WKU's kicker Cory Munson kicks off the ball to USF during the second quarter in WKU's game against South Florida on Sep. 2. Munson is a senior and served as WKU's kickoff specialist for all 14 games during the 2022 season. (Photo by Eli Randolph)
It’s week two of the fall semester, and Hilltoppers are entering the rhythm and groove of campus life. From a concert celebrating Appalachian and Venezuelan folk music to a vigil honoring the life of Ayanna Morgan, the Talisman photographers were there to cover it all. See what they captured.
Two sophomores from Louisville, architecture major Grazia Ferraro, left, and history and social studies major Elena Carder enjoy a hammock and read near South Lawn on Thursday evening. (Photo by Preston Jenkins)
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Larry Bellorín, left, and Joe Troop perform a fusion of Appalachian and Venezuelan folk music in the Fine Arts Center on Thursday. During the concert, they played a wide variety of instruments including a harp, fiddle, guitar, banjo, cuatro and maracas. (Photo by Preston Jenkins)
Larry Bellorín plays the cuatro in the FAC Recital Hall on Thursday. Bellorín said he didn’t have family to guide him when he came to the United States from a town called Punta De Mata in Venezuela. “My wife and daughter stayed behind in Venezuela at first,” he said. “I had to work to make money to bring them up here.” Larry’s wife and daughter are now with him in the United States, but his oldest son still lives in Venezuela. Bellorín is currently seeking asylum in the United States. (Photo by Preston Jenkins)
Joe Troop tunes his banjo before his performance on Thursday. “I’ve always liked music, but when I discovered string band music when I was 13 or 14 years old, that’s when it all clicked,” he said. Troop is a Winston-Salem, North Carolina native. He and his partner, Larry Bellorín, are passionate about immigration reform. Troop explains the duo’s advocacy-based song “Dreamer” is calling for pathways to citizenship for the undocumented. “Larry is an asylum seeker. More and more people want to migrate,” Troop said. “The system is collapsing because the law is too difficult.” (Photo by Preston Jenkins)
Karla Olmos and Luis Villarreal dance during the “Larry and Joe” concert in the Fine Arts Center on Thursday. The concert was part of the WKU Cultural Enhancement Series hosted by the Potter College of Arts and Letters. (Photo by Preston Jenkins)
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Various organizations set up outside of Downing Student Union during WKU’s Discover Fest on Tuesday, Aug. 29. Students were able to visit each of the organizations’ tables to learn what new things they can get involved with on and off campus. (Photo by Lauren Howe)
Ayanna Morgan, a former student majoring in veterinary medicine, was honored at a vigil held by her family and the Student Government Association after she was killed in July. Her family raised their candles as they finished speaking about her on Tuesday, Aug. 29. “She was tenacious, a goal-getter, a dream chaser; the list could go on and on,” her mother, Misha Baskerville, said. (Photo by Eli Randolph)
Isaac King, WKU Student Government Association chief justice, hugs Ayanna Morgan’s mother, Misha Baskerville. Several people gave their condolences to the mother and family, and Baskerville hugged almost all of them. The vigil, hosted by the SGA, took place in front of Guthrie Bell Tower. “We are so glad you all came,” said Baskerville. “Try to be like Ayanna, loving life.” (Photo by Eli Randolph)
Two students participating in the vigil for the late Ayanna Morgan, a former WKU student, light their candles on Tuesday, Aug. 29. Candles were lit one by one as a symbol of solidarity with the family. Morgan was fatally assaulted and shot on Sunday, July 23. After being airlifted to a Nashville trauma center, She succumbed to her injuries the following morning. (Photo by Eli Randolph)
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WKU linebacker Niko Cooper and WKU defensive back Kendrick Simpkins tackle USF running back Nay’Quan Wright during the first quarter of WKU’s game against South Florida on Sept. 2. (Photo by Eli Randolph)Members of the Big Red Marching Band throw their flags during the band’s pregame performance before WKU’s game against the University of South Florida on Sept. 2. The color guard performs with the band at all home games and is led by Hannah Durham, a WKU student set to graduate in 2025. (Photo by Eli Randolph)
A festive South Florida fan looks on as WKU beats South Florida during the home game on Sept. 2. (Photo by Eli Randolph)
WKU’s defensive back Upton Stout stands on the field ready to play during WKU’s game against South Florida on Sep. 2. Stout played all 14 games last season and started in 11 of them. (Photo by Eli Randolph)
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WKU’s wide receiver Moussa Barry runs in a 51-yard pass from quarterback Austin Reed in WKU’s game against South Florida on Sep. 2. Barry is a redshirt freshman at WKU with his only reception and touchdown at WKU being the one pictured above. (Photo by Eli Randolph)From left, Keaton Law, Josh Sterns, Bryson Washington and Dalvin Smith celebrate their win with the band after WKU’s game against South Florida on Sep. 2. (Photo by Eli Randolph)Members of the WKU Recreation Club play with a flying disc at South Lawn to gain interest from prospective new members on Aug. 31. They encourage everyone to join, not only recreation majors. (Photo by Preston Jenkins)
