Feb. 11, 2020

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TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2020

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WESTERN KENTUCKY UNIVERSITY

VOLUME 95, ISSUE 17

CUT IT OUT Athletics cuts unlikely, other schools have felt impact

Students are more concerned with debt than pursuing interests

BY MATTHEW WILLIAMS HERALD.NEWS@WKU.EDU

Student loan debt is causing Gen Z students to prioritize finances over passion, according to a new study released

by Handshake.

The commissioned survey of 1,400 U.S. college students identified rising tuition costs and student loan debt as the factors pressuring students to be less orientated toward their dream ca-

SARAH OCHS

Assistant professor in the Department of Psychology

CHRIS KOHLEY • HERALD

E.A. Diddle’s statue outside of Diddle Arena.

BY CAMERON COYLE HERALD.NEWS@WKU.EDU

Nearly two months after WKU’s Faculty Senate passed a resolution calling for WKU’s athletic department to cut spending due to the university’s budget deficit, there is now a growing recognition that WKU President Timothy Caboni will not act upon the resolution.

Balancing funding for higher education and collegiate athletics has become a problem at universities around the country, as only a select number of upper-echelon programs are able to profit off sports. For the remaining schools looking to give student athletes opportunities, a hard decision lies before them.

Scott Wetherbee, the athletic director for Eastern Michigan University (a school similarly sized to WKU and also plays Football Bowl Subdivision), was forced to deal with budget cuts only eight months into his new role in 2017.

At the time, the university evaluated EMU’s programs and decided to cut $2.4 million of the athletic department’s budget (around 10% of their funding), which resulted in the loss of four sports programs including tennis — which was later brought back—and men’s swimming.

“It’s tough on both sides,” Wetherbee said in a phone interview. “I wish I didn’t have to go through it, and I wish our student athletes that we affected didn’t have to go through it. But ultimately I feel like right now we’re healthier than we’ve been financially,

and we’ve made those cuts.”

While the university is only two years removed from the major cuts, there have not been many negatives for the program besides the initial loss of the sports programs, According to Wetherbee, revenue has been up with all sports programs and attendance has either remained consistent or risen.

The growth and upside of EMU’s athletic programs over the last two years are not due to budget cuts, but their success is proof athletic departments can face budget reductions and still flourish, Wetherbee said.

Wetherbee believes any collegiate athletic department resistant to budget cuts should find more ways to bring in money on its own, such as gaining more SEE ATHLETICS FUNDING • PAGE A2

No one has any idea where their lives are going to go, but if they’re open to anything and follow their interests, the chances are it’s going to work out for them.

reers due to needing high-paying jobs.

Three-fourths of the survey participants said they would graduate with debt: 8.4% ranging from $50,000 to $99,999 and 3.5% surpassing $100,000.

The study showed about 61% of the college students were fine with accepting a job they have no passion in, and nearly half of respondents would take the first job they are offered to help pay off their debt.

Those who face these dilemmas often think their choice will be permanent and likely result in unfavorable consequences, such as being stable and unhappy or independent and impoverSEE STUDENT DEBT • PAGE A3

A2 NEWS

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2020 WESTERN KENTUCKY UNIVERSITY

ATHLETICS FUNDING

CONTINUED FROM FRONT sponsors from the community or garnering more endowment opportunities.

“Maybe they can rally enough people so they don’t have to [make cuts], because what usually happens is the rally comes after it happens, and that puts everybody in an awkward and tough situation,” Wetherbee said.

The resolution passed by WKU’s Faculty Senate only looked at cutting $365,000, a much smaller athletic reduction than ones that happen at universities like EMU. The resolution did not require defunding any athletic programs but instead looked to cut back on spending some faculty members saw as unnecessary during WKU’s budget situation.

When introducing the resolution, Guy Jordan, an associate professor of art history at WKU and the resolution’s author, said, “WKU has for a long time now been caught in a vicious cycle.

State funding is cut. Students bear the brunt of those costs through higher tuition and fees. As a result, few students can afford to attend WKU. This feeds a decline in enrollment and triggers further budgetary shortfalls.”

Lauren McClain, chair of the Faculty Welfare and Professional Responsibilities Committee, believes a lack of transparency when determining budget cuts has been an issue, wondering why other WKU programs haven’t been “put under the microscope” to the same extent as academics.

“It’s just about fairness, that if we’re all one big WKU family and our family budget is in crisis, then all of us need to be responsible for that,” McClain said.

“If it was your family sitting around the dinner table, you wouldn’t say, ‘My sister is not going to eat for a week because we don’t have money, but the rest of us are going to go on eating our steaks.’ That’s just not the way it should work.”

McClain said if the resolution does not move beyond Caboni, as expected, then the plan for the Faculty Senate will be to continue asking for fairer treatment of faculty funding while making their opinions known.

Julie Shadoan, the chair of the WKU Faculty Senate, said she would one day like for WKU to publicize its academ-

KEILEN FRAZIER • HERALD

Associate Professor Guy Jordan takes a stance on the differences in academics and athletics funding. “It’s natural that when you’re going through the kinds of deep structural changes that we’ve been going through these past couple years that there needs to be an honest discussion about how budgets are going to work,” Jordan said.

ic programs as the main reasons students enroll.

“I don’t discount, and the resolution doesn’t discount, the role athletics plays on this campus as far as recruiting students, but I think on the flip side of that we’re not the University of Kentucky, we’re not the University of Louisville,” Shadoan said. “We don’t have students coming here primarily for our athletics programs. If that does exist, it’s at a much smaller ratio of enrollment than those larger institutions that have nationally ranked programs.”

David Serafini, a member of the WKU Faculty Senate, believes there’s a misconception there are athletic programs “on the chopping block” and the academics at WKU “want the axe to come down on them.” For the Faculty Senate, the resolution was a call for

greater financial burden sharing.

Ben Hallman, a former Chronicle of Higher Education reporter, wrote about the financial burden students at smaller Division I schools consequently face because of high levels of athletic spending in 2015, when he contributed to an article titled “The $10-Billion Sports Tab.” “I doubt that athletics was much of a pull for most students at lower-level Division I schools in the first place,” Hallman said via email. “Strong academic programs, price and convenience play a far more important role.”

Hallman added tens of thousands of students at less prominent universities pay for sports programs they have little to no interest in because these teams consistently lose revenue.

“If given the choice between, say, a

lower tuition bill and a swim or basketball team, I strongly suspect a large number of students at most schools would opt for the lower bill,” said Hallman.

WKU Athletics spokesman Zach Greenwell directed the Herald to a statement previously given by Executive Vice President for Strategy, Operations and Finance Susan Howarth and Acting Provost Cheryl Stevens.

“We will continue to follow the budget process that was established a year and a half ago with input from dozens of individuals, including faculty and will share the resolution with those budget groups,” Stevens and Howarth said in the statement.

Reporter Cameron Coyle can be reached at cameron.coyle803@topper. wku.edu

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NEWS A3

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2020 WESTERN KENTUCKY UNIVERSITY

STUDENT DEBT

CONTINUED FROM FRONT “No one has any idea where their lives are going to go, but if they’re open to anything and follow their interests, the chances are it’s going to work out for them,” Bell said.

Bell said he encourages students to pursue what they’re passionate about because people do well at the things they love.

In an article by Cison, Handshake CEO Garrett Lord made a similar statement on the importance of a workplace being filled with genuine interest and passion.

Yet, some students may choose to look past this because of the scarce amount of hiring opportunities in today’s world.

The survey found Gen Z had little hope in the job market, with more than half of the respondents voting that their parents had a better chance of being hired after graduation than they do.

Bell recognized this side when it comes to students who are in the process of choosing their careers.

“I understand wanting to have security in life,” Bell said. “I think everybody wants that.”

But Bell said he doesn’t want students to just think uncertainty happens for students who pursue creative fields.

“The biggest challenge I faced going into a creative field is that there is a great deal of uncertainty about it,” Bell said. “But people who go into business and other fields that people would label more certain, they face a lot of uncertainty too.”

He’s seen several people who have been laid off of jobs working in business or watched companies close.

The survey found that over 15% of the college students had a parent lose their job, 7.9% had two parents lose a job and 20.1% said the wages of one or both parents were lost as a result.

Bell’s advice for students worrying about their future is to realize that no business or job is certain and guaranteed. No matter what field a person goes into, there will always be risks to face.

Many students become concerned about these risks but aren’t always

aware of the flexibility they have with paying back student loans.

Almost 45% of the 1,004 students expected their repayment period to be from five to 10 years when in actuality, some might have more time depending on how much they’ve taken out.

The Department of Education details the standard repayment plan for a student with student loans and shows that the more student loans a student has, the more time they receive to pay it off.

Usually, borrowers enter a grace period after graduation when they won’t have to pay anything. Once the repayment period starts, students have the opportunity to adjust their payment plan to something affordable for someone in their situation.

But even with financial assistance, some students don’t have the privilege of working in their ideal career because of other life obligations.

Sarah Ochs, an assistant professor in the Department of Psychology, said some students aren’t afforded the luxury to make independent choices when there are other factors to consider.

“People have family that they’re around that they can’t leave and not be close by,” Ochs said.

The stigma around choosing money over happiness or vice versa often clouds people’s reality on what influences people’s career paths.

“Sometimes they’re underqualified,” Ochs said. “Young people have bills that need to be paid, and it’s the only job they can do.”

Ochs already faced the dilemma and chose to prioritize her own happiness and fulfilment even with “significant student loan debt.”

She works in a setting where she is happy, she said, even though her degree elsewhere would bring in considerably more money.

Ochs said she tells students to be thoughtful and intentional about defining success for themselves because it allows them to have a clearer picture of their priorities and what it will take to get there.

News reporter Matthew Williams can be reached at matthew.williams904@ topper.wku.edu.

CRIME REPORTS Feb. 7, 2020 @ 8 a.m.

A student was cited for leaving the scene of an accident in Parking Structure 1.

Feb. 7, 2020 @ 11:42 a.m.

A student reported that his bicycle was stolen from a bicycle rack at McCormack Hall.

Feb. 7, 2020 @ 10:31 p.m.

Three students were cited for underage possession of alcohol in Bates Runner Hall.

Feb. 7, 2020 @ 10:35 p.m.

A student was cited for possession of marijuana in the Adams Street Lot. A student was cited for possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia and underage possession of alcohol.

Feb. 8, 2020 @ 1:37 a.m.

A student was arrested for alcohol intoxication and for criminal possession of a forged instrument.

Feb. 9, 2020 @ 12:32 p.m.

In Pearce Ford Tower, a person was cited for possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia and using another person’s ID in order to purchase alcohol.

Feb. 9, 2020 @ 1:47 a.m.

A student in Barnes Campbell Hall was cited for underage possession of alcohol.

Feb. 9, 2020 @ 1:44 p.m.

In between Ogden Hall and Hardin Planetarium, a person was arrested on a warrant for failing to appear in court.

Spring 2020 Tuition and Fee Payment Reminder Due date for Payment of Tuition and Fees for the Spring 2020 semester is:

February 20, 2020

*Failure to submit payment will result in a Financial Obligation hold.

additional information, please refer ForFor additional information, please refer to: to: www.wku.edu/bursar www.wku.edu/bursar

A4 LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Former Herald editor questions WKU legitimacy as FBS contender

OPINION

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2020 WESTERN KENTUCKY UNIVERSITY

valentines from

the Herald

J

ust a few weeks into my freshman year at WKU in 2006, the football team traveled to Georgia to play its first football game of the season.

It was an annual foray into big time college football. WKU had also traveled to the likes of Auburn and Kansas State in previous years.

Following its loss to Georgia, WKU played a schedule consisting of teams at its same level in I-AA or Football Championship Series, as it’s known today. The team finished a meager 6-5.

WKU should return to where it once was 15 years ago, before the ego of administrators hoped to follow in the footsteps of the darling Boise State.

Yes, there have been great moments. The Jeff Brohm era featured a prolific offense and conference titles.

There have been bowling games won that wouldn’t have otherwise been played had WKU stayed at the I-AA level.

But what’s changed in college athletics is the rich have gotten richer, and WKU is spinning its wheels at the cost of its academic quality.

Have endowments increased as a result of football success? Have applications outside of the region increased as a result of national television appearances and the school being featured?

Fifteen years later, the question has to be asked: has it been worth it?

I recently read how there’s greater pressure to quit propping up the athletic department on the back of student fees and at the expense of the school’s general fund.

Moving back to the FCS level would remove WKU from an arms race in which it doesn’t stand a chance to compete. Sure, WKU is at the bottom of C-USA in terms of student fees, but that’s because other schools have been crazy enough to try to keep up with the Power Five schools. It shouldn’t be lost that the athletic director at Old Dominion, which uses the most student fees in the conference, is the same athletic director who was at WKU when it decided to move up to the FBS. Administrators can spin all the exposure however they want, but I’m just not sure how a Facebook live audience or a game or two a season on CBS Sports Network does the job when the likes of Kentucky, Louisville, Tennessee and Indiana have a true national television audience on a weekly basis.

I often see or hear that athletics are the front porch to the university. You can have the nicest front porch on the block, but what’s the point if you step through the door and the rest of the home is on shaky footing?

If WKU wants to be a leading institution, it’ll tap out of the football arms race while it still has its head slightly above water, and watch its brethren sink.

H

H e

Letter submitted by Andrew Robinson, WKU class of 2010. Robinson served as editor-in-chief of the Herald in Fall 2009 and Spring 2010.

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FUN A5

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 11 , 2020 WESTERN KENTUCKY UNIVERSITY

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A6

PHOTO

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2020 WESTERN KENTUCKY UNIVERSITY

Austin Draper of Fruit Hill is thrown off during the bull riding competition at the Lone Star Rodeo on Saturday, Feb. 8. During this contest, 12 cowboys competed by attempting to stay on their bull the longest.

OLD TOWN

RODEO

COPY AND PHOTOS BY MORGAN BASS HERALD.PHOTO@WKU.EDU

T

he Lone Star Championship Rodeo on Saturday, Feb. 8 showcased bull riders, clowns, wranglers, cowboys, cowgirls and more. The rodeo, hosted at the WKU Agricultural Center, has been an annual Bowling Green event for over three decades.

James Hayes and his son Stetson look at pictures and videos from the rodeo on Saturday, Feb. 8.

Hunter Lewis from Culleoka, Tennessee, competes in the steer wrestling portion of the rodeo on Sunday, Feb. 9. Lewis experienced difficulties in taking control over his steer, causing his average time to increase.

Pink, bedazzled cowgirl hats were among several souvenirs sold at the Lone Star Championship Rodeo. Over three decades worth of rodeos have been hosted in Bowling Green since the beginning of the Lone Star Rodeo.

Workers for the Lone Star Rodeo take time to joke around between the competitive events. “This is the 38th year that the WKU L.D. Brown Ag Expo Center has hosted the rodeo,” Director Lindsay Meeks said. “We typically have events most every weekend.”

LIFE

B1

TUESDAY, FEBURARY 11, 2020 WESTERN KENTUCKY UNIVERSITY

ISEC brings students together during Black History Month

BY JULLIANNA LOWE HERALD.FEATURES@WKU.EDU ILLUSTRATIONS BY ALEX COX

lack History Month serves as a recognition of both the past and present black student life on WKU’s campus.

However, ISEC Graduate Assistant Lamario Moore said only 8% of WKU’s demographic is black, so the university must navigate Black History Month in a unique way.

“On WKU’s campus specifically, Black History Month is about understanding that we cannot express our blackness,” Moore said. “We need more advocating, and that’s what we’re trying to do on campus this month.”

Because there is such a small percentage of black students, students have expressed the climate is not ideal for Black History Month.

“Black History Month at Western lacks a lot of representation from those who are not people of color,” junior Mya Peoples said. “I often see no signage or promotional Black History Month pieces or ads around campus.

It’s celebrated in spaces like ISEC, but once you go outside of that realm, it goes unnoticed.”

However, there are resources for these limits that black students face.

“The climate is what you make it,” Moore pointed out. “This month shows that you can be a fly in the buttermilk — but with a presence.”

For previous Black History Months, the black organizations on campus have held their own events central to their purpose as a celebration. This year, the organizations came together to collaborate on a single calendar of events that was accessible for all black students.

“Compared to past Februaries on WKU’s campus, this month will give more exposure to the black students on campus,” Moore said. “The calendar of events that we created was designed by all of the black organiza-

tions on campus. We’re unified this month for the purpose of celebrating unity.”

On WKU’s campus, there are 22 black student organizations, including groups like the Intercultural Student Engagement Center (ISEC), multiple Greek organizations, the Black Student Alliance (BSA) and the Black Women of Western (BWOW).

For the first year, unity will become a more central aspect of Black History Month on WKU’s campus because it echoes the history of black culture. On a campus that is predominantly white, it is important that black students have these opportunities to collaborate on supporting each other.

“In essence, there is only one month dedicated to celebrating our heritage,” Peoples said. “We really only have one time a year to bring organizations together for a special event. Being unified this month makes all the difference.”

With a collaborative calendar of events, black students will be able to attend all of the university’s events without worrying about conflicting schedules between organizations. The full calendar of events for Black History Month spans across six weeks.

Black History Month began on Jan. 30, but the events will continue until March 6.

The Students of Color Discoverfest on Feb. 3 was organized by the historically black greek organizations on campus. Peoples, who is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha, helped organize the event.

“The event allowed people to discover groups and get involved,” Peoples said. “Students of color were able to come together and showcase what we do around campus.”

More events include a viewing and discussion of the Netflix documentary

“13th” to reveal the history of racism in the American prison system, a discussion called “Don’t Touch My Hair” with local beauticians and a film series on Ida B. Wells that will honor the activism of the post-reconstruction era.

“I’m looking forward to the Young, Black and Gifted Mixer,” Moore said.

“It’s a photoshoot for students to create photos that are representative of different decades. It’ll be very unifying.”

With the help of black organizations and the black student body, Black History Month at WKU is full of unified, inclusive events throughout the month of February.

This year, students have come together to make Black History Month different than it has been in the past.

In 1976, former President Gerald Ford declared the first national observation of Black History Month. Every February since then, the prominence of black culture in American history has been celebrated.

“Black History Month is a celebration of our culture and a remembrance of all the events in our history,” Peoples said.

Not only does the month celebrate culture, but Black History Month is also important to the true understanding of American history, Peoples said.

“Black History Month serves as a sort of anniversary — a birthday — to a year-round celebration,” said Moore.

“It’s a constant recognition of our achievements as black people.”

Black History Month, as it celebrates the history of black culture, also celebrates contemporary black culture and achievement.

Features reporter Julianna Lowe can be reached at julianna.lowe253@topper.wku.edu.

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LIFE/SPORTS B3

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2020 WESTERN KENTUCKY UNIVERSITY

WKU softball finishes opening weekend above .500

BY KADEN GAYLORD HERALD.SPORTS@WKU.EDU

The WKU softball team (3-2) kicked off the 2020 season at the Trojan Classic in Troy, Alabama, last weekend, and the Hilltoppers faced a total of five games in three days. WKU met four different opponents, winning three out of its five games.

WKU closed the weekend with backto-back wins, gaining a lot of experience along the way since 17 players saw action during the team’s opening weekend.

“We did some good things this weekend, which we will build upon,” head coach Amy Tudor said in a release.

“Also, we did some things that are focus points for us this week. Finally, we’d like to give a big shout out to our fans that made the trek.”

ing career after defeating the College of Charleston.

“I’m thankful for all of the players and coaches that have been a part of these 400 wins with me,” Tudor said in a release. “I can still remember the first one. I’m just really happy to see the team get a win today.”

WKU had a big fourth inning, adding four runs to its tally. The scoring run was highlighted by senior left fielder Paige Carter’s three-run home run,

AMY TUDOR

Softball head coach

I’m thankful for all of the players and coaches that have been a part of these 400 wins with me.

FRIDAY The Hilltoppers started the season by splitting a doubleheader on Friday.

Their first game was against the Lipscomb Bisons, a team WKU will face three times this season.

WKU scored two runs in the second inning off a two-RBI double from sophomore right fielder Taylor Davis. Lipscomb scored three runs in the next two frames, jumping out in front 3-2.

WKU would leave runners stranded on base multiple times, as the Bison kept the Hilltoppers off the board for the rest of the game and handed WKU its first season-opening loss since 2012.

The Hilltoppers’ second game of the day on Friday resulted in history — Tudor earned win No. 400 in her coach-

fourth, as the Ospreys scored three runs after a two-RBI single from second baseman Kayla McGory. WKU was held to only three hits for the entire game, while UNF doubled the Hilltoppers with six. The Ospreys took the win, 3-1.

The Hilltoppers played their fourth game of the weekend against the host team, Troy, on Saturday afternoon.

The Trojans opened the game by scoring two runs in the first inning,

outs, four hits and one walk.

SUNDAY

In their last game of the weekend, the Hilltoppers avenged their Saturday morning loss to UNF by recording a 3-0 shutout win over the Ospreys in Sunday’s rematch.

“I am proud of our response and toughness today,” Tudor said in a release. “We were at the ballpark for 12 hours yesterday and came out today with the same level of focus.”

WKU made a 180-degree change from its first matchup with UNF, as the Hilltoppers produced more than double the hits they’d logged just a day before.

The Hilltoppers outhit the Ospreys 8-3, and junior pitcher Shelby Nunn earned her second win of the weekend, pitching 5.0 innings with two strikeouts and only two hits allowed. Aikey earned her first save, coming in for the final 2.0 innings and only giving up one hit.

UP NEXT which gave WKU a 5-1 advantage.

Carter’s blast proved to be too much for the Cougars, as WKU eventually claimed a 7-3 victory and its first win of the season despite yielding two runs in the top of the seventh inning.

SATURDAY Saturday started much the same way as Friday did — WKU scored the opening run against North Florida, but the Hilltoppers failed to score another run for the rain-delayed duration.

UNF took the lead in the top of the

but that would ultimately be Troy’s only runs of the game. Troy would only register one more hit for the rest of the game off senior pitcher Kelsey Aikey.

WKU would tie the game in the third, scoring two runs. The teams remained at a 2-2 stalemate from there, pushing the game to an extra inning. Carter came through again, this time smacking an RBI single to left field and securing an extra-inning 3-2 win.

Aikey picked up her first win of the season in the circle, recording her third career extra-inning complete game win. She finished with 13 strike-

WKU will be back in action next weekend at the Chatt Challenge in Chattanooga, Tennessee, which is being hosted by Tennessee-Chattanooga.

The Hilltoppers will play five games throughout the weekend, including a rematch against Lipscomb. WKU will open play against Ohio at 10 a.m. on Friday.

Reporter Kaden Gaylord can be reached at kaden.gaylord559@topper. wku.edu. Follow Kaden on Twitter at @_KLG3.

Entrepreneur runs two buisnesses, on to honor mother

BY GABBY BUNTON HERALD.FEATURES@WKU.EDU

Being a small business owner is difficult, but having multiple businesses sounds nearly impossible. However, for Bowling Green local Kira Bolling, the challenges of owning two businesses are things she takes in stride.

Bolling is a passionate hairstylist who now owns a bakery business.

“I think they go hand in hand,” Bolling said. “I don’t do as much hair as I used to. I try not to overlap them too much. If I know I have a packed day at the salon, I’ll try not to do much baking and vice versa. I think I balance them pretty well.”

Bolling co-owns Angel’s Salon in Bowling Green with Angel Lee. Bolling has styled hair as far back as high school.

“I did all my friend’s hair when I was in high school,” Bolling said. “Everybody would meet in the bathroom and the commons, and I would do hair on the way to school or during breaks.”

She then decided to go to beauty school where she went on the principle of making others feel beautiful. Since beauty school, Bolling has continued to make people feel beautiful through her work as a hairdresser. Her talents earned her both the position of shop manager and a loyal customer base.

“I’ve been going to Kira for 15 years,” customer Joda Freda Johnson said.

“She just loves people. I watched how she worked with people.”

Johnson recalled the time when

JACK DOBBS • HERALD

Bolling dries a client’s hair on Jan. 24, 2020. Bolling said after her mother died of cancer, she found baking made her feel close to her mother.

Bolling became more than just a hairdresser to her.

“When I was in a very low point in my life and she saw that while doing my hair. She said, ‘I know what you’re going through, and I won’t charge you,’” Johnson said. “After that, I rocked with her. I knew she was down for life. Not

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because she didn’t let me pay, but because she understood what I was going through.”

Customer Neely Rhodes will only go to Bolling for her hair because she believes in Bolling’s talent.

“I’ve been knowing her for 30 plus years,” Rhodes said. “I can only say nothing but good things about her.

Kira is the only one that does my hair professionally. She does wonders with the flat iron.”

In 2018, Bolling had a vision of a business with a different purpose: to be closer to her mother. A Taste of Sunshine, Bolling’s baking business, came from her mother when she was diagnosed with cancer.

“My sister was always calling her ‘sunshine,’” Bolling said.

“Whenever she passed away, when I felt sad or upset, I would bake and it would make me feel closer to her.”

A Taste of Sunshine came naturally to Bolling, as cooking and baking were some of her mother’s favorite past times.

“It’s just a small sample of what she would do all the time,” Bolling said.

In 2019, A Taste of Sunshine became more than an idea to honor her mother by becoming an official business.

Now, Bolling balances her role as a hairdresser and baker by splitting her time between working with hair clients and creating and baking a variety of customized treats for customers.

Bolling has also found success and loyal customers in her newest business endeavor.

“I chose a Taste of Sunshine because her product and its presentation looked amazing, and I’m always delighted to

try new businesses,” customer Ashlee Page said. “Kira was professional throughout the entire process of me ordering and delivering the cupcakes to me. She answered all my questions and even gave me a free sample of a new flavor she was trying out.”

With the success of both businesses also came lessons learned. Bolling continues to learn and improve herself and her businesses.

“I’m still learning,” Bolling said.

“There is small stuff you don’t realize.

I’m still a work in progress. I try to talk to people who have been there before.”

For those wanting to begin their own business, Bolling said you must have goals.

“My advice for somebody who wants to be an entrepreneur is to have goals and set them,” Bolling said. “You have to have discipline and be disciplined because if you’re not, you’re not going to make any money. Be able to get up and go. It’s another thing to start your business; it’s another to work your business.”

Bolling’s original and genuine intentions for her businesses are what help her stand apart from the rest.

“I do it from my heart,” Bolling said.

“I love working with my hands, and I love making things beautiful, so I love making people walk out of here and feeling better than when they came. I love when people get their cupcakes and say they’re too pretty to eat. I just like making things beautiful.”

Features reporter Gabrielle Bunton can be reached at gabrielle.bunton605@topper.wku.edu.

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2020 WESTERN KENTUCKY UNIVERSITY

SPORTS

B4

POETIC JUSTICE Hilltoppers aided by Camron Justice’s return to lineup

BY ELLIOTT WELLS HERALD.SPORTS@WKU.EDU

The WKU men’s basketball ketball team (168, 9-3 C-USA) locked up p its guaranteed spot in the top pod of Conference USA Bonus Play, which is the he league’s name for the last four games es of conference play, over the weekend by improving to 11-1 in Diddle Arena this his season.

Bonus Play begins in n two weeks, and the Hilltoppers moved d into sole possession of the No. 2 spot pot in the league table after posting two wo crucial home wins over Louisiana Tech (17-7, 8-4 C-USA) and Southern Mississippi (718, 3-9 C-USA) on John n Oldham Court.

WKU came into the weekend desperately needing results, especially after dropping two straight games during its Florida road trip two weeks ago, and a fatigued group of Hilltoppers toppers was able to bounce back after injured graduate guard Camron Justice returned to form.

Justice only played d eight minutes during the Florida swing ng after re-injuring his back in the first st half of a 69-65 loss at Florida Atlantic, but he returned to the hardwood against nst LA Tech and gave the Hilltoppers the energy they were missing in the Sunshine unshine State.

“It was good to have e Cam Justice’s body back,” head coach h Rick Stansbury said. “When you get his is body back, he is capable at any time e to do what he did tonight, and that’s huge for us. We didn’t have his body the he last game and a half in Florida.”

Stansbury has said on numerous occasions that WKU’s margin for error is slim, and it narrowed ed after the Hilltopper bench failed to o record a single point against FAU and Florida International, forcing Stansbury ry to play four of his five starters for 36 or more minutes in two losses.

WKU showed zero fatigue against the Bulldogs, knocking g off one of the top contenders in C-USA USA by a comfortable margin. Miraculously, culously, Justice made his return to the lineup, and the IUPUI transfer scored ored 11 points in 21:16 of action off the bench.

Two days later, Justice tice opened the game by shooting 1 for 9 from the three-point line againstt Southern Miss.

He kept letting it fly, eventually ventually putting the game out of reach when he drained a clutch 3-pointer in front ront of the WKU bench with just 26 seconds conds left on the game clock.

Justice not only added ed another body to WKU’s rotation over er the weekend,

but the 6-foot-3-inch guard also thrived in his new role as the team’s sixth man, providing double-digit scoring displays and playing 21-plus minutes in each of the Hilltoppers’ two wins.

“It’s not just another body — it’s Cam Justice,” redshirt senior wing Jared Savage said. “I mean, he can play, he can shoot, and as you can see, he hit the game-winning shot for us. So, it’s not just another body. It’s a veteran guy who can play and help us.”

Stansbury said Justice has been listed as non-contact in practice since early January, meaning it’s been hard for the upperclassman to get into a groove if he doesn’t get to play in games.

“Once you play this time of the year, you start to get a little rhythm back,” Stansbury said. “We have confidence in Cam Justice at any time to jump up and make shots. Even when he’s not making shots, he gives you great experience. He gives you a guy to see the next play happening, and he’s very valuable for our team.”

The Hilltoppers are a much different team with Justice on the court, as his presence allows others to catch a breather more frequently. The locker-room leader also gives WKU an increased potential to score the basketball whenever he’s in the lineup.

“It just makes it harder to guard [us], I think,” Justice said when asked about what his return means for the Hilltoppers. “Especially with the six that we’re playing with. Scoring is pretty even, so take your pick with whoever is having a good night.”

WKU seems to be headed in the right direction, but matchups against each of the top three scorers in C-USA await the Hilltoppers when they play at Texas-El Paso (13-12, 4-8 C-USA) on Thursday and Texas-San Antonio (1114, 5-7 C-USA) on Saturday.

Justice has been battling back issues since injuring himself lifting weights earlier in C-USA play, but he’s content to keep working and preparing himself for marquee games down the stretch.

“It’s been very frustrating,” Justice said. “But you know, it is what it is. I wake up every day and see how it goes and go from there.”

Reporter Elliott Wells can be reached at douglas.wells357@topper.wku.edu.

Follow Elliott on Twitter at @ewells5.

CHRIS KOHLEY • HERALD

WKU graduate guard Camron Justice (5) celebrates a 3-pointer during the basketball game between La. Tech and WKU on Feb. 6, 2020, in Diddle Arena. WKU won 65-54.

Lady Toppers reach 6-game winning streak

BY MATT GADD

HERALD.SPORTS@WKU.EDU Prior to last weekend, d, the WKU women’s basketball team (16-6, 16-6, 8-3 C-USA) had stumbled to a 5-6 mark away from Diddle Arena during the e 2019-20 season.

The Lady Toppers erased ed that deficit over the weekend, picking up a pair of solid road wins at Louisiana Tech (11-11, 3-8 C-USA) and Southern Mississippi (11-11, 3-8 C-USA) to improve to 7-6 on the road.

The Lady Toppers’ two-game road trip was made even more strenuous after head coach Greg Collins announced last week that junior guard Sherry Porter had suffered an MCL injury during the third quarter of a 71-51 win over Florida International on Feb. 1.

Collins said Porter’s knee injury would prevent her from playing against LA Tech and Southern Miss, and the rehabilitation process would likely keep her on the shelf “for a while.”

“She wants to be out there,” Collins said. “We want her to be out there, but right now it’s just week-by-week. One of the things I tell [the team] is we need everybody. For us, the strength of this team is the team, and we need everybody to kind of fill up that space.”

Instead of sulking after losing one of their key players, the Lady Toppers kept their heads held high and individually stepped up to rally around their injured teammate.

Redshirt senior guard Alexis Brewer slotted back into the starting lineup over the weekend, finishing 6-of-8 from behind the three-point line across two starts.

MEGAN FISHER • HERALD

Senior guard Whitney Creech (5) defends against Florida Atlantic guard Lotta Vehka-Aho during the Lady Toppers’ game in Diddle Arena on Thursday, Jan. 30 in Bowling Green.

“We’re trying to manage her energy, and I played her way more minutes than I wanted to,” Collins said. “I felt like I had to. I was trying to give her the rest that she needed because she’s just not at 100% right now, and I don’t want to exhaust her to the point where she’s not able to play again on Saturday or not able to bounce back and play again the next weekend.”

Sophomore guard Meral Abdelgawad racked up 13 points and a career-high 15 rebounds against LA Tech to tally her first career double-double. The Cairo, Egypt, native dedicated her performance to Porter, writing No. 22 on the athletic tape she wore on her wrist.

Collins said Porter is “a good ball hawk” that pressures the ball defensively, so he called upon Abdelgawad to play out of position at the spot Porter usually occupies on the floor.

“Meral was huge,” Collins said.

“She’s one of those glue kids. She just makes everything work better on the floor because she’s passionate, she plays hard and she’s unselfish.”

The Lady Toppers finished with five players in double figures for the first time since Dec. 8, 2018, against LA Tech.

Redshirt senior forward Dee Givens’ 26 points and senior point guard Whitney Creech’s points-assists double-double were crucial against Southern Miss.

“We really tried to play for Sherry,” Brewer said. “We know how hard it is to have an injury and not be able to play and wanting to be out there. We really came together as a team and left it all out there for her.”

The Lady Topper basketball program hasn’t made an NCAA Tournament appearance since former head coach Michelle Clark-Heard guided WKU to the Big Dance in 2018, but NCAA basketball expert Michelle Smith believes that will change this postseason.

According to an NCAA.com article published Feb. 7, Smith filled out a bracket based on everything she’s seen in women’s college basketball so far this season, and she predicted WKU will be in the field when it’s revealed during the selection show on Monday, March 16.

Smith predicted No. 12 seed WKU will meet No. 5 seed Florida State in the first round. The Lady Toppers are an atlarge selection in Smith’s bracket, as she picked projected No. 11 seed Rice to win the Conference USA Tournament and the league’s automatic qualifier spot.

RPI is an advanced metric used by the selection committee to select 32 atlarge tournament teams and determine appropriate seeding for 32 automatic qualifiers. At press time, the Lady Toppers were listed at No. 30 in the NCAA women’s basketball RPI rankings.

The Lady Toppers have earned national respect, but WKU will earn more if it can extend its current six-game winning streak after hosting Texas-El Paso (13-9, 6-5 C-USA) and Texas-San Antonio (6-16, 2-9 C-USA) in Diddle Arena on Thursday and Saturday, respectively.

Reporter Matt Gadd can be reached at matthew.gadd474@topper.wku.edu. Follow Matt on Twitter at @themattgadd.