Sidelines - Online 1/22/2014

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HEADLINE Campus sustainability efforts remain strong, but needs more student participation PAGES 10-11

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3 NEWS 6 A&E 10 COVER 12 Features 14 OPINIONS 15 SPORTS S T A F F

Emily West >> Editor-in-chief John Coulston >> Assistant A&E Editor

Amanda Gambill >> Managing editor Sam Brown >> Sports Editor

Quint Qualls >> News Editor Connor Grott >> Assistant Sports Editor

Daniel Jansouzian >> Assistant News Editor Robert Allen >> Opinions Editor Taylor Davis >> Assistant News Editor Laurel O’Neill >> Designer

Bailey Robbins >> Features Editor Cat Murphy >> Photo Editor

Claire Osburn >> Assistant A&E Editor

Noel Heath >> Assistant A&E and Features Editor

2 SIDELINES | Jan. 22, 2014 | www.mtsusidelines.com

Maranda Faris >> Copy Editor Leon Alligood >> Adviser

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Cover designed by Laurel O’Neill and Cat Murphy.

John Bragg Mass Communication Building Center for Innovation in Media 1301 East Main Street P.O. Box 8, Murfreesboro Tenn., 37132 Editorial: 615-904-7648 mtsusidelines.com Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter and Instagram @mtsusidelines. Tune in Fridays to Sidelines FM on 88.3 at 6-8 p.m.

NEWS Micrograntstobegiventostudentswithimmediateneeds

By Daniel Jansouzian // Assistant News Editor

Elizabeth McPhee, wife of the university’s president, Sidney McPhee, organized community and church leaders from around Middle Tennessee to raise money and awareness for a new “microaid” program to help MTSU students in emergency financial situations.

A special “Building Community” service, held at World Outreach Church on Sunday, Jan. 12, launched the program, which has raised more than $10,000 in its first week of existence.

“Our students struggle to balance academics,” Mrs. McPhee said at the service. “They struggle with work and family obligations. One of the reasons for discontinuing their education was work demands, medical issues, moving elsewhere. We all know about financial concerns … I ask you to imagine a community of people working together to make a difference.”

The microgrants, part of the recommendations in the Quest for Student Success, a plan approved by Sidney McPhee, will be given to students with immediate needs, such as unexpected debts, textbooks and rent.

The maximum amount of coverage will be $250.

People gathered at World Outreach Chuch for worship in conjunction with the university event. Photo by Cat Murphy.

No application form is needed to receive a microgrant, thus making the process as quick and efficient as possible, according to Joe Bales, vice president for university advancement.

“Students who have a need will work through their adviser, who will evaluate then make a recommendation,” Bales said.

Bales said that students must also hold a 2.0 GPA and meet all other academic standards.

Mrs. McPhee said that if it had not been for the help of family and fellow church members, she and her husband would not have received their degrees, given their financial state at the time. Many students today are in that state and don’t have the same assistance, she said.

“Can you imagine with me, all of you, changing someone’s life?” she asked attendees at the service.

For more news updates, follow @Sidelines_News on Twitter.

To contact the news editor, email Quint Qualls, at news@ mtsusidelines.com.

Those at the event prayed for the community and the university project. Photo by Cat Murphy.

SIDELINES | Jan. 22, 2014 | www.mtsusidelines.com 3

NEWS

‘Smithsonian of the South’ finds a home

By Noah Gass // Staff writer

Mastodon teeth; photo courtesy of Middle Tennessee Museum of Natural History.

The Middle Tennessee Museum of Natural History, which will contain and expand upon exhibits from the now defunct MTSU Mineral, Gem and Fossil Museum, plans to open its doors to the public by the end of the semester.

“The new museum is taking off like gangbusters,” said Alan Brown, museum director and geosciences lecturer. “I will have the keys to the new facility [Jan. 14], and we will immediately start moving [exhibits] in, including all of the fossils, gems and minerals. We have more than 10,000 exhibits.”

Brown said that the newest and most popular addition to the museum is a full-sized T-Rex skull, donated by Jerry Jacene, the new museum’s field and exhibit consultant.

At the advent of the project, Brown planned to move the MTSU Mineral, Gem and Fossil Museum to a larger facility, but the university would not sponsor Brown’s request.

After the school denied his request, Brown created a nonprofit organization to raise enough money to open up the Middle Tennessee Museum of Natural History.

“We gained donations mainly by setting up booths and attending conventions for other museums,” Brown said.

The director said that he plans to expand the museum into a full-size natural history museum with the help of The Smithsonian Institution.

“The Smithsonian,” Brown said, “has a program that allows small museums to sign up in order to receive exhibits from [The Smithsonian] for a certain amount of time before trading them back in for a set of new exhibits.”

Lewis Elrod, a major contributor to the museum, said in an earlier interview with Sidelines that he is confident that the project will soon see realization, having invested so much of his resources and time in it.

Jacene and Brown, along with two MTSU students, plan to travel to Glen Rose, Texas, in mid-March to make molds of dinosaur tracks, one of which is 16 feet by 14 feet. The Texas site, Joanna’s Dinosaur Track Site, is named for a child whom Jacene encountered while working with the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

“One little girl’s wish was to dig for dinosaurs, and the site is actually named after her,” Jacene said.

At the present, the facility to house the museum is little more than office space in a warehouse off Old Salem Highway, according to Brown.

Jacene said that it is a sort of “stepping stone.”

The new museum mainly consists of items from the MTSU Mineral, Gem and Fossil Museum, but is not officially affiliated with it or the university.

“We want to show off some exhibits while we are working on other ones,” Jacene said. “It won’t be the final site, but we want people to interact with us and talk to us about what we are doing — not just stand behind the glass and look.”

“Our new facility will be three-to-four times larger than the old one, and I still don’t think we will have room for everything,” Brown said.

The Middle Tennessee Museum of Natural History will be free to all MTSU students and student groups. A $5 general admission fee will be charged for others.

For more news updates, follow @Sidelines_News on Twitter. To contact the news editor, email Quint Qualls, at news@mtsusidelines.com.

4 SIDELINES | Jan. 22, 2014 | www.mtsusidelines.com

NEWS

CrimeBriefs THEFT John Bragg Mass Communication Building Jan. 17, 9:16 a.m.

Complainant reported that a laptop was stolen from the John Bragg Mass Communication Building.

DRUGS Nicks Hall Jan. 16, 5:13 p.m.

Authorities searched a dorm room and found a bottle smelling of marijuana, but no drugs were found. The matter was turned over to MTSU Housing & Residential Life to address any disciplinary action.

THEFT Johnny “Red” Floyd Stadium Jan. 16, 2:10 p.m.

Complainant reported that one of the concession stands had been broken into.

VAGRANCY Peck Hall Jan. 16, 7:58 a.m.

Authorities arrested Abdullah Mohammed Gubrazli, 20, for criminal trespass.

THEFT Campus Recreation Center Jan. 13, 5:16 p.m.

Three complainants reported that items belonging to them were stolen from the men’s locker room.

ALCOHOL Rutherford Boulevard Jan. 14, 4:15 p.m.

Authorities arrested Dennis Thomas, 60, for driving under the influence and violation of open container law.

HAZARDOUS WASTE Kirksey Old Main Jan. 13, 4:53 a.m.

Authorities assisted the Murfreesboro Fire Department with a suspected hazardous waste report after several custodians in the building complained of feeling lightheaded.

Air quality in the building was tested and found to be safe. An elevator was shut down to an equipment issue authorities believe may have caused the problem.

ALCOHOL City View parking lot Jan. 12, 2:22 p.m.

Authorities arrested and charged Spencer S. Roberts, 19, for public intoxication and underage consumption of alcohol.

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SIDELINES | Jan. 22, 2014 | www.mtsusidelines.com 5

A&E

Cook-out Combos to satisfy any craving

By Maranda Faris // Copy Editor

As a fast-food connoisseur, spending my college life in a drive-through lane, I naturally found myself sitting in a line wrapped around Cook-Out during its early December grand opening.

and a double-lane drive-through.

With MTSU memorabilia tacked on the wooden walls and open till 4 a.m. or later, the fast-food joint is ready to become a university fave.

Located on South Rutherford Boulevard, the North Carolina based company has come far from its five other East Tennessee locations. Its addition to the Murfreesboro fastfood lineup was met with choruses of recommendations from nearly everyone from the Knoxville area.

For those still trying to find the perfect combination for your collegiate fast-food runs, Cook-Out offers trays for about $6. The vast array of menu items and combo options is overwhelming. While you can choose your dinner from the menu, most of the fun is choosing randomly as the line moves forward.

Known as the place to get “chicken nuggets with a quesadilla for, like, $5!,” Cook-Out is prepared for the support, with spacious dine-in areas

So, here are some preapproved combos to get you started on your junk-food journey:

Quesadillas, Chicken Nuggets and Ranch Chicken Wraps Most college students’ lives consists of Sonic, McDonald’s and Taco Bell. This combo is the best way to keep from feeling like you’re cheating on your favorite restaurants.

Cook-Out’s quesadillas have just the right amount of chicken or beef and have recently become reminiscent of its next-door neighbor Taco Bell.

Keep in mind this trick when ordering: two quesadillas are offered with the entree compared to the single, lonely quesadilla known as a side item. One should never leave a quesadilla without a friend.

When ordering sides to accompany your meal, I recommend the chicken nuggets and ranch chicken wrap. Chicken nuggets are nearly impossible to ruin, and Cook-Out’s don’t disappoint.

However, take caution when choosing the right sauce for your wrap. There are a plethora of options, but your best bet lies with ranch. From what I’ve heard, its honey mustard is lacking.

BarbeCue Sandwich, Fries and Bacon Wrap Not much can be said to argue this combination. The sandwich is Slick Pig quality but with more barbecue. Granted, these sandwiches are not 99 cents like Slick Pig’s Tuesday deal, but they are worth the purchase nonetheless.

If you do opt for fries, be sure to eat them while they’re still hot. Cold Cook-Out fries are only worth the walk to the nearest garbage can.

For your third menu item, go with the bacon wrap. Why? Because bacon, enough said.

6 SIDELINES | Jan. 22, 2014 | www.mtsusidelines.com

Spicy Chicken Sandwich, Hushpuppies and Chicken Nuggets

A&E

The spicy chicken is not something I would recommend if you have an aversion to anything remotely fiery. However, if you are a fan of Chick-fil-A’s spicy chicken sandwiches, this is the entree for you.

You can never go wrong with the chicken nuggets, which are so delicious they deserve a second mention. Likewise, I can’t find a comparison for Cook-Out’s hushpuppies. At first, these seemed a risky choice, but they quickly became a staple in my ordering habits.

It Could Be Baskin-Robbins‌ With only 24 year-round flavors, Cook-Out’s “fancy shakesâ€? are as close to Baskin-Robbins as it gets. It would take almost a month to try every flavor available, and so far I haven’t found a flaw in the system.

A few items on the menu warrant a fancy shake. The spicy chicken sandwich, for instance, should probably be paired with a shake rather than a soda to ease your taste buds.

My personal favorite is Hershey’s chocolate. This shake has just enough chocolate to make life better. If chocolate appeals to your sweet tooth, this shake will go well with any combination you could muster.

One downfall exists to the ordering system, however. Shakes are fairly expensive as a stand-alone item. If you have a serious ice cream addiction, do not buy shakes without a tray. Replacing a drink with your favorite flavored ice cream is the best option.

Working your way through the Cook-Out menu is a difficult task, and it’s nearly impossible to keep from repeating items in the combinations. A word of wisdom from one fast food traveler to another: always get a tray, and stay away from the chili.

(Page 6) Photo by Maranda Faris; (Page 7) Photo courtesy of Facebook.

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SIDELINES | Jan. 22, 2014 | www.mtsusidelines.com 7

A&E Anewsemesterbrings change,adventureand opportunity,butalso stressandanxiety.Our backtoschoolplaylist willputyouonthe righttrackaswekick off the semester.

A playlist to get you through the semester

By John Coulston // Assistant A&E Editor Photo by Cat Murphy

“Oxford Comma” >> Vampire Weekend

“Get Back [Live]” >> Paul McCartney

“Who gives a f*ck about an Oxford Comma?” Ezra Koenig sings in refrain on this quirky indie-rock track. You’re sure to utter some variation of this line as you slave over research papers and essays throughout the spring.

It’s hard to get back in the swing of things after break. Let this live cut of the Beatles’ classic help you “get back to where you once belonged.”

“Get Up Get Out” >> The Rosebuds

As the title suggests, this upbeat indie rocker is a perfect soundtrack for those early college mornings. Its danceable rhythm and catchy chorus will stick with you throughout the day, giving you the motivation you need to stay pumped.

“Graduation Day” >> Head Automatica

With a semester full of tough assignments, fun times and distractions ahead, it’s good to keep your eyes on the prize. Whether its your last semester or your first, graduation will come sooner than you think. Use this pop-rocker to keep you focused on the finish line.

“Three Little Birds” >> Bob Marley & the Wailers

“School Spirit” >> Kanye West Everyone needs a little bit of school spirit to get through the semester. This soulful cut from Kanye’s debut album will put you in the spirit to support your MTSU teams, Greek organizations or the entire True Blue community.

“College Drop” >> Sage the Gemini “College Drop” will surely soundtrack the many late nights you’ll be spending at bars and house parties this semester to blow off steam. Just make sure your GPA doesn’t “drop” while you’re at it.

Everyone has anxiety when thinking about the looming semester ahead. Relax and let Bob Marley ease your tension with this happy-go-lucky classic that reminds us that “every little thing is gonna be all right.”

“Changes” >> David Bowie

Embracing change is the most important aspect of a new year. On the final track of our playlist, David Bowie reminds us to “turn and face the strange.” Keep this song in mind as you face the many changes ahead this year.

To stream our back-to-school playlist via Spotify, visit mtsusidelines.com. For more music like this, tune in to Sidelines FM, coming soon to 88.3 WMTS on Friday from 6-8 p.m.

8 SIDELINES | Jan. 22, 2014 | www.mtsusidelines.com

How to avoid seasonalstyledepression

By Claire Osburn // A&E Editor // @sidelines_ae

FortheLadies

Photos by Claire Osburn.

All the holiday money is spent and your wardrobe has to last until the end of the season. Use these ways to stretch it out without the dreaded outfit repeating:

Metallic The chilly weather brings with

it a huge spike in black clothing. Metallic shades are the remedy. Any way you wear it, this futuristic fabric will jazz up your wardrobe even in the dead of winter. Not bold enough to wear it as a main outfit piece? Paint your nails a rad shade of metallic instead.

FortheFellas

Guys are the pioneers of effortless fashion. That is, if they’re armed with these wardrobe staples:

Denim Denim is to men’s closets what the perfect

black dress is to ours. From boot cut to skinny, there’s a style for every type of dude. Shades of blue and black will satisfy the classic guy, while brighter colors will suffice the eccentrics. Try a jacket or button-down for a different take on the beloved fabric.

Jean on jean only works if the colors are drastically different, though. Jorts on the other hand are never OK.

A&E

Layers Piling on the layers will have

your wardrobe set until summer, extending the life of your warmer weather wear.

Try a plaid shirt under a sweater, a stylish sweatshirt under a leather jacket or your favorite tee with a cardigan.

Ditch the extra clothing when spring rolls around, but keep it handy for when the sun goes down.

Lace

Lace is a wardrobe staple for every fashion-obsessed chick. Its versatility means you can wear it as a top, skirt, dress, shorts, bandeau or even a head wrap. Not to mention the color choices are endless.

Make it edgy by pairing it with leather. Wear it with boots by day and heeled booties by night.

Leather Every stylish fella needs a leather jacket in his closet. This rebel classic instantly adds cool factor to any outfit. Wear it over a plaid shirt, a basic V-neck or your favorite printed tee. Either way, you’re ahead of the game and sure to get noticed by a fashionista.

Boots A good pair of boots is a necessity. They add more

style to a look than the classic sneaker but are appropriate for anything and anywhere. If you go for ones in brown or black, you’re guaranteed a match for most of your wardrobe. Extra points for a pair that looks like it has been around the block.

SIDELINES | Jan. 22, 2014 | www.mtsusidelines.com 9

COVER

Campus sustainability efforts remain strong, but needs more student particpation

By Quint Qualls // News Editor

Photos by Cat Murphy Blue recycling bins adorn nearly every building of the university, but nonstudent members of the greater Murfreesboro area do much of the actual recycling.

The university exported 1,640 tons of landfill waste and 711 tons of recyclables throughout the 2012-2013 fiscal year, according to data obtained from the MTSU Facilities Services Department, indicating an approximate recycling rate of 43 percent.

Tennessee’s average recycling rate was approximately five percent according to “The State of Garbage in America,” a 2010 report by BioCycle and the Earth Engineering Center of Columbia University.

However, many of the recyclables exported by the university came from members of the community, not students or faculty.

Linda Hardymon, manager of the Center for Energy Efficiency and MTSU recycling program, said she estimates that the university accounts for about 40 percent of the commodities recycled, mainly because the school’s recycling program began decades ago with an emphasis on community involvement.

The university’s biology department spawned the program in 1972, primarily to create scholarships for students, she said. It’s only recently that MTSU’s recycling program was transferred to the facilities services department, where it remains today.

“A few years ago they moved it to facilities services,” Hardymon said.

“Over here it needs to pay for itself, so I try to handle it like a business.”

Hardymon employs seven student workers who handle the bulk of the campus-wide pickups and two custodians who handle the cans and plastics in building lobbies. Revenue to pay for the operation is generated by the sale of the recycled goods.

According to Students for Environmental Action president, Megan Garrett, the program is in a sort of limbo.

10 SIDELINES | Jan. 22, 2014 | www.mtsusidelines.com

“Right now, it’s all kind of in a weird catch-22 phase,” Garrett said, “because it can’t really expand until people recycle. We’re just trying to get more participation with students recycling so the program can get more people working.”

According to former SEA president, Josh Moore, SEA is essentially the only organization supporting the recycling program.

“We participate in campus cleanups for events like Earth Week,” Moore said. “We’ve helped fund them through the Sustainable Campus Fee and filed various proposals to expand the program.”

The main issue is a lack of people working to expand the recycling effort on campus, he said/ “There’s very few people who are putting in time into the program,” Moore said. “There needs to be more publicity about it. I’m sure there are plenty of people who want to help out.”

One push to expand the university’s effort to be a more environmentally friendly campus came in the form of the Sustainable Campus Fee. “The Sustainable Campus Fee was established in 2006,” Hardymon said.

“There had to be a referendum on the ballot so students could vote for it. It was passed overwhelmingly.”

The SCF took the form of an additional $8 included in student fees.

According to Hardymon, $5 went to a green power switch program with the Tennessee Valley Authority, a program that allows customers to pay for renewable energy from sources such as wind, solar and biomass.

The remaining $3 went to “local projects.”

“Local projects are put towards energy efficiency or sustainability,” Hardymon said.

They range from “environmentally friendly bio-composting of toxic horse carcasses” to the “bicycle friendly university” program, which rents

COVER out bikes to students and offers repairs, according to the facilities services 2012-2013 annual report.

Local project funds have provided for more recycling bins on campus, solar power systems and lighting retrofits to make for a more environmentally friendly campus, Hardymon said. “Anybody can apply for funds,� she said. “You describe [the project], say how much money you want and a committee of three or four students and one faculty member votes on it ... SGA has to approve the students that serve on it.�

Since the inception of the SCF in 2006, $230,000 of the proceeds have gone to green power purchase from the TVA. The total of SCF proceeds of the 2012-2013 fiscal year was approximately $510,000. “We used to buy $230,000 worth of green power, “ Hardymon said, “but we’ve lowered it to $150,00 this coming year and have more money going into local projects that help MTSU.�

One of the more recent local project proposals involved the placement of recycling bins in dorm rooms across campus; however, it is in a premature state of development, Garrett said.

According to the annual report, the MTSU recycling program’s goals for the 2013-2014 fiscal year primarily include the continuation of already established provisions: upgrading recycling containers, working with student organizations at tailgating in Walnut Grove and supporting recycling planning for the construction of the new Science Building.

For more news updates, follow @Sidelines_News on Twitter. To contact the news editor, email Quint Qualls at news@mtsusidelines.com.

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SIDELINES | Jan. 22, 2014 | www.mtsusidelines.com 11

FEATURES

Fueled by a challenge

By Bailey Robbins // Features Editor

So, what’s next?

No milk, no discoveries

water, so he implemented a plan.

A smile stretched across the face of agriscience education professor Cliff Ricketts, which suggested it wasn’t the first time he has been asked that question.

Ricketts’ life with alternative fuels started in 1982 when he presented a truck that ran more than 25,000 miles on pure ethanol to the World’s Fair and the Tennessee Valley Authority’s 50th Anniversary Barge Tours.

After that, he went on to work with methane, biodiesel, hydrogen and solar hydrogen. Each time, he said that someone was always asking about his next big idea.

And like his hydrogen-powered vehicles, Ricketts wasn’t running out of gas.

“I’ve had a motto all my life: There’s no excuse, the cows have to be milked,” he said with a firmness in his voice. “That’s really the way it is if you’re on a dairy farm. I don’t care if you’ve got a 104-degree temperature. I don’t care if the lights go out. The cows got to be milked.”

“I thought I did pretty good so far,” he laughed.

The article taped to the outside of his office door is one of many that highlights the cross-country journey without gasoline that he made with a team of alumni and students in March 2013.

“I reached my goal of going coast-to-coast from [Tybee Island, Ga. to Long Beach, Calif.] on nothing but sun and water,” Ricketts said about the voyage that took 25 years of alternative fuel projects. “Everything produced here, on the MTSU campus.”

Ricketts admits the trip was not to show off a perfected model of a hydrogen-powered vehicle but to serve as evidence that it can be done.

“I’m an adventurer,” he said. “I’m a trailblazer, and once I do a fuel — and I know it can be done — I leave it up to the experts to perfect it.”

Photos by Bailey Robbins

12 SIDELINES | Jan. 22, 2014 | www.mtsusidelines.com

“I’m not afraid to fail,” he said without hesitation. “No goals, no glory.”

Raised on a dairy farm, the professor is familiar with moving from one challenge to the next.

“There’s not many things you don’t have to do when you’re raised on a dairy farm,” he noted. “You’re with animals. You’re with plants. You raise crops. You do it all.”

Ricketts’ farmer mentality has translated into how he has accomplished his life goals. His parents never graduated high school, so he became the first Ricketts to finish college. He wanted to teach agriscience education, so he created the first program at the university. No one had driven across the country using sun and

His “no excuse” policy fuels his drive as a professor and engineer of alternative fuels.

When we run into a challenge [at the university], and the students say they ‘can’t do that,’ I say, “Figure it out, cows got to be milked,’” Ricketts said. “‘Cause there’s usually a way, you can do it.”

Not on empty yet Bookshelves filled with handwritten files labeled “alternative fuels” and “research” line the back wall of Ricketts’ office.

Though last March checked off a huge accomplishment on Ricketts’ list of major goals, he hesitated to say that he is entirely done working with new alternatives and proving to the world impossible is possible.

“If it’s perceived as impossible, I’ll try it,” he said. “If it’s perceived as it can be done, I’ll let someone else do it. Now, that’s just

FEATURES kind of a silly mentality, but in reality, that’s who I am.”

Luckily for him, he can still call his vocation a vacation.

A new challenge appeared in an article about the potentials of green algae. He discussed how the organism doesn’t need farmland and could raise enough biodiesel to replace the dependency of foreign oil by flooding approximately 100 square miles of desert.

“I love my students, I love my job, and, as long as I’m making a difference and creating new knowledge, I’m fine,” he said happily.

“If I wasn’t 65, I’d probably be researching green algae so I can grow [it] and go across country,” he paused for a moment and chuckled softly. “And, I’m still almost — it’s tempt on the drawing board that I may have to do that.”

No dead ends While a coast-to-coast, green algae voyage gradually inks onto a new checklist, retirement hasn’t quite found its way there.

“I got to thinking, I don’t know of any entertainers that retire,” he said with a youthful smile that hardly tells his age. “Why? They’re just having fun. I’m having fun.”

This spring semester he is teaching “Introduction to Agriscience Education,” “Methods of Teaching” and “Greenhouse Management.” By instructing these courses and sharing his knowledge with students, Ricketts continues to leave behind a legacy others can add to.

Whether it’s by the open road or through personal achievements, it’s clear that the 65-year-old still has a destination, and it doesn’t seem like a pit stop is coming any time soon.

“I don’t want to have any regrets of anything I didn’t try — anything I didn’t attempt,” he said about how he wants to feel when he finally does decide to retire from it all. “I want that feeling that I give it my best shot.”

For the full video and photo gallery, visit mtsusidelines.com.

LOCATIONS:

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SIDELINES | Jan. 22, 2014 | www.mtsusidelines.com 13

OPINIONS Eh,I’lltitlethislater

By Robert Allen // Opinions Editor With New Year’s vigor still in students’ veins, most are probably starting the semester strong: using a planner to be more organized, buying books before the first day of classes and staying on top of readings. Students feel good — they’ve got their to-do list of life all mapped out, and they’re getting things done.

However, as the semester kicks into high gear and assignments start to mount, pages upon pages of planners are packed with work schedules, deadlines, projects, tests, organization and obligations. Just looking at all the things students need to do causes stress levels to rise.

And with that big to-do list just growing, students start to panic.

But they don’t panic in a predictable way.

Instead of worrying and staying up all night to stay ahead of growing demands, they procrastinate.

They lie to themselves and say, “I’ll do it tomorrow. Then I’ll have more time, and then I’ll get it done.” While this gives them pleasure — a little glimmer of hope that maybe things will be less hectic tomorrow — it actually causes underlying stress. A big snowball of worry and deadlines are created, ready to crush anything in its path, rolling and growing all the way to the end of the semester.

14 SIDELINES | Jan. 22, 2014 | www.mtsusidelines.com

But just when students can’t take the stress and worry any more, productivity is unleashed. For example, during finals week, an empty seat is not to be found in the library. Instead, it’s a packed house, with people quiet, nose deep in books or typing fiercely on keyboards, doing everything that should have completed days, or even weeks, earlier.

Yet, if one walks around the library, say, this week, hardly anyone is there. Procrastination is already taking root.

But why should it be, especially when most students get everything done in the end any way? Why wait?

It’s not because people are lazy. In fact, a study reported in Psychology Today, “Perfectionism, Procrastination, and Distress,” links perfectionism and overachievement to procrastination because these individuals want to wait to do things until everything is just right.

Sometimes they do this just to avoid the scrutiny of having work evaluated before the deadline. So they don’t start things until the last minute, which creates an extraordinary amount of stress and dissatisfaction within their lives.

Another contributing factor to the procrastination problem is that most people’s mental todo-list intimidates them. So, they wait, and let that list grow. And worse, students also think of all the pain they’d have to go through just

to finish that paper or that assignment but not about the pleasure they’ll have by freeing up their schedule and life. Instead, try to write down simple actions to take each day instead of one big list.

A negative mentality reinforces more procrastination, according to research by a University of Chicago graduate student. So things get worse, and all-nighters become all too common.

To stay ahead of the curve and not get sucked into the cycle of procrastination, try to harness what finals week pulls out in all of us: focus.

Focus is power. Focus means, “What’s the one thing I need to do right now? What’s the result I’m really after?”

And focus means no distractions. According to a Wall Street Journal article, “Workplace Distractions: Here’s Why You Won’t Finish This Article,” one distraction, such as a simple phone notification, can take a worker up to 23 minutes just to get back on task. Distractions also include thinking about what needs to be done next.

Just harness a little bit of that finals-week drive and focus each day. It’ll make a big difference in not only what you achieve but also how you’re able to achieve it. We could use a little less stress and a lot more done.

Contact Robert Allen, at opinions@mtsusidelines.com. Follow MTSU Sidelines on Twitter and Instagram @mtsusidelines.

SPORTS

Year in review:

Blue Raiders prove they can win fast after inaugural C-USA season

By Connor Grott // Assistant Sports Editor

Photo by Brett Turner The 2013-14 football season for the Blue Raiders had its ups and downs, but head coach Rick Stockstill and the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders (85) managed to accomplish an important feat after jumping from the Sun Belt Conference to Conference USA.

North Texas.

Even with the competition level rising following the conference realignment, the Blue Raiders managed to reach the eight-win column for the second consecutive season, the first time since 1992 that MT has achieved that feat.

Kilgore was benched in favor of Grammer against the Mean Green, but Kilgore would return the following week to stun the Marshall Thundering Herd as time expired by throwing a 9-yard touchdown pass to senior wide out Tavarres Jefferson.

MT faced newer and tougher competition, and the team would go on to earn their fourth bowl bid in the Stockstill era, receiving an invitation to play in the Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl in Fort Worth, Texas.

MT opened up the season with a 1-1 record following a blowout win in their season opener over Western Carolina and a decisive 20-point loss to the North Carolina Tar Heels in Chapel Hill.

Following the loss to UNC, the Blue Raiders would claim a twopoint victory over in-state rival Memphis, and a 42-35 overtime victory over Florida Atlantic University.

With the Blue Raiders sitting at 3-1 on the season, MT would be tested, suffering three consecutive losses to BYU, East Carolina and

Middle Tennessee was outscored 95-34 during that three-game losing streak and featured quarterback controversy between senior Logan Kilgore and freshman Austin Grammer during the North Texas contest.

With Kilgore firmly back at the helm of the Blue Raider offense after the victory over Marshall, the Blue Raiders entered a key conference matchup against the UAB Blazers.

The Blue Raiders would continue their late-game heroics, defeating UAB 24-21 on a late field goal in Birmingham. It would prove to be easy sailing for MT after the UAB matchup, with the Blue Raiders going on to win their next three contests, enjoying a five-game winning streak to end their regular season.

MT earned blowout victories over Florida International University, Southern Mississippi and UTEP, with Middle Tennessee outscoring their opponents 138-38 during that three-game span.

Middle Tennessee rode their fivegame winning streak into their bowl matchup against the Navy Midshipmen. The United States Naval Academy would prove to be too much for the Blue Raiders, with the Midshipmen picking up a 24-6 victory over Middle Tennessee.

touchdowns before being injured.

Freshman Shane Tucker saw his first career action in a Blue Raider uniform after giving up his redshirt due to the injury bug in the backfield. Tucker rushed 44 times for 241 yards and five touchdowns before succumbing to injury as well.

Kilgore ended his season by completing 216-of-355 pass attempts for 2,507 yards, amassing 16 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. Kilgore finished his collegiate career by compiling 7,854 career passing yards, second most all-time at Middle Tennessee.

The Blue Raider backfield, injuries and all, produced 2,591 rushing yards for the season, the highest total that the Blue Raiders have compiled since rushing for 2,614 yards in 2001. MT finished 31st in the country in rushing yards per game, with the Blue Raiders averaging 199.3 yards per contest.

Kyle Griswould finished the season with the team-lead in receptions and receiving touchdowns, registering 45 catches for 465 yards and four touchdown grabs. Marcus Henry brought down 38 receptions for a team-high 549 yards and three touchdowns.

Many Blue Raiders shared the backfield duties with injuries striking the MT running backs.

Jordan Parker led Middle Tennessee with 146 carries for 745 yards and six touchdowns, all team-highs. Reggie Whatley added 101 carries for 657 yards and three touchdowns after the injuries began to mount.

Smyrna native Jeremiah Bryson saw an uptick in carries, rushing 82 times for 398 yards and three

Defensively for MT, linebacker T.T. Barber proved to have a successful sophomore campaign, registering 119 total tackles on the season, the most since Roosevelt Colvardâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 120 tackles in 1986.

Safety Kevin Byard completed another successful chapter in his Blue Raider career, compiling 106 total tackles, 159 interception yards on five interceptions and one forced fumble.

MT will look to regroup and heal before returning to spring practice on March 22. The Blue Raiders will be entering their second season in C-USA and will look to follow up on their two consecutive eight-win seasons heading into the 2014-15 campaign.

For more sports updates, follow @Sidelines_Sport. To contact the sports editor, email Sam Brown at sports@mtsusidelines.com.

SIDELINES | Jan. 22, 2014 | www.mtsusidelines.com 15

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