Below are some of our favorite photos from this week’s Through Our Eyes. Each week the selections are chosen by WKUPJ students. Stay tuned for more to come!
First Place
Dixie Mahurin has worked at WKU for over three decades. She taught mathematics before transitioning to academic advising. Growing up in Hopkinsville, Ky., Mrs. Dixie, as her students call her, remembers classmates dropping out of school to go to Vietnam, being the only woman in her mathematics classes and witnessing the American political climate cleave. From fashion to politics, there isn’t much Mrs. Dixie doesn’t have an opinion on. Her colleagues say her eccentricity makes the office as fun as it is. Mrs. Dixie’s passion for her students’ success can be felt in her words and seen in her actions. One example is the names of straight A students scrawled in chalk on her office wall. “Maintenance had a fit,” Mrs. Dixie said. “It isn’t a chalkboard. It won’t come off, but I just couldn’t stand that black wall.” | Reed Mattison
Second Place
Mamadi Diakite (25) of the Virginia Cavaliers dunks the ball against the Louisville Cardinals during the first half of the game at KFC YUM! Center on February 08, 2020 in Louisville, Kentucky. Louisville defeated Virginia 80-73 for the first time in since 2015. | Silas Walker
Third Place
Hoda Amira is originally from Palestine and is a Nursing major at WKU. Amira is pictured wearing Palestinian cultural wear, commonly worn for special occasions, with a pattern that represents Palestinian nationalism. Amira wears a headscarf every day and when asked about her experiences with discrimination explained, “On campus, I haven’t noticed a lot of instances other than the usual stares. Some people might have some misunderstandings or they might have misconceptions before speaking to me. That’s the only thing I wish people would open up about is to ask questions rather than assume.” Amira is a member of the Muslim Student Association and expressed an appreciation for the sense of community that the organization provides. “On campus, I feel like all of us have an understanding of each other, so we never have that miscommunication or misunderstanding,” Amira explained. “We just try to convey a message to everybody else that we are just normal people. The whole point of the MSA is to show people what Muslims are really about.” | Lydia Schweickart
Honorable Mention
When Keith or Everett gets sick, it’s just them, Keith said. The two in their rough shape laze on the couch as they try to recover from colds. “Whenever I have a bad day, he knows how to help,” Keith said. | Reed Mattison