As of Jan. 25, 18 confirmed organizations will be at the event with a likelihood of several more joining. 

Some of the organizations that will be present include Lost River Cave, Historic RailPark & Train Museum, Kentucky Department of Fish & Wildlife Resources and The Salvation Army. 

Dr. Raymond Poff, professor and program coordinator for the Recreation, Park & Nonprofit Administration helped organize the event, providing helpful insight into what is to come.

Poff stated it is likely that most of the job opportunities organizations will be there to talk about positions that involve a good amount of working with people. 

Poff has high hopes for this job fair spreading more awareness about the program and the array of careers involved, and is excited for students to be exposed to unfamiliar careers and opportunities.

“We really can’t pursue something that we’re not aware of, and I don’t know that I can grow up to be an ‘X, Y, or, Z’ if I don’t know that ‘X, Y, and Z’ are even career opportunities,” Poff said. “I think one of the things that this job fair does is that it exposes our students to some of the opportunities that are out there.”

News Reporter Apollo Menéndez can be reached at kyra.menendez705@topper.wku.edu

“It wasn’t until I heard ‘Black woman,’ like, that I knew that it was me that just won,” LeJeune said. “It’s still shocking, it’s still a dream. Like, I’m still waiting on somebody to wake me up and be like, ‘Millie, snap out of it.’”

LeJeune, a senior exercise science major with a concentration in pre-physical therapy, is very active in her campus involvement. She is a former president and a current member of Black Women of Western, Alpha Kappa Psi Professional Business Fraternity, Exercise Science Club, Why Knot Us Too, Alpha Epsilon Delta and works as an ISEC navigator. 

LeJeune was president of Black Women of Western beginning in Fall 2021, passing the torch to Kennedy Williams officially in Fall 2023. Black Women of Western (BWOW) is a multifaceted organization, as detailed by Williams, a junior management major with a human resources concentration. 

“We really focus on practice of mentorship and sisterhood and really, just being a place for Black women on campus to come together and be authentically themselves, but also to help and guide them as a resource for black women on campus,” Williams said. “We do discussion panels on mental health or dietary things that can help black women or just social events.”

Williams described the organization as a place that also provides a break from other campus responsibilities, such as homework or other clubs.

“I felt like some of the events like that could be a mental break from everything that the girls have going on, like homework to other organizations,” Williams said. “Just somewhere where we can take a break from everything and be surrounded by friendly faces and have meaningful conversations with everybody.”

Williams wanted to sponsor LeJeune with BWOW not only due to being a former president of the organization but also because of what she does for those around her. 

“She’s the former president, and like, I thought it was a great opportunity for us to get you [Millie] out there and get some recognition for that. I was very excited for when she said she wanted to do it,” Williams said. “Cause Millie’s just always doing something great. Millie’s always doing something to be the best Millie she can be, really.”

Williams has been inspired by LeJeune and her outgoingness since her freshman year, crediting her interest in Black Women of Western to LeJeune herself.

“When I first came in my freshman year, she gave me the biggest hug and I was so surprised by it because I didn’t know who she was,” Williams said. “And like, I really was interested in BWOW because of her because I felt like that was a great organization for me to be in, as a black woman on campus.”

One of LeJeune’s largest presences aside from BWOW is due to her involvement in the Intercultural Student Engagement Program (ISEC) as a navigator.

“I serve as a navigator, which is a liaison for freshman scholars that come onto campus, [and] I serve as a mentor and mentor them throughout their freshman year up until their senior year,” LeJeune said. “I have two currently right now, that are both freshmen I try to help them with their schedules. We help them periodically, bi-weekly, and just make sure they’re staying on track so we can keep them here at Western Kentucky University.” 

Despite ending up winning the competition, LeJeune only applied for Homecoming Queen the day before applications closed, deciding to apply due to inspiration instilled in her by her grandmother and Alice Gatewood Waddell, the first African American Homecoming Queen at WKU in 1972.

“So, I found out about it the day before it was due and submitted my application, and I got people to help me out, those sponsors, and started the campaign,” LeJeune said. “This is a dream that came true.”

The candidates did various activities around and during homecoming week, and as LeJeune appreciated, she got to know them on a personal level. 

“We started off with the social, just getting to get to know the girls. We hung around downtown and went to Spencer’s, and started the week off with a candle making class,” LeJeune said. “That was very sentimental and sweet getting to just talk to the girls on a calmer level instead of us going against each other.”

LeJeune emphasized the challenges of homecoming.

“My friend called me and was like, ‘Hey Millie, I’m just wondering where you’re at.’” LeJeune said. “And I’m like, oh my gosh, I’m freaking out, I’m not in line, I had no type of signal on Saturday, my phone’s about to die, just trying to find my escort,” LeJeune said. “It was a challenge.” 

LeJeune credits her grandmother for being the motivation for her goal to win Homecoming Queen. She was happy regardless of the competition’s outcome, and proud of her contributions to WKU for her communities. 

“I definitely carried the torch for her and kept my promises to her. I remember before walking on the field before they announced my name, I looked up in the sky and thought, Grandma, this is for you.”

LeJeune wanted to note the effect this has on the groups she is a part of. 

“This is still a major accomplishment for the Haitian community and also Western’s community, too, that rallied behind me,” LeJeune said.

A proud supporter of LeJeune is Martha Sales, WKU dean of students. Sales is excited LeJeune gets to serve as Homecoming Queen, seeing how she has excelled and impacted others over time. 

“I knew Millie, actually in her relationships with the Intercultural Student Engagement Center. She’s a scholar, as well as a navigator. To be a navigator, you have to excel not only academically, but in leadership and skills and competency and how to be kind and treat people…,” Sales said. “She always comes by and checks on me, always has a beautiful, bright smile on her face, always encouraging, and then I see her in her act with others and she does the same,” Sales said. “And then I think she’s truly focused on the wellbeing of others.”

LeJeune will graduate this winter, but plans to continue working in the organizations she is a part of and wants to become involved as an alumni, continuing her work even if she is away from Bowling Green. LeJeune feels very strongly about WKU and always has, long before becoming Homecoming Queen. 

“WKU definitely chose me, like, when I walked on this campus before COVID happened in February of 2020, I felt like I was home,” LeJeune said. “And if I could choose a million times and go back in time [to] what school I want to go to when I make my commitment, it will always be WKU.”

News Reporter Apollo Menéndez can be reached at kyra.menendez705@topper.wku.edu

Ebony Dunn,  co-founder and president of Prestige, was enthusiastic about hosting the event.

A play on ‘Throwback Thursday,’ the event was intended to replicate the energy of thrift and vintage shopping, something that students do often in more recent times. Thrift shops from Nashville, Clarksville, Knoxville and local shops such as Vette City Vintage made appearances. Due to the inclement weather, the event was moved indoors to DSU Nite Class. 

Dunn emphasized the accessibility of the thrift fair for WKU students.

“Some students don’t have the opportunity to go out or to have a car and be able to shop,” Dunn said. “So we brought the thrift shops here, where it’s the Nite Class, a central area in DSU that a lot of people come to. It’s homecoming, we have a lot of WKU gear, so why not have people spend some money?”

Prestige is a co-ed fashion organization, largely centered around modeling, featuring a modeling troupe that does pop-out shows, fashion shows and more. They work as a collaborative unit to make outfits and vision boards for one another. In the past couple of weeks, they brought their version of fashion week to WKU, with several creative-oriented events. 

“Pretty much, we are just a co-ed fashion organization that loves, sleeps, and eats fashion.”

Jameia Johnson, model for Prestige and junior professional legal studies major wanted to branch out with their types of events. 

“Since we are the first and only co-ed modeling troupe on campus, we kind of want to bring something different to campus, you know, something that not everybody else does,” Johnson said. “So, us having this event is kind of like, we’re here, this is what we have and are bringing to the table.”

Johnson stated that they are going to try and make the event annual, wanting to host something similar to this every year. 

Cody Dilaura, junior psychology major, had their shop “Starryeyedseraphine” set up at the thrift fair. Selling handmade jewelry and secondhand clothing, their booth featured a bounty of beautifully beaded accessories and clothes. Dilaura finds the handmade jewelry-making process to be both fun and therapeutic. 

For Dilaura, owning a small business combines their hobbies with a way to make money. 

“It’s super fun. I love, like, creating things and doing things that I’m passionate about,” Dilaura said. “It’s just a lot of fun to be able to basically make money off of my hobby.”

Their favorite items in their shop are their jewelry pieces, describing the jewelry’s style as whimsical and fairy-type. When finding items to sell, they have multiple methods. 

“I find them through estate sales, Goodwill bins,” Dilaura said. “Also, a lot of it is stuff from my personal collection that I’ve just sort of grown out of and I just figured I could make a little shop out of it.”

With a love for alternative styles, Dilaura was keeping their eyes peeled for vintage slip dresses and skirts at the other vendors’ booths. 

Another vintage clothing seller at the event, ‘Fashiongirlvintage,’ otherwise known as Emily Carney, had racks of clothing and shoes displayed. 

Carney explained that her favorite clothing to find for her vintage shop is ravewear and clubwear from the ‘90s. 

“Ravewear and clubwear from the ‘90s, is like, my holy grail like that’s my soft spot,” Carney said. “Because it’s like, I feel like that’s where you find the most unique features in clothing like you have all the buckles, the pants are so wide and oversized. There’s so much more detail to those clothes than anything else that I’ve found.”

Emphasizing her care for the environment, Carney described her shop and motivation for creating one. 

“I try to specialize in ‘70s and Y2K. I try to find things that are from past eras that are still, like, trendy and applicable to today’s market,” Carney said. “And try to help slow down the fashion cycle by finding pieces that already exist rather than focusing on new clothes.”

News Reporter Apollo Menéndez can be reached at kyra.menendez705@topper.wku.edu

Día de los Muertos is a traditional Mexican holiday occurring primarily on the night of Oct. 31 and the first and second of November in which people celebrate the loved ones who have passed on. Camille Acosta, WKU folklife specialist, is helping to host the community ofrenda.

Acosta explained several different things are involved in the celebration of Día de los Muertos. 

“They celebrate this idea of death as a welcoming presence. [As] The ones you really love never truly leave you,” Acosta said.“So, it’s a couple of nights of celebration. By celebration, it means getting this giant altar and putting pictures of all those that you loved that have passed on.” 

Acosta explained how this celebration helps comfort individuals who are either grieving or have lost those important to them. 

“Putting things that remind you of them, such as articles of clothing, or maybe tools and trinkets that, you know, you associate with those people,” Acosta said. “And of course, you can’t have a good Mexican celebration without food.”

Sydney Varajon, folk studies instructor, brought several different things to the ofrenda to honor both of her late grandfathers.

“So, my paternal grandfather put a lot of black pepper on pretty much everything he ate. So I actually just took a little shaker of coarse black pepper down there, and then some seashells because he lived in Florida,” Varajon said. “And then, my other grandfather was a forest wildlife ranger, so I brought some items related to that. So, in addition to some photographs, I added some found objects like dried flowers or things that I had found outside. ”

Both Acosta and Varajon spoke on how celebrating death in this way helps in confronting such a daunting subject, dispelling the stigma of death.

“I feel as though this celebration helps you kind of mourn and grieve in a communal sense, and in a positive sense. Death is scary no matter how you look at it, but when you’re with the people that you love, telling the stories about the people that you love, you know, it feels warmer,” Acosta said. “It feels like, ‘I don’t feel as lost, and I don’t feel as alone’. And, you recognize it in a more colorful kind of way.”

Acosta believes that for Latino WKU students, the ofrenda is a way to find community and have a relation to their cultural heritage, no matter how far from home they may be. 

“I always wanted to find that community and that relation to my cultural heritage that made me feel happy and made me feel better,” Acosta said. “And so, I like to think having something like this up for the community can create that safe space of accessibility for others too.”

This is reinforced by Leanne Hernandez Plancarte, a Mexican-American freshman interior design major. She feels that the ofrenda is inclusive of all students on campus, and is planning to put something in the ofrenda if she finds something fitting. Plancarte added that she hasn’t personally seen something like this done for Hispanic students. 

“It definitely feels inclusive, like, it makes me happy that somebody’s making an attempt to include everybody’s culture,” Plancarte said.

Acosta emphasized how no matter if you are Latino, Hispanic or neither, the ofrenda is something accessible to everyone, encouraging everyone to contribute. 

“Mourning and grieving and the celebration of death can be for absolutely everyone, as long as everyone is respectful in what they do,” Acosta said. “And so, I think this is great. I think this is a beautiful medium or tool of communication for people who just need it.”

News Reporter Apollo Menéndez can be reached at kyra.menendez705@topper.wku.edu

This year, the festival’s theme was ‘PCAL Land,’ a creative twist on the board game Candy Land. With many fall festivities to participate in, faculty and students alike contributed to and experienced the festival. 

Cassandra Rebman, sculpting instructor and studio technician, handed out scratch tiles to give the students a sense of what they do in the sculpture department, as well as the League of Sculptors and the sculpture club. Once students were finished scratching their designs into the sandy scratch tiles, they got to view and take home their work, which turned into a miniature relief sculpture through the use of aluminum pour. Dressed as Mr. Mint from Candy Land, Rebman was enthusiastic about her role in the fall festival, experiencing it for the first time. 

“Working in this festival, the aluminum pour has been pretty awesome. The college is welcoming and open-minded, and are okay with us playing with fire,” Rebman said. “Safely, but you know, it’s a fun and rigorous activity.”

PCAD, the Painter’s Critique and Discussion Group, offered free henna at the festival. With a myriad of designs to pick from, students enjoyed getting to choose henna that suited their personalities. 

Kinslei Crouch, a sophomore advertising major minoring in graphic design and sales, felt the fall spirit at the festival, enjoying the activities offered. Getting a vine-adorned mandala on her arm, Crouch was pleased with the henna. 

“I feel like I normally don’t put myself as much into these things, but there have been a lot of good things,” Crouch said. “The henna really drew me in. I really, really liked the henna. The artists were fabulous and I think PCAL did a really good job.”

The creator of PCAD, painting professor Yvonne Petkus, first started PCAD around five years ago. Petkus advertises PCAD to not only painters and PCAL but to people outside of the department as well. With a wide range of students in attendance, she stressed that the group was for anyone interested.

“We’re a very inclusive group, and the idea behind it is to create dialogue and community both in our department and across the university,” she said.

Petkus additionally spotlighted what PCAD does outside of their group discussions for the WKU community. For the past three years, they have given henna tattoos at the PCAL fall festival. The year that there was a Spring PCAL festival, they did portraits of people. These events mean a lot to those who participate, as emphasized by Petkus. 

“We did portraits, so people came by, and it was a huge line the whole time [and] our student artists doing portraits of people, some cartoony, some more naturalistic,” Petkus said. “So we try to engage the community that way.”

In attendance was also clown Twinkle Jon Stinkle, who enamored their audiences with a mysterious sticker box and fascinating tricks. Knocking on the seemingly empty sticker box three times, Stinkle shocked all by revealing a hidden compartment full of glittery stickers, each participant getting to take one for themself. Cass Resch, the student behind the clown suit, was at the Fall Festival as part of their research for their FUSE grant. 

“I got a FUSE grant to clown, and to compare the relation between drag and clowning,” Resch said. “So, this is actually a part of my research in performance. I’m walking around, doing some clown tricks and, you know, talking to people.”

Art department head Kristina Arnold had much enthusiasm for the festival and its longevity. Getting close to occurring for the past ten years, the annual event shows no signs of stopping. Arnold highlighted that the Fall Festival features different eras of technology, with a variety of things shown.

“So, art and design, we’ve been the tea and stem for 5,000 years. So, every year, we have the foundry where they’re pouring hot metal. And over here, we have user experience and computer animation, the technology of the future,” she said.

Featured at the art and design table were Snapchat QR codes for filters designed by a faculty member, Mark Simpson. The filters included WKU face paint, a WKU hat, and the ability to place different types of berries in the photo scene. Students enjoyed using the interactive codes at the table and testing them out with friends.

Arnold harped on the organization of the festival, spotlighting the extensive group effort of the students and its impressiveness.

“This is a huge, giant group effort. But it’s all student-run and student-driven,” Arnold said. “We just show up and like, hand out buttons and stickers.”

News Reporter Apollo Menéndez can be reached at kyra.menendez705@topper.wku.edu

The event was hosted by WKU HOLAS, a Latin-American organization on campus, and students got the chance to experience a wide variety of different Latino cultures. 

With tables of food representing countries, traditional dancers, and door prizes, the event had much to offer. 

Paola Garcia, a Dominican freshman, represented the Dominican Republic and Cuba at her tables. Handing out rice pudding made by her mother, she felt nostalgic. 

“This dish is my childhood. My mom made it a lot,” Garcia said. 

Garcia was pleased that this event represented lesser-known Latino countries around the world. 

“It’s representing a lot of countries that not everybody knows about,” Garcia said. “Like Cuba, Puerto Rico, El Salvador. It gets us out there.”

Michelle Ramos, a sophomore, represented Mexico at the event. The table for Mexico had flan, chips, salsa, and jamaica. Ramos had never made flan before and enjoyed the new experience. This event meant a lot to Ramos, as she participated last year as a freshman. 

“Last year, I was new, and this was one of the first events I came to,” Ramos said. “So, now, helping and doing this [tabling] is fun.”

William Marcus, a non-Latino freshman enjoying the event, has a lot of passion for experiencing different cultures.

Gallery • 3 Photos

Kayden Mulrooney

A student dances to a Latin American party dance at the All Around the World event in the Honors College and International Center on Sept. 14, 2023.

“I am not Hispanic, but I feel like, if you are a human person then you need to experience other cultures,” Marcus said. “In every capacity, I think experiencing the food, and talking about personal stories is very, very important to development and being a better person.”

Fabián Álvarez, the faculty advisor for HOLAS, emphasized the improvement over time in relation to these events and the Latino population on campus. 

“So, the history behind this event is, about ten or eleven years ago, there hadn’t been any celebrations on campus up until the student organization HOLAS came to be,” Álvarez said.  “And so, I think it was during our first year, it was just a real small event […] We had, like, one food booth and some dancers. And that was it. Slowly, over time, it’s become bigger and bigger. What it means for me, is that it’s just nice that students and the university carve out the time to represent diverse populations.”

Anastacia Álvarez, a Mexican freshman, feels a sense of nostalgia while attending the HOLAS events. 

“My dad is actually the advisor for HOLAS, so coming to these events is kind of, like, nostalgic for me,” Álvarez said. “And I also just like to interact with a lot of different cultures, and I also like to try new foods.”

The HOLAS organization has welcomed several dedicated members to the board to fill its executive spots. 

Harvey Panuelo, who is Micronesian, is the new Membership Coordinator for HOLAS. He feels at home in the HOLAS community and loves helping out with and attending the events. 

“I love it because it gives me a place that feels like home. Coming here and, like, seeing everybody that looks like you,” Panuelo said. “It reminds me of home.”

News Reporter Apollo Menéndez can be reached at kyra.menendez705@topper.wku.edu

Fashion merchandising students first received the opportunity to travel and volunteer at Fashion Week in February, which marked the first of two New York Fashion Weeks during the year.

Students will be assisting both backstage and throughout the event at Friday’s dedicated event, New York Men’s Day, which showcases up-and-coming menswear brands.

Seth Howard, a WKU fashion merchandising instructor, arranged this opportunity for his students through his connections with the founder of New York Men’s Day and the PR agency involved.

At the February Fashion Week, students did tasks ranging from helping the designers get the models ready to handing out event programs, Howard explained. 

“It’s a great resume builder and something to put on there for their professional experience,” Howard said. “But it’s also really great for networking and starting to build relationships with other people who are in the industry that can be professional contacts for them moving forward.”

Katy McDonald, a freshman fashion merchandising major, is an aspiring fashion designer who is looking forward to getting real experience in the industry. 

“As someone who wants to go into fashion design, but not really knowing where to start, I thought this was an amazing opportunity to meet people and see what’s really happening out there,” McDonald said. 

Kyle Hawkins, a sophomore fashion merchandising major, is motivated by the prospect of being surrounded by other like-minded creative individuals. 

“It’ll really help me to get that hands-on experience,” Hawkins said.

When asked about the future of this unique experience for his students, Howard was enthusiastic in its continuation. 

“It’s a huge help and relief for them [Fashion Week staff] to get, you know, a dedicated group of people that are there just to help out,” Howard said. “And so as long as we have the students who are interested in going and participating, I can see it continuing.”

News Reporter Apollo Menéndez can be reached at kyra.menendez705@topper.wku.edu

Brausch broadly defined suicidal ideation as having thoughts about suicide, which can show in many different ways – from wanting to go to sleep and wishing you never woke up to having detailed thoughts and plans of suicide. For college students specifically, she stated that the percentage of young adults experiencing suicidal thoughts was around 25%.

In her current project, “Cognitive and Contextual Factors in Suicide Ideation Persistence in Adolescents,” one of the main components is involving students in the research. Brausch has not only graduate students helping with the project but undergraduate students as well. They prepare materials, go to different high schools, meet with students and give them a variety of research surveys and tasks that help in data collection.

Brausch explained that the students involved in her research often pursue smaller independent projects, which they can present at national conferences for psychology, suicide prevention and other fields. She went on to praise her students and describe more of their work in her project.

“I think that a lot of the students who work with me are very passionate about suicide prevention and they want to go on and have a career that involves that,” Brausch said. “So I think this project helps train the next generation of professionals who are going to be advocates for mental health and suicide prevention.”

Her current project is set to span three years and began this August. After working in the field for at least twenty years, Brausch has no plans to stop her research anytime soon. 

When asked who was most supportive and influential in her journey, Brausch couldn’t accredit her success to just a few people, stating she has colleagues worldwide who are passionate about the field.

“We’re all doing such interesting, important work,” Braucsh said. “I think we all learn from each other and support each other. So it’s just a really nice group of people to work with. I think it comes down to, like, everyone’s really invested in saving lives.”