKU but the board’s concern over losing another president was legitimate.

“I was beginning to achieve some success here and, you know, the

SEE RETIREMENT PAGE A2

Swing into septemBer

BY EMMA COLLINS HERALD.NEWS@WKU.EDU On July 5, Christopher Keller, the new associate director for academics in the Honors College, began his new job at WKU, but it was not until the beginning of this semester that Keller was able to fully step into his new role.

Keller, who previously worked at the University of Texas Rio Grande for 12 years, said that despite his brief period of time at WKU, he is already enjoying his new position.

“There’s a lot of paperwork type of things, but really the joy of it is getting to work with all the people and meeting new people across campus,” Keller said.

As associate director for academics, Keller said his job involves a variety of activities. These include ensuring that students who choose to augment a class for Honors College credit and that students who do a capstone year or thesis work are able to access the resources they need to be successful.

Keller said he also works with the deans of WKU’s other colleges to make sure Honors College courses are offered in every college. In the coming semesters, Keller said he will also be teaching one course a

SEE HONORS COLLEGE PAGE

*After January 1, 2017 10% salary raise

Hayden Henderson, 5, plays on the swings with his sister Kaley Henderson, 3, left, and his grandmother Susan Kolbe on Monday at Covington Woods Park. Kolbe was watching the her grandchildren for the day.

Tyger Williams/HERALD

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RETIREMENT Continued from front

competitive world being what it is, yes, there were other institutions that made offers over the years, but not so much in recent years because I made it clear I wasn’t going anywhere,” Ransdell said.

But despite glittering comments and enticing incentives, every regent on the board during the decision to establish Ransdell’s contract with the longevity clause voted in favor of the contract except for Faculty Regent Robert Dietle.

“It was my first board meeting and I knew it wouldn’t win me any friends but I couldn’t vote for it,” Dietle said. “At the time, there was a 3 percent raise pool for faculty and I couldn’t understand why that was the reality for faculty but not for the president.”

He also said he didn’t remember

HONORS COLLEGE Continued from front

semester, most likely Honors 251.

“I’ve been here since July 5 and got to meet a lot of people, and pretty much everywhere I turn is just interesting, fantastic people,” Keller said.

Keller is no stranger to working in an Honors program. Prior to coming to WKU, Keller worked as the associate dean of the Honors College at the University of Texas Rio Grande and as the director of the Honors Program at the University of Texas-Pan America.

He has also been the department chair of two academic programs, director of a study abroad program and director of a writing program at the University of Texas Rio Grande.

Craig Cobane, executive director of the Honors College, said Keller’s experience is what set him apart from the other two candidates vying for the job.

“When you look at my priorities in the College: attracting and retaining talented first generation and underrepresented scholars, courses that emphasize writing and research and internationalizing the honors experience, Dr. Keller has experience in all of these areas,” Cobane said in an email.

Despite his experience as head of several academic programs, Keller said WKU is slightly different from the universities where he previously worked. The WKU Honors College is larger than the Honors College where Keller previously worked.

Keller said the programs also differ because the faculty of the Honors College at WKU work solely for the Honors College. In addition, Keller said the WKU Honors College offers more opportunities such as

E-SPORTS

Continued from front Last semester, SGA passed Resolution 3-16-S, in support of creating an eSports program and a designated space for the team.

The resolution outlined the growing popularity of eSports on college campuses as well as scholarship opportunities for students involved with eSports.

Jay Todd Richey, SGA president, was a co-author of the resolution and included the creation of an eSports program as part of his platform when he ran for president last semester.

“All students should find their niche at WKU,” Richey said. “If we are truly a leading American university, we need to take the lead in getting this program secured, well funded and popular to be a premier program in the United States.”

Richey said although there has not

SEPTEMBER 6, 2016

COLLEGE HEIGHTS HERALD

any discussion by the board at the time over concern Ransdell might be enticed elsewhere.

“No one suggested he was being recruited,” Dietle said “He wasn’t going anywhere.”

He did remember the board discussing what could be offered to Ransdell in order to make it more profitable for him to stay at WKU than leave. The board couldn’t simply offer a large salary but Ransdell’s “Golden Handcuffs” could take the form of a large payment in the future.

That isn’t to say that this incentive is singularly unique to WKU or Ransdell’s contract.

“This isn’t specific to Ransdell, who’s not even close to the highest paid president in the state,” Dietle said. “Its part of the culture now. I wonder if universities are becoming fiefdoms for presidents who are encouraged to be CEOs.”

From Ransdell’s perspective, he said he believed the board was ready to have a president that would follow through at the university instead of just stopping off before a better opportunity comes along. In the 18 years before Ransdell began his term in 1997, WKU went through four presidents after Dero Downing stepped down.

“I think they were anxious to have a president that would commit themselves to this school and this school only,” Ransdell said. “It would have been a far bigger story if we had left WKU and gone somewhere else, and this incentive ensured that we stayed at WKU.” Despite feelings over what should be offered to university administrators or the financial implications for WKU, the contract has been approved for several years and the incentive will be payed. Ransdell said he believed it is insincere to be

concerned about it now and that if there were issues, they should have been discussed earlier.

“If someone had a concern about that, it probably should have been expressed in 2002 … but I think it’s a little awkward to go back to something that happened 14 years ago and talk about something that was designed to help WKU,” Ransdell said. “I don’t see a correlation with financial circumstances today with an incentive that was put in my contract 14 years ago.”

Dietle had similar advice for students and faculty to take in consideration when future decisions are being made.

“Pay attention to debates that do occur and communicate with your regents,” Dietle said.

the Chinese Language Flagship, a self-designed major and the chance to work with faculty and administrators in all academic programs.

“Making those connections and ties, there are more opportunities for that [at WKU], so I’ve gotten to meet with lots of deans and department chairs already which is fantastic,” Keller said.

In addition to working as associate director for academics, Keller is also the department head of the Honors Academy, which is part of University College and houses all of the Honors College faculty who are eligible for tenure.

“Most of our faculty are untenured, and Dr. Keller has great experience working with, and mentoring, junior faculty,” Cobane said. “His background as a department chair is great experience for the position he currently holds.”

Keller said his journey to the Hill began when he saw WKU listed ina publication ranking university honors programs. Keller said he had been impressed with what he had read and how involved the students were in study abroad, undergraduate research and internships. When he saw the job opening at WKU, he decided to apply.

“I was just so excited to see how involved students were, and wanted to be a part of that,” Keller said.

After applying for the job, Keller and two other candidates were individually presented at open sessions hosted by the Honors College this past spring semester. In the end, Keller was selected for the position, and he moved from Texas to Kentucky to begin his new job.

So far, Keller said his transition has gone well. He started his job here on July 5, a little under two months before classes started.

“Being here five or six weeks before the semester started gave me the opportunity to explore everything and figure out where my attention was needed before the beginning of the semester,” Keller said.

Cobane also said Keller’s transition has been successful, and he has seen Keller take the opportunity to meet new people and to listen and learn from the current faculty and staff.

“Moving from one institution where you know everyone, are familiar with the policies and are fluent in the institutional culture to another where you know almost no one, all the policies are new and the culture is completely different is a challenge,” Cobane said. “He has done a great job.”

Sharon Leone, an academic adviser in the Honors College, said Keller has already brought some changes to the program.

“He has lead the team to reexamine the policies and procedures used in Honors advising in the past, revising them so that they serve students in the best way possible,” Leone said.

Keller said he has many more plans for the Honors College. At the day-to-day level, Keller said he wants to make it easier for students to access what they need to augment classes and easier for faculty to understand the augmentation process.

When considering the bigger picture, Keller said he wants to increase the number of students who are involved in a capstone year or a thesis project. In order to do that, Keller said he wants to help students under-

stand that a capstone year and a thesis project are not just long papers; they are projects that students can develop to suit their own interests.

In addition to increasing the number of students involved in those projects, Keller said he also wants to create a list of outcomes for the Honors College.

“Any program on campus has what are called learning outcomes, but since the Honors College doesn’t yet have a degree, we don’t have those,” Keller said. “What I’d like to do is come up with a list of four or five things that every student who graduates from the Honors College [is] able to do.”

While he has yet to create the list of outcomes, Keller said he expects they will be focused on leadership, research, international study and service.

Keller’s vision for the Honors College, however, does not stop with just creating a list of outcomes. He said he would also like to see Honors College students spread throughout the different WKU colleges.

“We have a lot in Ogden College right now which is great, and we have a lot in Potter,” Keller said.

“But [I want] a more even balance of students across all of the colleges.”

Keller said he also hopes to increase the number of students who study abroad and to help the faculty in the Honors Academy grow professionally and achieve what they want to in their careers.

been a permanent, designated space for the eSports program, the SGA Executive Cabinet has agreed to allow the eSports team to use the SGA offices after 5 p.m. Richey said this would allow them space for equipment, as well as direct internet connections.

Hay, however, said the SGA offices do not have the proper equipment in order to play and compete.

Richey said both he and Ransdell have met with a representative from Twitch, and are both excited about the potential an eSports program has for WKU. At the SGA meeting on April 26, the Herald reported that the resolution passed with some debate.

Senator and eSports team member, John Hay, was an author on the bill.

“Colleges have started to make these programs where collegiate teams are competing against other colleges for scholarship money

and tens of thousands of dollars,” Hay said at the senate meeting.

“There is a big demand for people that are interested in gaming and competitive gaming to find a place where they can go to college.”

According to Todd, there are few other eSports programs on the collegiate level in Kentucky.

While the team has been created and is preparing for competition, Todd said the team is still looking for a permanent place to practice on campus. Additionally, the team is looking for sponsors to provide equipment for competitions.

“Our biggest challenge has been to find sponsors that provide us with equipment in order to be competitive,” Todd said.

Hay said as soon as a permanent place to practice is secured as well as proper equipment, the sponsorship with Twitch will go into effect.

Additionally, Todd said it is important for curriculum offered at WKU to help students who want to pursue a job in the gaming industry after graduation to be able to do so.

“What we’re trying to do at Gordon Ford College is to provide students who graduate with jobs, and recognize that there’s a real demand in the industry,” Todd said.

Hay said while there are currently five members on the eSports team, they are looking for more competitors to start a second team or as substitutes. Although Hay is not on the team itself, he has been the one to organize the eSports team and program.

“It’s been real fun for me to see it come together,” Hay said.

Reporter Jacob Dick can be reached at (270) 745-6011 and jacob.dick@ wku.edu. Follow him on Twitter at @ jdickjournalism.

Reporter Emma Collins can be reached at 270-745-6011 and emma. collins399@topper.wku.edu. Follow her on Twitter at @thebest_dilemma.

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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COLLEGE HEIGHTS HERALD

New program partners university, KYYMCA

BY JACK JOHNSON HERALD.NEWS@WKU.EDU KYYMCA, a division of the YMCA, has partnered with WKU’s department of diversity of community services to integrate students into the Institute for Social Responsibility and Economic Citizenship (ISREC).

ISREC is an extensive, 10-month journey in academics, social outreach projects and entrepreneurship practices. The program plans to send students to India, focusing on working with the city of Madurai in the state of Tamil Nadu.

Tracy Ingram, the director of social responsibility at ISREC, said students going to India will learn valuable skills from their experience there.

“ISREC’s mission is to empower Kentucky YMCA volunteers and WKU students to practice global citizenship and social impact skills through cultural perspective building, connections to local & international social enterprise networks, and exposure to global YMCA movements,” Ingram said in an email.

In recent years, the YMCA has rebranded itself as “The Y,” with a greater focus on community outreach projects and social integration programs, such as ISREC. While The Y is an international organization, it remains rooted in the Y-USA, which acts as a kind of “federal government” of the group at large.

Many students who have graduated –– and will graduate –– from WKU have been involved from an early age with the KYYMCA Youth Association; WKU also holds the nation’s largest Campus Y, which is an extension of The Y’s “Model Congress,” housed in Washington, D.C. as part of state legislative programs centered on young adults.

The ISREC program hopes to send interested students to Madurai to work with the Madurai YMCA. Madurai YMCA has worked with YMCA groups within the U.S. on similar projects before.

“We felt it was a very natural partnership between the KYYMCA, Madurai YMCA and WKU’s DCS Department.

The entire thing feels very natural because each party holds an aligned aim:

cultivating young, passionate people who wish to serve the public in innovative, thoughtful ways,” Ingram said in an email.

ISREC and KYYMCA offer programs that entail social outreach projects, within the context of the issues of a particular area. ISREC maps out these programs with a syllabus –– every month, there will be new themes to explore.

“For example, one month we’ll focus on environmental issues in India, and how that impacts the culture,” Ingram said in an email. “In turn, we’ll also study how social entrepreneurship responds to critical environmental consequences, such as water scarcity or the ramifications of the lack of sewage systems.”

Dr. Jane Olmsted, department head of Diversity & Community Studies at WKU, is also working closely with the people at KYYMCA. “I thought it was great idea,” Olmsted said. “One thing about it- the program stretches out for a period of time; it’s built as a culminating experience.

The course design is really sound and accessible.”

ISREC offers students the ability to reach out to underprivileged communities internationally, but it can also be used to connect students with valuable networking opportunities and experience outside of scholarly ventures: “It serves as a compliment that you are able to do what you wish to do in a way that gives back to the community; regardless of what your major is, this program is serving as a resource to provide the skills and professional development to meet wherever you’re at,” Ingram said.

The deadline for application into ISREC has been pushed back to Sunday, Sept. 11, and the program plans to be underway from October 2016 to July 2017.

The Kentucky YMCA and the Institute for Social Responsibility and Economic Citizenship can be researched further at www.kyymca.org/isrec.

Reporter Jack Johnson can be reached at 270-745-6011 and thomas.johnson481@topper.wku.edu.

Student group hopes to promote conservatism

BY NICOLE ARES HERALD.NEWS@WKU.EDU A student organization “advocating for conservatism and speaking out against the liberal agenda” has just emerged on WKU’s campus.

The Young Americans for Freedom is a student organization is sponsored by the Young America’s Foundation.

The WKU chapter is currently in the process of registering at the university.

Erin Bardin, a senior from Bowling Green, is the current chairman for the organization and started the YAF chapter at WKU this year.

This summer, Bardin attended a conference through the Young America’s Foundation in Washington, D.C. There, she was introduced to its student organization and the opportunity to start a chapter on her campus.

“Young America’s Foundation talked about bringing its key principles back to college campuses,” Bardin explained. “Those principles are limited

government, individual freedom, free enterprise, traditional values and a strong national defense.”

According to the Young America’s Foundation website, the organization was founded in 1960 to “provide a visible presence for the Conservative Movement, energize other students and encourage them to speak out.”

Tuesday was the first meeting for the organization and it had a turnout of approximately 25 students. WKU’s YAF chapter hopes to gain 50 student members by the end of the year and is hoping its public outreach will help with the recruitment process.

One of the organization’s first projects will be on Thursday, Sept. 11. It will be placing 2,977 American flags on campus to commemorate the lives lost during 9/11.

“We’re thinking after this 9/11 project, we will hopefully recruit 10 or 15 more students,” Bardin said.

While the Young America’s Foundation has its own speaker series, including lecturers like Steve Forbes, the

WKU YAF chapter is hoping to host a speaker of its own this year.

“We would like to bring in a big speaker like Steve Forbes, but one that we can say we put on ourselves,” Bardin said. “We want to be able to pick out that speaker and pick out the topic we are most interested in.”

But while hosting events is important to the organization, promoting the key principles of the Young America’s Foundation are equally important, says Bardin.

However, this is not the first time the Young America’s Foundation has had an impact on WKU’s campus. It is also currently a sponsor of the WKU BB&T Center for the Study of Capitalism speaker series.

Brian Strow, associate professor for the department of economics, runs the WKU BB&T Center for the Study of Capitalism as well as acts as an advisor for the WKU YAF chapter.

This year, he has helped bring Steve Forbes as a lecturer to campus to ed-

ucate students and other attendees on capitalism.

“With Steve Forbes this week, I just want people to be aware that there are some people who not only believe capitalism is not evil, but actively helpful in increasing the standard of living for broad swaths of people,” said Strow.

While the Young America’s Foundation is one of the main sponsors for the Steve Forbes Lecture, it does not provide funding to the WKU YAF chapter.

Therefore, Bardin and Bowling Green senior Douglass Stratton, vice chairman of the WKU YAF, will be reaching out to local businesses and community members this week asking for sponsorships.

“We are going to tell them what our cause is and what we stand for and see if they would be willing to donate to the cause,” Bardin explained.

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

SEPTEMBER 6, 2016 > WESTERN KENTUCKY UNIVERSITY

WKUHERALD.COM EDITORIAL

OPINION

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.

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT? University must take strong stance after racist vandalism

THE ISSUE: Last week a black student had a racial slur carved onto her car OUR STANCE: We should not be fooled that because this is 2016 we’ve somehow escaped these blatant forms of racism. The university must take strong, defined steps in confronting this kind of hateful climate.

L

ast Wednesday, Cheyenne Mitchell, a senior from Lexington, found her car had been vandalized with a racial slur after returning from her class. More specifically, the n-word was carved into the side of her car.

Mitchell told a Herald reporter there had been a brief altercation earlier between a friend of hers and the man who allegedly vandalized her car.

Mitchell said her friend was standing in an empty parking space in PS2 prior to the act and was holding the spot for Mitchell to park her car.

To describe this act of vandalism as unacceptable does not seem to do it quite the justice it deserves. Vile may serve as the better descriptor, but even then we are not fully able to put into words the impression this act likely left on Mitchell.

However, simply decrying this act as vile doesn’t really scratch the surface, nor does it take into account the word itself.

No matter what its origins, by the early 1800s, the n-word was firmly established as a derogative name, Phil Middleton and David Pilgrim write in the African American Registry, a nonprofit education organization.

“It was a term of exclusion, a verbal reason for discrimination. Whether used as a noun, verb, or adjective, it strengthened the stereotype of the

lazy, stupid, dirty, worthless nobody,” the duo wrote. “No other American surname carries as much purposeful cruelty.”

We must not be fooled into thinking that racism does not exist here at WKU or in Bowling Green just because it feels like we’ve made small increments of progress toward racial justice as a whole in the United States.

Is it surprising that a blatant form of racism could manifest itself in 2016? Perhaps, but not in other forms.

Gloria Yamato argues in “Something about the subject makes it hard to name” there are four forms of racism: blatant, covert, unintentional and self-righteous.

President Gary Ransdell said on Mitchell’s Facebook post about the incident that this act was “not reflective of our values on the WKU campus.”

This was not the first time Ransdell has taken a public stance against racism on campus.

In March 2015, Ransdell addressed the president of every Greek organization in regards to an incident with the chapter of Sigma Alpha Epsilon at the University of Oklahoma where members were caught on video singing a racist chant.

“I will be quick and harsh in my reactions to anything from anyone in any WKU organization that hints or suggests racism on this campus,” Ransdell said at the meeting.

However, while Ransdell claims to be committed to combatting racism at WKU in the public eye this begs the question if the larger institution of WKU is on board as well.

Filing a police report and having damages

covered is one thing, but tackling racism from an institutional role is a difficult mountain to climb altogether.

There have been specific organizations and individuals which have taken strides to create programming for black students, LBGT students, international students and other minority student populations.

But from a larger institutional perspective, things look grim.

For instance, the decision to move the Black Cultural Center from the former Sofia-Downing International Center into Downing Student Union and having that be a part of the new Intercultural Student Engagement Center takes something black students have wanted for years and then lumps it into something not specifically for them.

Furthermore, from an institutional role, we have our doubts as to whether the Intercultural Student Engagement Center will tout the Black Cultural Center as part of its programming.

The creation of the new center also came as a result of the “reorganization” of the Office of Institutional Diversity and Inclusion into Intercultural Engagement, further marginalizing resources and opportunities for black students.

As an editorial board we are unable to say with certainty that X, Y or Z solution will somehow free WKU from racism. Because if we could, we would.

What we can say is from an institutional perspective, we must do better.

Yamato says we must challenge oppression and take a stand against it. In this vein, WKU must work harder to take a stand, lest we become numbed.

Herald stands with Kernel in wake of lawsuit

BY BRANDON CARTER

HERALD.OPINION@WKU.EDU On Aug. 9, Attorney General Andy Beshear ruled in favor of the Kentucky Kernel’s request for the University of Kentucky to release documents pertaining to a sexual assault and harassment investigation centered around a former professor.

The university claimed their refusal to release the records was rooted in their commitment to protecting the privacy of victims and survivors. Appealing that ruling would mean the university would have to take the newspaper, run by its own students, to court.

They’ve now done that.

The university took the extraordinary step of filing a lawsuit against the Kernel on Wednesday. This comes after the Kernel obtained the disput-

ed records via a confidential source connected to the investigation. The records were redacted, as is standard practice for most open records requests of this nature, and an Aug. 13 editorial by the Kernel editorial board pointedly spoke to this disparity.

“The ability to redact names and identifiers of victims and witnesses shows [UK President Eli] Capliouto’s privacy claim was wrong at best,” the Kernel editors wrote.

“The effort university officials put into sealing these records raises doubts about their true intentions.”

Now forced into a legal battle with Kentucky’s largest university, the Kernel has launched a GoFundMe campaign to assist in fighting the lawsuit. I encourage you to contribute.

As former Kernel editor Will Wright wrote on the GoFundMe page, “university administrators must not be allowed to hide pub-

lic records simply because they have the most money in the game.”

I wholeheartedly agree. Student journalists across the country work tirelessly to hold accountable the very same institutions from which we seek our degrees. It can be a tough load to carry, especially when that very institution decides to sic its top-notch legal team on you and your colleagues.

Despite it all, the staff of the Kernel have continued to report on the story with grit and aplomb, and I salute them. They are doing the very things that journalists are tasked to do – giving a voice to the voiceless and holding the powerful accountable – while under the scope of national attention and a looming legal battle.

We see this fight play out on a larger scale, both in Kentucky and nationally. Our governor has in the past refused to answer questions from specific reporters and

Brandon Carter* Editor-in-chief

Emma Austin* Features Editor

Lashana Harney* Digital Editor

Nicole Ares* Will Hoagland Assistant News Editor Advertising adviser

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Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton hasn’t held a press conference in over 250 days.

This trend shouldn’t just disturb members of the media. It should disturb everyone. Elected officials should have to answer to their constituents, and appointed officials should have to answer to the taxpayers whose money they spend.

To the staff of the Kentucky Kernel: the members of the editorial board and the staff of the College Heights Herald stand in solidarity with you. We are committed to the tireless pursuit of transparency and accountability and we encourage the rest of the Commonwealth of Kentucky to support you, too.

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COLLEGEUNIVERSITY HEIGHTS HERALD SEPTEMBER 6, 2016 > WESTERN KENTUCKY

WKUHERALD.COM

LIFE

 Happy Gas: Pick up a copy of Thursday’s edition for a look at tryouts for the Happy Gas improv troupe!

Total solar eclipse to stun Bowling Green

BY MADISON MARTIN HERALD.FEATURES@WKU.EDU

Even though the fall 2016 semester has barely just begun, students can begin to look forward to the promise of a once-in-a-lifetime kind of “Welcome Back, Western� next year.

Classes won’t begin until 4:00 pm on Aug. 21, 2017, but this isn’t to let students sleep in – it’s to have time to experience a total solar eclipse, a phenomenon that hasn’t occurred within the continental United States in nearly 40 years.

A total solar eclipse, where the sun, moon and earth are in perfect alignment, will pass from the northwest to the southeast in the country, beginning in Oregon and last visible from land on the coast of South Carolina.

The last total solar eclipse to pass over the continental United States was 1979, and could only be seen in the Pacific Northwest and North Dakota.

NASA defines a total solar eclipse as “only visible from a small area on Earth.� The moon intercepts the light from the sun, casting its shadow instead on the Earth, according to its website.

Richard Gelderman, professor of astronomy and physics, said a total solar eclipse means the sun effectively disappears and twilight takes over in the middle of the day. “Nature is handing us one of the coolest natural events in a lifetime,�

Gelderman said. “As a person, it’s not science, it’s not facts and logic; it’s raw emotion.�

Bowling Green sits right along the edge of the eclipse path, with places like the National Corvette Museum just out of reach of experiencing a total solar eclipse, Gelderman said. According to NASA, it will be visible for nearly one minute. Out of the whole eclipse path in the United States, Hopkinsville is arguably the most in alignment, boasting two minutes and 40 seconds of totality. “It’s a once in a lifetime event, and from that perspective, the fact that it happens on WKU’s campus is going to be really cool,� Jennifer Tougas, director of Parking and Transportation services, said.

Tougas and Gelderman are part of a cross-departmental committee to plan how WKU should handle the eclipse in a way that stays true to a “core mission� and serves the needs of those that the university decides to serve.

Possible concepts Gelderman spoke of were to bus in K-12 students who live outside of the eclipse path but are located in the university’s service region of counties. He said there is discussion around the idea of throwing a celebration out on the South Lawn for WKU students and providing solar-viewing glasses. If children are invited to campus, that will be a definite part of the challenge Parking and Transportation Services will face in accommodating the community it wishes to serve while handling a predicted flood of people into the city. “I think some of those unknowns that we’re still faced with ‌ have to do with traffic infrastructure around Bowling Green,â€? Tougas said, “and if there’s truly an influx of hundreds of thousands of people coming to this section of country, then you know the best laid plans could have to go to ‘Plan B’ or ‘Plan C’, because of circumstances beyond our control.â€?

Gelderman predicts that even 100,000 extra people will be in Bowling Green when it comes time for the eclipse at 1:27 p.m. that day. He cites this because of Bowling Green being the first place northerners can come

SEE ECLIPSE PAGE A7

Kevin Taylor, 47, and Wendell Cherry, 35, spar at Kentucky Grapplers gym in Bowling Green on Aug. 30. Owner Kevin Taylor tries to teach the warriors fighting method. “A warriors mentality is training to protect the people behind me,� he explains. “Not just fighting the person in front of me.�GABRIEL SCARLETT/HERALD

Local martial arts teacher passes along years of experience

BY EMMA AUSTIN HERALD.FEATURES@WKU.EDU An old Chinese proverb tells the story of a young martial arts student who asks his teacher why he must learn how to fight, if he must also learn to be calm and at peace. The teacher responds by saying it is better to be a warrior in a garden than a gardener in a war.

Kevin Taylor, owner and instructor of Kentucky Grapplers, a martial arts school in Bowling Green, said he bases his training around the idea offered by this story.

Taylor said he began training in karate as a 10-year-old, and was internationally ranked by the time he was 13. In the following years, he studied various other styles of martial arts and self-defense, including heavyweight fighting, boxing and Wing Chun Kung Fu. In the 1980s, Taylor trained under Sifu Larry Hartsell, who studied under Bruce Lee. He then spent five years travelling to countries throughout the world as Hartsell’s assistant, teaching

seminars for law enforcement teams and SEAL teams.

After returning to the United States, Taylor said he went back to college to earn a degree in theater and sociology at WKU. He then spent 10 years doing professional theater work while teaching karate and massage therapy in Louisville.

Taylor said he decided to move back to Bowling Green about two years ago after getting married. “Since I grew up doing martial arts here, I figured it was a good time to open up a school instead of just teaching out of my garage,� Taylor said.

Following this decision, Taylor opened Kentucky Grapplers. He said the school offers 40 classes a week that focus on four different martial arts: Wing Chun, Kali-Silat, Jun Fan and Jeet Kune Do and Applied Eskrima.

Taylor said he trains his students to develop a warrior’s mentality, rather than a fighter’s mentality. “If I’m preparing for a fight, I know there’s somebody I’m going to try to beat in a month,� Taylor said.

On the other hand, Taylor explained

that a warrior constantly trains in case he has to defend himself or somebody else. Taylor said this mentality allows training to be a continuous process, as opposed to working towards a shortterm goal like a fight.

Bowling Green resident Herb Travis said he has been a student at Kentucky Grapplers since it opened, when he began training in the martial arts to improve his health. In addition to losing 70 pounds and regulating his blood sugar levels, Travis said the exercise has helped decrease pain caused by his psoriatic arthritis.

Taylor explained the movement in different Cali training exercises helps stretch and strengthen the ligaments and tendons in the hands and wrists, reducing nerve pain.

Taylor said studies have shown when the hand crosses the centerline of the body, it helps reset the nervous system. Taylor said the Cali patterns have been used to help people with cerebral palsy or other nerve damage. “If I can do it, anybody can do it,�

Travis said. “It’s a great workout, and

SEE GRAPPLERS PAGE A7

Kevin Taylor, 47, of Bowling Green holds a sheathed traditional fighting weapon at Kentucky Grapplers gym on Aug. 30. The curved blade would be used for close contact fighting and students at the gym can learn on dull plastic or aluminum models.

GABRIEL SCARLETT/HERALD

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SEPTEMBER 6, 2016

A7

ECLIPSE

Continued from LIFE into contact with right off of I-65.

“It’s like Bonnaroo, thousands of miles wide,” Gelderman said, an analogy Nashville scientists had relayed to him. “Take all the craziness of Bonnaroo, and all the traffic problems and all the logistic problems of trying to bring

GRAPPLERS Continued from LIFE

[Taylor] is a great teacher.”

While martial arts training offers many of the same physical benefits as other sports and exercises, Taylor said it goes a step further by teaching defense skills that could potentially save a life.

Taylor said he emphasizes this notion when teaching women’s self-defense classes.

“A lot of southern women are raised

FOOTBALL

Continued from SPORTS rest.”

After a relatively slow start, White led the WKU offense on an 86-yard drive resulting in the first Topper touchdown of the year. The drive was sparked by a 45-yard strike from White to senior wideout Taywan Taylor on third down.

Senior tailback Ace Wales bookended the drive with a 5-yard score — the first of four straight touchdowns for WKU. From that point on, it was an offensive clinic for White and company. The next drive didn’t take long, as senior wide receiver Nicholas Norris hauled in an 87-yard bomb making the score 16-0. Norris finished the game with 147 yards on seven catches with two touchdowns.

VOLLEYBALL Continued from SPORTS

13 kills and a .458 hitting clip. Anderson chipped in for nine kills and Engle for eight, respectively.

WKU also threw down nine total service aces in the contest.

In the second match of the day, Travis Hudson and company beat Arkan-

SOCCER

Continued from SPORTS

space and put an attempt on goal that first struck the right post before crossing the line to give WKU a 1-0 advantage.

“We had our moments, but overall we put together a much-better performance throughout 90 minutes,” Neidell stated after Sunday’s win.

Just three minutes following Morris’ goal, Backes was able to double the lead for the Lady Toppers after another strong pass set up the assuming goal.

COLLEGE HEIGHTS HERALD

people to a place where they normally aren’t, only thousands of miles wide.”

Tougas cautioned a paltry number of parking spots would be left over after on-campus and commuter students returned to WKU. “150 parking spaces doesn’t get you very far in supporting 10,000 people,” Tougas said. “But of course in an academic institution, we can’t live in that

fishbowl; we’ve got to meet the academic mission of the university.”

In the moments leading up to totality, solar viewing glasses must be worn to safely view the sun’s shrouding, little by little. Upon the point that the moon reaches its perfect alignment in front of the star, viewers can remove their glasses for that minute, to see a natural event that many won’t experience

again. “[The eclipse] both takes way too long, and goes by way too fast,” Gelderman said. “The moment it’s over, you want to see it again.”

to be or feel like second-class citizens,” Taylor said. “If a male imposes, they’re trained to smile and be nice.”

Taylor said he often meets women who don’t think they could hurt someone even in an act of self-defense.

“But then you ask a mother, ‘what if someone attacked your child?’ and they say ‘well, I’d rip their eyes out,” Taylor said. He said he uses this example to show the women their ability to defend themselves, returning to the warrior mentality of defending not only yourself, but loved ones as well.

“We train for love,” Taylor said. “Protecting the people that we love, that’s why we do this.”

Taylor said simply displaying confidence and strength can save a person from becoming a victim of a predator, who purposely targets someone who appears weak or distracted.

“That’s part of our idea of trying to build each other up,” Taylor said. “We don’t want to fight.”

Taylor said the school currently has a dozen students. These students typ-

ically form a routine of training a little bit every day, coming into the facility after work or during free time.

“We’re not here to train top fighters,” Taylor said. “I think this is a good atmosphere for people who have an interest but might be scared to start. We take everybody from where they are; we raise everybody up.”

“I wouldn’t say it was [blown coverage],” Norris said. “We just had an extra chip on our shoulder because all summer we’ve been hearing that we can’t be the same team after losing a couple guys so we just wanted to show them that we can do the same things that we did last year.”

The Topper defense was preparing for Rice’s up-tempo offense all week long, and for a team that plays fast, the game started off slow for Rice.

After a quick three-and-out forced the Owls to punt, the long snap sailed over punter Jack Fox’s head and out of the back of the end zone, resulting a safety and an early 2-0 lead for WKU. The Topper defense held strong allgame long, allowing just 288 yards of total offense.

“I knew our defense would play at a high level,” Brohm said. “We’ve chal-

lenged them to be a dominating defense this year. Our guys played hard and they did the best job of coming ready to play.”

All of the positive takeaways that Brohm and his players discussed after the win hinged on two things: effort and toughness.

“I like the way we played as far as our effort, the toughness we had and the ability to play for four full quarters,” Brohm said.

Effort and toughness are two of the big things Brohm says he and his staff emphasize to their team each week, and they are two things the Toppers will need to bring an excess of when they travel to play the number-one ranked team in the country in Tuscaloosa, Alabama on Saturday.

“Everything that you look for in a championship team, they have,”

Brohm said.

The Alabama Crimson Tide are coming off of a 52-6 shaming of the University of Southern California who has a defense full of top-notch recruits.

The game will be the perfect opportunity for WKU to test its effort and toughness limits.

“If we go out there with the attitude that we have confidence in this offense, we have confidence in our coaches to put us in good situations, we can do what we’ve been doing since coach [Brohm] got here,” White said.

“You can’t think too highly of an opponent or too lowly of an opponent.”

sas State University three sets to one.

Familiar faces led the way offensively for WKU as Anderson had 16 kills on 29 attacks. Cavanaugh put down 15 kills and sophomore Taylor Dellinger added 11. Engle also had a well-rounded performance with eight kills and 10 digs.

Next up on the schedule for the Lady

Toppers is their first home game of the season. The Toppers will take on Belmont tonight in E.A. Diddle Arena at 7 p.m.

The Bruins are currently undefeated on the season with a 6-0 record which features wins against the University of Memphis and Georgia State University.

Belmont will be out for revenge as WKU took down the Bruins in three

straight sets last year in Nashville. Lucas managed to record a double-double in the affair as she notched 35 assists and 13 digs.

Morris sent a pass to Backes from outside the box, who turned toward the goal and beat the goalkeeper Haynes to the far corner to put WKU up 2-0 after 23 minutes of action.

Backes struck again with a little less than two minutes remaining in the first period. The freshman collected a loose ball and fired a shot past Haynes and into the lower right corner, pushing the Lady Toppers’ lead to 3-0 at halftime.

“Well, we really wanted two wins this weekend, but the major thing we focused on in practice this week was attacking on speed, staying composed

and being in the right positon,” Backes said. “I think overall, that’s what everyone did on the field.”

Backes currently leads all of Conference USA in both goals scored at five and points at 11 on the season.

At the 68th minute mark, freshman midfielder Christina Bragado was able to score her first career goal on a strike following a corner from Roseland. The freshman recovered the ball inside the box following the kick-in and sent in a low shot to the left side to beat the goalkeeper and give WKU the 4-0 lead.

The Lady Toppers will continue their homestand with another set of matches later in the week – Thursday versus Louisiana State University at 7 p.m. and Sunday against Morehead State University at 1 p.m.

“I thought we had a good weekend,” Neidell said. “We got two wins at home to start the [home] season off.”

Reporter Madison Martin can be reached at 270-745-2655 and madison. martin092@topper.wku.edu. Follow her on Twitter at @missmadielaine.

Reporter Emma Austin can be reached at 270-745-2655 and emma.austin177@topper.wku.edu. Follow her on Twitter at @emmacaustin.

Reporter Evan Heichelbech can be reached at 270-745-6291 and evan. heichelbech059@topper.wku.edu. Follow him on Twitter at @evanheich.

Reporter Matthew Stewart can be reached at 270-745-6281 and matthew. stewart015@topper.wku.edu. Follow him on Twitter at @MES_WKU22.

Reporter Tyler Mansfield can be reached at 270-745-6291 and james. manfield143@topper.wku.edu. Follow him on Twitter at @ByMansfield.

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WKUHERALD.COM FOOTBALL

SPORTS

COLLEGEUNIVERSITY HEIGHTS HERALD SEPTEMBER 6, 2016 > WESTERN KENTUCKY » Volleyball: The Lady Toppers will take on the Belmont Bruins tonight at 7:00 p.m. at E. A. Diddle Arena.

VOLLEYBALL

Lady Tops win two in St. Louis

BY MATTHEW STEWART HERALD.SPORTS@WKU.EDU

take too many hits, but he did stand in there a few times. The number one thing I challenged [White] on from the get-go was toughness.”

There have only been three 500yard passing games in WKU history, White owns one of them after torching the Owls to the tune of 25-31 for 517 yards and three touchdowns.

“If I told you that I would be lying,” White said when asked if he expected to play the way he did. “I think it’s just a testament to the guys we have around me. It all starts up front with the big brothers of this offense, and then our receiving corps and running backs get the ball in space and take care of the

The twenty-third ranked WKU volleyball team (6-1) traveled to St. Louis this past weekend to take part in their second tournament of the season.

On the first day of the Marcia E. Hamilton Classic, Cal Poly University took down the Hilltoppers as junior All-American setter Jessica Lucas did not play in the match.

Her absence played a big role in a drastically lower offensive hitting percentage than WKU typically produces.

The Toppers hit just .218 in the match.

Despite not having the pre-season Conference USA player of the year (Lucas) on the court, sophomore setter Mary Martin got the start against the Mustangs and had a career performance.

Martin put up a double-double performance in her first start. She ended the the match with 48 assists to go along with 10 digs. Martin also added two blocks and two kills to her stat line.

Three other Hilltopper attackers finished with double-digit kills. Sophomore Rachel Anderson and juniors Sydney Engle and Alyssa Cavanaugh had 16, 12 and 12 kills respectively.

The second day of the tournament was a different story for the Lady Toppers.

After hitting just .218 in the loss to Cal Poly the Lady Toppers put on a show with a .538 hitting percentage in the first set as they faced off against the host, St. Louis University.

WKU put up a tough fight on defense as they held the Billikens to .036 hitting in the first set of the match.

The Lady Toppers then swept St. Louis in straight sets with help from Lucas as she was back in action for the match.

Lucas put together her third double double of the season with 35 assists to go along with 11 digs and seven kills.

Cavanaugh ended the match with

SEE FOOTBALL PAGE A7

SEE VOLLEYBALL PAGE A7

Redshirt senior running back Anthony Wales (20) runs into the end zone during WKU’s 46-14 win against Rice on Thursday at Smith Stadium. MATT LUNSFORD/HERALD

leaving no doubt WKU LOOKS FOR TOUGHNESS TO CARRY OVER AFTER RICE VICTORY

BY EVAN HEICHELBECH HERALD.SPORTS@WKU.EDU

The overarching question for Head Coach Jeff Brohm’s WKU football team after coming off of arguably the best season in program history in 2015 was centered around the idea of how his team would respond.

How would the staff respond after losing five assistant position coaches?

How would the offense respond after losing the team’s all-time leading passer? How would the team respond to the overall success from a year ago?

The Hilltoppers’ season-opening victory over Rice on Thursday night provided some of those answers —

namely the one concerning the quarterback position.

“I thought he played outstanding,” Brohm said. “Any time you can make that many big plays and throw the ball all over the field that accurately, that’s a testament to the hard work he’s put in.”

The “he” Brohm is referring to is WKU’s new starting quarterback, junior Mike White, who has placed himself in elite company among WKU quarterbacks after just one game on the Hill.

“We had a tough competition between quarterbacks and we made him earn it,” Brohm said. “I think our o-line did a great job and he didn’t have to

SOCCER

Lady Toppers win weekend home matches

BY TYLER MANSFIELD HERALD.SPORTS@WKU.EDU The WKU women’s soccer team took the field twice this weekend for two non-conference matches. The two contests would mark the first time the Lady Toppers have played on their home field during the regular-season.

Head Coach Jason Neidell’s club wanted to open its home slate with wins, and that’s exactly what it did as the Toppers defeated Austin Peay State University, 2-1 on Friday night and followed that with a dominating 4-0 victory over Georgia State University on Sunday afternoon.

“It was a little bit of an ugly win, but a win is a win,” Neidell said following WKU’s win against the Governors. “We felt like we’ve played well – well enough to win games, so it was good to get the win.”

Against APSU, the Lady Toppers started out slowly. WKU would search for an opening all throughout the first half, but the Governors’ freshman goalkeeper Mary Parker Powell would control the net and keep all of WKU’s shots from finding the back of the net.

At the 72:12 mark of the match, freshman forward Chandler Backes was able to find the back of the net for the third time this year. Backes fired a high, off-balanced shot from the left side of the box that arced over the goalkeeper to give WKU the 1-0 lead.

“Lots of gray hair – lots of gray hair – that’s what it’s like,” Neidell said in regards to the sequence of goals that were scored in Friday’s meeting. “It’s the game of soccer – you have ups and downs. After we scored that goal, we relaxed a little bit; then we needed to find that second goal.”

With under three minutes remaining in regulation, Austin Peay was able to answer the Lady Topper score off a score from their own freshman midfielder Renee Semaan. The midfielder fired a powerful shot from a far distance outside the box, finding the upper right corner to tie the match at 1-1 and set up overtime.

Just 14 seconds into extra time, junior forward Bria Mosley found a loose ball on the right side of the box, collected it and sent an attempt past Powell into the lower left corner for the game-winning goal. It would be Mosley’s first score since Oct. 12, 2014, when she scored in a 3-1 win over the University of Texas at San Antonio.

“I’m very excited,” Mosley said after notching her first ever match-winning goal. “After the ball was deflected, I just thought to myself, ‘I need to score – I don’t want to be out here this whole 10 minutes.’ We needed to score and I’m glad I could do it.”

On Sunday versus the visiting Panthers, WKU won its second straight game by presenting outstanding defense throughout the match by keep-

Senior forward Iris Dunn (12) battles with Austin Peay’s senior defender Mary Ruth Locastro (6) and freshman midfielder Renee Semaan (12) during WKU’s 2-1 victory on Sunday at the WKU Soccer Complex. MATT LUNSFORD/HERALD

ing Georgia State without a single shot.

“We just wanted to come out strong and attack,” sophomore midfielder Megan Morris said. “We feel really good after winning these last two games.”

The Lady Toppers came out firing with five shots and a pair of corner kicks over the course of the first 15 minutes of play. Freshman defender Aleksandra Kozovic, who registered

her first career start, nearly found the back of the net on a header in the eighth minute, but GSU’s goalkeeper in senior Brie Haynes was there to keep the home club from striking early.

Morris scored off a great pass from junior defender Shayna Dheel at the 19:40 mark as she took the pass in

SEE SOCCER PAGE A7