The Murray State News TheNews.org
Sept. 6, 2013
Vol. 88, No. 4
Presidential search committee considers silence Lexy Gross || Editor-in-Chief
“The traditional method of advancing candidates for the committee would be to have candidates arrive on campus and be announced publicly, have open forums with people interacting,” said John Thornburgh, a consultant for Witt/Kieffer. “These practices have changed dramatically in higher education – the issue these days is that if you are going to have a candidate be announced publicly before an appointment is made, they’re
cgross2@murraystate.edu
Presidential search committee members are facing a pressing question – whether or not to release the names of potential presidential candidates to the public throughout the search process. In a committee meeting Wednesday, representatives from presidential search firm Witt/Kieffer suggested the search process be closed to the public.
not even going to get into the search.” Upon the request, members of the committee voiced their opinions, several said they felt uncomfortable with a closed search. The committee will try to strategize a way to have an open process – without revealing names. Committee members who are also members of the Board of Regents are expected to discuss the topic further at today’s quarterly board meeting. Although the process would be
closed, and the candidates would not be revealed, Thornburgh assured committee members that candidates could still meet with small constituency groups in a closed setting. Throughout the week, consultants met with different groups on campus to better understand what the University needs in a president. The three primary groups Witt/Kieffer met with were students, faculty and staff.
STUDENTS Bob Smith, Witt/Kieffer consultant and former president of Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania, asked students to voice their concerns on the position of presidency at Murray State. Representatives came from several groups; Alliance, International Students Organization, Student Government Association, Residential College
see SEARCH, 6A
Bill Nye, future series speaker Ben Manhanke Assistant News Editor bmanhanke@murraystate.edu
WRECKED
Lexy Gross/The News
Broken glass and cluttered hallways are a few of the many signs of vacancy and neglect in Woods Hall.
A building in neglect Meghann Anderson || News Editor manderson22@murraystate.edu
Dark hallways, broken glass on the floors, messages written in dust and no ventilation – the place looks like a scene from a horror film, but instead is the inside of a University building. Woods Hall, which houses International Studies and several art studios, is open to anyone during operating hours, but doors leading to the third floor, which is used solely for storage, were unlocked.
HISTORY The building, named for the fifth president of Murray State, Ralph H. Woods, was designed as a women’s dormitory. It was constructed on the corner of 14th Street and Olive Boulevard at a cost of almost $1.1 million and was first occupied in the spring of 1957. Like its sister building, Ordway Hall,
which was also used for residential purposes, the parts of the building not in use have deteriorated. Ordway was demolished during summer, except for the front facade. In 1965, carpet was installed in the hallways, and air conditioning was provided for the lobby and study rooms at a cost of $45,828. Woods Hall ceased operations as a dormitory in the early 1990s and soon after became office space for International Affairs.
PRESENT DAY Woods Hall is part International Affairs office, part art studio and part storage. Kim Oatman, director of Facilities Management, said with exception of a few rooms on the second floor used by the Art Department, the upper floors have been used as storage for the past 20 years. Oatman said the upper floors are used
Lexy Gross/The News
see WRECKED, 6A
A service elevator on the third floor of Woods Hall bears an inscription and drawing left with spray paint.
Live. Your. Values. challenges students to act Rebecca Walter Staff Writer rwalter@murraystate.edu
Taylor McStoots/The News
Greek presidents line the front of Lovett Auditorium after the kick off of a new social campaign, with active and new members behind them.
A new campaign launched its way into the Greek community Tuesday, providing a way to open up conversation and establish what it means to live through your values as a member of Greek Life at Murray State. Live. Your. Values. premiered at a Greek kick-off event with a launch video that focused on differing core values upon which the organizations were founded. Jason Hinson-Nolen, Greek Life coordinator, said he started the campaign as a way to open dialogue about the values Murray State’s Greek organizations possess and the way they impact not only the community, but themselves. “I was looking for a way to start the conversation about these different values,” Hinson-Nolen said. “We are finally at a time where we
can talk about what our organizations are really all about.” Each organization had 12 members give a spoken testimony about how going Greek has impacted their lives and helped them grow as individuals. These testimonies will be used throughout the duration of the campaign. Administrators, faculty and staff have also become involved in the campaign. Jay Morgan, Jackie Dudley, Don Robertson, Mike Young, Crystal Coleman, Tara Hawthorne and Aaron Dail all took part in the launch video. Live. Your. Values. started Tuesday and will continue until March 25 of next year. The campaign will launch a new video testimony every week which will be promoted through various social media outlets such as Facebook and Twitter.
see VALUES, 6A
Bill Nye “the Science Guy” is coming to Murray State. The recently-announced Dancing with the Stars contestant and science guru will speak at the University during the spring semester as a part of the Presidential Lecture Series. The Student Government Association, Murray State Fo u n d a t i o n and the President’s Office will sponsor the Presidential Lecture S e r i e s speaker, who will be on Nye campus in Lovett Auditorium on Feb. 4, 2014. SGA President Jeremiah Johnson said he is thrilled to have Nye speaking at Murray State. “Students grew up with him,” Johnson said. “He was a stable educational figure in many students’ lives, and he made learning fun.” Nye currently hosts three TV shows: The 100 Greatest Discoveries on the Science Channel, The Eyes of Nye on PBS and Stuff Happens on Planet Green. He is also the vice president of The Planetary Society, the world’s largest space-interest group, and speaks all over the world about space exploration. Murray State is not Nye’s first visit to a college campus, though. Last year he visited the University of North Carolina as a guest speaker and has given many commencement speeches at various universities. Nye also regularly visits Cornell University as a professor as part of the Frank H.T. Rhodes Visiting Professorship. As a part of the Presidential Lecture Series, Nye joins a group of speakers that include Spike Lee, James Carville and Mary Matalin, Ben Stein, Desmond Tutu and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Johnson said the University tries to cater to students and get speakers with different backgrounds each year. Last March, the Student Government Association pulled its monetary support from the lecture series after the executive board members decided to put SGA’s money toward more student-focused programming. This year, SGA has reinstated funding for the lecture, and Johnson said he was excited to help fund such a fun, educational speaker. “I think the students will really enjoy Bill,” Johnson said. “It should be a fun time.”
WHAT’S
SISTER CAMPUS
OUR VIEW
RACER REVIEW
ICE CREAM
INSIDE
Murray State prepares to announce partnership in Asia, 3A
Presidential search committee should keep meetings open, 4A
Check out a recap and preview of Racer football games, 1B
Festival offers community activities, 5B