Kaylee Hawkins – WKUHerald.com

WKU Theatre & Dance to present ‘Alice by Heart’

Kaylee Hawkins, News Reporter — Thu, 26 Sep 2024 21:25:38 +0000

WKU Theatre & Dance will present its new show ‘Alice by Heart,’ beginning Saturday, Sept. 28, until Wednesday, October 2 in Russell Miller Theatre.

The show is based on the book of the same title written by Steven Sater and Jessie Nelson with music by Duncan Sheik and lyrics by Steven Sater.

According to lead actress Hanneh Kevorkian, senior performing arts major with a focus in musical theatre, the show follows a girl named Alice Spencer through her journey of attempting to save her childhood best friend by bringing themselves into the world of her favorite children’s book, “The Adventures of Alice in Wonderland.”

“This story is deeply rooted in the theme of acceptance, love, life and hope,” Kevorkian said.

Kevorkian is starring alongside her childhood best friend, Carter Luke, in a tale of hardship and perseverance.

“Being able to portray childhood best friends as childhood best friends has been incredibly special and has definitely deepened the connection between these characters,” Kevorkian said.

Tickets are on sale now on the Fine Arts Box Office page, with tickets being $21 for adults and $16 for seniors, 62+, and students. The show is recommended for ages 16 and up. Sunday’s show will begin at 2 p.m. with the others beginning at 7:30 p.m.

“This show invites the audience to join Alice in finding the hope where it seems there is none,” Kevorkian said.

News Reporter Kaylee Hawkins can be reached at kaylee.hawkins407@topper.wku.edu.

WKU Office of Sustainability, WKU Restaurant Group to host Market on the Avenue

Kaylee Hawkins, News Reporter — Wed, 28 Aug 2024 02:20:27 +0000

The WKU Office of Sustainability and WKU Restaurant Group will host the first Market on the Avenue of the academic year on Wednesday, Aug. 28.

There will be 16 vendors set up at the event including Big Poppa’s Popcorn, Bluegrass Blueberries, Dead Nettle Creek, Gone Nuts, Green Earth Stones, Happy Hen Bakery, Hilltopper Nutrition, Kanbol Corn Containers, Office of Sustainability, Resin.ate, River Bend Blooms, Runaway Love, Starry Eyed Seraphine, Vette City Vintage, Walnut Bluff Farm and the WKU Restaurant Group.

There will also be food trucks at the event including Que Pasa Tacos, A Taste of Europe, Rita’s Italian Ice & Frozen Custard and Groovy Gus Mini Donuts.

Students looking for new food, jewelry, or local vendors to discover, can visit the event in Centennial Plaza from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

News Reporter Kaylee Hawkins can be reached at kaylee.hawkins407@topper.wku.edu.

‘Just keep going and don’t give up’: student business owners share experiences

Kaylee Hawkins, News Reporter — Wed, 01 May 2024 19:07:44 +0000

College students are no strangers to learning how to make a living and pay for expenses in creative ways. With the cost of attending a university rising, many have had to find new ways to keep themselves afloat.

For some, this is starting their own businesses, learning how to balance school work and keeping their business in line with competition.

Gatara Townsend, a WKU social work graduate student, has had a different approach to starting her own business by creating “Lavouss’ Cowgirl Kitchen,” selling home-cooked meals and desserts.

Townsend’s mom passed away in 2016. She said cooking has helped her to feel closer to her mother’s spirit, with the name of her business being her mother’s middle name.

Launching her business in 2020 helped her bring in a little bit of extra income.

“It has its challenges but I feel like I’ve started to find my balance,” Townsend said. “I had to manage my time correctly because I know this is something that I love to do.”

When business is slow, Townsend pushes herself to realize that all of the hard work is going to pay off.

“Do I get discouraged? Yes … but I know that what’s for me is for me and it’s going to thrive,” Townsend said.

Her advice to others looking to start their own business is to pray on it if you’re religious, be willing to go through the challenges of having no orders and be willing to start from nothing.

The most difficult part for Townsend, however, has been getting new customers on campus and finding new ways to put herself out there.

“When people order from me, I hope that they get the sense of love that I put into my food, the sense of home because I cook a lot of soul food … being able to have the opportunity to eat something and it bring back a good memory or create a good memory,” Townsend said.

Townsend’s menu changes every week, and prospective buyers can find her menu and order from her on Instagram @lavousscowgirlkitchen.

Similar to Townsend, freshman elementary education major Abigail Wurtman began her business with inspiration from family.

She was 13 when she started “Made with Grace,” selling T-shirts, car air fresheners, ornaments and small hand made gifts.

“I would say that my aunt was a big part [of starting my business] because she has a small business as well and I saw her really take off with that,” Wurtman said.

As Wurtman began making small gifts for family and friends and selling online, she realized she could begin to branch out and make a profit.

Her business has now made over 1,000 sales in the five years she has been a business owner. Wurtman has now begun to partner with other shops to have her items available straight off the rack.

“I’m in a shop in Munfordville, Kentucky, but I’m working on getting into more places around the area that I live in Hart County,” Wurtman said.

For Wurtman, the experience of running a business as a full-time student has not only been successful, but overwhelming.

“I would say the experience sometimes is very overwhelming, but it’s also relieving because it is one of my hobbies and it’s nice to come home and know that I’m not worrying about school work and I’m just focusing on making money and doing something I enjoy,” Wurtman said.

While running a small business can be rewarding and help students make a profit, business can sometimes become slow, making it difficult to maintain drive and focus.

“The thing that encouraged me most is my family members just telling me to keep going and then having a few followers on Facebook that stay liking my page and continue ordering,” Wurtman said.

The original startup of her business, however, was one of the most difficult parts of becoming a small business owner.

“You have to buy your vinyl or your blanks and all of that and those things can add up if you’re not getting paid upfront,” Wurtman said.

Wurtman’s best piece of advice to anyone looking to start a business is to just do it.

“If you have the will then you can get at least a few sales and if you push it out there enough then you’ll get more,” Wurtman said.

To order from “Made with Grace,” those interested can find her shop on Facebook @Made with Grace where she will also be posting updates about her upcoming website.

Freshman Andrew Garrett owns a clothing brand called “Criminally Influential.” “I started my brand a random day in April of 2023,” Garrett said. “…Because reselling sneakers and reselling as a whole was dying I decided to just make a random design and tried to make a T-shirt out of it.” Photographed at Remix Shoe Store in the Greenwood Mall on March 29. (Dominic Di Palermo)

Freshman strategic marketing major Andrew Garrett began his clothing business “Criminally Influential” in April 2023 when he was 17, but just like Wurtman, business has been a part of his life for a long time.

He began by selling various gaming accounts, sports cards and reselling shoes, but “Criminally Influential” was a way to express his love for clothing, creating the slogan “for those who want to take the next step.”

Since Garrett began his business during his senior year of high school, it gave him experience dealing with stress, but moving to college created a different sort of challenge.

“Balancing that and school has been hard but at the same time it feels very rewarding because it gives me a scapegoat,” Garrett said.

His business allows Garrett to always make some kind of money, but growing online has been difficult for him.

“The problem is, growing online is extremely hard. I think combined on all accounts there’s maybe 500, 600 followers… it’s not easy, but I think I upload a decent amount,” Garrett said.

Luckily for him, he was able to make a connection to a local store to help get his products and name out.

“I made a connection back in December of 2022 when I was selling shoes that was with Remix BG and that’s Remix Shoe Store in the Greenwood Mall … when I first started it, I remember I did a local drop, I went in there and showed it to him and I asked what they thought and they said the quality needed to be upped,” Garrett said.

After making a few changes to his product, he signed a contract with Remix which allowed him to have his clothing in a well-known shop.

“Growing a brand or anything like a business is a process,” Garrett said. “It’s a big process and that’s what I’ve told myself and everyone’s told me, it’s a process and processes aren’t quick usually.”

Garrett’s advice to others starting a business is to keep going because it isn’t going to be easy.

“Plenty of people have done it without a retail store to put their stuff in,” Garrett said. “So it’s definitely possible, keep grinding to make good stuff and post everywhere. Any type of exposure you can get whether it be Reddit, X, YouTube, Instagram, TikTok or even a flea market, try to sell stuff.”

To order from “Criminally Influential,” those interested can go to criminallyinfluential.com

In contrast to that, sophomore mechanical engineering major Micah Poole has used their business to combat a specific need on WKU’s campus.

Poole began their business “Salon de Micah” to provide protective hairstyles and hair services to individuals in the Black community.

“I know me personally when it comes to my hair, it’s so easy for me to change it because I do hair by myself,” Poole said.

“I know at least on a college campus, especially within a PWI [predominately white institution], we don’t have that at least in our space of people that know how to take care of our hair.”

Poole wanted to be there for the WKU community, take care of all types of hairstyles, textures, and choices and create a safe space for the LGBTQ+ community.

Being a member of the WKU Forensics team has allowed Poole to learn to balance their own schedule. This gave them a way to learn to set up a schedule in a very specific way.

“A lot of my clients are part of the LGBTQ+ community, and I guess just being that safe space for them, because I like to call my dorm the ‘safe space,’ and just wanting to be there for people… Just being that space for them really helps me to continue to do hair,” Poole said.

The most difficult part for Poole has been making sure that their time is respected and knows that if their time is respected, they will respect others.

To learn more about “Salon de Micah” or to make an appointment those interested can go to @micah.part2 or message them on Snapchat @micah_poole1.

Similarly to Poole, many other small business owners have worked to combat prices, sales and environments of large businesses.

Freshman Brittiny Sadler does nails out of her dorm room as a way to make extra money. “I enjoy doing nails because I love seeing how I can create art from start to finish and literally making something out of nothing,” Sadler said. “I love the bonds I create with my clients. Being home based allows a more intimate experience and I just love welcoming people into a comfortable space filled with good vibes.” Photographed in her dorm room on March 30. (Dominic Di Palermo)

Brittiny Sadler, freshman forensic psychology major, created her business “Nailed by Britt” in December 2021 after being tired of the high prices of nail shops.

Sadler has enjoyed the experience of being a business owner as a full-time college student but admitted that it can be difficult with people who don’t like the business and competition.

“I try to uplift everyone because I’m not the only person who does nails, but we can work together as a team … I’ve also enjoyed how I’m able to have my own schedule,” Sadler said. “I’m my own boss, got my own uniform and have time to meet people around campus just by doing their nails.”

When business is slow for Sadler, she is encouraged by looking at her page and seeing how she has improved from the beginning of her business.

However, doing nails requires a large amount of chemicals which has allowed complaints to arise for Sadler.

“I just try my best to eliminate the smell,” Sadler said. “I even change my products, making sure that it’s still healthy for my client but I’m trying to satisfy everyone.”

To book appointments with “Nailed by Britt” those interested can text Sadler’s personal number 502- 716-9005 or through her Instagram nail page @nailedbybritt_

“Don’t let anyone stop you and perfect your craft,” Sadler said. “Just keep going and don’t give up because if you give up then you just have to keep starting fresh.”

News Reporter Kaylee Hawkins can be reached at kaylee.hawkins407@topper.wku.edu.

WKU Libraries to host finals week festivities

Kaylee Hawkins, News Reporter — Mon, 29 Apr 2024 16:55:22 +0000

If students are looking for somewhere to destress and relax because of final exams, WKU Libraries will be holding events and offering services to students during finals week.

According to the WKU Libraries Instagram, “We know the end of the semester is stressful! Next week take a study break, grab a snack, and destress with #WKULibraries.”

If students need a quiet place to study, The Commons will have open study space in room 3002/3008 with markers and whiteboards for students to use at their discretion. This will be open on Monday, April 29, from 2:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m.

Along with being a quiet place to study, there will also be water balloon dodgeball on Tuesday, April 30, from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. located in the Ivan Wilson Fine Arts Center courtyard.

Following water balloon fun, “Mario Kart Nite” will be held in The Commons in room 3002/3008 from 6 to 10 p.m.

Students can also stop by Raymond Cravens Library or The Commons for popcorn from Regal Cinemas of Bowling Green all week long while supplies last.

For more information, students can contact the Cravens Library at 270-745-6125.

News Reporter Kaylee Hawkins can be reached at kaylee.hawkins407@topper.wku.edu.

WKU F1rst Gen hosts ‘F1rst Gen Win!’

Kaylee Hawkins, News Reporter — Thu, 25 Apr 2024 20:13:25 +0000

WKU’s F1rst Gen organization hosted their end-of-the-semester celebration, “F1rst Gen Win!” on Wednesday, April 24.

Cierra Waller, associate director of CITL, said F1rst Gen Win was about announcing scholarship winners, celebrating the end of the semester and first-generation college students’ wins.

Martha Onda, freshman nursing major, was in attendance and had just heard she received a scholarship from the organization.

“It made me feel so good, because I’m not going to lie, all the school fees and all that, the scholarship can help me to buy books,” Onda said. “I am able to do Big Red Backpack next semester without worrying about where I’m going to get the money from.”

Onda expressed her love for the F1rst Gen organization and how it has made her first year on the Hill one she could have only dreamed of.

After moving to Bowing Green in 2019 from Tanzania, Onda applied to WKU and attended an event F1rst Gen held in DSU where she was asked if she was a first-generation student.

“No one in their families ever graduated from any four-year university… the connection I first got there was ‘wow, I’m not alone in this,’” Onda said.

Onda recommended that any first-generation college student should consider joining WKU F1rst Gen.

F1rst Gen student ambassador Alyssa Fisk, junior social work major, is a first-generation college student herself, with a goal of helping other first-generation students not feel alone.

“Being an ambassador just helps me be able to make connections with others as well as helping other incoming students make those connections,” Fisk said.

Fisk was in attendance at F1rst Gen Win and was able to help award a scholarship to Onda.

“We just awarded a scholarship to one of our participants who’s always coming to events. Being able to just see her reaction and the scholarship she won was really rewarding,” Fisk said.

Fisk hopes that more people will become familiar with F1rst Gen and hopes that it will become more widespread across WKU’s campus.

News Reporter Kaylee Hawkins can be reached at kaylee.hawkins407@topper.wku.edu.

WKU Fashion Inc. seeks donations for clothing drive

Kaylee Hawkins, News Reporter — Tue, 16 Apr 2024 16:46:55 +0000

WKU Fashion Inc. is holding a clothing drive from now until Wednesday, May 1.

Fashion Inc. is a student organization that promotes fashion awareness and interest in fashion careers throughout the campus and community, according to their Instagram.

Donations for the clothing drive may include gently used or new clothing, but no categories are specifically requested.

According to their Instagram, a drop-off box will be located in the Academic Complex applied human sciences department third-floor office.

According to the faculty advisor for the group, Seth Howard, the items will be donated to local organizations including Hope House and Refuge BG.

Hope House is an organization dedicated to “alleviat[ing] physical and spiritual poverty through gospel restoration,” according to their website.

Through being committed to the Bible, the gospel and holistic benevolence, they offer services including education, transportation, addiction recovery, workforce deployment and financial empowerment.

Refuge BG, according to their website, is a “locally founded and community driven non-profit that helps refugees thrive in their new home.”

They offer a multitude of opportunities including an English Academy, a Driving Academy, immigration document processing, work with occupations and recreation purposes by offering a community soccer league.

News Reporter Kaylee Hawkins can be reached at kaylee.hawkins407@topper.wku.edu.

Free testing to be offered for HIV & AIDS Awareness Day

Kaylee Hawkins, News Reporter — Tue, 09 Apr 2024 20:22:07 +0000

WKU’s Health Education and Promotion will be offering free HIV and AIDS testing on April 10 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The testing will be conducted by healthcare providers from Matthew 25 and the Barren River District Health Department in the Health Services Building, Suite 1064.

Upon arrival, students can enter the Health Services Building through the door that faces Peace Ford Tower and the First Year Village.

According to WKU’s website, the event will also help to count towards WellU Credit to move students closer to receiving scholarship money.

The benefits of testing include reducing the risk of transmitting the virus, alleviating stress and anxiety surrounding not knowing and can allow faster medical treatment if the test is positive.

The testing will be a short process with the rapid tests showing results within one minute, and the results will remain confidential.

If students are unsure if they should get tested they can take the HIV Risk Assessment here.

Students can sign up for testing on the Health Education and Promotion website.

News Reporter Kaylee Hawkins can be reached at kaylee.hawkins407@topper.wku.edu.

Queer Student Union to host ‘Whispers of the Garden’ prom

Kaylee Hawkins, News Reporter — Thu, 04 Apr 2024 19:41:26 +0000

The WKU Queer Student Union will be hosting their third annual queer prom on April 21 from 7 to 11 p.m in DSU room 3020.

Cassandra Wiley, junior double major in biology and the environmental, sustainability and geographic sciences program, is the QSU president and started the tradition in 2021 for LGBTQ+ students who were not able to attend their own high school proms.

This year’s theme is “Whispers of the Garden,” inspired by the “cottagecore” aesthetic, which according to Wiley, is “an aesthetic that lots of members in the LGBTQ+ community bond [over].”

The event does not have a formal dress code, making the event more accessible, and there is no entry fee, however, donations are accepted and encouraged.

The prom will be open to all WKU students and allows for them to have a plus-one. If they are not a WKU student, they must have a valid form of ID with them.

“This event serves to give members of the queer community the ‘universal experience’ of a traditional high school prom,” Wiley said.

Wiley hopes that the prom inspires students to get involved and hopes that students can see that anyone can establish a tradition.

“We have gotten funding from the Topper Pride Alumni Chapter (TPAC), the PCAL DEI committee and even donations from individuals. The people here at WKU want us to have what those before us could not have,” Wiley said.

Any student that is interested in helping with or attending queer prom is welcome to do so.

“At queer prom, you don’t have to feel like you’re looking over your shoulder if someone sees you being yourself,” Wiley said.

News Reporter Kaylee Hawkins can be reached at kaylee.hawkins407@topper.wku.edu.

AI’s Impacts on Blackboard Ultra

Kaylee Hawkins, News Reporter — Thu, 04 Apr 2024 15:22:13 +0000

Common classroom tools like Blackboard have begun to see a change with the recent rise and development of artificial intelligence.

Blackboard, powered by Anthology, is the “Learning Management System that allows students and instructors to interact on an online platform,” according to WKU’s website.

Blackboard as a whole has now begun transitioning to what is known as Blackboard Ultra, which, according to Anthology, is a new course view that offers “a modern, intuitive, and personalized interface.”

Ultra, which will be fully implemented into WKU classrooms by the 2025 winter session, allows for a more modernized appearance along with a more mobile-friendly interface, making student access more convenient and easily accessible on the go.

In terms of organization, Ultra is divided into modules, or thematic units, that help faculty and students alike to use the site with more ease.

Hannah Digges Elliott, senior instructional designer for the Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning, and Marko Dumančić, assistant provost for faculty development and student success, director for CITL and associate professor of history, have both worked closely on implementing the best practices into the classroom for student and faculty success.

Elliot has been at WKU for nearly 14 years and focuses mainly on teaching and learning in the physical and technology-enhanced spaces of the classroom.

Dumančić has been at WKU for a decade and his job involves three distinct elements: WKU online, faculty development and student success initiatives that originate in the Provost’s Office.

As AI continues to grow in the classroom, the creators of Blackboard have implemented new features to help faculty with the design development of their courses.

“It can’t do it for them, [and] it’s not like they say ‘give me a course on this’ and it does it, but there are some key things, and they call it the AI Design Assistant,” Elliott said.

This new assistant will allow faculty to put in ordering objectives, and the assistant will then produce a “module shell,” which is a folder with a picture or description of the content.

The assistant does not create the content, but it will help to organize potential ideas.

Faculty are also able to choose the number of modules they would like and the assistant will then implement that as well.

“The idea behind a lot of Blackboard’s AI feature is that it’s a starting point, not an ending point,” Elliot added.

Blackboard’s AI features have also implemented a rubric creation option in which faculty can put in an assignment description, which generates a rubric matching the assignment. It is free to edit and post for student view.

Faculty members have reported positive feedback with the new implementation of Ultra. Marcus Brooks, assistant professor in the sociology and criminology department, is one of them.

“In general, I like it better. It’s not as busy and is a little bit more streamlined,” Brooks said.

With many concerns arising from faculty that students are using AI improperly in the classroom, Dumančić and Elliott had some insight into what AI could mean for the future of education.

“We want students to be prepared for their lives outside of Western and the truth of the matter is, a lot of industry is moving towards the use of AI,” Elliot said. “So, teaching responsible use, and having those open conversations, as Marko [Dumančić] mentioned, is very important.”

Dumančić is appreciative that, even with the uneasiness that follows change, there continues to be patience, grace and forbearance in the community of WKU as it continues to implement AI and Blackboard Ultra into a classroom setting.

“Technology in and of itself is neutral, right? So I think it all comes down to how we both as faculty and staff and our students choose to deploy it,” Dumančić said.

News Reporter Kaylee Hawkins can be reached at kaylee.hawkins407@ topper.wku.edu.

WKU to host 54th annual Student Scholar Showcase

Kaylee Hawkins, News Reporter — Tue, 02 Apr 2024 20:00:06 +0000

WKU students from all across each of WKU’s campuses will have the opportunity to showcase activities from all different disciplines on Saturday, April 6 in Downing Student Union.

This will be the 54th annual showcase held by WKU with the tradition originally starting in 1970.

Since its start, the showcase has provided thousands of students a platform to present what they’re most interested in while being mentored by WKU faculty and staff members.

From archeology to chemistry, from psychology to mathematics, from journalism to sociology, the showcase has it all.

Sessions will begin at 9:30 a.m. and continue until 3:30 p.m. with a short lunch break from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

The showcase will consist of 287 research and creative projects, 172 poster presentations and exhibits, 109 oral presentations and 6 performances, according to Sam Shemwell, outreach coordinator.

According to WKU’s website, students will have the opportunity to share talks, performances, posters, exhibits and displays relating to their personal endeavors.

Funding for the showcase has been provided by the Office of the Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs, along with the Office of Research and Creativity.

The showcase will be open to anyone who would like to attend including students, colleagues and the general public.

A full itinerary for the showcase can be found here.

For any questions, students can contact the WKU Student Scholar Showcase Council at student.showcase@wku.edu or 270-745-6132.

News Reporter Kaylee Hawkins can be reached at kaylee.hawkins407@topper.wku.edu.