Wednesday, May 6, 2026
Due to finals week, the Herald will only send newsletters on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday this week.
WKU student and alumni bring home Pulitzer Prize
The Pulitzer Prize was awarded to one current and formerWKU student for their work with the Chicago Tribune.
Dominic Di Palermo andArmando Sanchez were both photojournalists who contributed to the Chicago Tribune’s coverage of Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Operation Midway Blitz and the subsequent counterprotests.
Read more byAnthony Clauson
Spring 2026 recognition ceremonies will take place throughout Thursday and Friday
Students are to arrive at the Charles Hardcastle Kentucky Building at 6 p.m. on Thursday for the annual “TopperWalk”. Students are to gather with their respective academic colleges, whose representatives will be stationed in front of the building with banners.
Third WKU alum wins Pulitzer Prize this year
Jabin Botsford, a formerWashington Post staff photographer, is the third WKU alum to win a Pulitzer Prize for this year’s awards.
Botsford’s work was included in the Washington Post’s win in the Public Service category. It won for its coverage of the Department of Government Efficiency.
Read more byAnthony Clauson
Apotter College ofArts and Letters Graduate signs the NationalAnthem during the PCAL recognition ceremony on Friday, May 9, 2025. (Anna Bell Lee)
Read more by Caroline Chubb
WKU Baseball welcomes EKU for final midweek game
WKU Baseball will welcome Eastern Kentucky for an in-state midweek matchup at Nick Denes Field.
Baptismal ministry meets en masse at the Colonnades
Hundreds of worshippers filled the Colonnades with song and prayer, and cheered as pastors baptized dozens.
The fourth Worship on the Hill drew around one thousand people Monday evening, led by the WKU Fellowship of ChristianAthletes at the Ivan Wilson FineArts Center amphitheater
Western Kentucky University infielder Reid Howard (3) rushes toward second base during WKU’s game against the Liberty Flames at Nick Denes Field on Thursday,April 2, 2026. The Hilltoppers lost 3-8, which now left them with a 16-14 record going into the weekend games. (Summer Crawford)
Read more by David Quintanilla
Two friends embrace after the second was baptized during Monday’s Worship on the Hill service at the Colonnades on Monday, May 4, 2026. (Brendan Culler)
Read more by Brendan Culler
Conyae Cherry wins prom queen at the Black Excellence awards ceremony on Saturday, May 2, 2026. “I am beyond blessed to be seen, supported, and uplifted by a community that has guided me all four years of my college experience, it really means a lot and I just want to say thank you for this amazing night I truly needed it!” Cherry said. (Gabriel Milby)
The seventh annual Black ExcellenceAwards recognized exceptional WKU students and community members.
The WKU Black StudentAlliance hosted the event Saturday night in the L.T. Smith Stadium Harbaugh Club. The awards included two special honors given by the BSA’s executive board and its faculty advisor.
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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Read more by Brendan Culler