WKU College Heights Herald - Oct. 4-Nov. 6, 2023

YOUR VOTE MATTERS

WHY WARREN COUNTY IS THE BIG PRIZE

DeBusk,

VOLUME 99

ISSUE 2

Print edition published three times each semester by WKU Student Publications at Western Kentucky University.

First copy: free | Additional copies: $5

EDITORIAL BOARD

Alexandria Anderson

Editor-in-Chief

Emilee Arnold

Photo Editor

Debra Murray

Engagement Editor

Ella Galvin

Design Editor

Camden Bush

Sports Editor

Caroline Chubb

Video Producer

Molly Dobberstein

Content Editor

Rachel Campoy Newsletter Editor

Price Wilborn

Commentary Editor

Emmy Libke

Social Media Editor

OTHER LEADERS AND ADVISERS

Emma Bayens

Bailey Brush

Cherry Creative Directors

JT Steele

Advertising Manager

Carrie Pratt Herald Adviser

Wes Orange Advertising Adviser and Sales Manager

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.

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LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

It’s election season! This November marks a pivotal election in Kentucky’s history, and for Warren County in particular – the governor’s race. In this newsmagazine, we tackled looking at this race from the perspective of a WKU student and a resident of Bowling Green. That being said, even if you’re from out of state or another Kentucky county, make sure you register to vote before Kentucky’s Oct. 10 deadline. You can use your residence hall or local address, and registering takes less than two minutes. Registering to vote and casting your ballot on election day is the number one way to let your voice be heard.

You will also notice that the back of this issue features an advertisement from the Gov. Andy Beshear campaign. The Herald as a news publication does not endorse either candidate, and our advertising staff reached out to both campaigns to sell ads.

Hope you enjoy the issue, and remember, your vote matters!

Sincerely,

Alexandria Anderson Editor-in-Chief

PHOTO BY CARRIE PRATT

‘EVERY VOTE IN THIS COUNTY IS IMPORTANT’

By Bailey Reed

Warren County and Bowling Green are poised to play a pivotal role in this year’s Kentucky gubernatorial election, with a teetering split between registered Democratic and Republican voters as well as its historical swing-vote tendency.

“Democrats know they are going to win Louisville and Lexington, but for a statewide candidate to do well, they’ve got to do well in these other counties, and certainly Warren County is one of those,” Scott Lasley, a Republican who serves as magistrate for Warren County’s first district, said.

Warren County was a predominantly Democratic stronghold up until the 1990s when candidates such as Mike Buchanon, the former Warren County judge executive, started winning elections to hold office as a Republican.

Brett Guthrie, also a Republican, was elected in 1998 to represent the

32nd district in the Kentucky Senate until 2008, when he was elected to represent Kentucky’s Second Congressional District in the U.S House of Representatives. He has been reelected to the seat every two years since.

Historically, the Kentucky governor’s seat was predominantly Democratic, but since the 2003 election, has alternated between Democratic and Republican winners.

Andy Beshear, the current Kentucky governor, won the office in the 2019 election by a slim margin of 5,136 votes statewide against incumbent Gov. Matt Bevin, a Republican.

Warren County was a battleground in that election, with Beshear winning the county by a margin of 1,131 votes against Bevin, according to the State Board of Elections.

William Compton, a Democrat and city commissioner for Plum Springs,

said approximately one fifth of the votes of Beshear’s margin of victory in his initial campaign for governor came from Warren County.

“Every vote in this county is important,” Compton said.

As of Sept. 5, Warren County was visited most by both gubernatorial candidates of Kentucky throughout the state with five visits each.

In Warren County, the split between registered Republicans and Democrats is slim, with the Republicans leading by 1,343 voters. Warren County has the potential to swing either way, putting that opportunity in the hands of the voters.

Republican Warren County Judge Executive Doug Gorman outlined the issues that candidates should focus on if they intend to win Warren County in what is anticipated to be a close race.

“There are three things really important for Warren County: the economy, healthcare and education,” Gorman said. He believes whichever candidate can have the most impact on those subjects will win.

Gorman also spoke to the importance of casting a vote.

“For us to have the best environment and the best voter experience, we need to continue to try to increase the number of registered voters to vote,” Gorman said.

Kevin Modlin, a WKU political science professor, is curious to see if the vote in Warren County this year is affected by Republicans who may have only voted Beshear in the past due to Bevin’s comments about teachers during his tenure as governor.

Unlike Compton, Modlin said voting for a particular candidate is often about party identity and association more than a particular candidate’s platforms.

“If I were interested in wanting to know how this would go, I would be looking at those tendencies,” Modlin said. “We are people of habit.”

WKU’s presence in Bowling Green may contribute to the county’s party split. Students have the ability to vote, request absentee ballots or register to vote in their college town.

Jeanie Smith, chair of the Warren County Democratic Party, maintains that young voters are critical to the gubernatorial election process.

“Young people could determine every election in America,” Smith said. “I would encourage people to understand the power of a vote.”

Smith also discussed the closeness of votes in the gubernatorial race 2019.

“In the last gubernatorial election, Warren County was the only Democratic county west of I-65,” Smith said.

Smith also believes that education will be an extremely important platform for this race.

“If we are looking at the state, we had a Democratic stronghold that was very important to the governor’s election,” Smith said. “I think that’s particularly important because Warren County values education and Governor Beshear is a pro-education, pro-teacher governor. Warren Countians know, it doesn’t matter your political party, we love our

PHOTO BY EMILEE ARNOLD

Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron leaves the stage after speaking at the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce’s 77th Annual Meeting Dinner. Cameron is running against current governor Andy Beshear in the 2023 gubernatorial election.

PHOTO BY ELLA GALVIN

The division in Kentucky with the governor race can be seen in Warren County with the different signs up showing support for each candiate. A sign showing support for Attorney General Daniel Cameron is seen in front of a house on Smallhouse Road.

schools, and we love our teachers, and we want to make sure that they stay really strong and healthy.”

Additionally, Smith advises citizens of Warren County to plan out their voting location and method, as Warren County has 12 polling locations, even though counties of similar size often have many more places to vote. Smith attributes this to voter suppression and said that lower income citizens who don’t have access to transportation will find it more difficult to get to a polling location to vote.

Lasley also emphasized the importance of research before voting.

“Try to figure out what issues are important to you, and what issues are important to the candidates,” Lasley said. “Part of it is also trying to figure out who is going to have a greater effect on policy. Try to take some more time to learn about the candidates and read articles.”

Both Cameron and Beshear have a wide variety of platforms that are important to them to continue to grow the commonwealth of Kentucky.

“Listen, when we’re talking about workforce, it’s about hope. It’s about providing what’s needed. It’s about a message of public education, health care, and childcare,” Beshear said.

Beshear believes strongly in public education, free universal pre-K, and continuing to grow the state’s economy. Under Beshear, Kentucky has legalized sports betting, expanded Medicaid applicability and created new jobs through the construction of a new Ford plant.

Cameron, Kentucky’s attorney general, has a platform that focuses on similar goals. He wants to continue to grow Kentucky’s job force and gain more employment, but intends on doing this in a few different ways.

“If you expanded Medicaid coverage to able-bodied individuals, why we didn’t condition that to have some sort of work requirement, particularly if we think about it in the lens of wanting to keep the program solid for means medically necessary,” Cameron said at a gubernatorial forum hosted by the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce.

Cameron also wants to eliminate Kentucky individual income tax, while continuing to grow Kentucky’s commu-

PHOTO BY ALEXANDRIA ANDERSON

Gov. Andy Beshear gives a speech at Spencer’s Coffee downtown during his reelection tour stop in Bowling Green this past spring.

PHOTO BY ALEXANDRIA ANDERSON

A yard sign showing support for gubernatorial incumbent and Democratic nominee Gov. Andy Beshear is seen at a home in Bowling Green.

nity and lower its crime rate.

“I want to make sure we can keep our taxes as low as we can to make sure that our education system is as good as it can be and make sure that we have that low crime so that people want to stay here or bring their families here and decide to move here and

thrive,” Cameron said.

Despite who wins this gubernatorial election, Bowling Green Mayor Todd Alcott said legislators will continue on with their job as always.

“Regardless of the politics of our next governor, we want our governor to be part of our team, and continue to

be the shining example to our nation, of how leadership transforms prosperity,” Alcott said.

NewsReporterBaileyReedcanbe reachedatbailey.reed740@topper. wku.edu

‘YOUR VOTE STILL MATTERS’ THE IMPORTANCE OF VOTER REGISTRATION

By Maggie Phelps

The deadline to register to vote in this year’s general election is Oct. 10, and there are many key elements students must be aware of before going to the polls this election cycle.

Democratic Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear is up for reelection, challenged by current Republican Attorney General Daniel Cameron.

All Kentucky constitutional offices are included on the ballot this election year, such as Lieutenant Governor, Commissioner of Agriculture and more.

Kentucky has 3,476,659 registered voters as of August, according to the Kentucky State Board of Elections. 1,527,360 of those voters are registered Democrat while 1,597,434 are

registered Republican.

In Warren County, a total of 92,083 people out of the approximately 140,000 citizens are registered voters. Republicans total 41,413 while Democrats total 40,070, Warren County Clerk Lynette Yates said.

In 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Warren County moved away from closed precinct voting locations to large voting centers where voters can cast their ballot at any center that is convenient for them.

Warren County will offer 12 unique voting centers this election cycle stretching throughout the county. In the 2022 general election, the county offered 8 voting centers, and had a “little over 12%” voter turnout, Yates

said.

Tracy Harkins, member and representative of the Kentucky Women’s Network-Barren River Branch, works closely with the Warren County Voting Project. The organization was formed after a significant drop in voter turnout from the 2022 election cycle and when the county did not return to precinct model polling locations.

“Prior to COVID, Warren County had 47 voting locations,” Harkins said.

In 2020, the number of polling locations decreased to five and has since been increased to 12. However, the number of locations still not reflective of where the county was prior to the pandemic.

“We believe reducing the number of polling locations in Warren County

has cut off access to voting for many people in our community,” Harkins said. “Especially college students, those who are disabled and people of color.”

Despite the decrease in voting centers, Yates is hopeful in the functionality of the existing centers. The voting centers have a large capacity and are available from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. on election day, providing flexibility to voters.

“They are in our larger areas like gymnasiums so that we can set them up larger that can fit anywhere from 3-5,000 people,” Yates said.

The voting centers are in larger city areas convenient to where citizens work, and there are also smaller voting centers that serve certain areas of the county, Yates said.

Prior to the general election, there are five early voting locations that provide additional flexibility to voters.

Early voting will occur before the general election on Nov 2, 3 and 4 and is open from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the provided locations: Ephram White Park, Living Hope Baptist Church, Michael O Buchanon Park, Phil Moore Park and Sugar Maple Square.

Anyone unable to make it to a voting center on election day may participate in early voting on any of the three days available.

There are two voting centers closest to WKU that will be most convenient for students on election day.

“The closest polling locations to campus are at First Baptist Church and Warren Central High School,” Harkins said.

However, despite the close proximity, these locations still require transportation for most students, making the voting centers inconvenient for some.

“Warren County officials have promised that for the fall election they will work with WKU and city officials to provide transportation for students and WKU staff to downtown voting locations on election days,” Harkins said. “We are hopeful they will follow through on this commitment.”

Students who choose not to register in Warren County or are registered in their home county in Kentucky may

return to vote in that county on election day or request an absentee mail in ballot from the county in which they are registered.

“There is a state portal that will open Sep. 23 (govote.ky.gov) and it will give you all the information and will have the address of where you want it mailed to,” Yates said.

It is vital that if an absentee ballot is requested that it is sent back to the county in which it was requested from in order to make it back in time.

“Something we have seen in the past, students think that they can request their ballot and then drop it off here and so they’ve dropped it in our drop box,” Yates said. “We try to forward those on to the counties that they go to. So that’s something that they need to be aware of to send it back to the county that they got it from.”

If a student wishes to change their registration and become registered in Warren County, they have the option to do so in the County Clerk’s office or online through the state portal.

Registration must be completed by 4 p.m. local time by the deadline in order to participate in the general election.

If any registered citizen needs to check the status of their registration they may do so on the state portal or

through an app curated by the League of Women Voters.

“We have an app called League in Action that people can sign up for to remind them to register, check their registration and keep them up to date on the issues that affect the community,” League Coordinator for the League of Women Voters of Southern Kentucky Elizabeth Hawks said.

Regardless of the accessibility to a voting center, the urgency to become a registered voter and go to the polls remains.

Kentuckians for the Commonwealth is an organization “leading the way to a thriving, joyful, intergenerational, multi-cultural society,” Southern Kentucky Community Organizer for KFTC Megan Bailey said. Bailey specifically works to mobilize more individuals to the polls during election seasons.

“I’ll never forget turning 18 and realizing my time to speak up and be heard had finally arrived,” Bailey said. “The voice of the masses is heard through voting, but to participate in such a process, you first have to register.”

Politicians have additional insight to the feelings of those they serve if the majority of people participate in elections.

“Many people do not realize how

PHOTO BY HUDSON HATCHER

Buttons and informational pamphlets are seen at a Political Science Department table during Rock the Vote in front of Cherry Hall mid-September to encourage students to vote.

voting moves the needle of change,” Bailey said. “Do we always get what we want? Of course not, but politicians do recognize those who have the power to send them home.”

Registering to vote and participating in the upcoming election is the easiest way to express feelings towards issues and provoke change, Yates and Bailey agreed.

“This is your time for anything that you feel strongly about to be heard,” Yates said. “You have to be registered to vote and you need to vote.”

Potentially an even more vital element to registering to vote is becoming an educated voter. Yates recommends researching the candidates and their platforms, as well as the job they are running for.

“It’s the importance of just voting, even more so when you are an informed voter. Especially in local elections,” Yates said. “Research the candidate and find out as much as you can of what they stand for. So you want to make sure that you know what the office is and what you’re voting for.”

Bailey explained there is an added sense of urgency for young people and college students to become regis-

tered voters.

“The truth of the matter is this nation could use new skin in the game,” Bailey said. “Young people are the ones who will own businesses, build schools and be doctors and nurses. The voice of young people is imperative to see the changes we demand to see, but it all starts with registering to vote.”

There are certain issues that directly affect the everyday life of a college student, and becoming a registered voter could strongly affect that outcome. Decisions to elect certain legislators could affect issues such as the cost of a college education and working wages.

“You think that our legislators don’t have anything to do with you,” Hawks said. “But those are the people who set how much your tuition is, how much your university gets from the state, how you get your student loans, how much you pay for your student loans.”

Harkins added to this idea.

“Voting gives you the ability to have a say on issues such as climate change and college affordability,” Harkins said.

WKU Assistant Professor of Sociol-

ogy and Criminology Suzanne Juenke has worked hard to break the narrative of voting not contributing to change.

Juenke made the decision to give extra credit to her students that become registered voters.

“‘I’ve found that those who choose not to vote believe their vote does not matter”, Juenke said, “but I expressed to the students, their vote can make a difference, and their vote does matter.”

Voting gives citizens the opportunity to make a decision on the issues that affect everyday life.

“You should have a say in the decision making process that affects the quality of your own life,” Bailey said. “We have great options, we just have to make educated decisions on who should be in place.”

It will remain important for every eligible person to make a fair effort to go to the polls this election year.

“Whether you’re 18 or 80, your voice still matters and your vote still matters,” Hawks said.

NewsReporterMaggiePhelpscan bereachedatmargaret.phelps370@ topper.wku.edu.

VOTING LOCATIONS IN WARREN COUNTY

Warren County, Kentucky will offer 12 voting locations for voters during this year’s election. Warren County residents can choose from any of the locations, and they are open from 6:00 am to 6:00 p.m. on election day.

In-person early voting is open on November 2-4 from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at Ephram White Park, Living Hope Baptist Church, Michael O Buchanon Park, Phil Moore Park and Sugar Square.

The closest voting location to WKU is the First Baptist Church ROC Gymnasium. Other close locations include Warren Central High and State Street Baptist Church.

2: Living Hope Baptist Church 1805 Western St. Bowling Green, KY 42104

5: Phil Moore Park 7101 Scottsville Road Alvation, KY 42122

8: Warren County Cooperative Extension 5162 Russellville Road Bowling Green, KY 42104

11: Smiths Grove Methodist Church 333 N Main St. Smiths Grove, KY 42171

1: Ephram White Park 885 Mt Olivet Road Bowling Green, KY 42101

4: New Cumberland Trace Elementary School 2464 Cumberland Trace Bowling Green, KY 42103

7: Warren Central High 559 Morgantown Road Bowling Green, KY 42101

10: First Baptist Church ROC Gymnasium 621 E 12th Ave. Bowling Green, KY 42101

3: Michael O Buchanon Park 9222 Nashvlle Road Bowling Green, KY 42101

6: Sugar Maple Square 1347 KY Highway 185 Bowling Green, KY 42101

9: Eastwood Baptist Chuch 500 Eastwood St. Bowling Green, KY 42103

12: State Street Baptist Church 340 State St. Bowling Green, KY 42101

Age: 37

Party: Republican

Education: University of Louisville (B.S., J.D.)

Family: Married to Makenze, dad to Theodore

ABORTION

CAMERON ON THE ISSUES

Daniel Cameron was elected Kentucky’s attorney general in 2019 and announced his run for governor in May 2022, quickly after which he was endorsed by former President Donald Trump. Cameron clerked for a federal judge before working in Washington, D.C. as legal counsel for Mitch McConnell. As governor, Cameron plans to support law enforcement, protect the state’s pro-life abortion laws and ensure traditional values in public schools. Cameron’s running mate is Robby Mills, who has served in the Kentucky State Senate since 2019. Prior to this, Mills served in the Kentucky House of Representatives and as the city commissioner of Henderson, Kentucky.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Throughout his time as Kentucky’s attorney general, Cameron supported a total ban on abortion in the commonwealth. This included supporting the current abortion law in Kentucky, which does not include exceptions for rape or incest. In April, Cameron told reporters that “I’m not going to waver in my position on this and we’re going to continue to defend the law as is.” On Sept. 18, however, Cameron told reporters at NewsRadio 840 WHAS that, should a bill be placed on his desk outlawing abortions with exceptions for rape and incest, he would consider signing it. Cameron has not made clear whether he would push for these exceptions as governor.

DRUG CRISIS

According to his campaign website, “As Attorney General, Daniel is committed to defending the laws of the Commonwealth and protecting all Kentuckians. To address Kentucky’s drug epidemic, Daniel helped secure legislation that ensures Kentucky receives the maximum amount of money available to it as part of the national settlement with opioid manufacturers and distributors.” According to “The Cameron Public Safety Plan” a Cameron-Mills administration would fight the crisis by supporting law enforcement while working to “Increase penalties for drug traffickers who kill Kentuckians” and increasing law enforcement presence in “drug hot spots” to “surge law enforcement and social services resources into the specific places most in need at a given moment.”

Throughout the campaign, Daniel Cameron has made efforts to undercut Beshear’s economic progress. Cameron has seized on the COVID-19 shutdown as a key issue, claiming that Kentucky is worse off because of Beshear’s actions. Cameron consistently points to the fact that there are 27,000 less Kentuckians working in 2023 than there were in 2019 as a sign of Beshear’s ineffectiveness. As governor, he would work to eliminate the state’s individual income tax while adding Medicaid work requirements. He has also expressed his support for “fatherhood initiatives” that promote two-parent households while supporting the coal industry, promoting growth in rural Kentucky and increasing and supporting workforce programs.

TRANSGENDER LEGISLATION

In his time as Kentucky Attorney General, Cameron has consistently fought to ban gender-affirming care for youth in Kentucky. He was a vocal supporter of Senate Bill 150 and has fought to overturn rulings by federal judges that block portions of the bill. Following one of these rulings, Cameron said that “I will do everything in my power to protect Kentucky kids from this radical agenda, and my office will continue to defend this law at every turn.” Cameron has continued to attack Beshear on his support for transgender youth, the transgender community and the LGBTQ+ community in Kentucky as a whole.

PHOTO BY EMILEE ARNOLD

BESHEAR ON THE ISSUES

Andy Beshear was elected governor in 2019 after defeating incumbent Republican Gov. Matt Bevin. Beshear formerly served as the state’s attorney general from 2015-2019. According to his campaign website, Beshear’s platform focuses on economic development and job growth, rebuilding infrastructure across the state, supporting public education and educators and increasing healthcare access for all Kentuckians. Since 2019, Beshear has served in the governor’s office with Jacqueline Coleman, a former public school educator and principal. Coleman remains Beshear’s running mate for the 2023 election.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Taking office just months before the onset of COVID-19 pandemic, Beshear saw the commonwealth’s economy both shut down and reopen. During the pandemic, Beshear prioritized public health and safety over the daily operation of business. Since Kentucky’s economy began reopening, Beshear has brought to Kentucky the largest and second largest economic development projects in state history, the longest period with the lowest unemployment rates in state history, the largest budget surpluses in state history and more. This economic development is the focus of Beshear’s reelection with the most emphasis in the campaign being placed here.

TRANSGENDER LEGISLATION

Since taking office, Beshear has supported the rights of Kentucky’s transgender population while working to support the Commonwealth’s transgender youth population. During the 2023 Legislative Session, Beshear vetoed Senate Bill 150, which included a number of anti-transgender provisions. In his veto message, Beshear wrote that “my faith teaches me that all children are children of God and Senate Bill 150 will endanger the children of Kentucky.” Throughout the beginning of the campaign, Cameron and Republicans have consistently attacked Beshear for supporting gender transition surgeries for minors. In response, Beshear released an ad in which he said that “I have never supported gender reassignment surgery for kids.”

Age: 45

Party: Democratic

Education: Vanderbilt University (B.A.), University of Virginia (J.D.)

Family: Married to Britainy, dad to Lila and Will

ABORTION

Multiple TV ads released by the Beshear campaign have expressed his support for exceptions for rape and incest to abortion laws. On Sept. 20, Beshear released an ad featuring a child sexual assault survivor who became pregnant addressing Cameron directly, calling for these exceptions. The governor has been less clear on his stance on the total legality of abortions in the commonwealth. Following the Supreme Court’s ruling overturning Roe v. Wade, Beshear told reporters that “This [abortion] should be a rare, but legal, procedure” and expressed that he has always been against “late-term abortions.” In a Sept. 1 Beshear ad, a Louisville-based prosecutor attacked Cameron, saying that “Cameron believes rapists deserve more rights than their victims.”

DRUG CRISIS

Throughout his time as governor, Beshear has increased access to treatment and job resources for Kentuckians struggling with addiction while increasing support for law enforcement. This includes programs that encourage communities to become “Recovery Ready” and others that support already existing resources. Annual opioid overdose deaths reached record-highs under the Beshear administration but saw a decrease in 2022 compared to the year before. On the opioid crisis, Beshear said in June that “Seeing a decrease in overdose deaths is encouraging, but we still have a long way to go, because one Kentucky life lost to overdose is one too many.”

PHOTO BY EMILEE ARNOLD

THE BOWLING GREEN ROCK BAND ACADEMY

Words and Photos by Dominic Di Palermo

Muffled guitar noises, drums and vocal exercises bounced off walls decorated with musical instruments made from obscure items, framed posters of musicians and Bowling Green Rock Band Academy flags and logos. Practice rooms are filled with teachers and students practicing different musical disciplines.

Nine-year-old Copeland Brown worked on electric guitar and drum exercises given to him by his teacher Kristy Helit. Another teacher, Yan Garza, practiced drum paradiddles with 11-year-old Nox Sewell. Some students practiced for their upcoming Fall Semester Showcase.

“I get to pass on the same joy (about music) that I have to them,” Helit said. “And when they get it and they love it and … get as excited as I do; that’s the best part.”

Later that night, BGRBA owner Matt DeVore ran band practice with the band Fatal Siren, containing mostly high school students. DeVore explained that the band was practicing for the upcoming BGRBA Fall Semester Showcase. Bands will perform the showcase on Oct. 14 at Tidball’s music venue in downtown Bowling Green.

Copeland Brown, 9, learns electric guitar from teacher Kristy Helit in a makes perfect,” Brown said. Brown comes from a family of musicians, his learning the electric guitar and the drums.

Isaac Gentry, 14, practices a song on an electric guitar BGRBA. Gentry has played the guitar for five years

Fatal Siren guitarist and singer Isaac Gentry, 15, sings during practice with the band at the BGRBA.

Receptionist and drummer for Fatal Attraction Nolan Morrison replaces a trash bag at the BGRBA. Morrison has played the drums for five years and performs with the BGRBA band Fatal Siren.

practice room at the BGRBA. “You just got to know practice his mom and dad are both opera singers and he is currently

guitar with the band Fatal Siren in a practice room at the and plays the acoustic and electric guitar.

STUDENTS AND CAMPUS ORGANIZATIONS PREPARE FOR NOVEMBER ELECTION

By Ali Costellow

Campus clubs and organizations on the Hill have been working to prepare students for the upcoming November gubernatorial election in various ways.

A number of organizations have hosted voter registration drives across campus. Students and faculty have tabled around campus to spread voting information while giving out election-based memorabilia. These items have included pamphlets with voting registration information, election day and candidate information and also pro-conservative, pro-liberal and neutral pin buttons.

Some individual students within the campus organizations have specifically contributed to spreading voting and election information to their peers.

Aniya Johnson, senior political science major and president of the WKU chapter of Young Democrats, said she got involved with her role in the organization because she wanted to be more politically active.

Johnson initially started her freshman year as a photojournalism major. When she switched to political science, she felt she needed to get introduced to other politically involved students on campus. She reached out to the Young Democrat’s past president and then took on the position herself.

“It was something that was a spur of the moment kind of thing,” Johnson said. “But I just knew that since I’ve already been working with the organization, it would be a greater chance for me to explore my leadership opportunities and to work with

other students and get more people introduced.”

The Young Democrats plan to work closely with Gov. Andy Beshear’s reelection campaign throughout the election season and to host their own voter registration drives to make sure students are able to vote.

Outside of the organization, Johnson herself has individually been working with the governor’s campaign.

She has knocked on doors and worked the campaign phone bank in Bowling Green to spread information on the election and campaign.

Throughout her involvement, she has been trying to recruit more students to join her in campaigning, especially those who are also in Young Democrats.

Johnson said that even though it can be difficult for students to go outside of campus and vote, those votes are essential to the election’s outcome.

“There are a lot of students on this campus, and this county is really important [to the election]. Making sure students actually go out to vote is

important,” Johnson said.

Gabriel Chambers, a sophomore meteorology major, vice president of the WKU chapter of Students for Life of America, treasurer of the WKU chapter of the American Conservation Coalition and member of the WKU chapter of College Republicans, said he got involved with these groups to meet other students and to try to create change both on campus and in the community.

Chambers is also the founder and president of the WKU chapter of the Young Americans for Liberty and a member of the WKU chapter of Turning Point USA, both non-partisan organizations.

“Politics is something that I’m very passionate about,” Chambers said. College Republicans has plans to assist at fundraisers and events in support of Republican nominee Daniel Cameron’s campaign over the course of the election season. Turning Point USA plans to take part in a nationwide campaign called Vote and Live, which helps students register to vote and get involved.

Chambers said he individually has been helping campaign in the community for Cameron by door knocking, spreading information and trying to get community members involved in events.

He believes that it is extremely important for college students to go out and vote in the election, especially those whose permanent address is outside of Kentucky.

“People who are from out-of-state think it does not affect them. You’re in

PHOTOS BY KAYDEN MULROONEY

Kentucky, you go to college in Kentucky so the decisions of the election affect [you],” Chambers said.

Many students and their organizations plan to continue campaigning and hosting voter registration drives through the course of the election season to urge those on campus to cast their ballot when the time comes.

“Voting, I can’t stress enough how important it is [...] deciding who to give power to is really important,” Chambers said.

Editor’snote:Inreportingthisstory,theHerald learnedthatGabrielChamberswaschargedwithassault, fourthdegreedatingviolenceonAug.27,2022.AccordingtotheWKUpoliceincidentreport,Chambersandthe victimagreedthatChambers“punched”thevictimon thesideoftheheadduringadisagreement.Thecourt recordstatesonMarch7,2023thechargewasordered forapretrialdiversion.Thediversioncompletionisset forMarch29,2024,afterwhichthecasewouldbedismissed.ChambersprovidedtheHeraldwithastatement: “IwillsaythatIhaverefusedtogodowntothecourtroomandgetthatcaseremovedoffmyrecordbecauseit wasdismissed.Soyeah,that’ssomethingthatIdefinitely needtodobecausewellI-it’sirrelevantatthispoint.And yeah,thisprobablyshouldhavenevercomeup.So,that’s justmenotdoingwhatthecourttoldmeIcoulddo.Yeah. That’saboutallIhavetosayaboutthat.Ihonestly,like, forgotevenaboutit,so.”

NewsReporterAliCostellowcanbereachedatali. costellow453@topper.wku.edu.

Aniya Johnson poses for a portrait outside the WKU Student Government Association chambers. Johnson serves as the Director of Information Technology for SGA.

Gabriel Chambers poses for a portrait in front of Henry Hardin Cherry Hall, which houses WKU’s political science department.

By Price Wilborn | Commentary Editor

For years, far-left politicians in Washington, D.C. have been on a relentless campaign to dispose of everything the United States holds dear for the promotion of radical ideas, ideas that are corrupting the nation’s children each day in their schools, online and even in the home. America’s future is being ruined, and this has to be stopped now before the country goes to hell in a handbasket.

Or, that’s what many want you to believe, at least.

Wokeness has been something that has been in the political lexicon for decades, with some sources, like Vox News, tracing the term back to the 1920s. According to an October 2020 piece from Vox titled “A history of ‘wokeness,’” “The earliest known examples of wokeness as a concept revolve around the idea of Black consciousness ‘waking up’ to a new reality or activist framework and dates back to the early 20th century.”

The term saw a resurgence in popular use following the 2014 police shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri. According to Vox, “Black citizens [of Ferguson] took to the streets nightly to protest the police shooting death of Michael Brown. As they did so, they urged each other to ‘stay woke’ against police actions and

‘WOKENESS’ IS NOT A BAD THING, AND PEOPLE NEED TO STOP SAYING IT IS

other threats.”

In this context, being woke simply meant staying aware and being aware of one’s surroundings and the happenings in their community. For Black America throughout much of the nation’s history, this has been necessary for their survival, and that is not something we should take lightly.

Over time, wokeness came to be used by a wider group of Americans to mean, as defined by Merriam-Webster, “aware of and actively attentive to important societal facts and issues (especially issues of racial and social justice).”

For years, this definition remained fairly consistent. By 2017, the term by this definition had begun to be used throughout popular culture by all different types of activist groups, including women’s rights activists that organized the 2017 Women’s March.

When I first became aware of the term, this was the definition I associated with it. Being woke was nothing to be ashamed of and being woke was being aware of the greater social and political tides of America.

The increased use of “woke” coincided with a milestone political event that has changed the political landscape in the United States for nearly a decade be felt for decades to come –

the 2016 Presidential Election and the election of Donald Trump.

Trump’s election and his four years in the White House caused a drastic shift in American politics that pundits should have seen coming. In the years leading up to the 2016 campaign, farther-right ideals began to become more and more popular with Conservatives. Many political scientists and researchers point to different beginnings to this increase, but I see the catalysts as the 2008 Presidential Election, the rise of the Tea Party and the elevation of personalities like Sarah Palin and Ron Paul, the father of current Kentucky Senator Rand Paul, into prominent places in the national political discourse.

The 2008 election opened the door for the oftentimes controversial views and fiery rhetoric of Trump and his supporters to become mainstream in the following year. As Trump’s presidency went on, the rhetoric only got worse, and his supporters only supported him more.

Somewhere in the craziness, Trump and his right-wing supporters co-opted “woke” to mean something dark, something that attacks the values of many Democrats in Kentucky and across the nation. This has been exemplified in politicians like Florida

Ron DeSantis, who once declared that “Florida is where woke goes to die” and former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Kelly Craft, who ran for the GOP nomination for Kentucky Governor but was defeated by Daniel Cameron in the party’s primary earlier this year. A key pillar of Craft’s campaign was combatting woke through making sure “transgender ideologies” and critical race theory was not indoctrinating Kentucky’s children in the classroom.

Something that many opponents of wokeness – and people in general –have failed to agree on is a definition of the term.

On March 15, 2023, Daniel Cameron, the current GOP nominee to unseat Andy Beshear, defined woke in a thread of Tweets. He wrote: “‘Woke’ is political correctness on steroids. It’s government and corporate enforced political correctness. It’s thought control that says one person is evil and another person is good based on skin color alone. It rewards your identity and not your work. ‘Woke’ is deeply un-American and it’s being taught to our kids every day in our schools as gospel. As Governor, I’ll end this nonsense in Kentucky.”

At a campaign stop in Bowling Green just before the GOP Primary in May, I had the chance to ask Ambassador Craft to define woke, to which she responded: “To me, woke is what we are experiencing right now. It’s something when it goes against the grain of the culture that you’ve been raised with. Family values, values of freedom of democracy, of being aware that we’re losing family. And I can’t let this happen.”

The differences in these definitions are striking. Cameron was able to string together a line of Republican talking points that encompasses everything the Democratic Party stands for – no doubt an intentional choice – while Craft gave a definition that championed returning to traditional values that many Americans no longer feel a need to ascribe to.

Woke and wokeness mean different things to different people, and this illustrates the conflicting definitions and understandings of the term across

the nation. Here on the Hill, I was able to find different definitions, too.

Sydney Reeves, a biology major from Goodlettsville, TN, told me that wokeness is “making an active effort to be considerate of how your actions affect others.”

Anna Purdy, a criminology and sociology double major from Nashville, TN, said that being woke is “being alert to racial prejudice and overall discrimination.”

There is no one definition of woke. It means different things to different people, sometimes making them believe it is a bad thing while making others believe it is a good thing. Normally this discourse would not be a bad thing, but it has been taken to something beyond anything recognizable by the far right.

The scary thing, however, is that the co-opting of “woke” and the incessant attacks on Democrats for being “woke” works. It attracts votes from the base of the Republican Party while genuinely speaking to the fears of many Kentuckians and Americans.

I don’t want to discredit these anxieties. Sticking to “traditional values” is something Conservatives have championed throughout American history. People are afraid of change and of losing control, and they want to hold onto as much as they can. The world is a totally different place than it was 50 years ago, and it will look completely different in just 10. The rapid speed of change can be scary, and those fears are valid.

What is not valid, however, is using that fear to stoke fear in others – especially young people. Those resistant to change look upon children and young people as incapable while trying to scare them into contentment. Young people try to affect change while older generations try to scare them into curbing this ambition and civic involvement because of their inexperience and youth.

My generation has long been criticized for being too sensitive or too indecisive, yet at the same time we are criticized for being too vocal and for fighting for what we believe in. Young people have been at the center of demonstrations supporting minori-

ty rights, LGBTQ+ rights, women’s rights, gun control, climate change action and more. When we take action, people in power make fun of us and ignore us while spreading hate and disunion every single day.

Wokeness is far from a bad thing. Being woke means advocating for equal rights for minorities, women, members of the LGBTQ+ community and every other American. Every American citizen deserves their chance to live a happy and healthy life. There is no asterisk on the American Dream, and we must make sure that every American is treated fairly and given the opportunities to succeed.

In Kentucky, Cameron is trying to paint Beshear as a member of Joe Biden’s woke mob who is doing the president’s bidding, but that’s far from the truth. Beshear is running a campaign for Kentucky that is based on Kentucky values while Cameron campaigns as if he is running for a national office and/or for the approval of Donald Trump and his entourage.

Kentuckians care about issues that affect their daily lives: the economy, the opioid epidemic, law enforcement and public safety, to name a few. Wokeness, as Daniel Cameron has defined it, warps the political landscape in the commonwealth because it focuses the narrative on and lifts up ideals that attack people for being who they are and who they want to be while harming and politicizing public education beyond something than it actually is.

There is only one way that you can fight against those who misconstrue wokeness for radicalism: vote. Voting is the most important thing you can do in preserving this great American experiment in democracy, and we must vote not just in this election, but every election, because only through that can we all affect real change.

Anti-wokeness can be dangerous, but it doesn’t have to be. All you have to do is vote.

CommentaryeditorPriceWilborn can be reached at edwin.wilborn835@ topper.wku.edu.FollowhimonX@ pricewilborn.

A KENTUCKIAN’S GUIDE TO LEGAL SPORTS BETTING

By Luke Edmonds

For years, Kentucky citizens have had to sit back and watch sporting events that have taken place across the country, counting the days until they would finally be able to cash in on their obsessions.

When the decision was made to allow Kentuckians an opportunity to bet from their own state, there was no shortage of excitement buzzing through the streets.

This decision, which went into effect on Sept. 7, followed an incredibly precise timeline. For the first three weeks of the rule’s implementation, restrictions only allowed for in-person betting at just nine locations throughout the state.

Churchill Downs, the highlight of these locations, has served as the jewel of the Kentucky gambling conversation since its construction in the 1870s. In 1906, the formation of the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission allowed for the jurisdiction of betting at the race track to be run through the agency, and not through the state.

Due to the commission’s control of sports betting, Churchill Downs, as well as the state’s other eight licensed horse racing tracks, became the sole experience for sports bettors in Kentucky.

Though it took over a century, the racetracks’ monopoly on legalized betting is no more. As of Sept. 28, every Kentucky citizen over the age of 21 can now place a legal sports bet from their phone.

Almost every single sportsbook on the market offered a pre-registration bonus for sports betting. FanDuel offered $100 worth of free bets, Bet365 offered $10 for every Touchdown scored in the week 4 Packers vs Lions game and DraftKings was offering $200.

According to a Sept. 21 press

release from Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, over 60,000 mobile accounts pre-registered to take advantage of the sportsbook’s offers.

Most people in the sports scene know that even though it is officially legal to place sports bets in the commonwealth, there has been no shortage of money won and lost across the Ohio River.

According to Gov. Beshear’s announcement on Aug. 17, Kentucky is expected to generate an estimated revenue increase of $23 million a year through sports betting. After just two weeks of the law’s passing, Kentucky bettors were quick to tally up over $4.5 million.

When asked about the extent of that number, Beshear was quick to look towards the future and the extent that mobile betting holds.

“This is a strong number that certainly reflects the excitement Kentuckians have for the opening of sports wagering,” Beshear said. “With college football and the NFL season underway, plus the launch of mobile wagering, we expect that number to grow significantly.”

The bill’s passing comes with an updated tax on placed bets. For bets

placed in person, a 9.75% tax will be placed, while the number jumps up to an even higher 14.25% for those bets placed on mobile devices.

When speaking about the financial advancements made in the bill, it was noted that 2.5% of sports betting’s revenue will be set aside into the Kentucky Problem Gambling Assistance Fund. With the governor’s estimation of $23 million over the course of the first calendar year, that brings an estimated $575,000 to the commonwealth citizens struggling with the new legislation.

A kickoff event for Kentucky bettors, hosted by Beshear, would see the inaugural bet placed on the University of Kentucky and the University of Louisville in their attempt to defeat their projected win totals for the season.

Betting on college sports is by no means a novel idea. For over fifty years, sports gambling has taken on the NCAA in a battle to grow the pockets of both groups.

Austin Reed, WKU graduate senior quarterback, explained the precautions he has taken as a student-athlete navigating these changing conditions.

“We had a meeting with compliance back in July,” Reed said.

PHOTO BY EMILEE ARNOLD

Sports betting on apps such as FanDuel and DraftKings was legalized in Kentucky on Thursday, Sept. 28 at 6 a.m. The online launch came two weeks after the state launched its in-person sports wagering. In the first two weeks, gamblers have wagered over $4.5 million.

“They explained everything, and had us watch a video on what we’re allowed to do and what we’re not allowed to do. We were really educated well on that by our administration.”

To Reed, worrying about sports betting has no place in actively playing the game.

“They take it seriously, we take it seriously, and we want absolutely no association to that,” Reed said. “We only work on playing the game, we don’t worry about the spreads and things that come with that.”

Kentucky is one of 24 states that does not have a major professional sports team. However, when it comes to blue bloods, Kentucky has a tradition of excellence in college sports that dates all the way back to the original college basketball AP Poll in 1950. Kentucky, WKU, Louisville and Murray State all found themselves ranked at points during the season.

With this pride and excellence shared between the state and its success in the non-professional sports world, the demand for performance is

just as high.

These expectations could further increase as fans receive the ability to bet on players. According to ESPN, college athletes now face the threat of social media attacks from sports bettors, all while tackling other stressors in college.

In addition, since the start of COVID-19, student-athlete mental health has seen an all-time low. In an NCAA survey, student athletes were polled about the tolls of their mental health and the effects that balancing two lifestyles had on their well-being. Only 60% of the students polled knew where to go to seek help on campus, and an even lower 45% said they would actually seek this treatment out.

With the growth of betting in the United States over the last few years, the true colors of some universities have come to light. Most notably, the recent football scandals coming out of Iowa.

The state of Iowa legalized sports betting in 2019. After 3 years of an

almost perfect record, a report of Iowa State students, including members of the football team, wrestling team and student managers, making bets on their own games came into the media.

In a survey taken of WKU students, 10% of Hilltoppers said the recent legalization of sports betting will encourage them to attend more WKU athletic events. 30% of students even said that they plan to make over 15 bets from now until the end of 2023.

In the instance where WKU won a game but the students’ betting team lost, over 35% of the people polled said they would be more sad for their bet than happy for a Hilltoppers win.

For those interested in sports betting, understand there is no way to bet 100% safely, however, there are a few precautions that can be taken. These include only betting what you can afford to lose and only betting money that comes from a set budget or an entertainment allowance.

SportsreporterLukeEdmondscan be reached at luke.edmonds938@ topper.wku.edu.