Greeson, Wagner selected for second round of the Hearst Photojournalism competition

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WKU Photojournalism professors James Kenney and Jeanie Adams-Smith spend their Super Bowl Sunday pondering edits for the second round of the Hearst photo competition.

WKU Photojournalism professors James Kenney and Jeanie Adams-Smith spend their Super Bowl Sunday pondering edits for the second round of the Hearst photo competition.

Congratulations to Nick Wagner and Brittany Greeson for being selected to represent WKU photojournalism in the second round of the Heast Photojournalism competition. Wagner’s story depicts the personal sacrifice a legal immigrant must endure to try to earn money for his family. Wagner traveled between Bowling Green and Mexico to cover both sides of the immigration process. Greeson’s story is a comprehensive and unnerving look at the community of Flint, Mich. as they deal with the current water crisis. We wish both of them our collective luck in the competition.

Posted in: Contest Winners, Student Work

We Fear The Water

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How the push of a button has ignited an almost year-long battle over clean drinking water and how residents of a City stuck in financial turmoil are trying to cope.

 

Bishop Bernadel Jefferson encourages the crowd to take action on the issue of Flint's water quality during the Healing Stories on Racial Equity speaking event at the Flint Youth Theater on Saturday, March 22nd, 2015. The event was hosted by Flint Strong Stones and supported by the Michigan Roundtable for Diversity and Inclusion and included many other conversations about the quality of water and it's connection to African-American neighborhoods.

 

It was April 2014 when, at the push of a button, the Flint River — which hadn’t been treated for daily use in over 50 years — became the city of Flint, Michigan’s main water source. The responsibility of water treatment was passed from the Detroit Water and Sewage Department to the shoulders of the local water plant. Government leaders cited a potential savings of around $5 million over the course of two years for a city staring into the face of financial emergency.

As water plant operators used more chlorine to fight bacteria in the water, the presence of trihalomethanes (THMs), an EPA regulated carcinogenic, spiked. Many began buying bottled water and would do so for the coming months, refusing to drink the toxins coming from their taps.

Later that year, elevated levels of lead were found in many of the City’s homes, as well as in the blood of children. State officials however, did not alert their citizens. It wasn’t until an independent study conducted by Virginia Tech showed the rise of lead levels that state officials began taking action.

Today, the City of Flint is under a state of emergency declared by recent mayor elect Karen Weaver. It’s citizens are left coping with a failing infrastructure, a lost trust in their government system, and a looming sense of fear for their health. READ MORE

Posted in: Class Work, Picture Stories, Web Narratives

In Their Shoes

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United States Muslims find themselves unwanted by the communities they live in.

In Their Shoes

In the aftermath of attacks in Paris and San Bernadino, there lay a new weight on the shoulders of young Muslims living in the United States. The search for acceptance and fight for religious freedom became a daily challenge for Muslim students on campus under the pressure of stereotypes and cultural misconception.  SEE THE STORY

Posted in: Class Work, Student Work, Web Narratives

Los Rancheros

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Los Rancheros

Marcos Espinoza, 17, who is half Guatemalan and Mexican is born and raised in the U.S. He’s a son of illegal immigrants. He represents a generation of Hispanics, the biggest and youngest minority group in the States currently counting 54 million people (2013). Never before in the history of America has a minority ethnic group made up such a large share of the youth in America. One-in-five schoolchildren are Hispanic and every fourth child born is Hispanic according to Pew Research Center.

WKUPJ Student Betina Garcia introduces us to the Espinoza and Barrillas family, giving us a better understanding of the changing population that makes up the U.S. today.

 

 

Posted in: Photojournalism Projects Class, Picture Stories, Web Narratives

Through Our Eyes- 10/27/15

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Western Kentucky Senior, Corinn Sprigler, wears a beard made of 1500 bees at the Downing Museum at Baker Arboretum, October 22, 2015. Sprigler is a member of the bee keeping club at WKU. JAKE HURDT

Western Kentucky Senior, Corinn Sprigler, wears a beard made of 1500 bees at the Downing Museum at Baker Arboretum, October 22, 2015. Sprigler is a member of the bee keeping club at WKU. JAKE HURDT

The sun rises over the a barn resting in the rolling hills of Frankfort, Ky., on October 23, 2015. BRITTANY GREESON

The sun rises over the a barn resting in the rolling hills of Frankfort, Ky., on October 23, 2015. BRITTANY GREESON

Before going to a local Halloween party, Ella Lemley, 14, of Frankfort, Ky., pause in the door way of the kitchen while wearing her hand made Phoenix costume at her family's organic farm in Frankfort, Ky. BRITTANY GREESON

Before going to a local Halloween party, Ella Lemley, 14, of Frankfort, Ky., pause in the door way of the kitchen while wearing her hand made Phoenix costume at her family’s organic farm in Frankfort, Ky. BRITTANY GREESON

Burlington's Community Development & Parks Director Eric Tysland walks up a staircase Monday, Oct. 19, 2015, during a tour of the Apollo School building in Burlington, Iowa. The former school was constructed in 1908. The city of Burlington is seeking a developer for the dilapidated facility. JEFF BROWN

Burlington’s Community Development & Parks Director Eric Tysland walks up a staircase Monday, Oct. 19, 2015, during a tour of the Apollo School building in Burlington, Iowa. The former school was constructed in 1908. The city of Burlington is seeking a developer for the dilapidated facility. JEFF BROWN

Trent Zinner (left), 8, hugs his father, J. R., before heading to bed. Trent is in second grade and suffers from apraxia, a speech disorder, sometimes resulting from brain damage. "We are very fortunate that Trent's mind is all the way there," J. R. says. "He's very intelligent. He just lacks the ability to express his frustration sometimes." WILLIAM KOLB

Trent Zinner (left), 8, hugs his father, J. R., before heading to bed. Trent is in second grade and suffers from apraxia, a speech disorder, sometimes resulting from brain damage. “We are very fortunate that Trent’s mind is all the way there,” J. R. says. “He’s very intelligent. He just lacks the ability to express his frustration sometimes.” WILLIAM KOLB

Topping of his look for a night of dancing at the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post #1493 in Frankfort, Kentucky, Arnold Clark, 87, puts on one of his several cowboy hats in his home on Friday, Oct. 23, 2015. NICHOLAS WAGNER

Topping of his look for a night of dancing at the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post #1493 in Frankfort, Kentucky, Arnold Clark, 87, puts on one of his several cowboy hats in his home on Friday, Oct. 23, 2015. NICHOLAS WAGNER

Virginia Hensley, 85, hugs her dog Jet after taking her outside on October 20, 2015. After VirginiaÕs last dog died last winter she vowed not to get another dog. That changed after a quick trip to the local canine adoption facility in Frankfort, Kentucky.ÓThere were a lot of pretty dogs, but he just stood out,Ó said Hensley. ÒIt is amazing how much dogs can love people, and Jet loves me.Ó HARRISON HILL

Virginia Hensley, 85, hugs her dog Jet after taking her outside on October 20, 2015. After VirginiaÕs last dog died last winter she vowed not to get another dog. That changed after a quick trip to the local canine adoption facility in Frankfort, Kentucky.ÓThere were a lot of pretty dogs, but he just stood out,Ó said Hensley. ÒIt is amazing how much dogs can love people, and Jet loves me.Ó HARRISON HILL

Leiajon Frazier, a cornerback for a local football team, the Gators, waits during practice at the Panther Athletic Complex. JUSTIN GILLILAND

Leiajon Frazier, a cornerback for a local football team, the Gators, waits during practice at the Panther Athletic Complex. JUSTIN GILLILAND

"I was the pumpkin because my husband took the clown costume,Ó said Ann Stansbury. Ann, 70, was one of dozens of citizens who dress up during the annual Party Night at the Senior Citizens Center in Frankfort, KY. HARRISON HILL

“I was the pumpkin because my husband took the clown costume,Ó said Ann Stansbury. Ann, 70, was one of dozens of citizens who dress up during the annual Party Night at the Senior Citizens Center in Frankfort, KY. HARRISON HILL

By Betina Garcia

April Cole is overcoming personal struggle living her dream of being a photographer in Frankfort, Kentucky, USA. Made a the Mountain Workshop with the coaches Bob Sacha, Liz O. Baylen, Leslye Davis, Julie Winokur and Josh Davis.

By Lauren Nolan

As you walk into Poor Richard’s Books, you might smell the stories of Jane Austen and Nancy Drew waft through the many shelves that hold tens of thousands of books. Walk upstairs to the attic, full of antique treasures awaiting their rightful owner.

The woman who owns this store, Lizz Taylor, uses the detective skills she learned at a young age from Harriet the Spy to help her customers find the perfect book – the perfect book that will find them at the exact right moment in their life and teach them something that they didn’t even realize they needed to know.

Lizz helps others escape the hardships in their life through escaping into the magical realities of stories. She doesn’t sell books. She sells ideas.

By Emilie Milcarek
On workdays Frankfort bustles with capitol business. After hours the city’s vivacious warmth rewards those wise enough to linger.

Posted in: Through Our Eyes

Through Our Eyes: 10/13/15

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during a WKU-Middle Tennessee State University football game on Saturday at L.T. Smith Stadium. SHABAN ATHUMAN WKU’s wide receiver Taywan Taylor (2) dives into the end zone to score a touchdown during the WKU Hilltoppers 58-28 win against the Middle Tennessee State University Blue Raiders football game on Saturday at L.T. Smith Stadium.SHABAN ATHUMAN

Ayden Jones, 5, sets up fall and halloween decorations at his grandmother's house in Bowling Green, Kentucky, on October 10, 2015. Jones loves decorating for halloween, and plans to dress up as Olaf from the movie 'Frozen' this year. His grandmother, Jennifer Johnson, loves to oblige him with everything from window stickers to giant inflatable witches and ghouls. LAUREN NOLANAyden Jones, 5, sets up fall and halloween decorations at his grandmother’s house in Bowling Green, Kentucky, on October 10, 2015. Jones loves decorating for halloween, and plans to dress up as Olaf from the movie ‘Frozen’ this year. His grandmother, Jennifer Johnson, loves to oblige him with everything from window stickers to giant inflatable witches and ghouls. LAUREN NOLAN

Victoria and Fanny run from the waves while on Autumn holiday in Klitm¿ller, nicknamed Cold Hawaii due to its great surfing conditions. Located on the west coast of Denmark, Klitm¿ller is a traditional fishing village that has developed into a developing surf mecca. Since 2010 54 new residents have moved to the town of 822, most young families who have decided to leave bigger cities for the surf lifestyle. NICOLE BOLIAUXVictoria and Fanny run from the waves while on Autumn holiday in Klitmøller, nicknamed Cold Hawaii due to its great surfing conditions. Located on the west coast of Denmark, Klitmøller is a traditional fishing village that has developed into a developing surf mecca. Since 2010 54 new residents have moved to the town of 822, most young families who have decided to leave bigger cities for the surf lifestyle. NICOLE BOLIAUX

A suffer runs to the reef to catch some waves in Klitm¿ller, nicknamed Cold Hawaii due to its great surfing conditions. Located on the west coast of Denmark, Klitm¿ller is a traditional fishing village that has developed into a developing surf mecca. Since 2010 54 new residents have moved to the town of 822, most young families who have decided to leave bigger cities for the surf lifestyle.NICOLE BOLIAUXA suffer runs to the reef to catch some waves in Klitmøller, nicknamed Cold Hawaii due to its great surfing conditions. Located on the west coast of Denmark, Klitmøller is a traditional fishing village that has developed into a developing surf mecca. Since 2010 54 new residents have moved to the town of 822, most young families who have decided to leave bigger cities for the surf lifestyle.NICOLE BOLIAUX

Anna Larsson tends to her two month old while her boyfriend Victor Rosario tickles their youngest son Elliot in their hometown of Klitm¿ller, known to many as Cold Hawaii due to its perfect surfing conditions. Larsson is originally from Sweden and met Rosario when visiting the Dominican republic. They have three kids together and live in Klitm¿ller where Rosario is a surf instructor and Larsson works as a nurse. NICOLE BOLIAUXAnna Larsson tends to her two month old while her boyfriend Victor Rosario tickles their youngest son Elliot in their hometown of Klitmøller, known to many as Cold Hawaii due to its perfect surfing conditions. Larsson is originally from Sweden and met Rosario when visiting the Dominican republic. They have three kids together and live in Klitmøller where Rosario is a surf instructor and Larsson works as a nurse. NICOLE BOLIAUX

Posted in: Through Our Eyes

Through Our Eyes- 10/6/15

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Business portrait of Ricky and Pedro Nu–ez who are the owners of Baja Autoservice specializing in the sale, maintaining and shifting of tires. Ricky Nu–oz bought the place back in March 2011 and opened it with his dad in april 2011. Last year the got in to an argument because they wanted different things. Ricky took his money and gave the shop to his dad and took off. He came back and now they work well together although it can be difficult working with your dad sometimes, Ricky says. BETINA GARCIARicky and Pedro Nuñez are the owners of Baja Autoservice specializing in the sale, maintaining and shifting of tires. Ricky Nuñoz bought the building in March 2011 and opened it with his dad in April of the same year. Last year they got in to an argument because they wanted different things. Ricky took his money, gave the shop to his dad and took off. After Ricky’s return the two now work well together, although it can be difficult working with your dad sometimes, Ricky says. BETINA GARCIA

 

Margaret Baker brings new life to old furniture and antiques at The Resurrection Shop, which she opened two years ago with her sister-in-law, Mary Dale Reynolds. Baker, a pharmacist by trade, converts consignment store wares, yard sale treasures and flea market finds into unique pieces for the home. "This is what I do for fun," she said. "I love picking out the pieces." The shop also holds classes, where members of the community can bring their own pieces of furniture and learn how to restore them. LAUREN NOLANMargaret Baker brings new life to old furniture and antiques at The Resurrection Shop, which she opened two years ago with her sister-in-law, Mary Dale Reynolds. Baker, a pharmacist by trade, converts consignment store wares, yard sale treasures and flea market finds into unique pieces for the home. “This is what I do for fun,” she said. “I love picking out the pieces.” The shop also holds classes, where members of the community can bring their own pieces of furniture and learn how to restore them. LAUREN NOLAN

 

Robert Gammon from Bowling Green Kentucky is waiting for his friends in front of Family Dolklar in Bowling Green, Ky on Friday October 1st, 2015. Robert is 19 years old and just got out of jail and is trying to get his life back in order. BETINA GARCIARobert Gammon of Bowling Green Kentucky waits for his friends in front of Family Dollar in Bowling Green, Ky on Friday October 1st, 2015. At 19, Robert just got out of jail and is trying to get his life back in order. BETINA GARCIA

 

10 year old Alex Murillo hides in a miniature cave in the play area of the Lost River Cave. Murillo and several other children spent the morning learning about nature and climate during the Fall Break Nature Discovery Camp. BRIA GRANVILLE10 year old Alex Murillo hides in a miniature cave in the play area of the Lost River Cave attraction. Murillo and several other children spent the morning learning about nature and climate during the first day of the Fall Break Nature Discovery Camp. BRIA GRANVILLE

 

Bowling Green's Christ Episcopal Church held their annual "Blessing of the Animals" on Sunday, October 4, 2015. The custom is conducted in remembrance of St. Francis of AssisiÕs love for all creatures. Interim Rector of the church, Judith Foster Reese, gave each animal at the ceremony a word of blessing, saying to each animal "May God bless you and keep you; and may the love between you and your human family be a sign of God's love." LAUREN NOLANBowling Green’s Christ Episcopal Church held their annual “Blessing of the Animals” on Sunday, October 4, 2015. The custom is conducted in remembrance of St. Francis of Assisi’s love for all creatures. Interim Rector of the church, Judith Foster Reese, gave each animal at the ceremony a word of blessing, saying to each animal “May God bless you and keep you; and may the love between you and your human family be a sign of God’s love.” LAUREN NOLAN

Posted in: Through Our Eyes