4-20-21

Volume 96, Issue 26

Week of April 20, 2021

COLLEGE HEIGHTS

ILLUSTRATION BY MEGAN FISHER STORY ON PAGE 3

HERALD

2 NEWS

Week of April 20, 2021

Where Kentucky's marijuana laws stand

By Jacob Latimer

Kentucky took a large step towards the legalization of medical marijuana early last year after Kentucky’s House of Representatives voted in favor of House Bill 136. The bill was delayed, however, by Kentucky’s Senate due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Kentucky House of Representatives voted in favor of HB 136 in early 2020. HB 136 would help create a medical marijuana program in Kentucky. The bill is expected to be voted on by the Senate at some point in 2022.

Kentucky is one of 13 states where marijuana is completely illegal.

The United States continues to push towards decriminalizing and

legalizing marijuana for medical and recreational use. Recreational marijuana is currently legal in 16 states, and medical marijuana is legal in 36 states.

Currently, possession of less than 8 ounces of marijuana is punishable by up to 45 days in jail and a $250 fine. A first-time trafficking offense can bring a one to 10-year sentence and a $10,000 fine, and a second offense can bring a sentence of 10-20 years.

The only form of cannabis that is currently legal in Kentucky are CBD products that contain less than 0.3% THC. Jacob Latimer can be reached at jacob.latimer745@topper.wku.edu.

Follow him on Twitter @jacoblatimer_.

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3 NEWS

Week of April 20, 2021

VSIP accelerates adminstrative turnover

By Lily Burris and Jacob Latimer

The announcement of faculty and staff participation in the Voluntary Separation Incentive Program marks a near complete turnover in upper-level WKU administration.

VSIP is a program announced by the university in January, meant to adjust the workforce and create new opportunities, according to the original announcement from Susan Howarth, executive vice president of Strategy, Operations and Finance, and Cheryl Stevens, interim provost and vice president of Academic Affairs.

Faculty and staff are eligible for the program if they hold an Educational and General funds position, have worked at WKU for 15 years with benefits, and their age and employment at WKU equal 70 or more years.

At the time of the announcement, Bob Skipper, director of media rela-

tions, said 400 employees were eligible for the program. On April 9, it was announced by Howarth and Stevens that 125 employees submitted their application to be a part of the program and were accepted.

“There’s a lot to be said for institutional memory and for the experience that people who have stayed with the institution for a long time can bring to the table,” Skipper said. “But there is also a lot to be said for new ideas that can come in through people who have had other experiences. I think the key is meshing the two, understanding where we’ve been but finding the best way to get to where we need to go.”

According to WKU’s Human Resources Director Tony Glisson, the average length of service for VSIP participants is around 24 years.

“This loss will be felt and appropriate adjustments will need to be made to fill in the gaps left by this void,” Glis-

son said in an email.

In comparison to other universities, 50% took action for cost reduction and workforce reduction due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Early retirement programs were among the most common of these actions, Glisson stated in an email.

Skipper said when the administration began discussing this program, an estimated number of 120 to 140 takers were thrown around, so 125 total was not a surprise.

“Going into it, the plan was to be nimble, responsive and use this as a chance to rethink how things are done and restructure in ways that might be more efficient and more productive,” Skipper said. “Now saying that we had a specific plan in place for a specific office, we really couldn't do that until we saw who all took the VSIP and until we hit that point where the 125 of us are now locked in. It was hard to do a lot of

planning, specific planning.”

Glisson said in an email that about 8% of the total faculty and 7% of the total staff are leaving with the program.

Among the 125 participants, there are several administrative and university functional positions to be vacated. Some include: • Bob Skipper, director of media relations • Lynne Holland, assistant vice president for Student Life, dean of students • Belinda Higginbotham, bursar • Tony Glisson, human resources director • Johnalma Barnett, shipping and receiving manager • Lynne Ferguson, Kentucky Museum artist-in-residence CONTINUED ON PAGE 8

4 COMMUNITY

Week of April 20, 2021

Gun violence in U.S.: What can we do?

By Loren Gaskin

Print edition published weekly

by WKU Student Publications at Western Kentucky University.

First copy: free | Additional copies: $1

EDITORIAL BOARD

Laurel Deppen Editor-in-chief Ellie Tolbert Managing editor Nick Fuller Digital director Lily Burris Assignment editor Michael J. Collins Digital news editor Nick Kieser Sports editor

Loren Gaskin Community editor Gabi Broekema Sam Mallon Multimedia editors Zachery McClain Social media manager Megan Fisher Design editor Hannah Crisp Copy desk chief

OTHER LEADERS AND ADVISERS Robin Robinson Distribution manager Brian Kehne Advertising manager Emma Spainhoward Cherry Creative director

Carrie Pratt Herald adviser Will Hoagland Advertising adviser Chuck Clark Student Publications director

POLICIES

Opinions expressed in the College Heights Herald are those of student editors and journalists and do not necessarily represent the views of WKU. Student editors determine all news and editorial content, and reserve the right to edit or reject submissions.

CONTACT US

REPORT AN ERROR: herald.editor@wku.edu 270-745-5044 NEWSROOM: herald.news@wku.edu 270-745-2653 or 270-745-5044 ADVERTISING: herald.advertising@wku.edu 270-745-6285 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: herald.opinion@wku.edu ON CAMPUS: Adams-Whitaker Student Publications Center, 1660 Normal St. ONLINE: WKUHerald.com NEWSLETTER: WKUHerald.com/newsletter SOCIAL MEDIA: • Twitter: @wkuherald, @wkuheraldsports • Facebook, Instagram: WKUHerald • YouTube: wkuheraldvideo • Tiktok: wkuherald

Mass shootings in the United States have long been on the rise with tragedies seeming daily. According to CNN, there have been close to 147 mass shootings this year alone and 45 since March 16, as of April 18.

There has been an average of 1.37 shootings a day. This number is simply to show that there has been more than a shooting each day on average.

The sheer amount of daily gun violence will, and has, led to an increasing amount of fear and desensitization in many Americans. I was on campus with some friends when someone set off a confetti popper at the Colonnades which everyone immediately thought was a gunshot.

It might seem silly looking back, but with gun violence being the first thing our minds jumped to, I believe that is quite telling.

So, what can we do about rising gun violence? First, many people are calling for more sensible and stricter gun laws. Not only because all these violent acts are carried out with guns, but also the sheer access these people had to these weapons. In the United States it has been shown how easy it is to obtain a gun.

In 2016, there was a video of a 13 year old buying a weapon on his first try. Events like this are often pointed to as evidence of partly why we have so many mass shootings in the first place. Which is quite truly one of the most obvious factors in these events.

Though not everyone seems to think that gun availability is the problem.

Many people cite the 'good guy

with a gun,' saying that if someone with a gun had been there, they could have stopped this or at least prevented some of the deaths. However, this has been proven patently false. According to several studies listed through PBS, there is a strong correlation that, “right-to-carry laws increase, rather than decrease, violent crime. Higher rates of gun ownership is correlated with higher homicide rates.”

" The sheer amount of daily gun violence will, and has, led to an increasing amount of fear and desensitization in many Americans."

This correlation doesn’t fully prove the idea. One factor that challenges of self-defense gun use is the lack of proof of reports of self defense. Meaning there are very few records of individuals using guns for self defense. NPR said, “researchers can't seem to find the people who are shot by civilians defending themselves because they don't show up in hospital records.”

There are countless studies and articles on the effects of gun ownership and the ability of individuals with guns to actually stop crime when it happens. Since these studies are not very positive on people stopping crimes when they occur, is there

any solution at all for these events?

Yes, but it is a far more diverse and difficult problem to solve.

Studies on the links between economic social disparity in gun violence are new, but this pathway seems the most promising solution.

According to a study by Daniel Kim, “Our ability to climb the economic ladder compared to our parents was linked to a 25% decrease in neighborhood gun homicide rates.

Higher levels of trust in institutions such as the government, media, and corporations were associated with a 19% lower neighborhood gun homicide rate. Meanwhile, higher levels of public welfare spending were related to a 14% lower neighborhood homicide rate, while the rich-poor gap was related to an 8% higher neighborhood homicide rate.”

“Tax policies that further redistribute income to low-income households could additionally reduce poverty, which in my study was associated with a 27% higher neighborhood gun homicide rate,” Kim said.

This research is a good indication of possible causes of gun violence in America. In the U.S. we can see an increasing amount of disparity between the poorest Americans and the middle class. Research like the study provided tells us that bridging this disparity could help solve violent issues that grow from disparity and struggle.

What is your opinion on gun laws in America? Are we doing too little to curb gun violence?

Submit your opinion to the Herald!

FUN PAGE

WKU Herald 4/20/21 Trivia Puzzle

KU Herald 4/20/21 Crossword

PuzzleJunction.com

Sundry TV

9

10

11

12

13

56

57

58

1. What does Alf like to eat? (a) Parakeets (b) Cats (c) Squirrels 16 2. What show literally "jumped the shark?" (a) Happy Days (b) Starsky and Hutch (c) The Love Boat 3. Lennie Briscoe was a detective on what police drama?

19 (a) Hill Street Blues (b) Homicide: Life on the Street (c) Law and order 22 4. Who is the president in Scandal? (a) Garrett Walker (b) Fitzgerald Grant (c) David Palmer 26 27 28 29 5. Who was the principal in Saved By the Bell? (a) George Feeny (b) Seymour Rooney (c) Richard Belding 34 35 6. What real-life political figure took issue with the fictional pregnancy of Murphy Brown? (a) Michael Dukakis (b) Dan Quayle (c) Al Gore 38 7. What Beatles song is the theme song for The Wonder Years? (a) With a Little Help From My Friends (b) Come Together 42 (c) In My Life 8. What Golden Girl owned their Miami house?

45 (a) Rose Nyland (b) Dorothy Zbornak (c) Blanche Devereaux 9. 1 What was Meathead's real name on All in the Family?

WKU Herald 4/20/21 Sudoku (a) Lenny Kosnowski (b) Michael Stivic (c) Bob Bilinski 48 Sox on WKU Herald 9/8/20 Sudoku 1 10. What position did Sam Malone play for the Boston RedPuzzle Cheers?

52 (a) Relief pitcher (b) Catcher (c) Third base To solve the Sudoku puzzle, each row, column and box must contain the numbers 1 to 9.

66 69

40 Clairvoyant’s gift 41 Pigeon pea 42 Similar 48 Launch site 50 Dependable 52 Crook 54 Kind of therapy 55 Panache 56 Package wrapper 57 Pierce 58 Trapper’s prize 59 Sidekick 60 Indivisible 61 One of Alcott’s “Little Men” 62 Actress MacGraw 63 Trawler’s catch

Last week's crossword solution:

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2 4 36 7 88 9 3 9 1 6 4 6 12 3 5 19 3 8 7 5 5 1

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Copyright ©2020 PuzzleJunction.com Solution

Copyright ©2021 PuzzleJunction.com

R A P T

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Solution

1.b 6.b T E 2.a 7.a Sudoku Solution E X A3.c P 8.c R O Sudoku Solution 4.b 9.b

©2021 PuzzleJunction.com

63

To solve the Sudoku puzzle, each row, column and box must contain the numbers 1 to 9.

8 2 9 5 6 7 PuzzleJunction.com 7 4 5 6 1 3 2 1 3 8 4 9

15 14 Lariat Tax pro, for short 17 18 Make invalid 21 20 Mining finds Pierced body part 23 24 25 Aviator Earhart Famous quotes 33 30 31 32 name 37 36 Season Pliable leather 39 40 41 Poetic adverb As well 44 43 Granola morsel 47 46 Warmed the bench 51 49 50 Got mellower Position 53 54 55 Man with a 62 59 60 61 mission Greek H 65 64 Confined, with “up” 68 67 To no ___ Copyright ©2021 PuzzleJunction.com Commandment pronoun 10 Salami choice 65 Indochinese Without delay 11 Wholly language Density symbol 12 Windsor, for one 66 Australian export Pint-sized 13 Musical aptitude 67 Dutch cheese Gambling game 18 Mutual fund fee 68 Night spot Religious sch.

23 Four-letter word 69 Card balance Loses color 24 Enjoyed Femme fatale 25 Conforms Down God offended by 26 Chamber group, Daphnis maybe 1 Justice’s garb Conducted 28 Odorless gas 2 Kind of Flipper 29 Buckeye State thermometer Captain’s journal city 3 Fringe benefit Unagi, at a sushi 4 Superlative suffix 30 Meager bar 31 Tie up 5 Chin indentation Kitchen meas.

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4 1 3 2 9 8 5 7 6

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©2021 PuzzleJunction.com

PHOTO

Week of April 20, 2021

MUSIC at

MAMMAW'S S

upper and Sounds opened with a welcoming social atmosphere. The air was filled with sounds of families out for the night and the mellow tones of Creedence Clearwater Revival or the Eagles from a man with his guitar. The outdoor seating helped alleviate pandemic worries and provided a break from the ongoing pres-

sures of the world. To do so, Robin Buckner started Supper and Sounds in August 2020. She reached out to her friend Gary Weilage, an out-of-business musician, to perform on Friday nights at her restaurant Mammaw's Kitchen. “It’s just something for people to enjoy and relax,” Buckner said.

PHOTOS AND WORDS BY ANNA LEACHMAN

(TOP) James Buckner checks the temperature of the oil inside a cast iron pot before frying catfish for a table order on April 16.

(BOTTOM) Families and friends enjoy food and live music in the outdoor seating area of Mammaw's Kitchen Friday evening. James Buckner repurposed the wood from his family’s hundred year old barn to provide more space for guests in accordance with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines.

(TOP) Robin Buckner, owner of Mammaw's Kitchen, checks in with two customers after they received their meals.

(LEFT) Customers wait for their food inside Mammaw's Kitchen the night of Supper and Sounds. Live music carried from the outdoor seating to the indoor tables on a breeze through the open door.

(RIGHT) Robin Buckner (left) and Gary Weilage (right) perform country covers during the Supper and Sounds event while Buckner’s dog Lacey stays characteristically at her side.

8 NEWS

Week of April 20, 2021 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3

•

ACCEPTING APLICATIONS •

Umpires

•

Laborers

•

Scorekeepers

•

Custodian

•

Camp Counselors

•

Park Ranger

•

Tennis Instructors

•

Police Cadet

•

Landscape Helper

•

Greenskeeper

•

Fitness Instructor

•

Lacrosse Referee

•

Golf Shop Attendant

•

Recreation Staff Assistant

•

School Crossing Guard

•

Recreation Staff Assistant II

APPLY ONLINE: www.bgky.org/hr/jobs APPLY IN PERSON: The Human Resources Department in City Hall (1001 College Street, Bowling Green)

The City of Bowling Green is an Equal Opportunity Employer and Drug-Free Workplace. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, age or disability.

Sharon Hunter, assistant director of data analysis and research in Housing and Residence Life • Ladonna Hunton, associate vice president for Academic Budgets and Administration • Larry Snyder, dean of Potter College of Arts and Letters Skipper said there were people that were expected to participate and didn’t, but also people who participated in VSIP that were not expected.

The participants will receive a lump-sum compensation that is equal to their base salary up to a maximum of $100,000.

“Ideally, you don’t replace my position for a year, so that you’re not out that salary that is being paid to me for taking the retirement,” Skipper said. “From a practical standpoint, some concessions may have to be made, and all of those are going to have to be addressed on an individual basis.”

Skipper said plans to adjust to the new needs are still in the process of being created, and Howarth will not know how much money must be paid into the retirement system for at least two months while paperwork is being filed. He said he does not know of any timelines for how departments will work out their losses, and things will become clearer as the budget is

worked out for next year.

“Devising a budget that's going to meet those needs, balancing that budget with our income, that's a big budget to work on,” Skipper said.

“There are a lot of moving parts, and I don't know how they do it.”

Economics professor Brian Goff, who is a VSIP participant, said he believes this loss of faculty and staff will be a big hit for many departments.

“For a year or two, depending on when they can hire additional people, things will be stretched,” Goff said.

Goff was already considering retiring in the near future, and decided that taking the buyout would be worth leaving a couple of years early.

“I’ll miss interacting with students, the hallways here, and seeing people,” Goff said. “I think that’s what I’ll miss the most.”

Along with Goff, Mathematics Department Head Bruce Kessler participated in VSIP because he was considering retirement within the next few years.

“Several of the departments that are losing people still desperately need people to cover courses, and I think that’s going to be a real challenge for the university going forward,” Kessler said.

Aside from covering courses, Kessler believes that the loss of institutional history and experience will affect the university going forward.

NEWS 9

Week of April 20, 2021 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8

“We’re sending a lot of that experience and wisdom out the door on June 30,” Kessler said. “You’re saying goodbye to people who’ve run this university for decades.”

Amid the summer’s upcoming changes, the university administration has already seen many changes under President Timothy Caboni since his arrival in July 2017.

Of the administrators and deans left from under former President Gary Ransdell are Holland, a VSIP participant; Snyder, also a VSIP participant; Bryan Russell, chief facilities officer; and Todd Stewart, director of athletics.

Under Caboni, there have been three people in as provost: David Lee, Terry Ballman and Cheryl Stevens. Robert “Bud” Fischer will begin in the position on July 1.

Vice presidential positions in finance, Enrollment and Experience, and Alumni and Philanthropy Engagement have also seen chang-

es. Former Senior Vice President for Finance and Administration Ann Mead retired in 2019 and was replaced by current Executive Vice President for Strategy, Operations and Finance Howarth. Former Vice President for Enrollment and Student Experience Brian Kuster retried in 2020 and was replaced by the current position holder Ethan Logan. Former Vice President for Development and Alumni Relations Marc Archambault resigned from his position in 2017 and was replaced by John Paul Blair, who held the position in interim for 2017 and 2018 when the title became vice president for Philanthropy and Alumni Engagement.

In 2019, Amanda Trabue became the vice president for Philanthropy and Alumni Engagement.

Former General Counsel Deborah Wilkis became a “senior advisor” to the president and interim Title IX coordinator in 2020 while

former Title IX Coordinator Andrea Anderson became the new general counsel.

Some positions from the Ransdell presidency have been vacated and never replaced. Former Vice President for Public Affairs Robbin Taylor left the position after 18 years at WKU at the end of 2018.

Vice President for Information Technology Gordon Johnson and Chief Enrollment and Graduation Officer Brian Meredith are listed as members of the President’s Cabinet in the 2017 WKU Fact Book and neither position is listed under the President’s Cabinet in the 2018 WKU Fact Book.

The Council of Academic Deans has changed greatly too. In 2017, Susann deVries became the new University Libraries dean after Connie Foster retired after 41 years.

In 2018, College of Educational and Behavioral Sciences Dean Corinne Murphy replaced Sam Evans upon

his retirement after 28 years. In 2019, Gordon Ford College of Business Dean Christopher Shook replaced Jeffrey Katz after his resignation, and College of Health and Human Services Dean Tania Basta replaced Dennis George, dean of the previously existing University College, who was the interim in that position after Neale Chumbler left to take a position at the University of North Texas.

Interim Dean of Ogden College of Science and Engineering Greg Arbuckle took over after Stevens was named interim provost in 2019.

Potter College of Arts and Letters Dean Snyder is a VSIP participant.

Assignment Editor Lily Burris can be reached at lily.burris203@ topper.wku.edu. Follow her on Twitter @lily_burris.

Jacob Latimer can be reached at jacob.latimer745@topper.wku.edu.

Follow him on Twitter @jacoblatimer_.

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

Administrative Council Gary Ransdell, President David Lee, Provost & Vice President for Academic Affairs Ann Mead, Senior Vice President for Finance and Administration Marc Archambault, Vice President for Development & Alumni Relations Lynne Holland, Dean of Students and Chief Diversity Officer Gordon Johnson, Vice President/ Chief Information Technology Officer Brian Kuster, Vice President for Student Affairs Brian Meredith, Chief Enrollment and Graduation Officer Bryan Russell, Chief Facilities Officer Todd Stewart, Director of Athletics Robbin Taylor, Vice President for Public Affairs Deborah Wilkins, General Counsel

President’s Cabinet Timothy Caboni, President David Lee, Provost & Vice President for Academic Affairs Ann Mead, Senior Vice President for Finance & Administration John Paul Blair, Interim Vice President for Development & Alumni Relations Brian Kuster, Vice President for Student Affairs Robbin Taylor, Vice President for Public Affairs Lynne Holland, Dean of Students & Chief Diversity Officer Gordon Johnson, Vice President for Information Technology Brian Meredith, Chief Enrollment & Graduation Officer Bryan Russell, Chief Facilities Officer Todd Stewart, Athletic Director Deborah Wilkins, General Counsel

President’s Cabinet Timothy C. Caboni, President Terry Ballman, Provost & Vice President for Academic Aff airs John Paul Blair, Interim Vice President for Philanthropy & Alumni Engagement Lynne Holland, Assistant Vice President, Dean of Students & Chief Diversity Offi cer Brian Kuster, Vice President for Enrollment and Student Experience Ann Mead, Senior Vice President for Finance & Administration Bryan Russell, Chief Facilities Offi cer Todd Stewart, Director of Athletics Robbin Taylor, Vice President for Public Aff airs Deborah Wilkins, General Counsel

President’s Cabinet Timothy C. Caboni, President Lynne Holland, Assistant Vice President, Dean of Students Susan Howarth, Executive Vice President for Strategy, Operations and Finance Brian Kuster, Vice President for Enrollment and Student Experience Cheryl Stevens, Acting Provost & Vice President for Academic Affairs Todd Stewart, Director of Athletics Amanda Trabue, Vice President for Philanthropy and Alumni Engagement Deborah Wilkins, General Counsel

President’s Cabinet Timothy C. Caboni, President Lynne Holland, Assistant Vice President, Dean of Students Susan Howarth, Executive Vice President for Strategy, Operations and Finance Ethan Logan, Vice President for Enrollment and Student Experience Bryan Russell, Chief Facilities Officer Cheryl Stevens, Acting Provost & Vice President for Academic Affairs Todd Stewart, Director of Athletics Amanda Trabue, Vice President for Philanthropy and Alumni Engagement Andrea Anderson, General Counsel

10 SPORTS

Week of April 20, 2021

Volleyball's historic run ends in Sweet Sixteen

By Cassady Lamb

WKU (23-1) fell in three sets to No. 2-seed Kentucky (21-1) in the NCAA Volleyball Tournament’s Sweet Sixteen.

WKU had never made it past the second round of the tournament until this season.

The last time Kentucky played WKU, the Wildcats won 3-2. It was also Alyssa Cavanaugh's final match in a Hilltopper uniform.

Junior middle hitter Katie Isenbarger said her biggest takeaway of the season is she is trying to be proud of everything the team has accomplished, including what they accomplished in Omaha.

“It’s a unique experience and [we are] just trying to be grateful that we got here, and we got to the Sweet Sixteen,” Isenbarger said. “And it’s nothing that anyone else expected, you

know, WKU gets to the Sweet Sixteen — never done before.”

WKU has seen a record-breaking season, staying undefeated 23-0 until the loss to Kentucky.

“There’s nothing that can happen that can take away from what this group has done,” head coach Travis Hudson said after the loss. “We were just trying to add to it tonight, and unfortunately we weren’t able to do that.”

WKU played strictly late-night matches in the NCAA Tournament.

Their first match against Jackson State was scheduled for 9:30 p.m., as was the second match against Washington State. The first serve for Sunday’s match was at 10:45 p.m.

“We’re all just really tired, if I can be blunt,” Hudson said. “We’re all really exhausted, and I think that may have played into tonight a little bit too.”

Hudson said that being stuck in a

hotel day after day begins to wear on you.

“It feels like a month since we’ve been in Bowling Green,” Hudson said.

“Even positive emotion is draining.

The emotion we had after that Washington State match, it was a really draining time, and we had to kind of pull ourselves together.”

Hudson said everybody’s tired because they have put their whole hearts into this tournament.

“We’ve also played in the middle of the night three straight times in the NCAA Tournament,” Hudson said.

“Which I have no idea why that seems to be necessary, but it’s just too much.

It’s too much to ask from these kids.”

WKU ended the season dropping nine sets out of 75.

All of the seniors on the team are eligible to play in this upcoming volleyball season.

“We’re gonna have the same team and we’re gonna be stronger,” Isenbarger said. “Probably because we’re gonna have more time to train and be ready for next season.”

Isenbarger said that Hilltopper nation has really embraced the team despite playing amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I think we’re just so excited and happy that hopefully, things are back to normal next season, to be able to see them and get the stands filled and everything,” Isenbarger said. “We’re super grateful for Hilltopper nation and all of our fans that just love us and support us so much.”

Volleyball beat reporter Cassady Lamb can be reached at cassady. lamb667@topper.wku.edu. Follow her on Twitter @lambp0p.

SPORTS 11

Week of April 20, 2021

WKU soccer falls in semifinal, roster to return in fall

By Ian Fleischman

The Lady Topper Soccer program finished its 2020-21 campaign last Thursday with a 8-2-2 record while posting a 4-0-2 record in Conference USA play. WKU was edged by Charlotte 2-0 in its first semifinal appearance since joining C-USA in 2013.

WKU had a successful season going on an 8-0-2 run after their lone loss against North Alabama on Feb. 6 falling 4-1.

“I think they raised the bar for our program,” head coach Jason Neidell said. “I’ve got a lot of good things to say about these student athletes and what they’ve done to elevate our program to a newer height within Conference USA.” In WKU’s 20th season on the Hill, Neidell’s squad fought through a positive COVID-19 case after returning to

the soccer complex on July 6.

Following the loss, WKU Athletic Director Todd Stewart tweeted he was proud of Neidell and his team’s play this season. Now heading into the fall, the youth movement has a year under its belt for next season.

“I joked earlier in the year that we have 17 freshmen and sophomores so they better impact the program, because if they don’t we won’t have a good season,” Neidell said. “The freshmen and sophomores have been outstanding. They’ve set a higher standard for the program this season. Now the challenge is out there to exceed that.

We’re young and everyone is going to be back.”

Following the loss, Niedell said junior midfielder Ambere Barnett will unfortunately miss the fall season as well. Barnett was named C-USA’s Player and Midfielder of the Year after

she was injured on April 9. She was the program's leading goal scorer with six goals and 14 points.

WKU had a lot of young talent this season with nine freshmen and eight sophomores. There's also six juniors and two seniors returning to the program.

Senior defender Avery Jacobsen and senior midfielder Sophia Fondren are the two seniors returning for another season.

“Something like this makes you eager to get back on the field in a few short months and do it again,” Neidell said. “It’s an interesting year, because we turn around pretty quickly and play again. Usually your season ends in November. You got a full seven to eight months to think about it, but the reality is that it’s going to be a quick turn around.”

This season WKU outscored its

opponents 20-13 and outshot its opponents 78-44. WKU outshot its opponents seven times and won each of those matches.

WKU averaged 1.67 goals per game and held their opponents to 1.08 goals against them. Freshman midfielder Annah Hopkins led newcomers with four goals and one assist. Hopkins also led WKU in game-winning goals with three. Sophomore forward Katie Erwin was also a factor on offense racking up three goals and one assist.

Back on defense, Jacobsen played the most minutes on the program with 1,120 while picking up 4 points. Sophomore goalkeeper Ashley Kobylinski finished the year with five shutouts and posted a 8-1-2 record.

Soccer beat reporter Ian Fleischman can be reached at ian.fleischman583@topper.wku.edu. Follow him on Twitter @ian_fleischman.

12 SPORTS

Week of April 20, 2021

WKU plays spring game, a glimpse of new Hilltoppers

By Wyatt Sparkman

The WKU Football program finished its five-week spring practice schedule with its first spring game on Saturday in Houchens-Smith Stadium since 2019.

The defense dominated the game, intercepting four passes, while the offense mustered four touchdowns on 15 possessions.

“I’m very pleased with the progress that we made throughout the spring,” head coach Tyson Helton said. “I thought we had some great days on both sides of the ball. Got a lot done special teams-wise.”

The spring game in 2020 was not played due to COVID-19 concerns.

Helton enters his third spring on the Hill after posting a 5-7 overall record and 4-3 Conference USA record in 2020. WKU’s season ended with a 39-21 loss to the Georgia State Panthers on Dec. 26, 2020, at the Lending Tree Bowl.

For the 2020 season, WKU’s offense averaged 19 points per game, while averaging 290 total yards. The Hilltopper defense allowed 348.8 yards a game while surrendering 25 points per game.

Houston Baptist graduate transfer Bailey Zappe got the start as quarterback on the first possession of the game. Zappe totaled 10,004 yards through the air, leading all active Football Championship Subdivision passers while completing 60.9% of his passes along with 78 career touchdowns.

The first play of the game was a three-yard run by graduate transfer Adam Cofield for WKU’s offense.

Two plays later on a third and seven, Zappe completed a 15-yard pass for a first down. On the fifth play, Zappe was intercepted by junior Darius Shipp on a pass that tipped at the line of scrimmage.

“That was disappointing to see, but he’s had a fantastic spring if you look

at the full body of work,” Helton said.

“He’s done a really good job, really looking forward to his season coming up.”

Redshirt sophomore Drew Zaubi got the nod as quarterback on the second possession for the Hilltoppers. Zaubi is a transfer from Reedley College. At Reedley, Zaubi played in 11 games, completing 59.8% of his passes, while throwing for 1,163 yards and 12 touchdowns.

“He’s had a nice spring for us,” Helton said. “He’s been a really good addition to our team. He’s trying to fight like everyone else in the quarterback room to try to get onto the field, so it was good to see him have some good throws out there today.”

Zaubi’s first play from scrimmage went for a 28-yard completion to redshirt junior C.J. Jones for WKU. Then Hilltopper redshirt junior Jakairi Moses shifted his way through the line of scrimmage before breaking away to score the first touchdown for the offense.

The next couple of possessions for the Hilltoppers’ offense yielded nothing before they started getting some movement on the offense. After Zappe converted a third and one to redshirt freshman Dalvin Smith, Zappe threw a pick-six to redshirt sophomore Beanie Bishop on another tipped ball.

“We wanted to set the tone as a defense and one of our goals is to be a top defense in the country and we had to put that on display, so we try to have a Mamba mentality,” Bishop said.

WKU freshman Darius Ocean got his first snaps as quarterback on the next possession where he completed a couple of passes, including a pass where redshirt freshman Terence Taylor made a catch over two WKU defenders. Ocean’s drive at quarterback did not score any points.

Zappe returned on the next possession where he completed a couple of chunk plays to redshirt junior Daewood Davis for around 27 yards. A few

plays later, Zappe completed a 33yard pass to Smith to convert a third and 11 before the drive stalled out.

The Hilltoppers could not muster any points for the next few possessions before the brief intermission.

The first play coming out of the break, Zappe threw his third interception of the game to redshirt freshman T.J. Springer. Zappe then returned for a second consecutive possession.

The offense started to get rolling with Zappe at the helm after he completed three passes to get the ball to the 34-yard line. The next play, a holding call set the offense back before Zappe completed a 14-yard pass. Then WKU’s offense scored on its first drive with Zappe at the helm with a 30-yard touchdown pass to a wide-open Davis.

Freshman Grady Robinson took over as the Hilltopper quarterback for two consecutive possessions. Robinson was a three-star recruit and 22nd overall in Washington. He went 9-2 as a starter at Eastlake High School.

On his second possession, Robinson completed a 28-yard pass to redshirt freshman Kyle McNamara.

The Hilltopper offense kept the momentum going after a 15-yard facemask penalty followed by an 11-yard scramble for a first down by Robinson.

Robinson then threw his first unof-

ficial touchdown pass to Taylor for an 8-yard score.

The next two possessions did not amount to much. Ocean came back in as quarterback and moved the ball down the field, but was unable to put the ball in the endzone.

Zappe returned as quarterback the following possession. Zappe moved the ball effectively, dinking and dunking down the field before he threw his fourth interception of the game to freshman Barry Wagner Jr. Zaubi came back in to finish the last possession of the game as quarterback. Zaubi moved the ball much like Zappe did on the possession before, except Zaubi found McNamara for a 44-yard touchdown pass to end the spring game.

“Overall, offense had a good spring,” Moses said. “I feel like we just need to come together a little bit more and connect everything, the o-line, the quarterback, receivers and just get things rolling more smoothly.”

The next time WKU will take the field for a game will be their seasonopener against UT Martin on Sept. 4 in Houchens-Smith Stadium.

Sports reporter Wyatt Sparkman can be reached at steve.sparkman280@ topper.wku.edu. Follow Wyatt on Twitter at @WyattSparkman3

PHOTO BY KEILEN FRAZIER WKU defensive back Beanie Bishop Jr. (21) runs back an interception for a touchdown in the spring game on April 17, in HouchinsSmith Stadium.