Herald Newsletter 04-14-2026

Tuesday,April 14, 2026

WKU is offering students a second-year Living Learning Communities option to students in the 2026-2027 school year, according to Housing and Residence Life.

Apacked crowd at The CapitolArts Center on Sunday watched “Jonesville: When Sunflowers Fall” and then encouraged WKU to reckon with the Black neighborhood it helped erase.

The documentary traces the history of Jonesville, a community founded byAfricanAmerican Civil War veterans that stood just off WKU’s hilltop campus until it was seized and demolished during the urban renewal era. For many in the room, it was the first time they had seen Jonesville not as a footnote, but as a place with faces, names, homes and businesses.

2026 SGAPresidential Debate hosted by Revolution Radio and the College Heights Herald

In collaboration with Revolution Radio, College Heights Herald Editorin-Chief Jake McMahon andAssistant News Editor Kane Smith sat down the SGApresidential candidates Caden Lucas and Jaden Marshall for a friendly debate ahead of next week’s election.

Voting opens next Monday,April 13 at 7 p.m. on TopNet.

SCCJS holds annual award ceremony

SGAPresident Rush Robinson, a senior sociology, psychology and philosophy major, accepts his Outstanding Sociology StudentAward from Professor Matt Pruitt at the Eva and Jim MartensAlumni Center on Monday,April 13, 2026.(Bradlee Reed-Whalen)

The WKU Department of Society, Culture, Crime and Justice honored its students during the 2026Annual SCCJS DepartmentalAwards Ceremony at the Eva and Jim MartensAlumni Center on Monday.

Interim Chair of the SCCJS DepartmentAmy Krull said the event serves to recognize the students who exhibit leadership, go “above and beyond” in their academic work and commit to understanding people, culture and society. Students, family of students, and faculty filed into the alumni center and mingled amongst one another prior to the main event.

Wearing history out to lunch

American writer Geoff Baggett showcases a wooden plank with printed letters to teach children the alphabet and reading skills on Sunday,April 12, 2026 at Riverview at Hobson Grove Historic House Museum as part of their Lunch and Learn series for the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Bagget describes the plank to children as a Revolutionary War iPad in which children typically respond in a confused manner.(Sam Huffman)

Historical fiction author Geoff Baggett brings the world of his writing to life by carrying it around with him.

Baggett wore breeches and buckled shoes Sunday afternoon to share stories and his trunk ofAmerican Revolutionary War-era artifacts with a crowd of 20 at the historic Hobson House.

“That show-and-tell approach is engaging, no matter the audience,” Baggett said. “It brings a very different perspective to history for people. It did for me. I like to go to the events where everyone’s dressed up and you get lost in time.”

WKU Baseball looks for repeat upset against Louisville

Western Kentucky University completed it’s third straight win 9-4 against the New Mexico State Aggies at Nick Denes Field on Saturday,April 11, 2026.(Von Smith)

WKU Baseball will travel to face the Louisville Cardinals on Tuesday,April 14, at Jim Patterson Stadium.

The Hilltoppers enter the midweek matchup 19-17 and 6-9 in Conference USAplay after taking two of three games against New Mexico State last weekend.

College Heights Huddle: No bad takes on the NBA segment, Baseball succeeds while Softball struggles

Hey Hilltoppers, we’ve got another great episode for you this week. Español Editor David Quintanilla talks WKU Baseball and Softball with Sports Reporter Peyton Reid. They hand it off to Sports EditorAustin Rice,Assistant Sports Editor Michael Givner Jr. and Commentary Writer and Podcast Producer Malone Farmer to talk about the upcoming NBAplayoffs.

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

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