The Murray State News

The Murray State News TheNews.org

February 22, 2013

Vol. 88, No. 22

State

Beshear signs Ky. bond bill Murray State to renovate Hester with public funds

Smoked Policy limits smoking amidst state rhetoric

Meghann Anderson || News Editor manderson22@murraystate.edu

sources, research and advocacy to more than 31,000 professional school counselors around the world, some of whom have been or currently are being educated at Murray State.

Alan Bakes, assistant professor and coordinator of programs in counseling at the University, said the vast majority of the school counselors in the region have been trained at Murray State.

“We offer a master’s degree in school counseling, so it’s very specific” Bakes said. “We follow the national model set by the ASCA that targets the academic category and

Gov. Steve Beshear signed House Bill 7, the agency bonds bill allowing universities to self-fund needed projects on their campuses Thursday.

Beshear said the bill would allow for the creation of more than 5,100 jobs – all at no cost to the state’s General Fund.

“At a time when we are pushing our students to pursue higher education, it’s imperative that they have adequate classrooms, housing and facilities, and the issuance of these bonds will accelerate those projects to meet those needs quickly,” Beshear said.

Beshear According to the Kentucky Legislative Research Commission, House Bill 7 would authorize six of Kentucky’s public universities to issue agency bonds.

The bill states the projects would be funded by the universities’ own revenue intakes rather than state dollars.

The bill would also authorize bonding for projects at the University of Kentucky, Northern Kentucky, Morehead State, University of Louisville and Western Kentucky.

The bill would authorize agency bonding for a total of $15.4 million in renovations at Murray State, which

see COUNSELORS, 3A

see BONDS, 3A

Lexy Gross || Assistant News Editor cgross2@murraystate.edu

new policy, preventing students from smoking between the front doors and benches of Regents Residential College, will go into effect in the coming weeks.

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University responsible for local counselors

Alex Berg || Staff writer aberg1@murraystate.edu

In response to recent proposals made by the Obama Administration to reduce gun violence, the American School Counselor Administration applauds President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden for their dedication to making the nation and its schools safer.

Kwok-Sze Wong, executive director of ASCA, spoke on behalf of the association in a statement released Jan. 16 this year.

“We appreciate the administration’s quick action in taking steps to make our students safer,” Wong said. “We

urge Congress to follow suit and pass reasonable measures to ensure our nation’s schools are as safe as possible.”

The Obama Administration is calling on Congress to help schools hire up to 1,000 more school counselors, school resource officers, school psychologists and school social workers, as well as make other investments in school safety.

The administration is proposing to help 8,000 schools put in place strategies to prevent violence and improve school climate by reducing bullying, drug abuse, violence and other problem behaviors.

The ASCA provides professional development, publications and re-

Intramural sports responds to complaints Meghann Anderson || News Editor manderson22@murraystate.edu

Jaci Kohn || Sports Editor jkohn@murraystate.edu

Photo courtesy of Guy Huffman

OVERTIME WIN: Senior guard Isaiah Canaan runs the ball past defenders in a double overtime win against Morehead State Wednesday evening. The Racers let a strong 20-point lead slip away in the second half of regulation play before the Eagles rallied for a tied game with only two seconds left. Matched points put the racers in 2OT where near-record offensive play by Canaan gave the team a 106-100 win. Murray State earned the OVC Western Division title Wednesday and ended a two-game losing streak on the road. See page 1B for more on the game. Check out a collectible flypage for the ESPN BracketBuster home game in the B section. Make sure to take yours to the 7 p.m. Saturday game at the CFSB Center.

One of the largest student involvement groups at Murray State is intramural sports, and with such a large number of students involved, accidents are sure to occur.

But, with a larger intramural group than last year, some students feel like the injuries are occurring too often.

Steven Leitch, director of campus recreation, said the University has had nine injuries reported during this intramural basketball season.

That number is up from seven a year ago.

Leitch said there are 13 more teams and approximately 50 more games than last year.

Intramurals are separated into three divisions for most sports: Greek, Residential College and independent.

“When you compare how many injuries we’ve had compared to how many people are playing and how many games they have played in, that number is well below 1 percent,” Leitch said. “There is always an assumption of risk while participating in sports, and I would argue we have not experienced a high rate of injuries.”

He said all intramural supervisors are trained and hold CPR and AED certifications, and there are at least two staff members certified and present at every game. First aid kits are also available if needed.

To have an on-site ambulance and paramedics, Leitch said it would cost $100 per hour.

The cost for basketball alone would be $10,000 and would not in-

Photo illustration by Beamer Barron/The News

Intramural campus sports officials have taken steps to decrease student injuries this year. clude any playoff games.

“The truth is the officials have enforced more technical fouls, and have suspended more players for unsportsmanlike conduct this basketball season than last season,” Leitch said. “The same goes for the student officials, and there is not a single person I would rather have calling these games than the officials we have now.”

Kathryn Mehlbauer, junior from Louisville, Ky., plays for the Hester Residential College intramural team.

She said as soon as campus recreation and Leitch heard about the injuries issue, they were quick about fixing the problem and was apologetic.

“I do appreciate that they were very willing to help us out and keep everyone safe,” she said. “Since the meeting with SGA I have noticed a difference in the officiating of the games.”

WHAT’S

HARMFUL RAYS

OUR VIEW

INSIDE

Community discusses artificial tanning before Spring Break, 6A

Campus smoking nonissue until Racers to face South Dakota bigger problems solved, 4A State in televised game, 1B

BRACKET BUSTED

Three members representing student recreation met with Student Government Association President Jeremiah Johnson on Feb. 12. and discussed the issue with strictness at games.

Mehlbauer said people need to remember it is only intramural sports and everyone is playing for fun, but it can be competitive because everybody wants to win.

“Roughness and being physical comes with playing sports and there is a chance for injuries to occur,” she said. “However, it is not only the job of the refs and campus rec to keep violence out of the games. It is the participants job to play fairly and not be so violent and to play clean.”

Joetta Kelly, manager of student

see INTRAMURAL, 3A

ACADEMY AWARDS Staff predicts 85th Oscar award winners before Sunday night, 7B

The News

News

2A News Editor: Meghann Anderson Assistant Editor: Lexy Gross Phone: 809-4468 Twitter: MurrayStateNews

Piano scholarship set for 2014

Police Beat Feb. 14 11:36 a.m. – A caller reported a motor vehicle accident at Regents Residential College. Officers were notified and a report was taken.

6:50 p.m. – Officers issued a verbal warning for reckless driving at the Sid Easley Center.

Feb. 15 3:37 p.m. – A caller reported harassment to officers at Public Safety. Officers were notified and an information report was taken.

9:55 p.m. – A caller reported marijuana in finding Franklin Residential College. Officers were notified and a report was taken.

Feb. 16 6:14 p.m. – A caller reported stolen property at the Curris Center. Officers were notified and the property was found.

6:21 p.m. – A caller reported being stuck in the elevator in Blackburn Science Building. Officers, Central Plant and Murray Fire Department were notified.

Feb. 17 5:07 a.m. – A caller reported an intoxicated person at Richmond Residential College. Officers were notified and a report was taken.

11:44 p.m. – A caller reported being harassed at Clark Residential College.

Officers were notified and a report was taken.

Feb. 18 5:23 p.m. – An officer reported removing debris from the roadway at Roy

February 22, 2013

Stewart Stadium parking lot.

6:39 p.m. – A caller reported a person was stuck in a Faculty Hall elevator. Officers and Central Plant were notified.

Feb. 19 10:45 a.m. – A caller reported a suspicious person at Waldrop Drive. Officers and Murray Police Department were notified and a report was taken.

5:27 p.m. – An officer reported an accident without injury in front of Backyard Burger. Murray Police Department was notified.

Feb. 20 12:15 a.m. – An elevator alarm was accidentally activated at Hester Residential College. Officers were notified and the elevator appeared to be normal.

2:46 a.m. – Officers reported an unsecured vehicle at Regents Residential College. The owner was notified and an information report was taken.

Call of Fame Feb. 19 – 12:01 a.m. Officers issued a citation to Dimitri Taylor, freshman from Franklin, Ky., for possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia.

Motorists assists – 0 Racer escorts – 4 Arrests – 0

Lexy Gross, Assistant News Editor, compiles Police Beat with materials provided by Public Safety. Not all dispatched calls are listed.

Ariel Watson || Contributing writer awatson18@murraystate.edu

The College of Humanities and Fine Arts will award the Marie Holifield Taylor Piano Scholarship in the Spring of 2014. The endowment level has been reached after its establishment in 2008.

The scholarship will be awarded to a music major with an emphasis in piano. Private study is one requirement needed for a piano player before they come to the University, and all Murray State enrollment requirements must be met. Auditions will be held to select the recipient.

Music professor Randall Black said the piano scholarship will more than likely go to an incoming freshman, encouraging their enrollment at Murray State.

Taylor said the scholarship is meaningful to the University because it encourages a wellprepared pianist to come study at Murray State rather than an-

Taylor McStoots/The News

The Marie Holifield Taylor Piano Scholarship will be awarded in the Spring of 2014 to a music major specializing in piano. other school. To attract high quality piano majors, the University has to become more competitive.

Taylor began at Murray State in 1970 with the department of music. She taught for 31 years, and served as Keyboard Unit Coordinator for many of those years.

She is currently teaching a piano class, although she offi-

cially retired in 2000.

Black started the scholarship fund in 2008 after recording a CD of classical pieces with Taylor.

Neither Black nor Taylor wanted to sell the CD for profit; Black said the scholarship would be a noble use of the money.

Former students of Taylor, colleagues and friends con-

tributed to the fund in honor of Taylor and in memory of her late husband Robert “Hawk” Taylor.

Taylor started playing at a young age. She said she cannot remember when she was unable to play the piano. Her talent led her to venues such as the Kennedy Center and Carnegie Hall. She has also played abroad in Australia, London and throughout the United Kingdom.

Taylor plays regularly for nursing homes and volunteers for opportunities to play with University and area public school students.

“Piano adds so much more to a song,” said Grace Lauzon, a vocalist from Owensboro, Ky. “Instrumentalists can play by themselves but most often they are accompanied by a piano because that gives much more depth and detail to the piece.”

Said Black: “(Taylor) is the most giving musician that I know. A person who is so generous with their talent deserves recognition.”

TRiO program increases student success Samantha Villanueva || Staff writer svillanueva@murraystate.edu

Three Murray State programs, all aimed at helping student success increase at three different levels of a college education, celebrated their work on campus Feb. 18.

TRiO, the title of the nationally funded college program, is geared to help students from different backgrounds pursue a college degree. The program provides students from middle school through college with personal counseling, financial guidance and help in other areas.

The TRiO program has helped 2.2 million students graduate college since its inception in 1964 with the Upward Bound program, and assists 780,000 students with their educational careers annually.

Murray State has three of the programs on campus – The Ronald McNair Post-Baccalaureate Achievement, Student Support Services and Achievement in Math and Science.

John Mateja, director of the University’s McNair Program, said the program is aimed at

helping current undergraduate students make the path to gaining a doctorate degree easier.

“If they fit the TRiO, general requirements of coming from a first-generation college family, or low-income family, then we help them get on the path to a Ph.D.,” Mateja said.

Mateja said the program helps students develop skills necessary for research, along with having a faculty mentor to assist the students.

He said although the program helps students receive a post-baccalaureate degree, it also aims to help students after graduation.

Another program under TRiO is the Student Support Services department, which director Shanna Burgess said helps students maintain a positive academic career.

Burgess said the department offers many services such as academic support, retention programs, tutoring, academic counseling and financial aid counseling.

The third section of the University’s TRiO program, AIMS, is mostly targeted at helping high school students get ready for college and also helps provide a chance for University students give back to the community.

Doris Clark-Sarr, director of AIMS, said Trio Day was not only a great way for more people to be made aware of the programs, but to show students just how they can be helped.

“It is also a great chance to know what TRiO actually means and what services we can provide to prospective, current and graduate students,” she said.

AIMS is a program directed at helping high school students from nine Clark-Sarr different schools. To date, the program has assisted 126 high school students by helping improve their academic and social skills, preparing them for a college education.

Clark-Sarr said although the program is based in math and science, the goal of the organization is to produce well-rounded students, so subjects such as English and history are focused on as well.

The News

News

February 22, 2013

POLICY From Page 1 The resolution was formed after several residential advisers received complaints from students about people smoking near the doors.

“Often if it’s raining, smokers will stand right by the door, where you have to swipe your ID,” said Jessica Boyd, president of the Residential College Council for Regents.

The RA’s presented their proposal to the RCA, which voted on the policy Wednesday.

The policy ignited some opposition in the meeting, but students voted 155 to approve the resolution.

RCC asked housing if there was any way to build a shelter over the benches for students to smoke in the rain. The housing office turned down the proposal.

For several years, Murray State has tried to establish resolutions to reduce smoking, but so far, nothing has been effective.

In 2008, Staff Congress passed a policy to decrease smoking near buildings on campus. The proposal prohibited smoking within 100 feet of a campus building to assure smoke would not travel through windows, doors and ventilation units.

Even though Staff Congress passed the resolution without difficulty, administration failed to enforce it.

With new discussions of smoking

policy rising again, some students wonder if eventually Murray State will ban smoking completely.

As of January, 1,129 colleges have enacted a 100 percent smoke-free policy on their campus, according to Americans for Non-smokers’ Rights.

This number has grown from 530 campuses in 2011.

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 25.2 percent of all adults in the state of Kentucky smoke, placing it second in the U.S. for the most smokers. The age group with the highest number of smokers is 18-24 years old.

After examining statistics and watching other campuses nationwide with anti-smoking campaigns, the Tobacco-free Take Action! organization at the University of Kentucky pushed to establish a smoke-free campus.

Nearly four years later, students at UK say the administration still does not enforce the non-smoking policy.

Although students are not reprimanded for smoking, an increasing number of UK students have sought tobacco treatment services. Students can purchase nicotine gum for $5 at several different locations on campus.

Caroline Webb, UK sophomore from Paducah, Ky., said students will continue smoking, no matter what state they live in or school they attend.

“I don’t think it’s necessary to spend time or money on it,” Webb said.

Students and faculty at Murray State have been watching the progress of smoking policies closely over the last few years.

INTRAMURAL

COUNSELORS

From Page 1

From Page 1

recreation at the Wellness Center, said intramurals are designed to give college students a fun way to participate in friendly games with other students.

“Add into the mix that those who have not previously played the sport don’t know all the rules, playing with those that have, it can get a little frustrating with those people for not doing things the proper way, she said.”

She said when different types of athletes come together having different perspectives, it can be a challenge.

“No one is happy when people get hurt and they try to avoid it by putting rules in place,” Kelly said. “But, should injuries happen, they are trained to administer care and get them further help as needed.”

the social and career categories. I think, in the past, the social and emotional areas have kind of been neglected, and so we are really working hard to ensure that those who we train are competent and able to deal with the mental health issues that students in the school setting may have.”

Bakes said Murray State is currently working toward a national accreditation for the counseling program. He said they have incorporated a 600 hour internship in addition to a 150 hour practicum, so students must now have 750 hours of supervised clinical experience in the schools in order to receive their degree.

The counseling program at Murray

3A

BONDS From Page 1

Lori Allen/The News

After several complaints, smoking within 20 feet of the Regents Residential College front doors was banned Wednesday.

Leon Bodevin, residence director of Richmond Residential College, said he could see Murray State moving closer to becoming a smoke-free campus in the next 10 years.

“I really think it has to do with the health of students,” Bodevin said.

Bodevin said there have not been any complaints at Richmond in relation to where smokers stand outside.

He said the RCC may consider looking at policies and possible changes.

Boyd, president of RCC for Regents, said she does not think a 100 percent smoke-free campus is what Murray needs.

“I like the idea of restricted area, but on campus and walking around

shouldn’t be an issue,” Boyd said.

While Gov. Steve Beshear addressed the state two weeks ago on making cities in Kentucky smokefree, he did not include outside areas or public universities in his plan.

Many restaurants and public facilities are currently smoke-free, but Beshear wants to push for cities such as Murray to establish further policies.

Webb said after the smoke-free policy was instated, she began to question the motives of the plan.

“I don’t think universities really want to eliminate campus smoking,” Webb said. “They just want to deem themselves tobacco-free because it looks good.”

State is also working closely with the West Kentucky Counseling Association as they continue to train graduates and professional counselors.

“We have done a number of presentations through the West Kentucky Counseling Association and this spring I will be doing a presentation on supervision,” Bakes said.

“I will be training the school counselors to be able to better supervise counseling students.”

Bakes said his presentation will be at the region’s annual conference held at Lake Barkley State Resort Park in Cadiz, Ky., from March 21-22.

Susan Bloomdahl, assistant professor of education, said the diverse backgrounds of counselor education faculty are one of the best contributions to the learning experience and quality of education offered to the students.

“The counselor education faculty represent a diverse background of

counseling knowledge, research and personal experiences that enhance course material,” Bloomdahl said.

“Each of us represent varying counseling foci based partly on our own cultural experiences, and therefore have greater ability to incorporate the importance of cultural understanding in the counseling profession. Because it is based on experience, students can obtain a more informed viewpoint about working with diverse populations.”

Bloomdahl said the ASCA believes more student support services in schools and increased support for mental health programs can help prevent future incidents of violence in schools by identifying and helping students who exhibit behavior which could signal the potential for violent acts. Murray State’s counseling program and its students are doing all they can to advocate this philosophy, she said.

are estimated to affect 2,828 students and create 200 jobs.

Out of the $15.4 million, Murray State would receive $9.9 million for renovations to Hester Residential College, $590,000 in upgrades to the sprinkler system at College Courts and $4.9 million in other assorted facility improvements.

The improvements at Hester will include replacing the current electrical, HVAC and plumbing systems, lavatory improvements, along with flooring, ceiling and lighting upgrades.

Kim Oatman, chief facilities officer of Facilities Management, said his office plans to begin the architectural and engineering work for these projects this spring and would hope to begin renovation of Hester sometime this summer. The College Courts sprinkler project will likely be completed in phases over the course of a year.

“All of the projects are in the beginning stages of planning by the universities, and construction for most projects will begin this calendar year,” Oatman said.

The renovations, which will take approximately 14 months, could begin as early as July 1.

The $590,000 fire safety renovation to College Courts could begin in July 2013 and would take approximately one year.

The other assorted projects should accommodate housing needs by June 30, 2014.

The planned projects include roof replacements at Hart Residential College and College Courts, hot water heater replacement, exterior repairs and renovations to College Courts.

Five residential colleges will have heating and cooling systems replaced and two residential colleges will have work done in order to retract asbestos from the buildings.

Don Robertson, vice president of Student Affairs, said officials met to determine what architect firm will manage the project.

“We’re going to be prepared for when students leave for the summer to evacuate the building, move furniture, get rid of the asbestos, gut the building and get ready for these folks to start working on,” Robertson said. “It has to be ready for students to move back into in the fall of 2014.”

%HVW RI 0XUUD\ The Murray State News is compiling its annual best-of Murray State special section, ‘Best of Murray.’

Cast your votes here and return the completed ballot to 111 Wilson Hall by noon April 5.

Best faculty member: Best student athlete: _________________________ _________________________ Best staff member: Best pizza: _________________________ _________________________ Best Greek organization: Best Mexican food: _________________________ _________________________ Best bar: _________________________ Best place to work Best sandwich shop: Best live music/ local band: _________________________ on campus: _________________________ _________________________ Best coffee shop: Best place to take a date: _________________________ Best campus tradition: _________________________ _________________________ Best Asian food: Best place to get your hair cut: _________________________ Best place to study: _________________________ _________________________ Best place for breakfast: _________________________ Best place to live on campus: Best place to live off campus: _________________________ _________________________ Best place to get ice cream/ Best place to worship: Best public restroom: frozen yogurt: _________________________ _________________________ _________________________ Best packaged alcohol store: Best place to cure a hangover: Best bookstore: _________________________ _________________________ _________________________ Best clothing store: Best place to nap on campus: Best healthcare provider: _________________________ _________________________ _________________________ All votes are write-in. One ballot per student. At least 20 categories have to be filled out for the ballot to be counted. Duplications, (including photocopies) will be disqualified. Please write clearly and legibly. Return to the news office, 111 Wilson Hall by noon April 5.

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February 22, 2013

The News

Opinion

Opinion Editor: Devin Griggs Phone: 809-5873 Twitter: MSUNewsOpinion

A Professor’s Journal

Our View

Walking into the past

Up in smoke

Two decades ago, we left Kentucky for Arkansas for me to teach in the history department of a small college. We returned after four years away; we loved the tiny school, but we terDuane Bolin ribly missed westProfessor of ern Kentucky. If anything, our exile History in northeastern Arkansas taught me the intimate connection between the past, present and future.

Each of you should also know how to make these connections. What is history? Why is it important to study history? How does someone study history? These are questions I have been wrestling with for some time.

When we left those many years ago, Ron Watson, a resident of Hopkins County and a very fine poet, gave to me a farewell poem that made the connections clear in language that a small town boy could understand. I love the poem “Walking Into the Past: For Duane Bolin.”

The poet described a father and son experiencing together the sensation of walking into the past. The experience took place in an old store:

The staff editorial is the majority opinion of The Murray State News Editorial Board.

It is rare that The News editorializes on a nonissue on campus, but we find it necessary to provide some commentary on Regents Residential College’s decision to ban smoking within 20 feet of the front doors of the building.

Declaring smoking a nonissue might sound bizarre with campuses like Northern Kentucky and the University of Kentucky voting to go smoke-free in the last few years, in addition to over a thousand colleges across the nation that have rubbed out smoking on campus. But, we feel that focusing on smoking and smoking alone distorts and pushes to the background issues of far greater importance.

We’ve been talking about getting organized and getting angry, about demanding change on campus and about making sure that the administration and the powers that be, whomever they be, make policy in our interest.

Is an anti-smoking policy serving the needs of the vast majority of students who live on campus, in Regents or elsewhere? Certainly one can argue in favor of the health benefits that would be brought about by less smoke being inhaled by the average student, but what cost are we willing to take to endure to make this policy a reality at Murray State?

In 2008, the Staff Congress passed a proposal prohibiting smoking within 100 feet of buildings on campus. Why is that policy not enforced?

The administration has thus far failed to enforce the policy, a pattern in how other campus administrations have handled the smoking issue after officially going smoke-free.

UK had monumental enforcement issues with their own smoking ban, with smokers blatantly disregarding the policy and continuing to act as if there has not been a change on campus to begin with.

The UK administration has done next to nothing to enforce the policy change either, as an editorial in UK’s newspaper, the Kentucky Kernel, notes, “A walk around campus on a given school day would indicate that UK does not take the enforcement of this policy seriously.”

“It’s Saturday and we stop at the Dalton Store before putting in on the river.

Oldtimers are holding down a bench that hasn’t changed in 20 years and somebody shot Homer Bailey’s dog for running deer is what we hear as the screen door squeaks open and slams shut and swallows us into the general store that is always darker than outside.

With the University’s own record of non-enforcement in this area, how can we trust the administration to keep smokers 20 feet away from the front doors of Regents?

If the administration can’t stop smokers from lighting up on the non-smoking side of Faculty Hall, how does it hope to stop them from lighting up elsewhere?

The passage of the policy at Regents will no doubt have an affect on smoking policy across campus, and something we need to consider going forward. Will Murray State go the way of UK and NKU in adopting a smoke-free campus? If so, will the policy be any better enforced than it is on our sister campuses across the Commonwealth?

We have our doubts about these efforts, at least from the standpoint that there are far bigger fish that students should be frying than smoking policy. Whether you are a smoker or not, chances are that if you’re lighting up or walking by those that do, you are, at the end of the day, still students.

A fading red Coke machine is defining nostalgia against a wall and kids we might have been are standing on a footrail at the counter. We hope it is black licorice and Moon Pies but they could be buying anything.

There are a lot of things that we as students do not have in common – smoking is one of those things – but the fundamental thing we have in common, what puts us all in the same boat, is that we all pay tuition to attend Murray State and we all expect something out of it.

We are all here to advance ourselves and in doing so, advance the future of every single one of us, of a whole generation of leaders and thinkers and dreamers who will one day shape our communities, our states and our country.

We try not to hurry and for a moment begin to blend as easy as shade into the slow scene, to soak up the almost forgotten something we once were.

It is in this manner that we feel that pushing the issue of smoking to the wayside is in all our interests, at least for the time being, if we are to organize around common issues like reducing skyhigh tuition, like making our campus a better place to live and to learn, like having a greater voice in how decisions are made on campus and in the city on our behalf. The time for determining the future of our campus’ smoking policies might yet come, but right now, we think that the bigger is-

Paid-up, the kids spill toward us in a stream that we divide. We turn to watch it reconnect down the dark aisle that points like a chute in the cool dimness toward a door that opens like a tablet of light.”

I have tried to picture a father standing with his son in the middle of the store soaking in “the almost forgotten something we once were.”

In the present, the father and son gaze into the interior at “kids we might have been,” standing at a counter buying “black licorice and Moon Pies.” Those kids at the back of the store represent the past.

“Paid-up, the kids spill toward us in a stream that we divide.” The past comes hurtling into and through the present, just as it is at this present moment, whether we realize it or not.

And then, the familial pair “turn to watch it reconnect” into the future, “toward a door that opens like a tablet of light.”

These connections between the past, present and future also link together an understanding of history and ourselves. “As far as we’re concerned, there’s no such thing as a dead past,” Kentucky’s late, great Historian Laureate Thomas D. Clark said.

“You’re part of the past,” he said.

Now, what can we – students, teachers, you, me – learn from that?

sues provide a sense of urgency that should unite us, not divide us.

Evan Watson/The News

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The News

Opinion

February 22, 2013

5A

Letters to the Editor

Born in the U.S.A.

Detroit adrift

Evan Watson/The News

Letter on faith, science provokes debate on campus Putting aside for the moment the remarkable rant of a professor in the psychology department, I wanted to challenge his view that dinosaurs and humans were not contemporaneous. As a graduate of Murray State, I find it disturbing that those of us who have a different world view than that of Dr. Zingrone could be treated with such an unprofessional manner.

Zingrone wrote that “no dinosaur fossils have ever been found with human remains.” That may be true, but in the evolutionist timetable, crocodiles lived at the same time as dinosaurs (and even before dinosaurs), and of course these reptiles live today alongside people.

More disturbing in his letter was the ad hominem attack directed against the founder of the Creation Museum in northern Kentucky, Ken Ham, who was called a clown. Name-calling is often the last resort of a person who can’t make an effective argument. I have come to know Ham, both socially and professionally (I have even been honored to have hosted him in my home), and I see a man of integrity and humility who happens to have a passion for his world view – a belief system that is contrary to the world view held by Zingrone.

Furthermore, I find it disturbing that a person with a degree in psychology could be so uncivil and intolerant of others who might disagree with his presuppositions.

Faris Sahawneh

Selected responses to Dr. William Zingrone’s Feb. 15 Letter to the Editor at TheNews.org To weigh in on the debate yourself or see what others are saying, check out thenews.org!

Roy Wilson from Olathe, Kansas Prof Zingrone - why don't you challenge Ken Ham to a debate and prove how wrong he is in front of your classes and university? In a debate of this sort you could show how incredibly ridiculous it is to consider the Bible to be true. I'm sure such a debate would get a lot of attention especially with Bill Nye coming out and telling parents how irresponsible parents are for teaching their children that the Bible is true. Do it, Mr. Zingrone.

4:43 a.m. Feb. 18

Dave Godfrey at The Open University According to Mr Ken Ham (BSc, possibly Hons), you are wrong. Why are you wrong? Because, despite your academic record, and the fact that you hold the post of Assistant Professor, you know less than a bunch of superstitious, relatively ignorant goat herders. Despite the knowledge base you rely on, despite your obvious intellect, you know nothing about science because you (apparently) don't believe in gods, whereas as Ken Ham (BSc, possibly Hons) has an old book so his knowledge is automatically superior to hundreds of thousands of scientist like you. Don't try to tell people like Ken Ham the truth, they are too ignorant and arrogant to listen.

5:39 a.m. Feb. 18

Murray State alumnus

We found it ironic that it was a psychology professor who went into a rant and could not control himself in his Feb. 15 letter. He spewed venom at those of us who believe the book of Genesis. What got his dander up? Our belief that dinosaurs and humans coexisted, which prompted him to shriek that this idea is “as obscene a lie as ever perpetrated on the American public” and is “completely lacking in evidence.”

There is strong evidence, however, that dinosaurs probably did not die out 65 million years ago. For example, soft tissue inside a T-rex bone (which includes elastic blood vessels, with red blood cells) has been discovered. If dinosaurs perished 65 million years ago, how in the world could the soft tissue have possibly survived and not disappeared 64 million years ago? Such preservation is highly compelling evidence that dinosaurs have been around in recent times.

One of our full-time scientists, Dr. David Menton (he holds a PhD in biology from an Ivy League school) has written much about this fascinating Trex bone, and his articles are available at www.AnswersInGenesis.org. Also, other evidence for dinosaur and human coexistence is presented in our Creation Museum in northern Kentucky.

The psychologist’s second outrage (to use his word) was his comment about the full-size Ark we are building in northern Kentucky. He declared that “the state of Kentucky is giving this clown (describing our president, Ken Ham – now how is that for a scholarly word?) millions of dollars in tax breaks at a time when real education is being cut by millions in this state to turn his lies into a water park.” Putting aside the fact that the Ark Encounter

Comics

is no water park, but a historically themed attraction, we point out that no state monies will be used to construct the facility. Taxpayers will not see their money used to build or operate the Ark Encounter; no money will be taken out of the state’s budget to fund the Ark. Instead, the finished Ark will add much-needed tourism dollars to the state coffers, which will help state programs like education, not take money away. It’s a net gain for Kentucky if the Ark is built here and not in another state.

Now, if the Ark meets attendance goals and sees tourism dollars flow into the state, the Ark Encounter will receive partial rebates on sales taxes paid by the Ark visitors. At the end of an operating year, any money going back to the attraction will originate from those who chose to visit; no unwilling taxpayer will subsidize the Ark (and thus there is no establishment of religion). Neither is anyone being forced to visit and hear about the Bible’s history, including its account of the Ark. As a former evolutionist who once accepted a belief that dinosaurs died out millions of years before humans, I ask readers to use their critical thinking skills and look at both sides of the evolution/creation argument. And may cooler heads prevail.

Mark Looy Chief communications officer Answers In Genesis

An old television set lies idle on a table caked in dust and paint peelings as you make your way into Room 1504 in the Lee Plaza Hotel. You notice that the room’s chairs are torn open, the Devin Griggs stuffing strewn Opinion Editor across the room before looking above you to the ceiling which, too, has begun to decay. The scene is positively post-apocalyptic; it seems like something out of the latest Call of Duty game. But it isn’t. The scene I am describing is all too real and hits close to home – it’s a description of Detroit’s Lee Plaza Hotel, abandoned in 1990.

Once the 4th largest city in the U.S., Detroit is but a shadow of its former self. It has lost 60 percent of its population in the past six decades. Its buildings lie in ruin, you can buy a house for less than $100, the unemployment rate stands at 17.6 percent and 36.2 percent of Detroiters live in poverty.

The Big Three automakers, although centered in Detroit, today produce far more cars outside the U.S. than they do in their backyard. The city that once epitomized the American dream now epitomizes the nightmarish levels of inequality and want that plague the land of the free and the home of the brave.

Reports Wednesday indicated that the city is now edging closer towards bankruptcy, only weeks after the Detroit Auto Show showcased cars with price tags in six digits. Nothing could better paint a picture of what’s happened to the American social fabric than the well- to-do attending an auto show with pricy cars that wouldn’t even exist without government assistance, while the city that surrounds them languishes in a sea of poverty, unemployment and teeters on the edge of collapse.

The image of Detroit was once one of unbridled optimism in the American dream, the thought that every person could succeed if they played by the rules and worked hard. Working in an automobile factory, once a poorly paying and dangerous job, was ultimately transformed by the workers of that industry into the very symbol of middle class respectability. Detroit, more than any other American city in the mid-20th Century, symbolized everything that the U.S. had overcome.

If the old Detroit represents everything that America had overcome, the new Detroit represents everything that America has become. The middle class society that our grandparents and greatgrandparents built has been torn apart by decades of cutting taxes for the rich, outsourcing, and slashing social services in favor of higher law enforcement and military spending.

Americans today are, like Detroiters, teetering on the edge of collapse with mounting credit card and student loan debt. Poverty has returned with a vengeance. Unemployment remains high. The Detroit that gave hope to so many with a promise of a decent living has been replaced with a Detroit that symbolizes the dashed hopes and dreams of so many Americans who nearly made it, or who never made it.

A moviegoer in the old Detroit might have been shocked to learn that Marlon Brando’s legendary quote in the 1954 classic “On the Waterfront” would have summed up how many feel today about the hand they’ve been dealt, “… I coulda had class. I coulda been a contender. I coulda been somebody … ” Something is wrong in the land of the free and the home of the brave. How many more Detroits are we going to have to lose before we realize it?

Devin Griggs is vice president of finances for the Murray State College Democrats. dgriggs@murraystate.edu

Grift Town

By Casey Vandergrift

Taylor’s Latest Flame: Canada

by Greg Knipp

The News

News

6A

February 22, 2013

Spring Time Risks

NEWS PULSE

Tanning risk comes from artificial rays Amanda Grau || Contributing writer agrau1@murraystate.edu

Information and photos from The Associated Press Compiled by Ben Manhanke

METEOR EXPLODES OVER RUSSIA The largest recorded space rock to hit Earth in more than 100 years exploded over the Russian city of Chelyabinsk Friday, causing approximately $33 million in damage and injuring approximately 1,500 people.

Divers have begun to search for the largest piece of the meteor, which plunged into Cherbarkul Lake, while Russian scientists have begun to analyze already-gathered fragments of the destroyed meteor.

As Spring Break approaches, students head to the tanning salons to prepare for beach season. They are faced with the conflict of health effects versus the aesthetic value of summer color.

Chelsea Hill, employee at Campus Tan, said peak season for tanning begins as soon as students come back from Winter Break.

“I think it is important to tan at least two weeks before you go (to the beach),” Hill said. “I think the sun is a lot stronger than tanning in a bed. I have never burned in a tanning bed, but I burn in the sun.”

In a survey of North Carolina Community College students, the results showed the most common reasons for using the tanning bed were, “I think I look better when I tan,” and “I tan to prepare for summer.”

Behavioral scientist Jerod Stapleton, from the Cancer Institute of New Jersey, said, “What our findings show is that indoor tanning, advertised by the indoor tanning industry as a controlled ultraviolet radiation exposure resulting in minimal risk of burn, results in quite the opposite, our results show that sunburn is a common occurrence related to tanning bed use.”

The initial burn is what has scientists and dermatologists worried. It is the long-term effects of UV radiation that makes them jump on prevention.

The World Health Organization recommends that, “Minors should not use indoor tanning equipment because indoor tanning devices emit UVA and UVB radiation, and because overexposure to UV radiation can lead to the development of skin cancer.”

According to the American Association of Pediatrics, “All skin damage in childhood, adolescence and young adulthood is a key factor in the development of skin cancer.”

Taylor McStoots/The News

Like many students, Laken Tabor, sophomore from Marion, Ky., visits the tanning bed during the winter months.

According to the AAP, melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer, killed approximatly 7,800 people last year.

Melanoma often strikes people who have suffered deep, intense sunburns, particularly in childhood and adolescence. It is also the most common form of cancer among young adults.

Shelby Hall, junior from Louisville, Ky., said she takes the statistics to heart.

“I don’t tan because I do not think it is worth the increased risk of skin cancer,” she said. “I am fair skinned and try hard to put on sunscreen and not get burned during my job as a lifeguard.”

“I just don’t like how it feels, but I do try to wear it,” Hill said.

She said dealing with the sticky process of applying and reapplying sunscreen could be worth it.

According to the Skin Cancer Foundation website, “In a study of more than 1,600 adults over the course of a decade, researchers determined that subjects applying sunscreen with an SPF of 16 daily reduced their risk of melanoma by 50 percent.”

According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, “The Skin Cancer Foundation is in full support of the efforts of Representatives Waxman and DeGette to expose the erroneous messaging disseminated by the tanning industry. By touting the false benefits of tanning, the owners and workers of tanning salons are putting the lives of people in jeopardy.”

Alcohol, sun, drugs present Spring Break danger Ben Manhanke || Staff writer

OLYMPIAN ACCUSED OF MURDER In a bail hearing Tuesday, the South African double-amputee Olympian Oscar Pistorius defended accusations that he intentionally killed his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp on Valentine’s Day. The 26-year-old man said he thought she was an intruder when he opened fire on the closed bathroom door behind which she stood.

Another twist in the Pistorius case is on Thursday, the lead investigator had been replaced after it was revealed that he faces attempted murder charges.

SHOOTING SPREE LEAVES 4 DEAD In what is becoming an all too familiar story, 20-year-old Ali Syed went on a shooting spree early Tuesday in Tustin, California, killing three people.

The spree ended after an hour when Syed shot himself with the same shotgun he had been using as the California Highway Patrol closed in on him.

Tustin Police Chief Scott Jordan said as of yet, they have not found Syed’s motive for the killings or his connection with the first victim, if any.

bmanhanke@murraystate.edu

Spring Break, practically a holiday for many teens and 20-somethings, traditionally involves the mockreligious en mass pilgrimage of young people from across the U.S. to warm climate destinations for the ritualistic mass consumption of alcohol, partying and abandonment of school worries.

Not factored into most students’ vacation plans are the lurking threats of rape, alcohol poisoning, disease and death.

Judy Lyle, associate director of Health Services, said she thinks there is an assumption that Spring Break is a rite of passage and students expect certain behaviors to go along with it.

“Spring Break is a time to cut loose and a time to blow off steam,” Lyle said. “There are some who believe that the way to achieve this state of enlightenment of Spring Break is through drinking and doing things you ordinarily wouldn’t do that could involve indiscriminate sexual behavior, over-drinking, any number of risky behaviors.”

Recognizing the changing nature of Spring Break, the American Medical Association stated: “Spring Break is no longer an innocent respite from the rigors of college academics; it's potentially life threatening.”

With more than 1.5 million students predicted to travel in the months before Easter, it is easy to feel like the rare occurrences of death and sexual assault are isolated or that it would not occur.

This is a dangerous assumption.

“I think most students do things responsibly, but you’re going to get a few, and you’ll see it on TV every year, where someone’s been injured in a Spring

Break accident due to drinking,” Lyle said. “Some people even die.”

While not all spring break trips result in the unexpected loss of lives due to alcohol poisoning, car accidents due to distracted driving, falling off of balconies or from drowning, there are many other non-fatal consequences common for tourists during this time including arrest, injury and the contraction of sexually transmitted diseases.

Lyle said the biggest catalyst of these latent hazards and a major danger in itself is the ubiquitous binge drinking many students expect to partake in.

“Be aware of your surroundings, what’s going on with yourself as well as with your friends. That’s my biggest piece of advice” –Judy Lyle Interim associate director of Health Services “Because of the alcohol use, you tend to do other risky things,” she said. “Getting into a sexual encounter that you may not have wanted that can lead to sexual assault, having someone drop something in your drink so that you don’t even remember what happened, not using adequate protection if you’re having sex can be due to alcohol. So many things stem back to the alcohol that I think alcohol is the greatest threat.”

In a study by the Journal of American College Health, females reported on average drinking 10 drinks per day during Spring Break and males reported consuming 18 drinks per day.

“When you’re under the influence of alcohol it dehydrates you, and you add to the mix the temperatures if you’re at the beach or being out in the sun which dehydrates you further,” Lyle said. “You can get into a situation where dehydration makes you sick, but also where it can be life threatening if you’re really dehydrated.”

Lyle noted getting sunburned was also a major cause of dehydration.

“Sunburn can be beyond a first-degree burn, it can be up to a second-degree burn depending on how long you stay in the sun,” Lyle said.

She said students should not forget about sex, either.

Students should aware of the dangers that accompany unprotected sex, including the possible contraction of STD’s and unplanned pregnancies.

According to a study published by Arizona State, 26 percent of males and approximately 36 percent of females did not use a condom during sex with someone they met on Spring Break.

The Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network president Scott Berkowitz said college women are four times more likely to be sexually assaulted than any other age group.

"It is so important that students are aware of possible risks and know how and where to get help if they need it, especially on Spring Break when increased exposure to strangers and new surroundings can amplify these risks,” Berkowitz said.

Despite all these possible risks, it is still possible to have a safe and enjoyable Spring Break.

“Have respect for yourself by taking care of yourself,” Lyle said. “Be aware of your surroundings, what’s going on with yourself as well as with your friends. That’s my biggest piece of advice.”

Nurse’s Notes: Spring Break Tips Judy Lyle, interim associate director of Health Services, gave some tips on how to have a safe Spring Break: • Choose not to drink if you are driving, or be safe by choosing to be with a sober designated driver.

• Wear your seatbelt. It is your best protection in a crash.

• Distracted driving is dangerous.

• Respect state laws and campus policies.

• Stay out of situations involving alcohol, whether in a bar, beach or bedroom.

• Stay with friends. Never leave with someone you do not know, particularly if you have been drinking.

• If a friend drinks to the point of passing out, alcohol poisoning is a real danger. If you are concerned, seek medical attention.

• Wear sunscreen with a minimum of 30 SPF and reapply frequently.

• If you choose to have sex, use a condom. While the condom may not be 100 percent effective in preventing sexually transmitted infections, it is better than no protection.

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February 22, 2013

Section B

The News

Sports

Sports Editor: Jaci Kohn Assistant Editor: Carly Besser Phone: 809-4481 Twitter: MSUNewsSports

Out of Left Field

Down to the

Halftime Games: The good, the bad and the ugly

WIRE Jonathan Ferris || Staff writer jferris2@murraystate.edu

espite amassing a 20point, second-half lead, it took two overtimes and 106 points for the Racers to snap a two-game road losing streak and lock up the Western Division championship Wednesday night at Morehead State.

Murray State faced adversity early, as both Ed Daniel and Brandon Garrett picked up two fouls in the game’s first five minutes. Relying heavily on senior Latreze Mushatt and freshman Zay Henderson to fill in for Daniel and Garrett, the Racers shot 48 percent from the field and capitalized on 11 Morehead State turnovers to take a 37-30 lead into the locker room.

The first 10 minutes of the second half belonged to the Racers, thanks to 3-point baskets from Dexter Fields and Isaiah Canaan. This, and numerous Morehead State turnovers, paved the way to an impressive 20-point Racer lead with 10:32 to play.

The Eagles refused to go down quietly, however, scoring 23 of the game’s next 30 points. By the time sophomore guard Angelo Warner sank a deep 3-pointer with 4:27 to go, the Racers’ lead had been sliced to four.

Daniel did his best to stave off the Eagles’ onslaught, scoring four points in the final 3:05. With the game tied at 79, Daniel appeared to win the game for the Racers when he tipped in a missed Canaan 3 as the clock expired. The referees erased the basket, however, after video replay showed Daniel did not get the shot off before the clock ran out. The teams headed to overtime.

Riding the momentum from their late second-half run, the Eagles took control of the overtime period, storming out on a 7-0 run. as they trailed 86-79 with 2:44 remaining. Canaan and Daniel responded yet again. Five unanswered points from Canaan pulled the Racers back to within one–just over a minute to go. A Morehead State free throw left the Racers trailing 87-85 with 20 seconds remaining.

Canaan drove into the lane and released a jumper with four seconds to go. Daniel was again waiting for the miss.

This time, the tip-in was good.

Daniel’s putback tied the game at 87, sending the teams to a second overtime period. Canaan took over the second overtime, scoring 12 points in the five minute period. A 10-1 Murray State run to start the period proved to be enough. After the final buzzer, the Racers took the game, 106-100.

Canaan was the hero for the Racers, scoring 35 points – just one point shy of his career high. Daniel was also crucial in the victory, playing nearly 15 minutes with four fouls. He would finish the night with 18 points and nine rebounds. Several bench players also helped the Murray State cause, chipping in 18 points, 12 of which came from freshmen players.

It was the first time the Racers scored 100 points or more against a Division-1 opponent since December of 2003, when Murray State defeated Chicago State 100-80 at the CFSB Center. The points came easily for the Racers, as the team shot an impressive 50 percent from the field and sank a season-high 32 free throws.

The victory moves Murray State to 19-7 on the season and 10-4 in the conference, clinching the Western Division. The Racers are now guaranteed a bye for the first two rounds of the OVC Tournament in Nashville in two weeks.

The Racers will look to carry momentum from Wednesday night’s victory into the final three home games of the season before the semi-final matchup of the conference tournament Friday, March 8.

D

Photo courtesy of Guy Huffman

Racers face South Dakota State in BracketBusters finale Jonathan Ferris|| Staff writer jferris2@murraystate.edu

For ten years, ESPN’s BracketBusters event has provided mid-major basketball programs with significant national exposure and quality opponents. This weekend will mark the end of the event, however, as ESPN has elected to discontinue the games after this season.

It began in 2003 with 18 teams representing six different mid-major conferences. By 2005, the program had grown to include 100 schools. In 2012, the two-day event featured an immense field of 142 teams from 17 different mid-major conferences.

“It’s disappointing that it’s ending because, you know, even the last three or four years we’ve had nationally tel-

evised ESPN games,” Head Coach Steve Prohm said.

BracketBusters is a two-day event that happens each February. It pairs similarly ranked mid-major teams from different conferences against each other for a final non-conference game late in the season.

Additionally, two years after the BracketBusters matchup is played, teams are obligated to schedule a return game. In this game, the team who hosted the initial matchup travels to the opponent’s home court for a rematch.

Murray State was first invited to take part in 2005, and has participated with success ever since. The Racers have competed in a total of eight BracketBusters games, hosting six and posting a 6-2 record.

“It’s always a good opportunity to put our team out there against another great mid-major team,” senior guard Isaiah Canaan said. “It’s also another opportunity for us to showcase on national television how good of a team we are.”

When asked about his initial reaction to hearing this year’s pairing with South Dakota State, Prohm said he was worried about the nearly 900-mile trip his team will have to make in two years when they play in the return game.

Long before they have to worry about making the trek to Billings, S.D., however, Prohm’s team will have its hands full with a 21-7 Jackrabbits team which currently leads the Summit League.

The team is led by senior guard

Nate Wolters, who is a finalist for the Bob Cousy award for the top point guard in the country – an award Canaan was nominated for last season.

Wolters is currently fourth in the nation in scoring, averaging 22.8 points per game. The matchup between Canaan and Wolters is sure to draw much attention as two of college basketball’s premier scorers face off.

“It’ll be a fun game,” Canaan said. “A lot of people talk about (Wolters). I don’t really know too much about him, but I’m going to go in like it’s just another game with another good player on their team.”

The Racers will end their run as a BracketBuster on Saturday at 7 p.m. at the CFSB Center. The game will be televised live on ESPN2.

Since reporting on Murray State basketball games for the past year and a half, I’ve seen quite a few halftime shows, timeout sweepstakes and prize raffles to get fans Carly Besser Assistant Sports pumped.

Editor You can’t argue the fact that nothing fits better than a free T-shirt and nothing tastes better than free queso at Tumbleweed.

Even if the shirt cannon shoots me an extra large when I wear a medium, I can’t help but feel at least a little excited.

But things have changed quite a bit since the good old free throw contest or luck-ridden half court shot to win some ridiculous amount of money or a new car.

That’s just too typical. Murray State home games are bringing new halftime games to the court, and I might be skeptical of a few.

While some are funny, challenging and entertaining, others are just strange and questionable. I have compiled a list of the good, the bad and the ugly of recent halftime games introduced to the court this season. In some of these cases, I would honestly just prefer to shoot the basketball, miss and get a pat on the back for giving a good fan effort. While most fans would be more than excited to compete for free Racer gear, I would probably either be too embarrassed to participate, or maybe even a little scared.

An example of a good game is Inflatable Sumo Wrestling. No matter how dignified the ancient sport of Sumo Wrestling is, it has comedic value here in America.

Admittedly, it’s hilarious to see over-inflated people squirm around on a mat.

Two fans are picked at random, put in inflatable fat suits and thrown into a ring with the goal of pushing the opponent out of the ring. Whoever gets pushed out of the ring the most by the time the buzzer goes off loses. When you fall, there’s no way of getting up, so you get to lay on the ground, flailing like a beached whale as the whole audience laughs at you.

There’s no doubt this one is a crowd favorite.

Tissue Pulling is a bad game.

Watching this game reaffirms that we are probably running out of ideas. It is exactly what it sounds like. A fan is chosen to pull tissues one by one out of a box. If they pull all the tissues out of the box before time is up, they get a free shirt. Tree huggers would double over at the sight of wasting so many tissues that could service runny noses everywhere. It is flu season. Pass those wasted tissues over here, please.

The Head Shaking Contest is one of the ugly games. I would have categorized this as bad, but the migraine possibly induced by this game gives it a prime spot in the ugly category. Three fans are chosen to have pedometers strapped to their faces and shake their heads as fast as they can. The fan with the most counts on their pedometer wins a free shirt. Sometimes the act of severe head shaking makes the contestants lose balance.

Seeing this in action is pretty brutal, and I want to take an Advil just watching it. At least the free shirt can keep you warm when you’re in a coma.

There are many other halftime games worth watching (and participating in), but these are just a few that caught my eye. The tradition of fan interaction will always stand strong, hopefully inspiring new ideas, whether they be good, bad or just downright weird. cbesser@murraystate.edu.

WHAT’S

SEASON END

UT MARTIN

FAT PIG

CREATIVE CANVAS

INSIDE

Rifle finishes outside of NCAA qualifiers, 2B

Women’s basketball team prepares to take on Skyhawks, 3B

Theater department produces serious play, 5B

Local shop gives community opportunity to paint, 6B

The News

Sports

2B

February 22, 2013

Rifle

#Racertweets 6 new Tweets

Jeffery Moss @MossTheBoss31 Bron is STILL better Kobe..

Men’s Basketball

Ty Stetson @TyWoooo37 Who dressed these nba players at this dunk contest? #highfashion Baseball

Steph Gale @stephgale89 Myrtle beach for spring break suckerrrrs.

One month and we shall be on a beach!

Lori Allen/The News

The Racer rifle team finished 10th overall, missing a trip to the NCAA Championships by two rankings.

Season ends at NCAA qualifier Laura Kovarik || Staff writer lkovarik@murraystate.edu

The Racer rifle team season ended with the NCAA qualifier Feb. 16. The Racers were ranked 10th going into the NCAA qualifier hosted at Murray State’s Pat Spurgin Rifle Range. The top eight teams qualified for the NCAA championships hosted in Columbus, Ohio, in March.

The rifle team headed into the NCAA qualifiers coming off a loss to No. 1 ranked West Virginia. Just shy of the top three spots, the Racers placed fourth overall with an aggregate score of 4,587.

Jacksonville State led the pack with an aggregate of 4,664.

The University of Nebraska and the University of Memphis shot team scores of 4,650 and 4,608, respectively. UT Martin and Columbus State were also in attendance, scoring 4,587 and 4,551, respectively.

Head Coach Alan Lollar said the team hasn’t been shooting to the best of its ability over the last month. Consistency and adaptability have been two major focuses of the rifle team this past season.

“I think we’re in a good position to move forward next season,” Lollar said. “I’m looking forward to watching the team grow and come back even stronger.”

Freshman Tessa Howald led the Racers with an overall score of 1,152. Howald has greatly improved throughout the season; she has led the Racers in individual aggregate score at three of their last four matches.

Soccer

Hannah Swinney @hswinney @sfmeyer11 there was a large dead cow in the middle of the road and a semi that ran off the road on the wrong side. 911 was acceptable.

Overall, Howald said the team struggled throughout the weekend.

“I know I personally struggled throughout the match,” Howald said. “I would describe our team as dedicated.

Everyone works really hard to push through in matches.”

Sophomore Kelsey Emme was also a strong contender for the Racers. Emme shot an aggregate score of 1,145, and junior Mikey Burzynski shot an aggregate of 1,142. Burzynski led the Racers in smallbore with a 577.

Howald and Emme led the Racers in air rifle with 584 and 580, respectively. Other crucial shooters included junior Billy Harvey, sophomore Marisca Mozeleski and freshman Kaitlyn Wilson. Harvey shot a 576 while, Mozeleski and Wilson shot a 573 in air rifle.

“I’m looking forward to working hard and training this summer,” Howald said. “Hopefully, I’ll be able to go to a few clinics.”

This season could best be described as a growing year, Lollar said.

He said the relatively young rifle team continues to improve and gain experience. With only one senior, Caroline Barber, graduating at the end of this season, the upcoming year looks promising.

The NCAA qualifier marks the end of the season for the rifle team. As of Wednesday, the Racers were ranked 14th nationally. Several of the shooters are currently training for the Colorado National Junior Olympic Shooting Championships in April.

Cheerleading

Casey Brockman @realWildHorse Reason I want to delete Facebook: just saw a status from a middle school girl that says she needs to find a real man. Really? You're 12 Football

Tessa Elkins @t1elk "People need to mind they business." *Please respond to my whiney, self-centered, pathetic tweet bc I need the attention* #sorrynotsorry Women’s Basketball

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The News

Sports

February 22, 2013

Swing and a Drive Welcome to Smashville

3B

Track & Field

Pratt sets records after recovering Lexy Gross || Assistant News Editor cgross2@murraystate.edu

Hockey.

It seems to be a foreign word in western Kentucky.

You know, that sport on ice with pucks and all the weird Canadians skating Jonathan around punchFerris ing each other Staff writer in the face and poking people with their sticks?

Yeah, that’s the one.

I am fully aware that basketball is king in Kentucky, and I’m cool with that.

As a Tennessean, football is the only sport anyone cares about, and basketball - especially the collegiate variety - is a nice change of pace from the obese guys mauling each other for hours on end.

I know hockey is a northern sport, and many of you folks around here are not exactly fond of those darn Yankees. I also was born and raised in the South, and I feel your pain – a restaurant without sweet tea is just plain wrong.

However, just because Kentucky Lake doesn’t freeze over in the winter doesn’t mean you shouldn’t give hockey a chance.

Just two hours away resides an extremely high-quality NHL team.

Most of you are probably screaming “Go Cats” instead of reading this column closely, and they are four hours away! (Sorry, I had to get my UK shot in. Please don’t come and burn my couch.)

I am talking about the Nashville Predators. For those of you who may not know, it’s an NHL franchise which has resided in Nashville since 1998 and has made the playoffs seven of the last eight seasons. Surprised?

It is true. The Preds, as many fans call them, are an extremely successful franchise. They have two of the top defensive players in the league in goalie Pekka Rinne and defenseman Shea Weber, and have advanced to the second round of the playoffs in each of the last two seasons.

It is not the players that sold me on the team, however. The one-ofa-kind atmosphere and fan base surrounding the Predators and their home at Bridgestone Arena is truly unparalleled.

The city of Nashville has taken a Canadian sport and added its own flair. The arena is always rocking, and the community has really grown to support the team as the Predators have sold out 21 consecutive home games. The games are an absolute blast.

A live band plays between periods and the fans have all sorts of original cheers to taunt the opponents.

Fans have even started their own unique tradition of occasionally throwing catfish on the ice – a southern modification to the long standing tradition in Detroit of throwing an octopus.

It is such a good time. The games usually start at 7 p.m. and are over by 10 p.m. at the latest, so it is really an easy evening out to go to a game. If you try it once, trust me, you will fall in love with it. jferris2@murraystate.edu

Photo courtesy of Sports Information

Sophomore Tonia Pratt, from Michigan Center, Mich., draws back to throw a shot put. She was one of four track team members to suffer minor injuries in the bus accident on Jan. 25.

“You don’t know what you have until it’s gone.”

Tonia Pratt, sophomore of Michigan Center, Mich., said she did not fully understand that saying until a bus crash took her away from her passion: track and field.

On Jan. 25, Pratt and three other athletes were injured in a bus wreck while traveling to a meet in Indiana.

For two weeks following the incident, Pratt was unable to practice or compete in the throws category of the team.

After recovering, she set two personal records and earned two sixth-place finishes in the shot put and weight throw at the Grand Valley State meet in Allendale, Mich.

“That was the longest I had off,” Pratt said. “I really missed it. I was happy to be back again.”

Pratt and Alexis Love, senior from Palmetto, Fla., were named Murray State Co-Pepsi Athletes of the Week after a meet in Johnson City, Tenn., in mid-January.

Against a total of 36 competitors, Pratt took home the title in the weight throw with a personal best of approximately 59 feet.

Pratt and Love were also named the OVC’s Track and Field Athletes of the Week earlier in the season. After winning several awards as a sophomore, Pratt said she felt like her success was truly appreciated.

“It is good to know that people see how hard I am working and that I am improving,” Pratt said.

Michigan Center High School is where Pratt said her hard work in track and field truly began. Although Pratt also played varsity volleyball and basketball, she preferred track and field in the end.

“My sister always told me, if you want to play a sport in college, you have to really love it,” Pratt said.

Pratt’s sister, Latashia, was the first in her family to play a college sport.

Even though her sister played basketball, Pratt said she admired her experience and still takes her advice very seriously.

In high school, Pratt not only performed in throws, but she ran as well.

After practice, Pratt would always stay late and continue to work on her weak points in throws. Pratt’s sister encouraged her to put in the extra effort to help her improve.

She said her perspective in other sports helped her with what she participates in now. Pratt said being a versatile high school student helped her with workouts in college.

When she was deciding where to go for college, Pratt said her options were Murray State and Michigan State.

“I liked how small Murray was,” Pratt said. “You don’t have to walk 20 minutes to find classes.”

Pratt is an occupational safety and health major, and she said she hopes to find a job in that field when she graduates.

She said she does not have any defined career goals at this point, but said she is open to all of the options her major provides.

Pratt will be competing in the OVC Championships beginning today.

Women’s Basketball

Racers look to break losing streak Saturday Carly Besser || Assistant Sports Editor cbesser@murraystate.edu

Murray State must adjust its threegame losing streak when they play rival UT Martin at home.

Recovering from a 79-68 loss in their second meeting with SIUE, Murray State will have to step up in order to maintain a strong position and place in an easier competition bracket come tournament time.

Despite past losses individual players have had incredible games.

In their first loss against Tennessee State, freshman guard Erika Sisk finished her game with a career-high 29 points while freshman forward Kelsey Dirks was just one board shy of a double-double.

“We just didn’t make enough plays in transition defense and gave up too many offensive rebounds down the stretch,” said Head Coach Rob Cross.

Senior guard Mariah Robinson managed to score her 1,500th point against Eastern Illinois, coupled with 500 rebounds to set her deeper in Murray State athletic history. Despite the incredible individual performances, the Racers are having trouble winning.

The team wins when the boards are spread with contributions from all starters, and the team is not carried offensively by only one or two players.

There is no better example than competing against UT Martin.

UT Martin is ranked second in the West division with Murray State behind in third. The Skyhawks currently

Taylor McStoots/The News

Junior guard Erica Burgess, from Memphis, Tenn., prepares to shoot at the free throw line against Tennessee State. Burgess averages 67 percent at the line. sport an 8-5 conference record and 1314 overall with a two-game winning streak.

Saturday marks the second meeting of UT Martin for the Racers this season, with the first game resulting in an 82-72 victory on the road. Senior guard Mariah Robinson led the Racers with a game-high 26 points, along with six re-

bounds, six assists and five steals.

She was not the only one to light up the boards for Murray State. Sisk scored 16 points and Kelsey Dirks recorded her second consecutive double-double. Senior guard Tessa Elkins put up 11 points of her own along with freshman forward Bianca Babic with 10.

Junior forward Jessica Winfrey contributed eight rebounds to the victory.

Coming into Saturday, sharp shooting and offensive rebounds will help the Racers go for a season sweep against the Skyhawks and pull them out of a three-game slump.

Sisk has put in work, being named the OVC Player of the Week after averaging 25 points.

The honor marked her first Player of the Week title, paired with six OVC Freshman of the Week titles.

“She would have rather had the team win both games than win the awards,” Cross said. “But I’m excited for her and the future of the program.

Her best basketball is in front of her.”

Scoring a career-high 29 points in the loss against Tennessee State, Sisk was only one of two players to break double digits in scoring.

“I’m proud of myself for scoring 29 points,” Sisk said. “That’s big, but getting the win would have made it even better.”

Sisk’s dominating performances, paired with the scoring efforts of other guards, would give the Racers higher scoring games similar to six-game streak in January when Dirks and Babic recorded the highest-scoring nights of their careers.

Teamwork is the fundamental component for a strong Murray State team, and cohesion is needed to get a win over a tough UT Martin team.

The Racers will tip off against the Skyhawks Saturday at 2 p.m. at the CFSB Center.

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The News

Sports

4B

February 22, 2013

Intramurals

Mighty Ducks Fly Over ’Merica Taylor Crum || Contributing writer tcrum3@murraystate.edu

The Mighty Ducks defeated team ’Merica in the Carr Health North Gym Tuesday night and advanced its undefeated record to 6-0.

Although both teams were undefeated, it was a slow first half as the first three minutes were scoreless. However, after multiple turnovers and missed shots for both teams, ’Merica (4-0) scored first.

With the first basket scored, ’Merica took its momentum and ran with it. However, the team quickly lost its momentum and struggled offensively.

Team Mighty Ducks took advantage of that offensive struggle and took over the scoreboard for a 30-9 lead at the half.

When the second half started, the two teams battled it out. Both teams began to press, and the game became full of fouls. Players from both sides played tougher defense, causing many jump balls.

Team ’Merica fought even harder offensively to improve its score, but in the end it was not enough. Team Mighty Ducks took the victory with a 56-35 win, which left ’Merica with its first loss of the season.

Seth Buch, team member of ’Merica, explained the cause of the team’s loss.

“We need to work on some rebounding and our shooting,” Buch said.

Buch contributed 3 points to team ’Merica’s score along with teammates and Brandon Becker, who scored the most points with 10, and Travis Reed, who scored 7 points.

Buch also said that even with an undefeated record before Tuesday night’s loss, team ’Merica has always been the underdog.

“We always seem to come from behind,” Buch said. “We always struggle and pick it up in the second half.”

Team ’Merica certainly picked up its game during the second half; however, it was too late.

Mighty Ducks team member and high scorer for the game, Antonio Seals, shared the team’s preparation for Tuesday night’s game.

Beamer Barron/The News

‘Merica and the Mighty Ducks both started the game undefeated, but a strong second half put the Ducks up for the victory. The Mighty Ducks record is currently 6-0.

“We came to the game knowing the (other) team was undefeated,” Seals said. “So we said we were going to pressure the ball as much as possible. That was basically our game plan.”

The Mighty Ducks’ defense worked in the team’s favor along with the team’s strong

offense. Seals scored 10 points for his team.

Seals said that the team struggled with rotation at the beginning of the season, but worked hard in practice to figure out a system that operated smoothly.

Team Mighty Ducks’ hard work paid off. They

are now sitting on a 6-0 record with wins against #LEG, Juicy J’s, Musically Inclined, Gentlemen’s Club, The Naturals and ’Merica. Team ’Merica fell to 4-1 with wins against Musically Inclined, Gentlemen’s Club, The Naturals and Juicy J’s and a loss against Mighty Ducks.

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THE

5B

The News

Features

“Entertainment news sure to spice up your lunch conversation”

Features Editor: Anna Taylor Assistant Features Editor: Savannah Sawyer Phone: 809-5871 Twitter: MSUNewsFeatures

WATER COOLER Information and photos from The Associated Press Compiled by Anna Taylor

Evan Watson/The News

Theater

Theater production reveals message on self-image COUNTRY SINGER’S DEATH REPORTED AS SUICIDE Authorities in Arkansas confirmed country singer Mindy McCready’s death Sunday evening was the result of a suicide.

The singer’s preliminary autopsy results from an Arkansas State crime lab provide evidence that her death was a suicide from a single gunshot wound to the head.

‘TWILIGHT’ AUTHOR WRITES NEW SERIES “Twilight” author Stephenie Meyer is working on a sequel to “The Host.”

Much like how her “Twilight” book saga was made into movies, “The Host” will be premiering on the silver screen next month.

The writer hopes to bring more life to the characters with an ongoing series.

LYNCH TO STAR IN ‘ANNIE’ ON BROADWAY “Glee” star Jane Lynch said Wednesday she will be playing the evil orphanage matron Miss Hannigan in “Annie” on Broadway this summer.

“I do (play) a lot of mean (characters),” she said. “I'm the sweetest person you'll ever meet, but I do have a fascination with that kind of cruelty that comes from a very, very soft place.”

The show will run from May 16 through July 14.

Kelsey Randolph || Staff writer krandolph3@murraystate.edu

Murray State’s theater department will be presenting “Fat Pig” by Neil Labute in the Wilson Hall Studio Theater at 7:30 p.m. The play premiered Thursday and will run until Tuesday night.

The story follows a man who falls in love with a plus-size woman. He must learn to must handle the criticism he is faced with from his friends and colleagues.

The theater in Wilson Hall is utilized twice a year for productions.

Known as a black-box, it allows for a more intimate setting. According to “Fat Pig” director Lissa Graham, the theater is essential for both the cast and audience to experience a more serious environment.

Lead actor Travis Sams, senior from Booneville, Ill., believes the show has a serious message. Due to the show being held in Wilson Hall, which holds fewer seats than the Robert E. Johnson Theatre, the performances allow the audience to be more engaged and driven by the message.

“It is more about subtext and tiny expressions,” Graham said. “It is the type of play that might not read well on a larger stage and therefore calls for the more intimate space of a studio/black-box type of arrangement.”

There are four students in the cast, two student designers and approximately 15 students who work as backstage crew. All have been working since late January to make the production a success.

Brent Menchinger, associate professor of the department of theater, said being the scenic and lighting de-

Kristen Allen/The News

Carter, right, played by Logan Sapp, freshman from Owensboro, Ky., taunts Tom, played by Travis Sams, senior from Booneville, Ind., about his secret girlfriend while acting out a scene in “Fat Pig” at a rehearsal Wednesday night. signer for the show brings its own set of unique requirements.

The performance in Wilson Hall brings the performers to eye level with the audience.

“It is a great honor and opportunity for me to be able to do this as a student,” said Barbara Kiester, costume designer and senior from Charlestown, S.C. “This play is a social commentary on fat and bodyshaming. It has been great to be able to be involved with something that has the possibility to create social change.”

The students have dedicated several hours for six days a week to

Viral dance videos trend on campus, around world Hunter Harrell || Staff writer hharrell@murraystate.edu

After the incurable hangover of Gangnam Style, the Harlem Shake has taken over YouTube in two weeks.

More than 12,000 videos have been uploaded since the beginning of the trend, of those videos, most have been watched an average of 44 million times. As of Tuesday, each hour averaged 215

practicing, and the cast has spent hours memorizing lines outside of rehearsals.

“Not only does memorizing lines take a lot of time, but getting into character can be tricky as well,” Sams said. “(My character) handles many situations in an entirely different manner than I would, so I have to take myself completely out of the picture and think about what the character would do.”

The play “Fat Pig” was chosen because it addresses the issues of obesity and self-image. Graham felt these are not topics that are typically addressed, but are a big deal

Harlem Shake video uploads.

The videos stem from a dance which was popularized in 1981. In the early 2000s, many hip-hop videos focused on what was called the Harlem Shake dance craze.

In 2012, the artist Bauuer used the name of the dance in the dub-step song, which happens to be the song featured in the videos online. The song is currently ranked as No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 due to the viral video craze.

The trend may be strange, but it has caught the attention of millions of viewers and universities who have joined in on the fun as well.

Murray State has already had various organizations on campus, including Campus Outreach and Sigma Chi, create and upload Harlem Shake videos.

Additionally, there was a student-wide Harlem Shake video filmed on Thursday in the CFSB Center.

Murray State students were invited to participate

by Morris White, director of marketing and promo-

in today’s society.

“With all the discussion of obesity in America, there does not seem to be as much discussion of the complete opposite alternative which is in many ways an over advertised unhealthy promotion of being too thin,” Menchinger said. “This play also deals with stereotypes, another form of hate and inability for society to deal with anything different.”

Graham also felt it was appropriate that it is National Eating Disorders Awareness month and said there will be an informational display in the lobby that was made by students in the theater department.

tions of athletics.

White said he first received word of the Harlem Shake trend through an email with a link to the Fresno State mascot and student athletes participating in the video.

“I decided to do a Harlem Shake video because I wanted our University to have a footprint in this world-wide phenomenon.” White said. “After watching a lot of the videos, I wanted the Racers to join in on the fun while it was still popular.”

Though the trend has mass appeal because the videos are short and keep the attention of the viewer, White believes the craze will eventually die down.

“I think the Harlem Shake phenomenon has a window that may be open for a while because as new videos are uploaded, they become more and more creative,” he said. “More people are being added and the places videos are being filmed are becoming more interesting. At some point, it will die down, but I am not sure when.”

Music

Athena Festival begins next week Staff Report

ROBERTS MAKES RETURN TO ‘GOOD MORNING AMERICA’ News anchor Robin Roberts returned to ABC's “Good Morning America” Wednesday, after receiving a bone marrow transplant five months earlier.

“I have been waiting 174 days to say this," Roberts said on air Wednesday. "Good morning, America.”

Roberts decided not to wear the wig her stylist made.

Quoteable “Destiny might be a lady, but victory has a penis.”

–Schmidt from Tuesday’s “New Girl” on FOX Taylor McStoots/The News

BULL BLOWOUT: Bull riders compete in the biannual Bull Blowout event on Saturday at the William “Bill” Cherry Expo Center. The riders showcase their ability to stay on the wild bulls for eight seconds.

Every other year, the Athena Festival reaches Murray State students and faculty, regional audiences, public school music students and many scholars and performers across the country.

This year, the event will be held Feb. 26 through March 3.

The festival, sponsored by the Murray State department of music, includes three days of lecture sessions, recitals and concerts featuring groups such as the Murray State Concert Choir, Jazz Orchestra and Faculty Chamber Music ensembles.

The event celebrates women’s classical music all week. This is the eighth year the Athena Festival will be held at Murray State.

The purpose of the event is to devote time to the study and performance of music composed by women. It seeks to promote new works by female composers, provide a venue for the performance and recording of the music and add quality works by female composers into the repertoire of Murray State students.

Each festival has a different theme. This year’s theme is “Breaking Barriers – Finding Her Own Voice.”

In addition to a theme, the festival highlights a few women in music. Featured composers this year include Gwyneth Walker, Earlene Rentz, Anna De Foe and Vera Ivanova. These women will share their experiences in the music industry with the audience members through performances, lectures and stories.

The performances and lectures will occur over the span of three days of the festival, Feb. 27 through Mar. 1.

Features

6B

WHAT’S HAPPENIN’?

TODAY • 9:30 a.m. Women’s Tennis vs. Lipscomb • 10 a.m. Softball vs. St. Louis University • 1:30 p.m. Women’s Track and Field, OVC Indoor Championships • 2 p.m. Baseball vs. Bowling Green • 2:30 p.m. Softball vs. Louisana-Monroe • 7:30 p.m. Cinema International presents “A Dangerous Method,” Curris Center Theater • 7:30 - 9:30 p.m. “Fat Pig” theater production, Wilson Hall Studio Theater 301B

T U E S D A Y

The News

• 8:30 a.m. - 4 p.m. Room with a View walk-through exhibit, Old Richmond • 3:30-5 p.m. Social Work Religious Diversity Lecture: Finding the Commonalities, Alexander Hall Auditorium • 6:30-7:30 p.m. Breast Cancer Support Group, Murray-Calloway County Hospital Center for Health and Wellness • 7:30-9:30 p.m. “Fat Pig” theater production, Wilson Hall Studio Theater 301B

S A T U R D A Y

• 1:30 p.m. Women’s Track and Field, OVC Indoor Championships • 2 p.m. Women’s Basketball vs. UT Martin • 2 p.m. Baseball vs. Bowling Green • 7 p.m. Men’s Basketball vs. South Dakota State, CFSB Center • 7:30 p.m. Cinema International presents “A Dangerous Method,” Curris Center Theater • 7:30 - 9:30 p.m. “Fat Pig” theater production, Wilson Hall Studio Theater 301B

• 8:30 a.m. - 4 p.m. Room with a View walk-through exhibit, Old Richmond • 9 a.m. - Noon Commander’s Coffee, 1133 Murray Ave., Paducah, Ky. • 2 p.m. Women’s Tennis vs. St. Louis

WEDNESDAY

February 22, 2013

5 things...

If you would like an event to appear here or on thenews.org, email us at features@thenews.org. Please submit events by noon Wednesday for consideration.

• 1 p.m. Baseball vs. Bowling Green • 7:30 - 9:30 p.m. “Fat Pig” theater production, Wilson Hall Studio Theater 301B

Check out The News’ picks for The Academy Awards on page 7B.

M O N D A Y

• Noon - 4 p.m. Room with a View walk-through exhibit, Old Richmond • 7:30 - 9:30 p.m. “Fat Pig” theater production, Wilson Hall Studio Theater 301B

to do during spring cleaning

1

Rearrange your dorm room. The same layout can get old really fast. Try moving those bunkbeds in a different direction.

SUNDAY • 8:30 a.m. - Noon Room with a View walk-through exhibit, Old Richmond • 4:30 - 5:30 p.m. Shariah Law and American Family Courts, Faculty Hall 500 • 7 - 8 p.m. FUNdamentals of Belly Dance, Old Fine Arts Dance Studio • 7 p.m. Men’s Basketball vs. UT Martin, CFSB Center • 7:30 p.m. Cinema International presents “Coriolanus,” Curris Center Theater

T H U R S D A Y

Organize your closet. Go through and decide what to sell or donate. Organize by season, and maybe even color.

3

The Oscars

Try some new music. Try out a new Pandora station or upload new music to your iPod.

Clean your room or apartment. Spring cleaning is exactly what it sounds like.

It’s time to break out the mop and broom.

Sunday

5

Faces&Places

Photo courtesy of Entertainment Weekly

2

4

Back up your laptop. Tired of your computer running slow? Back it up with a CD, clean out any unwanted files and run a virus check.

Compiled by Kelsey Randolph

Art shop offers beginner painting classes

Faces & Places is a weekly series that profiles the people and places of Murray. Every person and every place has a story. Let us tell it.

Shannon MacAllister || Staff writer smacallister@murraystate.edu

Murray State students can discover the fun and unique experiences Murray’s town square shops, such as Creative Canvas, have to offer.

Creative Canvas, owned by Jill Seavers, opened to the Murray community seven years ago in an effort to show people that anyone can be an artist.

“What we do here is not fine art, it is fun art,” Seavers said. “I see so many people come in here and they are so uptight, and so terrified that they are going to mess up, but they do not. It is all about having fun here.”

Seavers takes her students through the projects, step by step, and they have lots of fun, she said.

“It never gets old watching people see what they made when they thought they could not do it,” she said.

Classes at Creative Canvas are designed so that no student is left behind. Seavers said she even goes step by step on which paint brush to use, how much paint to put on it and when to reload the brush.

“I am there to show people that they can be artistic in a great, fun way,” Seavers said. “I go around and make sure that everyone is doing alright, help them if they are struggling and we go through each step together.”

The idea of the class originally stemmed from a friend of Seavers’

Amateur artists take on the painting challenge of the night. who owned a shop with a similar purpose in Louisville, Ky. “Before I opened Creative Canvas I actually worked in a factory,” Seavers said. “I realized I wanted to do more, though. I wanted to be artistic and help others learn to be, too.”

The shop also carries a unique tradition, as the art class participants each leave their mark on the shop.

The walls of Creative Canvas were originally painted black, but now sport a number of colors and signatures as each class participant gets to sign their name on the facility walls, leaving a memory for years to come.

The signatures on the wall did not start on purpose, Seavers said.

“My son actually proposed to his fiancee here, and when she said yes, I just told them they could sign the walls to hold the memory,” she said.

“After that, I started letting the classes sign, too, but I never even thought about what my landlord would think of it.”

When her landlord did see it, she loved it.

d Tweets e r u t Fea of the week A compilation of Tweets that made us laugh, cry or scratch our heads.

This week’s topic: Google Glass

“People love looking at them though, and I think it just makes it special,” Seavers said.

Torrey Perkins, freshman from Harvest, Ala., said when she attended the Tree of Light painting class, she really enjoyed being able to paint something she could keep for years to come and tell others stories about the fun she had.

“Creative Canvas is just a really fun stress reliever,” Perkins said. “I have never painted before and I loved the way it all turned out. Their atmosphere is great with the fun music playing in the background, and everyone is always complimenting each other’s paintings.”

Creative Canvas classes can be scheduled depending on what painting people wish to choose.

Each night focuses solely on one painting that each member of the class will create, with the exception of open paint night.

Each class is $25 for all supplies, materials and instruction. Kids classes are $20 and are held on Saturday afternoons.

Photos by Taylor McStoots/The News

Students and community members alike participate in the projects Creative Canvas has to offer.

Project Glass @projectglass That would be legen... wait for it... dary. RT @ActuallyNPH I’d show what it’s like to act on the set of HIMYM all day! #ifihadglass 2:42 p.m. Feb. 20

Kimberly T @Kooliokookie Google glass looks ridiculously impractical, but the fact that they pulled this off is mindblowing nonetheless. #Props 2:57 p.m. Feb. 20

The Night Stalker @kolchak People who live in google glass houses shouldn't do anything ever.

3:04 p.m. Feb. 20

RaShaad. @IAmRaShaadP_ Google Glass is like a set of glasses that can google pictures, and take pictures and video! Is that not cool?

2:56 p.m. Feb. 20

Curtis Mann @CurtisMan Am I the only one who hates the idea of Google Glass? I foresee pretentious douchebags wearing these. People are detached enough already.

2:58 p.m. Feb. 20

Tina Choehn-Chang @jjtravi I'll buy Google Glass in about 3 years when they are on the $99 rack at Apple and they are called iGlass.

3:07 p.m. Feb. 20

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Features

February 22, 2013 Oscar photo courtesy of nathansanders.com

Best Picture

Photos courtesy of IMDB.com

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Pop Culture Savvy

Steven Spielberg, “Lincoln”

“Django Unchained”

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7B

Best Actor

‘Man, I Feel Like A Woman’

Best Actress

Daniel Day-Lewis, “Lincoln”

Jennifer Lawrence, “Silver Linings Playbook”

Best Supporting Actor

Best Supporting Actress Anne Hathaway, “Les Miserables”

Christoph Waltz, “Django Unchained”

DIY

Easy steps for creating bookmarks Shannon MacAllister || Staff writer smacallister@murraystate.edu

Directions: On scrap paper, use a pencil and a ruler to draw a perfect 2 1/2–inch square. Draw a matching square to the right of the first, so they share a side in the middle. Draw an identical square above the original so that they touch.

Use the ruler to draw a diagonal line from the bottom left to the top right corner in the uppermost square. The triangular, upper left half is no longer needed, so scribble it out. Do the same in the bottom right square, by drawing a

diagonal line from the bottom left to top right corner. The lower right half will not be used, so scribble it out.

Cut out the remaining shape all in one piece, excluding those sections that have been scribbled out.

There should now be a square with two attached triangles. This is the template.

Trace the template made of scrap paper onto cardstock and cut it out.

Align the ruler with one of the edges of the square with where a triangle connects. Use the tip of the mechanical pencil with no lead showing to make an indent along this line. Repeat on the other side

Graduate student offers tax advice Hunter Harrell || Staff writer hharrell@murraystate.edu

Filing taxes as a college student can seem more stressful than necessary – feeling more like a final exam than a part of life. Students may wonder if the government is testing their organizational skills or their math skills.

Although the stress of filing taxes remains present, there are tips and tricks to ensure they are filed correctly and benefit students.

1. Set aside a weekend.

Filing taxes may not take the entire weekend, but it is better to be safe than sorry. Setting aside a weekend allows students to organize and gather paper-

that also has a triangle attached.

This will allow for more precise folding in future steps.

What You Need: With the full square on the bottom, fold one triangle down, so that ❖ Patterned cardstock it covers the upper half ❖ Plain scrap paper of the square. ❖ Scissors With the remaining ❖ Pencil triangle still unfolded, ❖ Ruler apply glue to the side ❖ Glue stick facing upwards, and fold it over the first triangle so that the two triangles are glued together.

This is the base bookmark. To use it, slip it over the corner of the last page read. From here, it may be decorated to preference.

work and to grasp the concept of taxes before diving in. Students who give themselves the proper amount of time to focus on filing taxes have better results and have less last-minute stress.

“Taxes do take time,” said Jennifer Anderson, accounting graduate student from Louisville, Ky. “If you would like to receive your refund in a timely manner, I would recommend not waiting until the last minute to file.”

2. Know the dates.

Knowing when W2’s are mailed out and when taxes are due is half the battle. Organizing papers and making sure to have everything that is needed on time is an important step in relieving stress students face at tax time.

“Tax returns are due April 15,” Anderson said.

“Make sure you have all your forms. Leaving out a W2 or other earnings can significantly impact your tax return.”

3. Determine place of residence and dependency.

Students who live in one state and go to school in another may run into some trouble when filing taxes, especially if they have a job in both. Those who are in that situation should check to be sure what taxes must be paid and to where they must be paid. Also, some parents still claim students as dependents on their tax forms, especially if they are paying tuition.

Communication with parents about the financial situations and whether they are claiming their child on taxes is important in order to ensure the proper tax

Lori Allen/The News

return or pay-in and avoid a letter or an audit from the IRS. 4. Practice and double check before submitting.

Printing out several copies of the tax papers can be beneficial for practice. By filling in the papers for practice, white out is less likely to be a necessity.

Practicing on paper is especially important for those filing online. Always double check the work before submission.

“Be sure to have all items of income, including wages and scholarships, on the tax return before you file,” Anderson said.

Bankrate.com even suggests waiting a day before going back to check for errors.

5. Utilizing helpful sources.

Nowadays, there are many automated computer systems such as TurboTax to make the process of filing taxes a little easier. If using a computer system doesn’t appeal to some students, Murray State’s accounting department offers free preparation of taxes in Room 353 of the Arthur J. Bauernfeind College of Business. “(Taxes) are done by junior and senior accounting majors on most Fridays until the filing date from noon to 4 p.m,” Anderson said. “The students are all certified to file both federal and state tax returns.”

The service is completely free. Students need to bring their Social Security Card, or a passport for the international students, their W2 form and a prior year’s return if possible.

Out This Week

See It

Friday, Feb. 22

“Dark Sides” is a horror film about a family trying to save their child who is being preyed on by an alien presence. The movie stars Keri Russell as the mother and Dakota Goyo as the child being tortured.

The movie is being released by Dimension Films and was directed and written by Scott Stewart.

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Call our Advertising Department at 809-4478 to find out how. connect. attract. grow.

Tuesday, Feb. 26

“The Master,” starring Joaquin Phoenix, Phillip Seymour Hoffman and Amy Adams is about a World War II veteran struggling to adjust to the post-war world. The movie was originally released on Sept. 14 of last yea r to rave reviews. The film is nominated for three Academy Awards at this year’s show including Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor and Best Supporting Actress.

Hear It

Tuesday, Feb. 26

Two of country music’s well-known artists, Emmylou Harris and Rodney Crowell, are coming together for the first t ime since Crowell joined Harris’ Hot Band in 1975 to put out a collaboration album. “Old Yellow Moon” was produced by Brian Ahern and features other well-known musicians such as Stuart Duncan, Vince Gill, Bill Payne and other members of the original Hot Band.

Read It

Tuesday, Feb. 26

No. 1 New York Times bestselling author, Jodi Picoult will release her 18th book, “The Storyteller,” Tuesday. Sage Singer, the main character, befriends an older man who is beloved in the community. She is shocked when he asks her to do him a favor, and kill him. He served as a Nazi SS guard and doesn’t believe he deserves to live.

Play It

Tuesday, Feb. 26

MUD – FIM Motocross World Championship will be released for Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 on Tuesday. The video game includes 84 riders, 32 teams, 16 nations, every track from every circuit, the Monster FIM Motocross of Nations and three official race competitions which are MX1, MX2 and MXoN. The tracks are exact replicas of official race tracks. It is rated T for Teen.

SOLUTIONS AT THENEWS.ORG

SUDOKU

Rent It

I think it is safe to say I am one of the only people who still purchases an actual copy of an album when it is released.

Savannah To me, digiSawyer tally downAssistant loading Features Editor something is just not the same as having an actual copy of the CD or vinyl record in front of me.

Being one of the only people who still purchases CDs, I am at an advantage. Everyone else is getting rid of their old CDs to local thrift shops, where I can go and pick up some of my favorite albums for low prices.

I would say I have upward of 100 CDs and over 200 vinyl records in my collection.

I don’t collect one specific genre. Though I have favorites, I will give any genre a shot. For example, for rock I love Bruce Springsteen and The Rolling Stones and for pop I love Beyonce and Adele. As far as rap goes, I’ve been getting into Childish Gambino and The Roots. Even country music is starting to grow on me – I have to admit to liking Taylor Swift and Tim McGraw.

With that being said, here is how my music collecting began. I was in the first or second grade when my dad let me buy my first album on the Internet that would be delivered to our house.

The album was Shania Twain’s “Come on Over.” If you know me well enough, you know country is definitely not my favorite genre of music, but there is still something about this album I love.

Maybe it’s because it is the first album I ever made the conscious decision on my own to purchase.

Who knows what my decisionmaking process was, but it remains one of my favorite country albums to date.

Admit it, many of you can’t help but sing along whenever “Man, I Feel Like A Woman” is playing on the radio.

I personally think this album contained some of Twain’s best hits such as “You’re Still The One,” “That Don’t Impress Me Much” and, of course, “Man, I Feel Like A Woman.”

It was this album that really got her career going. It ended up staying on the charts for about two years and selling over 40 million copies, making it the best-selling country album to this date.

I think much can be learned about a person by the clothes they wear, the movies and television shows they watch, the gadgets they purchase and the music to which they listen. ssawyer@murraystate.edu

Photos courtesy of Amazon.com

The News

8B

The News February 22, 2013

Senior foward Ed Daniel jumps above defenders for a dunk earlier this season. Daniel and senior guards Isaiah Canaan and Stacy Wilson helped lead the Racers to an OVC West Division title Wednesday against Morehead State in double overtime. Murray State will meet the South Dakota State Jackrabbits Saturday for an ESPN BracketBuster game. Tipoff is at 7 p.m. in the CFSB Center.

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