WKU College Heights Herald - Nov. 6, 2023-Jan. 29, 2024

NOV. 6, 2023 - JAN. 29, 2024

INSIDE:

Meet Renee Shaw PAGE 9

Home field advantage PAGE 27

Who’s paid the most at WKU? PAGE 30

EDITORAL

Holding WKU leadership to a higher standard PAGE 34

service one credit union

Med center health

Feeling Sick? Need to see a doctor?

Med Center Health at WKU Health Services has the urgent or primary care you need!

At WKU Health Services, we are committed to the health and wellbeing of the WKU community. We are here to help if you don’t feel well or if you have a chronic condition that needs management, like diabetes, high blood pressure, anxiety and more.

Noma Moyo-Peters, D.O.

Monday-Thursday: 8:00 AM - 6:00 PM Friday: 8:00 AM - 4:30 PM Walk-Ins welcome Appointments or telehealth 270-745-CARE Free parking

Abigail DeBusk, D.O.

South Lawn Lot

Miranda Bonner, APRN

Minton Circle

M R

N O

Minton Lot

A

L

S

T.

AV EN UE

OF

CH AM PI ON S

Conveniently located at the corner of Normal Drive and Regents on the campus of Western Kentucky University.

Jody Richards Hall

WKU Health Services

d

Clinical Services Lot

at

R .

Gary Ransdell Hall

D A L M O R

Regents Hall

N

Preston Center

REG

ENT

S AV

Mimosa Visitor Lot E.

Morgan Schroeder, PA-C

CONTENTS VOLUME 99 ISSUE 3 Print edition published three times each semester

by WKU Student Publications at Western Kentucky University.

First copy: free | Additional copies: $5

EDITORIAL BOARD Alexandria Anderson Editor-in-Chief Emilee Arnold Photo Editor Debra Murray Engagement Editor Ella Galvin Design Editor Camden Bush Sports Editor

Caroline Chubb Video Producer Molly Dobberstein Content Editor Rachel Campoy Newsletter Editor Price Wilborn Commentary Editor Emmy Libke Social Media Editor

OTHER LEADERS AND ADVISERS Emma Bayens Bailey Brush Cherry Creative Directors JT Steele Advertising Manager Carrie Pratt Herald Adviser

Wes Orange Advertising Adviser and Sales Manager Chuck Clark Student Publications Director

POLICIES

Opinions expressed in the College Heights Herald are those of student editors and journalists and do not necessarily represent the views of WKU. Student editors determine all news and editorial content, and reserve the right to edit or reject submissions.

CONTACT US

REPORT AN ERROR: herald.editor@wku.edu 270-745-5044 NEWSROOM: herald.news@wku.edu 270-745-2653 or 270-745-5044 ADVERTISING: herald.advertising@wku.edu 270-745-6285 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: herald.opinion@wku.edu ON CAMPUS: Adams Whitaker Student Publications Center, 1660 Normal St. ONLINE: WKUHerald.com NEWSLETTER: WKUHerald.com/newsletter SOCIAL MEDIA: • X: @wkuherald, @wkuheraldsports • Facebook, Instagram: WKUHerald • YouTube: wkuheraldvideo • Tiktok: wkuherald

WKU MEMORABILIA MEET RENEE SHAW THREE OTHERS TO JOIN WKU’S HALL OF DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI LGBTQ+ WKU ALUMNI SHARE STORIES FROM THE HILL SPONSORED: HOMECOMING HOTSPOTS MAP VETERANS AND ROTC CADETS SHARE EXPERIENCES ON THE HILL HOME FIELD ADVANTAGE WKU’S EFFORT TO ‘PACK THE HOUCH’ WHO’S PAID THE MOST AT WKU? EDITORIAL: IT’S TIME TO HOLD WKU LEADERSHIP TO A HIGHER STANDARD HOMECOMING PARADE ROUTE

04 09 13 15 20 23 27 30 34 38

WKU MEMORABILIA Photos By Emilee Arnold

Since 1906, Western Kentucky University has built decades of traditions, university spirit, a beloved mascot and vibrant alumni support – which, when combined, has produced hundreds of one-of-a-kind memorabilia items, ranging from vintage football helmets to stuffed Big Reds. The Herald asked our readers for submissions of their most unique WKU memorabilia and the stories behind them, and this is what we found.

HANK CAMPBELL: This clock was originally given to my uncle and aunt, Walter and Sharon Campbell when they left WKU after teaching on the hill from 1987-1990. Both professors, Sharon Campbell taught introductory accounting classes, while Walter Campbell taught auditing as well as other classes in the department. Both remember having exceptional students and strong faculty. In the spring of each year they were here, students would travel to the larger cities in the state to take the CPA exam then return to a party at the Campbell’s house. Sharon Campbell remembers that parking was always an issue and if she didn’t arrive on time to campus, she would be stuck parking in the Egypt lot. She would keep extra tennis shoes in her car so she would not ruin her shoes getting to her classroom.

PRICE WILBORN: This picture

book, “Go Team!” by Julie Hannah Allen, was published in 2005. The book was gifted to Price Wilborn by his grandmother for Christmas when he was two years old. It has been on his shelf in Bowling Green during each of his three years at WKU so far. Allen is a 1993 graduate of WKU.

SUE STRADER: This helmet was signed by Joe Bugel, who played for WKU

from 1960-1963 before joining the Hilltoppers coaching staff as a graduate assistant. Bugel went on to coach in the NFL and helped lead the Washington Redskins to three Super Bowl wins. He also coached for the Detroit Lions, the Houston Oilers, and the San Diego Chargers. He also served as a head of the Phoenix Cardinals and Oakland Raiders. This helmet was made for a team in the mid 1990’s that Bugel signed. Bugel died in 2020.

SUE STRADER: This painting was created by Chuck Crume, who taught at WKU from 1969 to 1995, as a physical education and recreation professor.

Besides teaching, Crume served as an Interpretive Naturalist and Lecturer in Residence. During Crume’s time on the hill, he designed and created the original red towel logo. The painting was first purchased at a sports memorabilia auction by Sue Strader, who was married to Wes Strader, the former voice of the Hilltoppers from 1964-2000. The auction sales were organized

by Jack Harbaugh, the head football coach at the time. Harbaugh’s son was in the NFL and helped procure signed items from well-known athletes and would auction them off with all the money going to benefit the WKU football team, to supplement their budget.

PRICE WILBORN: This WKU Varsity Letter Sweater belongs to Price Wil-

born’s grandfather, Walter Hawkins of Shelbyville, Kentucky. Hawkins, a 1965 and 1966 graduate of WKU, was a member of the 1963 Hilltopper Football Team, which was inducted into the WKU Athletic Hall of Fame in 2022. The team is the only undefeated football team in the university’s history.

ALEX DOWNING: These three paintings were created by the late Herman Lowe in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Lowe owned a sporting goods store in

downtown Bowling Green, but also was a photographer and artist who traveled worldwide with his wife for his art. He has had his work displayed on campus and throughout the Bowling Green area. He gifted these paintings particularly to the late “Voice of the Hilltoppers” radio play-by-play sports broadcaster Wes Strader. Downing obtained these paintings through Strader’s wife, Sue, and plans to put them on display in his home. He described the men depicted in the paintings as family friends who “had a great influence on [him while] growing up” which is why he considers the paintings “prized possessions.” Additionally, the artist himself has had a profound impact on Downing because the little league basketball team he played for as a child was sponsored by Lowe’s sporting goods store.

(1966 painting): John Oldham, was a “great all-American [basketball] player” for the late Edgar Allen Diddle, whom Diddle Arena is named after, before succeeding him and becoming WKU’s coach himself in 1964. In his seven seasons as coach, Oldham is most notably known for leading the team to the 1971 NCAA Final Four. He was inducted into the Western Kentucky Athletic Hall of Fame in 1991.

(1968 painting): Jimmy Feix played quarterback for the WKU football team from 1949 to 1952. After serving in the US Air Force for four years, Feix returned to Western and coached football from 1968-1973.

He is the most successful football coach in WKU history, having been named the Ohio Valley Conference Coach of the Year three times and was featured on a special edition 1984 Coke bottle. He was the Director of Athletics on campus from 1968 to 1991, a charter member of the Western Kentucky Athletic Hall of Fame, and the football field, Jimmy Feix Field, is named after him.

JACK DOBBS:

ALEX DOWNING: Downing’s late father, Dero,

whom the Dero Downing Student Union is named after, came to Western in 1939 and played basketball for Coach Diddle. The letters from his letterman jacket hung on display in Alex Downing’s childhood home. Dero Downing graduated from WKU in 1943, served in World War II, and was a professor on campus from 1946 until he became Western’s fourth president in 1969.

This vinyl record was purchased by Dobbs in the local music store, Mellow Matt’s Music and More, around 2021.

As a 2022 WKU alum, Dobbs had always thought it would be “cool” to own an album by the local vocal pop group, The Hilltoppers. The Hilltoppers were formed in 1952 on campus and had 18 hit songs between 1952 and 1957. This particular record, titled The Hilltoppers sing Their Million Sellers, consists of twelve songs. Dobbs keeps the record in his music collection and listens to it on occasion.

(1971 painting): Jim Richards was the basketball coach that followed Oldham from 1971 to 1978. He was inducted into the Western Kentucky Athletic Hall of Fame in 2005.

ALEX DOWNING: Late Jim Pickens played football

and baseball as a student on campus and coached the WKU baseball team from 1966 to 1976. When Downing was a child, Pickens would allow him to go on road trips with the baseball team and signed this baseball for him.

DAVID BELL:

Before moving from North Carolina to Bowling Green in 2008 to begin teaching English at WKU, Bell knew little about the local community. After settling in, friends from North Carolina came to visit Bell and his wife, Molly McCaffrey, at their new home. These friends brought a 1956 vinyl album titled Tops in Pops by local vocal pop group, The Hilltoppers, to Bell as a housewarming gift, knowing the album was connected to campus history. Bell and McCaffrey framed the album and now have it displayed on a wall in their home, alongside other framed posters from musicians they enjoy and concerts they have attended.

BECKIE STOBAUGH: Hand-

BECKIE STOBAUGH: Stobaugh’s late parents, L.B. and Joyce Rasdall, were huge WKU fans. They regularly attended athletic events, especially football, and funded scholarships for student-athletes.

Stobaugh recalls seeing Big Red merchandise like this snow globe and paper towel holder at her parent’s house when she would visit during her college years in the 1990s.

made Big Red plushies were created as a fundraiser in the 1980s for an on-campus student organization that the late Joyce Rasdall, who was a family consumer science professor at WKU, sponsored. Rasdall’s students would use red cloth and pantyhose donated by women in the BG community to stuff the plushies. These Big Reds would be sold to attendants of Western’s athletic events, particularly basketball games, to raise funds for field trips and conferences for her students to attend.

PHOTOS BY EMILEE ARNOLD For years, Dr. Jack Glasser collected signatures from Hilltopper football and basketball greats on these WKU Football and WKU Basketball prints. Most of the players signed them when passing through Glasser’s medical practice, or over time at events on the Hill. Glasser is a former doctor and was WKU’s first All-American baseball player. WKU holds special memories for Glasser as he was a student here at College High from grades one to 12 and then attended WKU. College High was a training school for teachers at Normal College and was located in the building next to Cherry Hall. Glasser was inducted into the WKU athletics Hall of Fame in 1999, and in 2011 became the first Hilltopper Baseball player to have his number - 14 - retired by the program. The Glassers have been longtime supporters of the WKU Baseball program. In recognition of Glasser’s athletic achievement and continued support for WKU Baseball, the Jack and Janie Glasser Press Box at Nick Denes Field was named in their honor.

Olivia Orange. Doll fanatic. Deep thinker. Santa Believer. Big Sister. There is not a Barbie or American Girl Doll this girl can’t name. Her interests include AFV, ice cream of all kinds, playing golf and basketball, cuddling with her cat Theo and going to her aunt’s farm. She loves visiting family friend Dr. Glasser and enjoying the sights of all his memorabilia with her dad, Wes Orange.

06

DR. JACK GLASSER:

Coach E.A. Diddle and Coach Adolph Rupp share the cover of The Courier Journal after both legendary coaches were elected to Kentucky Sports Hall of Fame in 1964.

Coach E.A. Diddle, featured in the Courier Journal following his election to the Kentucky Sports Hall of Fame, pictured in front of the original Diddle Arena.

Plaque given to members of the Hilltopper Hundred Club which was founded in 1965. The Hilltopper Hundred Club was organized to support WKU athletes and athletic programs.

Former WKU Head Football Coach Jeff Brohm autographed football, gifted to Glasser following the Hilltopper’s victory in the 2015 CUSA Championship.

This homemade Big Red was brought to Glasser at his practice by a patient.

According to Glasser, this patient was cutting down trees on his property when he was inspired to create this Big Red to show his appreciation for his family doctor.

Glasser’s 1963 ticket to the dedication of E.A. Diddle Arena, hosting a WKU vs. Vanderbilt game.

A 2018 print by Steve Ford depicting members of the WKU Hilltopper Basketball All-Century Team is seen in the home of Glasser on Oct. 20. 2023. The All-Century Team, compiled for WKU’s 100th season, features 15 of WKU’s most honored basketball players throughout the team’s history.

07

college of health and human sciences

AT THE CHHS HOMECOMING TENT ON WKU SOUTH LAWN

TAILGATE & CELEBRATE November 11, 2023 from 11:30 AM to 2:00 PM

‘I DIDN’T WANT TO BE JUST SUCCESSFUL, I WANTED TO BE SIGNIFICANT’ RENEE SHAW INDUCTED INTO HALL OF DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI

By Price Wilborn During her 25 year career at Ken“I knew this is where I wanted to be,” ing skills and how to write while also tucky Educational Television, Renee she said. introducing her to the world of public Shaw has solidified her spot in KenIn the communication and broadbroadcasting as a part of it, not just a tucky not only as a driver of change casting departments, Shaw found viewer at home. but as a crucial part of the Kentucky herself surrounded by faculty and staff “The people who are drawn to public political landscape. like former associate professor Sally broadcasting just have a heart for servShaw never thought she would occu- Ray and Dan Modlin, past news direcing the community,” Shaw said. “That’s py such an important space in Kentor at WKU Public Radio, who not only contagious, and I got that bug, and I tucky politics, and when asked about challenged her and helped her become didn’t want to deviate from that.” it, she will say, “I still don’t believe that the journalist she is today, but who saw When she came to WKU, Shaw was I do.” in search of something to comIt was her growing up in plement her interest and studies both Tennessee and Kenin broadcasting. Government tucky, though, that helped and political science fit that bill her realize she was capable perfectly. of occupying a space such “I knew when I was coming to as this.

Western that I wanted to go into Shaw was raised in Portbroadcast journalism, but I wantland, Tennessee, as an only ed to also have something that child in a household where was a specialty or unique skill or public broadcasting was set of knowledge,” Shaw said. part of not just the daily It was her first class with poroutine, but of her early litical science professor Saundra education.

Ardrey that introduced her to the “Mister Rogers and world of politics, and after that, Sesame Street and Electric she knew she had found a new Company, those were my passion.

PHOTO PROVIDED BY KET early teachers. My mothWhen she graduated from Renee Shaw is the Director of Public Affairs and Moderator at Kentucky er and I would watch and Portland High School in 1990, Educational Television, where she serves as host of the weeknight program Kentucky Edition and Kentucky Tonight, as well as other programming. we would rehearse the Renee Shaw was one of the only Shaw came to WKU in 1990 and says she loved her experience on the hill alphabet and my letters people of color and “definitely the studying communications and broadcasting. Her path led her to volunteer and sounds,” Shaw said. at the university’s television station, which set the groundwork for her long only female of color in my [her] “But I also learned about graduating class.” career at Kentucky Educational Television. diversity and appreciating Growing up in what she dedifferences ... And I love what they did.” in Shaw then that she would become scribed as a “very homogeneous kind of It was this early exposure to public something special. community,” it took her arrival at WKU broadcasting and educational tele“Even before I got to WKU, I taught to be taught in the classroom by Ardrey, vision that led her to pursue that as at various universities, and over the her first African American educator. It a career when she began her time at years I think most professors would say was Ardrey’s mentorship that led her to Western Kentucky University. you’ll have a handful of standout stupolitical science and public affairs.

“I’ve always had an affinity for that dents,” Ray said. “And she was definite“Her instruction and her enthusikind of programming,” Shaw said. ly one of the stand out students.” asm and passion for political science Upon coming to WKU in 1990, Shaw Modlin reflected this sentiment. encouraged me to make that my double began first volunteering for and later “She was one of those dream stumajor,” Shaw said. “After one class working at the university’s television dents,” Modlin said. “She was there with her, I was convinced that that was station. It was there where she found because she wanted to learn.” where I wanted to go.” her place on campus and her love for Shaw credited professors like Ray Ardrey took Shaw across the country public broadcasting truly blossomed. and Modlin for teaching her reportand immersed her in experiences that

09

cemented her love for politics and public policy. These experiences included trips to places like Chicago’s DeSauble Black History Museum and the 1993 inauguration of President Bill Clinton.

“Because we got to engage with high level folks and organizations, it really spurred in me a passion to want to combine what journalism offered in terms of storytelling and what government and political science offered in public policymaking,” Shaw said.

Much like Ray and Modlin, Ardrey knew that Shaw had what it took to go far in her career.

“She was interested in having a foundation for what she reported,” Ardrey said of Shaw. “She was very determined to not only learn the craft but also to learn the political system, the environment so she could better report and interpret who she was interviewing and what she was doing.”

The desire to have that foundation was impressed on Ardrey, who saw quickly that Shaw wanted to know anything and everything she could in order to do her job as best she could.

“She was hungry for information,” Ardrey said.

Modlin, Ray and Ardrey all expressed awe at her work ethic and her determination to do her job well, something that would prove to stay with her throughout her time at KET.

To Shaw, however, this work ethic was second nature and was part of the job. During her time at WKU, Shaw was dedicated to learning as much as she could so she could do her job as best she could. She credits her tenacity on the Hill and the values her education instilled in her.

“I left there feeling empowered to do my best work, not knowing what that work would necessarily look like, or where I would stay, or how long I would stay and all the things that you’re uncertain about,” Shaw said. “But I knew that I had been trained that if you’re going to represent Western, you need to come 100% at it, and to give it all you got.”

Shaw took this into her career because she knew that “half-stepping just won’t do.”

She learned from her mentors and her peers throughout her time at WKU while forming lasting relationships with not only those who taught her but those who learned with her, too.

Shaw talked about a classmate, Brian Huff, who passed away at an early age, just a few years after graduation. Shaw credits Huff in helping her conceptualize success in her career just weeks before his passing.

“He said to me, ‘you know, Renee, the money and status will come. Just hang in there and do the good work,”

Shaw said.

She took these words to heart throughout her career, and she continues to do the good work each and every day on the job.

Shaw’s first day at KET was on Jan. 6, 1997, but her arrival there almost happened by accident. Her boss at the time spoke with Jenny Fox, executive assistant to KET’s executive director at the time, giving her Shaw’s name for an opening at the network. Shaw interviewed for the job, and just days later she received the offer. She has never looked back.

“The transition from Western to KET couldn’t have been smoother because I wasn’t trying to make something happen,” Shaw said. “I hadn’t looked for a job, the job found me. And the perfect job found me.”

Immediately, Shaw found something at KET that was special to her, something worth staying in Kentucky for. Between her arrival at KET and her time at WKU, she knew Kentucky was where she wanted to be.

“I was born in Tennessee but I grew up in Kentucky,” Shaw said. “My maturation as a woman, as a journalist, as just a human being, as someone who is concerned about the state of world and state and local affairs, my identity came to be in this state.”

As a Black woman, she knew that

PHOTO BY EMILEE ARNOLD Renee Shaw sits in the audience at a Kentucky Chamber of Commerce forum featuring Governor Andy Beshear and Attorney General Daniel Cameron at the Omni Hotel in downtown Louisville in late September. Shaw has hosted many political candidates on her various programs as well as moderated debates both in this year’s GOP primary election and the general election. Shaw most recently hosted Beshear and Cameron in a debate at KET in late October.

10

girls like her from Portland and from other small rural areas needed a figure like herself to succeed so they knew that they could succeed, too.

“It’s just as noble to stay in a place that needs to see people like you stay in the place,” Shaw said.

Not only was Shaw given an opportunity to show others like her that their possibilities are endless, but she was given a stage, and she was grateful for that.

“Kentucky had embraced me and allowed me to have a platform,” she said. “It was worth staying around and thanking them for it.”

Shaw sees her work at KET as educational and informative. To her, it is important for her viewers to know the issues, which requires her to know the issues. She reads the news often, reading things like the Louisville

portant questions, she must first have an understanding of the issues. When beginning this research, as she puts it, “you have to be smart enough to know how unlearned you are.”

In this mission, neutrality is important to Shaw. Her neutrality and her ability to stay unbiased in moderating political debates and discussions surprises many. In an interview about Shaw for Kentucky Living in February of this year, U.S. Rep. Morgan McGarvey, D-Louisville, remarked that after working with Shaw for over 10 years, he is still unsure of whether she is a Democrat or a Republican. Ray reflected this sentiment.

“I’ve known her all these years, and I have no idea what her political allegiance is,” Ray said. “That ought to tell you something. That she can stay neutral and objective in her ability to

Shaw knows Kentucky’s politics.

Citing Beshear’s high approval ratings among both Democrats and Republicans in the commonwealth despite a GOP supermajority in the General Assembly, Shaw explained that the 2023 Gubernatorial Election in Kentucky is a “bellwether” for national Democrats in 2024.

“If he can overcome and he can survive to a second term, it is a bellwether, an indicator, of how Democrats may perform in 2024,” Shaw said.

While Kentucky is politically unique, however, Shaw was careful not to overstate the commonwealth’s importance.

“There are a lot of dynamics unique to Kentucky that may not translate nationwide,” Shaw said. “We don’t want to overstate what it could indicate if Beshear is indeed victorious, but there’s a lot of lessons we can learn as

“WESTERN TAUGHT ME ABOUT BEING A GOOD CITIZEN,” RENEE SHAW

Courier-Journal, the Lexington Herald Leader, the Washington Post, the Wall Street Journal and more.

In reading news from all different places, Shaw makes sure that she is receiving an education in the happenings of Kentucky, the United States and the world that is not purely biased on one end of the political spectrum or another, but is instead balanced to reflect what her viewers want to know. In doing this, she is able to focus on educating her viewers on the issues of the day.

In going into each show or a debate she has this in mind: “What is it that I need to learn and that the viewer needs to learn, first and foremost?”

Shaw recognizes, however, that her role should not go beyond education.

To her, journalism, especially local journalism, is about making sure everyday people know what they need to know.

“My job isn’t to tell you what to think.

It’s to tell you what to think about,” Shaw said.

Preparation is key in everything Shaw does. To ask Kentucky’s government officials and candidates the im-

gather the news and report it.”

Shaw’s commitment to being nonpartisan in her work shows.

“I am neither Democrat or Republican,” she said, in response to McGarvey’s comments.

This commitment to neutrality allows her to remain committed to being prepared and to educating the people of Kentucky each time she goes on the air.

“Everything that I try to do, I try to go into it saying ‘now if this is my last show, this needs to be my best show.’

Or my best program, or the best speech I give,” Shaw said. “And I don’t always reach that mark, but I need to put as much preparation into each effort as is required.”

Shaw has had a front row seat to Kentucky politics for over two decades, and the 2023 gubernatorial election is no different. From her time moderating KET’s nightly news program “Kentucky Edition,” the weekly public policy discussion series “Kentucky Tonight” and the network’s political debates during primary and general election seasons,

11

we watch this race unfold.”

Shaw stated, however, that she does not like to predict the outcomes of races – that is not her job. Her job is to look at what happens in an election to see how it impacts Kentuckians and how it could impact their voting behavior the following year.

“What I like to take time to do is look at where we are, and when we get to Nov. 7 and beyond to really dissect what worked and what didn’t work. And to talk to voters, real people, not just political operatives to see what’s really on the minds of Kentuckians,” Shaw said.

“The lessons we learn about how to campaign, what messages to work, what issues resonate and the ground game can be highly instructive for 2024.”

To this day, Shaw credits WKU with shaping her as a person and as a professional and for giving her the knowledge necessary to understand the commonwealth’s politics as she does, and for that, she will always be thankful. Thanks to her time on the Hill, she was able to become the person that she is and to occupy the space that she

PHOTO CREDITED TO WADE HARRIS Her time on the Hill left an impression on several faculty members. “She was one of those dream students,” Dan Modlin said. Shaw in return credits her time at WKU with shaping who she is and helping her on the path she has taken in her career. “Western taught me about being a good citizen.” Shaw said.

does, and without her formative years at WKU, she would be in a completely different place.

“Western taught me about being a good citizen,” Shaw said. “Not just a professional, not just a journalist or someone who is in the public policy space, but just being a good citizen and being an informed citizen and a connected citizen.”

It is this development as a person that she hopes every Hilltopper will graduate with because it has been so invaluable to her. Being present and enjoying the time on the Hill is what helped her become who she is today, and it is the advice she gives other Hilltoppers.

“Your college experience is so rich and it stays with you for the rest of your life. And you really come into your own,” Shaw said. “So I would say enjoy every step up the hill, don’t get too anxious about your future ... You always want to know that you’re doing what you’re supposed to be doing, but while you’re doing it, stop asking yourself that question. Just do it.”

Many who know Renee Shaw will say that she is more than deserving of her induction into WKU’s Hall of Distinguished Alumni, because the work she has done throughout her career has been meaningful and important for every Kentuckian.

“I’m just so proud of her,” Ardrey said.

Ray and Modlin echoed this sentiment.

“There are a lot of people who deserve to be in [the Hall of Distinguished Alumni], and I can’t think of anyone more deserving,” Modlin said. “She has been such a great example of how a student can come into WKU and make the most of every opportunity and make a real career for herself.”

“She shows us all what you can achieve with hard work, and I’m so happy that the university recognized that and they saw fit to honor her with the highest award they have,” Ray said. “A lot of institutions would love to count Renee as one of their alumni, and we got her. And that’s pretty special.”

Shaw learned from her mentors and from her time at WKU that she wanted to make a positive impact on the lives of the people around her, and that public policy and broadcasting was the way she wanted to do that. She has come to occupy a space in Kentucky’s political space that no other could occupy – educating countless Kentuckians on the issues of the day while holding officials and candidates for public office accountable for their actions.

“I didn’t want to be just successful, I wanted to be significant,” Shaw said.

In her 25 years at KET, Shaw has grown aware of the role she plays and her position in Kentucky’s political discourse. Kentucky has grown to respect Renee Shaw because of who she is and what she stands for, and for Shaw, that

12

is the best compliment she could ever receive.

“The highest compliment that I can ever get is when people say ‘I trust you.

I trust you to tell me the truth and I trust you to be fair. And I trust you to do your homework and to be prepared,” Shaw said.

During her time at KET, Shaw has: won three regional Emmy awards; been recognized for her mental health advocacy; been named a Kentucky Colonel twice, once by a Republican governor and once by a Democrat; been inducted into the Kentucky Civil Rights Hall of Fame; and much, much more.

At this point in Shaw’s career, however, it is her induction into WKU’s Hall of Distinguished Alumni that means the most to her.

“Because I value and cherish my experience at Western, for people to have petitioned on my behalf for my induction, that is extremely meaningful because it’s personal,” Shaw said. “To have people who were part of my collegiate formative years see fit for me to be part of this distinguished society, I don’t take that lightly. I will treasure that always ... It’s pretty special.”

Commentary editor Price Wilborn can be reached at edwin.wilborn835@topper. wku.edu. Follow him on X @pricewilborn.

THREE OTHERS TO JOIN

WKU’S HALL OF DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI

By Molly Dobberstein

WKU will welcome four alumni to its Hall of Distinguished Alumni this week during Homecoming 2023, recognizing them for their accomplishments.

The 32nd class of noted alumni will be inducted on Nov. 9 during the inaugural Hilltopper Excellence Awards, the WKU Alumni Association stated.

The four alumni, Claude Bloch, Charles Reynolds, Renee Shaw and Amir Zaheri, each hold differing backgrounds as WKU alumni.

The late Claude Bloch was the former commander in chief of the United States Naval Fleet, and was also commandant of the 14th Naval District in Pearl Harbor at the attack on Dec. 7, 1941, according to the WKU Alumni Association.

“During his career he was also awarded the Navy Cross and the Legion

of Merit — two of the most prestigious commemorations in the U.S. military,” the WKU Alumni Association said.

Justice Charles H. Reynolds will also be joining the WKU Hall of Distinguished Alumni. He is a distinguished attorney, decorated World War II veteran as well as justice of the Kentucky Supreme Court.

“A native Kentuckian, Reynolds was born in Bowling Green in 1924. His service to the Commonwealth and his country included air combat during World War II, for which he was awarded the Bronze Star for valor on three separate occasions,” the WKU Alumni Association said. Reynolds passed away in 1996.

The final inductee is Amir Zaheri, who currently works at the University of Alabama and holds multiple roles,

including the associate director of the school of music, director of academic affairs, student wellness and student affairs and composition and theory program chair.

“Dr. Amir Zaheri is an American composer, conductor, performer and educator of Persian and Appalachian lineages with a multifaceted career in professional, faith-based and academic settings,” the WKU Alumni Association said.

Zaheri receives high praise in his award-winning career that spans over almost three decades within multiple professional settings, the WKU Alumni Association said.

Content Editor Molly Dobberstein can be reached at molly.dobberstein519@topper.wku.edu

CLAUDE BLOCH

CHARLES REYNOLDS

AMIR ZAHERI

PHOTOS PROVIDED BY WKU ALUMNI ASSOCIATION

13

Celebrating 100 Years

Serving WKU Students, Faculty, Staff, Alumni & Fans

The WKU Store WKUSTORE.COM

Alex Class of 2027

Karen Class of 1978

Tyana Class of 2023

Joel Class of 2024

LGBTQ+ WKU ALUMNI SHARE STORIES FROM THE HILL Story by Ali Costellow

1972 WKU alum Karen Stewart grew After a while of sitting by herself, she your sense of security and bodily up in Beaver Dam, which she described noticed a guy looking over at her and integrity. That was my freshman year, as “about the most religious place you mumbling under his breath. so after that, I just kind of did what I could ever land in your life.”

“What he said to me was, ‘sure would needed to academically, and that was As a child, Stewart always felt more like to f– a dyke,’” Stewart said. it,” Stewart said. like a boy than a girl, had more tradiShe left that party soon after and Stewart also felt some of the straight tionally masculine interests and women on campus expressed hated traditionally feminine “predatory” behavior towards clothing. She realized her ather. She felt she was aptraction to girls at 12 years old, proached with the attitude that which “terrified” her because if the women treated her nicely, of how both society and the then they expected Stewart to generally Baptist population of do things for them.

Beaver Dam then viewed the “I felt taken advantage of a queer community. few times by a few people ... I When Stewart first came to was just looking for friends so I WKU in 1968, positive changwouldn’t be lonely,” she said. es were occurring within the She did, however, find joy LGBTQ+ community such as in playing the bass clarinet in the 1969 Stonewall riots and the the WKU band, and had a close first gay pride parade in 1970. friend in the music program However, it was still largely that was a gay man. unaccepted for those in the “I kind of had a person I community to be out. could go to if I needed a male “I had to formulate a plan,” escort or something. He’s gay, Stewart said. “I was going to so you know, we would somegraduate from high school, go times just go [places] together,” to Western, get a degree that Stewart said. would qualify me to work some PHOTO PROVIDED Stewart graduated in 1972 job somehow. And then after I after studying sociology and Karen Stewart (left) and her wife Janice (right) in 2007. Karen was a 1972 had a job, I could be financially WKU graduate. folk studies. She worked as a self-sufficient, and I could do caseworker before she graduwhat I wanted ... nobody could at least, did not return to any more during her ated from the University of Louisville starve me, or anything like that.” college years. This experience – one not School of Law in 1986 and became a Even though Stewart was not out to uncommon to queer people during this law clerk. others about her sexuality on campus, time period – was extremely off-putting In 1992, she opened her own law she believes people knew her identity to her and caused her to never truly practice that focused on working with anyway. feel safe on campus.

LGBTQ+ clientele. She married her wife One night during her freshman year, “When somebody says something in Canada in 2004, and they now reside Stewart went to an off-campus party. like that, it doesn’t do a whole lot for together in Green Bay, Wisconsin.

15

While on campus, she worked as a GEORGENA BRACKETT SPENCER JENKINS tour guide at the Kentucky Museum When Georgena Brackett started Growing up in the east end of Louisand was a resident assistant at Rodes WKU in 1983, she was still attemptville, Spencer Jenkins always knew he Harlin Hall. ing to date men like her siblings and was different.

Brackett graduated from WKU in friends were doing.

“I think we all say that. We all knew 1987 after obtaining her medical reDuring her sophomore year of we were different to some degree,” cords degree. She then went back and college, however, she got into her first Jenkins said. obtained a bachelor’s degree in general lesbian relationship.

Jenkins graduated from WKU in studies with an area of concentration “I realized that that was my comfort 2012 after studying news-editorial jourin psychology in 1992. In 2010, she zone and that’s what I had been missnalism and criminology and working graduated from WKU for a third time ing in my life as far as dating, having as a reporter for the College Heights with a master’s degree in business strong feelings for someone,” Brackett Herald. He is currently the executive administration. said. director of Queer Kentucky, a “diverse, In 1992, she met the “love of her life” LGBTQ+ run non-profit based in LouResiding in Bowling Green, Brackett at a work event. She and her wife had is now a director of health information isville” which he founded, that brings management at Med Center Health. She a union ceremony in 1997, where they awareness to the LGBTQ+ community. invited family and friends and were also is a part-time faculty member in He first questioned his sexuality the Department of Social around 10 years old Work and president of the and continued to do National Alumni Associaso throughout middle tion Board of Directors at school. He felt that he WKU. comfortably came to In college, she continterms with his queerued to “fly under the radar” ness the summer and stayed closeted, not before his junior year attending any social events of high school, and with her girlfriend. came out to his family The global AIDS crisis during the winter of officially started in 1981, 2007. which caused both sub“My family was acstantial deaths and incepting for all of like, creased hate towards the 18 hours. And then, I LGBTQ+ community from don’t really know what society. Brackett said if she kind of reality set in had shown support for the with them, but I can community or been out kind of empathize to herself, she thinks it would a degree ... they had have impacted how she was seen nothing but negtreated or respected by her ative,” Jenkins said. peers.

Societally, LGBTQ+ “I really didn’t have any acceptance was PHOTO PROVIDED negative interaction [while progressing, but there Georgena Brackett with her parents, Marcella and George Brackett, at her 1987 gradua- was still a certain at WKU] at all. But I think tion. because I was so closeted, stigma surrounding it never presented as an opqueerness. This was portunity to be treated any differently, ” “completely out at that point to anyone prevalent for members of his parents’ and everyone that was in [their] lives.”

Brackett said. generation since they had witnessed Brackett said that her experience as She said in hindsight, she is sure tragedies like the AIDS crisis and the a graduate student at WKU was comthere were other queer people on or murder of Matthew Shepard, a gay man pletely different than when she was an around campus while she was a stuwho was brutally attacked in 1998. undergraduate student. She said she dent, but that she was completely “I was so sure of myself, too,” Jenwould often make comments about unaware of any specific opportunities kins said. “So, it was very disheartening her wife to others or invite her wife to to engage with them socially or organiand traumatizing to be so sure of somesocial gatherings with her peers. zationally. thing, and then have the people that “It was a completely different, night “I didn’t have knowledge of what to are supposed to accept you, take care and day experience. A kind of wonderdo, or how to do any of that, nor did I of you, love you no matter what, love ful experience with my WKU connechave the encouragement or the self-esyou unconditionally just disregard and tions at that point, having [my wife] on teem to pursue anything outside of my ignore and repress the authentic self I my side,” Brackett said. class responsibilities,” Brackett said. was coming into.”

16

PHOTO PROVIDED

Spencer Jenkins, a 2012 WKU grad, is pictured at an event in 2010.

When Jenkins started attending WKU in 2008, he became a member of the Kappa Sigma fraternity to feel “traditional” or “normal.” Surprisingly to him, there were a few other men who were involved in Greek life and also out as gay. Jenkins said the straight fraternity men were even very accepting of their queer fraternity brothers.

“It’s so weird that something so stereotypically homophobic and toxic kind of became the place that I found acceptance for the first time,” Jenkins said.

The queer community was making progress towards social acceptance as Jenkins continued to attend WKU. In 2008, across the nation, states were fighting for the right to same-sex marriage, and in 2009, the gay-oriented social networking and online dating app, Grindr, was released.

Throughout his time on campus, Jenkins kept searching for acceptance in his identity.

He said that he was unaware of WKU offering any services to aid students in the LGBTQ+ community, but remembers going to a campus therapist at one point.

Jenkins said he felt he often had to get “f– up” since he had not yet found a way to navigate his family and society in relation to his identity. He also was so unsure of himself that he did not feel he could fit in anywhere.

“I was doing anything I could to numb out who I was. Because who I was, was bringing nothing but trauma in my life,” Jenkins said.

Even though he was still dealing with obtaining complete acceptance, by the time he was 20 years old, Jenkins was fully out as a queer individual and had gained support from close friends he had made.

SETH CHURCH

Seth Church had what he described as “a pretty religious sort of upbringing in rural Kentucky on a farm.”

In regards to his sexuality, he had known something was “off” since he was young, but thought of it only as a test of his religious faith.

It was not until Church got to WKU in 2011 that he became internally comfortable with his identity as a queer man by making genuine friendships and meeting peers who were out, even though he was still closeted.

“I established a really close group of friends who I could talk through things with and get involved [with],” Church said.

Around the time Church attended WKU, the LGBTQ+ community was seeing advances of acceptance take place. In 2011, openly gay, lesbian and bisexual men and women were permitted to serve in the military, and in 2015, both same-sex marriage and adoption

17

were legalized in Kentucky.

Church graduated from Western in 2015 with a political science major and a legal studies minor. He graduated from Emory University School of Law in 2015 and is now a litigator in Lexington. He is also on the board of directors and secretary for AVOL Kentucky, an organization “dedicated to the eradication of HIV and AIDS.” Church was heavily involved with the Student Government Association during his time on campus. He said that one of the proudest things he did was writing a resolution to declare the SGA office as a designated safe space for queer people to come to if they needed support.

“I was so excited about it,” Church said. “I put up a little paper printed-out sign that I made saying, ‘This is a safe space,’ under the resolution number.

And then, a few years later ... I was sent a picture where [SGA] had bought a very nicely made plaque that went up in place of my little paper sign.”

Even while in the closet, Church also joined some queer-focused organizations on campus. He was on the board for the Campus Pride Index and helped plan the first annual WKU Lavender Graduation Ceremony during his senior year in 2015.

The ceremony is an opportunity for members of the LGBTQ+ community to be celebrated in their sexual identities as they graduate from Western.

When it was time for the Lavender Graduation to take place, Church was asked by his advisor if he would be attending the ceremony as an allied guest. He took her by surprise when he said he was going to be walking in the ceremony himself.

“That was my coming out,” Church said. “I didn’t come out until I was literally graduating college. I think I had probably figured it out fully, that I was queer. And I had told people, probably freshman year of college, but I really didn’t come out until I was graduating.”

In more recent years, queer support on campus has only increased. Student organizations such as the Queer Student Union and Out in Honors have provided the opportunity for LGBTQ+ students to be immersed in the community with their peers. The Pride

Center, Hilltopper Pride Network, WKU Alumni Association Topper Pride Alumni Chapter and the Intercultural Student Engagement Center have been put into place institutionally for campus and its faculty to create an accepting environment at WKU. These groups host social events for students to attend and also provide information, help and support for those who may be struggling in their identities.

“There is still room to grow and advance our community as an LGBTQ+ population on campus … I think Western is making advances in those areas, and I’m very proud of the work that’s being done,” Brackett said.

News Reporter Ali Costellow can be reached at ali.costellow453@topper.wku.edu

PHOTO PROVIDED Seth Church at the 2015 Lavender Graduation Ceremony.

Home Cooked Breakfast And Lunch

Hometown Banking at its Best!

Thank you to all veterans for your unwavering service and sacrifice in protecting our freedom.

Bowling Green: 398 Lovers Lane, Bowling Green, KY. 42103 2305 Gary Farms, Bowling Green, KY. 42104 661 Dishman Lane, Bowling Green, KY. 42104 Franklin: 317 N Main St, Franklin, KY. 42134 903 S Main St, Franklin, KY. 42134

www.fbtco.com

SPONSORED CONTENT

DOWNTOWN BOWLING GREEN Cafe Kindness 937 College St.

Alley Pub and Pizza 422 E Main Ave. Nestled down the alley beside the Capitol Arts Building, Alley Pub features some of Bowling Green’s favorite pizza, a full bar with renowned service from veteran bartenders and one of the most charming patios around!

Cafe Kindness is a cafe designed to treat your body kindly! From our cold pressed juices and smoothies to our gourmet toast and nourish bowls, there is a nourishing meal for everyone. Check out our menu at www.cafekindness.com or on Instagram @cafekindnessbg!

Fountain Row Downtown Bowling Green

Alora Aesthetics 941 College St. Alora Aesthetics offers neuromodulators (Botox and Dysport), dermal fillers, microneedling, hair restoration with PRP, B12 injections and skincare. Located at 941 College St. in downtown Bowling Green, our goal is for you to feel beautiful in your skin in a welcoming environment. Call to schedule a complimentary consultation at 270-906-9349.

Fountain Row is an all-new entertainment district downtown, where patrons can buy alcoholic drinks in approved togo cups from participating licensed businesses within the district. Fountain Row visits encourage exploring more of downtown’s historic streets and parks, window shopping, and discovering new experiences while boosting local hospitality and tourism businesses.

Meltdown Ice Cream & Soda Fountain 900 State St. Meltdown Ice Cream & Soda Fountain makes handcrafted small-batch ice creams and sorbets, old-fashioned sodas, delicious milkshakes, divine sundaes and rich, decadent hot cocoas, on historic Fountain Square, in the heart of Downtown Bowling Green. Stop by & have a Meltdown today! Sun-Thurs 12-8 p.m.; Fri-Sat 11 a.m. - 9 p.m.

The 30 Bird on the Square 401 Park Row

Gerard’s 1907 Tavern 935 College St. Gerard’s 1907 Tavern is a new American style restaurant fusing all-American classics with flavors from around the globe. Housed in the historic Gerard building, it features a comfortable relaxed ambiance. 1907 Social, its private event space, is an elegant gathering place for all of your private party needs.

20

The 30 Bird on the Square offers glutenfree baked goods, smoothies, açaí bowls, chicken salads, and more! Customers can dine-in, but all of the food items are grab-n-go as well. The 30 Bird carries a selection of fresh baked items, dairy and gluten free items and vegan options!

CENTER ST.

CAFE KINDNESS

GERARD’S 1907 TAVERN ALORA AESETHETICS

COLLEGE ST.

ALLEY PUB AND PIZZA

SPRING ALLEY

E MAIN AVE.

THE 30 BIRD

PARK ROW

E TENTH AVE.

CITY OF BOWLING GREEN FOUNTAIN ROW

STATE ST.

MELTDOWN ICE CREAM & SODA FOUNTAIN

CHESTNUT ST.

VETERANS AND ROTC CADETS SHARE EXPERIENCES ON THE HILL

Photos by Kayden Mulrooney

By Shayla Abney

This year’s homecoming falls on cadets will attend activities preparing leadership tasks.

Veterans Day, with a theme of Big Red, them for the Army such as land navigaHowever, those dreams still require White and Blue, which raises the question, confidence training and maneufour years of consistent training and tion of what it means to be a veteran ver training. Those in attendance are early mornings. Vuleta is in year four while on campus. already contracted with the Army and and still has to continue the routine For six consecutive years, WKU has most are in their junior or senior year. that comes with being in the ROTC. been ranked by Military Times Edge “You get ranked and stacked in “A typical day is we have PT Tuesmagazine as “Best for Vets 4-year something that’s called an OML, Order day, Wednesday, and Thursday,” Vuleta College.” With numerous military of Merit list, with the entire nation,” said. “And probably my busiest day is programs, such as the Reserve OffiVuleta said. “And that’s how you can Thursday because that’s when we also cers’ Training Corps, WKU provides an kind of select your branch that you want have our lab.” education opportunity for veterans and to do, so, like, aviation, or logistics A lab day for an ROTC cadet goes those planning to enlist by supplying or whatever you want to do. And your loosely like this: a 5:30 a.m. wake-up 50 online degree programs and a milisenior year, which is what I am in now, time, physical training around 5:45 tary tuition rate of $250 per credit hour. you find your branch, and then you a.m. on South Lawn or at the top of the Daniel Vuleta, a senior criminology commission as a second lieutenant in Hill, a return home around 7 a.m. to major and current WKU prepare for the day, ROTC Cadet Battalion going to different Commander, took adclasses scheduled vantage of the benefits of throughout the day, being part of the ROTC and, for Vuleta, program. He credits the going to his job as a military program for desk assistant in the being what brought him ROTC office at 9:30 to WKU. a.m.

“How I got into this A busy morning was I got a three-year is not something canational scholarship, and dets are unfamiliar that brought me to WKU,” with, but for Vuleta, Vuleta said. “I had an the constant busyacademic scholarship on ness transfers to the top of it so I was able to afternoon as well. As get my entire college paid a senior ROTC cadet for.” and Cadet Battalion While beneficial and Commander, a large something many students William Stanley walks off the field with his team in tow after completing a drill during an ROTC sum of responsibililab on at Weldon Peete Park. The group does lab every Thursday. would want to be a part ty is placed upon his of, Vuleta highlighted the and other seniors’ intensity of the program. either active duty, national guard or shoulders.

“You go through ROTC, which is reserve.”

Being on the leadership team means you’re evaluated through your four Vuleta is aiming to be branched attending staff meetings where they years of college while taking the milunder aviation. If granted, he will go discuss what needs to be done for the itary science classes and getting the into a Basic Officer Leadership Course week and plans for upcoming events, military science minor,” Vuleta said. and then go into flight school to train like Veterans Day. Vuleta attends these “And then at the end of your junior year, to become a helicopter pilot on various meetings while other seniors, those not you take your final examination at CST, different Army airframes. Progressing on the leadership team, facilitate trainand that’s like your final evaluation.” further in the branch will lead him ing for the underclass cadets. Their CST is the U.S. Army Cadet’s Comto become a section leader, working main priority is to guide and help them mand capstone training event. Here, behind the scenes on planning and

23

learn the skills and tips they’ll need to make it through their next few years of ROTC training.

While to most it can seem like a stressful program to be a member of, Vuleta recognizes it for the benefits it gave him that he otherwise may have not had.

“ROTC has definitely … it’s given me a lot more confidence, I would say, in a lot of ways,” Vuleta said. “I feel like the main focus of ROTC is, yes, you want to be, you know, intelligent, and we focus on tactics, but that’s just a way to understand leadership.”

One quality that many may not realize about ROTC, however, is about community and the family-like bonds you build.

“The thing that I really enjoy is those personal relationships you have with people,” Vuleta said. “Like, that personal tact that you get, you know, being able to communicate with people, express yourself. That’s something that I don’t know where else I would have gotten it.”

Vuleta’s day, however, differs from that of a current veteran on campus.

Brandon Dunn is a WKU freshman and veteran who enlisted in 2019, five years after graduating high school.

After leaving the military, he decided he no longer wanted to be involved in the military or the factory he worked for before enlisting.

Dunn did not know how to begin the enrollment process at WKU and how to take advantage of his military benefits.

A simple Google search changed the course of his educational career.

“In order to do that, I Googled WKU and the Veterans Upward Bound popped up,” Dunn said. “And I reached out to Marc [Hamilton], and then Marc kind of helped me sign up for my benefits through the VA. And he’s been a big help every step of the way.”

The Office of Veterans Affairs assists veterans in accessing their benefits, advising students about procedural requirements and certifying student enrollment to the Department of Veterans Affairs. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs determines eligibility for the opportunities made available by the Veterans Affairs Office.

Veterans Upward Bound (VUB)

is one of the many financial options offered to veterans. VUB is a part of the federal TRIO program – a federally funded program motivating and pushing students from diverse backgrounds to pursue a college degree – and aims to assist military Veterans in developing academic skills. It serves to increase the enrollment rates.

Along with this aid, others are offered and help cover Veterans’ tuition.

“Coming from a military background, I automatically got a GI Bill,” Dunn said.

The GI Bill is awarded to those who completed four years of military service and were released honorably. The bill covers a student’s entire cost of tuition and fees at public in-state schools or job training.

“I’m actually saving my GI Bill and not using it because I acquired a few injuries while in the military, and I’m disabled,” Dunn said. “So I have a 90% percent disability rate. Through the Veterans Affairs, I’m able to use what they call Chapter 31, it’s Veterans Readiness and Employment.”

After signing up for Chapter 31,

William Stanley speaks with his team after completing a movement to contact drill during an ROTC lab on at Weldon Peete Park.

24

Dunn was able to have his schooling paid for while also receiving an additional payment to continue attending school - roughly $1,300 a month. Dunn used this to pay his rent so he could remain unemployed and focus primarily on school.

Dunn encourages students looking for a military career or veterans thinking about returning to school to reach out to the many military organizations on WKU’s campus.

“They’ve been nothing but a great help to me,” Dunn said. “And, they’ll provide you with scholarships. They’ll provide you with supplies, equipment, whatever you need to make that leap and get your education.”

William Stanley, a junior, is a veteran who took the leap to enroll at WKU and take advantage of its ROTC program.

Stanley served in the Army for 13 years as an infantryman in the 173rd Airborne Brigade. He was a Sergeant First Class who received orders from Italy to be a military science instructor or ROTC cadre member at the University of Maryland through the Master Educator Course. The program gives people a level of teaching such as that of a college professor.

“I was able to go to the Master Educator Course and it helped me out a lot, and it gave me a lot of credits towards my degree,” Stanley said. “So I was able to enroll at WKU and go green to gold is what we call it.”

With a family of his own – a wife and two kids – being a part of the ROTC as a

veteran and being a full-time student, balancing it all could be difficult. But not for Stanley.

“I think it’s very manageable,” Stanley said. “I think that job experience in general and being a little older helps with staying disciplined in studies. I don’t think it’s very hard [to manage].”

Stanley said the number one priority of the ROTC program is letting cadets focus on their GPA more than anything.

He appreciated how easy it is to communicate to program leaders if there is anything happening personally or academically.

However, Stanley recognizes that his prior experiences in the Army have set him apart from the other cadets. He commented on the growth that takes place in ROTC and the growth that he experiences outside of the program, in the Army and in his personal life.

“There’s a lot of growth that happens,” Stanley said. “I mean, with that, there are failures that you grow from, there are experiences you grow from.

There is a lot of growth that happens within the military and developing leadership with everyone.”

Despite this, the level of difficulty is still there, and cadets and veterans have to work to an almost perfect standard.

The skills and lessons learned in the ROTC help prepare members for leadership positions in the Army.

“A lot of the course material from the lead courses helps me also in the military,” Stanley said. “So I learn a lot of stuff from organizational leadership

William Stanley acts a squad leader and prepares for a drill during an ROTC lab on at Weldon Peete Park.

25

that I can apply to being a leader in the military. That kind of goes hand in hand.”

Being contracted into the Army through the ROTC program is not immediate, and will not happen unless you are willing to make that commitment. The decision does not need to be made until your junior or senior year.

Those part of the ROTC and veterans around campus attribute their routine-like days and ability to excel in their educational careers to the military programs at WKU. “I joined the Army at 18 years old, and so I think for most of my life, I think that what I missed was the college experience,” Stanley said. “Every day I walk or step on campus, it’s a very redeeming feeling for me. And, for me, it’s an opportunity that I never got to have that I get to live right now.”

Stanley highlighted the ROTC for being a place where many relationships are formed.

“I think it’s an adventure,” Stanley said. “You make great friends here…

It’s just, say you want to do it just for the friends, it’s a great place to do so.”

Serving not only as a sanctuary for veterans, but as a place that becomes a second home for many, is what WKU and its military programs on campus strive to do.

“I’m very appreciative of this moment in my life,” Stanley said.

News Reporter Shayla Abney can be reached at shayla.abney577@topper. wku.edu

William Stanley directs a cadet on the proper shooting techique form for a drill during an ROTC lab on at Weldon Peete Park.

Join Our Team!

Warren county schools

About Us:

We are Hiring!

Teachers Instructional Assistants Substitute Teachers Speech-Language Pathologists Nutrition & Dining Bus Drivers Maintenance & Custodial and more!

Third largest employer in the region 4th largest school district in Kentucky 18,000+ students 102+ languages spoken from 90+ birth countries

@Warren County Public Schools @WarrenCoSchools 303 Lovers Lane • (270) 781-5150 • warrencountyschools.org

BG’s Newest STUDENT APARTMENTS

NOW LEASING NEW CONSTRUCTION

@TOPPERPARK

FOR FALL 2024 MOVE-IN

4-BED / 4-BATH UNITS Individual Leases Washer + Dryer Included Internet + Utilities Included

CONTACT HANNAH@3CROWNMANAGEMENT.COM W W W . T O P P E R P A R K B G . C O M

HOME FIELD ADVANTAGE WKU’S STRUGGLE TO ‘PACK THE HOUCH’

By Luke Edmonds and Jake McMahon The cool breeze of college football swept over Houchens-Smith Stadium last October in a pivotal game against their in-conference opponent, UAB. Down three with a quarter and a half to go, Quarterback Austin Reed snuck into the endzone, capping off a 10-point comeback to keep the Hilltoppers in the Conference-USA Championship conversation.

The crowd went mild.

This is not a reaction unfamiliar to Hilltopper faithful. For years, WKU football has struggled to keep up the attendance standards set by their conference counterparts. Last season, the 11 members of C-USA saw its highest average attendance since 2016 with around 19,300. Yet, the Hilltoppers

struggled to play host to over 15,000 on any given occasion throughout the last eight years.

While the 2023 season is seeing growth in those numbers, averaging close to 17,000 per home contest, the Hilltoppers are yet to sell out a football game since hosting the University of Indiana in September 2021. Should fans be surprised by these statistics?

The answer, according to the last 10 years, is no.

Over the last 10 years, barring the 2020 restrictions, Houchens-Smith Stadium has averaged an attendance of 16,220, nearly 5,900 away from the venue’s full capacity. A stadium that, even with a recent renovation in 2009, still holds the third lowest maximum

capacity in the conference, and sits at the bottom 5% of maximum capacity in all of D-1 college football.

From 2015-2017, WKU Football boasted their best seasons since joining the Football Bowl Series (FBS). During that time, they went a combined 23-5, with an 11-1 home record. The correlation? Those two seasons also saw the highest average attendance in program history.

The Hilltoppers play incredibly well at home. In the last 20 years, WKU has a 65-43 home record, while their road record sits under .500, at 57-67. This means that WKU has a 24% higher win percentage at home than on the road during these seasons, 3.7% higher than the national average.

PHOTO BY DOMINIC DI PALERMO A cheerleader runs with a WKU flag after the first touch down during a game against University of South Florida at Smith Stadium in Bowling Green. on Saturday, Sept. 2.

27

PHOTO BY KAYDEN MULROONEY A young woman cheers while country artist Jordan Davis performs before a football game against Liberty University at Western Kentucky University on Oct. 24.

WKU also happens to play well at neutral locations. Most recently, their back-to-back bowl wins at the 2021 Boca Raton Bowl and the 2022 New Orleans Bowl brought WKU’s neutral site win percentage to 62%.

Whether this means that the team is affected by the fans or the fans are affected by the program’s successes is unknown, but the numbers suggest the idea that it was likely a combination of both.

After the hiring of WKU Football Head Coach, Tyson Helton, Athletic Director Todd Stewart held a specific accountability to the teams recent performance.

“We have lost fans,” Stewart said in November of 2018 during a press conference, “We have to get them back, and the best way to get them back is to play an exciting brand of football and win games, and that’s what our objective is. We did that before.”

The 2009 renovation is one of many efforts the university has put into creating a solution for capacity problems.

A $37.5 million investment was the university’s solution to the “tired” and “rundown” field of the early 2000s.

“This stadium is tired, it’s rundown and it’s long overdue to be renovated,” former WKU Director of Athletics Wood Selig said in February 2007 at the ribbon cutting for the revived HouchensSmith Stadium.

WKU is still doing its part in promoting growth in football events. This season’s home match-up against the Liberty Flames featured a pre-game concert by country star Jordan Davis.

Previously, NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal performed a pregame show under his music alias “D.J. Diesel.”

In fact, neither of those games were able to host over 75% of the maximum attendance.

These events promotions are still unable to compete with the yearly revolving door of Parent’s Weekend and Homecoming. The 2019 home opener against Central Arkansas was the last time that a non-Parents Weekend or Homecoming event placed in the top two attended games of a season.

Even with that, Parent’s Weekend still was the highest-attended game of that season.

A difference in ticket sales is expected between a Tuesday night game and

28

the two biggest weekends of WKU’s Fall semester. However, the standard set by the remaining 130 FBS teams suggests that it can be done in Bowling Green.

The 2021 WKU football team was rightly considered to be one of the most exciting offenses in college football.

Current New England Patriots quarterback Bailey Zappe, who led the charge of that offense, passed for the most yards in FBS history. On top of that, WKU averaged the second highest points per game of that season.

Zappe would take the Hilltoppers to the conference championship, where the team would suffer an eight-point loss against UTSA. Even with the explosive offense that had pundits around the nation discussing WKU, Houchens-Smith Stadium would not even crack the top 100 in average attendance. The solution of C-USA was to provide fans with an extra reason to stay home on Saturday nights.

C-USA reached an agreement with CBS Sports and ESPN to broadcast 18 C-USA football games throughout the 2023-2024 season. WKU received the opportunity to play in four of those

games and host two at home.

While this has produced success for the program’s national recognition, it appears that a university with an already wounded stadium population is making strides to build a larger national audience rather than a fanbase in their hometown.

WKU President Timothy Caboni spoke on the matter of Hilltopper Football’s entrance into the national streaming sphere in a January interview with the Herald Editorial Board.

“What Conference USA decided was for us to have a standalone presence on linear television so ESPNU, ESPN2 and sometimes on ESPN, perhaps that we would shift our games to when there weren’t other games,” Caboni said.

With the rise of streaming service viewership throughout college football, stadium populations have dwindled. Athome college football streaming is up 12% in the 2023 season and has been on a 28% rise in the past five years.

Game attendance itself is on an inverse path, recently declining to its lowest mark since 1981.

Since the start of the 2023 season, WKU has seen over 3.5 million viewers tune into their streamed games. This number is supported by a very topheavy road game to Ohio State, which contributed 2.82 million. Other games, including the Louisiana Tech and Jacksonville State games, both broke the 100,000 mark.

Yet, WKU’s singular experience in competing with Power-5 conferences in the streaming realm came on a Saturday afternoon in Troy, Alabama as the Hilltoppers took on the Trojans.

In a time slot where Michigan, Florida State, Clemson and Cincinnati reigned supreme, less than 30,000 people tuned in for WKU. While it seems that any C-USA team would struggle to compete with the likes of SEC, Big 10 and Big 12 schools for prime-time spots, WKU and the rest of the conference are now being rewarded with playing games on nights that they are the sole entertainment.

The weekday night games are not only being used as a

hope to expand the Hilltoppers’ national audience, but are also an opportunity to provide students with an easier choice about coming to games without having to sacrifice their weekends.

“To be candid, it presents an opportunity for students who might not want to go to a game on a Saturday, perhaps, but absolutely will come to an event on a Tuesday night for example,” Caboni said.

When asked about his opinion on the schedule revival, Harrison Boso, a member of the class of 2025, agreed with Caboni’s sentiment of a free weekend for WKU students and spoke highly on the current state of WKU Football’s 2023 schedule.

“Personally, you know, I love college football Saturdays,” Boso said, “But also, you know, a lot of times with weekends like traveling and such it can be busy for a lot of people … I think that the Tuesday night games give everyone a chance to get to come out to the games at WKU.” The first-weekday game of the season was WKU’s biennial honor to host the ‘100 Miles of Hate’ against MTSU. However, it has been the least attended home football game of the season thus far.

Though this rivalry stretches only 100 miles, as the name suggests, WKU seldom brings the level of energy to the stands that the players provide on the field. This lack of pride for an event so rich in Hilltopper history sets a certain

29

standard for current opponents coming into Houchens-Smith Stadium.

The rivalries of the past, including ‘The Battle of the Bluegrass’ with Eastern Kentucky University and ‘The Battle for the Red Belt’ with Murray State, are long forgotten in the modern WKU regime.

Approaching their tenth year in the conference, the Hilltoppers are still dealing with the modern struggles of balancing century-old rivalries and creating new reasons for the next generation of students on the Hill to be excited about the prospect of WKU football.

After a 2018 home game against the University of Texas El Paso, Stewart commented on the energy he experienced in the final game played at Houchens-Smith Stadium that season.

This game featured less than 6,500 fans.

“It really hurt for [the players] because of the complete lack of energy we had in the stadium that night from a crowd standpoint,” Stewart said of the team’s seniors. “Their final Topper Walk—it might have had a hundred people there—and that just, that can’t be. And unfortunately, that’s what we’ve come to.”

Sports Reporter Luke Edmonds can be reached at luke.edmonds938@topper.wku.edu Sports Reporter Jake McMahon can be reach at michael.mcmahon480@ topper.

WHO’S PAID THE MOST AT WKU?

By Molly Dobberstein and Maggie Phelps The total cost of the top 25 paid employees at WKU is $5,414,721.84 a year, with an average hourly salary of $137.67.

The highest paid individual at WKU is Tyson Helton, the Hilltoppers head football coach, who makes $918,000 a year, with Renaldo Domoney, assistant vice president for budget, finance and analytics who makes $163,900, coming in at spot 25.

Pay and faculty salaries has been a recent topic of discussion after several top administrators and faculty were approved to receive large raises, while the majority of employees were informed that they would receive a 1% raise.

Certain areas of the university are also being advised to reduce their spending, in order to assist with the $11 million of overspending from last year.

Jace Lux, university spokesperson, stated there are a variety of factors that influence salaries at WKU, including a comparison to similar positions at other universities and individual experience.

“Employee salaries at a university are

determined by a variety of factors, including but not limited to, expectations of the job and the market for comparable positions at other institutions,” Lux said. “An individual’s career experience and length of time in a position are also significant factors in compensation decisions.”

While salary amounts for the top 25 paid individuals may seem large or obscure at first glance, James Finkelstein and Judith Wile, researchers in executive compensation, explained these compensation trends among administrators and executives in higher education are very common.

Finkelstein, professor emeritus of public policy at George Mason University, began his studies on presidential assets and selection over 20 years ago, first assessing a group of university presidents who sit on corporate boards, he explained.

Finkelstein said that in the past year to year-and-a-half, they conducted a study focusing on the compensation and salaries of the presidents of the 50

30

flagship institutions.

In this study, they compared what the presidents were earning 10 years ago, adjusted the price into “today’s dollars,” and compared them to what they are currently earning, Wile, research professor at the Schar School of Policy and Government at George Mason University, said.

“While we look at the presidents, faculty often think that they are not paid fairly or with the same degree of add-ons to their salary,” Wile said.

According to their research, public university presidents are typically the most highly paid public executives in a state, “excluding coaches and perhaps a handful of medical-school faculty members.”

In the study, it was found that from 2010 to 2019, in 49 of the 50 public flagship universities, the total compensation for presidents of public flagship universities increased by 56%.

Additionally, the increase of large salaries at WKU is not uncommon when compared to other universities, as there

are more people in “executive” seats now than 10 years ago, Wile said.

SALARY RAISES

Salary changes and pay increases for administration and faculty are due to different factors, thus potentially explaining why they may raise at different rates. Incentives like retention raises have been introduced to keep individuals from going to competing universities, Finkelstein said.

The 11 WKU administrators and staff members that received salary increases more than $5,000 are due to new contract agreements, staff turnover, reallocation of funds within departments as well as a new annual salary reflecting the addition of cell stipend to employee base salary, according to the agenda for the Board of Regents’ finance and budget committee from Oct. 17.

When looking at compensation for individuals with higher salaries versus those with lower ones, it is important to note that everyone receives the same percentage increase, regardless of what they are currently making.

“One of the things that often happens is that raises are given in percentages, and that, for people with lower salaries, that keeps their salary lower,” Wile said. “1% of a $70,000 salary is quite different than 1% of a $150,000 salary.”

With WKU faculty, keeping the percentage at a fixed rate for all employees produces little substantial salary growth, unless there is an outside factor, like the new contract agreements or retention bonuses.

Benefits not listed in the salary are for things such as signing and retention bonuses, housing allowance, health and life insurance and deferred compensation. The total of these benefits and the base salary make up the “true value” of the salary contract, Wile said.

All of the salary numbers listed on the top 25 list of WKU employees are base salaries only, not full contracts, which may include additional payments.

According to their research, Wile said that 73% of university presidents are brand new to the position, while Finkelstein added that presidents tend to serve seven years in their seat.

“New College in Florida just named

a president to the university, who has never been president before, but is a good friend of the governor,” Wile said.

“They have around 750 students… and the total number of his five year contract is about $7.6 million.”

PRESIDENTIAL PAY

WKU President Timothy Caboni currently has a salary of $468,180, placing him at number three on the list of 25.

Caboni’s contract includes a performance based bonus of 10% based on performance in different areas, such as execution of the strategic plan, according to WKU news from March 2021.

Additionally, the contract describes “a deferred compensation plan, half of which is available to President Caboni should he stay through June 30, 2024, and 100 percent if he stays through June 30, 2025.”

However, compared to other large public universities in Kentucky, Caboni has a salary that is significantly less than other presidents.

Former University of Louisville president Neeli Bendapudi received a 5-year salary increase in 2021 as reported by Wave News. She held a base salary of $875,000 a year and received an additional retention incentive payment of $200,000 a year.

“The new 5-year contract is worth more than $1 million a year in salary and incentives,” David Mattingly, reporter for Wave News, wrote.

The current president of the University of Louisville, Kim Schatzel, currently has a base salary of $925,000 a year, WDRB Louisville reported in 2022.

University of Kentucky president Eli Capilouto had a base pay of $1.036 million a year and currently has a salary of $1.378 million a year, US News reported.

In 2021, Capilouto received a raise that boosted his base pay to more than $1 million that became effective Jan. 1, 2022, the Lexington-Herald Leader reported.

The Lexington-Herald Leader additionally reported that Capilouto’s current base pay is now the average base pay of the two highest paid SEC public university presidents, plus 10%.

“Capilouto was the highest paid public college executive in the country last year. With bonuses and other pay, Cap-

31

ilouto’s total compensation was more than $1.7 million in 2020,” as reported

by Monica Kast for the Lexington-Herald Leader.

Compared to other regional universities in Kentucky, Caboni makes the most.

Eastern Kentucky University president David McFaddin earned a salary of $300,000 per year when moving from an interim to president in 2020, as reported by Eastern Kentucky University Stories.

Cady Short-Thompson was named Northern Kentucky University president in September and is set to have a base salary of $400,000 in her 4-year contract. This is compared to former NKU president Ashish Vaidya, who received a salary of $450,000 at the time of his departure, as reported by the Northern Kentucky Tribune.

Murray State University president Bob Jackson has a 4-year contract that began in 2019 and is set to receive a base salary of $325,000 a year, as reported by WEKU.

IN THE CLASSROOM

There are four full-time faculty members at WKU that are ranked within the top 25, two of which formerly held administrative positions.

Gordon Emslie, physics and astronomy professor and former provost, holds a salary of $226,672 a year, making approximately $116.24 an hour. Gordon Baylis, psychological sciences professor and former WKU vice president for research, earns a salary of $184,383 a year, making approximately $94.56 an hour.

The remaining two faculty members are both department chairs in the Gordon Ford College of Business. Whitney Peake, management department chair, makes $182,722 and Indudeep Chhachhi, finance department chair, makes $170,405.

Content Editor Molly Dobberstein can be reached at molly.dobberstein519@topper.wku.edu News Reporter Maggie Phelps can be reached at margaret.phelps370@ topper.wku.edu

TOP 25

To place these salaries on a more human scale, a per-hour salary amount was found using a 37 1/2 hour work week for 52 weeks.

1

2

STEVE LUTZ

Men’s Basketball Head Coach $650,000.00 $333.34 per hour

TYSON HELTON

Men’s Football Head Coach $918,000.00 $470.80 per hour

3

4

5

TYSON SUMMERS

TIMOTHY CABONI President $468,180.00 $240.09 per hour

TODD STEWART Athletic Director $303,960.00 $155.88 per hour

Men’s Football Assistant Coach $300,000.00 $153.85 per hour

PHOTOS CREDITED TO CLINTON LEWIS, WKU, WKU SPORTS AND HERALD ARCHIVES

32

6

7

ROBERT “BUD” FISCHER

SUSAN HOWARTH

Provost & VP, Academic Affairs $289,892.16 $148.66 per hour

11

8

Executive VP, Strategy, Operations, and Finance $270,000.00 $138.46 per hour

12

DAVID BROWN

Dean of the College of Education & Behavorial Science $214,200.00 $109.85 per hour

16

17

TERRANCE BROWN

21

22

RANJIT KOODALI

Associate Provost, Research & Graduate Education of Chemistry $170,833.68 $87.61 per hour

ETHAN LOGAN

14

TANIA BASTA

INDUDEEP CHHACHHI

Women’s Basketball Head Coach $207,076.32 $106.19 per hour

20

WHITNEY PEAKE

Management Department Chair $182,722.00 $93.70 per hour

Professor of Psychological Sciences $184,383.36 $94.56 per hour

Finance Department Chair $170,405.28 $86.39 per hour

GREGORY COLLINS

President of the College Heights Foundation $210,120.00 $107.75 per hour

19

23

24

MARC RARDIN

Men’s Baseball Head Coach $168,300.00 $86.31 per hour

33

GORDON EMSLIE

Professor of Physics & Astronomy $226,672.56 $116.24 per hour

15

DONALD SMITH

Dean of the College of Health & Human Services $211,000.00 $108.21 per hour

GORDON BAYLIS

General Counsel $184,456.80 $94.59 per hour

10

VP, Enrollment & Student Experience $238,129.20 $122.12 per hour

18

ANDREA ANDERSON

Dean of Potter College of Arts and Letters $200,000.00 $102.56 per hour

AMANDA TRABUE

VP, Philanthropy/Alumni Engagement $260,000.00 $133.34 per hour

13

CORINNE MURPHY

Dean of Ogden College of Science & Engineering $217,419.12 $111.50 per hour

9

PHILIP CUNNINGHAM

Men’s Basketball Assistant Coach $170,833.68 $87.61 per hour

25

ROBERT HALE

RENALDO DOMONEY

Associate Provost for Faculty, Assistant VP, Budget, Finance Academic, & Outreach & Analytics $168,300.00 $163,900.00 $86.31 per hour $84.05 per hour

EDITORIAL

IT’S TIME TO HOLD WKU LEADERSHIP TO A HIGHER STANDARD

By the Herald Editorial Board

As students, we chose to attend Western Kentucky University out of love for the university and everything it offers. We live and learn on a beautiful campus where we are provided resources and activities that other universities do not have.

The university’s student-centered approach cultivates an engaging and lively atmosphere for young adults taking first steps into the rest of their lives. We are able to learn more deeply in smaller classes and build meaningful relationships with instructors that shape our futures in ways we never could have imagined.

No one will doubt that faculty are the backbone of this university and this system. They are quite literally shaping the future of each and every one of us, and for that, we each should be forever grateful.

It is only natural that faculty and staff should be properly compensated for their work, and this includes making sure they receive the proper raises each year for the work they do.

When the university faces budget problems, this becomes difficult, but the salaries of the rank-and-file faculty and staff should not be the first sacrifices made.

On Oct. 11, the Herald first reported that during the 2022-2023 academic year, WKU spent $11 million more than the revenue it generated that year, coming primarily from overspending in the athletics division and the enrollment and student experience division, as well as various one-time payments.

Time and time again, however, WKU President Timothy Caboni and other administration officials have stated that there is no budget problem at WKU. Caboni told the Staff Senate at its Oct. 11 meeting that “I want to be really clear: there is no budget deficit at the institution.” Susan Howarth, Executive Vice President for Strategy, Operations and Finance, has repeated the message.

In front of the Faculty Senate on Oct. 19 , Caboni commanded the room, once again retorting, “We do not have a budget crisis, okay?” He provided a statement regarding salary increases, as well as answered a few written questions.

At the same time, several top administrators are receiving large pay increases – ranging from an $11,160.72 increase for Howarth to a $37,452.80 raise for Terrance Brown, dean of the Potter College of Arts and Letters – while most other university employees were set to receive only a 1% pay raise.

Over the last year, the United States has seen high rates of inflation, impacting the prices of anything and everything on the market. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, consumer prices rose 3.2% from July 2022 to July 2023. This is on top of the inflation levels that reached 8% during 2022.

Obviously, the faculty and staff members receiving raises cannot be cherry-picked; employees across the board should receive a raise because of current economic conditions. With the rise in inflation hitting everyone on this campus, a small raise such as 1% for

34

most is creating a system of haves and have nots. And, intentionally or not, that creates an atmosphere that devalues the work done in the classrooms and in department offices across campus.

What does this mean? Quite plainly, a 1% raise for faculty and staff while those on top see much more substantial raises is a slap in the face.

In 2021, the Board of Regents approved a new base salary of $450,000 for Caboni, an increase from his starting salary of $416,016. At this same meeting, regents approved a 10% performance-based bonus for Caboni each year, as well as a deferred compensation plan that will be available to the president in full should he stay at the university through June 30, 2025.

Caboni’s salary currently sits at $468,180, according to the 2023-2024 WKU budgeted salary information.

Caboni told the Faculty Senate that he is feeling the struggle of inflation, too, and that he understands the struggles of a 1% raise. However, a 1% raise for his position equates to $4,681.80.

This is in comparison to the 1,547 full-time faculty and staff employed

by WKU who are making less than $100,000 annually and will receive a pay raise of less than $1,000.

Like other university presidents, Caboni’s home, car and utilities are provided for him, meaning he does not have to budget this out of his salary.

Faculty and staff, however, feel this every month when they have to pay these expenses.

Factoring in taxes and increased

PHOTO BY EMILEE ARNOLD WKU president Timothy Caboni discusses budget overspending at a faculty senate meeting on Oct. 19. He discussed the $11 million overspend from last year, faculty and staff compensation and answered written faculty questions.

health insurance premiums mean that by the time faculty and staff receive these raises, they may have enough extra money left over for a cup of coffee.

Maybe.

On the other hand, WKU’s top paid leaders will be measurably better off, because after these deductions, they will still receive significantly more than the year prior.

This points to the central problem – a fundamental disconnect between top administrators and faculty and staff who are in the classroom and offices each and every day.

Aside from the sting of low salary increases for most WKU faculty, there are also plans to solve the “overspending problem.” Caboni has asked all the university’s departments to spend only 90% of their budgets this year. He told the Staff Senate and Faculty Senate that this is not a cut, it is “actually just managing our money well.”

During Caboni’s tenure, the year

that came closest to his 90% spending target was fiscal year 2021, the year after the onset of COVID-19, in which spending was tightly controlled and came in at 91% of revenue.

In last year’s “spending issue,” the largest area in the university budget, Academic Affairs, did not overspend its budget. Yet Academic Affairs is being subjected to Caboni’s 90% target.

Have some areas of the university been spending extravagantly? Clearly.

But to impose budget restrictions upon everyone, including Academic Affairs, simply is not fair. Those who overspent should be those reined in.

Statistics and charts provided by the university and published by the Herald on Oct. 12 break down over $8.3 million in overspending into areas including athletics, “physical plant and IT software related maintenance,” utilities and more.

Several of these expenditures – $4.017 million – fall under the purview

35

of WKU’s Division of Strategy, Operations and Finance. This means about 36% of WKU’s overspending was in Howarth’s division.

She is receiving a raise of $11,161, setting her pay at $270,000. To outsiders, this looks like a reward for overseeing areas that were the source of a significant portion of WKU’s overspending last year.

The remainder of the overspend was attributed to the division of Enrollment and Student Experience ($740,000), one-time payments to eligible employees ($1,100,000) and to WKU Athletics ($1,770,000). The remaining amount, $2.67 million, is attributable to other “unbudgeted campuswide inflationary costs,” according to Renaldo Domoney, WKU’s assistant vice president for budget, finance and analytics.

As expected, high inflation had an impact on department expenditures, which helps to explain the overspend, and the university is now monitoring

monthly to ensure an overspend does not happen again.

It also cannot be ignored that WKU has received less and less funding from the Kentucky General Assembly over the last several years. During the last budget session in 2022, WKU saw no base funding increase from the legislature, only asset preservation and performance-based funding. This is not the administration’s fault, and is no doubt a factor as to why more significant, acrossthe-board raises have not been granted.

What new funding the legislature has provided in recent years has been for specific purposes, such as performance funding, and not for general operations of Kentucky’s public universities. As a result of this targeted funding, combined with enrollment declines, WKU has been forced to cut, trim and adjust its budget for more than a decade now.

But that’s no excuse for spending $11 million more than the revenue WKU generated in fiscal year 2023. And it is no reason to punish everyone for the overspending that occurred in specific areas of the university.

In his Faculty and Staff Senate appearances, explaining his desire for various WKU’s departments to curb their spending below budgeted levels, Caboni did not accept responsibility for the overspending. Some of those who participated in these meetings felt he talked down to faculty and staff.

We agree.

At the Faculty Senate meeting, Caboni consistently removed any responsibility from himself, placing it on the deans and anyone else with an ounce of financial control. Over and over, he explained to those present the principles of good budgeting. At the end of his remarks, Caboni told the faculty that “you all have ultimate authority over our academic programs. What are you doing as an organization to push deans and faculty to think about it?”

Members of the Faculty Senate asked Caboni for the budget so they can examine it for themselves. Caboni dismissed this, saying “you wouldn’t understand it” and that faculty should instead “… trust your budget folks, trust your dean, trust your department chairs.”

His words stung, some who participated in the meeting remarked. In the Zoom chat room for the meeting, one

faculty member commented: “That was insulting.” Another said: “If faculty talked to students the way the president talks to faculty…”

Caboni’s consistent choices in demeanor and rhetoric are striking.

Leadership of an institution such as WKU should be collaborative. It is imperative that faculty be encouraged to have a stake in the university and its governance, yet Caboni is insisting they possess blind faith in a system he heads.

Choosing such rhetoric displays an unsettling detachment from faculty. If the administration truly understood the faculty’s concerns, they would accept responsibility to respond in a transparent, straightforward and respectful way.

Instead, leadership continues to work as if nothing is wrong and that faculty concerns only harm the university.

Susan Eagle, public health professor and chair of Faculty Senate, said at the meeting: “Faculty working conditions are student learning conditions.”

This couldn’t be closer to the truth.

While the university’s goals are to prepare students for adult life and successful careers, the backbone of this mission is the faculty and staff. Because of their work, students are able to develop as human beings and discover themselves.

When faculty are not properly compensated for their work and administrators receive substantial raises amid directives to cut spending, it signals a lack of appreciation from leadership.

That can translate into a lack of desire to do the work. Faculty and staff are human beings with needs that must be

36

fulfilled, and they deserve to know they are valued.

We, the members of the College Heights Herald Editorial Board, present this piece not out of vindictiveness but love for this university and the faculty and staff we learn from and work with every single day. This board represents a wide swath of campus – we are involved in many different organizations up and down the Hill, we come from many different colleges and we wish to see WKU thrive.

We recognize that while we don’t fully understand the complexities of a nearly $400 million budget, we see the value of the faculty we learn from. We stand by them.

They deserve to know that the administration values them as much as we value them and that every single person in the WKU community is grateful for the work that they do.

We understand that talking down to faculty and staff members and forcing their compliance is not good leadership. We also understand fairness, and penalizing areas that didn’t overspend is not fair.

As college students, we do not wish to tell the administration how to do their jobs. But there are issues here, with overspending by some areas and undercompensating faculty and staff. The administration’s choice of how to deal with both has been insulting and unfair.

If you would like to submit a reaction to this editorial, a Letter to the Editor or other submission, please send it to herald.opinion@wku.edu or to wkuheraldeic@gmail.com.

Homecoming Shake

Happy Homecoming from BG Shakery!

Come Celebrate With Us!

www.bgshakery.com @bgshakery BGShakery @BGShakery

City of BG HOME OF

bgkydowntown.org

Homecoming Shakes

Valid 11/10-11/12 2023

2800 Scottsville Road | (309) 270-5677

HOMECOMING PARADE ROUTE This parade route is different from previous years.

Parade lineup begins along Avenue of Champions near Cherry Hall marked by a red star.

Lineup travels down College Street to Fountain Square Park marked in blue.

Parade will end at the intersection of College Street and East Main Ave marked by a red star.

Floats will turn left on East Main Ave. Floats will then turn left on Adams Street to return to campus.

Participants will remain in the park for the following pep rally.

CONGRATULATIONS!

WKU’s College Heights Herald won TWO national Pacemaker Awards, the highest honor in college media and our version of a national championship. The Multiplatform Pacemaker judges the Herald’s work across print, online, newsletter, social media, audio and video. The Innovation Pacemaker honored a project exploring Bowling Green’s refugee community, an effort that included student media at Ball State University.

The Herald also was a finalist for the Newsmagazine Pacemaker and the Online Pacemaker.

38

EMPOWERING CREATIVE AND CRITICAL THINKERS.

TAILGATE WITH US!

NOVEMBER 11TH, 2023 | 11:30am - 2:00pm at the Ogden College tent on WKU South Lawn www.wku.edu/ogden

BE A VOTER. VOTE FOR ANDY.

Ky democratic party

VOTE ON ELECTION DAY:

NOV 7, 2023

IWILLVOTE.COM/KY

Paid for by the Kentucky Democratic Party | PO Box 694 Frankfort, KY 40602