WKUPJ student Sawyer Smith examines the impact of the social enterprise company Krochet Kids who’s mission is to empower women to move out of poverty through education and work.
Sawyer traveled to Lima, Peru to document their program in one of the most impoverished neighborhoods.
View her project here: https://sawyersmith.atavist.com/stitched_past
WKUPJ student Gabriel Scarlett examines the effects from decades of uranium mining on the Navajo Nation’s health, water and environment. According to the Natural Resources Defense Council, “Nearly four million tons of uranium ore were extracted from 1944 to 1986; left behind were more than 500 abandoned uranium mines, four inactive uranium milling sites, a former dump site, and the widespread contamination of land and water. Only recently has the government attempted to assess and mitigate this contamination, but full reclamation of the land is unlikely.”
To see more about the in-depth project visit: https://gabrielstephenscarle.atavist.com/on-poisoned-land
Begay with two of her sons, Lewis and Leonard, who died of cancers at 25 and 42, respectively. She counts at least a dozen of her close relatives who she believes died of exposure in or around the mines.
“Do you want me to show you where I dreamt of the water running?” Desaire Gaddy muses. “All through here, just blue water and dolphins.”Love may be the only experience we all share. It makes us human. It’s part of our story. Love brings us to the extreme ends of the spectrum of human emotion, from feelings of overwhelming joy to unparalleled heartbreak. But what does real love look like?
The Way We Love is a documentary and multimedia package by WKUPJ Senior Lauren Nolan, exploring how we love in the modern world.
Experience the entire piece at http://thewaywe.love
https://vimeo.com/189903404
Sumner Franklin (on left), from the University of Kentucky, takes a punch to the face from Miguel Brarzey, from WKU, at the Sigma Chi Fraternity Fight Night in the Sloan Convention Center on Friday, Feb 10, 2017. Franklin won the match.|Silas Walker
London Alford, 4, and older sister Quinlann Alford, 6, from Bowling Green react to the cowgirl trick riders performing their stunts at the Lone Star Rodeo. Quinlann enjoys the rodeo for the animals. “When I grow up I want to be a vet,” said Quinlann. | Michelle Hanks
Jill Matthews, a Freshman from Louisville, stands with her clarinet in Minton Hall on February 14, 2017. Matthews is a music major and has played the clarinet for 9 years. “I love playing music,” Matthews said. “It teaches me something new about myself every day.”|Morgan Hornsby
Sigma Chi fighter Justin Williams walks into the ring before his bout during Sigma Chi fight nigh on Thursday Feb. 9, 2017 at the Sloan Convention Center.|Shaban Athuman
Kenowa Hills’ Megan Titus reacts with her teammates after it was announced that Kenowa Hills won the Knight Invite at Kenowa Hills High School on Saturday, Feb. 4, 2017.|Mike Clark
A rodeo contestant competes in the steer wrestling competition at the Lone Star Rodeo in Bowling Green, Ky. on February 10, 2017|Kendall Warner
WKUPJ Student Srijita Chattopadhyay documents Melanie Hack’s struggle to carry on following the death of her 12-year-old daughter Reagan, who died from an overdose of prescription pills. “I am tied of everybody hating me.” were Reagan’s last words to her mother, who learned Reagan had been a victim of bullying.
The decisions people make for family is the subject of a photo story by WKU student Lydia Schweickart, who documented the double life of mother and exotic dancer Rachael, a.k.a. Nicole. After Rachael’s fiancé was laid off from his job she started supporting the family by dancing at Tattle Tale’s Gentleman’s Club, bringing home more in one night what than her fiancé’ brought home in two weeks. Now that he has found another job and Rachel is expecting another child, she has decided to quit, after her doctor banned her from doing extreme activities.
Kathy Masulis and Yohannes Armstrong exchange “I love you”s at Nashville’s vigil and rally in response to Trump’s executive order banning travel from seven Muslim-majority countries. Kathy is a friend of Johannes’ mom, Patricia Armstrong, who explained that “we stand with our Muslim brothers and sisters.” Johannes was adopted from Ethiopia, and although is immigration status in America is different than those affected by the ban, he is still a refugee.|Lydia Schweickart
Fashion portrait of Rafey Wahlah, February 5, 2017. |Alyse Young
Bat researcher Chris Clark records information about one of the 63 Little Brown Bats (Myotis lucifugus) at Bat Cave during a count to monitor the population. Bat Cave boasted Little Brown populations up to 311 in the early 1990’s and have significantly dropped since the finding of White-Nose Syndrome in Mammoth Cave National Park in 2012, now at a maximum of 20% it’s recorded height. |Justin Gilliland
Community members hold candles at the Bowling Green Massacre Remembrance Gathering Feb. 3, 2016. Organizer Justin Swindle, 27, said it all began as a joke with friends. “It somehow got super popular,” Swindle said,” so we tried to make it matter by collecting donations.” Donations will be given to the International Center of Kentucky. |Abby Potter
Western Kentucky running back Anthony Wales (20) dives for a touchdown during the C-USA championship game against LA Tech on Saturday Dec. 3, 2016 at L. T. Smith Stadium. |Shaban Athuman
Larry Gordy recalls how it feels to raise a family on what he calls a Native American prisoner of war camp. Living on poisoned land has killed his family members and affected his livestock, but he cannot imagine leaving the land of his people.|Gabriel Scarlett
Larry Gordy looks for his cattle’s tracks on an abandoned uranium mine near his home in Cameron, Arizona that has not been reclaimed or cleaned up. As a child on the impoverished Navajo Nation Reservation, he remembers his excitement when he would camp out at the site, oblivious to the deadly radiation that maxes out most geiger counters.|Gabriel Scarlett
Larry Gordy walks among the testing pits and waste mounds on his grazing lands on the Navajo Nation near Cameron, Arizona. He remembers trail riding with his father, a Navajo uranium miner across this poisoned land before his death.|Gabriel Scarlett
Monument Valley, land of John Wayne Westerns and home to the Navajo. |Gabriel Scarlett
David Neztsosie at the gravesite to his two daughters who died of their exposure to uranium that he brought back from his job in the mines. He is now sick and dying, surviving off of medication and bottled oxygen. |Gabriel Scarlett
Will Hudgins raises his voice and his snack during the ANSWER Coalition inaugural protest in Washington D.C. Friday, Jan. 20, 2017. Hudgins travelled from Seguin, Texas with his wife Daisy Luviano and their 13-month-old daughter Azelia to protest Donald Trump’s policies on education and immigration. “I fell in love with a Hispanic woman,” he said, “and our child should not have to suffer for that heritage.” |Abby Potter
Terry Perry, an anti-Trump protestor from Pa., dances to a cover of Michael Jackson’s “Man in the Mirror” during the ANSWER Coalition’s protest of Donald Trump’s inauguration. |Abby Potter
A protestor points to the word “Fascist” on his sign while a Trump supporter fakes tears in response from inside a restaurant on Pennsylvania Avenue. Demonstrators shouted and pressed signs against this window while those inside sipped champagne and watched. This continued until a woman got up and closed the blinds. |Abby Potter
|Video by Shaban Athuman
Now married, Ayaz is kept apart from his wife while awaiting her visa. The change in politics has Ayaz questioning their future in the United States and wondering if his sacrifice for the dream has been worth it.
View the complete story by Alyse Young
After the life-long dream of becoming a professional football player didn’t pan out, he pursued another desired career path – firefighting. Now working as a firefighter for the past two years at the Bowling Green Fire Department, Stafford tries to live up to the example set by his brother Jason Johnson, who died a month before he got hired for the job.
View Shaban Athuman’s story of Stafford’s journey to honor his family while building a trust in a new brotherhood. Complete Story Here