Coming to WKU, some students seek the chance to explore these recreational opportunities, even if they don’t have any experience. Many found this chance through the WKU Outdoor Recreation and Adventure Center.

ORAC provided an outlet into the outdoors for students, hosting group recreation trips like camping and canoeing throughout the semester and working a gear shop, where items like kayaks and climbing tools could be rented. 

This September, ORAC was closed indefinitely due to the effects of COVID-19, lack of student engagement and budget cuts. 

Ashton Hoelscher, a senior recreation administration and environmental sustainability major, worked at ORAC since his freshman year. He expressed his disappointment with ORAC’s closure, sharing that the group trips gave a level of comfortability to those who had never done activities like rock climbing or kayaking before.

“When you go with other students that are like you, it can be really exciting,” Hoelscher said. “We get to meet new people, and you’re slowly learning and getting more comfortable outdoors or doing things that you could [learn to] do by yourself.”

Hoelscher explained that without ORAC, something he would have missed out on is seeing all the outdoor recreation opportunities that the Bowling Green area offers – with many of his current favorite spots being ones he discovered through ORAC.

“As someone that’s not from here, when I first moved here, I didn’t know, like, where’s the best place to hike, or where could I possibly even go kayaking,” Hoelscher said. “It’s really unfortunate that we have Mammoth Cave National Park within 30 minutes of us, but people may not know that without ORAC or may not feel comfortable enough to go on their own.”

Justin Cato, director of campus recreation and wellness, stated in the Herald article about ORAC’s closure that it was due to effects of COVID-19, low student engagement and budget cuts. While Hoelscher agreed with these reasons, he said a large part was also a general “lack of support overall” from the university.

“When it came to tabling events or Discover Fest or things like that, ORAC wasn’t a featured thing,” Hoelscher said. “We did our best to promote ourselves on Instagram or social media as much as we could, but there’s no added help, so then people didn’t know about us unless they already kind of did.”

Hoelscher also suggested a cause of low student engagement was scheduling issues with ORAC trips, for example, scheduling a trip on a holiday weekend or at the time of a WKU athletics game.

“It was also hard just to get people, student staff, to lead those trips, because they have other commitments […],” Hoelscher said. “That’s something that I think, since our calendar didn’t align to fill in the gaps of where there may not be events going on, it was like a battle we already lost.”

Since its start, ORAC was primarily managed by a program director. In Fall 2020, a graduate assistant position in ORAC was created, with Jacob Rex serving as the first, and only, graduate assistant (GA) there for two years. 10 days after Rex began as the GA, the ORAC program director at the time left.

This change left Rex, who was getting a WKU graduate degree in organizational leadership, to act as the interim ORAC coordinator. Rex explained, with no fault to the previous coordinator, “ORAC was suffering pretty terribly when I got there.”

“Programs were not running or filling,” Rex said. “Rentals weren’t happening. There was no formal training for students. The development opportunities were limited. They [student staff] didn’t even really have their own space to be in, like a physical space.”

From the Appalachian Area in Tennessee, Rex went to Middle Tennessee State University, where the outdoor program there “changed his life.” He has seen outdoor programs change others’ lives and believes having ORAC did that at WKU.

“My goal at ORAC was to bring that opportunity to Hilltoppers and Bowling Green, to give them technical skills and to bring students challenges in a way that they may not be challenged otherwise, in a way that supports them, gives them validation but also teaches them new skills,” Rex said. “My goal with ORAC, even though it was very small, was to provide unique social experiences for students in highlighting outdoor areas near and in Kentucky in general, to highlight those areas and to give students a place for genuine professional developments where they won’t get other places on campus.”

Similar to Hoelscher, Rex thought more could have been done by WKU to help with preserving ORAC and what it brought to students.

“I felt that the effort that I put into that program was not validated,” Rex said. “I felt like I was plugging up holes in a sinking ship that the university was pouring a fire hydrant into on purpose.”

Without ORAC, Rex explained students will not only miss out on what he considers the best hiking, backpacking and kayaking in the region, but will really miss out on pivotal moments that could change the direction of their life.

“You [may] see how important maybe the outdoors are to you, but more as a leader, seeing what your role as a leader is, and seeing what it is you’re really made of,” Rex said. “I think outdoor activities are really characteristic, that it is a mirror to people, to who you are and who you could be.”

ORAC was part of Campus Recreation and Wellness, which includes other programs like WellU, Hilltopper Nutrition and the Health and Fitness Lab. Rex explained that he doesn’t blame the professional staff there for ORAC’s closure, and said they “did their best to shield us [GAs].” 

“I think it went out with a whimper, which I think was hard for me to swallow,” Rex said. “A program that I think touched a lot of students’ lives. A lot of the students that were on our program still, I still keep in contact with and a lot of our student staff, and the impact I saw that it had on the Hilltoppers’ culture in general. Just going out with so little care from the administration, I think, was kind of a gut punch.”

Rex graduated in 2022 and currently works at another university with a similar outdoor recreation program, what he described as one of the most successful in the nation. After he left, Sam Talbert was hired as the program coordinator, but left the position at the start of the Spring 2024 semester.

“Once I left, I knew it was a ticking time bomb for them to eventually shut it down,” Rex said.

Will Hemenover, a 2024 WKU graduate in biology and environmental science, worked at ORAC for a year and a half, and values his experience there, as he is now using some of the skills he learned at his job with the National Park Service.

During his last semester with ORAC in Spring 2024, Hemenover experienced the difficulties the center faced – which included the cancellation of all trips and the gear shop not opening until mid-March. While this was hurtful because ORAC was something he enjoyed, it was also difficult financially.

“It was heartbreaking to hear that once he [Talbert] left, the money was not really there, at least at the moment, to replace that supervisor role,” Hemenover said. “[…] that was just difficult, because that was an outlet that I enjoyed, but also that was a source of income for me as well. Just being a student, that was a little bit difficult, and being a person who’s graduating at that point, nowhere on campus is really looking to hire someone that’s on their way out.”

Without a program coordinator last semester, among other previous struggles, Hemenover said it was hard on the student staff to organize all events, and that many didn’t have the necessary training to hold events or recreational clinics. He also shared that more usage and collaboration with the WKU Challenge Course, a recreational area with ziplining, a rock wall and a ropes course that shut down in 2022, could have benefited ORAC.

“I always just thought that [the challenge course] was a missed opportunity, because there was a lot of opportunity for them, student workers, to get more hours to do that sort of thing,” Hemenover said. “Also, WKU organizations all the time would come out there and do that for group bonding or just an activity in the year.”

He agreed that low student participation played a part in ORAC’s closure, but that it was interconnected with the issues of budget and COVID-19. However, he said student involvement was still high with fall and spring break trips and the well-known “full moon float” canoeing trip at Shanty Hollow.

“I know that since COVID, having to shut those trips down was a big hit [to ORAC], because what I’ve heard from my other alumni, or have read before, is that a lot of trips were never left empty, or all spots were filled. I definitely think that was a factor in that case,” Hemenover said.

Like Hoelscher and Rex, Hemenover believes that ORAC offered the opportunity for students to get outside and learn about recreation to those who may never have that opportunity again.

“I think that overall, whether trips had high participation or not, getting to lead trips and where sometimes I had friends in the trip or where it’s just students that I didn’t know, it was a great way to meet people, and I know that it was for the trip participants as well,” Hemenover said. “The joy that people had going outdoors and getting to do this when maybe they had never even been on a kayak before […] not everyone has had that opportunity. And I think everyone deserves to have that opportunity, if they would like.”

It is the use of this opportunity that led students like Hemenover to further develop skills from ORAC, whether in their professional or personal life. Rex believes building this pathway may have been one of ORAC’s most important roles in the WKU community.

“WKU wants to focus on putting exceptional leaders into the world and exceptional alumni that change Appalachia and change Kentucky,” Rex said. “I think they just shot themselves in the foot by taking away one of the best pipelines to that kind of future.”

News Reporter Alexandria Anderson can be reached at alexandria.anderson337@topper.wku.edu. 

For some, Halloween, or, Halloweekend, if you will, just means throwing on something from your closet and hoping people don’t ask what your costume is. For others, it means a chance to put together an elaborate costume you’ve been planning all year, maybe even multiple.

But never fear – if you’ve started wrestling with ideas of what to dress as this year but can’t seem to find the right one, I’m here to give you some options. Based on your academic college at WKU, of course.

Gordon Ford College of Business

To start off, I’m going to say one thing to the business majors: please don’t go as Patrick Bateman again this year. I understand you already have the suit, but I promise there are some other options.

Of course, if you haven’t starred in “American Psycho” for Halloween yet, feel free. It seems like a rite of passage for GFCB students.

On the topic of costumes that involve a suit, you could still do something from a movie. Men in Black, Pulp Fiction, Clark Kent, and with a little makeup, Jigsaw. If you’re wanting something more generic, that’s even easier. Go as a business person on Wall Street, a 1920s gangster or talk show host. If you’re into the music scene, I’d love to see someone as The Dare, just grab your suit and some sunglasses.

Economics and accounting majors, I’m asking you to step away from the Excel sheet. And then become the Excel sheet. Wear green and white, hold a floating formula box and call it night. Or grab three other friends and go as the whole Microsoft Office suite.

Okay, I understand that may be connecting your major to a costume a little too literally, so here are some other ideas. Get away from work and go as a cheesy tourist on vacation – a floral button up, a swimsuit, a big hat, a fanny pack, go the extra mile with a fake sunburn. Go as Barbara, Adam or Lydia from “Beetlejuice,” with a suited-up GFCB friend going as Beetlejuice himself.

Ogden College of Science and Engineering

Costumes for this college can be super easy or kind of complicated, and I’ll give you some choices for both.

On one hand, you’ve got pre-professional students who are probably too stressed to put together a costume that’s more than what they already have in their closet. I get it — but these costumes can be creative, too!

Put together the best decades-themed outfit you can come up with. 1950s, 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s and Y2K are all easily attainable by looking at some references and seeing if they match what you have. If you have time to get more specific, go as a character from “The Outsiders” for the 50s, a “Stranger Things” kid for the 80s or someone from “Mean Girls” for the 2000s.

Thinking about what you have on hand, STEM majors could break out the required lab coat and goggles this Halloween. Go with the classic mad scientist costume or even Frankenstein himself (the doctor, not the monster). Grab some yellow gloves and go as Doc Brown from “Back to the Future,” even pair up with an 80s-themed pre-professional friend.

If you want to be something strictly science-y, I’d love to see a group of four as the DNA base pairs – wear a specific color with a letter on your shirt (A, T, C, G), hold hands with the right person and you’re all set. Get a group of five together, some white t-shirts, pipe cleaners, hot glue and determination, and you could be the five stages of mitosis.

For engineering and applied sciences majors, I know you’re itching to build something for your costume. Get an astronaut costume and grab a rocket you made yourself. Get together with some friends and use cardboard boxes to become Tetris blocks. If you’re feeling especially creative, add a light up or moving part to any outfit.

College of Education and Behavioral Sciences

The soon-to-be teachers in this college need to prepare for a future of Homecoming spirit days and other dress-up events, especially elementary ed. Halloween is a perfect time for this.

My immediate thought for the education majors were costumes based on the children’s book characters we grew up loving. With a yellow shirt, blue pants and some cat ears, you could be Pete the Cat. Change that to a blue shirt or rain coat, yellow pants and add a red hat, and you’re Paddington. Put on a couple chunky necklaces, a dress and tease your hair, and you’re Fancy Nancy.

Of course, there’s always everyone’s favorite fictional teachers to dress as, too. Miss Frizzle from “The Magic School Bus,” Miss Honey from “Matilda” or any of the “Harry Potter” professors are some of your options.

For psychology majors, I sense some opportunities for horror or thriller movie costumes that are sure to leave people thinking. There’s the classics: Jason from “Friday the 13th,” Leatherface from “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre” or Hannibal Lector from “Silence of the Lambs.”  For a more modern take, go as Florence Pugh’s character in “Midsommar,” Amy Dunne from “Gone Girl” or, what I’m sure will be a popular one, Nicholas Cage’s villain in “Longlegs.”

If you’re in military science or the ROTC and you can fit a Halloween party into your schedule, some great options for you are Captain America, in his military or superhero uniform, Uncle Sam himself, Lara Croft from “Tomb Raider” or a funny group costume with your cohort, such as everyone as a Gatorade bottle.

College of Health and Human Services

For the college with a lot of different majors, it’s only right that they get a variety of costumes.

As a nursing or dental hygiene student, you do already have a built-in costume with your scrubs, where you could dress as your favorite fictional doctor in “Grey’s Anatomy.” If you’re tired of your daily work outfit, however, I can see you going with a simple but effective group costume: Crayola crayons, M&Ms or the Spice Girls.

The fashion merchandising majors probably already have their sewing machine ready to make their own custom costume. From this group, I’d love to see something niche or elaborate. Look camp right in the eye and pull out a Met Gala outfit, create your own Disney princess dress or grab a sword and fit into the “Lord of the Rings” universe.

If you’re in exercise science or sports management, go ahead and pull out your favorite athlete’s jersey, I know you have it. Paired with any piece of sporting equipment, this makes for a super easy costume. If you want to go to the next level, honor this year’s Olympics and go as an famous Olympian – the cool Turkish air pistol shooter, the Australian breakdancer Raygun or Stephen Nederoscik, America’s pommelhorse sweetheart.

While I know my hospitality management and nutrition and dietetics majors will most likely host the Halloweekend events, that doesn’t mean you get out of wearing a costume. But, I know it’ll need to be something you can move in, so grab the apron you already have, a white shirt and a pink bandana, and you’re from my favorite Nintendo DS game “Cooking Mama.” If you’re feeling more hardcore, switch to a blue apron, draw on some tattoos and yell in a Chicago accent – you’re Carmy from “The Bear.”

Students in public health, you might have some scrubs too, so you could join in as the rest of the “Grey’s Anatomy” cast. But, you all might have heard of the CHHS “10 dimensions of wellness” initiative. You know where this is going – get 10 of your friends and each go as a section of the wheel. I think it would be really funny.

Potter College of Arts and Letters

I saved PCAL for last, because if you’re in this college, you probably already know what your costume will be, or you’ve been planning it for months. If you haven’t, don’t worry, I’ve listed some options below.

I’d love to see English majors dressed as their favorite book characters or authors. I know this sounds cliche, but after reading so much all semester, you know these characters better than anyone. Match the WKU homecoming theme and go as someone from “The Great Gatsby” or get more modern and dress as Marianne or Connell from Sally Rooney’s “Normal People.” 

Or, on the funnier side, take some pieces of poetry really literally. Be the tiger in William Blake’s “The Tyger.” Be the raven from Poe’s “The Raven.” Be the walrus or the carpenter from Lewis Carroll’s “The Walrus and the Carpenter.” You get the point.

Keeping with the literal theme, an easy costume for history majors is to just go as your favorite historical figure. Whether you’re into cultural, military or classical history, there’s a recognizable figure you could go as, plus, you get to show off your knowledge when people ask about your costume. 

Like the business majors, I know political science students probably already have a suit ready to go. You could go as just a regular politician, or you could go as a fictional one – someone from “The West Wing” or Leslie from “Parks and Rec.” Or, get a little morbid – my friend went as RFK with the gunshot wound last year. I painted it on him.

The theatre and dance majors definitely already have their costumes, whether it’s something they borrowed from last year’s show or made themselves, and I’m very excited to see it. Personally, with the “Wicked” movie coming out soon, I’m hoping to see a lot of Elphabas and Glindas this Halloween.

Last but not least, for my social sciences majors, I think costumes that really embrace the current cultural scene would work for you. Get a trio and some tennis rackets together for a “Challengers” group costume, keep it simple with a Charli XCX “brat” green outfit or go all out as one of Chappell Roan’s iconic outfits this year.

News Reporter Alexandria Anderson can be reached at alexandria.anderson337@topper.wku.edu.

Hawass, an Egyptologist, archaeologist and former secretary general of the supreme council of antiquities in Egypt, is well known for his countless discoveries and work in preserving Egypt’s archaeological heritage. At the Capitol Arts Center in downtown Bowling Green on Saturday, Aug. 24, Hawass shared his newest discoveries from the pyramids and the Valley of the Kings.

“I’m really happy to come this year, because this year 2025 is going to be the most important year for archaeology,” Hawass said. “Tonight, I’m going to tell you about things that you’ve never heard before, things that are going to be on live TV from Cairo as major, important discoveries that they’re making.”

Magnolia Gramling, manager at the Capitol, said speakers like Hawass are incredibly valuable to the education and entertainment of the Bowling Green community.

“A big mission of public libraries everywhere, and we’re no exception, is public education,” Gramling said. “And we are really passionate here at the Capitol branch about equitable entertainment. And this is such a great cross-section of the two.”

This visit, organized by the Warren County Public Library, was Hawass’ eighth time in Bowling Green. He was first invited by Lisa Rice, former WCPL director.

“Part of the really cool thing about that is we’ve had the opportunity to develop this relationship over time,” Gramling said. “That is something that we’re uniquely positioned to be able to do because of the support from our community, to be able to host someone, get this great feedback, develop a relationship and have ongoing programming with people who love our library system, love what we do and who really also believe in the mission.”

With his archaeological work spanning back to the 1960s, Hawass, who has a doctorate in Egyptology from the University of Pennsylvania, has headed various excavations and research projects. These include discovering the tombs of the Pyramid Builders, beginning the Egyptian Mummy Project and using medical technology to identify mummies.

His lecture began with a video introducing his work. Then, Hawass delved into the discovery of two voids inside the Great Pyramid, one of which was found to be a hidden internal corridor above the main pyramid entrance.

“If you look at infrared, you look at ultrasound, all this actually can go through stones,” Hawass said.

In December, Hawass and a team of scientists will attempt to further explore the corridor and any voids behind it with endoscopes and microdrill technology. It will be broadcasted live from Cairo on the Discovery Channel.

Hawass also discussed findings at the Temple of Hatshepsut, including various mummies, pottery, burial goods and children’s toys. 

“This is the game, the Senet game that the Egyptians played,” Hawass said about an artifact found in layers of sand near the temple. “We found it inside the very temple, because the ancient Egyptians would play this game. It’s like chess, if you win, you’ll go safely to the afterlife.”

A key part of his career is his work with the Egyptian Mummy Project, which uses modern forensic and medical technology to analyze Egyptian mummies. Hawass explained his identification of the mummy of Hatshepsut and other mummies from the same location.

Hawass is also largely involved in the fight to return artifacts from the British Museum to Egypt.

“On September 7th, I’m writing a petition to ask for the return of the statue of Queen Nefertiti,” Hawass said, encouraging guests to also sign the petition for the return of the Rosetta Stone.

In the final section of the lecture, Hawass shared about the discovery of “The Golden City” in 2021, a well-preserved city with building foundations and artifacts, located near the Valley of the Kings.

“The most important [is] that we found six districts and nine workshops. Each district has a discovery,” Hawass said. 

The 18th-dynasty city is believed to be the largest ancient city found in Egypt. Artifacts uncovered so far include storage pots with hieroglyphic inscriptions of what was inside, painted wall sections, jewelry and statues.

“The most important discovery after the tomb of the city is really, in my opinion, a major, important discovery because it tells us for the first time about the life of the artisans who made this great civilization,” Hawass said.

Kelsey Tullis, who works with events at the Capitol and is also a dance instructor at SOKY Dance Arts, saw Hawass speak several years ago at WKU. 

“What’s really cool about him is that he owns such a different type of perspective,” Tullis said. “Like, I think every little kid grows up wanting to know more about mummies, and he totally fulfills that dream.”

News Reporter Alexandria Anderson can be reached at alexandria.anderson337@topper.wku.edu.

Throughout the night, groups chanted “Kyle is a killer,” “for the people,” “no justice, no peace” and “whose streets? Our streets.”

Rittenhouse shot three men — two of whom died —  at a Black Lives Matter protest in Kenosha, Wisconsin, using a semi automatic AR-15 style rifle purchased for him by a friend. He was acquitted in 2021 after he testified that he had acted in self defense. 

For The People, a newly-formed student advocacy group, hosted a sit-in earlier today. Following the sit-in, the group marched through campus and protested outside DSU Nite Class. 

Imanii Giles, a senior political science major, is a member of For the People. They said they found the university and faculty lack of response to the TPUSA event “eye opening.” 

“It has been incredibly eye opening on multiple levels, not just on the student level, but seeing how faculty don’t even watch a fight for us,” Giles said. “It’s very disappointing, but also not surprising, because at the end of the day, this university has never been for us and will never be for us. And it’s painful … This is the life of a black student on WKU campus, and they can’t deny it, because we’re here and we’re talking about [it] and we all have similar lived experiences of racial violence.”

Giles expressed they hope the university understands that FTP wants to make students of colors’ voices heard. 

“We’re not going to take threats to our community softly, we’re going to respond,” Giles said. “We’re going to have collective action and they’re going to hear our voice no matter what. Because we pay 20,000 damn dollars to go to this university. They’re gonna hear what the fuck we got to say.” 

At both the sit-in and the protest, FTP critiqued the Student Government Association for not responding about Rittenhouse speaking on campus. 

Tani Washington, a senior international affairs major, helped organize the sit-in and protest. 

“They’re [SGA] the only major student body that has enough coordination and power to be able to condemn this on the institutional level,” Washington said. “Obviously, if the administrators are not going to do anything, the next best shot is the student government, but they don’t seem to be doing anything.”

She said she hopes the university is willing to work with students about how to create “concrete change.”

“I’m hoping that the university will see that we’re essentially not playing around, that the demands that we’re asking for are not something that we’re just flippantly wanting, but these are demands that we’d like carefully crafted and policies that we carefully analyze,” Washington said. “We’re hoping that this demonstration will be able to get us a seat inside of the administration’s offices in order to actually talk about and enact some, like, concrete change.”

Dana Beasley-Brown, a Bowling Green city commissioner, spoke at the protest. 

“Use your voices to come together today but not just today,” Brown said. “Use it to continue to form organizations like for the people and to move for positive change here at WKU”

BG Freedom Walkers is a local social advocacy group that formed in 2020. The CEO and founder of the group, Karika Nelson, a 37-year-old Bowling Green resident, organized the protest. 

“We want to let Kyle Rittenhouse know that he’s not welcome inside of our community in Bowling Green, Kentucky,” Nelson said. “And he’s not welcome here at WKU.” 

Students, faculty, staff and other community members who were not involved with either group gathered around the steps of DSU and at Centennial Mall during the protests. Residents of Minton Hall watched the events from outside the building and their dorm windows. 

WKU social work professor Jay Gabbard attended the protests due to his support of the Black Lives Matter movement, and to support the students.

“I just wanted to come and visibly show my support as a professor, because sometimes professors are afraid to lose their jobs,” Gabbard said. “I really couldn’t care less, because if I’m going to stand in front of students and tell them that they need to stand up for people, if I’m not out here, I’m a hypocrite.”

Thomas and Sharon Welborne live in Logan County, but work in Bowling Green. Sharon is originally from England, but has lived in the U.S. for 20 years. Both attended the BG Freedom Walkers protest.

“We don’t want his time here and I’m upset with the campus that they allow it,” Sharon Welborne said. “I know there’s free speech and everything, but I think they’ve gone to a lot of bother to protect a guilty person.”

Some were not participating in the protests, but were present to see the large crowds and speak with demonstrators.

Ben Leneave wore a sandwich board saying “print guns, not money” as he spent the evening recruiting people for the statewide libertarian organization, Young Americans for Liberty. 

“There’s definitely a big conservative crowd here,” Leneave said. “We’ve got messaging that we think kind of crosses the aisle, people on both sides can appreciate it a little bit. I’ve had some good conversations with people on both sides of the, you know, Kyle Rittenhouse opinions, and it’s a good crowd. It’s been going well as far as making connections and building our network out here.”

Jack McCain, sophomore economics major, was one of the 104 attendees allotted inside DSU Nite Class to watch Rittenhouse speak. He said he supported Rittenhouse speaking on campus, the second amendment and self-defense, but believed in the right for those who disagree to protest.

“It is important to share ideas, even if you disagree,” McCain said. “All that matters is that we see the humanity on both sides. We see everyone’s human. And when you stop talking about stuff, you get violence. And whenever people start to get violent, no progress is made and that’s how our country starts to fall.”

Tiffany Bell lives and works in Bowling Green, and attended the BG Freedom Walkers protest with her husband and one of their children. She explained that she wants a better future for her children, who are biracial, and that attending gatherings like this is important when thinking of the next generation.

“I don’t feel like that’s what Bowling Green stands for,” Bell said. “My husband and I have biracial children … I just want things to be better for them in the future. If we don’t stand up and say something when something’s wrong, then things will just stay the way they are.”

The protests ended shortly after the attendees left the event and Rittenhouse left campus from a service exit of DSU. 

“For Black people in general, protesting is such a valuable form of political expression that I feel like to not be here would be an insult to my community and my ancestors, because why would I not fight for what they’ve been fighting for for centuries?” Giles said. “I have the privileges I have because of their sacrifices in the fight that they fought.”

 Engagement Editor Debra Murray can be contacted at debra.murray940@topper.wku.edu. Follow her on X @debramurrayy.

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

Editor-in-Chief Alexandria Anderson can be reached at alexandria.anderson337@topper.wku.edu.

Ben Johnson, WKU planning, design & construction assistant director, shared information about the outage via email to all faculty and staff today and on March 4. No other buildings on campus will be affected.

All residence halls except for Rodes Harlin and McCormack will close for spring break at 6 p.m. on Friday, March 15. Johnson stated that residents in the affected halls should remove perishable items from freezers and refrigerators for the duration of the outage.

Editor-in-Chief Alexandria Anderson can be reached at alexandria.anderson337@topper.wku.edu.

This legislation comes as similar bills have become law across the country in states like Tennessee and Florida, the two states from where the DEI bills draw their inspiration.

“Discriminatory concepts” is defined in Senate Bill 6 to include ideas that imply the inherent superiority of a race or sex, inherent privilege due to race or sex and promote division between groups of people. The bill states students or employees shall not receive adverse treatment for refusing to support any discriminatory concepts.

SB 6 was introduced on Jan. 2 and is sponsored by Sen. Mike Wilson, R-Bowling Green, and passed on a party-line vote at the Senate Education Committee session on Thursday, Feb. 8. The bill was debated and voted on by the full Senate on Feb. 13 and passed by a vote of 26-7, with five senators not present. The bill will now move to the House for consideration. 

Senators Wilson, Max Wise and David Givens, who together represent Bowling Green and Warren County, voted in favor of the bill.

At the Senate Education Committee hearing, Wilson said the bill will protect students, faculty and staff who “face a shifting, stifling, politically correct academic atmosphere.”

With this bill, public universities in Kentucky could not require mandatory training that presents “discriminatory concepts,” provide preferential or prejudicial treatment to an individual based on ideology or require courses that could present discriminatory concepts.

A similar bill, House Bill 9, would require every Kentucky public university to defund all DEI efforts, including trainings, offices, staff positions and promotion or justification of “discriminatory concepts.”

Presidents and leadership of Kentucky’s public universities have largely remained silent on the proposed legislation. The only president who has spoken out on the bills is University of Kentucky President Eli Capilouto. 

In an email sent to UK faculty, staff and students, Capilouto wrote that “We don’t speak as an institution on public policy unless the issues will impact our entire community in potentially significant ways. This is one of those moments.”

“As the University of Kentucky’s president, let me be clear: I am opposed to the legislation regarding both DEI and tenure,” Capilouto continued. “I have voiced my stance in a manner that I hope is respectful and thoughtful. I will continue to do so.”

In his statement, Capilouto expressed UK’s commitment to valuing and supporting DEI work in order to “support students of color and from underrepresented backgrounds.”

Presidents from Kentucky’s seven other public universities have not expressed a positive or negative view on the legislation, but some have expressed support for DEI initiatives and programs.

Murray State University President Bob Jackson and University of Louisville President Kim Schatzel, while not speaking out explicitly on the bills like Capilouto, have expressed their support for DEI initiatives at their respective institutions.

“Creating a dynamic and diverse university community for Student Success is a cornerstone of our university-affirmed strategic plan,” Jackson told the Murray State News. “Within our strategic attributes as a public comprehensive university, we are dedicated to diversity, global awareness and intellectual curiosity and we actively engage students, faculty, staff and the community in collaborative scholarship, creative activity and research.”

“I strongly believe that you cannot deliver a high-quality university education without a diverse classroom and campus – inclusive of all demographics, identities and ideologies,” Schatzel said in a statement published in full in the Louisville Cardinal. “Only in such circumstances and with such experiences will our students be prepared to foster their own and others’ excellence in a diverse global economy. In short, a diverse and inclusive campus better prepares our students to lead.”

Schatzel continued, stating that she “strongly endorse(s) continued support for DEI initiatives on our campus throughout Kentucky.”

When meeting with the Herald on Jan. 10, WKU President Timothy Caboni said that it is his goal to ensure every student feels supported and at home at the university, but offered no opinion on SB 6. HB 9 had not yet been introduced at the time of the meeting.

“Our focus is ensuring every student, no matter their background, is supported,” Caboni said. “There are concerns around ideology, and what I would say to my legislative colleagues is all our work at WKU is around one thing: ensuring that every student we admit is supported and gets to a college degree, no matter their background.”

On Feb. 21, the Herald requested an interview with Caboni to see if WKU has a stance on the legislation. Jace Lux, university spokesperson, expressed WKU’s policy to track proposed legislation that could affect higher education in the state, and stated that Caboni has engaged with “approximately 30 legislators” to discuss these bills and other proposed legislation.

“President Caboni is actively involved in direct, ongoing discussions with lawmakers to address any legislative actions that could influence our university’s operations, ensuring that our perspective is considered during their decision-making processes,” Lux stated via email. 

Lux also provided a statement on WKU as a campus that fosters open, respectful discussions, similar to the comments of Jackson and Schatzel.

“Our commitment to ensuring that WKU remains a secure and inviting place for everyone who studies, works, visits or competes here remains unwavering,” Lux stated. “We are dedicated to fostering an environment for the campus community to participate in open and respectful discussions. We consistently oppose any actions that might restrict our foundational belief in the free exchange of ideas.”

In an amendment to SB 6 at the committee hearing, all Kentucky public universities would be required to adopt policies that ensure “the fundamental and constitutional right of all students and faculty to freedom of expression,” “the broadest possible latitude to speak, write, listen, challenge, learn, and discuss any issue” and a commitment to a free, unsuppressed exchange of ideas regardless of content.

Changes were also made to require content and discussion of the importance of free speech at all student college orientations.

Various speakers at the hearing presented both in support of and against the bill. Rebecca Keith, a student at the University of Kentucky, spoke in support of the bill on her experience at the university.

“You will bend a knee to DEI at UK,” Keith said. She explained that when her professor said homophobic, transphobic and islamophobic language was not allowed in the course, “as someone who believes there are two genders and that men cannot become women, this was problematic to me.”

Aaron Thompson, president of the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education, spoke against the bill at the hearing, stating what he believes Diversity, Equity and Inclusion truly is – that it is not discriminatory.

“If you have ever felt discriminated against at one of our universities, that should’ve never happened,” Thompson said. “That’s not what DEI is.”

HB 9 is sponsored by Rep. Jennifer Decker, R-Waddy, who stated in a press release shared on Facebook that the bill would “make our campuses more diverse, less expensive, and more tolerant of a free exchange of ideas.”

The bill has five pages of definitions, including the definition of “DEI initiatives” as “Policies, practices, or procedures designed or implemented to promote or provide differential treatment or benefits to individuals on the basis of religion, race, sex, color, or national origin.”

If passed, universities must eliminate these initiatives, which include scholarship criteria, living-learning programs, student services, community services or “other initiatives designed to promote discriminatory concepts or to provide differential treatment or benefits to an individual on the basis of race, sex, color or national origin.” DEI offices and officer positions must also be eliminated.

“HB 9 would ensure the postsecondary system in Kentucky is held accountable to dismantle the failed and misguided DEI bureaucracies that have made college more divided, more expensive, and less tolerant,” Decker said in the press release.

The bill also states that universities shall not require or encourage individuals to endorse or condemn ideologies and not provide preferential treatment or consideration to individuals based on actual or perceived ideologies. Institutions must also add a clause on “ideological neutrality” to the institution’s nondiscrimination policy.

However, the section of the bill calling for the removal of DEI efforts and “discriminatory concepts” will not affect things such as academic freedom of faculty, students and student organizations and activities of student-led organizations, according to a section of the bill. It will also not affect students that are military veterans, first-generation, low income or non-traditional.

Impact on WKU

It is unclear exactly how HB 9 and SB 6 will impact Kentucky’s universities. WKU faculty have differing opinions on how these bills could impact the work they and the university do.

Gary Houchens, WKU professor in the school of leadership and professional studies and director of the educational leadership doctoral program, explained that SB 6 would ensure students, faculty and staff at public universities cannot be forced to agree with a certain set of concepts.

“I think both bills are rooted in a concern that our public universities, private universities too, higher education in general, have become intellectual, ideological monoliths,” Houchens said. “We the university should be a place where we have the most rigorous debate of ideas possible. And that is simply not the case. The goal here, as I understand it, is to reassert that universities should be places where a wide variety of intellectual concepts are welcome to be discussed.”

He further said that SB 6 simply ensures certain intellectual, social or political concepts cannot be forced on students, faculty or staff, and that it would benefit free speech and support of different viewpoints.

“What I would say to anyone who opposes Senate Bill six is, if you oppose this bill, which of these concepts do you think that you should be able to force a student or a staff member or a faculty member to affirm?” Houchens said. “The burden of proof is on those who oppose Senate Bill six for why they think there shouldn’t be that kind of protection against being required to affirm these concepts.”

Houchens explained this bill would “change nothing” about how he teaches his classes, and that it shouldn’t impact any faculty or courses unless they try to compel students or colleagues to affirm discriminatory concepts. He also said this bill would not change or affect curriculum.

“We’re supposed to be an institution that embraces intellectual debate and diversity and that’s simply not what universities have become,” Houchens said. “And so, hopefully, the outcome of this would be that our universities become places where it is, once again, safer to express a wide variety of philosophical and political viewpoints.”

However, Houchens stressed the differences between SB 6 and HB 9, saying that HB 9 “goes about and beyond” what SB 6 would do and would actively limit certain concepts and diversity initiatives.

“I think that’s a mistake,” Houchens said about HB 9. “I think that the consequences of that particular bill, I think there would be negative unintended consequences of that bill for the life and the culture of our universities.”

He said it is important to still recognize the concerns at the heart of HB 9, which is that even well-intentioned DEI efforts in some universities have “become tools through which the free expression of ideas has been restricted.” Houchens said it would be a good thing if HB 9 didn’t pass, but it should still serve as a “wake-up call.”

Both bills reflect the desire from across the country that universities should better protect and value free speech. Houchens said while he hasn’t faced any professional backlash at WKU for being a “public conservative,” he knows of students and job applicants that have. Therefore, he said it is a fact that people engage in constant self-censorship, and shows a need for a “more robust environment of political discussion.”

“Whatever comes out of these bills, I hope that they serve as a wake up call to the university community, that we have an obligation to make this a place where a great diversity of intellectual viewpoints are welcomed, and that we recognize that within our university, students, staff, even some faculty members share a multitude of different perspectives …,” Houchens said. “My hope is that the university would be a place where there is a recognition that people of goodwill can disagree about a lot of different viewpoints, and that that’s a good thing.”

Some education professionals have expressed concerns about the negative impacts of HB 9 and SB 6. 

Saundra Ardrey, WKU professor of political science and chair of the WKU Political Engagement Project, said not discussing “divisive” issues only leads to a further lack of understanding and acceptance. As an educator, she believes school is the place to discuss the intricacies of these concepts, especially at the college level.

“There are a lot of folks that believe that the more you talk about it, the more it stays in folks’ consciousness, but many of us who are living that marginalized life, those of us in education, believe that the key to solving these issues is to talk about it,” Ardrey said. “And the reason that we continue to be divisive is that we don’t understand, and what we don’t understand, we tend to otherize.”

She said the purpose of this education is to show students systemic issues and how certain groups are affected. 

“I am a big believer in the power of education. Not necessarily to change anybody’s mind, but at least expose you to what others are thinking,” Ardrey said. “And if I can become human in your eyes, that is the first step, to help you understand that I’m not here, that we’re not here, to take anything away. We’re not saying that you didn’t work as hard for what you’ve gotten. But we are saying that the system and the way we think of people, privilege some people, and that the system has actively worked against certain groups according to race and gender and religion and all of those, and so we want a safe space to educate.”

Ardrey acknowledged that there are students who go through these classes that feel blamed for racism of the past, but that in general, students appreciate having a space to talk about sensitive issues and to have a dialogue with those who are different than themselves.

“So yes, there are those who don’t yet get it. And there are those who will get it later,” Ardrey said. “But my marginalized students really appreciate a safe space to talk about it. I mean, everybody that feels marginalized appreciate having a space to talk about it, you know, so I think that’s a big benefit.”

She said she would hate to see these beneficial spaces go away, especially for students who need them.

“For the most part students appreciate what we do in the class as an open environment,” Ardrey continued. “And sometimes it takes a year or two before they can look back and say ‘I appreciate that conversation. I appreciate that space.’”

Ardrey said the bills present uncertainties as to whether certain majors, programs and classes could continue at WKU and on college campuses across Kentucky. These include the African American Studies and Gender and Women’s Studies programs, organizations like the Intercultural Student Engagement Center and the Pride Center and classes that Ardrey teaches like Women in Politics, Minority Politics and Cultural Competency. She expressed that these classes, programs and organizations could simply go away, but it is currently unclear.

“We just don’t know,” Ardrey said. “We’re in uncharted territory. We just don’t know.”

The uncertainty of what content and concepts they would be able to teach is frightening for many other faculty members, she explained. She said recruiting faculty members will be difficult if either of the bills pass, specifically for her position and the courses she teaches, since she is retiring this semester. 

“Since I’ve been so outspoken, faculty are emailing me and saying, you know, what does this mean for what I teach? What can I say in the classroom? What can’t I say in the classroom? So folks that are already here are scared,” Ardrey said.

For Ardrey, who is retiring at the end of the current semester, leaving WKU on this note is “disheartening” and “sad” for her, and she expressed that it feels as if higher education in the state is going backwards.

“These are battles that we have to fight now to save where we [have] come, and we can’t push forward. We can’t progress,” she said.

These fears and dissatisfaction with this legislation were expressed by other WKU faculty and staff at a forum hosted in Cherry Hall by the WKU Political Engagement Project on Feb. 8.

“There’s one way where this bill will achieve its goal, which is that as a faculty member of this university, I cannot ethically look any high school student in the face and say ‘come to a university in Kentucky’ regardless of that individual’s ‘race, religion, color, sex or national origin,’” Alan White, assistant professor and theater program coordinator, said. “Because I don’t feel like this allows us to make any student feel safe.”

At this forum, the vagueness of the bills and the statements from their sponsors led to confusion as to what programs would be impacted by this legislation, should it pass.

“Chances are, they [the bill’s sponsors] don’t even know [what the bills will do],” Cierra Waller, associate director for student success at the WKU Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning and member of the Bowling Green Independent Schools Board of Education, said.

The forum’s panelists urged attendees to contact their local legislators to express their feelings on the bills, whether individuals are for or against the legislation.

“So that is my plea. If you have questions, contact your folks,” Waller said.

Should the bills pass, they will go into effect on June 1, 2024.

Editor-in-Chief Alexandria Anderson can be reached at alexandria.anderson337@topper.wku.edu.

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

If you would like to submit a reaction to a piece, Letter to the Editor or other submission, please send it to Commentary Editor Price Wilborn at herald.opinion@wku.edu or edwin.wilborn835@topper.wku.edu.