WKU News

Welcome to Today@WKU, the daily newsletter from WKU Public Affairs, for February 18, 2019.

The Big Red Marching Band will take the field in new uniforms this fall. Read more

WKU News

• Big Red Marching Band to sport new uniforms this fall: The largest marching band in the Commonwealth will take the field in bold new uniforms this fall at WKU. After years of increasing membership, up 115 percent over the past 10 years, the Big Red Marching Band outgrew the number of uniforms that were purchased nine years ago.
• Cameron Brooks crowned WKU's 2019 Coming Home King: Cameron Brooks of Indianapolis, Indiana, was crowned WKU’s 2019 Coming Home King on Saturday (Feb. 16). Brooks, the son of Carmen Shropshire, is a Broadcasting major and was sponsored by Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity. He was one of 22 candidates for Coming Home King.
• WKU Public Radio Weekday Newscast Schedule: Tune into WKU Public Radio for national and international news from NPR, and local newscasts every half hour during Morning Edition (4-9 a.m. Central), and All Things Considered (3-6 p.m. Central), as well as local news features and interviews produced by the WKU news staff. WKU's Public Radio can be heard on WKYU-FM (88.9) in Bowling Green/Glasgow; WDCL-FM (89.7) in Somerset/Campbellsville; WKPB-FM (88.9) in Henderson/Owensboro; WKUE-FM (90.9) in Elizabethtown/Bardstown; and online at http://www.wkyufm.org/

Follow WKU News: Subscribe to our daily email newsletter; follow WKU News on Twitter @wkunews or on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/WKUNews.

Campus Announcements

• Head for The Hill today: WKU Admissions is hosting Head for The Hill, an open house event for prospective students and their families. Check-in begins at 8 a.m. at Diddle Arena. More: Campus event parking information

WKU Sports

• Track & Field: Isenbarger Sets WKU High Jump Record at C-USA Championships: WKU Track and Field wrapped up the 2019 Conference USA Indoor Championships with four All-Conference performances across the two-day meet hosted by UAB. Martin Owusu-Antwi, Katie Isenbarger and the men's 4x400-meter relay each recorded second-team All-Conference performances while Annastacia Forrester earned third-team All-Conference recognition. Collectively, the Hilltoppers finished ninth in the team standings while the Lady Toppers placed 10th.
• Softball: Aikey Ties Program Save Record as Tops Win Series Over Western Illinois: Junior pitcher Kelsey Aikey entered Sunday's game in the top of the sixth with a two-run lead and proceeded to get the Hilltoppers out of a bases-loaded no-out jam with three-straight strikeouts while allowing just one run. In the top of the seventh, Western Illinois led off with a base hit before Aikey and the Red and White defense went on lockdown to preserve the 7-6 WKU Softball victory. Aikey matched the program record with her seventh career save with the performance as the Hilltoppers improved to 6-2 on the season. Next: WKU hosts the WKU Hilltopper Classic this weekend.
• Baseball: Phipps, Shoemake Power WKU to 19-2 Win, Sweep of NKU: What was a 1-1 game after the third inning ended up a 17-run victory for WKU Baseball thanks to a big swing by junior catcher Matt Phipps and a stellar relief outing by sophomore lefty Dalton Shoemake. The Hilltoppers defeated visiting NKU by a score of 19-2 on Sunday afternoon, clinching a series sweep and a 3-0 record to start the 2019 season. Next: WKU at Lipscomb on Tuesday.
• Women’s golf: Lady Toppers Begin Spring at Amelia Island Collegiate: After a strong fall that included a team victory and individual wins in 3 of 5 events, the WKU Lady Topper Golf team returns to the course for the spring this week at Jacksonville's Amelia Island Collegiate. The Lady Toppers will be 1 of 16 teams competing today and Tuesday at the par-72, 6,029-yard Amelia National Golf Club.
• Men’s basketball: Hilltoppers Fall 68-60 to UAB in Tough Offensive Outing: A rough shooting day for WKU Hilltopper Basketball led to a 68-60 home loss to UAB on Saturday at E.A. Diddle Arena. The Hilltoppers (16-11, 9-5 Conference USA) got 23 points and 10 rebounds from freshman center Charles Bassey, but they shot just 37.5 percent from the field and netted just 6 of 27 3-pointers. Next: WKU at Old Dominion at noon Feb. 23. More: Tops' Final Four Regular Season Games Unveiled as Part of C-USA Bonus Play
• Women’s basketball: Fourth Quarter WKU Rally Falls Just Short at UAB, 70-63: WKU twice nearly erased double-digit leads in the fourth quarter but could not finish off its comeback against UAB inside Bartow Arena on Saturday afternoon, falling 70-63 against the Blazers in a rematch of the 2018 C-USA Tournament championship game. Next: WKU at Marshall at noon Feb. 23.
• Tennis: Lady Toppers Defeated by UAB in First Home Match in Almost Two Years: In WKU's first home match since April 13, 2017, Lady Topper Tennis fell to the UAB Blazers 4-0 in its second Conference USA match of the season. Next: WKU at NKU on Friday.

More: For updates on WKU Athletics, follow @WKUSports on Twitter or WKU Athletics on Facebook.

WKU in the News

• ‘Good science’ destroyed during shutdown: Jason Polk, a geoscientist and WKU professor, prepares for the unexpected. He studies the natural world and understands that rain, snow and sometimes squirrels can postpone research.

More: Check out WKU in the News page.

WKU Alumni

• Upcoming WKU Alumni events: For a listing of Alumni events, visit the Alumni website and click on the Events Calendar. Or contact the WKU Alumni Association at 888-958-2586. For a list of Alumni news, visit the Alumni News page. More: Share your #RedTowelsAtWork photos; WKU Alumni Connection App; WKU SpiritFunder; Topper Travelers – Castles of the Rhine 2019

More: Visit the WKU Alumni website.

WKU Admissions

• #ClimbWithUs: The WKU Office of Admissions helps future Hilltoppers as they start their journey on The Hill. You can reach us by calling 270-745-2551, emailing admission@wku.edu or connecting with us on social media. Schedule a tour. Visit https://www.wku.edu/admissions/counselors/ or call 270-745-2551 to get in touch with your WKU Admissions Counselor. Students can reserve their TOP date and take their placement exams at www.wku.edu/top
• #WKU2023: Attention high school seniors, WKU has opened the Fall 2019 application! Join the Hilltopper Family at http://wku.edu/apply. More: DiscoverWKU & Head for The Hill events
• Useful links for prospective/admitted students: Campus tours; Let’s Talk, Topper; Admissions Timeline; Topper Orientation Program; Scholarships; Housing; MASTER Plan

More: Visit the WKU Admissions website; Information for Prospective Students

What’s Happening At-WKU

Ongoing/continuing events

• Exhibits at Kentucky Museum: A Culture Carried: Bosnians in Bowling Green (through May 11); Highbrow;  Even Coverlets Get the Blues; Jacqui Lubbers: A Legacy in Weaving; plus other gallery and on-campus exhibits. (Museum hours/visitor information) Contact Kentucky Museum, (270) 745-2592.
• Exhibits at Downing Museum: The Story of Joe Downing: Select Works From the Collection. Downing Museum, 4801 Morgantown Road. Contact Jack LeSieur, (270) 842-7415.
• International Year of Cuba: Various events during the 2018-19 academic year. Contact International Programs, (270) 745-5334.
• Art Exhibit: The Island of My Love: The Faces and Stories of Cuba. Through April 6. Ivan Wilson Fine Arts Center Gallery. Part of International Year of Cuba. Contact Miwon Choe, (270) 745-7052.
• Photo Exhibit: Mount Sterling: Gateway to the Heart. Through March 1. Jody Richards Hall Gallery. Contact Tim Broekema, (270) 745-3005.
• Black History Month Exhibit at Cynthia and George Nichols III Intercultural Student Engagement Center. Through February. Downing Student Union, room 2041. Contact Angie Link, (270) 745-5066.

Monday, February 18

• 8 a.m.: Head for The Hill, campus open house event for prospective students. Diddle Arena and various locations. Contact Admissions, (270) 745-2551.

Tuesday, February 19

• 4 p.m.: Entrepreneur Speaker Series. Grise Hall, room 238. Contact Whitney Peake, (270) 745-4142.
• 7 p.m.: Hardin Planetarium Show: Starry Tales for a Winter Night. Hardin Planetarium. Contact Planetarium, (270) 745-4044.

For upcoming events: Visit What's Happening at WKU or WKU’s online events calendar

About Today@WKU

• Today@WKU is a service of WKU Public Affairs. For more from WKU News, become a WKU Facebook fan, follow us on Twitter, visit the WKU News page, or check out What's Happening @WKU, “View from the Hill” segments, WKU on You Tube or WKU webcams. Email us at wkunews@wku.edu