The College Heights Herald Editorial Board is a diverse group of students who are all at different parts of their WKU career. On your first day of classes, we wanted to take some time and give you some tips that helped us through our first year of college. We got through the difficult times, and we know you will, too.

This whole college thing can be difficult and stressful, but we wanted to tell you that everything will be okay. You’ve got this. We believe in you.

Shelbi Bale, Graphic Design Editor, Class of 2027

What helped me out the most during my first year on the Hill was staying organized! Class work can build up fast, so I suggest investing in a planner and putting all the due dates you can into it. Having everything written down and ready to refer back to can keep you up to date on your work and ahead of due dates. 

The first year on the Hill can be intimidating socially as well, but it doesn’t have to be! Don’t be afraid to join clubs and communities that interest you, because there are definitely some like minded individuals who are in the same boat as you and are looking for friends and connections.

Ali Costellow, Content Editor, Class of 2027

A week before I started my freshman year of college, an upperclassman advised me to “get involved, but not too involved.” I truly believe that is the most important concept to grasp during your first year as a college student. 

There are so many incredible clubs and organizations to join on campus. So many, that it can be easy to overload your schedule and become overwhelmed. You don’t need to be doing something every single hour of the day, but you also shouldn’t be spending most of your time in your room. Find a balance, and take time for yourself.

On another note, don’t be afraid to change. 

I thought I knew exactly who I was when I graduated high school. I didn’t foresee myself changing much, if at all. I was so wrong.

However cliche it may sound, college is a time where many people find their true identities. Being surrounded by new environments, people and experiences has an effect on how you view yourself and the world around you. That’s a good thing. 

Starting this new chapter in your life is huge, and I commend you for taking such a big leap in life. Sooner or later, the newness and anxiousness will wear off and you will find a home here. 

Until then, just know that you will be okay.

Dominic Di Palermo, Photo Editor, Class of 2025

Unlike many of my colleagues, my college journey did not begin at WKU. I decided to go to community college for two years before transferring to WKU. Because I was able to start fresh at two schools, I’ve compared what WKU has to offer to a first-time student versus a community college. I’m going to offer advice from one of these differences.

My biggest piece of advice to freshmen at WKU is to join a campus ministry. The most important part of my life is my Christian faith and at community college, I didn’t get the chance to engage in a campus community of faithful students. Campus ministry gave me a greater sense of community and helped me find friends who genuinely care about and love me for who I am. I was able to make great friends who encourage me in what I believe, who pray for me and offer support in my time of struggle or need. Not only did I gain a community, but I was given somewhere to go every Tuesday besides a poorly lit dorm room at the bottom of the Hill.

Through the stressful nights studying until 2 a.m., receiving grades I wasn’t proud of and, most difficultly, learning to live away from the comfort of my home, I found a firm foundation in my faith and the encouragement from some awesome like-minded friends.

Emmy Libke, Multimedia Editor, Class of 2027

As I reflect on my first year on the hill, I realize there are various things I wish I could have told myself before starting at WKU. The biggest thing I wish I would have known is that everything would inevitably be okay and would work out, just as it does for every freshman. Going into college everything feels incredibly overwhelming and intimidating. You are beginning a journey of many firsts – the first time moving away from home, the first time being fully independent, the first time living with someone who is not your family, the list could go on. Although all of these firsts can seem daunting and extremely scary, keep in mind that there are a lot of firsts around the corner that will shape and inspire you even more than the ones that may currently seem terrifying. To help me get through all of these “firsts” and all of the times college felt overwhelming, I made sure to find a like-minded community of friends and classmates, as well as settle into a routine that eased my mind and provided me with a sense of security. 

Western Kentucky University is the perfect embodiment of what a community of this generation can create. WKU offers many clubs and organizations that allow all Hilltoppers to find not only their home, but feel a sense of belonging during a period of time that may feel like one obstacle of adjustment after another. I highly recommend attending the involvement fair and/or job fairs that are offered throughout the semester to learn more about all of the ways in which you can involve yourself in campus life.

In addition to involving oneself with campus activities, I have found that it is very important to form a dependable routine. Although your class schedule will determine the bulk of your day, it is important to fill your free time with things that you enjoy. This may entail going to the Preston Center to work out, sitting on South Lawn to read, meeting a friend for coffee at Spencer’s or going to the Commons to study. Adding a few of these small tasks into your daily schedule and routine will allow you to find that sense of community and home on campus.

Just know that throughout this first year, you are cared about and so capable! Go out, get involved, find your routine and know that throughout the entire process of “firsts” everything will be okay and will occur just as it is supposed to!

Jake McMahon, Sports Editor, Class of 2026

It was really hard to get rid of the overwhelming anxiety that followed me around campus during my first few weeks at WKU. All the smiling students that walked by me every trip up and down the hill, along with a dash of my own naivety, made me feel like I was the only one struggling. However, just a small interaction with one of my seemingly perfect peers would have told me that I was not alone. It is totally normal if you find yourself having a tough time adjusting to this new stage in life and I believe I’d be hard-pressed to find a fellow Hilltopper who eased into college life without a worry. 

For me, it was surrounding myself with the things that I love that helped me find my stride on campus. Whether it was playing pickup at Preston, getting on the game or watching a movie, it was important for me to put myself first. Taking a few hours, or just even a few minutes out of each day to do the things you enjoy can immensely help you settle in.  

Along with the things you love, it is important to surround yourself with and find people that make you feel comfortable in an unknown environment. No matter how dolled up your dorm is, it can get lonely to sit in your room alone. Try and make it a point to be around at least one of these people each day because not only will you be helping yourself, but your presence will be helping the people around you. 

Eli Randolph, Chief Photographer, Class of 2025

Freshman year was hard for me, but it doesn’t have to be hard for everyone. Here are some of the things I learned so you don’t have to.

1. Go to class – It is so easy to skip class once and then never go back to class your freshman year. It’s the first time a lot of us don’t have someone telling us to go to school so it’s easy to just not go. If you do not go to class though you will probably not pass.
2. Get involved – find an organization or group on campus to get involved in. I know this phrase gets shoved down your throat all the time but it is true. It is the best way to make great friends and even just give you something to do besides school work. There are a billion different things to do on campus so get out there and do them!
3. Remember why you are here – you are here paying to get an education. I know there are a lot of things that come with college that are fun but you are here to get an education and you are paying for it. Sure, have fun, but don’t let it affect your grades. That is what’s most important.

While writing this I realized I sound like my mom but she was right. You all have got this and I hope everyone has a great year. Go Tops!

Bailey Reed, Newsletter Editor, Class of 2026

So many people feel that because college is a time in life to grow into your independence, you have to do it alone. This is simply not the case. Go out onto South Lawn and meet people playing games, or chat with people in line for food at the DSU. You can be independent while also building yourself a community that will last throughout your college career. You are never alone. Everyone has a place on the Hill, so have fun finding yours!

Additionally, find something that will ground you when you need a sense of inner peace. For me, playing the piano in the Fine Arts Center is a great way to release tension while recognizing my own emotion. At times, classes and life may have you stressed. Once you find your own coping mechanism, you can conquer any challenge that stands between you and your goals.

Lastly, communication is key. That mantra applies on every front. If your emotional wellbeing is dwindling, we have a wonderful Counseling Center to reach out to for direct help or greater resources. You can call them at 270-745-3159. If you need help in the dorms, reach out to your RA. Professors can also be such an amazing resource in tough times. Overall, find your people, build your network and allow yourself the space to thrive.

Price Wilborn, Editor-in-Chief, Class of 2025

When I first came to the Hill, one of the best pieces of advice I was given was to “take the first step.” If you’re nervous about joining a club or getting involved, or even in making new friends and trying to make the Hill feel like home, take the first step. I’ve found that, so often, taking the first step is the hardest part of trying something new and getting out of your comfort zone. As soon as you take that first step, though, you enter a whole new world.

It’s also so important to remember that you’re not stuck! You’re not stuck in your classes, your majors, your clubs, your activities, your friend groups or anything else. Know that it is so okay to switch things up and try something new. Unlike high school, college is a time for you to try things that interest you. Take every opportunity to try anything that interests you – take that first step – and remember that, if you don’t like it, no one is making you stick with it.

Finally, be present in everything that you do. College goes by so much faster than high school. You’re going to meet lifelong friends, do things you never thought you would do and learn things about yourself and the world you never imagined you would know. Don’t take this time for granted. Be present and internalize everything. Take it all in, because, if you play your cards right, college could set you up for the rest of your life.

Go forth and do the amazing things we know you’re going to do. You’ve got this. Be strong, be smart and be yourself. And most of all, go Tops!

Out of touch lawmakers are working to remove programs that create a safe space for difficult discussions and an atmosphere of acceptance and belonging that all young people deserve to find. This is an appalling attack on young people and their education that should not have been allowed to make it this far, and it should not be allowed to continue.

University officials have been hesitant to take a stand, which is why we, the editorial boards of independent, student-run newspapers at seven of Kentucky’s public universities, felt we must.

We call on the Kentucky General Assembly to not take up legislation in the future that seeks to eliminate DEI from the commonwealth’s public universities. 

It appalls us that the effort to eliminate DEI protections and initiatives was even given life in the General Assembly. Every person deserves to feel comfortable in making the commonwealth their home, and taking away initiatives that promote diversity will push Kentucky farther into the past.

On Feb. 13, the Senate passed Senate Bill 6. A month later, the House amended the bill with original language from House Bill 9, and voted to pass. The bill returned to the Senate with stronger attacks on diversity while eliminating race-based scholarships for students, mandatory DEI training and orientations, required courses and more.

In January, SB 6 sponsor Sen. Mike Wilson said the bill would outlaw the teaching of “discriminatory concepts” like the belief that some individuals are “inherently superior” to others within the classroom and across faculty initiatives. 

Days later, Rep. Jennifer Decker introduced HB 9, an aim to strip all DEI initiatives on college campuses. Anything deemed to be “differential treatment” would be prohibited and defunded, including dedicated offices and positions. 

Following months of debate and public outcry, the Senate chose not to vote on concurrence with the updated SB 6 before entering the veto period last night. While the General Assembly could still pass a version of the legislation upon returning from the veto period on April 12, they would be unable to override a veto by Gov. Andy Beshear.

This legislation represents a threat to Kentucky’s higher education that their sponsors refuse to acknowledge. It presents Kentucky as a land of archaic ideals, where bygone values endure despite changes of modern times. It was less than 70 years ago when the last three of Kentucky’s public universities fully desegregated their campuses. Before 1949, Black Kentuckians had no real option of attending a public university in the commonwealth other than Kentucky State University, which was founded in 1886 as an African American teachers college.

Gallery • 1 Photos

Price Wilborn

That is not the Kentucky we know now. We have come of age in a place that thrives on, encourages and advances equity, and many of us grew up supporting the fight to protect it. 

Watching our commonwealth’s progress toward equality be systematically dismantled is unimaginable, especially for today’s standards. Diversity, equity and inclusion have been — and continue to be — foundational pillars to our college campuses. 

DEI initiatives encourage students of color to attend college in Kentucky. According to BestColleges, over half of the students surveyed “would consider transferring if their college were to abolish diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives.” Even more prospective students said they’d reconsider their decision if a college they were considering had “abolished DEI initiatives.”

When students do not see themselves at Kentucky’s universities, they will have no desire to attend them, either.

Similar legislation has been enacted in other states, resulting in employees being fired because the law no longer allows for their positions. These are not simply numbers. These are people’s lives. 

The lawmakers who are sponsoring and supporting this legislation fail to envision the future and recognize the inherent value of engaging with all of our unique perspectives and lived experiences in the classroom and on campus.

Difficult discussions on Kentucky campuses allow students to think critically about the world around them, with the guidance of professors well-researched and immersed in their fields. They are not “indoctrinating” students against their will; they are expanding our perspectives to include all of our lived experiences.

Classrooms are meant to be safe spaces for discussions and debates with the purpose of education, not political theater.

Our universities have long, rich histories that have only been made greater by students who come from diverse backgrounds and walks of life.

At Murray State University, for example, Mary Holland was the first Black student to attend the university and Nancy Tyler Demarta was the first Black graduate. Another notable figure, Black faculty member Marvin Mills, founded the occupational safety and health major and played a pivotal role in the creation of the Dr. Marvin D. Mills Multicultural Center. 

In similar light, at Eastern Kentucky University, Cynthiana native James Way became the university’s first Black professor in 1967, teaching classes in industrial technology, according to the Notable Kentucky African Americans Database. Following Way, his children, James, Jannette, William and Melissa, were the first Black students to attend Eastern’s Model Laboratory School.

Thanks to their work and the work of countless other individuals, each of our universities are places where faculty are able to educate students about the realities of the past. Because of their efforts, we feel safe and valued in such spaces and our institutions have been enriched by their presence.

This legislation threatened to upend this progress, yet we are not sure the fight is over. 

SB 6 promises academic freedom, but make no mistake: it brings academic restriction at best, and pure censorship at worst. This bill — and those who support it — simply wishes to see traditionally left-leaning topics eliminated from the classroom curriculum entirely.

Such a decision not only has the potential to eliminate valuable classroom discussions and push prospective students away but could turn away faculty and staff who are foundational to building a better future for individuals and for the commonwealth.

At Northern Kentucky University, associate dean and professor Danielle McDonald said the role of the professor is to guide the classroom conversation and encourage students to come to their own conclusions. Introducing new perspectives and creating an environment of inclusivity is already the mission of professors, McDonald said — not presenting a topic as absolute truth.

At Western Kentucky University, members of faculty have not only stated in response to the legislation that there are many who have begun to look for employment elsewhere, but that they cannot, in good conscience, look a high school student in the eye and encourage them to attend a public university in the state.

If Kentucky is to be the future, our lawmakers should draw in the leaders of the future, not scare them away. Universities are where key learning and foundational work happens, and Kentucky universities must be that place for Kentucky leaders.

It takes more than just our voices to fight against such an injustice, however.

Only one university president, Eli Capilouto of the University of Kentucky, has spoken out against the bills. Other university presidents — Bob Jackson of Murray State University, Kim Schatzel of the University of Louisville, Timothy Caboni of Western Kentucky University and Cady Short-Thompson of Northern Kentucky University — have gone as far as acknowledging the importance of DEI on their campuses.

Presidents Jay Morgan of Morehead State University, Koffi C. Akakpo of Kentucky State University and David T. McFaddin at Eastern Kentucky University have yet to release a statement on the legislation or DEI.

The statements of support for DEI are not nothing, but they are not enough in the light of the threat DEI initiatives are facing. So many people in each of these campus communities have spoken out against the bill, leaving many wanting more.

Many of our institutions’ mission statements or strategic plans support diversity, equity and inclusion. There is value in these initiatives. It shows they understand their necessity and that they support providing a helping hand to groups that need it. A response from our university presidents is not an unreasonable request. 

The commonwealth’s universities should have stood in solidarity against these bills. Standing in solidarity reduces the likelihood of repercussions against individual universities while showing Kentuckians that their voices are being heard by those in power.

Instead, it is left to students to pick up the torch and continue fighting where those above us fail. University administration is not taking a stand, so we are.

Protecting diversity in Kentucky creates spaces for students to feel safe, seen and heard. It is a simple fact that different groups of people have been systemically discriminated against and not given equal educational opportunities. 

Great progress has been made in recent decades, but we have to recognize that discrimination is an issue that will never be fully resolved. We do not live in a perfect world, and there is always work left to be done.

Abolishing DEI eliminates decades of steadfast, hardfought progress that has been made. It will encourage high schoolers who are looking at colleges to attend a university located anywhere but in Kentucky. It tells students of diverse backgrounds that they are not welcomed on campuses where they are hoping to build the beginning of the rest of their lives.

We call on the General Assembly to do better. We call on the General Assembly to realize that DEI initiatives and the discussion and acceptance of diversity are in the best interest of every single student, faculty and staff member at each public university campus in the commonwealth.

Despite what certain lawmakers in Kentucky and around the nation might think, diversity is not going away. The world is moving forward, and Kentucky cannot be left behind.

This editorial was drafted and approved by the student editorial boards of independent student news organizations at seven of the commonwealth’s public universities: the College Heights Herald at Western Kentucky University, the Eastern Progress at Eastern Kentucky University, the Murray State News at Murray State University, the Louisville Cardinal at the University of Louisville, The Northerner at Northern Kentucky University, Thorobred News at Kentucky State University and the Kentucky Kernel at the University of Kentucky.

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

If you would like to submit a Letter to the Editor or an opinion to the Eastern Progress, please send it to Editor-in-Chief Rosemary Kelley at progress@eku.edu or Managing Editor Jess Wilson at jessica_wilson314@mymail.eku.edu.

If you would like to submit a Letter to the Editor, reaction piece or other submission to The Murray State News, please email Editor-in-Chief Jillian Smith at jsmith194@murraystate.edu or Opinions Editor Scottlynn Ballard at sballard11@murraystate.edu. 

The Louisville Cardinal welcomes submissions from readers for publication in our opinions section. If you’d like to submit a piece, please email editor@louisvillecardinal.com or Editor-in-Chief Tate Luckey directly at tluckey@louisvillecardinal.com.

If you would like to submit a Letter to the Editor or other submission to The Northerner, please email Editor-in-Chief Braden White at whiteb15@nku.edu. 

If you would like to submit a reaction to a piece, Letter to the Editor or other submission to Thorobred News, please email ksuthorobrednewseditor@yahoo.com or Editor-in-Chief Ashanti Grace Castleberry at ashanti.castleberry@kysu.edu. 

If you would like to submit a Letter to the Editor or another form of submission to the Kentucky Kernel, please email Editor-in-Chief Hannah Stanley at editor@kykernel.com.

Student journalism, while providing an essential service to schools across the nation, has often been caught in a conflict between the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and university administrators who seek to limit or control the voices of and stories by student reporters. Time and time again, however, the side of free press has prevailed.

Today, Feb. 22, is National Student Press Freedom Day, a day to remember the fights that have been fought across the country and here on the Hill to ensure student newsrooms have the same rights, freedoms and protections as professional newsrooms in the United States. We at the College Heights Herald find special importance in this day each year because the Herald is WKU’s independent, student-run news organization. Both of these are key to what we do.

First and foremost, we are independent. The funding for the Herald comes primarily from the advertisements you see on our website, on our social media and in our news magazine. We are an independent news organization that provides information to the WKU community, but we do not act on behalf of the university.

We are also a student-run newspaper. The Herald has professional advisers who guide us and provide us with advice and support, but content decisions and creative control lie with the students who make up the Herald’s reporting, photography, sports, videography, podcast, social media, design and commentary teams. We the students make decisions as to what we do and do not post, going to our advisers for guidance when we deem it necessary to do so.

The Herald has a long, storied history of independence, and we stand on the shoulders of those who secured that independence for us.

In 1988, then WKU President Kern Alexander was criticized by Herald writers for missing a meeting with Kentucky Gov. Wallace G. Wilkinson concerning the state’s budget crisis. Soon after the series of news articles, Alexander proposed a plan to the Board of Regents to appoint a faculty editor of the Herald to review all pieces to be published by the paper.

This was an unprecedented move, and Alexander quickly found himself battling not just the Herald, but the paper’s alumni, WKU’s students and many across the nation. Students demonstrated on campus while news outlets from Kentucky, Tennessee and across the nation descended on the Hill to cover the events.

The Herald staff at the time was passionate about its independence and fought back hard against this proposed university control. In the end, a faculty editor was never appointed to review the pieces student journalists publish. Alexander left WKU for a teaching position at Virginia Tech less than two months after the proposal to install a faculty editor was first introduced.

Since 1988, Herald journalists have prided themselves on their independence and their accuracy. The paper has a long history of excellence, and today we make it a point to uphold the high standards that have been set by those who came before us and are upheld by the WKU community we serve.

We know that we do not always meet these standards. As students, we are still learning. Despite this, we continuously strive to meet them each day and with each piece we publish by learning from our mistakes and remembering the valuable lessons these mistakes present to us.

Our independence allows us to cover breaking news on campus and in the Bowling Green community in ways that we would not be able to otherwise. We are able to raise awareness to great things being done by students, faculty and staff, highlighting groundbreaking work and activism that we hope inspires each and every one of our readers.

The First Amendment guarantees Americans the right to a free press, one that is not arbitrarily controlled by governments or other higher powers. It is this freedom that makes America, well, America. People are able to express their opinions freely with limited restrictions. Courts have upheld this time and time again, placing much more weight on an individual’s or an organization’s right to freely express itself than on possible harm done to governmental institutions.

We believe the administration at WKU respects and honors the First Amendment, allowing us to do our work as we have always done – as aspiring professionals. We are proud to be part of the system that makes WKU better, and we are proud that the university and its administration have created an environment that allows us to exercise this freedom.

As student journalists, it gives us a chance to hone our craft and perfect our skills. Every newsroom and news outlet in the country has the ability to choose what content it does or does not publish. Working in a free, independent newsroom here on the Hill prepares us to do the same type of work at professional newsrooms in the future.

The Herald is a consistently nationally recognized student-run news organization in the United States. Among those which have won the Associated Collegiate Press’s national Pacemaker Award, the highest honor for student-run media, the Herald ranks sixth nationally. Both the Herald and our sister publication, the Talisman, are among The Pacemaker 100 most successful student media outlets.

On this National Student Press Freedom Day, we are proud to continue being a free, independent organization, and we renew our pledge to our readers that we will continue to uphold the standards set by those who came before us while preserving the freedom and independence that they fought so hard to secure for us.

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.

Let’s back up a little bit.

In November 2016, the Herald filed an Open Records Request for all Title IX investigative records into WKU faculty and staff sexual misconduct allegations that occurred in the five years prior. While WKU refused to turn over any of the records, it said its Title IX investigations resulted in six employee resignations since 2013 for violations of university policy.

But WKU would not let the Herald see those records. The Herald appealed WKU’s denial to then-Attorney General Andy Beshear.

The attorney general then asked WKU to let the AG’s office review the documents to see if they had been properly denied. Again, WKU refused and declined to provide the documents to the attorney general. That led to a ruling that WKU was in violation of the Open Records Act because AG review of denials is a key component, and perhaps the most important component, of the Open Records Act.

The attorney general ruled in January 2017 that WKU had violated the Kentucky Open Records Act and ordered WKU to turn the documents over to the Herald. As the Herald’s editor wrote at the time, “simply put, [the university] had broken the law.”

Instead of following the attorney general’s directive, WKU sued the Herald, the only way to appeal such a ruling.

Months later, in a meeting with the Herald’s editorial board, WKU President Timothy Caboni, who inherited the lawuit after he became president in July 2017, was asked if WKU would drop the lawsuit.

Caboni responded, saying that “we will fight tooth and nail to protect student privacy, particularly when it comes to the issues of sexual assault. I will not have a student’s name even possibly made public around one of the most damaging and painful experiences of that student’s life.”

This makes sense, it really does. The College Heights Herald has always strived to protect the identities and personal lives of its subjects whenever possible. But while both the Herald and WKU agree on protecting student victims, the lawsuit dragged on.

WKU did not turn over any documents until summer 2021, after the Kentucky Supreme Court ruled against the University of Kentucky in a similar lawsuit UK had filed against the Kentucky Kernel, their student paper. The Herald finally received heavily redacted — we would say overly redacted — records in 2021. Only then, more than four years after the lawsuit was filed, did WKU turn over any documents.

Still, though, nearing the six-year mark, the lawsuit drags on — so long, in fact, that the judge handling the case in Warren Circuit Court has now retired.

The goal of the Herald’s investigation was to shed light on the university’s actions surrounding the Title IX investigations and how it handles allegations of sexual misconduct. Every member of the WKU community, from students to families to the professors and other faculty on campus, deserves to feel safe and to know that the university will protect them.

The university’s efforts to protect the identities of students involved in these allegations is noble, yes. The effort to protect the identities of the university employees involved, less so.

For nearly six years, however, the debate over WKU’s actions surrounding the Title IX investigations, the importance of releasing the minimally redacted documents and the importance of ending cultures of complicity around sexual misconduct at the university level and around the world have been written about extensively.

We don’t wish to make the same argument over again. We shouldn’t have to. Sexual misconduct and harassment has been and always will be wrong, and the university should continuously work to minimize and eliminate that kind of behavior on its campus.

This Student Press Freedom Day, Feb. 23, WKU’s lawsuit against the Herald has even greater meaning to us at the Herald and even greater implications for student press elsewhere.

At universities around the nation, student journalists doggedly pursue stories that are important to students. Here at the Herald, we have watched as our colleagues have reported on breaking news, wrote feature stories and uncovered lawsuits and allegations that are not only of interest to university students, but are important to contextualizing and living life on a university campus.

These include lawsuits concerning incidents that happen in WKU residence halls or with members of the university’s Greek life. Last semester, when there was a possible explosive device reported on campus, Herald reporters and photographers didn’t shy away from the situation. They were among the first journalists on the scene.

The work student journalists do at WKU and beyond is important and admirable. They sacrifice sleep schedules – and occasionally their safety – to report on stories that keep students and faculty safe while bringing awareness to different people and organizations all over campus.

Aside from breaking news and feature stories, the College Heights Herald reports on campus events that bring awareness to causes and organizations doing important work.

Since 1927, the Associated College Press has awarded university news outlets with Pacemaker Awards. These awards are national indicators of quality, and they are a big deal. To celebrate its 100th anniversary, the ACP announced the Pacemaker 100, the publications that have received the most Pacemaker awards and finalists in its history. With 21 Pacemakers and 13 finalists as of 2022, the College Heights Herald received the distinction of being the sixth most honored college news publication in the nation.

Last month, the Herald also received numerous awards at the Kentucky Press Association’s annual awards banquet. At the banquet, our very own Jake Moore won College Journalist of the Year while he and Debra Murray were awarded the Jon Fleischaker Freedom of Information Award. This is the third time the Herald has won the Fleishaker Award in the four years it has been awarded. Herald journalists and photographers also received individual awards in a number of categories.

We list these accolades not to brag but to show that the College Heights Herald is a serious news organization that does important work. It has been recognized numerous times on the state and national levels.

Yes, we and our colleagues are student journalists, but we are just that – journalists. When writing about sensitive information, we take great care in making sure sensitive information is protected. While we report the news, we are also humans that understand the difficulties of the fine line we sometimes have to walk between protecting individuals who wish to be protected and reporting the news as accurately and with as much information as possible.

In the case of our ongoing lawsuit – which should have started kindergarten this school year – we will continue to report information that is of interest to the WKU community. This lawsuit will not slow the Herald’s efforts to report on the university’s administration and all the good and bad that comes with it.

This lawsuit was first brought before any of us first stepped on WKU’s campus as students. Now, six years later, the lawsuit has outlived the college careers of the editorial board who first requested the documents from the university. This is a lawsuit that should have been concluded years ago, yet the Herald’s staff today must continue to deal with its consequences. This should not be the case.

If the university wants the Herald to move on from this story, it should release the minimally redacted documents. If the university wants to continue making this a story year after year, it should keep doing what it has been doing.

This Student Press Freedom Day, the College Heights Herald renews its commitment to doing things how it has always done them – professionally.

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. 

The publication surprised its peers by switching to a monthly print edition for the fall of 2021, producing eight editions throughout the 2021-22 academic year and allowing us to put more focus on our daily email newsletter and live stories on WKUHerald.com.

Despite producing fewer print issues, the content inside these editions remained as high-quality as ever, and in most cases the new publishing cycle allowed us to pursue longer, more in-depth pieces.

As the saying goes, the more things change, the more they stay the same. The Herald still earned a national Pacemaker Award, the top honor for student-run media and its 19th since 1981. Reporters and editors were still given the chance to learn the ins and outs of the production process and the paper remained at the forefront for students’ voices.

Additionally, the switch to monthly editions provided ample time for staff to adjust to the ever-evolving digital future of journalism by maintaining daily digital output for the Herald’s newsletter.

That being said, the switch to monthly editions was not without issue.

More than once, printing delays prevented the Herald from arriving on campus on time. Additionally, the physical material on which the Herald was printed – called newsprint – put limitations on how photos can be toned and showcased, effectively sticking photography and design staff in a box.

Because of this, the Herald is shaking things up once more. Starting this fall, the Herald will be packaged as a sleek, bright and eye-catching newsmagazine and distributed three times per semester.

Don’t worry – the Herald will stay in its lane, remaining a news source first and foremost without infringing on the identities of our Student Publications siblings, Talisman magazine and Cherry Creative branded content studio. The new format will provide designers and photographers unique creative freedoms that will take the publication to heights not possible with standard newsprint.

The Herald staff welcomes this new format with enthusiasm. Reporters, editors and photographers were swayed as soon as they opened up a mock example, many of them drawing immediate inspiration from the stylish format.

Speaking of the Herald staff, for the first time since spring 2000, the publication will be helmed by a pair of coeditors-in-chief. Debra Murray and Jake Moore, your current content editors, are excited to step into the position and tackle whatever it throws our way.

The pair of us have spent the spring semester working in tandem to provide the WKU community with exciting news content and we can’t wait to continue in the fall.

All of this is to say, we’re ready for this change.

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

Content Editor Jake Moore can be reached at charles.moore275@topper.wku.edu. Follow him on Twitter @Charles_JMoore.

We’re sure everyone remembers when the vaccines began rolling out near the start of our Spring 2021 semester, and the light at the end of the tunnel became more attainable than it had ever been before.

After a strong finish to the school year, we all said our goodbyes and left the Hill hoping for a return to normalcy in the fall. As summer went on, this hope grew stronger and stronger with declining cases and an increase in vaccinations.

At some point, we all believed that we were approaching the finish line, that the horror movie of the past 16 months was finally reaching the end credits.

We were so close.

However, infections and hospitalizations due to the Delta variant are on the rise, especially in areas of the country with lower vaccination rates. When the CDC announced that vaccinated persons can remove their masks back in May, the Delta variant accounted for just 1% of all cases. That number had spiked to 83% by the end of July.

It has become clear that no matter how close we may have been, we called cut way too soon.

The hard truth is that Kentucky is in the crosshairs of the pandemic once more. Governor Andy Beshear announced more than 2,000 new COVID-19 cases in his August 5 Team Kentucky update with a 10.27% positive rate. 

As it stands today, only 46% of Kentucky is fully vaccinated, and with Delta variant cases rising in unvaccinated populations, it is clear where our problem lies.

We at the Herald ask you to reminisce on the past three semesters at WKU, to consider how the pandemic affected your college experience as well as the experiences of your fellow Hilltoppers.

In reflection, it should become clear that none of us want to relive the long and difficult 16 months we’ve already worked so hard to make it through.

We want you to consider this as you make preparations to return to our dear old Western, keeping in mind the health and safety of yourselves, and more importantly those around you.

A group of great young men and women once said that “We’re all in this together, and it shows when we stand hand in hand, that we can make our dreams come true.”

We believe that the same sentiment applies at WKU as it did at East High, and the fact of the matter is that we are still so close to the end credits.

Only you have the power to decide if we’re going to finish this movie together.