Herald Newsletter 04-02-2026

Thursday,April 2, 2026

ISEC section of HIST 102 cut without ISEC or professor's input

When history professorTamara Van Dyken received an email from her department head saying that her HIST 102 section designated to Intercultural Student Engagement Center students would no longer be offered, she felt blindsided.

“Alot of things have been happening at the university that are sort of top-down decisions, that faculty, staff, students are not involved in the full decision-making process, or even having any sort of say, and that’s extremely frustrating and demoralizing,” Van Dyken said.

Lawlapalooza blends music, mentorship, fundraising for aspiring law students

and

professor

as they take the stage to sing during the “Law-lapalooza” fundraiser at the White Squirrel Brewery hosted by the WKU Political Science Department to raise money for both the mock trial team and Pre-Law StudentAssociation on Wednesday,April 1, 2026. The event was also an opportunity for students to network with professionals in their field. (Cayden Duncan)

Lawyers traded legal briefs for guitar riffs at Lawlapalooza, a relaxed fundraiser where courtroom officials and students jammed to raise money and make connections.

The idea for Lawlapalooza originated during faculty advisor and event founder Kelsey Truxal’s time in law school at the University of Louisville. There, she attended a law-community “battle of the bands” event, also called Lawlapalooza. The event brought together students and attorneys in a more relaxed setting. Inspired by that experience, Truxal later transformed the concept into an undergraduate version at WKU designed to fundraise, network and humanize attorneys.

“We wanted students to see attorneys as real people and to create internships and mentorships that open doors,” Truxal said.

Read more by Coumba Cisse

Trades for trees: Ecology Club hosts thrift swap event

Donated goods lined the tables of DSU’s Nite Class space for a thrift swap event hosted by WKU’s

Wednesday.

Attendees filled one grocery bag with items in exchange for either a $5 donation or a bag of their own donations

Read more by Fiona Jones

WKU Softball brings win streak home against Sam Houston

WKU Softball is back at the WKU Softball Complex this weekend to take on Sam Houston. The Hilltoppers come off a series win against New Mexico State, improving to 24-8 overall and 8-4 in conference play

Read more by Peyton Reid

The College Heights Herald is the independent, student-run news organization operating on the campus of Western Kentucky University, emphasizing accuracy and truth while being a public forum for the fair display of diverse opinions and viewpoints. The Herald works to be steadfast and unwavering in its pursuit of truth while being true to the tenets of the WKU Student Publications mission to grow exceptional journalists and innovative leaders through real-world experiences and a strong educational and ethical foundation centered on principled journalism. All creative and editorial decisions are made by the Herald’s student leadership, and all consequences of those decisions are the sole responsibility of these student leaders. While editorially and operationally independent from the university, the Herald participates in the mission of WKU to prepare students of all backgrounds to be productive, engaged and socially responsible citizen-leaders of a global society, both within and outside of its newsroom. Views expressed are diverse and, as an independent publication, should not be taken as representative of views of WKU and any of its administration, faculty, staff, student body or other constituency