“SANTOS Skin to Skin” is a documentary about the life and music of John Santos, a seven-time Grammy-winning musician, teacher and activist. Santos specializes in jazz and traditional Afro-Latin drumming. 

The film’s director, producer and editor, Kathryn Golden, and the director of photography and producer, Ashley James, said that being from the Bay Area in California, they have also been aware of Santos’ work. 

The pair said they had never considered making a documentary on Santos until their friend suggested it. 

“It’s sort of like you’re in the forest and don’t see the trees. But here was the tree right in front of us,” James said.

The movie follows Santos’s life. He grew up in San Francisco and was exposed to music at an early age through his grandparents, who were musicians on both his mother’s and father’s sides. 

Santos in the film explains how it is important for him to educate people as well as entertain them. The film shows him teaching classes or talking between songs in concert on the history of drum rhythm. 

Santos said in the film that drumming came to America from Africa, blending with the newly emerging Latin culture.

Golden said it was Santos’ explanation of the history and migration of drumming that sparked her inspiration. 

“He was describing the migration of rhythms and how while he was talking, I started imagining like the map of the world just completely differently than any map I’d ever seen before,” Golden said

The film shows that Santos often uses his heritage and drumming to be a voice for social change.

In the film, Santos protests the removal of Latin Jazz as a category from the Grammys, getting the genre reinstated after fighting for over a year.

The film covers Santos’ development in the music world as well as his family life. A major beat of the film was spent on the premature death of Santos’ first daughter who passed a month after birth.

Golden said that Santos originally did not want to speak about the death of his daughter. However, over the film’s nine-year production, Golden said, the relationship she and Santos built allowed him to open up about his experience.

“It was that it just took time to earn trust so that John [Santos] and Aida [Santos’ wife] felt comfortable going near that subject with us on camera,” said Golden.

Reflecting on the film James said he believes he has “the greatest job in the world.” He said that in his own way, he can change people’s lives for the better and he believes this film has accomplished that.

News Reporter Anthony Clauson can be reached at anthony.clauson994@topper.wku.edu.

The forum was moderated by Bowling Green Daily News’ Managing Editor Wes Swietek.

Swietek said moderating forums such as the mayoral one is part of the Daily News’ 150-year-old mission of providing information to Bowling Green.

“I think it’s just an opportunity for the voters to see the people, the candidates, in person, hear their responses to questions that are pertinent to the community,” said Swietek.

Both candidates had two minutes to provide opening and closing statements and three minutes to respond to each question asked by the moderator.

In opening statements, Minter spoke first and promised to, “lead by listening,” and highlighted her past work with Governor Andy Beshear during her time as a member of the Kentucky House of Representatives.

Minter said the ultimate decision was between, “a politician who caters to insiders or a mayor who fights for us.”

Alcott’s opening statements focused on the work he’s done since his election as mayor in 2020.

“We’ve come through a lot the past few years. Come through COVID We’ve come through mask mandates. We’ve come through tragedies. We’ve come to tornadoes,” said Alcott.

Alcott also worked to distinguish himself as a leader, claiming Minter was an “activist.” Alcott said a leader gets fired if they make a mistake while an activist blames others.

When asked by the moderator what they believed the most pressing issue in Bowling Green is, both candidates pointed to infrastructural issues.

Minter said the biggest infrastructure issues in Bowling Green relate to housing and traffic. 

“The housing plan tells us that we needed to be adding 3000 units of housing in order to keep up with the pace for what we’ll need by 2025,” Minter said.

Minter said her housing plan would involve applying for grants from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. She also said she would work with organizations such as Habitat for Humanity and the Homeless and Housing Coalition. 

Minter also said multiple citizens have complained about the traffic in Bowling Green. Specific complaints have been about traffic jams on main roads, such as Scottsville Road and Nashville Road, and unsafe roads through neighborhoods and near the 31-W bypass.

Alcott said that housing and traffic have gotten better under his mayorship. 

“I have worked hard for affordable housing. I work hard to get a homeless center. We have worked hard to build roads and to support police and to build new infrastructure.”

Alcott also said that as mayor he has expanded police infrastructure. “We have actually increased their [police] pay to 63k with benefits, and we have closed those 24 [vacant police] positions and then added 16 more positions on top.”

Minter said that during her time in the Kentucky House of Representatives, she also worked to better police pay and benefits.

“I prioritize paid high pay for state troopers and making sure that our first responders had mental health leave after a trauma panic event like our tornado,” said Minter

The topic of infrastructure led candidates to the topic of the tornado that touched down across Bowling Green, in December 2021. 

Minter leveled accusations against Mayor Alcott saying that while she was working with the state legislature she was unable to contact him about financial aid efforts.

“I was not able to deal directly with the mayor during the tornado recovery, relief and recovery process, because you didn’t respond to my emails, and I had money that the governor had made available through the state fund,” said Minter.

In response, Alcott said, “When you’re answering about 30 texts and 30 conversations about every 30 minutes during the crisis, email is not a priority.”

To Alcott’s response, Minter pushed back and said that the funds she was referring to became available in March of 2022 after the initial crisis.

Swietek also asked the candidates how they plan to vote on Amendment 2, a constitutional amendment allowing laws to be passed to provide state funding to private schools.

Alcott answered, “I know personally what I’m gonna vote, and that’s between me, God and a voting booth.”

Minter said she would be voting no, claiming the amendment would defund schools and transfer wealth from poorer regions of Kentucky to the more wealthy ones.

“[Amendment 2] is just a transfer of wealth to Covington, Lexington and Louisville,” said Minter.

Candidates were asked to provide their thoughts on a Bowling Green “fairness ordinance.” Swietek said the ordinance is a proposed addition of sexual preference and gender identity protections to the city’s civil rights legislation. 

Alcott outlined a case between Lexington and a T-shirt company after the implementation of a fairness ordinance. Alcott claimed that this case cost the city of Lexington $500,000.

“It was unconstitutional because it was not fairness, it was critical and an illusion that lost their constitutional rights because of a city fairness ordinance,” said Alcott.

Minter said she was in support of a Bowling Green Fairness ordinance. She said that since 1999, 24 cities, towns and counties in Kentucky have implemented fairness ordinances with no issue.

Minter also told Alcott, “You don’t want to pass a fairness ordinance because you clearly don’t want to stop discrimination.”

The candidates concluded the forum with their closing remarks.

Alcott emphasized service to Bowling Green. “Serving this community has been the greatest experience of my life.”

Minter emphasized change and new ideas, “I’m offering a different path.”

News Reporter Anthony Clauson can be reached at anthony.clauson994@topper.wku.edu.

According to Honoring Our Heroes Inc. Executive Director Ron Cummings, Operation Anvil is the name given to the Allied invasion of southern Nazi-occupied France. The “Operation Anvil” reenactment showcased typical German Army fortifications and American invasion tactics.

The reenactment was hosted by Honoring Our Heroes Inc., a nonprofit organization originally founded by Cummings and five of his friends. Honoring Our Heroes’ goal is to celebrate and support veterans in the community, said Cummings.

Cummings said he was inspired to raise awareness for veterans after he saw how his father was treated after serving. 

“He served two tours in Vietnam and one tour in Korea, and I remember what it was like when he came home,” Cummings said. “They weren’t accepted. They were yelled at and spit on. It wasn’t popular.”

One of the members of the veterans ceremony, Robert H. Minton, was especially honored.

Minton is 102 years old and served in the South Pacific during World War II, working on airplanes for the Navy. While not being as well versed in Army operations in the European Theater, Minton said he thought the reenactment was, “pretty good.”

Reenactors played both the Allied and Axis powers. There were camps of American, British and German soldiers. 

The crowd sat in stands alongside German fortifications. American troops and three British soldiers aboard a Universal Carrier advanced on the fortification.

Both sides fired blank rounds out of fully authentic weapons. The German reenactors had one Universal Carrier. American and British reenactors drove several Universal Carriers, Jeeps and one M4 Sherman tank. Hand-to-hand combat was not allowed.

Reenactors “died” or became “injured” on an honor system. Once they were down they could be tended to by a medic.

The Allied forces won over the Germans pushing through all enemy fortifications. Once they were surrounded the remaining Germans were taken as prisoners of war and the reenactment concluded.

For some reenactors, events such as “Operation Anvil” are tradition and a point of lifetime legacy.

“Ever since I was a kid, I wanted to do stuff like this,” American infantry reenactor Michael Elliott said.“My father did it when I was a kid, he did Civil War, so I kind of grew up around it.”

Other reenactors had less experience. 15-year-old Nolen Fox joined the reenactment as a medic because he was too young to carry a weapon or drive the equipment.

British Universal Carrier driver Seth Deaton said, “I got divorced and had a midlife crisis. It was something I always wanted to do but didn’t have the time or funds to do it, and I suddenly did.”

To accurately portray a WWII battle in Europe there must be Nazi soldiers.

“The old adage goes, you can’t have Star Wars without Stormtroopers,” said Han Halas, a reenactor for the German infantry. 

“It’s not a political motive of any sort,” German motor pool reenactor Randy Smith told the Herald, “If you look around, you don’t see any brown shirts here or any people with flags flying. It’s strictly a hobby. Once you take the politics out of the hobby, it’s enjoyable at that point.”

In addition to veterans and reenactors, the event was attended by a crowd of onlookers. For some, this was their first reenactment while others had been attending for several years.

For several attendees, reenactments were a family affair. “My nana got me into it, but I’ve always liked the battles and the uniforms,” said 12-year-old Grayson Nichols.

The Herald’s photo gallery of the event can be found here.

News Reporter Anthony Clauson can be reached at anthony.clauson994@topper.wku.edu.

The WKU Student Voting Advocacy Committee formed this semester with the initiative of lobbying County Clerk Lynette Yates and the Warren County Board of Elections to establish a more accessible polling location for students. It sent a formal request to the board with signed support of 33 student organizations on Tuesday, Sept. 10.

Caden Lucas, a sophomore studying political science, legal studies and international affairs representing the WKU Pre-Law Student Association and Omicron Delta Kappa Honors Society, said “We were all approached by [Assistant Vice President for Student Engagement and Executive Director of WKU Housing and Residential Life] Catherine LaRoche to basically form this committee to advocate for there to be a polling location added to Western’s campus.”

The committee’s letter stated that 2024 marks the first year since the 1980s that a polling location was not established near WKU’s campus and suggested the Raymond B. Preston Center as an ideal location for accessible voting.

This year, the closest polling stations, listed on the Kentucky State Board of Elections website, are First Baptist Church and Warren Central High School, both a 40-minute walk round trip from campus. 

“The Preston Center is our preferred location due to its central position on campus, ample parking, and overall facilities,” the committee stated in its request.

The committee cites a survey by the Herald stating that 91% of students would prefer an on-campus polling location. It also provided statistics from Democracy Counts 2020 stating an increase in voter turnout from 52% in 2016 to 66% in 2020.

An informal 2022 poll by the Herald showed 89% of respondents supported having a voting location on WKU’s campus.

The committee also included information on student involvement in events like presidential debate watch parties and voter tabling events. The letter ended with student testimonies detailing how going home to vote is not a feasible option and its desire for students to be part of the democratic process.

A letter from County Clerk Yates was sent to the committee on Sept. 16. rejecting the committee’s request based on the lack of public parking, the forced closure of the Preston Center and the low number of registered student voters. 

Members of the WKU Student Voting Advocacy Committee disagreed with Yates’ arguments and, upon the rejection, sent an appeal to the Kentucky State Board of Elections the same day.

In an interview with the Herald, Ian White, a junior agriculture major, addressed the board’s concern with parking. 

“We’ve been working with Parking and Transportation, and they have guaranteed that if this were to come into effect, that we would have public parking at Preston Center,” White said. 

Regarding the closure of the Preston Center, the committee wrote to the state board that, “The Preston Center seemed eager to assist with getting this location added and was willing to comply with the required regulations.”

Yates stated in the letter that only 514 students living in residence halls were registered to vote, to which Lucas said the committee refuted. 

“That is still 500 voters that you have a responsibility of ensuring that they have the access to vote, but then also a way larger majority of WKU students live off campus, and they were not accounted for in that number whatsoever,” said Lucas.

Lucas continued by saying that the majority of off-campus housing is still within close proximity to WKU and that a polling location at the Preston Center would be the best option for students living in off-campus housing. 

Donte Reed, a senior biology major representing the Student Government Association, also said Yates’ count doesn’t include the number of students who haven’t yet registered to vote.

The committee members told the Herald that the Kentucky State Board of Elections was very supportive of their cause but did not have the authority to overturn the decision of the local board of election fully. Instead, the state board was able to submit the committee’s request to a state board staff committee.

The state board staff committee’s job was to review the Warren County voting plan. If the state board staff committee found a deficiency could be found within the current voting plan then they “disprove” the current voting plan.

Upon a disproval, everything would be sent back to County Clerk Yates. Yates could then consider the WKU Student Voting Committee’s proposal.

On Wednesday, Sept. 25, the WKU Student Voting Committee received a letter from the State Board of Elections’ director Karen Sellers, stating that the current Warren County voting plan did not meet the requirements for disproval. 

“There is nothing that suggests any circumstance from July 16th to September 17th created a situation in which the Warren County plan became one in which not enough voting locations were offered to the residents of Warren County or that the previously approved plan has now become unacceptable in quality,” Sellers’ letter stated, 

With no change to the voting plan deemed necessary, there will be no further reviews of the WKU Student Voting Committee’s request for a polling location on campus.

News Reporter Anthony Clauson can be reached at anthony.clauson994@topper.wku.edu. 

O’Connell, a Louisville native, is best known for his stunt double roles as Heavy Mandalorian and Darth Vader in the “Star Wars” franchise.

As stated on its website, Kentucky to the World is a non-profit organization that displays Kentucky’s cultural and intellectual wealth to the world. 

O’Connell told stories of his life from his childhood in Kentucky to moving to Los Angeles and sharing the screen with Obi-Wan Kenobi. O’Connell said he used his life experience as a guide for success.

“I would say, be curious about new opportunities,” O’Connell said. Be curious about new ideas. Be curious about new things you might be able to learn in life.” 

He explained if he never had curiosity, he wouldn’t have taken his first stuntman role. O’Connell also explained certain morals he tries to take into his work. 

“I always say there’s three kinds of things that I always like to take with me into every job, and that’s work hard, be humble, and be kind,” O’Connell said.

He said these principles are rich in Kentucky, and his childhood in Louisville is where they were first instilled. O’Connell said if he never held those values, he would have never been called on for the role of Darth Vader.

O’Connell was first working his way into the stunt industry at the time of filming for “Bullet to the Head” starring Sylvester Stallone and Jason Momoa. Even though he doesn’t look like  Momoa, O’Connell said he was called to be a stand-in while mapping out a fight scene between Stallone’s and Momoa’s characters.

“At the time, they just needed somebody tall, and because I was tall and I had athletic ability, and they had worked with me before, and they liked me enough to keep me around,” O’Connell said.

The stunt-man who stood in for Stallone was hired to the early stages of “Obi-Wan Kenobi” ten years later. The actor for Darth Vader needed to be someone tall and with stunt experience. 

“There’s only so many tall people in the stunt industry, there’s five to 10 maybe,” O’Connell said.

Of those few tall stuntmen, O’Connell said he stood out because of the connection and positive work experience he had made with members of the Kenobi team. Thanks to those positive connections, O’Connell was able to bring Darth Vader to life, he said.

News Reporter Anthony Clauson can be reached at anthony.clauson994@topper.wku.edu. 

Patti Minter, a candidate for Bowling Green mayor and WKU history professor,  hosted a fundraising event Monday night at OneRoof Event Space. 

Minter spoke to supporters about her bid for mayor alongside Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear. Together, they worked to rally support, funds and encouraged voters to spread the word in the campaign.

Among his praises of Minter, Beshear said, “She’s a leader and she’s been a leader on policy, she understands Frankfort in ways that few mayors do.”

Minter touched on topics of public safety, inclusion and “smart growth” during her speech. She referenced her time as a member of the General Assembly representing Bowling Green as a way of proving her dedication to the community.

“I was honored as a state representative to vote for legislation to raise the pay for State Troopers,” Minter said during her speech “I was proud to co-sponsor and vote for a bill to give mental health leave to our first responders and police after a traumatic event.”

Minter and Beshear expressed that WKU and Bowling Green alike need to work hard in order to be welcoming places for all people. Minter said that under her leadership, a diverse and inclusive Bowling Green is an obtainable goal.

“When we elect people that care when they’re not just strong and tough like Patti is, but when they have empathy,” Beshear said in his speech. “When they truly care about their fellow human being, that’s when you see great things happen.”

“Patti supports everyone,” Beshear later said during an interview with the Herald. “She supports equal rights for everyone.” 

Minter’s stance on inclusivity was an important sentiment among her supporters at the fundraiser. Several of the attendees found policies surrounding diversity to be a major reason for their backing of Minter.

“She’s just very inclusive and that’s one of the main reasons that I love her,” Lu Meh, a sophomore double majoring in legal studies and criminology double major, said. “She’s not just thinking of the majority, she’s also thinking of everyone who isn’t always considered.”

A major point of the night was Bowling Green’s infrastructure and Minter’s plan for what she calls “smart growth.”

“We have to create more affordable housing for students,” Minter said, insisting that through her work both at WKU and within the community, she knows how to organize infrastructural changes.

On this point, Governor Andy Beshear said, “We need to be taking advantage of economic development, and we’ve got to be welcoming to the entire rest of the world.”

Minter also used “smart growth” as an example of her opponent’s shortcomings.  Minter accused Todd Alcott of taking large donations from real estate developers in exchange for favors within City Hall. 

“My opponent is out-raising us with money from developers, from folks who want to make sure that their skin is in our game in City Hall,” Minter said. “I’m not a good ol’ boy and I am not in anybody’s pocket.”

During an interview with the Herald, Minter explained more the distinction of not being a “good ol’ boy” while still being a team player and said, “I’m ready to listen and learn.”

Governor Andy Beshear echoed this point, “She’s had to work with different parties. She’s had that training and she’s ready to put it to work. “

Minter also outlined how there are several government grants that she wants to push Bowling Green to become eligible for. These grants require the addition of protections for sexual orientation and gender identity under Bowling Green’s already existing non-discrimination ordinance. According to Minter, simply four words and a comma would provide the city of Bowling Green with more money to put toward affordable and available housing developments

Aside from political allies, Minter garnered a great deal of praise from her supporters in attendance. Votes were won for reasons as simple as “she’s a Democrat,” from supporter Samir Rastoder, 53.

Other supporters such as Lee Coleman, 68, have followed Patti Minter throughout multiple public offices.

“I followed what she did as working with the state as a representative and thought she’s done a good job,” Coleman said.

Lee Coleman continued, “I know she’s a good person and she’s looking the best for Kentucky.”

News Reporter Anthony Clauson can be reached at anthony.clauson994@topper.wku.edu. 

Along with the WCPL, “Kinda Spoopy” was presented by “Kiiinda Spoopy III,” an annual music festival in Adams, Tennesse, that celebrates all things creepy. 

The night’s showing had a lineup of six short films including “A Bone to Chew,” “ADAM2,” “Need A Light,” “The Hobbyist,” “Under My Skin,” “A Nightcare on Elm Street” and one feature-length movie, “Massacre at Femur Creek”. 

The “Kiiinda Spoopy” website states that “Sitting in between horror and humor, fun and fear…there sits a space in perfect balance of all things Halloweeny.” For this reason, many of the films chosen for the film festival were intentionally silly or bad.

“I think the nice thing about horror is you can like it if it’s really good, you can like it if it’s really bad,” event organizer Nate Morguelan said.

The festival also showcased a wide array of unique narratives in the films chosen.

“Watching horror movies, there’s so many different stories you can tell, it’s not just guts and gore and blood,” Amarah Pryor-Wells, a freshman film major said. “You can actually have like subtext and things with it.”

Several attendees of “Kinda Spoopy” voiced their appreciation for the diversity of stories and the platform given to films made outside of a Hollywood studio. Moviegoers emphasized the importance of independent filmmaking and its unique creative abilities.

“Mainstream Hollywood has to appeal to everybody, right?” Gatlin Milam, an attendee of the event, said. “The indie horror film scene is just raw. It’s just got a different feel to it.”

An overall sense of community was something several moviegoers noted about the night. 

“Once you get into the [indie horror film] community, it’s all just a bunch of really cool, fun people who want to share their interests,” attendee Kendall Hughey said.

Festivalgoers expressed a strong sense of camaraderie among everyone in the theater. Several attendees repeated similar sentiments of being part of a “tight-knit” and “diverse” group centered around horror.

“I just love how welcoming the community is to different kinds of people,” Lilly McGill, 17, an attendee of the event, said.

News Reporter Anthony Clauson can be reached at anthony.clauson994@topper.wku.edu. 

“Family Tree” is a documentary on sustainable forestry practices in North Carolina. The film follows the life of two African-American families, living on their ancestral farms as they work to create viable but profitable forests while navigating sensitive interpersonal dynamics.

Jennifer MacArthur, the film’s director, described “Family Tree” as “a family dramedy” and “a way to make sustainability real, and something for any regular person to understand.”

“That was really important to me,” MacArthur said. ”Showing a sense of hope for the future and giving people ways into the conversation about climate change.”

Beyond fighting the current climate crisis, the film makes clear that the Jefferies and the Williamses are taking part in more than just the conservation of the environment. Both families live in their generational homes and are working to conserve their legacy. The film shows that both families are proud of their roots and love one another, even if they don’t always see eye to eye.

“Family Tree” hones in on the family dramedy and aspects of legacy using these narrative focal points to explore the lives of the rural Black population in a way not commonly shown in the larger zeitgeist of media.

“I think modern media falls short just even telling the story,” MacArthur said.“Black rural people don’t even exist in the public consciousness and the public discourse and the media.”

The audience was engaged as they viewed the families’ perspectives, switching from hearty laughter to sober silence repeatedly as the struggles, triumphs and witty remarks flowed out of the families onto the big screen.

“I really, really liked the film,” Reed Williams, theater major said.“My family is full of Black farmers so it was kinda more close to home a bit.”

News Reporter Anthony Clauson can be reached at anthony.clauson994@topper.wku.edu.