The SGA Pink Walk, created and hosted by SGA Vice President Donte Reed, aimed to spread awareness about breast cancer and raise money for the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. The walk was presented in collaboration with SGA, WKU Panhellenic, WKU Interfraternity Council and the WKU National Pan-Hellenic Council. 

“Knowing it exists is not enough” was Reed’s motto for this event.

“You never know who it’s impacted here on the Hill,” Reed said. “We’re going to try to do as much as we can to spread the word about early treatments and resources that are available.”

Students gathered at the Big Red Statue in the Downing Student Union to walk across Centennial Mall and to the South Lawn. There, SGA provided everyone in attendance with burgers, snacks and drinks.

“It’s just such a great event,” said Daren Denney, husband to breast cancer survivor Michelle Denney. “It’s a good student turnout here tonight and it’s just such a great opportunity for people to get information.”

Speakers Michelle Denney, Robbin Taylor and Tate Sine spoke on their experiences with breast cancer and how it has impacted their lives. Denney and Taylor are breast cancer survivors, and Sine’s mother battled breast cancer.

“Attitude is everything,” Michelle Denney said. “No matter if you’re diagnosed with a medical disease, if you’re going to take a test or you have to speak and you’re scared to death; attitude is everything.”

Tonya Sine, mother of Tate Sine, spoke at last year’s Pink Walk after being diagnosed with breast cancer in September 2021. This year, her son shared her story to attendants.

“To be here and witness this is very heartwarming,” Tonya Sine said.

Although breast cancer is predominantly found in women, there was much talk about how men are still susceptible. 1 in 8 women and 1 in 726 men will be diagnosed with Breast Cancer at some point in their lives according to the American Cancer Society.

In addition to the walk and guest speakers, there was also a raffle at the event for the chance to win various prizes. It cost $6 to enter, which will go to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.

Additional photos from the SGA Pink Walk can be found here and a video can be found here.

News Reporter Bradlee Reed-Whalen can be reached at bradlee.reedwhalen539@topper.wku.edu.

The event hosted an array of speakers that shared information about the prevalence of suicide in the nation, and encouraged the use of proactive measures to reach those in need.

“We know that stigma about mental health is still a major factor in people seeking help for mental health or substance use issues,” Katie Hopper, children’s services director at LifeSkills, said in an email, “ The hope is to start the conversations in the community about suicide prevention and treatment and crisis options that are out there.”

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, suicide rates increased about 36% from 2000-2022. And in 2022, an estimated 13.2 million adults seriously though about committing suicide, 3.8 million planned a suicide attempt and 1.6 million attempted suicide.

“It’s really, really important that we acknowledge that suicide affects literally everyone, all ages, all races, all beliefs, all backgrounds,” Hopper said at the event.

Sigma Nu’s chapter president, Braden Clough, discussed hazing culture on college campuses and ways campus organizations should make mental health a priority.

Clough encouraged all those in attendance to have serious conversations with those in their lives that are either in college or about to be in college.

According to the University of Central Florida, in 95% of cases where students identified being the target of hazing, they did not report the events to campus officials.

“I encourage you all – I implore you all – start talking about it,” Clough said. “Make it okay. It does happen.”

Clough said that Sigma Nu is committed to being an advocate for positive change.

“Hazing has no place in a college community or anywhere,” Clough said.

Londa Stockton, the child and family center manager at LifeSkills, also emphasized creating an environment for youth to feel comfortable sharing struggles.

Stockton said parents and adults need to ask their youth more than just, “How are you?” Instead, questions should prompt a personal response, getting to the heart of their emotions.

Following the speakers, Bowling Green Mayor Todd Alcott was joined by members of the City Commisioner’s office to read the Suicide Prevention Proclamation.

“We proclaim Warren County Suicide Prevention Month for September 2024,” Alcott told the audience, “In order to raise community awareness about suicide prevention in our nation, September is recognizing Suicide Prevention Month, a time where millions of people join their voices to raise awareness of suicide prevention, treatment and recovery.”

News Reporter Cameron Shaw can be reached at cameron.shaw555@topper.wku.edu.

Dozens of WKU students interested in joining a Divine Nine organization gathered in DSU on Thursday to learn more about the different organizations and their rush process.

To start out the Greek 101 session, the group played a round of Kahoot. The questions ranged from WKU NPHC facts to National NPHC facts. Amelia Kolb, assistant director of student activities, also addressed the difference between strolling and stepping. 

“Stepping is more like rhythmic stomping and clapping and strolling is more of that staying in a line, uniform dances,” Kolb said. “NPHC life is more than stepping and strolling, that’s something that we want to emphasize as well. Of course it is a fun part of fraternity and sorority life but it is much more than that.” 

The Divine Nine are tight knit groups of like-minded individuals. This is largely due to their selective rush process, which looks very different from traditional Greek rush. 

Potential new members will attend sessions with their desired fraternity or sorority. PNMs are not required to attend every session, just the ones they are interested in. It is recommended that PNMs do background research on each organization before attending their session. Once accepted by an organization, PNMs must keep it secret from their friends and family until Probate.

“Probate is different for every organization, but the new members who are kind of coming out to the community are going to come in usually with something that is hiding their face and who they are,” Kolb said, “The new members will come out one at a time, they will kind of show their face and their name. They might do a series of performances or shout out their fraternity or sorority history of the organization that they have joined, to show the community ‘I’m in this organization and I know the history.’” 

The tight-knit ness of these organizations are also due to the smaller chapter sizes and the amount of time that they spend with their organization. 

“For somebody that is new and interested in joining, they don’t understand that sometimes it can be a lifestyle,” Avery Wells, community service chair, said. “My biggest recommendation is to look at your schedule and really think about who you are as a person and what’s your strong areas and what’s you areas of growth. If you can truly dedicate 20, 30, even sometimes 40 hours a week.”  

NPHC is very involved with philanthropic work. They are constantly raising money or collecting donations for places in the community that have need. When joining these organizations, one can expect to join in on highway clean-ups or work with schools in the community. 

“It’s called the Adapt School Program, basically what we do is just go out to the school and we’re mentoring the kids we’re aiding in different life lessons before they go to their regularly scheduled classes,” Isaak Kidd, the Chaplain, said. “You’re aiding them and teaching them everything about life so that way, when the time comes, they can use the things that they’ve been taught and apply it.” 

Joining an NPHC organization is a life-long commitment. Alumni are still very much involved in their organization and it is much more common to have more Alumni initiates.

“Not only are we ininiating people in college and then having them pursue active membership after college, but we are initiating and actively recruiting people after college to come and join our organization as professional individuals,” Wells said. 

Those interested in joining an NPHC organization must attend a Greek 101 session. There are two more sessions available this semester, one on Jan. 29 at 4:30 p.m. and the next on Feb. 6 at 5:00 p.m. in DSU 2123. 

News Reporter Izzy Lanuza can be reached at isabel.lanuza937@topper.wku.edu

The program provides items like clothing and toys for children who are in need in the Bowling Green community.

The program is now in its third year, and this year, WKU partnered with Parker-Bennett-Curry Elementary School, sponsoring 34 children from the school to align with the 34 fraternity and sorority chapters on campus.

“People don’t think about how fraternities have an opportunity for public outreach,” Braden Clough, sophomore Sigma Nu fraternity member, said.

Clough believes that the event allows Greek life members to give back and serve the communities that surround them.

With Christmas music rattling around the room and members of Greek life on campus gathering to wrap presents for children, the room was filled with Christmas cheer.

Morgan Wyne, senior member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc., spoke on the importance of  sororities and fraternities giving back to the communities that give to them.

The students will be delivering each of their wrapped gifts to the children on Thursday, Nov. 29 in hopes that the deserving kids will have a Christmas of their dreams.

“With these gifts, we are helping that child have a little bit more of a childhood,” Payton Bingham, senior Omega Phi Alpha member said. “ … Every child should be able to wake up to gifts on Christmas.”

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

The team of 12 fraternity members began the ride from San Francisco, California, on May 20, traveling from city to city with the end goal of Virginia Beach, Virginia.

High heat, steep elevation, rain and wind haven’t stopped the team from making the trek. By staying nights with local supporters, friends and churches as they crossed the country, they are set to finish the 3,600 mile trip on July 27.

Trey Englehardt, a rising senior business and personal finance major, is the vice team operations manager for Bike4Alz, and he rides because it honors the families they meet that have been affected by the disease.

“As you get picked for the organization and really become a part of it, you get to see the impact that the disease has on so many families, and especially some of my teammates, how much it has affected them,” Englehardt said. “Just being able to ride and honor everybody that we’ve met and all the families that we see impacted, it really just has a truly different meaning.”

He explained that once members become a part of the team, they are able to finally see the impact that Alzheimer’s has on families across the country. But for many team members, they see it on a personal level as well.

“I’ve seen people in my family and my friends, and just how that’s hurt them, and memories are very important,” Ryan Spychalski, a rising junior finance and data analytics major, said. “It’s really sad to see people you love not know who you are. We’re working towards playing our part in ending that.”

Bike4Alz team member Elijah Hopkins, a rising senior journalism and political science major, described that telling the towns they travel through about the mission of Bike4Alz is always inspirational. He said doing this is a “once in a lifetime experience.”

“They always love talking to us, especially when we get to memory care facilities,” Hopkins said. “It’s really just hearing about their lives and what they’re going through and just them talking to us, knowing that there is an effort.”

As the team rides cross-country, many members have experienced states they have never seen before. Englehardt said his favorite parts so far have been California and Colorado, despite riding some of the highest elevation of the trek there.

“I had never been west of the Mississippi, like a lot of guys on the team, so just getting out there and just experiencing a whole new culture,” Englehardt said.

For Blake Mitchell, a rising junior biology major, his main reason for joining the team is because of what he’s seen in his family and personal impacts from the disease.

“I just wanted to be able to go out and do something to support Alzheimer’s research,” Mitchell said. “That’s something that just motivates me every day to keep going, especially whenever we have hard days and stuff, to keep biking. To keep doing it.”

The team has faced tough physical challenges during the trek, but Englehardt said the mental aspect is “much tougher” than the physical.

“I think the toughest part is just being away for so long and just living a different lifestyle,” Englehardt said. “The physical aspect is only so hard, but you’re also just living out of the bag for 10 weeks straight and you’re not seeing a familiar face for thousands of miles.”

Throughout the summer, Englehardt said, the team has been shown hospitality in every place they’ve stayed and are extremely grateful for that. He described a town in Nevada with a population of 17 and few houses that still offered the team to camp behind a restaurant.

“People have been so nice and just welcoming,” Englehardt said. “We haven’t stayed at a place where we haven’t felt welcome […] It’s made our trip so much easier, because people are offering us showers and food and it’s just a great experience.”

Englehardt explained that as they travel, the goal is obviously to raise money for Alzheimer’s cure research, but the team also wants awareness for the disease and to build community connections around these goals.

“We’ve also been stressing awareness for Alzheimer’s, being able to go and share our personal stories about our connections and then also share stories about the people we’ve met, and then build connections and communities for even the next team to go through,” Englehardt said.

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

Semi-pro boxers and fraternity men boxed in front of hundreds of WKU students, alumni, and families to raise money for the cause.

“Fight Night is our coveted philanthropy event,” KJ Kearney, Sigma Chi junior, said. “We get USA boxing to sponsor an event where we have semi pro fighters and Greek life box each other, so we’ll have up to 10 to 20 fights. It’s all regulated.”

Two months before the big event, Sigma Chi sent out a sign-up link to all the fraternities. Three WKU fraternities had men sign up, which were Pi Kappa Alpha, Delta Tau Delta, and Sigma Chi. A member from the Sigma Chi Chapter at the University of Kentucky signed up for the event and a Sigma Phi Epsilon member from the University of Louisville signed up as well.

These fraternity members spent months training and preparing for this event. Some of them had never boxed before signing up to compete in Fight Night.

“Just constant training five to six days a week, sometimes seven, for a solid two months,” Jacob Morrison, Pi Kappa Alpha junior, said “Just being ready to take a punch, and receive one.”

Connor Wise, a sophomore in Sigma Chi, spent four months training for the event.

“A lot of hard work, a lot of sweat, a little bit of blood, but other than that just being super disciplined,” Wise said, “I mean, you only get one shot so you have got to be up for it.”

Fraternities weren’t the only ones with men in the ring. BGKY Boxing also had members agree to fight at the event. Number seven ranked boxer in the United States Ebenzer “Stuntman” Griffith also competed in the event.

“I started boxing to prove something to myself, because I’ve always believed there was something special inside of me, and I’m ready to show the world,” Griffith said.

Griffith started fighting nine years ago, when he was only 11 years old. In December, he was invited to the Olympic trials and he hopes to compete in Paris in the 2024 Olympics.

The crowd loved Griffith and chanted his name as he walked up to the ring.

“I love Western Kentucky,” Griffith said. “I love Bowling Green. They all show me a lot of love every time I fight here.”

Despite losing his fight, Griffith remained positive.

“If there’s one thing I can say is that I didn’t cheat myself,” Griffith said. “I’m proud of the performance I put out. I know I can do better. And I’m going to be better.”

Fighters left the ring bruised, bloody and exhausted. Ashton Gaines, a Sigma Chi member from UK, left the ring in tears after injuring his shoulder during the second round of his fight. Other fighters received lesser injuries, as Delta Tau Delta member Colin Craig came out of his fight with only a bloody nose.

One of the most popular fights of the night was between Wise and Pi Kappa Alpha member Manny Deng. Each fighter’s respective fraternities could be heard cheering for their brother.

“Didn’t come out on top,” Wise said. “I thought it could’ve gone my way, it could’ve gone his way. It’s a toss up, but I did it and it was fun.”

Morrison, who has no boxing background, returned to the ring for the second year in a row.

“It’s the environment,” Morrison said, about his reason to return to the ring. “The environment is fun. Getting people to cheer you on and just being recognized for something.”

Pi Kappa Alpha senior Grant Smith decided to compete in Fight Night for the first time so that he could “go out with a bang.” He started training for the event over winter break and has spent the past month and a half training at BGKY Boxing.

Despite having no previous experience in the ring, Smith was able to secure the win.

“I was just ready to whoop some ass honestly,” Smith said. “I mean, I’ve been preparing for a while. Get in there, get the job done.”

Fighters aren’t the only ones that spents months of time and effort into preparing for this event. The men of Sigma Chi also spent months preparing for this day. The WKU chapter is one of only three Sigma Chi chapters that host a “Fight Night.”

The two biggest things they have to do are getting USA Boxing involved and finding the venue. They also need to finance security and a bar.

“It’s a long process that people on the outside probably don’t realize,” Kearney said. “We take pride in this, it’s our philanthropy.”

Sigma Chi charged $150 for VIP tickets and $30 for general admission. The VIP area was more spacious and pass holders could freely move around the space, had tables to rest at and featured an open bar. The general admissions side was full, with the crowd shoulder to shoulder.

While Fight Night is their most popular event and “money-maker” event, it is not their only philanthropy event. Sigma Chi also hosted a telethon, a paintball event, and a cornhole tournament.

All proceeds that were raised at Fight Night and throughout the rest of Sigma Chi’s philanthropy week will be donated to Huntsman Cancer Institute, a woman’s cancer research foundation.

“Cancer is something that affects everybody, and especially women’s cancer,” Kearney said, “It is something specific that everybody can get behind.”

Like a lot of his brothers, Kearney has a personal reason to support cancer research.

“I lost my grandfather to cancer,” Kearney said. “I watched my best friend’s mother beat breast cancer. I watched two of my other elementary school teachers beat breast cancer.”

Last year, the event raised $50,000 and they were able to send $25,000 to the Huntsman Cancer Foundation. Sigma Chi estimated that they raised around $65,000 this year, and after paying off expenses, they should be able to send around $35,000 to the foundation.

News reporter Izzy Lanuza can be reached at isabel.lanuza937@topper.wku.edu.

Throughout the week of March 6-10, Lambda is raising money through events such as a cookout or a volleyball tournament.

“Hope Harbor is a community style home where they take women that have been sexually abused, and they kind of help them try to get on their feet again and in a sense, cope with what happened and also try to get them more comfortable with themselves,” Adam Reed, Lambda President, said.

On Tuesday and Wednesday, Lambda is hosting a volleyball tournament called Spring Spike.

“Spring spike is for sure my favorite,” Grant Boonstra, Lambda executive committee and past philanthropy chair said. “It’s a volleyball tournament where all the other Greek organizations on campus put in a team and compete to find the winner.”

Currently, Lambda has 12 teams signed up for Spring Spike. It costs $75 to sign up a team of seven and $50 for an additional team. Students are welcome to stop by the house on March 7 and 8 at 4 p.m. to cheer on their favorite team. They will also have food for $3.

Thursday, Lambda is pairing up with Phi Mu for a benefit day at Puertos. On Friday, Lambda is hosting an auction of “beer paraphernalia” or “mancave related items.” In order to bid on items, one must be a WKU student.

“Last year we raised about $20,000.” Will Ezell, Lambda philanthropy chair said. “This year, we hope to raise around $35,000”

The auction will take place on Friday, March 10, it will be located in the tent on the corner of US-31W Bypass and Cabell Dr. Text 615-430-6699 for more details about the auction.

The community of Bowling Green joined them by both partaking in and spectating the march, an event which was organized by the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Planning Committee.

The march was prefaced by a pancake breakfast at Jonesville Academy. Following the breakfast, the march started at the Warren County Justice Center, and ended at State Street Baptist Church. The Jonesville Academy students and Black Male Scholars served as the grand marshals for the parade.

As the crowd began their march, they sang songs such as “Woke Up This Morning,” a traditional church hymn. 

“I think Martin Luther King Jr. Day is important because he was a civil rights activist who helped people form their own opinion and have their own beliefs,” Tre Thomas, an 11-year-old Black Male Scholar said.

 “Martin Luther King was a great success for Black people,” Anthony Davis, another 11-year-old member of the Black Male Scholars, said. 

Students participating in the memorial march emphasized how important they believed it was to celebrate this national holiday.

“We celebrate the things he [King] did when he was alive,” Houston Hardin, a 9-year-old Jonesville Academy student, said. 

Students from WKU were also in attendance to support the event. 

“I think it’s important to celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day because if we don’t support and we don’t celebrate, then all the work he did, and everyone who followed him did will one day just go away,” Taylor Davis, a senior exercise major and Alpha Kappa Alpha member, said. 

State Street Baptist Church was packed to the brim as community members filed in for the church service with guest speaker Stacy Spencer, WKU alumnus and pastor of the New Direction Christian Church. 

Martha Sales, WKU Dean of Students and assistant vice president for Student Life was also a keynote speaker for the event.

 “WKU needs you,” Sales said. “It’s 2023, so come climb with me. We have so much more to do. How do we do it? We do it together.”

After honoring the Jonesville Academy students and Black Male Scholars with the 2023 Humanitarianism Award, Stacy Spencer took to the altar under the light of the stained glass windows to preach. 

“There is only one race […]the human race,” Spencer said. Spencer then explained that he understands the battle for equality can be taxing. 

“Everywhere we move, we are in a cloud of racism,” Spencer said. 

Spencer closed out his sermon strong, describing the importance of Jonesville Academy.

“That’s why this school, [Jonesville Academy], is so important,” Spencer said. “You’re raising young scholars, you’re raising young black men to know that they are worthy, to know that they are intelligent, to know that they are scholars.”

News reporter Bailey Reed can be reached at bailey.reed704@topper.wku.edu.

All charges dismissed against a former WKU student regarding his arrest for alleged rape of a woman in the Sigma Nu fraternity house that occurred on Feb. 27, 2021.

The charges that were dismissed against Ben Massingille on Dec. 12 were degree rape, first-degree sodomy, and first-degree unlawful imprisonment, according to case history obtained by the Herald.

While the criminal charges have been dropped, the civil suit brought by the alleged victim still remains.

“WKU allowed an environment rife with sex discrimination and hostility to flourish in its Greek life communities and failed to take reasonable actions to remedy it despite being on notice,” Leslie Pescia, attorney representing the alleged victim, said in the lawsuit filed last year in Warren Circuit Court.

The civil suit names Massingille, WKU, Sigma Nu Fraternity and its WKU chapter, WKU President Timothy Caboni, former Title IX coordinator Andrea Anderson, WKU Director of Student Activities Charley Pride and WKU Assistant Director of Greek Life Andrew Rash as defendants. No trial date has been set at this time. 

“The University does not have anything new to add to our prior comments in the case following the Commonwealth’s decision to dismiss criminal charges,” Jace Lux, WKU spokesperson, said in an email. 

Editor-in-Chief Debra Murray can be reached at debra.murray940@topper.wku.edu. Follow her on Twitter @debramurrayy.

WKU has 34 Greek chapters on campus, and around 25 of them chose to participate. Each chapter that participated sponsored either one or two children from the Angel Tree, bringing the total sponsored back up to 34.  

Each chapter that participated chose how they would raise money to sponsor Christmas angels. They either looked at and selected an amount from their chapter funds or accepted around $2-3 from each chapter member.  

The chapters sent delegates to the store with their selected funds and purchased gifts for their chosen Christmas angel. All the chapters came together to wrap gifts on Nov. 29. The wrapped gifts were then taken to the donation site.  

“We wanted to do something philanthropic that included all three Greek councils,” Andrew Rash, associate director of student activities- greek life, said about the choice to sponsor Christmas angels. 

This philanthropic event allows for all 34 chapters to potentially work together, if they choose to opt-in. Other universities have done events like this in the past – which is where WKU’s Greek Life came up with the idea, Rash said.  

The presidents of Phi Mu and Alpha Gamma Delta were able to raise almost $200 for their sponsored angels. 

2022 was the second annual Christmas Angel Sponsoring, but they plan to continue the tradition every year. 

News reporter B Turner can be reached at abigail.turner870@topper.wku.edu.