SPECIAL REPORT: NATIONWIDE DROUGHT AFFLICTS MURRAY STATE
The Murray State News TheNews.org
August 31, 2012
Vol. 88, No. 3
Students, administrators disconnect on financial aid Chris Wilcox News Editor In the weeks following the start of the fall semester, students and administrators have been faced with a costly disconnect. Students have complained to the administration about issues involving the Office of Financial Aid/Scholarships and the verification of their aid by the Kentucky Higher Education Assistance Authority.
In an online article last week on thenews.org, “Students, administrators disagree on financial aid at semester’s start,” students’ testimonials showed a series of problems they claimed to face. One issue was a fear of their paperwork not being completed on time. Tom Denton, vice president of Finance and Administrative Services, said the numbers disprove that fear. He said the office has tracked the number of students who have com-
pleted everything on time this year, and compared that data with the number of students last year. The results have indicated there have been more students to complete this year, than the last. Denton said 89 students were purged on the second round, half the number of purges at the same time last year. Students have also voiced concern over being purged because of delayed verification, but Fred Dietz, executive
director of Enrollment Management, already addressed the issue. In a previous interview with Dietz, he said if a student applied for aid late, for whatever reason, it didn’t matter. He said verification might take a while, so the office wasn’t going to purge those in verification. He said that didn’t seem fair. The office did purge those who did not fufill their own obligations, such as turning in additional documents or accepting awards and signatures.
Lori Mitchum, director of the Office of Financial Aid/Scholarships, said Wednesday, there were 877 students that have completed their FAFSA, been selected for verification, but have yet to provide the information required by the office. “Verification can only be completed once all documents have been received from the student,” she said. Students selected by the depart-
see DISCONNECT, 3A
Murray State revises student worker policy Edward Marlowe Staff writer
the crops. In fact, if we get any more rainfall from here on out, it won’t help the crops.” For much of June and July, the dry weather was a major concern for farmers and government agencies in Calloway County. Little rain left field brush and wheat fields sitting targets in the summer heat, and Calloway County Fire-Rescue squads responded to more fires than ever before. One week, in fact, firefighters responded to a blaze almost every day, leading Calloway County Judge-Executive Larry Elkins to issue a countywide burn ban only days before the Fourth of July. That rendered most private firework shows silent. The drought did not go without notice, however. Crop insurance agencies were in high demand this year, giving some afflicted farmers in the region a bit of last-minute hope as shriveling corn crops and pastures looked more and more dire. Federal work to approve farm aid moved quicker in Washington, and some farmers were able to use domestic aid toward making ends meet or last-ditch efforts to save their hurt fields. And it is for that reason that Professor Ferguson has let wishful eyes fall from the sky. To him, and to the acres of row crops dotted around the county at University farms, this year’s summer heat was devastating. Agriculture students are returning or beginning their higher education studies to a different beat
Almost 95 percent of University students receive some form of financial aid, usually coming in the form of Federal Work Study, scholarship obligations, student employment or other campus career opportunities. In order to maximize earning power and help afford the rising costs of education, many students sought employment in multiple departments or conducted research. So when the Kentucky Employees Retirement System (KERS) spent this past summer creating and enforcing laws requiring student workers to maintain 20 hours or less of campus employment through one department, several departments lost part-time assistants as soon as the semester began. The College of Science and Engineering, the Office of Dining Services and Racer Hospitality and the journalism and mass communication department were among the hardest hit, as lab technicians, cartoonists, advertising sales representatives and cafeteria workers had to choose between multiple campus jobs in order to meet regulations. Through careful research and legal circumvention, however, campus officials have revised the student employment guidelines regarding hours of work in order to better accommodate student and faculty needs and to maintain stability in the campus workforce. Vice President of Student Affairs Don Robertson, in conjunction with Bonnie Higginson, vice president of Academic Affairs and Tom Hoffacker, director of human resources, collaborated efforts and constructed new campus guidelines in order to comply with the regulations, but still allow students to hold multiple positions on campus. “The revised policy allows students to hold up to two on-campus positions as long as they don’t exceed the maximum 20 hours per week,” Higginson said. “It will particularly help the college of Science, Engineering and Technology Bonnie where they have many lab Higginson assistants and lab workers Vice President of who work five, six and Academic Affairs seven hours a week.” Through the newly drafted policy, there are two new employment classifications: student workers and student temporaries. Each has its own set of rules to help maintain regulations enforced by KERS. Student workers are students who work no more than 20 hours per week or less, and include University student workers or a combination of Federal Work Study and University employment totaling 20 hours. Student workers are not permitted to work in more than two departments per pay period, and a graduate assistant is not permitted to work as a student worker in the same semester. Student temporaries are students who work more than 20 hours per week, working a maximum of nine consecutive months but then must change their status to student worker. Upon changing their status, the student must then work a maximum of 20 hours per week for one calendar month or observe a one calendar month break. Temporaries are not eligible for
see DROUGHT, 3A
see POLICY, 3A
Photos by Austin Ramsey/The News
High temperatures and low rainfall totals over the summer months rendered much of the Murray State row crops almost devastated.
University crops destroyed by scarce rain Austin Ramsey Editor-in-Chief David Ferguson measures rain. Not everywhere, as the agronomy professor’s detailed log books have been replaced with more precise weather stations at most University farms, but still at the most recently added land to the Murray State collection, Ferguson or a graduate student will run outside and check a classic weather gauge, eyeing the cylindrical tube with markings for the most detailed account of when the skies open up. These days, his log books, which he keeps in a neat pile in the van he uses to drive around the county to the different Hutson School of Agriculture farms, have gone untouched for days —weeks even—on end. A dust has settled on the books and the gauges for which they account. Ferguson has taken little notice to the books, though – or the gauges. He’s just wishing for a little rain. Indeed, Murray and its surrounding farms in Calloway County have not been immune to the relentless drought plaguing most of the middle United States over the past few months. Dry air and high heat have made conditions miserable for most of the farm-predominate states this summer. The impenetrable weather stretches far out into the Pacific Ocean, covering a large swath of the globe before halting suddenly along the eastern seaboard where summer storms are the story for much of New England. Hot and dry weather patterns
David Ferguson, agronomy professor, demonstrates a drought’s effects on soybeans. were increasing in visibility when the rain slowed in early May. Drought monitors nationwide indicated that much of the U.S. has suffered from low rain totals since the start of the year. Justin Holland, National Weather Service weather observer for the region, said August rain totals are actually up lately, as heavy rains fell for several days as students returned in the middle of the month. Unfortunately, he said, the overall low numbers for the year, coupled with the dry weather keep Calloway County in a category 4, or exceptional, drought. Holland said the U.S. Drought Monitor does not even categorize conditions past that in which the region finds itself. “Normally at this time from January through August we have
roughly 32 inches of rain,” he said. “So, we are about 13 inches below average.” Latest rainfall totals round Murray’s ongoing yearly count at just less than 20 inches of rain. Last year, at this time, rainfall totaled at more than double that number, giving the city an almost 2-foot rain deficit on a two-year average. Numbers like those, Holland said, put the region in a sensitive position, as much of the rain falling lately can no longer penetrate the hardened soil, leaving much of Murray’s vegetation at risk of dying before the winter’s freeze. “That is a very significant number,” Holland said. “It will take us months if not one or two years to catch back up to normal. It has already destroyed pretty much all of
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August 31, 2012 News Editor: Chris Wilcox Assistant Editor: Meghann Anderson Phone: 809-4468 Twitter: MurrayStateNews
This week Sunday
Friday
Saturday
•2:30 p.m. Community English as a Second Language class; Faculty Hall, Room 206, open to all •5:30 p.m. Line Dancing, Wellness Center, open to all •6:30 p.m. DanceCouples physical excercise class; Wellness Center, open to all •7: 30 p.m. Cinema International; “The Princess of Montpensier,” Curris Center Theater, open to all
•8 a. m. Zumba, Riedland Baptist Church, Paducah, open to all •12 p.m. Murray State Mayhem gaming event, Friends of Anime club, Curris Center, Cumberland Room, 5$ entry fee for tournaments • 2 p.m. Pony Pull; William “Bill” Cherry Expo Center, open to all •7:3 0 p.m . Cinema International; “The Princess of Montpensier,” Curris Center Theater, open to all
Tuesday
Wednesday
•M idnigh t; WKMS Sounds Good Cookie Recipe Contest entries due •5 p.m. Kick Boxing Class; Wellness Center, open to all •5:30 p.m. Tennis Club; Bennie Purcell Tennis Courts, open to all •7 p.m. Collegiate FFA meeting, Oakley South, open to all •7 p.m. Sci-Fi Club; Faculty Hall, Room 408, open to all
•8 a.m. Career Services job search assistance; 100 Oakley Applied Science Building, open to all •11 a.m. Grillin’ and Chillin’ with Career Services; Oakley Applied Science Building lawn, open to all •4 p.m. High Intensity Cardio Class; Wellness Center, open to all •5:30 p.m. Cycling class; Wellness Center, open to all •7 p.m. Wednesday Word and Worship; Curris Center Theater, open to all
Police Beat Aug. 23 9:46 a.m. The state fire marshal checked the fire alarm system hydrants campus wide as a part of a routine maintenance check. The check was completed at 1:58 p.m. 3:10 p.m. A desk worker at Regents College reported a vehicle in the Regents College parking lot with a broken window. The window had been broken by a grounds crew person weed eating. 11:57 p.m. A caller reported an intoxicated female. The Murray State Police and ambulance services were notified.
Aug. 24 6: 03 a.m. A caller reported
damage in the hallway. The Murray State Police were notified and took an information report. 9:04 a.m. A caller reported a female riding her bicycle was hit by a car and transported to the Murray-Calloway County Hospital.
Aug. 25 2 :0 5 a.m. A Murray State Police officer reported a group of students in the White College parking lot. An officer isued a citation to Sultan Ahmed, sophomore from Nashville, Tenn., for possession of alcohol by a minor and drinking in public. 6:28 a.m. A caller reported a possible fight at Regents College. The Murray State Police were notified. 7:50 a.m. A Murray State Police officer reported a female passed out in the mall
•9:30 a.m. Sunday School; Winslow Cafeteria, open to all •10 a.m. Golden Pond Planetarium Show; Land Between the Lakes, $4 •2 p.m . Free Movie Afternoon; Traders Mall Family Theater, 6900 Benton Road, Paducah, open to all •6 p.m. Sunday worship; Ignite Student Ministry, Robert Miller Conference Center, open to students
Monday
If you would like an event to appear in the This week section, fill out a form in The Murray State News office at 111 Wilson Hall, fax to 809-3175 or email information to thenews@murraystate.edu.
Labor Day no classes
Please submit events by noon on Wednesdays. We cannot guarantee all items received will be published.
Fencing Club
Thursday
Aug. 26 1:28 a.m. A caller reported a medical emergency at a large party on Miller Street. The Murray Police Department questioned a highly intoxicated subject who was in the backyard. An officer took an information report. 3:1 6 p.m. A caller reported
Call of Fame
“The Skin I Live In”
8 p.m. Carr Health Room 209
•3 p.m. Center for Student Involvement open house; Curris Center, CSI office, open to all •6 p.m. Murray State University 90th Celebration; Quad, reception following in Pogue Library, open to all •7:30 p.m . Cinema International; “The Skin I Live In,” Curris Center Theater, open to all •8 p.m. Fencing Club; Carr Health, Room 209, open to all •9:30 p.m. Music Shows; Hart Coffee Shop, open to all
area near the Price Doyle Fine Arts building. Stephanie Patterson, sophomore from St. Louis, Mo., was arrested for alcohol intoxication.
Cinema International presents:
7:30 p.m. Thursday
Graphic courtesy of etc.usf.edu
locking their keys in a vehicle at the Wellness Center. The Murray State Police were notified. 7:09 p.m. A caller reported an alcohol violation at Hart College. The Murray State Police were notified and took an information report.
Aug. 27 8:47 a.m. A caller reported a person had fallen on the east stairwell in Franklin College. A Murray State Police officer took a medical report.
Aug. 23 A caller from Regents College was worried about her roommate who had not returned from work. Officers spoke with the caller. The roommate was still at work and everything was normal.
Curris Center Theater
1:40 p.m. A student reported a city sticker missing from their vehicle at the Roy Stewart Stadium parking lot. An officer took a report for theft by unlawful taking of less than $500. 3:41 p.m. A caller reported a tack missing from the barn at West Farm. An officer took a report for theft by unlawful taking of less than $500.
Aug. 28 8:28 a.m. A caller asked to speak with an officer concerning unwanted phone calls at Franklin College. 9:28 p.m. A caller reported the possible smell of marijuana at the Lee Clark College. The Murray State Police issued a citation to Olivia Bergman, freshman from Hanson, Ky., for possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Photo by subtitledonline.com
10 :22 p.m. A Murray State Police officer reported finding property and turned it into Public Safety.
Aug. 29 2:34 a.m. A caller requested an officer to speak with two roommates arguing in White College. A Murray State Police officer took an information report. 1 :38 p. m. A Murray State Police officer gave a verbal warning for disregarding a stop sign in the Curris Center parking lot. Motorist assists - 1 Racer escorts - 7 Arrests - 1 Assistant News Editor Meghann Anderson compiles Police Beat with materials provided by Public Safety. Not all dispatched calls are listed.
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August 31, 2012
DROUGHT From Page 1 this year, as studies usually geared toward the production and maintained health of row crops have transitioned to a more sobering story of depleted corn fields and struggling soybeans. Cornfields, which cover much of the Pullen and West farms at Murray State, are at what Ferguson called “extreme” losses. The drought, the worst one to afflict the region in more than 50 years, failed to subside at crucial growth stages since planting. Ferguson said plentiful rain keeps the corn plants in a good position to reap heavy benefits come fall harvesting. In essence, the stresses of low moisture are most pronounced during a four-week time window after the corn stalks have begun silking. At that point, the more moisture the established root system can collect the heavier the yield. Most farmers, he said, seeded their corn early this year, setting that crucial time window somewhere in the month of July or early August. Rain totals in this area accumulated to little or nothing then, varying to some degree dependent on the geographical positioning of the farm. Yield reduction percentages would place about a
50 percent loss for Murray State farms, based on that data. Recently, though, the North Dakota State University School of Agriculture performed a study averaging an almost 2 percent yield reduction on corn every day it went without water. That could leave some area farmers with a yield of exactly zero. “They’re just trying to hold on – to survive,” Ferguson said, looking out on row after row of withering state variety trial corn stalks at the Pullen Farm complex. “No one predicted a drought like this. No one could have predicted a drought like this.” Murray State’s total could range up to a 75 percent loss, said Jason Robertson, farm manager at the University’s farm center. Soybeans, which are far less sensitive to the heat and dry weather, are the determining factor as to how severe the Murray State loss will be. Flowering, which will produce more usable beans, can occur at several intervals during the growing season, giving some farmers like Ferguson a bit of hope for the future. For now though, Ferguson can only look at the slowly dying corn, almost destroyed now from wilted kernels and drought-promoted fungi and hope for better luck next year. At this point, Tony Brannon, dean of the agriculture school, said that is really all Murray State farm employees can do, because much of this
DISCONNECT From Page 1 ment of education this year were required to submit additional documents based on the answers to some of the questions on the FAFSA. Also, if students did not use the IRS data retrieval, they were selected for verification. On Wednesday, according to Mitchum, there were 47 students waiting for the second review of their documents, 155 students with unsigned documents and 130 students waiting for their first review. University Bursar Anita Poynor said students were purged Monday for failure to resolve their financial obligations. She said in the fall of 2011, there were 163 students purged. The numbers indicate this year’s methods have been more successful in retaining students. Since the online article was published, students have commented and some have said their aid had been awarded. Poynor said 247 students were awarded their aid last Friday. Of the 247, 15 were held from the purge process to allow them time to accept their aid and complete any necessary requirements.
year’s time and, even money has already been wasted by the dying crops. “The main difference between our farm and a regular producer farm is that our inputs are typically higher and we do not have access to crop insurance,” he said. “Many of our research plots will not yield meaningful results for this growing season. Since we are dependent on crop and livestock revenues to balance the budget, the drought will have a dramatic effect but we will make it work.” Other areas on campus may also be harmed by the drought as conditions worsen in the coming days. Don Robertson, vice president of Student Affairs, said he expects a significant jump in food prices past the 6 percent Dining Services had already budgeted for before the drought. With that, effects could be long lasting. For now, corn and bean prices have begun a slow rise that national experts predict will only speed up, while beef prices have shot down quickly, resulting from cattle ranchers rushing to sell their herds quickly without enough money for corn feed. In the future, though, those prices too, are expected to rise. Some farmers have already begun to harvest corn this year, and Bill Payne, an agribusiness economics professor at the University, said early numbers do not look good. “Corn yields are running every-
Now that the final purge has been completed, Poynor said any purges from this point forward will be done on an individual basis. “There were 44 students that registered for classes for the first time from Aug. 21 - 27 whose schedules were not purged on Monday night,” she said. She said these students have received an email, which contains the date by which their financial obligations must be resolved. President Randy Dunn said the verification process was one of the issues this semester which was not under the administrators direct control. Because of KHEAA much was out of the University’s control and there were hiccups, he said, that were unavoidable. “We have worked with the scholarship students to have them not hit by the purge,” he said. “We’re trying to hold these verifications harmless until that process is done by KHEAA.” Dunn said the student complaints disturb him, and that the administration has tried to be as helpful as possible in keeping the students in the system. Dunn suggested the problems students faced this semester arose because of a loss of dialogue between the students and the administration. “When we know something’s going to be a problem, when we think there’s going to be a
3A
Ferguson points to a sparce ear of corn caused by low moisture at key growth stages. where from zero, which basically means they’re plowing up their corn and not even harvesting it, to some fairly respectable yields in those areas that may have lucked out and gotten a little bit of rain or those areas that were irrigated,” Payne said. “An increasing number of farmers in our area are putting in irrigation systems.” Local vegetation may see some wet relief over the weekend, as showers and thunderstorms are predicted, but Ferguson and Holland agreed that the rain will likely be too little too late. Contact Ramsey at aramsey5 @murraystate.edu.
need to navigate a tough issue, I keep imploring all of our offices just to get that news out there early, get it repeated many times over in every venue that we can think of to prevent as many problems as possible,” he said. The beginning of any semester is a very busy time of year, he said, and sometimes administrators forget to send out the news. “I can always point to things where we could have handled the early communications on this better,” Dunn said. “At the same time, we don’t want to be taking time away from the processing to be investing just in that.” Dunn said he did not begrudge students for being upset and worried about their aid and the verification process. “I put myself through school for the most part, and I was always worried about this same stuff, too,” he said. “There are always worries that come with these types of delays. I understand it because I can remember it.” Dunn said the verification process through KHEAA did slow things down this year, but that communication was still key. Said Dunn: “We’ve got to just constantly get better on doing early warning communication when we see these types of problems coming.” Contact Wilcox at cwilcox2 @murraystate.edu.
Irrigation saved dark-fired tobacco from the summer’s piercing drought.
POLICY From Page 1 Federal Work Study and are not permitted to be student workers in the same pay period. Graduate Assistants are also not allowed to work as temporaries in the same semester. While departments will be responsible for the overseeing of all guidelines and employment assigned to students, Robertson said it was originally too complex and too costly for departments to undertake this task. “Monitoring these rules for only having one job is so complex, we didn’t have the staff to monitor that,” Robertson said. “The Provost’s Office and my office are going to have to come up with the money.” Higginson said it would cost approximately $15,000 to create a position responsible for the processing of time cards, payroll and paperwork. Said Higginson: “We will hire someone in a temporary position for this academic year and we will see how it goes. They will monitor hours and will be ensuring we aren’t going over.” Contact Marlowe at emarlowe @murraystate.edu.
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4A
August 31, 2012
The News
Opinion
Opinion Editor: Devin Griggs Phone: 809-5873 Twitter: MSUNewsOpinion
Our View
Changing for the better The staff editorial is the majority opinion of the editorial board of The Murray State News. Chances are if you work on campus, you got an email in your inbox over the summer that informed you the on-campus job policy had changed. The initial policy announced was if a student had more than one job on campus, you would have to choose which one you wanted. If you have had a job on campus before, you probably have not only had one. Even if you are living in the dorms, one job on campus probably is not enough for both spending money and helping out on student loans or tuition. The policy announced by University officials forced a lot of students into choosing between one or more campus jobs and trying to make up the slack from the loss of income. Many students were forced to make a decision that meant leaving a job they may have loved for another one they did not like as much. We felt the effects of this policy firsthand. Many of our employees found themselves having to choose between employment here and a job elsewhere on campus. As a result, we lost many good employees. We are grateful that it was announced last week that a change in the policy would be made to allow student workers to hold more than one job so
long as the student in question does not work more than 20 hours a week. This policy change is a welcome about-face on the part of University officials. We applaud the new policy as it will not only allow us to continue to deliver quality coverage of events on and around campus, but also because it will allow students more flexibility and options when looking for work on campus. We support this policy change with a critical edge. Why was it that this policy, which was explained to students as beyond their control (a mandate from the Kentucky Employees Retirement System, or KERS) before it was rescinded less than a week into the new semester? If University officials had the power to contest this change all along, why did they not use it when the mandate was given to them? The policy implementation and turn-around has caused a great deal of confusion among students. There are many now caught between a rock and a hard place because their former employers want to hire them yet again. We are thankful that the policy has been changed, and that University officials have committed themselves to working with students to make the new policy work. Now that this initial bout of confusion has been cleared up, its time for all of us to roll up our sleeves and get to work.
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Evolution on trial in Kentucky Our rapidly increasing and accessible scientific knowledge is encroaching further upon religious claims about how our world works. The recent flap in the Kentucky Bill Zingrone legislature over professor of evolution being psychology too highly represented in the questions on the ACT is but one example of the inevitable clash between religion and science. State Sen. Ben Waide (R-Madisonville) indignantly proclaimed “… the theory of evolution is not science, Darwin made it up … the theory of evolution has never stood up to scientific scrutiny.” That may not be the dumbest thing a Republican politician has said in in the past year, but it’s close. Being a good Baptist, he’s probably heard creationist speakers at his church brought in by his minister saying the same thing. The Heartland Baptist Church in Paducah hosted the absurd pseudoscientific interpretations of the Biblical creation account given by Ken Ham of Creation Museum fame just this past winter. But it’s kind of difficult to derive scientific knowledge from a collection of 2,000 year-old myths and oral traditions. Heliocentric theory poses the
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sun and not the earth at the center of the solar system. It has been around for nearly 600 years since Copernicus, Kepler, Galileo and Newton. Though Copernicus “made it up” it has been confirmed thousand of times daily by astronomical observations, launching of satellites, space exploration, etc. All the data collected from the heavens for hundreds of years has supported the theory and it has stood up so incredibly well to “scientific scrutiny” that it would be ludicrous not to believe it. Yet that theory is in direct opposition to the first 17 verses of the Bible. The opening verses of Genesis describe a geocentric theory with the earth and not the sun being stationary and sitting at the center with the stars, sun, moon and planets in rotation around it, all being fixed in the “firmament” which separates the waters of the heavens from the waters of the earth. And that theory as described in the Bible, though an admirable and plausible early attempt to account for the appearance of the heavens is utterly wrong. The Bible is not a scientific document. There never was a firmament, and the sun never rotated around the earth. Yes, Mr. Waide, that one was just “made up” and it has never been found to be true. Unlike the theory of gravity, the germ theory of disease, heliocentric theory, general and special relativity theory, plate tectonics theory and
yes, evolutionary theory, Biblical claims about how the world works often don’t stand up to our accumulation of scientific knowledge. A more recent example of human knowledge undermining a Bible story concerns modern genetics. The genetic bottleneck of 70,000 years ago describes modern humans descending from 1015,000 individuals at minimum. The Adam and Eve story is impossible in light of modern science. The controversy of how to understand Adam and Eve in light of modern genetics is causing quite a stir in conservative Christian circles and we can now expect the denial of evolutionary theory to no longer be the sole battleground between extreme religionists scriptural interpretations and human knowledge. Despite what Waide and many Americans have been told, evolutionary theory is becoming the most supported of all our scientific theories given the sheer volume of confirming data pouring in every day. Waide and other Republican legislators should avail themselves of the excellent biology education available from their state universities here in the Commonwealth instead of repeating wholly incorrect sound bites that don’t stand up to scientific scrutiny and don’t make it into college entrance exams.
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The News
Opinion
August 31, 2012
5A
A Professor’s Journal
Born in the U.S.A.
The winds of sea, the ways of fate, our voyage We have now completed the second week of the fall 2012 semester at Murray State. For years now, the first day of class for any of my uniDuane Bolin versity histoprofessor of ry courses has history been given over to the reading of a poem. In fact, the first thing that we do as a class and the last thing that we do as a class involves the analysis of a poem. On the first day of the semester, I enjoy watching the students’ quizzical glances to friends in the next row and frantic consultations of class schedules to make sure they are not in an English department class–maybe Bad Poetry 101–as we put off the syllabus for a time to consider the lines of an Ella Wheeler Wilcox poem instead. I first heard the poem years ago at, of all places, a high school basketball camp in western Kentucky. I remember that Tom McMillan, a sensational left-handed forward for the University of Maryland and our guest instructor for the day, talked more about life than how to perfect a jump shot or block out effectively. He talked about how we had a
responsibility to make something of our lives, and he urged us to live lives of service. There I sat–a fifteen year old freshman–perched on the first row of the wooden bleachers, drinking it all in. McMillan made a deep, profound impression on me, and it has not surprised me that he went on to live a life of service as a member of the House of Representatives after his basketball days were over. Here is the poem that he recited in that stifling gymnasium in Madisonville, Ky., in July, 1970: One ship drives east, the other drives west With the selfsame winds that blow. ‘Tis the set of the sails and not the gales Which tells us the way to go. Like the winds of the sea are the ways of fate, As we voyage along through life: ‘Tis the set of a soul that decides its goal, And not the calm or the strife. I committed the poem to memory and, with my first college teaching job, recited it to my students on the first day of class. A creature of habit, I have
continued the practice ever since. We analyze the poem. What hidden themes, themes that we will encounter in the course, can we find in the lines of the poem? Students are very astute, and you suggest, for example, in an American history course that ships are used for warfare, and that surely we will discuss various wars in American history. Someone else chimes in that ships are also used for commerce and that we will discuss the ebb and flow of the American economy in the course. Yet another student states that the ship sailing west suggests the significance of westward expansion in American history. We go on, playing with these themes and topics, and before long, students have a pretty good grasp of what the course is all about. Then, after a time, I ask the students to personalize the poem. What does the poem have to say to you as a student in this course? What does it have to say to you as a person? What motivates you? What particular challenges do you face? What do you want out of life? After all, “‘tis the set of the soul that decides the goal, and not the calm or the strife.” We went through the ritual again in each of my courses this semester.
I recite the poem for selfish reasons. It serves as a useful tool to keep me on course, to help me remember that while I most assuredly teach the discipline and the subjects of history,
I teach students as well.
L ett er s to th e Ed i to r Thanks to recent events, we are forced to examine our bizarre society. When Chik-Fil-A’s CEO spoke out against marriage equality, no one was surprised. The issue at hand was how he was spending his money. You can do whatever they want with your money. Using your money to ruin someone else’s happiness because you can’t find your own is wrong. Funneling money to pass a law in Uganda allowing LGBT individuals the death penalty is not a Christian thing to do. I don’t remember anywhere in the Bible where God said “Go forth and massacre them queers like Hitler did the Jews.” Murder is wrong. I shouldn’t have to say that. Being an accomplice to genocide? Well, that’s wrong too. According to psychologists, if
cheers & jeers
you’re anti-LGBT, you’re probably gay. The more anti-LGBT you are, the more the likelihood is that you are a big old queer like me. To those offended by my language, forgive me. I’m just a little worn down and it needs to be said bluntly. Why is the protest against Chik-Fil-A intolerant when right-wing extremists protest companies for having pro-gay stances or ads including samesex couples not? No one is taking away your rights by allowing others to be happy. Giving someone a right you have always had does not infringe on yours, it just means they’re being treated equally. When you try to take away those rights, it does make you a bad person. And you should feel bad.
Ch ee rs to ... Neil Armstrong. As if being the first man to walk on the Moon wasn’t enough, he still managed to stay active into his eighties. Rest among the stars, Mr. Armstrong. You earned it.
Check it!
Chik-Fil-A was fair game. I believe you should be able to say whatever you want, short of threatening and hate crimes, and if you want to use terrible language and words, go right ahead. Just be prepared to be held accountable. What we should consider is arresting those responsible for conspiracy to commit crimes against humanity by trying to pass these sick, twisted laws. No one cares about what you believe because it’s your right to believe it. If you don’t like gay marriage then don’t get gay married. Don’t encourage genocide. Don’t be evil. That’s what it is. If it wasn’t evil, LGBT kids wouldn’t be killing themselves and they wouldn’t be at a higher risk for suicide. There is no higher issue than
Cheers to ... conquering the first Monday of the semester! Everyone’s favorite day of the week has come and gone for the first time in the fall semester. If only there were some way to skip the rest of them. . .
Jeers to ... quizzes, tests, and exams on the second week of the semester. Really? We haven’t even gotten a whole week in, and we’re already on a deadline? This part of the semester definitely gets an “E”.
human rights. This article may sound harsh or too blunt, but it doesn’t make it wrong. If you want harsh, how about denying rights to other human beings? Other Americans? Soldiers, veterans, Christians, children, families? LGBT individuals are all these. We are all human whether gay or straight, Christian or Atheist, black or white, soldier or humanitarian. Everyone deserves to be happy. Don’t deny others happiness because you can’t accept yourself or because you lack that happiness. Be more than just an individual. Be a part of humanity.
Kyle Shupe senior from Graves County, Ky.
Je e rs to ... Hurricane Isaac. Just when it looked like gas prices were starting to fall, it’s nearly $4 again at the pump, and rising. Guess we didn’t need to drive home to see mom and pop this weekend after all.
A Modest Proposal As Republicans gather to nominate Mitt Romney for the White House this week in Tampa, I’d like to offer them a modest proposal of my own. The Republican Party Devin Griggs should adopt a Opinion Editor pro-business platform. Isn’t the Republican Party already pro-business? Although Republicans love to claim that they support policies that help businesses grow and thrive, they’re being disingenuous when they do. The modern Republican Party is really pro-shareholder. What do I mean by that? Since the 1980s, the Republican Party has prioritized the needs of shareholders over the needs of American business. In addition to making it easier to sell unwanted shares, the Republicans have latched on to the financial industry and made Wall Street the heart and soul of its economic program. No longer do you hear Republicans, many of whom attack their Democratic opponents for being “un-American,” advocate on behalf of buy America legislation, or stand up for American business against unfair trade practices, such as the dumping of tires or lead pipe on the American market from China or India. No longer does the Republican Party advocate that the United States invest in critical infrastructure that makes business thrive. The Republicans of yesteryear, like Abraham Lincoln (who gave us the continental railroad) or Dwight D. Eisenhower (does the Eisenhower Interstate Highway System ring a bell?), would be completely out of place in a Republican Party that voted (with only three exceptions) against President Barack Obama’s stimulus program. The Republicans of today couldn’t care less about the future of American business. In power, the Republican Party has happily abolished regulation that helped businesses and pushed trade deals that have diluted America’s manufacturing base. This, combined with their utter disregard for America’s crumbling infrastructure, upon which all interstate trade relies, paints that picture rather well. How might the Republicans embrace a truly pro-business agenda this November? They can start by calling upon the United States government to do a more thorough job of policing international trade and preventing dumping. They can go a step further and make it easier to invest in the United States by improving our infrastructure, rather than opposing these measures in lockstep. I won’t hold my breath on the Republicans taking a pro-labor populist like myself seriously. After all, this is the party of Wall Street we’re talking about. But it’s worth giving a look. Contact Griggs at dgriggs @murraystate.edu
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What’s your favorite class this semester? By Casey Vandergrift
The News
News
6A
August 31, 2012
Murray State fights nationwide epidemic Photos by Kristin Allen/Contributing photographer
Alex Berg Staff writer
Books written in Arabic adorn the wall at the new Islamic community center in Murray.
New Islamic community center fills student need Ben Manhanke Staff writer Muslim students at Murray State now have a new Islamic community center at which to organize, worship and call their own. The new Muslim religious center is located just off campus, on Coldwater Road, in a renovated day care center across the street from Baldy’s Grill. Before the decision to move in January, students had first used a room in Clark College and then the bottom of Woods Hall for prayer, but both offered limitations for the growing Muslim student community. One of the limitations was the size of the areas made available to students on campus. The other more pressing limitation to Muslim students was the availability of the spaces. In the Muslim faith, followers offer up prayer five times daily corresponding with the different times of the day: morning, midday, afternoon, sunset and evening. Woods Hall, however, closes at 3 p.m. making communal prayer, which is pivotal, as Muslims see praying as a group to hold more merit, very difficult to organize. This facilitated a need to rent space in College Courts for students to meet and pray at after Woods Hall closed. Ibraheem Alkahtani, president of the Saudi Student Organization (SSO), said the whole process of finding a place to move to and receiving the proper permits took about two years, although the idea of finding a
Ibraheem Alkahtani, president of SSO, Sayez Alsalooli and Nesser Almasoud discuss ways to educate the student body about the Muslim religion. Their goal is to reflect a Muslim culture to their surrounding community that is not found on TV. None of the money for the new center came from Murray State; the money was instead raised from donations by the members of the SSO and the Muslim Student Organization (MSO). The SSO and the MSO manage the new community center and share it as their headquarters. It is through these two organizations that the move was made possible, particularly through the help from Alkahtani, Ann Beck, faculty adviser of the SSO, Abdul Yarali, adviser of the MSO, Abdualziz Almuaibed, president of the MSO and Ihsan Alkhatib, another adviser of the SSO. Alkhatib said the new Islamic community center should not be seen as a political or religious statement, but is
“Most of what America understands about Muslim culture is from its negative portrayal on the news. But it’s like watching a bus accident on TV and thinking that you know everything about buses.” –Ihsan Alkhatib Saudi Student Organization Adviser larger space in which to worship was with the group from its beginnings. “The idea to move to a larger worship area has always come from the students,” Alkahtani said. “It was just a matter of finding someone to take that first step.” Alkahtani said, during the week, 1015 students will pray at the new facility at one time. On Fridays however the center is filled with 60-70 worshippers, because the day is especially important to Muslims. The word Friday, in Arabic, comes from the name for the special prayer that is done only on that day. The facility is also full on religious holidays and during other special meetings. Members of the SSO are the largest users of the community center, and have a membership of approximately 300 students.
AN EEVENING VENING WITH
Come see me at the Curris Center Ballroom on September 11 at 7:00 PM! Can’t wait to see you there
instead a good chance to find commonalities between religions, and a place to learn about Muslim culture. “Most of what America understands about Muslim culture is from its negative portrayal on the news,” Alkhatib said. “But it’s like watching a bus accident on TV and thinking that you know everything about buses.” Now that the SSO and MSO have the new center in which to organize, they plan on being more active in the community. Through volunteering, doing inter-faith work and holding fundraisers, the groups hope to reflect a Muslim culture to the surrounding community that they claim is not represented in the mass media. Alkhatib said already they have been receiving emails from students and residents wanting to know more about the center and about Islam.
TO WRITE LOVE LO VE ON HER RMS CONVERSA CONVERSATION: ONVERSATION: TION: PAIN, P AIN, HOPE HOPE,, QUESTIONS AND C COMMUNITY OMMUNITY
“People tell me, ‘I’ve never seen a Muslim’ or ask ‘is God the same as Allah?’” he said. “There is a definite difference between ignorance and a lack of information.” Alkahtani said the new center’s first goal is not to be informative and this was not why the new center was created. He said its purpose is to act as a place to organize and worship, but if someone did have a question about the Muslim faith they could find answers through SSO and MSO members. Luis Canales, director of the Institute for International Students, said the new Islamic center will be a big selling point for Murray State and will attract more international students to the campus. He said the Muslim students who use the new facility have already been very active in letting other Muslim students on campus know about the center and even other Muslim social clubs at other universities across the U.S. “The best recruitment is word of mouth, from student to student,” Canales said. “I can talk about how great Murray is to prospective students, but as a member of the faculty, they expect me to say that. Hearing the experiences of other students is the best promotion.” Canales said Murray is an attractive destination for international students because it is a safe, friendly, welcoming community, and the addition of the new community center and its success is a sign of that. “Just 15 years ago there were only about 20 Muslim students at Murray,” Canales said, “and now numbers have gone through the roof.” Both Alkhatib and Alkahtani said the school, staff and community of Murray have all been incredibly supportive and understanding of the group’s needs, and that they have not had any resistance to its opening. “This center is an asset for the college, students, non-Muslims and the community,” Alkhatib said. “It’s a win-win for everyone.” Contact Manhanke at bmanhanke @murraysate.edu.
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention recently released information regarding a nationwide epidemic: obesity. Every state was found to have at least a 20 percent obesity prevalence. With a 31.5 percent obesity ranking, Kentucky takes its place as the sixth most obese state in the nation. Kentucky placed above Louisiana, Tennessee, West Virginia, Alabama and Mississippi, which was ranked No. 1 on the list. Murray State officials state the University is providing healthy alternatives, to ensure better health. Don Robertson, vice president of Student Affairs, said he believes Murray State is committed to being nutritious. According to the CDC, the need for a healthier, more active nation of people is critical. At Murray State, many options are provided to create a healthy environment for students to live in. “We are providing more options for students to help them eat wisely,” Robertson said. “At the same time, we are promoting exercise in the Wellness Center.” Paula Amols, director of Dining Services and Racer Hospitality, said Murray State offers many healthy
options to the University community. Entrees comprised of grilled meats, steamed vegetables and fresh whole fruit can be found at Winslow Cafeteria, she said. On the other side of campus, students can go to Dunker’s Deli, located in the Curris Center, for healthy subs, sandwiches and wraps. Another healthier choice is the newly expanded salad bar which can also be found in the Curris Center, in the T-Room. Ciara Harvey, senior from Mt. Vernon, Ill., said her favorite place to eat on campus is in the Curris Center. “I enjoy going to the Curris Center for lunch because of the options I have there,” she said. “If I don’t feel like creating my own healthy sandwich, I know I can always find something good for me in the T-Room.” Each venue also provides a breakfast bar containing yogurt, fresh whole fruit, granola and other healthy options for students to start their busy days. For students who need help making healthy food choices, Amols said Dining Services employs two student nutritionists. Said Amols: “They are available to help students in learning and in planning how to eat well in our dining facilities.” Contact Berg at aberg1 @murraystate.edu.
Laura Owens/Contributing photographer
Paula Amols, director of Dining Services and Racer Hospitality, said the University is helping by offering healthy eating alternatives.
Across campus Cofer re-elected as National Human Rights co-chair The Equality Federation and Equality Federation Institute Boards of Directors re-elected Jody Cofer as board co-chair for a third term. Cofer serves as the academic program specialist and Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transgender coordinator at Murray State. He is a member and former co-chair of the President’s Commission on Diversity and Inclusion.
Waterfield Library book sale will benefit libraries Waterfield Library will hold a book sale Sept. 10-12. All proceeds will go to Murray State libraries. The library will sell hardback books for $1 and paperback books will cost 50 cents. Other items being sold at the event include magazines, videos, comic books, CD’s and Murray State shields. The book sale hours are 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Food for Thought Presented Pr esented by MOTA MOTA (Ministry Open to All) “A place wher where e important issues can be shar shared” ed” 12:30-1:30 1st & 3rd Wednesdays Wednesdays of each month Lunch is served at 12:30 A presentation presentation and discussion will follow
September 5: Comm Community unity Issues Deputy Clayton Hendricks, Calloway County Sheriff’s Sheriff’s Dept. and chair of the Community Education Commitee
September 19: R Reaching eaching Out to Students Befor Bef Before ore T They hey Hit Crisis Dr.. Angie Trzepacz, Dr Trzepacz, Director Director of University Counseling Services
October 3: Is the Chu Church rch R Relevant elevant Today? Today? Rev. David Montgomery & Dr Dr.. David Pizzo
SPEAKING B BY: Y: FOUNDER JA JAMIE MIE TTWORKOWSKI WORKOWSKI Q&A FOLLOW Q& A TTO O FOLL OW
October 17: Mana Managing ging Tensions Tensions in the Campus Workforce Workf Wor kforce orce Phil Schoolley, Staff Staff Regent
November No vember 7: Homeless Homeless in Mur Murray ray Rev. Matt Bradley
First Pr Presbyterian esbyterian Church, Church, 1601 Main Street Street
The News
News
August 31, 2012
Board of Regents shape University
7A On today’s agenda we have... the granting of tenure and promotion, tuition and fee setting, budget approval and approving property purchase.
Administration outlines role of University’s governing body This is the first installment of a twelve-part series profiling the representatives who make final University decisions. Chris Wilcox News Editor Every country has its governing body, every state has its representatives and every city has its council - the common thread is a role of leadership. The Board of Regents, Murray State’s own governing body, occupies this role for the University. In the upcoming year the board will continue to shape the University, as it has always done. Eleven members comprise the board, three constituent Regents from the University – a member of the staff, faculty and student body – and eight constituents appointed by the governor. The eight appointed Regents have the duty of bringing perspectives based on their own experiences, knowledge that others from the University might not have. The political affiliation of each of the appointments is taken into account, as the board is meant to represent all equally. The staff and faculty regents carry a three-year term; the student regent a one-year term and the appointed Regents are designated for six years. The Board of Regents
works in conjunction with the administration to set highlevel policy for the University. Among their responsibilities are the approval of budgets, setting tuition and fees, approving administrative positions, granting tenure and promotion of faculty, reviewing the president’s contract and approving property purchases. President Randy Dunn said the board has a tangible and direct impact on many important aspects of campus life. He said the Regents, after approving the annual budget of the University, decide which programs to fund versus those they may decide not to fund. “The decisions of the board can have a pretty direct impact on the services and offerings that we provide at
have several critical administrative tasks they must approve each academic year. He said the board is crucial in setting policy, but there are conflicting goals. “The board is trying to keep tuition and fees at a reasonable rate for students,” he said. “At the same time they want to provide high quality education.” The board represents the students, faculty and staff of the University, but they also see the institution as a business. The conflicting goal arises in balancing the needs of Murray State’s community and treating the University as a business – meant to make profit. Dunn said all boards have issues to wrestle with, oftentimes with competing values. “I think that our board strives to find the right balance, so that – and they’ve been clear about this in their strategic statements – they want to have among the best programs in the country, but they also want pricing that is among the lowest in the Commonwealth,” Dunn said. Bonnie Higginson, vice president of Academic Affairs, said the current board has been very perceptive of the needs of the faculty. On
“The decisions of the board can have a pretty direct impact on the services and offerings that we provide at the University.” –Randy Dunn Murray State President the University,” he said. Dunn said the board has a responsibility as the stewards of the University, and believes they take very seriously their role and all they have been entrusted with. Tom Denton, vice president of Finance and Administrative Services, said the Regents
Lexy Gross
Todd chosen to serve on chamber board
Staff writer Tim Todd, dean of the Arthur J. Bauernfeind College of Business, is thrilled for his new position as incoming chair of the most esteemed Chamber of Commerce in the United States. The Murray-Calloway County Chamber of Commerce has been named the Chamber of the Year in the $500,000 or less annual income category. The American Chamber of Commerce Executives chose Murray based on several qualities, including member services and community leadership. Lance Allison, executive director of the Chamber and Murray State
Graphic by Evan Watson/The News
Eleven members comprise the Board of Regents, three constituents from the University – a member of the staff, faculty and student body – and eight constituents appointed by the governor. The shared interest of each Regent is Murray State, more specifically making the University the best it can possibly be. Sept. 6, she said, the deans of each college will give presentations to the board members at a retreat. “The board gets information from The Murray State News, press releases, etc., but this will give them a better look at the whole academic picture,” she said. “It will show them the programs we have that are successful and in high demand and the challenges we face.” Higginson said the board did have one large common value, shared interest, and that value is in higher education, particularly Murray State. Vice President of Student Affairs, Don Robertson, said the board of each state is different. He said several states have one overall board for higher education. He said Murray State was lucky to have its own – filled with outstanding
alumnus, said he recognizes the University as being a constant driving force for the Chamber. “We continue to work closely with Murray State,” Allison said. “They have the resources we may need, and we help them in certain areas as Tim Todd well.” Dean of the The Chamber College of has been recogBusiness nized for being able to cooperate with the Murray community. In conjunction with Todd’s experience in both the business and educa-
community and University leaders. Robertson said the role of the student regent was of particular importance. “I think it’s important to have the student perspective, and that’s really what the student regent provides,” he said. “I don’t know if students realize they have that voice. Now you have a student saying, as a student, this is how we see things.” Jody Cofer, academic program specialist and Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transgender coordinator, said the Board of Regents definitely has a direct impact on the University community. He said the board had a meaningful influence on him and the LGBT community especially. “Murray State has made a number of advancements on the LGBT front that would not have been possible without support from across the
tion fields, the Chamber is expected to thrive again. “Tim is an excellent leader and a good communicator,” Allison said. Being the chair-elect of the Chamber, Todd said he hopes to further the mission of the business school. He said even though many students leave Murray after graduation, he wants to promote jobs in the area for students through his position at the Chamber. Todd said he is hoping to push the Chamber even further this year by making it fully accredited – a goal the Chamber has listed among many others on its five-year initiative. Accreditation would not only benefit Murray and the surrounding area with another excellent honor, but would also reflect well upon the Col-
University’s administration, which obviously includes the Regents,” he said. “A great deal of organizing was done recently to educate the campus community on LGBT issues, which led to the board updating the institution’s nondiscrimination policy to include ‘sexual orientation.’” Cofer said, over the past few years, a campus effort to create a new Diversity Plan took place. During the fall of 2011, the board adopted the principles of it. The plan, set forth by the President’s Commission on Diversity and Inclusion, names the LGBT community among the various constituencies defined as underrepresented. Said Cofer: “I believe that these kinds of board decisions further the inclusive and affirming climate of Murray State for all of our students.” Contact Wilcox at cwilcox2 @murraystate.edu.
lege of Business, he said. Out of more than 7,000 chambers nationwide, only 223 chambers in the U.S. are accredited. Already being recognized as a Chamber of the Year gives Murray an edge in the extensive application process. That process, which is primarily based on a 200-page application, was followed by an interview in Louisville, Ky at the ACCE annual convention. Todd said he is focused on what judges told him and fellow representatives could be improved about the Chamber within the next few years. He said he wants to make sure the Chamber excels, while keeping Murray State in mind. Contact Gross at cgross2 @murraystate.edu.
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8A
The News August 31, 2012
August 31, 2012
Section B
The News
Football Preview
OUR TIME IS NOW RACERS SET SIGHTS ON 2012 SEASON
Kylie Townsend// The News
After a 7-4 record in 2011, the Racers hope to notch back-to-back winning seasons for the first time since 1999 and 2000. They will begin their campaign against No. 7 Florida St. Saturday.
Anticipation heightens as Racers prepare for opener Edward Marlowe Staff writer In October 2002, then-NFL Head Coach Herman Edwards had one important thing to say to reporters after a humbling 2-7 start to the New York Jets’ season. “You play to win the game,” Edwards said. “You don’t play to just play it. That’s the great thing about sports. You play to win, and I don’t care if you have any wins, you are going to play to win.” Head Coach Chris Hatcher and the Racers agree-at least with the winning. After going 6-5 in his inaugural season in 2010, Hatcher one-upped the record in 2011, going 7-4 as Murray State remained in FCS Playoff contention until the final weekend of the season. If the Racers can manage to put together another winning season, it will be the first time since the 1999 and 2000 seasons they’ve had back-to-back successes. After 11 long years of inconsistency, Racer fans are longing for Wins. With the addition of several FBS transfers in the past two years and the return of eight
multi-year starters on both sides of the ball for the 2012 season, pulling the hat trick with a third consecutive winning season is not out of the question. In fact, it’s a very real possibility. Leading the potent “Hatch Attack” offense will be preseason All-American and senior quarterback Casey Brockman, who after nearly three years as a starter has already surpassed multiple school and OVC passing records. The preseason All-OVC recipient passed for 3,276 yards with 25 touchdowns, nine interceptions and completed 66 percent of his passing attempts last season. Surrounding him is a myriad of talent as senior running back Duane Brady, senior wide receivers Ja-Vonta Trotter and Patrick Robertson, Ohio State transfer junior running back Jamaal Berry and Costa College transfer junior wide receiver Jordan Morrow create an offensive machine, giving defenses nightmares and Brockman a surplus of options in the passing game. On defense, preseason All-OVC defenders such as senior defensive end Kevin Robinson and junior linebacker Qua Huzzie are getting all
the attention. The entire starting secondary for the 2012 Racers are returnees. Junior cornerback Darrian Skinner, senior bandit Darius Buck, junior rover Brandon Wicks and senior cornerback Julian Whitehead should continue to negate the pass with authority. One of the Racers’ main obstacles, however, concerns the schedule. The team opens Saturday against FBS National Championship contenders, the Florida State University Seminoles, who are ranked No. 7 and powered by Heisman candidate E.J. Manuel and a nasty defensive line that allowed less than 90 yards per game rushing last season. It doesn’t get any easier, as the Racers start play at home against the Central Arkansas University Bears, who opened the season ranked No. 24 in the Sports Network Preseason Top 25. Later in the season, as OVC play begins, the Racers face two division rivals who are also looking for the conference crown: the No. 22 Jacksonville State Gamecocks and No. 18 Eastern Kentucky Colonels. Both teams have the talent to derail any hopes of a dominating season the Racers could muster. Fans like junior television production major Steve Peake, however, are expecting nothing but good things out of this year’s squad, and look forward to the coming games. “How could you stop the Racers on offense?” Peake asked. “Anything shy of 30 points a game would be shocking. This team will be a whole lot of fun to watch.” Here’s to hoping he’s right. Contact Marlowe at emarlowe @murraystate.edu
Star Players •Walter Payton
Casey Brockman
Award Candidate •OVC Preseason Offensive Player of the Year •Preseason AllAmerican
Quarterback
•CFPA Linebacker watch list •Preseason All-OVC Linebacker •2nd Team Preseason All-OVC Qua Huzzie Linebacker
The News
Football
2B
August 31, 2012
Racers visit Tallahassee, No. 7 Florida State Seminoles Jonathan Ferris Sports Editor The Murray State team has taken on some massive challenges to start their last few seasons. The Racers have played the likes of North Carolina State, Mississippi State, Wisconsin and Louisville to kick off past seasons. While these teams have gone on to enjoy great success in college football’s top division, none prove more daunting than the task facing Head Coach Chris Hatcher and company as they travel to Tallahassee to begin their 2012 campaign against the No. 7 Florida State Seminoles. Hatcher recognizes the vast difference between the Murray State and Florida State programs. “You know, unfortunately we’ve got to go in and play the seventh ranked team in the country,” Hatcher said. “Some experts are picking them to win the national championship at the BCS division and we’re the 26th ranked team at the FCS division, so there’s a little disparity there amongst the rankings.” To offensive coordinator Mitch Stewart, Florida State’s defensive line is the biggest challenge facing the Racers on Saturday. The Seminoles’ front four consists of three seniors and a junior, all of whom are projected by some experts as first round picks in the NFL draft. “I’ll be honest with you, we’ve got a bunch of (challenges), but probably the biggest challenge right now is their front four,” Stewart said. “Those
four can really go. Their Defensive line is as good of a D-line as I’ve ever seen. They’re athletic, they’re big and trying to find ways to at least give them something to think about is going to be a huge challenge for us.” Hatcher agreed with Stewart, echoing his cause for concern. While he believes the Racers’ skill players match up well, he recognizes the physical superiority of Florida State. “You know if we went down there and played seven on seven we’d be in the mix,” Hatcher said. “We could play four full quarters hands down. And I think we have a great offensive line that’s really well coached, but they’re going against four first round draft choices. We’re going to have to
throw the ball quick and run right at them because they’re big, athletic and fast.” For Hatcher, a trip to Florida State also means a return to the region where he began his career. Only 80 miles from Tallahassee lies Valdosta State, where Hatcher played before taking over the head coaching position and leading the Blazers to the 2004 national championship. However, Hatcher and his team did not agree to play the 7th ranked team in the country for his own personal nostalgia. Murray State traditionally plays a high profile team at the beginning of most seasons. Commonly referred to as “money games,” top teams will
often offer financial incentive, to entice teams from lower divisions to come play them in their home stadium for an easy warmup game to get their players acclimated before they get into their rigorous conference schedule. Hatcher is not shy in sharing one of the main reasons for Murray State’s agreement to play in Tallahassee. “The big thing is we want to make sure the check doesn’t bounce,” said a joking Hatcher. “You know that $ 450,000 check is important. Some of that money has already been spent on a renovated weight room and new headsets, so if the check bounces we will be in trouble.” All kidding aside, the Racers have a
Improved defense key to success Edward Marlowe Staff writer No matter how many times people say “defense wins championships,” fans rave about how the offense is looking for a team. It’s easy to get caught up in all of the glamour and large numbers involved with high-powered offenses like Head Coach Chris Hatcher’s famed scheme the “Hatch Attack,” which, when firing on all cylinders, runs with perfect efficiency and generally produces big plays in the passing game. Watching high-flying aerial attacks and flashy running games does seem more fun, as opposed to hard-nosed defenses deflecting passes, forcing fumbles and stuffing quarterbacks and running backs behind the line of scrimmage. However, for all the impressive plays from Hatcher and his spread offense, the Racer defense has steadily improved with each passing year and the coaching staff is taking notice. “We’ve got a lot more speed on defense and a lot more depth than we’ve had in the past, and that equates to being a better tackling defense,” Hatcher said. “All and all, this will be the best defensive unit we’ve put on the field in three years.” Along with returning eight defensive starters from the 2011 squad, the Racers procured some depth via transfers, including sophomore cornerback Cadarious Sanders and junior linebacker/defensive back Darrell Smith, during the offseason. Hatcher said he was pleased with their ability to absorb the playbook and move forward with practice. While the new transfers will certainly help solidify depth, it is the return of players such as junior linebacker Qua Huzzie, senior defensive end Kevin Robinson, junior rover Brandon Wicks and junior cornerback Darrian Skinner who
File Photo
The Racers hope to compliment a potent offense with a strong defense built on depth and speed. really turn a solid defense into a top-notch defense. Defensive coordinator Ashley Anders said as much, stressing how important it was to have players who not only knew the defensive game plan, but knew what it took to maintain focus and win tough collegiate games. “It’s guys that just have more playing experience as compared to the previous two years, guys like Qua Huzzie who took almost every snap last year and brings in game experience along with leadership qualities,” Anders said. “You look at the back end with Darrian Skinner and Brandon Wicks who is going to be a three-year starter, and they bring something that you can’t teach.” Both Huzzie and Robinson were selected as Preseason All-OVC defensive players, proving themselves last season as fierce,
unstoppable defenders who can make the big play at any moment. Huzzie finished last season with 80 tackles, 14 tackles for a loss, three sacks, four pass deflections, one quarterback pressure, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery, while Robinson led the OVC last season with seven sacks and finished the season with two fumbles and two fumble recoveries. One of the biggest issues going into the season, however, is the loss of senior linebacker Sam Small to a practice-related knee injury. Small led the Racers with 115 tackles last season and was poised to match those numbers this year. He is listed as day-to-day and is expected to be a vocal leader along the sideline until he can return to the field. Contact Marlowe at emarlowe @murraystate.eduu
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plan for Saturday’s game and they plan to make the best of their unique opportunity. “We’ll keep it simple and try to go out there and execute as best we can,” Hatcher said. “We’ve got to have some success early, and get some easy completions.” Some have expressed concern for the safety of the players due to the vast differences in size, speed and athleticism. Hatcher said he sees no additional cause for concern. “As far as getting hurt and things of that nature, I really believe you’ve got as good a chance to get hurt against an opponent of your level as you do at Florida State,” Hatcher said. “If it happens, it happens.” While the outcome may be uncertain, it is clear the Racers will not be happy with simply taking a trip to Tallahassee to collect a fat check. The team has a mission to accomplish just as in any other game. Though the matchup may not be favorable, Hatcher and his staff remains confident and excited to begin a new season. “There are very few times you get the opportunity for greatness, but if we go down there and shock the world, all of a sudden this program is changed and on the front of magazines and ESPN is talking about us,” Hatcher said. “We’re not asking our guys to go play 12 games against ACC opponents…we’re just asking ‘em to do it once. We go down there and play our best and anything can happen.” Contact Ferris at jferris2@ murraystate.edu
August 31, 2012
3B
The News
Sports
Sports Editor: Jonathan Ferris Assistant Editor: Jaci Kohn Phone: 809-4481 Twitter: MSUNewsSports
Golf
From the Bullpen Someone to look up to The Olympics have come and gone. Everyone heard about Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte, the USA women’s gymnastic team and basketball teams winning gold as well as the fastest man alive, Usain Bolt. However, another runner's story got my attention this year. He fascinated me and made me want to learn more. Maybe I'm Jaci Kohn wrong, but I feel like this story Assistant Sports was not told enough. This man, is Editor in my opinion, one of the greatest stories of faith, hope, strength and courage. I am in awe of him. When I watched him compete, I got goose bumps. The man I am talking about is Oscar Pistorius from Pretoria, South Africa. He competed in the 400m and the 4x400m race at the London Olympics, and he did so without legs. The crazy thing to me is that he almost didn't get to compete with the able-bodied athletes because they thought he had an unfair advantage because of his running blades. Crazy! Here is a little bit of history on the runner. I found this information on his website. Pistorius was born Nov. 22, 1986, without the fibula in both of his legs. As a result, the doctors amputated both his legs from the knee down. Pistorius grew up in an athletic family, so naturally he played many different sports. Rugby became his primary focus in high school. He shattered his knee in a rugby match and took up track for rehab. He found success in the sport and continued to compete even after returning to rugby. He continued to excell in track and gained the right to compete in the Paralympics for South Africa. In 2004 he won the gold in the 200m and bronze in the 100m. After the Paralympics he wanted to compete against able-bodied runners. He finished sixth in the 400m at the South African Championships. The Internatinal Association of Athletics Federations Golden Gala event at the Olympic Stadium in Rome on July 13, 2007, was the first time he competed internationally against able-bodied athletes. He finished second in the 400m “B” race with a time of 46.90 seconds. Because of his success people started believing that because the lower portion of his body is lighter than normal, he had an unfair advantage. It was also thought that his running blades made him run faster. In November 2007, Oscar was invited to take part in a series of scientific tests at the Cologne Sports University, after which the findings stated Pistorius was able to run as fast as the able-bodied runners without exerting as much energy. The study claimed his prosthetic gave him an unfair advantage. Because of these findings, he was banned from all able-bodied competitions by the IAAF. Pistorius challenged the report and took part in more tests to prove the earlier study wrong. These tests found that Pistorius was not bionic and his legs did not make the movements for him. After a hearing, his appeal upheld on May 16, 2008 and the IAAF council decision was revoked. He ran in different races in 2011 and posted three times under 46 seconds. On July 19 he recorded a personal best and an Olympic Games “A” standard qualification mark. He qualified for the 2012 Olympics in the individual 400m and also earned a spot on the 4x400 relay. He qualified for the semifinals with a time of 45.44 seconds. In the semifinal he had a slower time and ended up finishing eighth out of eight. Grenada athlete Kirani James, who went on to win the gold, approached Pistorius and asked to swap bibs. That, for me, was one of the most memorable moments in this Olympics. “The whole experience was mind-blowing,” Pistorius said on his website. “My aim was to make the semifinal. It's a dream come true. Kirani is a phenomenal athlete and it was a privilege to swap bibs with him, it’s what the Olympics spirit is all about.” He ran the anchor leg in the 4x400 and finished last in the Olympic final. I found this quote on his website and it just shows how athletes are supposed to be. “It's taught me a lot. I’ve been inspired by so many athletes. Just to have had that opportunity to step outside, I’m sure in a week I'm going to have the same emotions that I'm going to have in 40 or 50 years' time,” he said. He inspires me. I want to be better and try harder because of him. He did not let the fact that he did not have legs from the knee down have a negative impact on his life. Things could have turned out very different for him if he didn’t have such a great attitude and outlook on life. He is a hero, not because he broke barriers and competed with able-bodied athletes, but because he is a symbol of faith and believing in yourself. He knew he could compete against those athletes, and he did. He made it to an Olympic semifinal. This is hard for anybody to accomplish. You look at Penn State and all of the students crying because they lost a bunch of wins or all these different professional affiliations going on strike because millions of dollars is not enough for them. Then you see what Oscar Pistorius has accomplished. This is what sports are about. Loving a sport with all your heart and believing that you can do anything. I love being a sports reporter because I get to hear about athletes inspiring stories and tell an audience about them. What could be better? Contact Kohn at jkohn@murraystate.edu
Photos courtesy of Sports Information
Patrick Newcomb enters into his senior season after a succesful summer. Newcomb won both the Ketucky Amateur Championship (above) and the West Kentucky Open Chamioonship (right).
Golfer enjoys summer success Kyra Ledbetter Staff writer Earlier this year, after the Racers took home third place in the OVC tournament in April, just five shots behind Jacksonville State, junior golfer Patrick Newcomb took home gold of his own, winning OVC Golfer of the Year. At the time, Eddie Hunt, head coach of the Racers golf team, said Patrick had more confidence than any other player Hunt had ever coached. But for Newcomb, that confidence has been a hard fought battle he only recently feels he has won. Two months after the OVC season was over, Newcomb set out to defend his title in the Kentucky State Amateur just up the road in Benton, Ky. Despite his 2011 win in the same tournament, Newcomb felt saddled with a need to not only compete well, but to win again. “Being the defending champ, there’s always a little bit of nerves,” Newcomb said. “I’d been playing pretty well for about the last six months, so I went into the State Amateur playing really well. I went there and won, like I planned on doing. Mainly, though, winning it was just proving that the first time wasn't a fluke. I kind of got the feeling that some people thought I wasn’t the best player there, or that I was just crazy hot that week I won it the first time. I just wanted to prove that I deserved to be there.” Newcomb lead the pack in every round, eventually winning by four shots. Still, there were moments Newcomb said he wasn’t sure he could come out with a second win,
moments when he fell below his own expectations. “.Through the first six holes I just didn’t play well,” Newcomb said. “I was missing a lot of greens and I was still over par. I think on my seventh hole that day I holed out from the fairway and it catapulted me back. Everything I’d done, playing so well, came back to me.” After his win at the Kentucky State Amateur, Newcomb started play at his next tournament almost immediately, playing round one in Indiana for the late June Web.com Tour just days after his previous win. Fatigue in the 100-degree heat and a tougher field of competition left Newcomb in the dust and out of the tournament by his second round in Newburgh, Ind. Regardless, Newcomb said the tour gave him experience that would prove valuable as he pursues more challenging events. “When I got there it was really overwhelming, he said. “I was more of a spectator than I was a player. It was a good experience, though, and I learned a lot. It helped to jump me into the Southern Amateur.” In mid-July Newcomb competed in the Southern Amateur Championship in Little Rock, Ark. Newcomb steadily worked his way through the field, ending the first round in 57th place and finishing in 14th place. “I birdied four of six holes just to get into the Southern Amateur on a tough golf course," Newcomb said. "I thought I was out. When I got there, it was like all the pressure was off. I tried to play well and put myself in a position to win and I did a really well there. I was tied for fourth with four holes left
and ended up finishing 14th. I bogied three of my last four. It was kind of disappointed, but a top 15 finish isn't anything to be upset about.” In late July, just a few weeks after the Southern Amatuer, Newcomb qualified for the U.S. Amateur, making him the first Murray State golfer to qualify since his brother, 2010 graduate Nick Newcomb. With sibling rivalry fueling him, Newcomb made it to the round of 16, despite a disappointing performance in stroke play. However in the round of 16, Newcomb fell behind early, never managing to recover. “Until I got there I wanted to make match play, but thought if I don’t, I’m not that worried about it because I played so much this summer,” Newcomb said. “I got to the tournament and played badly in the first round. I had to birdie my last hole to get into playoffs. In the playoff the next morning I parred the first hole to get in. I was playing well, but I wasn’t hitting the ball as well as I can, and the big thing with me is my ball striking is usually the best part of my game and it just went away. When I went into match play I was just trying to hold on.” Still, his performance was impressive. Newcomb was one of only 14 collegiate golfers to make it to the round of 16 and better still, he performed well enough to best his brother's achievement in the U.S. Amateur. Newcomb will return to his team for the first match of the season Sept. 10 to play against Wasiota Winds Fall Kick Off in Pineville,Ky. Contact Ledbetter at kledbetter@ murraystate.edu.
Dance Team
Racer Girls bring spirit to home athletic events Carly Besser Staff writer It’s a strong tradition in the sporting world to have a squad dedicated to getting the fans pumped. Halftime shows are carried on with intricate routines, smiling faces and energy that can potentially drive a crowd wild, and sideline shows carry on throughout the game to the beat of the band. The atmosphere of a stadium has the power to either make or break the energy that can only be described as electric. At Murray State, the Racer Girls’ goal is to get fans out of their seats and create the atmosphere of which any sports fan would dream. “We like to get the crowd involved and have school spirit,” said former Racer Girl Captain Leah Kirchoff. “It’s also an opportunity for girls who danced in high school to dance again.” Though only considered a club sport, the Racer Girls are a regular part of the football and basketball season. The squad attends and performs at every home game in both sports. A single routine can take as long as two weeks to completely choreograph, memorize and execute
Photo courtesy of Racer Girls
The Racer Girls spend up to two weeks rehearsing their performance routines. at an event, Kirchoff said. The squad is student-run, with a captain and co-captain. There are no coaches or other staff involved. Kirchoff served as captain for three years, organizing fundraising events and making a steady budget on top of other duties. Kirchoff said fundraising is a very important part of being on the squad. The women are in charge of making enough money to pay for expensive uniforms and any props necessary for routines. While some fundraising techniques were typical pancake breakfasts and sponsorships,
some were unconventional. “The past three years, we had Racer One Bingo.” Kirchoff said. “There was a bingo grid on the side of the football field, and whichever square the Racer One horse pooped in, that person won $1,000. We enjoyed selling tickets to that.” Ladies must go through a tryout to see if they have what it takes to advance. Kirchoff said past experience is important as well as good stage presence. “You have to learn a sideline and dance and we see how well you perform them,” she said. “An ideal candidate is athletic, in shape and they have previous
dance experience with good showmanship. When we see two girls who are doing the same routine, we pick a girl who can actually perform instead of just do the dance with no emotion.” Once on the squad, a Racer Girl goes through conditioning at least five days a week and learns at least 16 routines by the end of the semester. Then, the dancing begins. “We usually have two-to-three hour practices at least three days a week.” Senior Captain Kaitlin Cash said. “There’s a lot of stretching, and reciting our sidelines and half time routines a few times until we’re ready.” The Racer Girls have been concrete in their structure of practice and scheduling, but one thing Cash is looking for in the new squad is camaraderie. “This year, me and the co-captain are really trying to make sure everyone becomes friends,” Cash said. “It’s really important in a team to have that bond, and we want all of our girls to have each others’ backs and help one another out.” The Racer Girls will make their fall debut at the first home game at 6 p.m. Sept. 8 as the Racers take on Central Arkansas. Contact Besser at cbesser@murraystate.edu.
WHAT’S
NEW SPORT
MEET RACERS
BAKING CONTEST
BIG RIVER
INSIDE
Students bring lacrosse to Murray State, 4B
3rd annual meet and greet biggest one yet, 5B
WKMS debuts new radio show, cookie contest, 7B
Playhouse in the Park opens new show this weekend, 8B
The News
Sports
4B
August 31, 2012
Club Sport
That’s What He Said
Lacrosse brings Ivy League flair to Murray State campus
Final fantasy football
Laura Kovarik Staff writer Senior Addison Price and freshman Lauren Trent have set wheels in motion to bring a bit of culture to Murray State with the introduction of a club lacrosse team. The sport of lacrosse is predominantly played in private schools around the country. “It’s a very Ivy League-type sport,” Price said. “It’s another thing we could do to promote ourselves as an Ivy League school.” Lacrosse is big in the North and the South and is an up-and-coming sport in Kentucky, Trent said. In fact, the closest professional lacrosse team is a mere four hours away in Louisville, Ky. Communication and team-building are important in the game of lacrosse. “I think it would bring more people together, because some people don’t know what lacrosse is,” Trent said. “It’s a great way to start a conversation and get involved on campus." Lacrosse originated as a Native American tradition, Trent said. Although it is not an Olympic sanctioned sport, it is becoming more popular on an international scale. Trent’s career in lacrosse started when she was in 6th grade and continued throughout her high school career. “I started thinking about starting a team last year, because as a senior in high school, I turned down college offers to play lacrosse,” Trent said. “I saw that Murray didn’t have a team, but I knew I still wanted to play.” A typical lacrosse team consists of 20 to 30 players, while 11 players and a goalie play the field. “It’s kind of set up like soccer,” Price said. “There is a frontline, mid-field and defense.” Price and Trent hope to begin building the foundation for a program now so that it can be expanded upon later. “I think in the future we would like to join a division,” Price said. “In the long run we would love for it to become an actual scholarship sport, but that is years down the road. It’s definitely going to be a lot of work to start, but I think it can be done.” Equipment and funding for the sport are
Kylie Townsend/The News
Senior Addison Price and freshman Lauren Trent bring the Ivy League sport of lacrosse to Murray. among the biggest challenges. Special equipment and goals are required. A lacrosse stick, protective gloves, protective goggles, mouth guards, and helmets are examples of some of the gear required. “I’ve been doing more of the business side of it,” Price said. “We are going to try to hit fundraising pretty hard and contact local and national businesses to help. We’ve contacted the Curris Center and are going to file for an organization status, after that we will file for club team status.” The team hopes to begin practicing this semester and begin playing full matches in the spring. Price and Trent created a facebook group called Murray State Lacrosse and welcome everyone to join. Contact Kovarik at lkovarik@murraystate.edu.
They say fantasy football is just Dungeons and Dragons for jocks. It’s also Dungeons and Dragons for people like me, who just so happen to enjoy the actual game of Dungeons and Dragons and the deep intricacies of football combined into one SUPER AWESOME EXPEEdward RIENCE. Marlowe Fantasy football is the Staff writer perfect mix of statistics, creativity, taking chances and studying player styles, all of which are similar skills and functions of the wildly popular table-top role playing game and the video games emulating similar game mechanics. For every die rolled to determine the outcome of a wizard, cleric or warrior, the same chances are taken in drafts, waiver-wire pickups and crafting the “perfect” fantasy team. Injuries, like bad dice rolls, are just an awful stroke of luck and can turn an awesome encounter into a wrecked fantasy season or awful D&D experience. It seems every time I talk about fantasy football, I call it Final Fantasy Football at least once in conversation. My mind is trying to tell me something. The Final Fantasy series, which is really just a digital version of D & D, has continued since the inception of the Nintendo Entertainment System. It requires players to create a mighty band of travelers with certain powers and conquer the evils of magical worlds and collect treasures untold. Fantasy football is no different. You assemble a team of players with certain powers who you think will do well in certain environments, conquer your opponents week in and week out as your band of merry men score points based on performance and then collect wins in hopes of challenging for the championship trophy and large sums of U.S. Dollar treasures at the end of the season. Since we’re talking about this and because I’m such a nice guy, I want to share with you three players who I think can help your team slay the enemy so you can collect your loot and stand victorious in your league. These are players who aren’t really getting much attention and could catch unsuspecting opponents off guard, as you should be able to get them in later rounds or even off of the waiver.
Don’t worry. You can thank me later with a cut of your winnings, or, at the very least, a swift high-five and some bro grabs. QB Matt Ryan, Atlanta Falcons (44.7 ADP) This may just be the year Ryan finally makes a major blip on the fantasy radar. Though he threw for 4,200 yards, 29 touchdowns and just 12 interceptions last season, he rarely gets the recognition he deserves. Generally the sixth quarterback to come off the board in most leagues this year, “Matty Ice” has the weapons to be really dangerous, especially as a value pick. Second-year pro Julio Jones has made defenses look pathetic in the offseason, and Roddy White is no slouch either as he led the team last year in receptions and has had a superb offseason. Throw in an aging Michael Turner, a passcatching Jacquizz Rodgers and the ageless Tony Gonzalez and you have a recipe for awesomesauce behind the Falcons signal caller who could be passing a lot more in a high-flying offense. RB BenJarv us Green-Ellis, Cincinnati Bengals (64.95 ADP) His name alone makes him cool enough to draft him. Aptly nicknamed “The Law Firm” for his sensationally hyphenated last name, Green-Ellis is primed to shoulder the load in Cincinnati, as Cedric Benson has left for “greener” pastures in Wisconsin and left the race for the backfield wide open for the Bengals. The Law Firm hasn’t fumbled once in his NFL career, and though he hasn’t had more than 200 carries in any season, it is still impressive to watch him protect the ball and gain yards . TE Jared Cook, Tennessee Titans (130.41 ADP) I know. You drafted him last year and expected big things.But instead, he decided to show you glimpses of his skill in some games, and completely disappear in others. Jake Locker, the second-year QB out of Washington, has been handed the keys to the offense this year in a hotly contested battle with incumbent Matthew Hasselbeck, and that means Cook’s value is on the rise. Enter Cook, whose blazing speed and ridiculous vertical leap make him a prime candidate to receive a lot of attention from the fast-learning Locker. Contact Marlowe at emarlowe @murraystate.edu.
Soccer
Racers look to gain experience in season opener Nick Dolan Contributing writer The Murray State soccer team had a disappointing open to its season, losing both games at home last weekend, Now the focus on gaining experience for young players and getting healthy. The Racers (0-2-0) faced off against Arkansas State (2-1-0) in game one of the home stand. However, an 87-minute goal by sophomore midfielder Jena Kelley broke the 0-0 tie and gave the Red Wolves their first road win. The goal was assisted by sophomore forward Christina Fink off a corner kick. Murray State possessed the ball well in the first half and played aggressive defense only giving up three shots. It seemed the Racers netted the first goal of the game halfway through the first but it was overturned due to offsides. Head Coach Beth Acreman said the team fought hard all game, but lack of depth and execution on offense was the difference. “I think it was a hard-fought 90-minute game, especially for us because we have limited subs,” Acreman said. “I think the girls worked hard; we just missed a couple of opportunities in the second half that we have to do a better job with.” Acreman said the Racers are relying on many young players to play significant minutes and be crucial pieces of the game plan early on. “My three center midfielders played all 90 minutes...and did a really nice job for us,” Acreman said. “Racheal Foxley(midfielder) and Tay-
lor Stevens(midfielder), they’re both freshmen and then Shauna Wicker(forward), those three really worked hard for us today.” Murray State took to the pitch again two days later against the Purple Aces of Evansville (1-20), and started five freshmen and a sixth came off the bench. The Racers competed well but gave up two goals within two minutes of each other in the first half and couldn’t recover. The first goal came in the 24th minute when freshman forward Kayla Smith found the back of the net for her first goal of the season. Senior forward Kristen Davis followed up quickly for the Purple Aces in the 26th minute with a goal assisted by freshman Abby Springer. Murray State gave up 10 shots in the first frame and 19 during the game. The Racers offense couldn’t break through the Purple Aces backfield, recording only three shots on goal for the game. Freshman defender Halle Pinkman said the lack of communication on defense led to the disappointing outcome. “There was a mix-up on defense and we lost our marks,” Pinkman said. “We want that W, that home win-but sadly we didn’t get it.” Acreman said she is disappointed with the results of the first two games but is happy with her team and the young players’ development. “I’m not pleased with the losses this weekend obviously, but I’m pleased with the way the girls are competing out there,” Acreman said. “It’s not easy out there; it’s not easy to play 90 minutes as freshmen, but at the end of the day they’re going
Brian Barron/The News
The Racers lost 0-1 to Arkansas State Friday, Aug. 24 and 0-2 to Evansville Saturday, Aug. 25. to get a ton of experience and probably appreciate this in the long run. We’ve given some congratulations to some freshmen today that have shown, come OVC time, they are going to be absolutely ready to go.” Sophomore midfielder Julie Mooney, leading goal scorer from last season, and captain Jenelle Cunningham are both sidelined due to injury.
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Acreman said Mooney is expected back by the end of September but there is no word on Cunningham. The Racers return to action today at 3 p.m. at Western Michigan and come back at 1 p.m. Sept. 9 at Cutchin Field to face Northern Kentucky. Contact Dolan at ndolan@murraystate.edu.
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Activity Week Sept. 4-7
4th: Noon - 2p.m. Curris Center HIV H IV and AIDs info table 7p.m. discussion 5th: Noon - 2p.m. Social Justice Table 6th: 7p.m. - 9p.m. Open Mic Night 7th: 7 p.m. - 9p.m. “Throw Back” (Childhood) TBA location email: btoney@murraystate.edu
The News
Sports
August 31, 2012
5B
Football
Community gathers to meet Racers Carly Besser Staff writer Saturday marked the third annual Racer Football Meet and Greet at Roy Stewart Stadium, a community outreach event hosted by the Racer football team. Crowds showed up as early as 10 a.m. to meet their favorite players, get autographs and bring their children to compete in the youth clinic. Country music filled the stadium while players threw footballs with children and parents alike, connecting with each fan. The clinic featured scrimmage games, inflatables for tackling and other activies. “It’s a good day for the community to come out and meet our players,” Head Coach Chris Hatcher said. “It gives youngsters an opportunity to learn some football skills and just have a good time. Hatcher said it is important to help the children in the community develop an interest in Murray State. “Hopefully, by the end of the day, we’ll have a few of these youngsters wanting to grow up and be Racers,” he said. Alongside the football team, Racer One made her first appearance of the fall season.
Kirstin Allen/The News
Above, defensive line coach Freddie Roach observes a training drill. Top right, Freshman Dayshaun Matlock runs a drill with a young Racer fan. Bottom right, Junior Duane Brady and Roach offer advice as a young player completes an exercise.
“Racer One is such an important tradition,” Gary Atkerson, stableman for Racer One, said. “It was important to bring her out here today to see fans. We’re also planning on making more appearances at soccer and baseball games. She’s a very social mare, and people love her.” Horse and rider walked alongside the track and posed for pictures with fans young and old. On the sidelines and around the track, the Racer Girls and Cheerleading squad were in uniform. “We were going to come and just hang around and have a good time.” Senior Racer Girls captain Kaitlin Cash said. “We’re also going to talk to some fans and take photos. It’s important for us to get in touch with the community and get kids involved in our program and Racer athletics.” This year was the most successful for the meet and greet, with the largest turnout in the history of the event. After the clinic ended, the seniors signed autographs for everyone. Free food and drinks were available as well. “It’s so exciting to see everyone here,” Cash said. “We have a great community that supports us.” Contact Besser at cbesser @murraystate.edu.
Volleyball
Improvement shown in spite of 0-3 weekend Lexy Gross Staff writer Volleyball head Coach David Schwepker never anticipated a perfect record going into the IPFW (Indiana University-Purdue University at Fort Wayne) Invitational in Fort Wayne, Ind. The team returned to Murray last weekend with an upsetting 0-3 record, but with signs of improvement for the rest of the season. After little preseason experience, both returning and new players fought through difficult matches. Although Schwepker would have preferred a first place title in the invitational, he stressed the importance of learning from mistakes. “We have the talent, it's just putting it all together,” Schwepker said. “In Racer Arena we don't get to see it. On the court their weaknesses show.” Murray State played IPFW in their first match and, after a 7-0 run by the Mastodons, lost in the third set 25-8. Saturday, the Racers played Kent State and Cleveland State competitively, but lost both games, placing Murray State fourth in the tournament. Freshman Kristen Besselsen, right side
hitter at Murray State, had the highest number of kills at seven out of 28 attempts against IPFW. Junior Michelle Lazorchak, middle blocker, had the best hitting percentage with four kills out of six attempts. IPFW’s strongest hitter, Emily Spencer, returned this year after ending last season with 455 total kills. Spencer had 13 kills out of 30 attempts against Murray State. The Racers returned to Gates Sports Center Saturday morning unshaken by their first loss of the season. Murray lost a hardfought match, falling short only three points in the second set and two in the third. Freshman Emily Schmahl had 15 kills out of 33 attempts and Lazorchak came back with six kills out of 13 attempts. Senior setter Lia Havili had 31 total assists, close to Kent State setter Aleksandra Nowak with 33 assists. Murray won their only set of the invitational against the 2011 Horizon League runners-up, Cleveland State. In the first set, Murray State led 9-3. The Vikings overcame the lead, and beat the Racers by six points. The Racers came back, beating Cleveland State 28-26 in the second set. The Vikings won the following two sets handing Murray State an 0-3 record overall.
The Racers had 50 total kills against Cleveland State resulting in a .170 hitting percentage. Besselsen was responsible for most of those kills, with 17 out of 52 attempts. Cleveland State came in first place at the invitational with a 3-0 record. IPFW came in second with their first loss of the season, and Kent State followed with a 1-2 tournament record. The Racers hit the road for the LaQuinta Inn and Suites Highlander Invitational in Radford, Va. on Friday, Aug. 30th. Murray State will face Radford, The Citadel and St. Francis (Pa). Saint Francis had a 10-21 record last season and The Citadel has a 0-3 record in the current season. At the invitational, Schwepker plans on running some changes in the rotation and offensive system. With just a few weeks left, he said working out the smaller kinks is what is truly important. The Racers will face Cleveland State again Sept. 15 at the West Virginia University Blue and Gold Classic in Morgantown, WVa. Murray State will play their first conference game at 7 p.m. Sept. 21 at home. Contact Gross atcgross2 @murraystate.edu.
Photo courtesy of Sports Information
Senior setter Lia Havili from Haltom City, Texas, sets the ball in the season opener against IPFW.
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August 31, 2012
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Features
Features Editor: Anna Taylor Assistant Editor: Savannah Sawyer Phone: 809-5871 Twitter: MSUNewsFeatures
Murray State celebrates Through the Years
Senate Bill 14 is taken to the House of Representatives
1923 1923
The first building on campus is completednow Wrather Museu m
1930 1930
The school’s first library, Pogue Library opens
1948
Murray State College achieves University status
1967 1967 The new student center, the Curris Center, opens
1996 1996
The Regional Special Events Center opens
2005 2005 Clark College is rebuilt
2009
The RSEC changes its name to the CFSB Center
90
years
1922 1922 Murray State Normal School officially opens
1924 1924
Murray State Normal School and Teachers College becomes Murray State Teachers College
1931 1931 Murray State Teachers College is renamed Murray State College
1966 1966 The Nursing Building is constructed
1981 President Kern Alexander guides Murray State to begin a Residential College System
The Past It was around this time 90 years ago the city of Murray was being considered for the site of a new Normal School, or a school for the training of teachers. Through the guidance of Rainey T. Wells and the help of the county’s fundraising, what is now known as Murray State University was created.
On March 8, 1922, Governor Edwin Morrow signed Senate Bill 14 to establish two Normal Schools in the state of Kentucky. One school was set to be in the western side of the state and another in the eastern side. There were ten cities throughout the Jackson Purchase that were competing for the western Normal School: Benton, Paducah, Murray, Mayfield, Clinton, Henderson, Hopkinsville, Morganfield, Owensboro and Princeton. The people of Calloway County, with the direction of Wells, launched a campaign to raise at least $100,000 to make a bid for the school. By the end of March, the money had been raised from more than 1,100 contributions. At a formal presentation between the 10 interested cities, Wells spoke in behalf of Murray. After his presentation, he laid down two checks, each for $50,000. “It’s not what the people of Murray have promised to do but what they have already done that counts,”
he said affirmatively. It was discovered after the presentation that an additional $16,000 would need to be raised for the bid, so the people of Calloway County and Murray joined together once more and raised the funds for the new school. On Friday, Sept. 1, 1922, Murray was officially chosen as the home for the Western State Normal School and Morehead for the Eastern State Normal School. Western State Normal School was later named Murray State Normal School and officially opened Sept. 24, 1923. The school consisted of four rooms and an auditorium and was located on the first floor of the brand new Murray High School, which is Murray Middle School today. By the end of its opening day, 87 students were enrolled and six classes were filled.
The Present Since then, 90 years have passed and that normal school underwent a name change or two. With more than 10,600 students and 120 degree programs, according to the 2011-12 Murray State Fact Book, the University is currently comprised of 74 major buildings and two libraries. Both Murray State and the city of Murray were recently awarded national honors for the accomplishments and work put into the college and city throughout the years. The Chronicle of Higher Education named Murray State a “Great College to Work For,” USA Today Travel named the city of Murray as the “Friendliest Small Town in America,” and Forbes considered Murray State in the “Top 100 Best Buy Colleges.” Forbes also listed Murray State as one of “America’s Top Colleges.” Along with its national recognitions, Murray State and its students have many annual traditions that make it unique from any other University. Some of these traditions include the shoe tree, Great Beginnings, Tent City, Campus Lights, All Campus Sing, midnight breakfast, homecoming and Racer 1’s celebratory lap around the football field during games. Murray State was also one of the first colleges to have a residential college system, making its students closer than those at other Universities.
1998 1998 Alexander Hall is completed
2008 2008 J. H. Richmond College is rebuilt
The Future What can be expected to come for Murray State in the next 20, 40, or even just 10 years to come? Maybe a new library and more renovated dormitories will be on campus. Perhaps 12,000-plus students will be enrolled at one time. Maybe Racer basketball and other University sports teams will make several more NCAA memories. Whatever there is to come in its future, Murray State will always have its unique history and a special campus to add to it.
2010 2010
What’s in a name? Alexander Hall Completed just seven years ago, this Education building was named after Dr. Kern Alexander, Murray State’s ninth president and the founder of its residential college system. Carr Health This building is the home of Racer Arena and was built in 1937. It was named after Murray State’s first president, John Carr. Curris Center At the center of campus, the Curris Center is home to the University Store, the Curris Center Theater and various dining venues. This building took the name of Murray State’s youngest president, Constantine W. Curris.
This September marks the anniversary for Murray State. In celebration of the special occurrence, Town and Gown is hosting an event at 6 p.m. on Sept. 6 in the Quad, weather permitting. “We’re going to celebrate pretty much the first decade of the campus,” Mark Welch, director of community relations and public information, said. “What I wanted to do was to talk about the original campus. The original campus was just right around the quad.” During this event, faculty members will help educate students about some of Murray State’s oldest history and even some familiar historic figures. “We’ll do short presentations about the history of Wrather, Wilson, Wells, Lovett and Pogue,” Wells said. “We’ll talk about Oakhurst, which existed prior to the campus getting constructed. It was constructed in 1917 and 1918. It was Rainey (Wells)’s home.” To go along with this event, students, faculty members, alumni and Racer fans in general can submit their favorite memories, photos and stories to Murray State’s 90th Anniversary website, murraystate.edu/90th. Tony Powell, Murray State’s web manager, created the web pages as another way to honor the special year. The website will remain online throughout the entire school year. “It’s the same kind of idea as the ‘Where Do You Blue and Gold blog’,” Powell said, “except we want people to send in their Murray State pictures, and stories and things and I’ll post them on this website for a year.” To submit entries, interested students can do so through the website, murraystate.edu/90th. “There aren’t any specific things I’m looking for, just Murray State-related (content),” Powell said. “Whether it’s ballgames or trips or supper one night or whatever, the more personal (the content), the better.”
Information and story by Anna Taylor, Features Editor. Photos and graphics courtesy of Murray State University archives.
Cutchin Field Carlisle Cutchin was Murray State’s first football and basketball coach. What was once Cutchin Stadium is now the intramural fields. Cutchin Field, located next to the Bennie Purcell tennis courts, is now home to Murray State soccer and “Take Back the Night.” Lovett Auditorium Named after Laurine Wells Lovett, Rainey T. Wells’ daughter, this auditorium was built in 1928. It’s known for its unusually large stage, which was once used as a basketball court. It is now the home of Campus Lights, among many other campus activities and shows. It seats approximately 3,000 and has been the location of many weddings.
Price Doyle Fine Arts The Fine Arts center was finished at a cost of $105,091 and was renovated in 1997. Price “Pop” Doyle was a professor of music and head of the department of fine arts. Wells Hall Named after Rainey T. Wells, Murray State’s founder and second president, this building currently houses student health services and the President’s office. Woods Hall What was once a dormitory for women, Woods Hall is now used for International Programs. It was named after Ralph H. Woods, Murray State’s fourth and longest serving president.
Wilson Hall Being the second oldest building on campus, Wilson Hall was named after James F. Wilson, one of Murray State’s first Board of Regents members. Wrather Museum Originally known as the Administration Building, the building was later renamed in honor of M. O. Wrather, an Executive Vice President of Murray State in 1968. It once housed the president’s office, a cafeteria, a library, a bookstore, duplicating services, a chapel, classrooms and laboratories.
The News
Features
August 31, 2012
7B
Shannon MacAllister Contributing writer WKMS, Murray State’s nonprofit radio station, will be debuting a new conversation program titled “Sounds Good” on Sept. 4. The new program will feature Tracy Ross, Murray State alumnus, as well as the music of many legacy artists such as Bob Dylan, Willie Nelson, Bruce Springsteen and Neil Young. The program will also be interspersed with interviews of local government officials, public figures and community leaders. “This show is really connecting the dots of all of the music that we feature on our station,” said Kate Lochte, station manager. “We want it to become a welcoming place for people to just tell their stories.” Ross has been a longtime member of the WKMS staff. He also hosts the radio show “Beyond the Edge.” Ross has a passion for music and radio, and is hoping the station can revive a more conversational tone with “Sounds Good.” He will also periodically have other members of the WKMS staff on his show as he interviews musicians and local community members. “We’ve seen a lot of enthusiasm for this range of music on other WKMS programs that feature some of the same artists,” Ross said. “‘Sounds Good’ gives us time to relax with the music and regional
conversation in the stream of our distinguished national weekday programs.” In an effort to stimulate interest and raise awareness about its new program, WKMS will host a baking contest entitled “Cookies Sound Good.” The winner will be featured on the debut of “Sounds Good.” “The show is called ‘Sounds Good,’ so we were just brainstorming things that sounded good,” Lochte said. “I actually got onto Facebook and asked everyone for things that sounded good. We got a variety of things such as, ‘the sound of an ice cube dropping back into the glass after you’ve taken a drink,’ ‘the sound of a baby laughing upstairs,’ or ‘the sound of a crackling fire on a crisp fall day.’” Lochte said they decided on cookies because they wanted to engage their audience in activities and thought the baked goods would be a fun way for people to be involved. Those selected as the top five finalists will be asked to participate in a cookie bake-off in the food preparatory labs of the nutrition, dietetics, and food management departments on campus. They must bring their own ingredients, utensils and cookware to prepare their recipe. The cookies will be judged by Kathy Timmons, director of nutrition, dietetics and food management program, MSU, Anne Newberry, di-
Mentoring program begins this semester Becca Schimmel Contributing writer Striving Toward a Noble Destiny, or S.T.A.N.D., is a male mentoring program debuting this se-
rector of Food Services, Murray County Calloway Hospital, Cadelia Tu r p i n , clinical dietician. They w i l l judge a c cording to the following criteria: prettiest and tasty, tastiest with conventional i n g re d i e n t s , tastiest with unusual ingredients, easiest and tasty and healthiest and tasty. Elements Home and Gifts in Murray will be giving away $450 in gift certificates to be redeemed by the top three selected participants. In addition, all of the top-five finalists will be awarded a signed copy of “Summertime Grilling Guide from the Splendid Table” by Lynne Rossetto Kasper and Sally Swift. To enter the contest, one must first select a cookie recipe that is meaningful to them and explain the significance of the recipe in 250 words or more.
mester to help guide middle school boys. The program, which is associated with the Murray State Women's Center, was inspired by G.R.O.W., a girls mentoring program that is also associated with the center. “After 10 years of the successful G.R.O.W. program at the Murray State Women's Center, Jane Etheridge, former director of the Women's Center, in the fall of last year started to think of how she could help the same middle schools with the exception of helping boys rather than girls,” said Chris Mahan, sophomore from Murray. Mahan is a coordinator for S.T.A.N.D. He and the Women’s Center have been working on this program since last year. “We advertised an informative meeting for any students interested at the end of last semester and did not have a big turnout,” Mickey Garrison, guidance counselor at Calloway County Schools said. Garrison said the mentors will act as big brothers to the middle school boys. S.T.A.N.D. is designed to assist with the personal, social and academic needs of the boys within the program. The bigs and littiels of S.T.A.N.D. will meet weekly. They will participate in activities to get to
Ev an W Th ats e N on ew / s
WKMS debuts new program, baking contest
Lochte said the meaning could be something as simple as having been a childhood favorite, or something as complex as having been a secret recipe passed down for generations. All participants must email their recipe and story to msu.wkms@ murraystate.edu by Monday with “Cookie Contest” in the subject line. They can also mail the entry to Cookie Contest, WKMS, 2018 University Station, Murray, KY, 42071. Contact MacAllister at smacallister@murraystate.edu.
know an work with each other better. “The events for the boys will focus on positive outdoor activities. We’ve discussed rock climbing, hiking, various sports, fishing, etc.,” Garrison said. According to Mahan, S.T.A.N.D. aims to provide middle school boys with positive role models, develop good decision making skills, build confidence and promote teamwork among participants and to teach healthy gender relationships. “We match man to young man on a one to one ratio,” Mahan said. “This is what separates us from boys to men and other similar organizations. We feel that the young men will gain something with one to one bonding.” S.T.A.N.D. will provide students with a leadership opportunity on campus. To be considered for a mentoring position, students must be younger than 25, have and keep a 2.5 GPA and be of at least sophomore status. There is no fee to be a part of the program. Students that are in the undergraduate program as well as the graduate program can participate. Ten to twelve people will be selected to start the training program. Contact Schimmel at rschimmel@ murraystate.edu.
Out This Week See It
Friday, Sept. 7 “The Words” starring Bradley Cooper and Zoe Saldana is about an author (played by Cooper) who finds a journal and publishes it and plays it off as his own. Turns out the orignal author recognizes his work and the rest is self-explanatory.
Rent It
Tuesday, Sept. 4 Season eight of “Grey’s Anatomy” took anyone watching on a wild ride. From the ups and downs of relationships to the fifth year residents searching for a new hospital and, spoiler alert, the death of a few hospital residents. Watch it now be fore the next season starts up.
Hear It
Tuesday, Sept. 4
Melissa Etheridge will release her 14th studio album, “4th Street Feeling” on Tuesday. This will be her first album since last year’s album “Icon.” Her new album, created by I sland Records, features 15 unique tracks and will be released on both CD and vinyl.
Read It
Tuesday, Sept. 4 Author Mitch Albom will release his latest novel “The Time Keeper” on Tuesday. The book tells the fictional story of the man who first counted the hours and invented the clock.
Photos courtesy of Amazon.com.
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The age of worry Leaving home always proves to be difficult for me. In the 22 years of my life, I have only been away from home for the equivalent of one school year. As I am writing this, I am in the Savannah room of the home I Sawyer grew up in on the Assistant last full day I’ll have Features Editor here for a while. By the time I finish this, school will have been in session for a week and I’ll be back in Murray, in a room where new memories will be formed. It’s such a bittersweet feeling, leaving home. I can’t wait to get back to Murray State and see all the people I haven’t seen over the last three months. I can’t wait to be on my own again. But I’ll miss things about home, too. I’ll miss my puppy and of course my parents and my friends from home, because these are the people who have shaped me into who I am today. It was my parents who were persistent with Friday night pizza dinners with our neighborhood friends, where anything from Neil Young to Hootie and the Blowfish and everything inbetween would play through the speakers. My father originally sparked my interest in music and still does. All the artists we listened to when I was younger I still listen to today. He’s also impacted my taste in music by introducing me to bands such as Monsters of Folk My friend Jamie influenced my record collection. A few years back I would be at her apartment and the first thing we would do was put on a record. My vinyl collection is nearing 200 while my wallet is quickly depleting, thanks to her. It was my friend Ashley’s love for acting and movies that made my movie collection grow and grow. From the classics like “Singing in the Rain” or “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” to the hours we spent together watching “Hairspray,” I think she’s influenced my taste in movies more than she’s realized. My mother encouraged me to read and, in turn, developed my love for books. I can still remember the first book I bought, “Ginger Pye” by Eleanor Estes. She has introduced me to some of my favorite authors such as Jodi Picoult as well as some of my other favorite books like “I’m with the Band.” My best friend Alex fed my unhealthy obsession for television. It seems like every summer there’s a new show we watch together. A few years ago it was, “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation,” then it was “The O.C.,” then it was “Friday Night Lights;” the list goes on and on. This summer we accomplished the feat of rewatching the entire series of “Gilmore Girls” (yes, we love television so much we rewatch shows too). My sister Amanda helped me to develop my love for fashion. While she seems to think I steal not only her clothes but her style as well, I like to think I take it and make it my own. But I must admit before things like patterns, shoes and dresses interested me, I had no sense of fashion. Don’t even get me started on shoes, they’re my weakness. Everyone likes to think they are an individual, like there’s no one else like them. When you break it down, you start to see that the most important people in your life are the ones that will continue to influence you Contact Sawyer at ssawyer@ murraystate.edu.
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8B
August 31, 2012
Playhouse in the Park premieres new season Maddie Mucci Contributing writer The newest chapter in Playhouse in the Parkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 2012 season premieres tonight. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Big River,â&#x20AC;? a musical by William Hauptman and Roger Williams, will show on Fridays and Saturdays at 7 p.m. and on Sunday at 2:30 p.m.starting today through Sept. 16 at Playhouse in the Park. â&#x20AC;&#x153;(Big River) takes place in the late 1800s, and it is about (Huck Finnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s) adventure with a runaway slave named Jim. Huck runs away to get away from his father, and Jim runs away to gain his freedom and they kind of accidentally meet up. They get on a raft to head down the river, so it is about the adventures of that and all the issues of that time,â&#x20AC;? Lisa Cope, director, said. The theater found the musical was not as wellknown as they may have thought. â&#x20AC;&#x153;They may not recognize the name,â&#x20AC;? Cope said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;If you say â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Big Riverâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve found that to be true, but if you say â&#x20AC;&#x153;Huck Finnâ&#x20AC;? of course everybody knows that. So, the committee agreed that itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a good fit. I think everybody is going to like it.â&#x20AC;? The small community theater plans approximately six main stage shows each season, and opens the auditions for anyone in the community. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We advertised the auditions, and thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the beauty of community theater â&#x20AC;&#x201D; anybody who wants to can audition,â&#x20AC;? Cope said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I always say that thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a spot for everybody in community theater. It may not be on the stage for this particular show, but there are so many things that have to be done, so certainly everybody can find something theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re interested in.â&#x20AC;? There were several Murray State students who took advantage of the open auditions. Michael Martin, senior from Florissant, Mo., received the lead role of Jim, an escaped slave. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I music directed a show this past spring at Playhouse, and I noticed that also in their season they were doing â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Big Riverâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; and it was one of my dream roles to play Jim,â&#x20AC;? Martin said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a great role for an African-American actor, and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s just something Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve always wanted to do. I was lucky enough to get cast as Jim, and Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been working on it ever since.â&#x20AC;? The role of Jim is different from other roles Martin has previously had. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This show is very different because this is the first role Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve played in my life, not even just in Murray, that is race specific,â&#x20AC;? Martin said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Which is really cool, and also kind of tough because itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s race specific to a different time that Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m not from, obviously.â&#x20AC;? Martin said he has enjoyed the process of learning to portray the race-specific role in a historically accurate way. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t act like a slave in my everyday life, so to put myself in that role and get that mentality was a little tough,â&#x20AC;? Martin said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I had to do a lit-
tle research, but itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s been great. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s an empowering role, and it makes you feel great to go back there and feel what your ancestors felt. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s just been a lot of fun. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve learned a lot about myself and about the times.â&#x20AC;? For about six weeks after auditions for â&#x20AC;&#x153;Big Riverâ&#x20AC;? the cast rehearsed four times weekly. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The biggest challenge for me has been the dialect â&#x20AC;&#x201D; having to emulate a slave,â&#x20AC;? Martin said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;You know the language that he uses â&#x20AC;&#x201D; his tone â&#x20AC;&#x201D; is a little bit darker, and his consonants arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t as precise. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s all been a work in progress, I havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t gotten completely comfortable with it until about (two weeks before the show) Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been working hard every day seeing what works and what doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t work.â&#x20AC;? Although the characteristics of Martinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s role were a priority and challenge to him, Cope had much more to deal with throughout the musicalâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s process. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Because itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a musical we learned all the music first, so we started that right away and they worked on that for a couple weeks,â&#x20AC;? Cope said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;So, two weeks of music rehearsal and then we started blocking and piecing it all together. Of course, that whole time thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s going on, from day one, your costumers are working, your set designers are working, so all of that stuff is going on behind the scenes exactly at that time youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re trying to put the show together.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;Big Riverâ&#x20AC;? rehearsals followed the typical process of piecing together a musical, however, the size of the show is atypical for Playhouse in the Park. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a big cast â&#x20AC;&#x201D; there are 42, which is huge for us,â&#x20AC;? Cope said. Not only is the cast bigger than usual, but the age range is as diverse as Murray State on Family Weekend. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We have folks from age seven through senior adults,â&#x20AC;? Cope said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;So, pick an age and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s represented! We have young kids, we have young teenagers â&#x20AC;&#x201D; preteens, we have a big group of teenagers, we have several adults, and like I said we have seniors.â&#x20AC;? With the 42 cast members, numerous production members and a live band, the seats are expected to be filled with family members and friends, Cope said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;If you havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t been then I definitely think you ought to come check us out, and if you have been then you know the quality of what youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re going to get,â&#x20AC;? Cope said. Tickets for â&#x20AC;&#x153;Big Riverâ&#x20AC;? can be purchased online at playhouseinthepark.net, at the door, or by calling the box office at 270-759-1752. Tickets cost $8 for children (12 and under), $9 for students, $10 for seniors and $11 for adults. For 10 or more, groups also get a $2 discount on tickets. Contact Mucci at mmucci@murraystate.edu.
Photos by Tara Martin/Contributing photographer
The actors of Playhouse in the Park will open their show â&#x20AC;&#x153;Big Riverâ&#x20AC;? tonight. The musical tell the story of Huckleberry Finn and the adventure he takes with a runaway slave.
Campus art galleries offer creative outlet to students Savannah Sawyer Assistant Features Editor Murray State not only houses many student artists but it is also a wonderful outlet for aspiring artists who are eager to have more inside exposure. New director of University galleries, Colin Nisbit has the job of finding different artists to feature in each gallery. The schedules are made a year in advance. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The problem, though, is that you canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t burn any bridges,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;All the artists Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m selecting for next year are friends or friends of friends so it gets a little complicated if youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re hard to get along with.â&#x20AC;? Last Friday, three artists were featured in the two galleries on campus. The Clara M. Eagle Gallery, which is located in the Doyle Fine Arts Center, featured the work of artist Benjamin Rogers and an exhibit called â&#x20AC;&#x153;Esther Randall: Sculptures and Prints,â&#x20AC;? by artist Esther Randall. Rogers was at the event from 5-8 p.m. and began by talking about his work featured in â&#x20AC;&#x153;Into the World,â&#x20AC;? which also displays work from artist David Carpenter. Rogers graduated from Arizona State University in 2011 with a M.F.A. in painting and is presently a professor at Northern Kentucky University. Along with the artwork, there are also refreshments at gallery openings. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s food and we have a party; thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s music,â&#x20AC;? Nesbit said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the only op you have to interact with the artist.â&#x20AC;?
Brian Barron/Contributing photographer
Artist Cody Arnall has his work displayed through Sept. 28 in the Curris Center Gallery. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s also a great place for students to get constructive criticism for their work from real artists who inspire them. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s really important in the art world to have to be nice to everybody,â&#x20AC;? Nisbit said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not this bitter jerky thing that everyone thinks it can be.â&#x20AC;? Although Rogersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; work was in the gallery last week only, there are still artists featured in both galleries on campus.
In the Clara M. Eagle Gallery, artist Esther Randall will feature her exhibition, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Esther Randall: Sculptures and Prints,â&#x20AC;? which displays figures in bronze and welded steel. The figurines will be on display until Sept. 28. Fossilized parts such as teeth and bones inspired Randallâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s work. The exhibit will also include a series of digital landscape prints Randall calls â&#x20AC;&#x153;sCapes.â&#x20AC;? She does these digital prints by studying the images
of the grounds left over in the bottom of an empty coffee mug. Randall has been praised many times for her work and received the Kentucky Foundation for Women grant in 2007. She is currently the art director at the Giles Gallery located at Eastern Kentucky University. Another gallery on campus is the Curris Center Gallery, which currently holds an exhibit by artist Cody Arnall called, â&#x20AC;&#x153;An Unlevel Level: An Exhibition of Recent Sculptures and Drawings.â&#x20AC;? This gallery will house his work also through Sept. 28. Arnall said he likes to construct his work with the materials which are around him and readily available. Arnall graduated from Louisiana State University and has had exhibits in places near and far from home, going as far as Ireland. The art department also has several artists coming up. Their next event will be the Art Hop, organized by the Murray Art Guild, which features work from from various artists at the Global Materix III, an International Print Exhibition. The work in this show will feature artists from all over the world. All of these exhibits are opportunities for students to make connections. Nesbit said networking is important in the art industry. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Since weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re a little isolated here itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hard for art students to meet people and make connections,â&#x20AC;? Nesbit said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;So to be able to meet artists and get to know them is one of the few opportunities theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re going to have.â&#x20AC;? Contact Sawyer at ssawyer@murraystate.edu.
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