The newsletter for the WKU community
April 12, 2022
President's Message: The Commons at Helm Library Opening Next Week
Dear Colleagues,

During my 2018 Investiture address, I announced the creation of The Commons at Helm Library, presenting us with an opportunity to transform the physical profile of the top of The Hill, but more importantly, enabling us to reimagine our libraries as a space where faculty and student collaboration flourishes, where pedagogical practices are enhanced, and where education continues beyond the walls of the classroom. The Commons offers a hub for many of our core campus services in an innovative space where learning and student support thrive. In tandem with our First Year Village, The Commons will provide boosts to our recruitment and student retention initiatives, while preparing students for success after their time on our Hill concludes.

Initially, we broke ground on The Commons with a target opening date of fall 2021. However, progress slowed as a global pandemic altered nearly every aspect of our lives and led to unprecedented workforce challenges and materials shortages. While we quickly adapted to provide novel dining and study options at the top of The Hill, we all experienced the shared disappointment of not having access to The Commons as soon as we had planned.

I am pleased to announce that next Monday, April 18, The Commons at Helm Library will officially open its doors to the campus community. I hope that you will make time to enjoy a meal, gather with friends and colleagues and celebrate this extraordinary space. The opening of The Commons represents a historic achievement in the life of our institution, and I am proud of the collective efforts that brought the vision of The Commons to life.
CLIMBING HIGHER
Adairville junior Joseph Shoulders was awarded the Stemmler/Dennis LGBT Award at the 2022 Sigma Tau Delta Convention in Atlanta, Georgia. Sigma Tau Delta, or the International English Honors Society, holds a convention each spring that allows participants to share essays, creative pieces, and other work within the English discipline with each other. Five other WKU English majors also presented their work. Learn More
Faculty member receives grant for research on substance use
Dr. Jenni Teeters, assistant professor in WKU’s Department of Psychological Sciences, has received a $417,056 grant from the National Institute of Drug Abuse for her project on the evaluation of a mobile-phone based intervention aimed at reducing substance-impaired driving among young adults.
Spotlight: Evening of Dance
The WKU Dance Company will present an array of work featuring choreography by WKU dance faculty and nationally acclaimed guest artists during Evening of Dance 2022. Showtimes are 7:30 p.m. April 21-23 and 2 p.m. April 24 at the Ivan Wilson Fine Arts Center’s Russell Miller Theatre. Tickets are $16; $12 for students and seniors (62+).
Regents committees to meet
The WKU Board of Regents will conduct committee meetings in the Martin Regents Room of Jody Richards Hall at 9 a.m. Friday.
Japanese literary translator visits WKU Modern Languages
On April 4, Morgan Giles visited WKU to speak to Modern Languages students about translation and second language learning. In her talk, she explained that translation is truly an art: rather than a word-for-word translation, it is truly a form of expressing the authors’ ideas.
Kentucky Museum to host presentation on corsetry
Alisha Martin, founder of The Bad Button Bespoke Corsets, will discuss the modern corset wearer and the niche craft of corsetry during a presentation at 4:30 p.m. Thursday at the Kentucky Museum.
WKU Week in Photos
Check out this week’s installment of WKU Week in Photos by Clinton Lewis and Cristina Betz of WKU's Division of Communications and Marketing.
Greek Week 2022
Greeks on Tour is the theme for Greek Week 2022 events April 18-24.
Athletics
April
12
Tuesday
Theatre Production

The Department of Theatre & Dance will present Studio Series B: What Next? at 7:30 tonight at the Gordon Wilson Hall Lab Theatre. Tickets are $8. Learn More
April
13
Wednesday
Staff Senate

The WKU Staff Senate's April meeting will begin at 10 a.m. Wednesday at Downing Student Union, room 2081, with a livestream on YouTube. Learn More
April
13
Wednesday
Film Screening

The Department of English and the Gender & Women's Studies Program will host a screening of the Ukrainian film Stop-Zemlia at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Jody Richards Hall Auditorium. Learn More
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Bowling Green, KY 42101