The Morganfield junior works as a desk clerk in Meredith Hall. It’s his second week working in the sorority dorm, and already he can tell that there is a difference from working a coed dorm.

“It’s called estrogen I guess,” he said, in between saying “thank you” to sorority members as they showed him their student IDs.

Manley worked in Zacharias Hall as a night clerk before taking the job in Meredith. It took a toll on him because he got behind in sleep. He jumped at the job opening in Meredith.

“The fact that it was in Meredith put the exclamation point on it for me,” he said.

As a desk clerk, Manley checks guests in, distributes packages and makes sure things are in order. He works around 10 hours a week.

“I have learned a little of everything,” he said.

Manley is a psychology major and criminology minor and wants to someday work with federal law enforcement. He lived in his hometown his entire life before coming to Western. The students at Union County High School voted him prom king in 2001.

He attended a community college before coming to Western in January. He wanted to come to Western because it offered the major he wanted. He said that coming to the Hill has changed him.

“It put everything in perspective,” he said. “I have proven to myself that I have more control over my future.”

Manley describes himself as both creative and a workaholic. He said that this is one of the things he’d like to change about himself.

“I need to take it easy and just take in the college experience,” he said.

Michael Rigdon, Manley’s childhood friend and a student at Eastern Kentucky University, said that Manley is a fun person.

“I’ve known him my whole life,” he said. “He’s always there for you when you need him.”

In his free time, which he said he doesn’t have much of, Manley likes to play guitar and recently started writing songs. He likes to listen to British rock because he said it has a different style of its own.

Manley said he likes other kinds of music as well. This summer, he met Kid Rock after his mother won tickets off the radio.

“There’s a lot of little quirks to me,” he said.

Reach Emily Salmon at features@wkuherald.com.