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Homecoming Loss: Racers fall one touchdown short of UT Martin
The Murray State News TheNews.org
October 19, 2012
Vol. 88, No. 10
Jackson pleads guilty Jonathan Ferris || Sports Editor jferris2@murraystate.edu
t r a m S
see WALKER, 3A
see JACKSON, 3A
Photo illustration by Evan Watson/The News
strong enough to convict Walker, who allegedly forged letters at the start of the first investigation that mislead police. Of course, Blankenship said, the jury would have to ignore Walker’s standing in the community and rely on evidence alone. “Walker injected himself into the investigation,” Blankenship said. “He intentionally deceived the police and permanently damaged the case.” Those letters were what led the prosecution to believe Walker was behind the ‘98 fire. He said when the po-
Murray State men’s basketball guard Zay Jackson pleaded guilty to two counts of wanton endangerment after striking a couple with his car last month, following a verbal altercation in the Walmart parking lot in Murray. Lessened from the original two counts of second-degree assault, a plea deal was reached and Jackson was sentenced to 30 days in jail. He will serve his time on weekends so he can keep up with his classes. In addition to the jail sentence, Jackson, sophomore from Hammond, La., will serve 30 days of community service, attend Jackson anger management classes, pay restitution and submit a letter of apology to the two victims, Jason and Alia Clemont, of Paducah, Ky. He will also surrender his driving privileges for 30 days with exceptions to attend classes, anger management sessions, travel to and from jail and participate in community service obligations. Both victims and Commonwealth Attorney Mark Blankenship approved the plea agreement. “He’s a first-time offender, and I think we treated him like we would any other Murray State student who was a first-time offender,” Blankenship said. “He’d fail if he missed too many (classes), so he’ll serve his jail time on weekends. Also, with his community service, we’re hoping we can get him to use a video of the incident and say, ‘Hey, look what I did – you can’t act like this.’” The up-and-coming basketball star has been suspended from all men’s basketball team activities for more than a month. After averaging 4.9 points per game as a freshman during last year’s 31-2 season for the Racers, Jackson was expected to play a larger role this season, including starting alongside fellow guard Isaiah Canaan. There is no official word on further punishments from the athletic department, however Athletic Director Allen Ward confirmed Jackson would remain on the team this season,
Not a good fit Dunn withdraws from Missouri State race for new president Austin Ramsey || Editor-in-Chief aramsey5@murraystate.edu
President Randy Dunn withdrew his candidacy for president at Missouri State University Monday. In a media statement he released that afternoon, Dunn said he made his decision with his wife Ronda after last weekend’s Homecoming activities, where he was met with what he called “ongoing statements of support and encouragement” from alumni, donors, friends and community members. Dunn’s move came only hours before a Missouri State Board of Governors meeting Monday evening
Prosecution says Walker case likely to stay cold
in which the nine-member board was expected to deliberate over Dunn and Clifton Smart III. Smart, the interim Missouri State president and second finalist for the university’s 11th president spot, was instead immediately instated Tuesday morning. Smart was a strong internal candidate from the start – something Dunn alluded to in Monday’s release. He had been serving as Missouri State’s interim president for more than a year after the university’s 10th president, James Cofer Sr., stepped down to return to the faculty in 2011. Dunn said he had looked forward to taking on the
Chris Wilcox || News Editor manderson22@murraystate.edu
Circuit Judge Dennis Foust issued a ruling on Oct. 12, refusing the motion to dismiss six tampering charges against Jerry Wayne Walker Jr. Walker, a Paducah man who was tried twice for the fatal Hester College dorm fire in 1998, has been charged with all six felony counts of tampering in that same investigation. Commonwealth Attorney Mark Blankenship filed the new charges. Blankenship said he attempted to merge the tampering charges with
Dunn
challenges of heightening the Missouri State profile to an expanded audience, but the overwhelming support he and his wife received at Homecoming, coupled with a perceived lack of support in Missouri, led him to the decision to step out of the running. He mentioned statements, reports and editorial commentary that gave him the impression
see DUNN, 3A
the allegations brought against the defendant earlier in the year, but the defense did not want the cases to conflict. Blankenship brought the tampering charges against Walker following a Marshall County jury acquittal over the summer on charges related to the death of Michael Minger in Hester College. “Guilty or not guilty, the trial for the death of the student is over,” he said. “It doesn’t necessarily mean he’s innocent, it just means we can’t try him again.” Blankenship said the evidence was
Candidates struggle for undecided voters Staff Report
Austin Ramsey/The News
HOMECOMING FUN AND FOOD: Associate Professor of German Reika Ebert pulls a traditional German bratwurst from a cooker at the department of modern languages and International Cultures and Languages Association shared tent at the annual Homecoming Tent City last weekend.
The president and his Republican challenger battled over domestic and foreign policy Tuesday night in an attempt to sway undecided voters. President Barack Obama and Gov. Mitt Romney challenged each other on a variety of topics in the second presidential debate. Hofstra University in Hempstead, N.Y., hosted the contest, which gave undecided voters the opportunity to ask questions in a traditional town hall format. Candy Crowley, CNN chief political correspondent, moderated the sometimes heated Tuesday night debate. From the start, Obama accused Romney of favoring the rich and challenged him on his economic and energy policies. The governor presented a different plan every time he spoke, he said. Romney countered, saying the president’s policies had failed to fix the economy and his energy policy had only
Election 2012 worsened the nation’s ever-rising debt. The candidates disagreed on taxes, immigration, deficit reduction measures, energy production and women’s equality. Romney told the audience if they voted for Obama they knew what would happen. “You’ll get a repeat of the last four years,” he said. “Obama is a great speaker, but, in effect, is a failure as a president in delivering prosperity for the middle class.” He said the president’s No. 1 issue – an economy in fast decline – was present when he entered the White House and the Democratic president had only made things worse. The two briefly discussed Obama’s immediate response to the terrorist attack on a U.S. ambassador and three American diplomats in Libya. Romney said Obama had confused Americans about the na-
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Non-student urges end to costly Runners ready for anticipated Afghan war, 5A OVC Championship meet, 4B
CROSS COUNTRY
ture of the attack. Obama said there was no confusion in what he said the day after the attack. “The suggestion that anybody on my team, the secretary of State, our U.N. ambassador, anybody on my team, would play politics or mislead when we’ve lost four of our own is offensive, governor,” Obama said. “The day after the attack, governor, I stood in the Rose Garden and I told the American people in the world that we are going to find out exactly what happened. That this was an act of terror, and I also said that we’re going to hunt down those who committed this crime.” Crowley said transcripts proved Obama’s response was accurate. The candidate’s final question challenged them to clear their names and explain to the American people who they really are. Romney said much of Obama’s campaign had focused on attacking his per-
see DEBATE, 3A
BLACK & GOLD Alpha Phi Alpha names annual pageant winner, 5B
The News
News
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October 19, 2012 News Editor: Chris Wilcox Assistant Editor: Meghann Anderson Phone: 809-4468 Twitter: MurrayStateNews
This week Sunday
Today
Saturday
• 3 p.m. College Republicans; Curris Center, second floor, open to all • 6 p.m. Murray State Muay Thai; Carr Health Building, Martial Arts Room, open to all • 6 p.m. Stand Up for AIDS; Curris Center, large ballroom, open to all • 7:30 p.m. Cinema International; “A Separation,” Curris Center Theater, open to all • 5:30 p.m. Empty Bowls Project; Murray Art Guild, open to all
• 9 a.m. Doggie Day Spa; Animal Health Technology Building, $10 for services, open to all • Noon Fall Bark in the Park; Central Park Courthouse Pavilion, open to all •5 p.m. Oktoberfest with the department of Modern Languages and International Cultures; Faculty Club, $5 for entry, open to all • 7:30 p.m. Cinema International; “A Separation,” Curris Center Theater, open to all
Tuesday
Wednesday
• 9:30 a.m. Princess and the Pea; Lovett Auditorium, free with Racercard, open to all • 5 p.m. Ads Club; Wilson Hall, Room 213, open to all • 5 p.m. Kick Boxing; Wellness Center, open to all • 5 p.m. Water Aerobics; Wellness Center, open to all • 5:30 p.m. Tennis Club; Bennie Purcell Tennis Courts, open to all • 7 p.m. Sci Fi Club; Faculty Hall, Room 208, open to all
• 10: 00 a.m. Princess and the Pea; Lovett Auditorium, free with Racercard, open to all • 12:3 0 p.m. Sociology meeting; Faculty Hall, Room 500, open to all • 6 p.m. College Democrats; Curris Center, Mississippi Room, open to all • 7 p.m. Collegiate FFA meeting, Oakley South, open to all • 7 p.m. Wednesday Word and Worship; Curris Center Theater, open to all
Police Beat 4:41 p.m. A caller reported theft of property to officers at Public Safety. Officers took a report for theft by unlawful taking from a motor vehicle. 8:0 4 p.m. A caller reported theft of property from the Carr Health Building. 11:4 8 p.m. A caller reported a suspicious person in the rear parking lot of Old Richmond College. The person was gone upon the officer’s arrival.
Oct. 13 2:2 3 a.m. Matthew Hofmann, freshman from Louisville, Ky., was arrested for public intoxication at Lovett Auditorium. Officers issued a citation. 4:37 a.m. Officers gave a verbal warning to male subject at Lovett Auditorium for public intoxication. 7:11 a.m. Alexander McGee, freshman, from Louisville, Ky., was arrested for operating a motor vehicle while under the
Oct. 12 6:59 a.m. A caller reported a female had collapsed at Alexander Hall. Officers and an ambulance service were notified.
• 9:30 a.m. Sunday School; Winslow Cafeteria, open to all • 1 p.m. Soccer vs. Tennessee Tech; Cutchin Field, open to all • 2 p.m. Free Movie Afternoon; Traders Mall Family Theater, Paducah, open to all • 2:30 p.m. Playhouse in the Park; “Little Shop of Horrors,” open to all • 7:30 p.m. Eric Church and Kip Moore concert; CFSB center, $32.75 per ticket
Weekend Weather
• 4 p.m. Daily Show; Golden Pond Planetarium, Land Between the Lakes, open to all • 5 p.m. PRSSA meeting; Wilson Hall, Room 115, open to all • 5:30 p.m. Cycling class; Wellness Center, open to all • 7 p.m. Beginning Zumba; Wellness Center, open to all • 7:30 p.m. “Princess and the Pea,”; Lovett Auditorium, $3, open to all
Friday
L 43°F
H 63°F Mostly sunny Saturday
H 64°F
Thursday • 10 a.m. “Princess and the Pea,”; Lovett Auditorium, free with Racercard, open to all • 5:30 p.m. Tennis Club; Bennie Purcell Tennis Courts, open to all • 7:30 p.m. Cinema International; “Martha Marcy May Marlene,” 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
If you would like an event to appear in the This week section of The Murray State News, email us at news@thenews.org or send a fax to (270) 809-3175. Please submit events by noon on Wednesdays. We cannot guarantee all items received will be published.
L 48°F Mostly sunny Sunday
H 73°F
L 54°F Mostly sunny
Information provided by the National Weather Service.
5:56 p.m. A caller reported an abandoned bicycle at the corner of the Crisp Soccer Complex. The bicycle was stored at Public Safety. 10:11 p.m. Officers issued a citation and charged Marcus Allan, non student from Paris, Tenn., for a drug violation and possession of an illegal substance at Lovett Auditorium.
Oct. 11
Monday
influence of alcohol, under the age of 21, first degree.
Oct. 14 12:54 a.m. The resident director of Hart College notified officers that a female subject hit her head, at a party, off campus and had a history of concussions. Emergency medical services took the female to the Murray-Calloway County Hospital. 2:07 a.m. Daniel T. Miller, non student from Murray was ar-
Call of Fame
rested on University Drive for failure to illuminate headlights and driving on a suspended license. 10 p.m. A person reported a reckless driver at Residential Circle. Officers were notified.
Oct. 15 3:10 p.m. Officers issued a summons to Nicholas Webb, sophomore from Paducah, Ky., for theft by unlawful taking less than $500. 5:55 p.m. A caller reported a
Oct. 14 1 :14 p.m. The Murray Police Department reported debris being blown off floats at Roy Stewart Stadium into the street. Officers were notified and took an information report.
medical emergency at the Wellness Center. The Murray Police Department and ambulance services were notified. Officers took a medical report. 10 :03 p.m. A caller reported stolen property at Waterfield Library. Officers took a report for unlawful taking less than $500.
Oct. 16 12:44 p.m. A caller reported theft of property at the University Store. Officers were notified. 4:02 p.m. A caller reported an illegally parked vehicle at Richmond College. 11:46 p.m. A caller reported smelling marijuana at Elizabeth College. Officers issued a citation to Kane Bently, freshman from Henderson, Ky., for possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia.
Oct. 17 7:2 9 p.m. The fire alarm was activated at the A. Carmen Tech Pavilion. Officers, theMurray Police Fire Department and the State Fire Marshall were notified. 10:08 p.m. A person called Public Safety and reported harassment. Officers were notified and took a report for harassment. 11: 54 p.m. A caller reported a student was injured off campus. Officers were notified and took an information report. Motorist assists - 0 Racer escorts - 5 Arrests - 3 Assistant News Editor Meghann Anderson compiles Police Beat with materials provided by Public Safety. Not all dispatched calls are listed.
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The News
News
October 19, 2012
DEBATE
WALKER
From Page 1
From Page 1
sonal interests “If I become president, I’ll get America working again,” he said. “I will get us on track to a balanced budget. The president hasn’t. I will.” Obama said he did not believe it was the government that was solely responsible for creating jobs. He said he believed self-reliance and individual initiative, combined with the free enterprise system, was the answer to the economy’s downfall. Obama said the 47 percent of Americans, who Romney has said consider themselves victims that refuse personal responsibility, are actually hardworking people. They include those on social security, veterans, students, current soldiers and people who are working every day, he said. “I want to fight for them,” he said. “That’s what I’ve been doing for the last four years, because if they succeed, I believe the country succeeds. The final presidential debate will take place at 8 p.m. Monday night at Lynn University in Boca Raton, Fl. Election day is Nov. 6. The traditional format will feature international affairs.
lice discovered Walker wrote them, it led them to believe he was guilty, and that was the reason Walker was tried in 2001. “I made the same mistake by looking at the letters as evidence against Walker,” he said. “I should have looked at the forged letters as a separate federal crime.” Blankenship said the defense was using the new charges brought against Walker as a vendetta. He said he honestly believed there should be a consequence for the forged letters, because they dramatically influenced the case and ensured it would never be solved. He said tampering, by definition, is changing the outcome of a federal proceeding
DUNN From Page 1 that the Springfield community favored Smart. Indeed, in a letter from the editor, the Springfield News-Leader expressed concern in Dunn’s long-term goals and said the staff was happy with Smart’s guidance that had led the school forward during his interim period. Smart had worked hard at “inspiring confidence” in the school and community, something the area could not afford to lose. Dunn was selected as a finalist at Missouri State in late September, as one of a total of 38 applicants an internal 20member search committee reviewed. He made the cut with Smart and visited campus for an interview with the Board of Governors, a tour of campus and a public forum early last week. At the forum, Dunn told attendees in the Missouri State student center that he considered the position a “capstone presidency” for his career. He drew several comparisons between Missouri State and Murray State, and said he would broaden the university’s campaigning efforts, as he feared Missouri State was largely unknown in area metropolitan cities like Kansas City and St. Louis.
Smart’s rival presentation two days later took a simpler approach. Smart said he would help make Missouri State not just a good institution but a great one. He jabbed at Dunn’s “capstone presidency” comments, saying Missouri State was the only place he he would even consider serving as president. Jim Anderson, president of the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce and vice-chair of the Missouri State presidential search committee, was crucial in making sure Dunn was one of the two finalists. Originally, the committee had sought three to four finalists, but, he said, Smart and Dunn stuck out as being a “step above the rest.” But the 38 applications they received for the position made for a small drawing of candidates in the first place, especially when compared to the 88 applications received in 2010, 59 in 2005 and 76 in 1979. Anderson said he thinks the lower number of applicants represented a lacking interest in the position, mainly because of Smart’s sitting advantage at the institution. “It’s just speculation,” he said, “but any person who was serious about this job probably did their homework and determined there was a strong internal candidate.” Dunn spoke more candidly about his decision to step out of the race later Monday evening via email. Both
3A
in order to create doubt. “We’re all ready to put this to bed,” he said. “We all just want Walker to step up and take responsibility. We’re even offering diversion.” Blankenship said the plea bargain he has offered Walker stipulates a diversion with no jail time, with the conditions that Walker perform some kind of yearly community service and he apologize to law enforcement for fabricating evidence. “I’ve been called a persecutor and I’m not,” he said. “I can prove through DNA evidence and testimony that he forged the letters and I’m hopeful Walker’s attorney will recommend to him he accept the agreement.” Blankenship said if the defense proceeds to trial, he hopes the jury would convict so there is some form of consequence for wasting so much time and money. Dennis Null, Walker’s de-
fense attorney, said he has heard community members calling the case a witch hunt and that he couldn’t disagree. “This is an attack and not justice,” he said. “We’re talking about a long and involved process – there is such a delay and this is so public; I believe if we take this to trial we would win.” Null said he and his client have not made any decisions regarding the plea and have some time to consider it. “We’re looking at all possibilities,” he said. “We might look into overturning the judge’s ruling, but we may be forced to appeal the decision after the trial.” Walker’s initial trial in 2001 ended with a hung jury and then, in July of this year, another jury acquitted him on charges of manslaughter and wanton endangerment. Walker will appear in court Nov. 13 for a preliminary hearing.
he and Ronda had been touched by the local encouragement and support at Murray State’s Homecoming, he said. Concerns about the willingness of the Springfield community to make bold moves toward improvement had also been a concern of his. “I would say our visit last week and talking to many people over there – in addition to following the continuing coverage of the story from Springfield, editorial commentary, and other information sent back this way from those who were supportive of us at MoSU – suggested a level of difficulty in going in to that institution and being successful with the full backing of their board and community,” he said. “In the end … we weren’t fully sold on the whole deal, I think it’s fair to say.” Dunn’s future at Murray State After Monday’s announcement, Dunn said the fact that the Board of Regents has still not extended his Murray State contract, which ends June 30, 2014. It is typical of the board to give the OK to a president a year before his or her contract ends, allowing for the individual to seek another position should board members fail on a concise vote of confidence. Dunn’s year mark is ebbing ever closer with still no word on his fate. In fact, the board completed a mandatory comprehensive evaluation of his
JACKSON From Page 1 “He is going to continue to be a very big part of this program and he will be part of the team this year,” Ward said. “I know he wasn’t given any special treatment; he was treated just like any other student would be that got in a situation like this, and we continue to work through it and make sure he is able to continue with his school work and his studies. We certainly don’t want that to be an issue when he comes back. We very much expect him to rejoin our team when that time ends.” Ward confirmed Jackson would be subjected to some punishment from athletics, but said that penalty would continue to be kept in-house. With Jackson’s status uncertain for the season, it is likely junior transfer Dexter Fields and freshman C.J. Ford will see increased playing time at guard in Jackson’s absence. Ward continues to reiterate the program’s support of Jackson and says they are committed to helping him through this tough time. The Racers open their season Nov. 9 at home against Brescia before playing Auburn in the first round of the Charleston Classic Nov. 15.
progress last year. Although Board Chair Constantine Curris shared the confidential results with Dunn, the board took no action on his future employment. Typically, comprehensive evaluations provide the board a vital key in deciding whether to extend a contract, said Jeremiah Johnson, student regent and president of the Student Government Association. “Following my 360-degree comprehensive evaluation that the board conducted over a seven-month period during the 2011-12 term, I have expressed a desire to have the board entertain discussions for a contract extension,” Dunn said. “The board has decided to wait until sometime later in that regard, so until the situation clarifies, I feel I need to at least keep myself open to other promising opportunities that may present themselves.” But according to Curris, the comprehensive evaluation Dunn underwent is not meant to act as a tool for contract renewal. Rather, it simply gauges the president’s ability to act as chief executive officer and suggests areas of improvement. Curris, who serves as a higher education consultant outside of his board responsibilities, said it is likely the board will consider the president’s response to the evaluation in determining whether to extend his contract. “What was reported in the evalua-
tion as a general rule across the country and at Murray State is secondary to how the president addresses concerns that were identified,” he said. Curris expected discussion of Dunn’s contract not to come up at board meetings until later in the spring semester – closer to a year from its expiration. This is not the first time Dunn has been a finalist in a presidential search since he took the Murray State position in 2006. In 2010, he was named a finalist for the top job at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville after two rounds of cuts. Both Curris and Dunn have said it is not unusual for a president to seek positions elsewhere. When Dunn was named in the Missouri State race, he said he only wished to better his career opportunities, and still, the president holds that he will perform his duties as Murray State’s president until he no longer holds the position. Curris himself, who has served as president at three universities, resigned from his posts to take advantage of better opportunities. Curris said the only time a presidential move like that becomes a problem is when the president in question fails to be candid with the board. He declined to comment as to whether Dunn has been open to the University Board of Regents. As it is a matter of the presidential evaluation, he said, the information is not public.
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October 19, 2012
The News
Opinion
Opinion Editor: Devin Griggs Phone: 809-5873 Twitter: MSUNewsOpinion
Our View
For our love of a game? The staff editorial is the majority opinion of the editorial board of The Murray State News. A little over a month has passed since Murray State sophomore Zay Jackson struck two pedestrians in Walmart’s parking lot with his vehicle following a verbal dispute. On Oct. 12, Jackson plead guilty to two counts of wanton endangerment. A plea bargain was reached whereby Jackson will spend 30 days in jail on weekends and undertake 30 days of community service in addition to issuing a public apology for the incident. “He’s a first-time offender, and I think we treated him like we would any other Murray State student who was a first-time offender,” said Commonwealth Attorney Mark Blankenship. If that’s the case, we find ourselves asking whether or not the average student could get off with such a light sentence for hitting two people with a car. Call us cynical, but is it really that far-fetched to think Jackson might be being afforded special treatment because he plays basketball for Murray State? If, say, a student ran over two people with a car and he or she didn’t play basketball, would they get off with two “wanton endangerment” charges, rather than the assault charges initially leveled at Jackson? Walmart released security camera footage of the incident that is now available for viewing
online. Putting aside the issue of special treatment for just a moment, we want everyone to take the time to watch what happened on Sept. 9. While we may never know what was said between Jackson and the victims, the initial assault charges levied against him seem all the more reasonable after viewing the video. Beyond that, if Jackson is allowed to continue playing basketball on behalf of our University, what kind of message is that sending to the wider area about Murray State? Just last year our basketball team garnered national attention for our underdog status in the NCAA tournament and an undefeated streak. Is this the kind of attention we want to be drawing in at this juncture in Murray State’s history? Is that the kind of representation that Murray State needs at the NCAA tournament, or even in the Ohio Valley Conference? Is it the kind of representation that we as students need? Justice is supposed to mean every person – white or black, man or woman, Christian or atheist, gay or straight, old or young, rich or poor – is treated the same in the eyes of the law. No one should be given special treatment for any reason, and in our case, we just want to be sure that we aren’t obstructing justice for the love of a game. We love basketball just as much as anyone, but justice should come first. Evan Watson/The News
Got something you want to say? The News wants to hear it! Send us a letter – letters@murraystate.edu
Do you think finding a job will be hard after you graduate? “Yes because the economy that former President George Bush left us in.” Dawn Hasz • Junior from Murray, Ky.
“I’m not so worried about it because I own a business. What I am worried about is that I won’t be able to find a job that pays well because those are hard to find.” William Eckel • Freshman from Benton, Ky.
“Well I graduate in May, so I am a little worried. But it is not a concern that I didn’t get a good education at Murray, I’m just concerned about the job market.” Jen Miller • Senior from Benton, Ky.
Caitlin Gannon/The News
The News 2609 University Station Murray State University Murray, Kentucky 42071-3301 email: msu.thenews@murraystate.edu Fax: 809-3175
TheNews.org
A Professor’s Journal
The gift that keeps on giving From time to time, my students come to me bearing gifts, gifts that any history professor would appreciate. One student brought to me a copy of an old Duane Bolin family letter, a Professor of description of a great great great History grandfather’s experience in the trenches on the Western Front in World War I. Another student brought to me a Civil War bayonet, an artifact that I continue to show to my students each semester. Yet another student brought to me ration stamps from World War II. I cherish these gifts from students, and I share them with my other students year after year. Students, though, have showered me with gifts of another sort, gifts that characterize the real value of the teaching/learning experience. I have been on the receiving end of many gifts throughout my life. What a gift my family has been to me! What joy they bring to me each day. My home has been a gift that has brought to me a sense of place and a haven of rest. Throughout my life, my family – Evelyn, my son, my daughter, my parents, my brother – have taught me what it means to give and receive love. And it is the idea of gift exchange that has caused me to
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Joe Hedges Adviser • 809-2998
strive to teach better in my university classroom. After all, my calling as a teacher is a gift in itself. I think of my school and college teachers: Mrs. Bradford in a seminary kindergarten; Mrs. Eubanks in first grade; Roy Pullam, in his first year of teaching whose excitement for the profession was infectious; Mr. Harding, a victim of polio, who inspired me in the seventh grade to learn History; Hugh Ridenour, who inspired me in high school to teach History; Bob Gillaspie, who taught me to love literature and writing, and Janice Gillaspie, who comforted me through mathematics and life. Dr. C., Pat Taylor, Dr. Albert Wardin and Dr. Roy Z. Chamlee in undergraduate school, all models of caring professionalism, and Dr. James Leo Garrett and Dr. Bill Pitts and Dr. Bert Nelli in graduate school who took a special interest in me and saw in me something that I did not see in myself. These teachers showered me with gifts, gifts of learning and inspiration. How I wish I could tell them thank you in a way that would convey to them the depth of my gratitude. What if I could go back and be a student again, listening to a story on the oval, braided rug of my kindergarten classroom, running down the hill of the playground at Oaklawn Elementary School, walking the halls of Webster County High, soaking in the lectures at Belmont University, or talking with my professors in corner offices in graduate school at Baylor and the
University of Kentucky. How much more I could learn! In P. F. Kluge’s Alma Mater, the author went back to teach at his old school, Kenyon College in Ohio. There he had lunch one day with a new colleague, an English professor, who opened the conversation with the observation that “this is my twenty-second year of teaching `Tintern Abbey.’” The English professor overcame the repetition by making each reading in each new class fresh, and by looking on teaching as a gift exchange. “I have this romantic idea of teaching as gift exchange,” he told Kluge. “What matters is if I reach a few students at a level that transforms them and gets them to see the world in a different way. Gift exchange. Sure, teaching is method and information, but it’s something else, a gift, an enrichment of your life, a transformation that you spend the rest of your life discovering.” I still benefit from the gifts given to me by my old teachers. But the gift exchange continues still. Now, I find myself unwrapping gifts from my students: new perspectives, the excitement of learning, the awe of discovery. Now, my students come to the classroom or to the office bearing gifts, gifts described by the Kenyan professor, as “an enrichment of your life, a transformation that you spend the rest of your life discovering.” jbolin@murraystate.edu
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The News
Opinion
October 19, 2012
5A
L ett er s to th e Ed i to r
Cheers & Jeers Cheers & Jeers is written by the opinion editor. Questions, concerns or comments should be addressed to dgriggs@murraystate.edu
Cheers to ... Halloween! In less than three weeks, the sweetest (pun intended) holiday of the year arrives, once more testing the ability of costume makers to make mundane occupations “sexy.” Or creepy. You pick. Jeers to ... windy weather. Is it not enough that it gets colder every day, night comes earlier and earlier and now it’s windy, too? Can we skip the tornadoes and go directly to the blizzards? Cheers to ... the new bathroom soap in Wilson Hall. Not only does it kill 99 percent of germs, but it smells great! This isn’t an advertisement, we swear ...
I am writing to express my anger and frustration about the brave American troops that continue to be forced into harm’s way for absolutely no good reason! I am 53 years old and I clearly remember the very many protests during The Vietnam War. There were literally millions of people that had grown to detest this slaughter of humans on both sides of this war. I am not angry at the American troops that fought in this war, but then; as now, I am angry and frustrated by the ignorance that pervades Washington, D.C. to continue, yet again, to put American troops in harm’s way for absolutely nothing! The Vietnam War was fought to keep South Vietnam free from Communism. Here, again, American troops were called upon to shoulder the over-whelming danger of doing the fighting and dying. My memory is that the Vietnamese troops may as well have not even existed!
Born in the U.S.A.
After years and years of bloody loss, The communists took South Vietnam anyway! Again, what good was accomplished by so much loss by American troops and their families? Now, we have the asinine quagmire of Iraq and Afghanistan. The government of Afghanistan, if you can call it that, has even asked the United States to leave! Why, in the name of humanity, can’t our government see how insulting these ungrateful warring people are to U.S. troops and our country? The “friendlys” killing American troops answers this question! Tim Bledsoe non-student from North Augusta, S.C.
Jeers to ... the National Hockey League. Team owners seem determined to make a dollar even if it means yet another professional sports lockout this year. Good luck finding replacement players!
Campus Voice
Facts, not faith should dominate decisions made in D.C. P.Z. Myers, a prominent and outspoken speaker and blogger in the rapidly growing secular non-belief movement gave a rousing and informative lecture on the conflict of religion and science Monday night. William Many of you saw the Zingrone posters out on the Quad Assistant or at the Curris Center Professor before some charmingly of Psychology intolerant and probably religious person(s) took most of them down Homecoming weekend. The MSU Freethinkers and Students for Reason and Science really appreciate their ignorance: WWJD? Well, we don’t take anyone’s religious posters down. Anyway, P.Z. exposed the appalling situation in grade and high school education where teachers and administrators are afraid to teach evolution because it offends the religious beliefs of some parents. Unfortunately we are seeing that situation worsen. Rep. Paul Broun (R-Ga.), being a good Southern Baptist has extended the idiocy to proclaiming that not only evolution but the Big Bang and embryology (embryology?!) are “lies from the pit of hell.” Denying evolution or cosmology as mere “theories” i.e. “secular world view interpretations of science” as they are wrongly characterized by the Biblical literalists is one thing, but attacking embryology? WTF? It’s a purely descriptive disci-
pline. Anyone can pop a slide under a microscope and see the unquestionable facts of development for him or herself. How in the hell does that have anything to do with hell? And then it hit me: They’re screwed. They are stuck now; the Biblical literalists, the science disparagers. They have to come fully out of the closet now as the absurd and extremist deniers that they are of not just science in general or fully accepted theories like evolution … they gotta hate the facts now, they gotta deny reality itself. Dissing theories alone won’t do it, it hasn’t worked. Evolution and cosmology and a host of other scientific theories grow stronger every day as the data that supports them continues to pile up exponentially. The data themselves now must be denied. Reality has to be thrown out completely to uphold the ridiculous claims of creationism, homophobia, and the like that the conservative Christians tout as truth. Broun is an intelligent man, smart enough to earn a medical degree and he may be a competent physician, but he also characterizes himself as a scientist and he absolutely ain’t one. Scientists just don’t think data are the product of the devil or emanate from the fiery pit. Embryology is defined as a descriptive branch of biology dealing with the early growth and development of living organisms. Braun’s medical training certainly would have exposed him to a lot of embryological data. Embryology is not a theory that he can try to pick holes in based on his faith in an
absurd creation myth: it is comprised of data, information, facts, unbiased and uninterpreted results of empirical study. Guess he didn’t like what he saw in the microscope. He may not like the fact that human embryos develop a tail and full coat of hair like other mammals and primates which are promptly reabsorbed and disappear through the action of developmental genes. Maybe he takes exception to the fact that early on we have the genes for and briefly develop a yolk sac just like reptiles and birds. Maybe he doesn’t wanna fess up to the knowledge, the data, not theory or hypothesis, but the fact that at least 50 percent or more of human embryos die in the first two weeks of incredibly delicate cellular replication and genetic unfolding which according to his faith constitutes the killing of a human person, making his god the biggest abortionist of them all. So what’s next? Irate parents prompted by their ministers to stop school children from peering into microscopes lest they catch a glimpse of the “pit of hell?” Will Broun, a member of the Congressional Committee on Science and Technology committee recommend that educators stop their students from looking at evil embryos? Many believing scientists don’t agree with P.Z. Myers that there is an inescapable conflict between religion and science and they resolve the conflict by leaving their religion at the laboratory door. Good move. Rep. Broun needs to leave his religion at the door of the House of Congress before he steps inside.
The good fight What’s done more to make this country a great place to live than anything else? A lot of folks would say “individual liberty,” “a free market economy,” or maybe Devin Griggs they’d go with Opinion Editor something like “equality of opportunity.” The big elephant in the room in American politics, the driving force behind every positive change in our nation, from the abolition of slavery to child labor legislation, from Social Security to Civil Rights, has been American liberalism. Its creed – “equal rights to all, special privileges to none,” first espoused by Jefferson, made alive by Lincoln, and made whole by Lyndon Johnson, has defined the struggle for a more perfect union for nearly two and a half centuries. I count myself among those who think the best America is yet to come. I wear the title with a badge of honor, in spite of conservative attempts to paint liberalism as something foreign, something out of the mainstream or something undemocratic. Many people would rather substitute “progressive” for liberal, or even “moderate” instead, but fundamentally I stand by the idea of liberalism as the guarantor of American freedom and the insistence in the basic idea of fairness. What is liberalism? Liberalism is a belief in liberty, a belief in fairness. It is the belief that the average person should be free from coercion at the polling place and in the marketplace. In the 1820s, liberalism demanded the end of property restrictions on voting as a barrier to the liberty of the non-rich; from the 1840s to the 1860s, liberalism demanded slavery be ended and black Americans be made full citizens; from the 1890s to the 1970s, liberalism demanded that everyone, not just the wealthy few, get a fair shot at a good life. Today liberalism still stands opposed to the roving eye of the censor, to the unjust employment practices that deny workers a right to organize, to equality for gays and lesbians. Liberalism has transformed a backward, aristocratic, agrarian republic into a thriving, egalitarian, industrial democracy, following the path of such liberals as Alexander Hamilton, Henry Clay, Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt and Franklin Roosevelt. Liberals have fought the good fight, but they’re afraid to stand up for themselves. The old conservative line goes that “liberals are so open-minded they won’t take their own side in a debate,” and that needs to change. Liberals shouldn’t run from their liberalism, they should run to it. Devin Griggs is vice president of finances for the Murray State College Democrats. dgriggs@murraystate.edu
Comics The Misadventures of Sherlock Holmes By Gregory Knipp
To be continued ...
Grift Town By Casey Vandergrift
The News
News
6A
October 19, 2012
University initiative raises $71.7 M for students Meghann Anderson || Assistant News Editor manderson22@murraystate.edu
A campaign for students that raised more than $71 million officially closed Oct. 12, three years after its introduction. The Hold Thy Banner High campaign raised approximately $11 million more than the originally intended $60 million goal. The initial charge of the project made it the largest fundraising operation in the University’s history. Prior to launching the public phase of the campaign, it raised more than $41 million. The money will go primarily to scholarships, stipends and academic programs for students. The Hold Thy Banner High campaign exceeded its goal of raising $60 million one year before its original deadline in June 2011. Don Robertson, vice president of Student Affairs, said the campaign was in the works for several years and yielded great success. “We dubbed it as the campaign for students,� Robertson said. “Over half the dollars being raised is going to student scholarships.� He said it was a very significant campaign and is significant to students because it will result in helping students attend Murray State. “For some students, without this campaign, they might not be able to come here,� Robertson said. “That’s where the bulk of the money is going to go. It’s been a broad-based campaign. Alumni have responded very positively.�
( 27 0 ) t o ( 3 6 4 ) Local area codes could see change or overlay by 2014 Chris Wilcox || News Editor cwilcox2@murraystate.edu
The Kentucky Public Service Commission (PSC) has opened proceedings this month which will lead to the creation of a new area code in western Kentucky, which will be applied to all, or a portion of, the current 270 area code. In August, the North American Numbering Plan Administrator (NANPA) notified PSC area code 270 was projected to run out of available numbers by the first quarter of 2014. Two options have been suggested: an overlay, which would create a second area code – 364 – in the same territory now covered by area code 270. Or the second option is a split, which would assign area code 364 to a portion of the current area code 270 territories. An overlay would permit retention of all current 270 numbers, but would require 10-digit dialing for local calls. A split would retain sevendigit dialing for local calls, but would require both wireless and landline customers within about half the current area code to change their phone numbers. “We hope that both residential and business phone customers will evaluate how these options might affect them,� PSC Chairman David Armstrong said. “We also hope they take the time to share their views with the PSC.� The PSC has conducted public meetings throughout the area code 270 territory throughout
October in an effort to provide information to the public and to receive public comment. Andrew Melnykovych, director of communications of the PCS, said there was no public meeting scheduled in Murray at the time, but the PCS office has discussed having a meeting with the local chamber of commerce. He said the area code change recommended years ago fell short and this time it was happening. The need for a new code has arisen because there are no longer enough blocks of new numbers to distribute to telecommunication providers. “This time there is no alternative option,� he said. “There is a shortage of available numbers and it will run out in the next few years.� This is the second time in six years the PSC has addressed a projected number shortage in area code 270. A similar proceeding was initiated in July 2006, but ended with the PSC rescinding the decision, leaving the area code 270 as is. Melnykovych said the PSC proposed a change the way phone numbers were sold to telecommunication providers a few years ago. He said selling numbers in smaller blocks would create fewer wasted numbers. Numbers are sold in 10,000 and 100,000 blocks currently and the new proposal is to make those blocks of numbers smaller. He said it is a possibility they will be sold at 1,000 or 500 per block.
Across campus Deadline approaches for writing award Submissions for the Racer Fiction Writer of the Year award are due to the English Department by 4 p.m. on Oct. 22. The English Department is located in Faculty Hall. For more information contact Martin Roper, visiting professor of Humanities and Fine Arts, at 270-809-4671.
Murray State Arboretum to host Halloween run There will be a Halloween Fun Run on Oct. 27 at 9 a.m. at 300 Hickory Drive. The entry fee is $5 and costumes are encouraged. Half of all of the proceeds will go to the Life House Care Center. RSVP by Oct. 22 by emailing hbraun@murraystate.edu. For directions call 270-767-0467.
The dedications of the Arthur J. Bauernfeind College of Business, Heritage Hall, the Hall of Benefactors and Distinguished Alumni, the campaign closing reception dinner and the campaign closing after party all took place Oct. 12. At the closing reception, Bob Valentine, senior lecturer in the College of Business, reprised his character of Rainey T. Wells, recognized founder of Murray State, who was first debuted during the University’s 90th anniversary celebration. Valentine gave a speech in character and finished by announcing the campaign raised $71,730,610.41 total. President Randy Dunn said the money raised was from a compilation of more than 100,000 individual gifts and 23,000 distinct donors. Bob Jackson, associate vice president of Institutional Advancement, said he wanted the campaign to focus on students, academic quality and advancing the University – to take the University to the next level. “Five years ago we were giving approximately $800,000 to students in privately funded scholarships,� Jackson said. “Today, we’re almost giving $1.6 million.� He said much of the money donated went to academic enhancement, supporting laboratory research equipment in the College of Science, Engineering and Technology. For example, one donor gifted $1 million for research and lab equipment for Jesse D. Jones Hall, the chemistry building. “There are a lot of initiatives put in place to enhance academic quality and ensure that we make this already great University, a little bit better,� Jackson said.
He said the alumni and friends of the University know that giving back to Murray is a wise investment. Jackson said the planning of the quiet phase of the campaign began in 2005. Campaign coordinators began asking potential large donors for contributions. He said the University received a lead gift of $3.6 million from Jesse D. Jones, alumnus of 1964. Jones said he was honored to be a part of the campaign and glad to see his Graphic courtesy of the Murray State Alumni Association donations positively impact students. ACRES, the Agriculture Campaign for Research and Education of Students, is a part of the Hold Thy Banner High campaign and came to a conclusion on Oct. 14. The initiative was created to raise $1.5 million to aid in acquiring a new 150-250 acre research and laboratory farm and other improvements for the Hutson School of Agriculture. The campaign ended by exceeding its original goal and raised $2.1 million in total.
OCTOBER IS BREA ST CANCER AWARENESS MONTH
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Bolin selected as service learning coordinator James Bolin, professor of Humanities and Fine Arts, was named the coordinator the Center of Service Learning at the University. Service learning is based off of research which suggests students learn better as in an active environment, rather than a passive atmosphere. For more information on the service leanring program contact Bolin at 270-809-6578.
Correction In its Oct. 12 edition, The Murray State News improperlly identified Mitt Romney as the Republican vice-presidential candidate under the headline “Biden, Romney disagree over foreign policy, abortion at Centre College debate� on page 1A Romney’s runningmate is Paul Ryan.
SCHEDULE YOUR MAMMOGRAM AT (270) 575-2662
October 19, 2012
Section B
The News
Sports
Sports Editor: Jonathan Ferris Assistant Editor: Jaci Kohn Phone: 809-4481 Twitter: MSUSportsnews
Swing and a Drive This one time at band camp ...
Photos by Samuel T. Hays/The News
UT Martin safety J’Vontez Blackmon tackles senior receiver Ja-Vonta Trotter in the first quarter of Saturday’s 66-59 loss to the Skyhawks.
Skyhawks down Racers
The Racer defense is reeling after giving up more than 50 points in each of the last two games.
UT Martin spoils Homecoming, hands Racers devastating defeat Edward Marlowe || Staff writer emarlowe@murraystate.edu
Battered but not broken, Head Coach Chris Hatcher and the Racers entered the bye week on the heels of a crushing Homecoming defeat, losing to UT Martin 66–59 this past Saturday. The loss pushed the team record to 3-4 on the season and 2-2 in the OVC. With four games remaining on the schedule, the Racers will have to go 3-1 just to secure a third consecutive winning season under Hatcher’s guidance, much less to have a shot at the OVC championship crown. With this in mind, Hatcher said the team has plenty to play for once the break is finished, and the team is looking forward to the challenge of mounting a final push. “The off-week comes at a very good time for us, not only to heal up physically but to just mentally get away from the game for a little bit,” Hatcher said. “I think it’s going to do wonders for our psyche and I still believe we have a lot left to play for ... as a competitor you always have something to play for because you want to compete.” Notching seven wins on the season would make the Racers automatically eligible for the FCS playoffs, and should the Racers hang around near the top of the OVC standings, Hatcher and company believe anything can happen. “We’re really close,” Hatcher said. “You hear me every week talking about how close we are,
and to me, this game this past Saturday was a hump game. It could’ve gone either way.” Hatcher and the Racers are making a habit of playing close games, especially in the OVC. In eight conference defeats over the two-plus seasons under Hatcher, six of the losses were by one possession or less, and Hatcher believes the landscape of the conference would be much different had the Racers capitalized on just a few small plays in each series. “If you have a better series here or there in all of those games; we’re the two-time defending conference champions and first place right now in the conference,” he said. “We’ve got to get over the hump, and I don’t know how to make us do that, and if I did, I would’ve done it a long time ago. We’re going to continue to buckle down and focus on the little things, and it’s like a forest fire-it starts with a spark. We need that spark to get us over the hump.” Shouldering the hopes of the team’s success is none other than senior quarterback Casey Brockman, who conviently leads the FCS in completion percentage (70 percent), attempts (370), completions per game (37), completions (259) and passing yards (2,671). Along with leading the FCS in multiple categories this year, Brockman is chiseling his name atop nearly all of the Murray State record books, as the offense is averaging 508 yards and 40 points per game and 91 offensive plays per contest. While senior running back Duane Brady and junior transfer Jamaal Berry have held down the
Senior receiver Walter Powell sprints to the endzone during Saturday’s game. With four contests remaining, Powell needs only eight receptions to tie the Murray State single season receptions record. backfield with great authority, it is the consistent play of senior wide receiver Walter Powell who has continued to prove his skill game after game. With defenses continuing to drape over him, Powell has defied all logic, averaging 130 receiving yards and 11 catches per game. After seven games, his reception numbers (74 catches, 912 yards, six touchdowns) are all on pace to shatter school receiving records, but Powell said he’d trade his stats for something more important. “It’s tough,” Powell said. “I’d rather come out with the win than putting up another 100-yard game.” For every yard the Racer offense gains, however, the defense gives up an an equal yard. Searching for answers, the Racer defense will spend the next two weeks regrouping, as opposing offenses continue to torch the Racers through the air. The defensive secondary is reeling, giving up 370 yards per game. The rush defense has been slightly better, giving up 140 yards on the ground. Hatcher said the coaches would remain focused on the team effort moving forward and will err on the side of caution and rest for the next two weeks leading up to their next matchup on the road against the Jacksonville State Gamecocks. For the Racers, every game from now on will have a playoff feel, as hopes remain alive, though slim, for postseason play and a shot at an OVC championship.
Not all that long ago, I was a band geek. While my lovely girlfriend would still call me a geek, I am sadly no longer one of the band variety. After I graduated high school and came to Murray, I decided it was time to give some other activities a try. Thus, my Jonathan band days came to an end. Ferris I was all in during my Sports Editor four years of high school. Concert band, jazz band, all-county band, section leader, I was about as committed as anyone. The only one that truly mattered to me, however, was marching band. All of my life, I have been an obsessive sports addict. That addiction, however, has not stemmed from first-hand experience playing on teams. God blessed me with a ton of things, but Isaiah Canaan’s smooth jumper or Casey Brockman’s rocket of an arm weren’t exactly gifts he chose to give me. Since I didn’t have talent or ability to play sports, I stuck to watching from my couch or in the stands. Don’t get me wrong, watching sports is fun-I do it way too much-but it’s just not the same as experiencing the feeling of competition with a team of people with whom you’re close. That’s exactly why marching band appealed to me. It was appealing because it gave me a sense of competition and a sense of being on a team. It gave me something for which I could strive. My band, Ravenwood High Schoo, was competing for our own national championship, which was something I had always watched other athletes do, but had never gotten to experience first hand. Each year from July to November, 130 of my closest friends and I gave up our social lives and sometimes our school work to pursue what our band director constantly referred to as “excellence.” He would always remind us it was never about winning contests. He told us to pursue excellence and let the contests and trophies fall where they may. I never bought in to that. We had our very own standings, scores and trophies, and in my own strange little world, I finally had something in common with the athletes I grew up idolizing. To me, it was about winning. Throughout my time in the marching band, we steadily improved. My freshman year we finished near last at every competition, and by the time I was a senior we were regularly finishing at or near the top and traveling to larger competitions all over the eastern United States. It all culminated my senior year when we traveled to the national championship in Indianapolis, Ind., for the first time in my high school’s history. My last competition in marching band would be for the national championship, just the way I had dreamt when watching those cheesy sports movies where that same exact scenario always seems to play out in the end. I realize you’re probably making fun of me because I am a loser who thought playing the trombone made me in some twisted way, equal to Rocky. We didn’t get a storybook ending. My other senior friends and I didn’t go out on top like places short of a spot in the semi-finals-the top 30 bands in the nation. I was crushed. That was not the way it was supposed to end. That’s not how “Miracle” or “Hoosiers” or “Rocky” or any other good sports movie ever ended. That night when we got back to the middle school where we were staying, our band director told us he was proud of us. He said we achieved this “excellence,” he always seemed to be bringing up. I wanted to punch him. I didn’t want to achieve excellence, I wanted to win. Looking back, I finally understand what he meant. It’s a valuable life lesson and it applies not only to athletes (or freaks who think running around in a funny outfit with a feather on their head makes them Derek Jeter). With my trombone-toting days behind me, it’s not the contests we won or lost that stick out in my memory. It’s the friends I made doing it. Even though they’re scattered all over the country now, the people I am closest to are those who I spent those four years with. At the time, winning was the most important thing to me, but now I wouldn’t trade a single one of those friendships for any number of national championships. Life doesn’t have to be about winning. It also doesn’t have to be about losing. It should be about giving everything your all and being proud of the results. It should be about getting up after you are knocked down. Most importantly, as my band director so obnoxiously said all those times, it should be about striving for and achieving excellence. jferris2@murraystate.edu
WHAT’S
INTRAMURAL CHAMPS MARIAH ROBINSON
LITTLE SHOP
CHRIS THILE
INSIDE
Two teams were crowned as softball champions, 2B
Playhouse in the Park produces musical comedy, 5B
Alumnus receives music grant for hard work, 7B
Meet the women’s basketball 2012-13 team captain, 3B
The News
Sports
2B
October 19, 2012
Rifle
Program welcomes fans for open house Laura Kovarik || Staff writer lkovarik@murraystate.edu
The News
Freshman Tessa Howlad from Ozark, Mo., practices her shot during the rifle team’s open house.
One of Murray State’s best kept secrets lies beneath Roy Stewart Stadium. Below the bleachers and turf is the Murray State rifle team’s shooting range. The team held an open house Saturday during Homecoming’s Tent City. “We took this time to practice and people came in and watched,” said sophomore shooter Kelsey Emme. “Some team members were off the range explaining the sport and asking questions. It was definitely cool to see people interested.” Many students don’t understand the success and prestige of the rifle team. The team always enjoys seeing new faces at rifle matches said assistant coach Ashley Rose. “This weekend is mainly for people to come in and see the sport,” Rose said. “A lot of people don’t realize we are even down here. We’ve tried to publicize our open house so people can come in and see what we are doing and what we are capable of.” The rifle facility includes a shooting range, spectator’s area, offices for coaches and a team locker room. The range is divided into segments called lanes. Each lane in the range is called a “point.” The Murray State facility houses 16 points with 12 electronic targets. “We have one of the best facilities in the nation,” Rose said. “Ole Miss has a better spectator area, but our range is right there with the shooters. We are able to see them a lot better. Ohio State has more points but they don’t have a spectator area. Usually there is a give or take with whatever range you have.” Despite the small spectator area, the team always encourages fans to come to matches. “It’s hard sometimes because its not an action sport,” Rose said. “It is kind of like going to a golf match; not
many people go to golf to watch because it is not an action sport like basketball and football.” However, the etiquette for rifle differs from golf. The shooters not only encourage fans to come and watch, but also hope to hear fans cheering for the team. “There are no rules that specify spectators have to be quiet,” Rose said. “Shooters in general, once they put their in their headphones, zone in. I wouldn’t say they particularly care (about noise) one way or another.” A typical rifle match lasts around four to five hours, with two hours for smallbore. After a brief change-over period the shooters have one hour and forty-five minutes for air-rifle. The smallbore is a .22 rifle and the air-rifle is exactly as it sounds an-air rifle. The distance for smallbore is 50 feet. The smallbore is further broken down into three shooting positions. The shooters have two hours to shoot 60 shots. 20 shots must be shot standing, 20 shots must be shot “prone” or lying down, and the remaining 20 shots must be shot kneeling. The air rifle is powered by compressed air – much like a scuba tank. During air rifle, all shots are done while standing, and shooters typically shoot “sighters,” or warm up shots. Sighters also allow the shooter to see where they are hitting the target. Shots are monitored on screens directly in front of the shooter and there is a large television screen that is situated in front of the spectators. Scoring is broken down into individual scores and team scores. The rifle team squads five shooters and they take the top four shooters’ scores and adds them up to average an overall team score. This weekend the Racers will look to boost those cumulative scores, traveling to the University of Kentucky in a match against UK and the Army Marksmanship Unit.
Softball
New head coach prepares players for upcoming spring season Laura Kovarik || Staff writer lkovarik@murraystate.edu
Whether it is in the classroom, weight room, or out on the field, Head Softball Coach Kara Amundson instills in her players the philosophy of taking on each aspect of their lives fearlessly. Amundson brings an extensive background in coaching and softball to her first year as head coach. Amundson is no stranger to the Racer athletic program as she served as an assistant coach during the 2010-11 seasons and interim tennis coach for 2011-12. Getting to know the players and working through the transition of installing a new coach-
ing staff is one of the hurdles Amundson will face. “Being a new coaching staff, one of the biggest challenges we have so far – implementing new ideas and drills and strategies and things like that,” she said. “(The players) have been awesome to work with and my assistants have done a great job in pushing them forward and getting everyone on the same page and creating a very positive atmosphere.” The 2012-13 season is broken into fall, which is comparable to an exhibition season, and spring, which is the actual conference play and championship season. Amundson said the coaching staff’s knowledge of previous seasons and their ability to recognize
the key players and their capabilities will help in conference play. “Everyone is always looking ahead to win a championship,” she said. “Even as a new coaching staff, I think our eyes are set on the big goal of competing in the OVC for a regular season and postseason championship. I think that is definitely a realistic goal for us.” The team is lead by five seniors, 14 returning players and five freshmen. Experience will play a factor in the team’s on and off field chemistry. Amundson said trust and preparation is the cornerstone of any successful team. “We work hard every single day in practice, the weight room and conditioning to prepare
ourselves for when we get to the games,” Amundson said. “The game should be the easiest part. You work hard in practice so everything will come together in the game. Having a calm mind is one of the biggest things we as a staff try to preach.” The team and coach look forward to their spring season and are already making preparations. “We play Mississippi State first, and it will be some really great competition to start off our season with,” Amundson said. “I think we need to play teams that are going to challenge us right off the bat.” The team begins the spring season with a tournament against Mississippi State Feb. 15-17.
Intramurals
Alpha Sigma Alpha, Sigma Chi claim softball championships Tuesday Evening Laura Kovarik || Staff writer lkovarik@murraystate.edu
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Temperatures were chilly at the intramural softball championships Tuesday night. Women of Alpha Sigma Alpha took on the Springer-Franklin A team and the men of Sigma Chi took on the Thoroughmeds. The women kicked off the night at 8 p.m., and solid defense by both ASA and Springer-Franklin led to three scoreless innings. Each well-placed hit was matched with superb fielding. “Getting hits together to score a run was the biggest challenge,” ASA player Whitney Wasko said. “The other team played really well. They had really good hitters and really good defense so we had to produce some runs on our own.” Wasko scored the single run of the night for ASA, giving them the 1-0 lead in the bottom of the 4th inning. A wild throw home by the Springer-Franklin shortstop allowed Wasko to safely slide into home. The turning point in the game came when an ASA player hit a double during the fourth inning. “We’ve just been playing every game like it’s our last,” Wasko said. “Earlier today we played a really close game to make it to the championships. So I think that boosted our morale.” Springer-Franklin rallied in the top of the fifth and sixth innings but was unable to score a run. Wasko credits the win to ASA’s communication and perseverance. “You just have to have communication and you have to trust that your teammates are going to pick it up and be behind you,” Wasko said. ASA was able to finish the season undefeated. ASA remained consistent throughout the night and took advantage of the few errors made by Springer-Franklin players. The men’s championship game followed the women at 9 p.m. as the Sigma Chi fraternity took on the Thoroughmeds. Great fielding held the game scoreless until the bottom of the third inning. A bobble by the Thoroughmeds’ third baseman left the bases loaded with one out. A rip down the third base line by Sigma Chi gave the fraternity their first run of the night. Another solid hit into left field allowed the Sigma Chi runner on third to tag up and make it into home. The bottom of the third inning ended with Sigma Chi leading 2-0. Junior Sigma Chi player Peter Tompkins credited the success of the team to their chemistry on the field. “We’ve only practiced a few times,” Tompkins said. “We play really well together, we are all fraternity brothers.” The Thoroughmeds rallied in the fourth inning but were unable to score a run. Solid fielding by the Thoroughmeds prevented Sigma Chi from scoring any more runs in the bottom of the fourth inning. The Thoroughmeds scored two runs during the top of the fifth
thanks to a well-hit ball into leftfield. Sigma Chi rallied in the bottom of the fifth and scored two more runs thanks to a well placed hit in left centerfield. The score was 4-2 after the bottom of the fifth inning. “I thought they did really well, they did an excellent job hitting the ball and staying with us to the very end,” Tompkins said. A valiant last effort by the Thoroughmeds proved unsuccessful as the game ended after the top of the sixth inning 4-2. The championship games concluded the intramural softball season. The intramural flag football league begins Oct. 22.
The women of ASA (above) received their championship t-shirts after defeating Springer-Franklin 1-0. Sigma Chi (below) also received shirts after beating the Thoroughmeds 4-2.
The News
Sports
October 19, 2012
3B
Basketball
Meet the Team: Mariah Robinson This is part one of a four-part series introducing the women’s basketball team.
Carly Besser || Staff writer cbesser@murraystate.edu
Starting her final season as a Murray State athlete, senior guard Mariah Robinson has proven she was a gogetter from the very beginning. As a freshman, she impressed the Murray State program and the Ohio Valley Conference by being named the OVC freshman of the week twice and starting in eight games. In the past three years, Robinson has grown stronger as an athlete and leader, being named the team captain this season. She said her love of basketball started at an early age. “When was I 7, I had cousins who were in their teens that were also my neighbors,” she said. “I was just always outdoors doing something with a ball, and our church across the street put up a basketball goal. I think that’s when it all started for me. I didn’t want to be inside playing with dolls all day. I just wasn’t that type of girl.” Basketball developed into more than a hobby when she grew older, turning into a stress reliever. When Robinson was 12, her mother, one of her strongest supporters in basketball, passed away. To this day, she said her mother is a big influence in her athletic career and she thinks about her every time she plays. “My mom was a really big presence for me growing up with basketball,” she said. “She was my No. 1 fan. After she passed away, I used basketball as a way to keep me focused and a way to escape. I think basketball is a healthy thing to turn to. It has really helped me.” With the busy lifestyle which
comes with being a college athlete, many people find extra support to help motivate them. Robinson said she owes much of her drive to a newfound spirituality. She said she has committed to a strong Christian faith for a year, and she can’t imagine her life without a relationship with God. “I would owe a lot of my success to my relationship with Christ,” she said. “I came to Christ this past October and it has changed my life. There were times when I would think, ‘I don’t want to do this anymore,’ because it was hard. Life gets hard and a lot of things get thrown at you from different angles.” She carries her religion with her at all times, and uses it as a way to focus and prepare for games. Robinson said she finds herself praying alone to regroup herself so she can play her best. “I like to stay to myself a little bit before a game,” she said. “I kind of have a one-on-one with God. It gets me attentive.” With a new season beginning to unfold, it’s a clean slate to perform and an unpredictable journey to the OVC tournament. Robinson made a name for herself her junior year as the school leader in 3-point shots and averaging 16 points per game. Currently, Robinson is the second best 3-point shooter in Murray State’s history. Her success on the court sets the bar high for her to perform even better as a senior, but Robinson said she has strong faith in herself and her team. “I wouldn’t say there’s too much pressure,” she said. “What happens is going to happen. I don’t have control of the future. I just know that in order for our team to be successful, I have to be a good leader on and off the court. I need to be getting in the gym
more, and I know that other teams are going to scout me and play me up close. It’s my duty as captain and as a senior to keep myself in check.” Robinson has taken her job as captain seriously, making it a point to keep her team together as family. She said she wants to be a role model for new girls on the roster and for teammates who are trying to develop into better athletes and people. “It’s not easy to have that responsibility,” Robinson said. “I have 15 girls and we all are very diverse as a team. It’s hard, but I enjoy it because I know I can have a major impact on the younger girls especially. I just try to keep them from other temptations of the world. I just want to surpass surface levels in our relationships, and build friendships with my teammates.” Though it’s a tough job to take on, Robinson said the team looking up to her is her favorite part of being a college athlete. Being a positive role model is her top priority. Head Coach Rob Cross said he has enjoyed seeing her develop as an athlete, but more importantly as a person. Her selflessness and desire to put others before herself made her perfect for a leadership position. “Mariah has been a true joy to be around,” he said. “She truly loves people and works to ensure that she uplifts everyone she meets. She epitomizes the characteristics a Murray State student-athlete should represent.” Her final year will be a bittersweet goodbye for both the program and the people in it. As a model representation of her team and school, Robinson has impacted both the university and the community. Cross believes her presence has left a lasting impression on her teammates and all of those
File Photo
Last season Robinson started in 21 out of 31 games and averaged 14 points and 4.5 rebounds per game. She is leading in 3-point shots with 78 and attempts with 246. around her. “She does a superb job of leading by example,” Cross said. “She has the ability to deal with diverse personalities and bring them together for the good of the team. Everyone knows
that with Mariah it is all about the team.” Coach Cross agrees, if there was ever a model of someone born to lead by example Mariah Robinson would be it.
Old tradition grows as tailgating increases before home contests Lexy Gross|| Staff writer cgross2@murraystate.edu
Maddie Mucci/The News
Sophomore Kayla Christensen and Senior Josh Dippie enjoy the fall weather as they tailgate with the Wesley Foundation before Saturday’s Homecoming football game.
Tailgating has become tradition for many students before home football games. Student organizations, family and alumni set up tents surrounding the outside of Stewart Stadium to socialize before games. Paul Bubb, associate athletic director for external affairs, said tailgating fits into the already social environment of a football game. “Tailgating, along with attending the game, is also a way for the University to strengthen bonds with various constituents,” Bubb said. “This includes students, alumni, parents, community members and boosters.” For family weekend, Bubb said the athletic department predicted more than 3,500 people participated in some form of a pre-game tailgate. Part of this number included the Racer Band and their families set up on the old practice football field. Many different groups participate in pre-game events. Several IFC fraternities put up tents, as well as organizations such as the Wesley Foundation, Student Housing and Enrollment Management, the Racer Club and several local businesses. Sigma Chi member Corey Grissom, said tailgating has helped organizations socialize in a simple and cheap environment. “Tailgating gives the student body, community and alumni base of Racer Nation an opportunity to ... show their school spirit,” Grissom said. Now Racer Club members can reserve space along the wall behind the stadium, or on the opposite side of the parking lot outside of Roy Stewart Stadium. Those who
are not members of the Racer Club can reserve RV parking spots by contacting Bubb. Small groups can gather on the east side of the stadium on a first-come-first-serve basis. Non-members can also tailgate behind their vehicles. Bubb said tailgating has gone extremely well this year and people seem to appreciate the pre-game festivities. “People enjoying the pre-game atmosphere and looking forward to coming out to Stewart Stadium is an evident testimonial to tailgating having a positive impact on the football program,” Bubb said. Home football game attendance has increased over the last few years and Bubb believe’s it is due to tailgating activities. Both Bubb and Grissom expect tailgating get bigger with each game. “I expect tailgating to continue to grow as long as tailgaters continue to conduct themselves responsibly on game day and do not create public image problems for the University and student body,” Grissom said. Ultimately, Bubb wishes to see students travel to more away games and tailgate there as well. “Central Arkansas had a strong contingency of fans who traveled to their game at Murray earlier this year and tailgated before the game,” Bubb said. “Having been on their campus two years ago for our game there, I have to believe several of the groups traveling here came because they had such a strong tailgating program at their home games.” Bubb and the athletic department are working on building up the program and getting more students involved in pre-game events. The next home football game is 11 a.m. against Tennessee State on Nov. 3.
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The News
Sports
4B
October 19, 2012
Cross Country
Hopes high heading into conference championships Several runners set personal records, finish strong in final tune-up before OVC Championship meet
Jaci Kohn || Assistant Sports Editor jkohn@murraystate.edu
The cross country teams are heading into the OVC Championships on a high note. Eight runners ran personal bests at tournaments on Saturday. The women’s team competed at two different meets over the weekend and most of the team competed at the PreNCAA meet in Louisville, Ky., while four runners, along with the men’s team, went to Owensboro, Ky., to compete at the Kentucky Wesleyan Fast Cats Invitational. “I think we did pretty well,� said Head Coach Jenny Severns. “We had some really good high lights and some things we need to work on, which I feel like is most every meet. Abbie Ashbee-Simonds broke the school record in the 6K, which was really good at Pre-Nats. Then we had a few kids run big (personal records) at Fast
Cats, so that was nice. I think it was a good learning meet, a good stepping stone for OVC.� At the Pre-NCAA meet the women’s team finished 12th out of 26 teams. Freshman Abbie Ashbee-Simmonds ran a 20:50.5 to finish in 18th place. Ashbee-Simmonds set a career best and broke the program record in the 6K. Junior Carolyne Tanui set a career high and had the third fastest time in school history. She finished in 61st with a time of 22:27.7. Senior Rebecca Hbetamu set a season high with a time of 22:37.4. She finished 78th. Sophomore Abbie Oliver, sophomore Brittany Bohn, freshman Leah Krause, senior Bridget Stichnot and freshman Jacquelyn Thate all set career best times and junior Anna Grimes ran a season high time. At the Fast Cats Invitational, two runners ran career high times. Fresh-
man Abby Baker posted a time of 20:30.50 and finished 40th. Freshman Heatherly Paschall finished in 53rd with a time of 23:33.90. Senior Bridget Stichnot said the season has gone better than anyone could have expected. She is coming back from an injury and at the PreNCAA she took over a minute off of her last 6K. She is happy with how her team is working together and supporting each other at this point in the season. “As a team everybody is getting faster,� she said. “We are running more as a group now. And the people who were in the back of the group are now pushing up and catching up to the front. So everything is coming together at the right time.� The men finished in seventh at the Fast Cat Invitational. Freshman Jarrod Koerner was the first Racer to cross the finish line, finishing with a time of
Photo courtesy of Sports Information
Sophomore Chase Darnell runs at the Fast Cats Invitations. The men’s team placed seventh at the Fast Cats Invitational. The women placed 12th at the Pre-NCAA meet in Louisville, Ky. 28:20.80 and placing 33rd. Sophomore Jordan Altholf ran the course in 28:44.40 and finished 42nd. “We actually had a little bit of an off day on the men’s side,� Severn said. “A few guys were sick and stuff like that. It probably wasn’t our best performance. But they learn from it. We just had a work out and they killed it. So I am pretty excited to see what they can do at OVC.� Two runners for the men’s team set record times. Freshman Griffin Kelley finished the race with a career best time of 33:47.40. Zach Calvert finished
Soccer
Games important as fall season winds down Nick Dolan || Staff writer
ndolan@murraystate.edu
With only four games left in the regular season, the Murray State soccer team is looking to overcome its losses and strengthen its OVC resume. The Racers (3-10-0, 1-5 OVC) have dropped their last five games, all of which were in conference. The latest additions to the loss column came last weekend when they faced off against SIUE (7-5-2, 4-2-1 OVC) Friday night and Eastern Illinois (5-11-0, 3-4-0 OVC) Sunday afternoon. Freshman midfielder Cassidy Sherman scored the only goal of the game Friday, in the 34th minute to give the Cougars the win. The Racers were outshot 188 in the contest and only recorded two shots on net, both in the first half. “We fought very hard defensively and offensively,� sophomore defender Bronagh
Kerins said. “We had a few chances but it was hard getting on goal. They had a set piece, they crossed in the ball and unfortunately they got a foot on it to score.� Two days later the Racers traveled to Charleston, Ill., to play their last road game of the season. The offense improved from the previous game, recording 15 shots in the match.
Despite the renewed effort, the Racers lost late as the Panthers scored in the 80th minute. Sophomore midfielder Meagan Radloff put away a rebounded saved ball
giving Eastern Illinois the eventual win. “In the first half we had a lot of chances on goal,� Kerins said. “We were driving through the center and fiercely attacking the goal. We missed our chances, though and unfortunately we didn’t get (a win).� Head Coach Beth Acreman said the Racers haven’t played up to their potential, but she has seen improvements this year. “Obviously the results aren’t what we were expecting and it’s not what we push for here at Murray State,� Acreman said. “It’s been tough with the results of the last weekend with just 1-0 losses. Those are really
Local
heartbreakers for a young group.� Murray State has 14 underclassmen on the roster; nine are freshmen. Acreman said the future is bright for her young team because they have gained experience and seen quality minutes this season. “They definitely have learned a lot,� Acreman said. “A lot of them have played a lot of minutes, which for our future is a good thing.� The Racers have four games remaining before the OVC Championship Tournament begins Nov. 1. Each of the remaining four games are against conference opponents and will be played at home on Cutchin Field. The Racers will be looking for several key conference wins heading into the OVC Tournament. They play at 3 p.m. Friday, Oct. 19 against Jacksonville State and 1 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 21 against Tennessee Tech.
National
Saturday:
Friday
Volleyball
Murray State (4-14)
vs. SIU Edwardsville (7-12) 2 p.m. at SIUE
MLB Playoffs
St. Louis Cardinals
vs. San Francisco Giants 7 p.m. FOX
Vadalabene Center
Sunday:
Soccer
Murray State (3-10)
vs.Tennessee Tech (4-9-1) 1 p.m. Cutchin Field
Sunday:
National Football League Pittsburgh Steelers (2-3)
vs. Cincinatti Bengals (3-3) 7:20 NBC
with a time of 35:21.10, a season best for him. Severns said she was proud of the way her team ran over the weekend and was pleased with all of the personal records they set. She appreciates their attitudes and determination. “They are a determined set of kids,� she said. “They really want to be good and that is the most important thing. Training and all that stuff is secondary to the want.� The teams have this weekend off to prepare for the OVC Championships on Oct. 27.
#Racertweets 7 new Tweets
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Jeffery Moss @MossTheBoss31 Tonight was fun I really enjoyed it I can't wait til the games start! #RacerNation Men’s Basketball
Dontrell Johnson @24Gods_Child24 All I ask is you keep it real with me. I'm allergic to fake things. Football
Casey Brockman @realWildHorse Screw it, let's just get Clinton back in office. "I did not have sexual relations with that woman." What a baller! #merika Football
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Alexis Love @Eyy_LUV You know it's time to get off Twitter when you start tweetin random things that don't make sense #imdone Track
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October 19, 2012
5B
The News
Features
Features Editor: Anna Taylor Assistant Editor: Savannah Sawyer Phone: 809-5871 Twitter: MSUNewsFeatures
Li t
Horrors S e h l op o t f
Graphic courtesy of Playhouse in the Park
Playhouse premieres musical comedy Maddie Mucci || Staff writer mmucci@murraystate.edu
Photos by Tara Martin/Contributing photographer
Kelsey Booth, from Alton, Ill., who plays Ronnette, pauses during a rehearsal earlier this week at Playhouse in the Park.
Playhouse in the Park kicks off the Halloween season tonight with its opening of a dark musical comedy. “Little Shop of Horrors,” a musical by Alan Menken and Howard Ashman, will be performed for the next three weekends. The show will be Fridays and Saturdays at 7 p.m., and on Sunday at 2:30 p.m. from Oct. 19 through Nov. 4 at Playhouse in the Park located off Gil Hopson Drive in Murray. The show is a comedic musical centered around an assistant at a Florist’s shop who finds himself raising a plant that feeds on human flesh and blood. Bryant Powell, freshman from Mayfield, Ky., plays the assistant shopkeeper in the production. “‘Little Shop’ is basically its own experience in musical theater in that it’s just so different from pretty much any other show on the market,” Powell said. “The music has its own style, the dialogue has its own style. It’s just extraordinarily unique in so many ways.” Director Stephen Keene, from Louisville, Ky., has worked with Playhouse in the Park for 12 years. After being involved in “Little Shop of Horrors” twice previously he said he was enthusiastic about adding this unique show to the 2012 season. “When we added (‘Little Shop of Horrors’) to this season, I was really excited about it,” Keene said. “I had some ideas as far as being the director, having a vision of the show, and knowing the story line. So, I was really excited about being able to actually take on the role of director because I know a lot about the show.” Because Keene knew about the production before coming into rehearsals, he had time to think about the differences that could make Playhouse in the Park’s production stand out. “One of the big things I’ve thought about with this production is making sure that the actors don’t overdo the characters because so often those characters in this particular show are overdone, and it can come of as a little cartoon-y. I’ve told (the actors) just to kind of let it happen naturally and that it will automatically be funny— they don’t have to work so hard in order to make that happen,” Keene said. Not only did the director add his touch to “Little Shop of Horrors,” specializing this production, but had the puppets of the plant that grows throughout the show specialty made. “I love the plants and the puppets that we have,” Keene said. “Most of the time you rent (the puppets), but we actually had somebody approach us to make them for us, so I’ve actually gotten
to see the process of the plants all being made and everything. It’s been really neat and very personalized for us. The plants are the biggest thing that people remember about the show, so being able to have those personally made by such a phenomenal artist has been really neat.” Keene and the artist who made the plant puppets are not the only Murray State-affiliated people involved in the production. This show in particular incorporates Murray State faculty, staff, students and alumni in every aspect from the live band to behind the scenes. “About half of the cast members are Murray State students and some of the people in the band are also from Murray State,” Keene said. “I have a music degree from Murray State, so I didn’t have to find someone else to teach the music, I just taught it myself. We also have a choreographer who graduated from Murray State as well, so he has come in and taught a lot of the dance numbers.” One of the nine cast members, Powell was chosen from 30 to 40 people who auditioned to play the character Seymour. He said it was exciting to find out that he got the part for which he had auditioned. “Seymour is the clumsy assistant shopkeeper to a man named Mr. Mushnik who runs a flower shop in the bad part of (town), Skid Row,” Powell said. “Seymour and I are both a little bit awkward around the fairer sex and we’re both ambitious. He’s a person who feels very deeply and is willing to do whatever it takes to make his dreams a reality.” After working on understanding his character for several weeks, Powell said he is looking forward to opening night. “I’m looking forward to the audience reaction,” Powell said. “I’ve been doing this to a row of empty chairs, and I want to see how actual people react to the things that I’m doing on stage.” Keene agreed with Powell about opening night. “I would say that you definitely don’t want to miss seeing these amazing plants, and the amazing cast,” Keene said. “We had to pick from the very best of the (30-40) people who auditioned and I think we came out with a cast that is pretty phenomenal. So, if you’re looking for good music, a comedy and a musical then you don’t want to miss (‘Little Shop of Horrors’). It’s so entertaining and it’s a show the whole family can see.” Tickets for “Little Shop of Horrors” can be purchased 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 get a $2 per ticket discount.
Fraternity crowns pageant winner Hunter Harrell || Staff writer hharrell@murraystate.edu
After a night of pageant competition, Katie MacAllister, senior from Murray, was crowned Miss Black and Gold at the Miss Black and Gold pageant held by Alpha Phi Alpha Friday evening. For MacAllister, the decision to participate in the pageant was to challenge herself. “I wanted to jump outside of my box,” she said. “Growing up, I was a tomboy. I loved playing basketball, and loved wearing sweatpants and big shirts so I just wanted to try something new to push myself.” As part of her talent routine in the pageant, MacAllister recited an original poem. “For my talent, I wanted to do something different,” MacAllister said. “I just wanted the crowd to feel me for me.” After spending weeks with her fellow Miss Black and Gold contestants, some she knew before the pageant practices commenced and some who were strangers, MacAllister felt closer to the ladies. “The most rewarding experience (from the pageant) would have to be hanging out with the girls,” she said. “They are all very special to me.” In addition to making new friends, the experience was equally reward-
The judges concentrate on picking a winner for Miss Black and Gold 2012. ing when MacAllister was announced the Miss Black and Gold 2012 winner. “I was really surprised, to be honest,” she said. “I thought I did well, but I didn’t think I was at the very top!” Although this is the first pageant in which MacAllister has participated, it won’t be her last. As Miss Black and Gold 2012 for Murray State Alpha Phi Alpha, she will proceed to the State Miss Black and Gold pageant in February held at the University of Kentucky. In addition, MacAllister will have to put on two programs or activities for the community in order to receive the $500 scholarship. MacAllister said she would like to organize
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one program to inform the community of domestic violence. The second program she would like to do is about the college life and keeping it stress free. As Miss Black and Gold, MacAllister is held to high standards. She is also a role model for the community. “I feel like I can hold that up to par,” MacAllister said. “I think I can be a woman that people look up to.” Being that role model means addressing the concerns that women face today. MacAllister explained An exclusive her views on Q and A with the struggles of women every- MacAllister where. “The biggest challenge women face is having people take you seriously,” she said. “Sometimes women get overlooked based on the way they look or talk. I think my self-confidence (will help address these concerns). I don’t let things bring me down, and I believe that is something people can look to.” MacAllister is an occupational safety and health major. She is currently the secretary and vice president of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, the secretary for the American Society of Safety Engineers and the treasurer of the National Pan Hellenic Council.
ONLINE:
Photos by Maddie Mucci/The News
Katie MacAllister, senior from Murray, was crowned the winner of the 2012 Miss Black and Gold pageant last Friday. The event is hosted every year by the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity.
Ricky Gervais @rickygervais Autocorrect is great, but it can make you look like a complete aunt when it guesses wrong and some little shut on twitter points it out. 4:50 a.m. Oct. 13
Simon Pegg @simonpegg There is a peculiar melancholia about going to work in the dark. You know you are crossing paths with people for whom it is still yesterday. 12:13 a.m. Oct. 15
Gloria Fallon @GloriaFallon123 The beauty of smartphones is the ability to sit in a room with 5 adults, all mutually ignoring each other, and no hard feelings. 4:56 p.m. Oct. 13
Lena Dunham @lenadunham That song What Would You Do by City High makes me laugh uncontrollably even though it is literally about a starving hooker's baby. 11:30 p.m. Oct. 14
Alexa Chung @alexa_chung A man on the street was meowing at me earlier. Bath salts? 10:59 a.m. Oct. 15
Mark Hoppus @markhoppus Still learning to live in London. I always leave the house with sunglasses, always forget an umbrella ella ella ay ay ay. Noob. 9:31 a.m. Oct. 15
Features
6B
THE
The News
“Entertainment news sure to spice up your lunch conversation”
October 19, 2012
Waterfield displays student artwork Dominique Duarte || Staff writer dduarte@murraystate.edu
WATER COOLER Information and photos from The Associated Press Compiled by Savannah Sawyer
FOX WELCOMES BABY BOY Actress Megan Fox has welcomed a baby boy with husband Brian Austin Green. They announced the birth of their son Noah Shannon Green via Facebook Wednesday. Fox kept the birth hidden from the media. She gave birth on Sept. 27.
VAN ZANDT HONORED BY CHARITY Steven Van Zandt, know for his work with Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band along side acting in HBO’s “The Sopranos,” was honored with the Big Man of the Year award. The charity, which helps to rescue music programs in schools, was named after the late Clarence Clemons, saxophonist of the E Street Band.
Waterfield Library provides students with a place to study, buy food and read books, but now they can see art by their fellow students as well. Murray State’s class of art materials and techniques for the classroom teacher, completed an assignment called the “Collage/Voice Thread Project.” Students created collages using the principles of design and their individual creativity. The collages are made from newspaper and magazine clippings, construction paper and colored tissue paper. In the exhibit, students can scan a QR code on the collage and hear the artist talk about how they arranged their work of art based on the principles of design. Students can also comment on the art using their voice or text by scanning the bar code on the corner of the artwork with their phone. Shannon Duffy, lecturer of art education, thought of the idea for the class. She said she thought it was a great way to have her students learn something in the classroom and teach it outside of the classroom. “I thought it was great because with the voice thread you can post comments and create a collaboration with people that are not even in your class,” Duffy said. “So it’s a really good way for assessment and getting feedback on your work.” Students were hesitant about beginning the project at first, but began
Art Materials and Techniques for the Classroom Teacher students have created collages, that are now being displayed in Waterfield library. to really enjoy it and have told their other professors about it. Duffy wanted her students to use the rules of principles of design to organize the parts and pieces of their collage. “I want to make sure that these folks in my class are basically teaching the principles, they’re talking about their work in a way that is almost like they are making the art come to life,” Duffy said. Heather Wilhelmi, junior from Louisville, Ky., worked on her collage for six hours. She said she enjoyed
working on the assignment and learned how to be creative and follow rules. “This project really helped us to develop our skills on the basic principles of design so that we could teach those basic principles in our classrooms,” Wilhelmi said. “We had very strong restraints on what we could and couldn’t use in the project so it helped us focus down on what we were supposed to be doing.” There are 28 pieces displayed in Waterfield Library along the wall and
they can be seen through the large glass window. Many students in the class, including Wilhelmi, have not studied art, but put in a lot of time and effort to create the collages. She hopes students will look at the project in the library. “It’s showing that anybody can do art because none of us in this class are art students, but we all made an effort and created these pieces that are really basic,” Wilhelmi said. “But they show our personalities in a way that’s also using the basic principles of design so I think that it would help (students) realize that anyone can do it.” Duffy said the voice thread is a relatively new idea and not many people know about it yet. It can be used for blogs, classrooms and PowerPoint presentations. She said she would like to see voice thread used more in the future. “I could see voice thread being used as virtual gallery space where you could have a class document all of their work throughout the semester and post it on the voice thread.” Duffy will present her concept with the voice thread and QR code Saturday, Oct. 20 at the Kentucky Art Education Conference at Eastern Kentucky University. Said Duffy: “The concept I had for the voice thread project is just one component of what you can create using voice thread. I want to share my idea so other teachers could find ways to use it in their own way. It is a fantastic way to use iPads, too.”
Students prepare meals for capstone course Savannah Sawyer || Assistant Features Editor ssawyer@murraystate.edu
BEYONCE TO PLAY SUPER BOWL On Feb. 3, viewers of the Super Bowl halftime show will see Grammy Award winner Beyonce performing. Speculations have risen as to whom will make an appearance; Jay-Z or Destiny’s Child perhaps?
DEPP DEVELOPS BOOK COMPANY Actor Johnny Depp is starting his own publishing company, Infinitum Nihil, and he already has chosen one book in particular to publish. The first book the actor will be printing is Bob Dylan’s biography, “The Unraveled Tales of Bob Dylan.”
The air is beginning to cool, sweaters, jackets, and scarves are being pulled from the back of the closet and everything edible is pumpkin flavored. Fall is here and the students studying nutrition, dietetics and food management at Murray State are putting their favorite fall comfort foods together for everyone to enjoy. Students and community members alike came together Wednesday to enjoy some delectable fall comfort food created by Murray State students. Each week a different student in the class, meal management, has the opportunity to create a themed lunch for anyone to enjoy. This is the capstone class for students studying nutrition, dietetics and food management. Unlike the typical classroom setting, this course is hands-on. “It is a lot of work but it’s really different,” said Beth Rice, assistant professor of Nutrition, Dietetics and Food Management. “There are no tests, only papers to write in your reflection of your project. It’s a real intense upfront class.” Students tend to agree with Rice. The class has a lot to offer because of the way it is taught. “The experience is really great and I love the hands-on in this class,” said Chelsea Watkins, senior from Paducah, Ky. “It’s not just coming in and doing bookwork. You really get to know everybody in your class.” Creating meals is not as easy as one may think. There is a lot of work students put forth in order to create their meals. The must serve a three course meal including an appetizer, main course and a choice of desserts.
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Seniors Kelsey Nance and Chelsea Watkins help fellow student Sarah Guthrie prepare for her themed meal Wednesday morning in the Oakley Dining Room located in Oakley Applied Science. Their main course has to be an entree and two sides. Then for their dessert course, they have to provide a choice of deserts. One can be anything they want it to be, the other one has to be under 120 calories. So that can be challenging at times.” Last week, Watkins was the student who served her meal to the public. “Time management was the most challenging because your guests come at 11:30 a.m. and they expect to be served,” she said. “They don’t want to have to wait because a lot of people have classes.” On Wednesday, Sarah Gurthrie, senior from Wilmore Ky., had her food featured in the Oakley Dining Room. She went with the theme of “Fall Into Comfort.” “Autumn is my favorite season,” she said. “The warm comfort that you experience in the fall. I wanted to bring that to other people. It’s comfort foods. You’re getting that home experience.” Aside from planning the menu and picking a theme, students must purchase the food in bulk. “It’s a combination of a lot of the classes we’ve taken throughout the years,” Guthrie said. “You not only have to do the recipes, come up with a theme but organizing how much food to buy and the production and the costs and organizing your classmates.” Another challenging aspect of the project is assigning the crew, which consists of the other mem-
bers of the class. Guthrie said trying to relate to her classmates was difficult because as a boss you need to be nice but you also need to make sure the food it made correctly. Students who have yet to take their turn are looking forward to learning from the other students before them. “I like that I’m doing it at the end because I get to learn from everybody, like what worked for people and what didn’t work for people and plan accordingly,” said Kelsey Nance, senior from Murray. “By the end you get to see who’s stronger in a certain area.” For Nance’s project, she plans on using Pinterest as her general theme. “Pinterest has everything on there so you wouldn’t think it would be hard but I found it difficult to stay within our guidelines and still get what I thought people would enjoy,” she said. Each week different students will create their own meals, themes and staff, while anyone in the community is welcome to attend for $7.50. Call the student desk for a reservation ahead of time at (270) 809-3387 Menus are posted online at murraystate.edu/oakleydininghall where the menus list what they’re serving, recipes as well as the nutritional information of their meals.
Fall Into Comfort
Menu Appetizer Butternut Squash and Carrot Soup
Main Course Chicken Pot Pie Fall Fruit Compote Green Beans Amadine
Dessert Pumpkin Pie Bites German Chocolate Cupcake
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October 19, 2012
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Music alumnus wins grant from foundation Hunter Harrell || Staff writer hharrell@murraystate.edu
Master mandolin player and Murray State alumnus Chris Thile was presented with a prestigious honor, Oct. 9. Next to his two Grammy Awards, Thile was one of this year’s 23 recipients of the MacArthur Foundation genius grant. Thile is one of two musicians who will receive $100,000 annually for five years. “Most of it, I will boringly sock away,” Thile told the New York Daily News. “But I do have a fun, indulgent thing I will do. A new old mandolin just came on the market and I think I’m going to have to pick it up.” According to the foundation's website, recipients are selected for their creativity, originality and potential to make important contributions to the betterment of society in the future. Though he attended school at Murray State in the 1990s, he was born near San Diego, Calif. There, his interest in music sparked and he began taking mandolin lessons at age 5. By age 7, he was actively performing in mandolin and bluegrass competitions. Because Thile was home schooled, at 16 he was enrolled in courses at Murray State including violin performance, music theory, formal training and composition. “Chris was interested in some coursework here,” Scott Thile, his father said. “He started by taking just a couple classes, a German class, and enrolled shortly after that in the music program.” After just two years attending Murray State, Thile moved on to pursue his professional career with his bluegrass band
Nickel Creek, which released five studio albums. In the ‘90s, Nickel Creek received two Grammy nominations for Best Bluegrass Album and Best Country Instrumental. During the Country Music Awards, the band was nominated for Best Vocal Group of the year. After Nickel Creek, Thile created five solo records. Currently, 31-year-old Thile resides in New York City, when he isn't touring as frontman for the Punch Brothers, a progressive bluegrass band. In addition to his career, side projects carry Thile along. “He's doing a lot of other collaborative work with other musicians,” Scott said. “Most recently, he did a project with Yo-Yo Ma, who is a well known cellist.” Other recording and performance partners Thile has worked with include Dolly Parton, John Paul Jones and Edgar Meyer. Also, Thile is working on his first full album of Bach compositions played on the mandolin. Though no stranger to winning awards, this by far is the most honorable Thile has received. “He used to win a lot of mandolin competitions when he was younger,” Scott said. Thile’s music encompasses a variety of genres such as bluegrass, classical music, rock and jazz. According to the foundation's description, Thile is a “mandolinist and composer creating a new musical aesthetic.” Scott agrees. “He’s always pushing to do more,” he said. “He feels strongly that music should not be chopped up into different genres, so a lot of his work is just to make the best music that he can.”
Students prepare for children’s play Shannon MacAllister ||Staff writer smacallister@murraystate.edu
Students in the Murray State department of theatre have been hard at work for the last three weeks preparing for their annual children’s show. This year, the students will be performing the classic play, “The Princess and the Pea,” directed by Pamela Hamilton. Built upon the notion of purity, the story follows a young princess, who must notice a small pea that has been hidden under her many mattresses as a test before she may marry her prince. Hamilton said she chose the play because it is
1. Amy Heidemann You probably don’t recognize the name but I guarantee if you’ve turned on a radio over the past three months, you’ve heard her voice. As one-half of the upcoming duo Karmin, Heidemann is known for her fast rapping and goofy facial expressions. I’ve pretty much had a girl crush on her since I saw her cover video of “Look At Me Now” on YouTube. The duo was voted by fans – myself included – to grace the “Women Who Rock” issue cover of Rolling Stone.
Chris Thile, a Murray State alumnus and former member of the band Nickel Creek, was awarded the MacArthur Foundation genius grant last month.
generally a well-known story among elementary aged kids, is fun and upbeat and has a storyline that is perfect for kids. It teaches them morals while captivating their attention with its princes, princesses, villains and trolls. “It’s a great story because all the kids recognize the storyline and the teachers recognize it also and will bring the kids to the performances,” Hamilton said. “We do the children’s play because it is one of the theater’s biggest fundraisers, but also because we want to encourage those elementary art programs. We want to help those last.” This year’s play is comprised of a majority of new actors, but Hamilton said they are all doing extremely well. “This play has really been an eye-opening experience because I only have one returning actor,” Hamilton said. “I’ve had to get to know all of the new faces and I’ve really had to adjust as I’ve learned what everyone can do and what they’ll give to each character.” Kristie Beadnesll, Noah Van den Bosch, Andrew Castleverry, Chase Chadwick, Hannah Dewilde, Laurel Henning, Timothy Lewis, Colleen Ohler, Alexis Riley, Alex Routen and Dexter White make up the play’s cast. “The best thing about kids is that, normally when you have like a thousand kids in a room, it’s
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almost impossible to get their attention, but when you’re on the stage, you have their absolute attention,” Chadwick, senior from Murray who plays Gustaf the Troll, said. “For example I was in ‘Robin Hood’ last year, and if ‘Robin Hood’ had said be quiet, it would have happened just like that, in a matter of seconds.” The cast members enjoy the time outside of the spotlight as well as they fly through rehearsals full of smiles, laughs and dancing. “Being in the children’s show is a really great way to meet everybody because it’s such a fun show and everybody gets to have so much fun together,” said Henning, freshman from Louisville, Ky., who plays the Princess Astrid. “You really get to know the other people in the theater department and you get to have a great time.” The play includes lively choreographed dances, dramatic fights, powerful secrets and romance both good and bad as the actors and actresses create for everyone a story of another time in a land far far away. The play is at 7:30 and 9:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 22, 10 a.m. and noon on Tuesday, Oct. 23 and 10 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 25. The shows are all located in Lovett Auditorium. Tickets may be reserved or bought at the door for $3. All Murray State students get in free with a Racercard. For more information call 270-809-4421.
Rappers Yung Joc, Juvenile and Gorilla Zoe kicked off Homecoming weekend with a concert in Lovett Auditorium on Friday. Country singer Paul Thorn performed Tuesday evening as a part of the Lovett Live Concert Series.
The fourth in the series of “Paranormal Activity” will take place five years after Kate and Hunter have disappeared. In this film, strange things begin to happen to a suburban family after a mother and her son move into the neighborhood.
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Tuesday, Oct. 23 One of last summer’s blockbuster films, “Magic Mike,” will be released Tuesday. The movie is based off of Channing Tatum’s life pre-acting. Tatum also stars in the film along side Matthew McConaughey, Matt Bomer and Ale x Pettyfer.
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Monday, Oct. 22
Country music’s princess is back in the spotlight with “Red.” As Swift’s fourth studio album, you can expect to hear about all of her latest guy dilemmas in the form of extremely catchy tunes. Ed Sheeran also collaborated with Swift for a duet.
3. Alicia Keys If it was still August or anytime before then, I probably wouldn’t have considered mentioning Keys in this column. But, her performance of “Girl On Fire” at the MTV Video Music Awards in September just reminded me just how great she is. Often performing while playing piano–which is basically an instant musical win for me– the singer puts soul into her words, which is very rare in popular music today. 4. Karen Orzolek As the front woman of indie group Yeah Yeah Yeahs, this rock-diva might just be the coolest woman I’ve ever listened to. Born in South Korea, the singer’s calm voice is probably what got me interested in the indie genre. Her alternative rockerstyle is very likeable. Listen to some of the band’s hits such as “Maps” and “Hysteric” and you’ll agree. 5. Santi White Known to many by her stage name, Santigold, this fun singer can be classified as pop, reggae fusion, electronica and new wave. She just released her second album in April and actually collaborated with Karen O for one of her songs. The best way I can describe her is by saying she’s very urban and fun. Her music also makes for great workout mixes.
Read It
Tuesday, Oct. 23 John Enright’s book, “Pago Pago Tango” tells the story of Detective Sergeant Apelu Soifua. Soifua finds himself having to make a decision of whether to choose Samoan or American culture as a cop.
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Tuesday, Oct. 23 “Medal of Honor: Warfighter” is a first-person shooter video game sequel to the 2010 series “Medal of Honor.” The game will be available for Microsoft Windows, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Wii U.
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2. Sia Furler The Australian singer, who drops the last name when performing, might not exactly look like she can sing well but her voice is absolutely gorgeous. If you don’t listen to indie/alternative music like me, maybe you have recently heard her featured in Flo Rida’s song “Wild Ones.” She was also a guest advisor for Team Christina on “The Voice” in season one and has worked with David Guetta.
6. Maureen McDonald Though not nearly as famous as the other artists in this column, McDonald – also known as MoZella – first grabbed my attention when I was watching an episode of “One Tree Hill.” Her raspy vocals and relateable lyrics make her a favorite of mine. Though some of these females may never perform at a Super Bowl, they will continue to entertain me. ataylor2@murraystate.edu
Out This Week Today
Women who rock On Tuesday, it was announced that Beyonce Knowles will be performing at the 2013 Super Bowl halftime show. From her dancing to her trained vocals, I’m really looking forward to watching the very Anna Taylor powerful Knowles enFeatures Editor tertain the crowd. Maybe we’ll even see a guest appearance from Jay-Z. Because I’m excited about Knowles’ upcoming gig, I decided to dedicate this column to my personal favorite female singers–some pop, others alternative. These ladies share their passion and dedication with Knowles. As of now, only one of them has ever performed at a Super Bowl.
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