The Murray State News

The Murray State News TheNews.org

April 18, 2014

hharrell@murraystate.edu

The sweet sounds of memorable ‘90s favorites, love ballads and more Miley Cyrus than Murray State could handle filled the Quad Wednesday afternoon at the 56th annual All-Campus Sing. The event was hosted

by Sigma Alpha Iota with the assistance of Phi Mu Alpha.

Compared to All-Campus Sing 2013, the weather pulled through. Attendees began laying out blankets and setting up lawn chairs early Wednesday, and some even camped out Tuesday night to obtain good seats for the the event. More than 1,500 students, parents and community members gathered in the Quad and nearly 2,000 people watched the online live stream.

The event opened with a pre-show performance by The Muses, the University’s female a cappella group. Per Murray State tradition, before the actual event began, outgoing Student Government Association President Jeremiah Johnson announced the

winners of the SGA elections.

Following the announcement, the show kicked off and audience members began tweeting to vote for their favorite groups using special hashtags provided by the coordinators of All-Campus Sing.

More than 22 campus groups and organizations performed on the steps of Lovett Auditorium. These groups were arranged into four different categories: independent organizations, residential colleges, sororities and fraternities.

Each category held a first through fourth place. The Black Student Council took home first prize in the independent organizations category as well as Best Soloist. From the residential colleges, Springer-Franklin Residential College took home first place. Alpha Sigma Alpha placed first in the sorority division and also received the Spectator’s Choice Award tallied via Twitter. Sigma Phi Epsilon took first place for its performance in the fraternity division.

ALL-CAMPUS SING

Hunter Harrell || Features Editor

Vol. 88, No. 29

Photos by Jenny Rohl/The News

FIRST PLACE WINNERS Independent: Black Student Council

Residential College: Springer-Franklin

Sorority: Alpha Sigma Alpha

Fraternity: Sigma Phi Epsilon

see SING, 8A

New Student Government Association leaders named Rebecca Walter || News Editor rwalter@murraystate.edu

After three years as Student Government Association president, Jeremiah Johnson has passed down the reigns to Michael Dobbs, junior from Winchester, Ky. Voting turnout declined from last year, with only 9 percent of the student body voting compared to 16.6 percent in 2013.

Although there was a clear winner for presidency, with candidate

Dobbs running unopposed, other elections were much closer.

Only 188 votes separated the race for vice president, with Grant Grissom, graduate student from Hickman, Ky., receiving 665 votes and Aida De La Fuente, junior from Louisville, Ky., receiving 547 votes.

The rest of the SGA executive board will be made up of Ava Jackie, junior from Pewee, Ky., acting as secretary and Luke King, junior from Burkesville, Ky., acting as treasurer.

Dobbs said he looks forward to an exciting transition year, with the University not only getting a new SGA president but also a new University president.

“This has been my home for almost four years and I care a lot about this community, the University and city,” Dobbs said. “I think the more students care about (the community) the better they are going to foster their education.”

Dobbs said he plans on being a personable and transparent presi-

dent. He said he wants to be up front and honest with students.

“I’m not just doing this for a status position – I want to see students succeed,” Dobbs said.

The SGA president also serves as Student Regent during the Board of Regents’ quarterly meetings.

Maria Mullis, sophomore from Evansville, Ind., said she is excited to see the change in SGA. “I am hoping to see some positive changes overall,” she said.

Grissom said one of the main fo-

cuses for his term as vice president is the budget.

“Whatever the budget might be next year, I want to take students’ input and figure what will be most effective,” Grissom said. “I want to give students options.”

He said he is going to work with the new treasurer, secretary and president to give students the best experience they can possibly have.

“More student involvement is key,

see ELECTION, 2A

Davies visits campus, attends ACS Engineering and Physics Building project underway Mary Bradley

Assistant News Editor

mbradley9@murraystate.edu

Incoming president Robert Davies met with University members Wednesday at Heritage Hall to discuss his new presidency and to welcome him to Murray State.

Constantine Curris, chairman of the Board of Regents, introduced Davies and spoke of the board’s unanimous decision to elect Davies based on his drive for excellence and warm and engaging personality.

Davies said he was humbled and honored to be the 13th president of Murray State University and this position is a dream come true and an opportunity of a lifetime.

He said he wants to maintain an established trifecta of academic excellence, focus on the students and service to the region.

“As we focus in on that trifecta, we are indeed creating the finest place that we know,” Davies said. “In doing all these activities, it is about hope, endeavor and achievement.”

Davies said he intends to maintain a student-oriented mindset going into his new position.

He recently met with students at All-Campus Sing and took the oppor-

Rebecca Walter || News Editor rwalter@murraystate.edu

Fumi Nakamura/The News

Incoming President Robert Davies speaks to the All-Campus Sing crowd Wednesday. tunity to speak to the crowd as a part of his weeklong visit to Murray State.

“To be able to meet with students at events like All-Campus Sing or to be engaged with them in many different ways provides that foundation for discussion and also breaks down that

wall between student and president,” Davies said.

He said he believes it’s more important for the president to have a connection with the students, rather

see DAVIES, 2A

WHAT’S

OUR VIEW

INSIDE

Once again, few students voted Library offers resources in SGA elections, 4A unknown to many students, 7A

POGUE RESOURCES

Construction is on schedule for the new Engineering and Physics Building, with the project expecting to break ground in late 2014 or early 2015.

The project is expected to take 1517 months to complete. Students can expect to have classes in the building by the fall of 2016.

President Tim Miller said a new building is beneficial to the engineering and physics programs. “(The building) will be attractive for the program and will help in recruiting students and employees,” Miller said.

The building will include laboratories in fluid mechanics, physics research, astronomy, physical chemistry, biology research and more. It will have lecture halls that can seat up to 150 students.

The building will be home to all of the engineering and physics offices as well as some biology and chemistry offices.

Biology and Chemistry Buildings

Engineering and Physics building The current engineering and physics department is located in the Blackburn Science Building. Blackburn was built in 1947 and the most recent addition to the building was in 1967.

Kim Oatman, director of Facilities Management, said the construction

see ENGINEERING, 2A

TENNIS TITLE

RECORD DAY

Women’s team clenches OVC in regular season, 1B

Community celebrates national holiday with vinyl, 5B

The News

News

2A

April 18, 2014

New faces, new representation

PRESIDENT

VICE PRESIDENT

TREASURER

SECRETARY

Michael Dobbs

Grant Grissom

Luke King

Ava Jackie

involvement.

“We were lucky to have good candidates running and those who were elected will relate to the student body well I think,” Morgan said.

Morgan said the problem with apathy among students is a problem other universities face as well.

Of the 9,975 Murray State students who were eligible to vote, 889 voted.

At the University of Kentucky 5,205 out of the 28,928 students voted in the 2014 SGA elections.

At Western Kentucky University, only 908 of the more than 21,000 students voted in the 2014 SGA elections, which is only 2.3 percent

of the student body.

Other students were elected for the SGA senator-at-large positions: Jamie Nuckolls, Kaitlyn Brooks, Nathan Payne, Chantry Carroll, Clint Combs, Alex Reynolds, Michael Mann and Caitlin Dunaway.

Senators from the School of Nursing and Health Professions are Kayla Hartley, Blake Parker and Mikayla Oster.

Senators from the Hutson School of Agriculture are Hunter Easterling, Rebekah Brennan, Bobo Futrell and Dylan Baker.

Senators from the Jesse D. College of Science, Engineering and Technology are Demi St. John and

ELECTION From Page 1 but the way to get that involvement is through interest,” he said. “We have to bring things that people are interested in. I think we have done a good job of that in the past, but we can further the outreach.”

The SGA vice president also serves as Campus Activities Board president.

Jeanie Morgan, SGA adviser and coordinator of student activities, said she hopes the newly elected SGA officers can increase student

LIKE US for breaking news, photo albums and stories from TheNews.org

DAVIES From Page 1 than the students having connections with the president.

That connection, to Davies, will allow him to keep in touch with students’ wants and needs.

Davies spent his week at Murray State attending the Provost’s Concert and All-Campus Sing, “What I hope to gain is an ap-

Brooks Hoffman.

Senators from the College of Humanities and Fine Arts are Sara Wallace, Savanna Wojcik and Nathan McNichols.

Senators from the College of Education and Human Services are Tiffany Pederson, Brie Haner and Tanelle Smith.

Senators from the Arthur J. Bauernfeind College of Business are Mandy Whitlow, Taylor Futrell and Alexandria Bloodworth.

Grissom said SGA officers are not there for themselves, but for the students.

“It is your SGA, your campus, your voice,” Grissom said. “Tell us how to be your voice.”

preciation for a sense of the context of Murray State and a sense of the traditions and the challenges and the opportunities that we face,” Davies said. “I’m not here to answer or definitively say, ‘this is the direction that we are moving’ or anything like that, but my whole goal is to learn about the Murray State way.

“That’s about the traditions, the culture, the interactions and the relationships of the individuals within the campus, but also in connection to the larger community as well.”

ENGINEERING From Page 1

contractor for the building is unknown at this time.

The new building is expected to cost up to $36,890,000.

The Commonwealth of Kentucky is providing $31,890,000 and Murray State has committed to raise up to $5 million.

Funding for the building was officially approved by state legislation Tuesday.

Miller said students will not see a tuition increase from the new building. He said the project is still looking for donors for the $5 million the University has to raise. The University is still seeking a donor to name the building after.

Miller said it is unknown at this time what will become of Blackburn when the new building is completed. One suggestion is to tear down Woods Hall and move the operations from the building into Blackburn.

A new library annex would potentially be placed where Woods Hall stood if this happens.

Miller said another possible project to replace Woods Hall would be the construction of new sorority suites. He said The MSU Foundation has approved the hiring of a firm to evaluate the current suites on campus.

The Engineering and Physics Building has been planned since 1998 and has been a top capital construction project for the University. Now that funding has been approved, construction can move forward.

“Murray State has been very fortunate to receive a significant amount of state funding for the construction of the Breathitt Veterinary Center and the Engineering and Physics Building as well as authorization to sell bonds for a new residential college,” Oatman said. “All three of these represent a total of about $100 million of capital projects which is the most capital funding received by this institution in any single biennium.”

He said the primary focus for the University will be all three of these projects.

The plan is to locate the new Engineering and Physics Building west of North 16th Street in the area of Olive Street. It will be southeast of Jesse D. Jones Hall.

The News

News

April 18, 2014

Students stress over scheduling conflicts

News Editor: Rebecca Walter Assistant Editor: Mary Bradley Phone: 270-809-4468 Twitter: MurrayStateNews

Mary Bradley Assistant News Editor

Police Beat

mbradley9@murraystate.edu

April 14

1 2 : 0 9 a .m A caller in the 200 block of College Courts reported a noise complaint. Officers were notified and the scene appeared normal when they arrived.

7: 52 a.m. A fire alarm was activated in Business Building South. Officers and the Murray Fire Department were notified.

1 2 : 1 9 a .m . A caller reported unwanted sexual contact occurring off-campus. Officers were notified and referred to the jurisdiction where the incident occurred. An information report was taken.

9 :1 3 a.m. A caller reported an assault at the Wellness Center. Officers were notified and a report was taken.

April 11

April 12 7: 1 3 a. m. Officers were advised out on special detail for the Murray Half Marathon. An information report was taken.

9: 08 p.m . A caller reported the smell of marijuana in the Old Richmond Residential College parking lot. Officers were notified and a report was taken.

April 15 7 : 56 p.m . Racer Patrol reported broken glass in the parking lot outside of Fast Track. Central Heating and Cooling Plant was notified.

1 0: 33 p.m . A caller reported a suspicious noise at Elizabeth Residential College. Officers were notified and the scene appeared normal upon arrival.

April 16 5: 30 p.m. A caller reported an elevator requiring maintenance at Faculty Hall. Central Plant was notified.

5: 49 p. m. A caller reported a medical emergency at the Collins Center for Industry and Technology. Officers were notified and the patient refused ambulance service.

Call of Fame April 14 - 1:09 p.m. A caller requested a welfare check at Oakley Applied Science Building. Officers were notified and a person was transported to Four Rivers Mental Health.

April 13 2 : 24 a .m . Officers received an attempt to locate a missing juvenile from Paris, Tenn. An information report was taken.

4 : 25 p. m. A caller in the 1100 block of College Courts reported a second-degree burglary. A report was taken.

Motorists assists – 2 Racer escorts – 6 Arrests – 0

Mary Bradley, Assistant News Editor, compiles Police Beat with materials provided by Public Safety and Emergency Management. Not all dispatched calls are listed.

Scheduling week has come and gone, but the stress of claiming classes still weighs on students’ shoulders.

Students find themselves in a flurry of conflicting times, closed classes and degree requirements, but advisers and the RACR Degree Audit on MyGate often lend a helping hand.

Marie Seaman, sophomore from Bardstown, Ky., said her scheduling for next semester was successful, but had a few complications.

“One class I wanted to take more than anything was the psychology of language,” Seaman said. “It wasn’t offered for the fall 2013 semester, so I thought it was just for this spring, but it wasn’t either, and it’s not available for next semester.”

While some classes, such as the psychology of language, have not been offered for a few semesters, students still have an array of options they can choose from.

Seaman said she is able to plan out her schedule beforehand and the only thing she had left to complete before her scheduling time was for her adviser to lift the hold.

However, Ryan Wilson, junior from Karnak, Ill., had an issue arise on the day of scheduling.

Wilson had a class and lab he was required to take, but on the day of scheduling, a needed prerequisite he was already enrolled in prevented him from signing up for his class.

“I signed up for them the minute I could,” Wilson said. “But MyGate said

Amanda Grau || Staff writer agrau@murraystate.edu

Sen. Mitch McConnell visited Murray State’s Equine Instructional Facility Tuesday to discuss the future of industrial hemp growth in Kentucky.

With only six weeks left in the growing season, agricultural researchers are anxious to get hemp seeds planted in the state, but they are struggling with hurdles in place by the Drug Enforcement Administration. If the seeds are not planted, valid research will be impossible this year.

McConnell said he understood the

20 14

The Spring Senior Breakfast will be held Thursday, May 1,

at 8 a.m. in the Curris Center Ballroom. Seniors and graduate students who are graduating in May and August 2014 are invited to the breakfast free of charge.

Students should RSVP to the Office of Student Affairs no later than Friday, April 25. msu.studentaffairs@murraystate.edu or 270.809.6831 Faculty and Staff may purchase tickets for $5 from their administrative assistant or the Office of Student Affairs, 425 Wells Hall For more information contact the office at 270.809.6831

Photo illustration by Fumi Nakamura/The News

Students dodge scheduling problems as they register for fall 2014 classes.

I didn’t have the prerequisite, which I am currently in, so I had to take the whole day to get that to override. By then, the lab for that class was full and the other lab that was supposedly open didn’t exist.”

Despite the conflict, Wilson said he was able to sign up for a different class with the same professor.

Advisers suggest students schedule the minute they can and not to give up if a needed class is closed. Professors can be willing to open up a closed spot if students communicate with them.

Zackery Heern, associate professor of history, advises incoming freshman to choose a major quickly to prevent difficulties.

“The earlier you pick a major, the better it is for you to make sure you get the classes you need on time,” Heern said. “If you become delayed with some sequences and don’t start taking them right away, it can push you back.”

Heern said students should understand what their requirements are, and incoming freshmen in particular need to learn how to navigate scheduling to make it easier.

“Being aware of what some of these programs require,” he said.

“Often times they don’t know how to schedule a class or where to go to look for classes. I think a part of it is the earlier they understand the process, the better.”

McConnell hopeful for hemp future

Attention Seniors

April 10

1:43 a.m. An officer conducted a traffic stop in the Regents Residential College parking lot. A citation was issued for a driver with one headlight, possession of an open alcohol container in the vehicle and possession of alcohol by persons between ages 18 to 21. A report was taken.

5:24 p.m. An officer conducted a traffic stop at 12th and Olive streets. A written warning was issued to a driver going the wrong way down a one-way street.

3A

time constraints, and said his environmental legislative assistant is focused on this.

Tony Brannon, the dean of the Hutson School of Agriculture, said despite full support from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, cannabis and hemp seeds are regulated by the Controlled Substances Act. The Farm Bill, which was signed by President Barack Obama Feb. 7 of this year, allows hemp growth for research - a section added by McConnell.

This was a large stride forward for the industry since September, when Kentucky Attorney General Jack Con-

Tinseltown

Tuesday

way stated that hemp simply was not legal on the federal level at that time.

On March 7, Conway released an advisory opinion on possible industrial hemp changes.

“Recent research has suggested that hemp might be an economically viable product in the state if the federal restrictions are lifted,” Conway said.

So far, efforts to lift those restrictions have ended in Congress.

MSU research farmers are still in the process of importing seeds. They are contacting other universities with potential access to the crop and research experts from Canada.

April A pril 22 Despic Despicable able Me A pril 2 9 April 29 Despic able Me 2 Despicable

New Life Campus Ministry Ne Curris Center Theatre - 7 p.m.

PLUS DART BOARDS

& JUKE BOX 270.753.3406 200 N 15TH STREET MURRAY, MURRAY MURRA Y, KY ACROSS FROM WILSON HALL

A GREAT GREAT PLACE TO MEET, MEET, A BETTER PLACE TO EA EATT

OPEN: MON - FRI 11 AM & SAT SAT 4 PM

Every Thursday is Karaoke Night!

MON. Trivia Trivia @ 7:30 p.m.

TUES. Open Mic Night w/MoTiv w/MoTiv (25% off Apps $2 Domestic Longnecks)

FRI. 4/18 Clint Fisher SAT. SAT SA T. 4/19 Josh McKee FRI. 4/25 David Spradling SAT. SAT SA T. 4/26 Drunken Poets

WE HAVE HAVE A LARGE

SELECTION OF

DOMESTIC & FOREIGN BEERS AND COCKTAILS COCKT AILS HAPPY HOUR $1.50 DOMESTIC DRAFTS

$2.00 WELL DRINKS $3.00 WELL COCKT COCKTAILS AILS

)RŹRZ 8V

@MurrayStateNews @MSUSportsNews @MSUNewsFeatures

THE NEWS .ORG

4A

April 18, 2014

The News

Opinion

Opinion Editor: Carly Besser Phone: 270-809-5873

Our View

Low voter turnouts not all students’ fault The staff editorial is the majority opinion of The Murray State News Editorial Board.

The News 2609 University Station Murray State University Murray, Kentucky 42071-3301 msu.thenews@murraystate.edu Fax: 270-809-3175

TheNews.org Lexy Gross Editor-in-Chief • 270-809-6877 cgross2@murraystate.edu R e b e c c a Wa l t e r News Editor • 270-809-4468 rwalter@murraystate.edu Ca r l y B e s s e r Opinion Editor • 270-809-5873 cbesser@murraystate.edu H u n ter H arrell Features Editor • 270-809-5871 hharrell@murraystate.edu M a l l o r y Tu c k e r Sports Editor • 270-809-4481 mtucker11@murraystate.edu K a y la Ma c A ll is te r Chief Copy Editor • 270-809-5876 kmacallister@murraystate.edu E l i za b e t h L e g ge t t Online Editor • 270-809-5877 eleggett@murraystate.edu A l l i s o n B o r t hw i c k Advertising Manager • 270-809-4478 aborthwick@murraystate.edu

Evan Watson/The News

The 2014 elections for the Student Government Association came to an end Wednesday when SGA adviser Jeanie Morgan announced the results at All-Campus Sing.

Of the 9,973 eligible voters, 889 took the time to log into MyGate and participate.

Despite the week-long explosion of campaigns, Facebook posts and preparation by candidates, 9 percent of the student population was moved enough to vote.

While it would be easy to say Murray State is the only University that displays lack of interest in student politics, this is not the case.

The University of Kentucky, which has a staggering total enrollment of more than 28,928 students, had 5,205 students vote in its 2014 SGA elections.

Western Kentucky University, which has consistently enrolled more than 21,000 students over the past 15 years, had 908 casting ballots received for its SGA elections.

Compared to Western’s 2.3 percent voter turnout, Murray State’s 9 percent looks pretty good. Out of the three universities mentioned, Kentucky pulled the highest numbers with a 17 percent election turnout.

Despite having the highest percentage of voters, Kentucky has nothing to brag about.

The numbers for these elections are abysmal across the board. On what can we blame this student sense of apathy?

Some would say it comes with the status quo of the millennial generation, which is stereotypically lazy and uninvolved. But is that an explanation we are willing to accept to explain a statewide, and even national problem?

Universities across the country are having trouble getting students involved in campus politics, period.

Ivy League schools, despite having significantly higher voter counts than public universities in Kentucky, are still missing the mark.

Brown University, which had the lowest voter turnout of all the Ivy League schools, had 28 percent of students hit the polls for the Undergraduate Council of Students elections.

It’s easy to say that students are the primary reason these elections have such little weight within the student community, but maybe there are things that Murray State can also do to restore interest in student-governed political organizations.

It is imperative to inform students that their voice is not drowned out by the authority of the Board of Regents, our president or other high-power positions on campus.

The SGA has influence on the future of campus policies and budgets, despite the age of its members, which should instill confidence that we can make a difference here.

Students running for SGA positions campaigned on social media independently, but Murray State’s official Facebook and Twitter did little besides posting the ballot and announcing the results.

University social media accounts, which garner thousands of followers and likes, should use their wide reach to steer attention to these online campaigns. With 23,475 likes on its Facebook page and 9,103 Twitter followers, one announcement made by Murray State’s social media could have made a difference.

Ultimately, it is up to us to develop a sense of civic duty to participate in the SGA elections, but Murray State needs to meet us halfway – to inform students about the importance of the election and bolster opinions and higher involvement.

Captain’s Log Sarah B eitel -Stark s Advertising Production • 270-809-5874 sbeitel@murraystate.edu Fu m i N a k a m u r a Photography Editor • 270-809-5878 fnakamura1@murraystate.edu J o e H e d ge s Adviser • 270-809-3937 jhedges@murraystate.edu

Write to us!

The News welcomes commentaries and letters to the editor. Letters should be 400 words or less. Contributors should include phone numbers for verification.

Please include hometown, classification and title or relationship to the University. Commentaries should be between 600 to 800 words. The News reserves the right to edit for style, length and content. No anonymous contributions will be accepted. All contributions should be turned in by noon on Tuesday of each week via email at letters@thenews.org. Contributions to The News are the opinion of the author and not that of The Murray State News.

The News strives to be the University community’s source for information. Our goal is to present that information in a fair and unbiased manner and provide a free and open forum for expression and debate.

The News is a designated public forum. Student editors have authority to make all content decisions without censorship or advance approval. The paper offers a hands-on learning environment for students interested in journalism. The campus press should be free from censorship and advance approval of copy, and its editors should develop their editorial and news policies.

The News is prepared and edited by students and is an official publication of Murray State University. The first copy is free. Additional copies are available for 25 cents at 111 Wilson Hall.

Don’t learn every lesson the hard way Teenagers are infamous for being rebellious. Teens like to think their ideas are superior and that external advice is just a suggestion to be mildly considered and not a real lesson.

Even though I’m technically no longer a teen, I’m still plagued with this mental complex.

I live in an apartment Zac Garrison on my own, buy my own groceries and toiletries Junior from and have manly facial Franklin, Ky. hair now, so I’m a grown man and can think like one, right? Not even close.

Though the first part of what I just said was true, most of the time I still have absolutely no clue what I’m doing.

I feel like this is indicative of a lot of people in my generation. We move off to college, start to be considered adults simply by our age and decide that we can make our own decisions now.

The thing is, how can we make proper decisions for ourselves with very limited real world experiences? This is where teenagers and young adults’ ego and pride get in the way of them actually becoming adults.

Are we adults simply because we turned 18, or are there more qualifications?

For anyone who has read previous columns of mine, you probably know my love for ambiguous and elastic words.

Adult fits right into this category of words that make my cogs turn.

So many people have the definition of this word skewed in their minds and it affects how they make decisions. You aren’t an adult simply because you turned 18. For most 18-year-olds, you have lived in one or

two states your whole life, have lived with your parents, have been financially dependent for most of your life and still have no clue what the real world can toss at you.

I don’t consider myself an adult at 20 for several reasons. I’m still financially dependent on my parents, call my mother for advice about the smallest things and embarrass myself while trying to write checks (I know I’m not the only one).

The thing is, when I was 18 and fresh out of Franklin, Ky., I thought I could take on the world and my parents couldn’t tell me a thing. This led to a wild ride of a freshman year, several bad ideas and a little bit too much trouble for my taste.

I learned that lesson the hard way. Seeing my parents trying so desperately to teach me and give me advice and me ignoring them makes me cringe even to this day.

What reason do we have to disregard our parents’ advice?

My father was a boxer, F-15 engine mechanic, night club bouncer, mailman, health inspector, professional body builder and Marine Corps drill instructor and he still found the time to be a positive male influence in my life.

So, why on earth would I think my own life experiences supersede his guidance?

Parents and older siblings give some of the best advice when it comes to the real world and I think it’s time we listen.

It doesn’t just have to be parents and family members you listen to though; listen to upperclassmen as well. This is mostly directed toward the underclassmen and incoming freshman that may read this.

Even though I’ve never been a bodybuilder or worked on jet engines, I and other upperclassmen have a lot of wise words to offer young students when it comes to the trials of college life.

I’m about to be a senior, so I’ve had three

years’ worth of bad decisions, gut busting laughs and memories I’ll hold with me for the rest of my life. I would love to share some of my tips and advice with someone who will listen.

I’m not saying to ask someone for advice before you make every decision – part of growing up is finding out that wrong decisions can sometimes make you grow as a person and you won’t always have someone there to tell you which decision to make.

What I am saying is that you don’t have to learn every decision the hard way. Some lifealtering mistakes could be avoided if you would have listened a little more and scoffed a little less in your younger years.

It’s not about intelligence. Some of the smartest people I’ve ever met make some of the most juvenile choices because of how smart they think they are.

Becoming an adult is a humbling process – you’ve got to realize that sometimes you aren’t always the smartest person in the room and the guy giving you advice might be worth listening to.

Whether it’s a fellow peer giving you advice on what teachers to take for a certain class or your mother telling you if you don’t calm down on the partying you’re going to get yourself in some real trouble, listening never killed anybody.

You’re young. Be selfish, have a damn good time, but keep an open ear. Advice is free and it’s powerful. You never know if something you were told in the past could save your life in the future, so you can’t afford not to listen. You’re going to make wrong choices, stupid decisions and silly mistakes, but when someone offers you help, take it.

You don’t deserve to suffer from poor decision making because you assume you have it all figured out. The world is talking. Try to listen up.

The News

Opinion

April 18, 2014

5A Did she really say that?

Letters to the Editor If Murray State has some kind of award for staffers who go above and beyond the call of duty in helping old grads, I nominate Dieter Ullrich, who heads the Special Collections at Pogue Libary.

I am just finishing a book on the Civil War in the Jackson Purchase. The University Press of Kentucky is set to print it in the fall. If it weren’t for Dieter’s invaluable help with my research, the book would have taken me at least another year to complete. Not only does he assist me on my visits to Pogue, he even scans and emails me things I need for my research – thus saving me trips from Mayfield, where I live.

Here is a recent example: working on my book on a recent Sunday afternoon, I discovered that I needed to see a rare document that shows the

number of troops Kentucky furnished to the Union side.

The document is in a book in Pogue Libarary. I had a photocopy of the document but couldn’t find it.

Pogue Library is closed on the weekends. I emailed Dieter, expecting a reply on Monday.

Much to my surprise, he emailed me back in a short time with a link to where I could find the document online. He dug around and found it in Google Books. I cited Dieter conspicuously on the acknowledgements page in my book. I might have another book in me. I will keep writing articles on history.

In any event, I look forward to Dieter’s invaluable research assistance for years to come.

Berry Craig III Former student from Mayfield, Ky.

Correction The Murray State News made in error in last week’s Our View. The Student Government Association president does not receive unlimited Flex Dollars for his position. We apologize for the misinformation.

Shots have been fired

In response to Carly Besser’s previous column titled “Time for Greeks grow up.”

Your article makes a valid point – fraternities and sororities are organizations founded on professional values – values that are often forgotten and abandoned in times of stupidity and immaturity.

However, the one thing your article lacks is proof. Unfortunately, all of your claims are unfounded without the mention of actual events and actions.

Yes, fraternity and sorority members do stupid things, but please show me the statis-

In response to Carly Besser’s previous column titled “Time for Greeks to grow up.”

As a public relations major, I have had my fair share of experience when writing news articles and editorials.

I am also non-Greek. Before going to college, I had the same stereotypical view of Greek Life.

However, after my first year at Murray State and becoming friends with many Greek members, I see now that they’re not much different from non-Greeks, and they do contribute great events to the University.

Sure, Greeks party and get into trouble, but so do non-Greeks that are a part of leadership organizations. I do agree with the above comments that this article needs more statistical proof and more evidence to support its claims. There are better ways to put your point across in an editorial than to be a

tics and facts that stupid actions are limited to only fraternity and sorority students.

Instead of pointing a finger at Greek organizations and condemning them for not fitting the mold you think they should, these organizations need to be challenged to be more and set the example as premiere values-based leadership organizations.

Logan Davis Former student and coordinator of Greek Life University of Arkansas, Fort Smith

bit snarky. The last line “Grow up,” seems a bit childish. The Murray State News is better than this. They publish great material. However, this one missed the mark.

Alissa Sommerfeldt Freshman from Owensboro, Ky. We want to hear your opinion!

Write us a letter and send it to letters@thenews.org.

EMAIL US!

I’ve Got a Story for You

Valentine: April is the coolest month April is the cruellest month, breeding Lilacs out of the dead land, mixing memory and desire, stirring dull roots with spring rain.

An excerpt of T. S. Eliot’s “The Wasteland” (1922) “I, The Burial of the Dead” I don’t know what T. S.

Robert Valentine Eliot was so upset about.

Senior lecturer of

April might not be the greatest month of the year, but I really cannot see why he was so inalterably down on it. I have a theory, though.

It may have something to do with the fact that his last name is spelled with only one “L,” and the kids at school probably gave him a hard time. The fact is that Eliot’s dad was not very well off, and he had to sell of some of the extra letters in the family name to make ends meet.

The final result is not so much of a tragedy for the younger Eliot, because before his father started pawning off the family alphabet, his full name was actually Takhomasak Sacajaweeyapocohontas Ellliothausen. That’s not widelyheld knowledge, and I’m not sure where exactly I heard it, but I think I recall it – I’m sure it’s on the Internet. In any case, it doesn’t fully explain his problem with the month of April and that is advertising

Cheers and Jeers Cheers & Je e rs i s w r i tte n by t he Op i ni o n Ed i to r.

Questions, concerns or comments should be addressed to cbesser@murraystate.edu.

Comics

the focus of this discussion.

I know what you’re probably thinking: wouldn’t it be easier to look it up, or to just take an English literature teacher to lunch? After all, libraries are full of encyclopedias and English literature teachers are required to study the poetry of Eliot in every class, with the possible exception of “Medieval Limericks and Bawdy Rhymes: an Introduction.”

But, all in all, Eliot is just wrong. April is a lovely month. The lilacs, whether from ‘dead land’ or a florist’s shop, are a treat for winter-dulled noses.

- Robert Valentine, senior lecturer of advertising So, couldn’t I look it up in a book? Well, to take an unequivocal position on the matter, I say, “yes” and “no.”

As an American, I don’t expect to have to look things up since there will probably be a PBS special on it this weekend. It may be the subject of a “shocking ‘20-20’ lead story, coming up after these important messages.” I believe that if you sit quietly in front of the TV, all of your questions will eventually be answered.

The problem is that you also get the answers to a lot of questions you never asked and never

wanted to ask.

You don’t even associate with the kinds of people who want the answers to those kinds of questions. TV is a cornucopia of answers, but you must sort through a lot of corn to get to the copia that you desire.

The other alternative is to take an English teacher to lunch. This is an equally impractical approach, because an English teacher will invariably want to talk about the last book they read.

This wouldn’t be so bad, except that they will also tell you how it should have been written and how they would have written it if they didn’t have to go to so many faculty meetings and grade so many horrible essays from their students. They blame the parents. So do I. Thus, in the tradition of “American Manhood,” I choose to figure it out for myself. American men seem to prefer this pioneer-like approach, even when the instructions are right there in the box or the plumber is only a phone call away. A hammer usually helps. Frankly, it is hard to see Eliot’s point. April might be called “cruel” because one warm day can easily by followed by a cold rain.

Pleasant weather can cruelly tempt the prisoners of a classroom to truancy, and April bears that most wretched of days: April 15. But, all in all, Eliot is just wrong. April is a lovely month. The lilacs, whether from “dead land” or a florist’s shop, are a treat for winter-dulled noses.

“Memory and desire” may stir “dull roots with spring rain,” but new memories are always made during pleasant afternoons and warm, everlengthening evenings.

Besides, if April comes, can commencement be far behind?

Cheers to ... The performers of All-Campus Sing 2014.

We appreciate all those who participated for giving us a good show and for hours of practice. We were designing the paper, but we heard you all from the newsroom and you sounded great.

Jeers to ... The low SGA election turnout.

Of the 9,973 students eligible to vote in SGA elections this year, only 889 hit the polls. That’s approximately 9 percent, which is pretty low. The students who worked hard on their campaigns deserve a better response from us.

Jeers to ... Lake-sized puddles.

It is guaranteed that every time it rains, campus will be flooded. Small puddles are understandable, but wading to class through the quad gets more annoying every time we do it. Let’s get this problem fixed.

Cheers to ... Understanding professors.

Because they were once students, some professors are lenient when dead week comes around by extending deadlines. It makes a huge difference. We promise your kindness is not taken for granted.

Opinion (n)A view or judgment formed about something, not necessarily a fact.

When I became the Opinion Editor of The Murray State News, one Carly Besser of the questions Opinion Editor asked at my interview was whether or not I could handle the criticism that would come with publishing unpopular opinions. My answer was yes, and here I am.

I have editorialized on issues where I knew my stance was in the minority and I would receive critical feedback.

Knowing I was putting myself in the hot seat, I took this job with a layer of thick skin.

While I don’t mind sitting back and reading Facebook comments about how people disagree with my positions and why, it does bother me when people say that columns are poorly written simply because they disagree.

I have been in debates with my roommates and friends on controversial topics.

As much as I disagree with what they have to say sometimes, I’ll always accept their right to have an opinion that is separate from my own. Their opinions are not wrong – just different. By the end of the night, we still hang out together, live together and, for the most part, get along.

This concept of viewpoint acceptance is why civilized people who debate on hot-button topics bite their tongues before calling their opponent an “idiot” or something more colorful. I’m sure you don’t need an example.

The people take these debates personally usually destroy their relationships. They will likely go to bed angry. Who likes doing that?

Should my journalistic integrity be questioned because I wrote something that most of you disagreed with? No. Am I an embarrassment to the journalism department at Murray State? My teachers and coworkers don’t think so (at least I hope not. I’ll have to ask them. I’ll get back to you on that soon).

One thing I often tell my columnists is that they can voice their support for the most radical opinions they have. As long as they have valid reasons and support for their opinions, they have that right.

Zac Garrison wrote a column two weeks ago about how people with depression and ADHD are overmedicated to the point that they are dependent on pills. For the overwhelming support he received, he was also subjected to harsh online comments and hate mail. People said he was a bad writer and that he was illiterate simply because they disagreed with him.

Thankfully, he wasn’t discouraged and he continues to write material that I am proud of publishing for the community at Murray State.

This is me asking you, as readers, to meet us halfway. If you disagree with what we write, tell us why in an educated manner. The name-calling destroys the validity of your viewpoint, and I hate to burst your bubble, but it doesn’t hurt our feelings.

I am thankful every week for the people who disagree with my columns, but they explain why in a way that doesn’t dilute their position. Those are the people that make my job interesting and worthwhile. cbesser@murraystate.edu

Bon Appetit

By Katie Wilborn

The News

News

6A

April 18, 2014

Sorority holds Teeter for Tots event Alpha Sigma Alpha’s philanthropy has another successful year Lori Allen || Staff writer

Smith Center,” Acquisto said.

This year’s Teeter for Tots raised $2,324.45.

Best Buddies, a group that pairs college students with people with intellectual and developmental needs, also attended the event.

The S. June Smith Center and Best Buddies hold special places in the hearts of many ASA members, said Maggie Wolff, sophomore from Edwardsville, Ill. “I saw somebody with a Best Buddy and it reminded me how much I love Special Olympics,” Wolff said.

ASA members say they were out there for the charity, but they are out there having fun, too, said Jordan Maberry, freshman from Alton, Ill. “This is my first one,” Maberry said. “I love it out here; it’s fun!”

lallen21@murraystate.edu

Dr. Seuss, teeter-totters, hula-hoops, snow cones and barbecue were all present on campus Friday for Alpha Sigma Alpha's spring philanthropic event, Teeter for Tots.

Held in front of the Carr Health Building, the 24-hour event began Friday at 8 a.m.

ASA had three large teeter-totters going constantly in two-hour shifts for the entire 24-hour period.

The teetering, along with games, barbecue lunches, snow cones, baked goods and a tater tot eating contest were done to raise money for the S. June Smith Center, an organization that provides therapeutic and educational services for children with developmental needs.

Teeter for Tots is an annual event for Murray State’s Beta Nu chapter of ASA and has a different theme each year.

This year’s theme was Dr. Seuss and was celebrated in a variety of ways.

A large wooden Cat in the Hat with a cutout face to pose for pictures behind, games including Horton's Hula Hoop Contest, “All the places you will throw” water balloon toss, a “One Fish Two Fish” fishing game and a Dr. Seuss hat stacking competition were all a part of the theme.

Lori Allen/The News

Members of Alpha Sigma Alpha spent last Friday teetering for 24 hours to raise money for their philanthropy, the S. June Smith Center.

ASA invited other sororities and fraternities to compete during Friday afternoon and included other groups as well.

“We love the Greeks but we like to reach out to everyone,” said one of Christine Ac-

quisto, philanthropies chairman.

Despite the rain, Acquisto said the sorority considers the event a success.

“Everything went really well and we are excited to give our donations to the S. June

Correction The Murray State News made an error in last week’s photo of Wesley Bolin. He is not the official Democratic candidate. Also, the event was April 5, not April 7.

Fair Kentucky event honors allies, speaks to students Lori Allen || Staff writer lallen21@murraystate.edu

The annual Celebrate and Support a Fair Kentucky event was held Saturday night in Murray. This was the eighth year for the event Jody Cofer Randall, LGBT program coordinator, said much has been happening on campus and in the city of Murray.

“We are changing our lives and our students’ lives,” Cofer Randall said. “We have administration support and that is critical.”

One of the highlights of the evening was the announcement of this year’s recipient of the Jane Etheridge Ally of the Year award.

Leon Bodevin, associate professor of Spanish and college head of Richmond Residential College received the award.

Cofer Randall said Bodevin is a student-focused faculty member who works hard to com-

bat hate.

Announced at the event were the newly elected 2014-15 Alliance officers.

They include Marketing Officer Sam Green, Secretary Emily Oliver, Treasurer Robert Scott, Vice President Jo Bennett and President Morgan Randall.

The event once again reached its fundraising goal, raising more than $5,000.

Cofer Randall said that the goal may need to be raised next year, but that a larger venue would need to be arranged in order for that to happen, a problem he looks forward to solving.

“I was very pleased with our two special guests,” Cofer Randall said. “I knew that they would bring a certain perspective and expertise to the program and they did that. I saw throughout the evening a lot of people were engaging them in conversations.”

He said it was another successful event for LGBT programming and the community.

Lori Allen/The News

From left to right: Jo Bennett, marketing officer: Steven Shupe, president, Leon Bodevin, associate professor of Spanish and Richmond Residential College head; Morgan Randall, vice president, and Emily Oliver, secretary.

The News

News

April 18, 2014

7A

Pogue offers hidden resources Amanda Grau || Staff writer

University Archives contain official and unofficial records of the history of Murray State. According to Pogue’s website the archives “aim to support research, teaching and public awareness of the rich heritage of Murray State for students and researchers.”

Finally, the James O. Overby Law Library is housed in Pogue.

This library has basic legal materials such as codes, statutes, reports, citations and regulations.

For some students though, misconceptions and a lack of knowledge about the library steer them away from Pogue’s doors.

Corey Fisher, a sophomore from Memphis, Tenn., said he thought students had to hand over IDs at the door.

While there is a sign-in sheet, and students must show their IDs, they are not held at the desk. Hamontree said the sign-in sheet is so Pogue has a record of who came when because of the high quality of books housed there.

“We have books here that can never be replaced, like a Jesse Stewart Collection,” Hamontree said. “It has a collection of manuscripts from Jesse Stewart himself. It’s irreplaceable.”

Hamontree said books are almost never taken from the library.

Keeping a record is just a preventative measure.

“I’ve never had a reason to go to Pogue before,” Fisher said. “It never even crosses my mind to go there.”

Pogue Library is open Mondays and Fridays from 8:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m.

agrau1@murraystate.edu

Rebecca Walter || News Editor rwalter@murraystate.edu

Located in the heart of the Quad, Pogue Library offers a place to study along with a variety of resources that may be unknown to students.

Special Collections, a law library and University Archives are housed in Pogue and can be used as a resource for students and those in the community.

LaDonna Hamontree, a Pogue Library assistant, asserts that while the number of visitors to Pogue is relatively small, the library is in no more danger of shutting its doors than Waterfield and still sees many students.

“The numbers are growing each year. It is just a matter of getting the word out about the benefits of Pogue,” she said.

“We have a quiet place to study here, with couches to get comfortable, and especially on days like this (hot and humid), it’s a lot cooler in here than in Waterfield,” Hamontree said.

In addition to a quieter atmosphere and couches to study on, Pogue also has laptops for checkout like Waterfield. Still, most students head into Waterfield to study.

According to the Library Statistics Reports, the number of students coming in and out of Waterfield has nearly doubled in the last four years, bringing the number from around 300,000 visitors per year to nearly 600,000 visitors.

While the number of students going to

Lori Allen/The News

Pogue Library offers a variety of resources which may be unknown to some students.

Pogue has increased steadily as well, it has been on a significantly smaller scale. According to the LSR, the number of visitors to Waterfield consistently nears 15 times the number of visitors who go to Pogue.

While Waterfield shot toward 600,000, Pogue grasped for 30,000 for the 2011-12 cal-

endar year.

One of the resources available in Pogue is the Special Collections.

According to Pogue’s website, these collections contain county histories, published and printed regional information and items that are unique to Pogue.

Students gain real world experience Minimum wage bill stirs debate, confusion Rebecca Walter || News Editor rwalter@murraystate.edu

When junior Brea Shumake did an internship over Winter Break, she said she finally was able to put the knowledge she gained in the classroom to use.

Shumake, from Louisville, Ky., worked in the advertising section of a newspaper in a small town in Connecticut.

She said her internship helped guide her to the career path she wants to take and opened more opportunities to her in the future.

Many college students are encouraged to pursue internships as a way to gain hands-on experience for their future careers.

Bellarmine Ezumah, assistant professor of journalism and mass communications, said internships provide students with networking opportunities, a chance to get their foot in the door and the possibility of college credit. “(Students) are able to put into practice what they are learning in

the classroom and able to gain full knowledge in their field,” she said.

Internships can also have a large impact on whether or not students receive a job after graduation and are one of the main things employers look for, Ezumah said.

According to the National Association of Colleges and Employers, research has shown a strong and positive relationship between internships and the increased probability of Ezumah finding a job after graduation.

Ezumah said there is no pay, but that unpaid internship still offer the same professional experiences as many paid internships and can be worth it to students.

She said when she asks students if they have had an internship, she is amazed at the number of stu-

dents who answer no, especially those at a junior and senior level.

According to The Bureau of Labor Statistics, the rate of unemployment for college students ages 20-24 last year was 10.8 percent. For those with a bachelor’s degree, 10.6 percent were unemployed. Those with a master’s degree faced a 17.2 percent unemployment rate.

In 2013, the National Association of College and Employers studied 9,2000 college seniors from February to April.

The study found that 63.1 percent of those with internship experience were graduating with a job offer, while only 35.2 percent of those with no internship received an offer.

Ezumah said internships are the main way to show employers a student is qualified for the job.

“Internships are like icing on the cake for (a student’s) college degree,” Ezumah said. “(Internships) are proof that (students) can hit the ground running and put their knowledge to good use.”

Lori Allen/The News

The Red Bus Project, a mobile thrift store, visited campus April 11th. All proceeds go to helping orphans worldwide.

W

! ?

F#Senioritis!

Ben Manhanke || Staff writer bmanhanke@murraystate.edu

Raising minimum wage is a controversial topic that has been in and out of the news for the past year since the introduction of the Fair Minimum Wage Act. The act, if passed, would raise the federal minimum wage from $7.25 to $10.10.

According to the White House’s findings, an increase of the minimum wage to $10.10 would benefit approximately 28 million Americans of which only 12 percent would be under the age of 20, those usually stereotyped as making up the majority of minimum-wage employees.

Opponents of the Fair Minimum Wage Act argue that raising the minimum wage would cause the loss of jobs due to companies being unable to support higher paid employees, between 500,000 and one million according to the Congressional Budget Office’s report, and that the money will not reach those in poverty-those who need the pay raise most.

Despite disputing numbers on both sides of the debate, one can agree that raising minimum wage will have widespread effects, not just on those making minimum wage or less.

David Eaton, chair of the department of economics, said the effects of raising the minimum wage, either positive or negative, will be a multitude of small impacts.

“In most situations like this, the doom-and-gloom that most people won’t be able to find a job is overrated and so is saying if we raise the minimum wage these people will have extra money and be the engine for growth,” Eaton said. “The tinkering is going to be around the margins.”

Of these impacts he said the

largest and most apparent will be in business’ ability and desire to hire more employees, especially collegeage students and younger who will come into the work force with less experience than their competition.

Eaton said the key to understanding the economic impact of raising the minimum wage is that every dollar that goes into somebody’s pocket has to come out of somebody else’s.

Someone has to bear the cost of the approximate $3 raise, he said, be that the consumers, the input suppliers or the sellers of the product.

Currently, 19 states already have a mandated minimum wage above the federal minimum, Minnesota became the newest state to raise its minimum wage Monday from $6.15 an hour to $9.50 over the course of the next two years.

In Kentucky, approximately 500,000 are currently being paid the federal minimum wage.

Justin Parish, freshman from Murray, said he is in support of raising the minimum wage.

He said if the minimum wage was raised it would increase the quality of life for the employees the ones who actually make up and run the company.

Parish said employees who work for bigger companies, not small start-ups and mom-and-pop companies, should have to pay their workers a higher minimum wage than these smaller businesses depending on their net income.

“Right now, with the current minimum wage, there’s not really enough money to live on, to get a decent house and to raise a family in,” Parish said. “If the bigger parent companies trickle down more money, if they did that and made just a little bit less money, the quality of living will be better in America.”

f.

• All rooms have refrigerator and microwave.

• Rated 100% by Dept. of Public Health.

• Owned and operated by an MSU graduate.

• The only 100% non-smoking and pet-free hotel/motel in town.

RA MU TED #1 • Free Wifi.

R O

RAY HO F 9 TRIP ON TELS ADV ISO R!

506 S. 12th St. (US 641) Murray, KY 42071 270-753-2682 Online reservations: murrayplazalodge.com Email: mpl@murrayplazalodge.com

10% OFF for MSU members including parents, alumni & visitors

1203 Chestnut C St. (270) 761-7788 Beer, B eer, Gifts, G Wine, Supplies, Liquor & Novelties!

MON - WED: 9 A A.M. TTO O 9 P.M. P.M. .

THUR - SAT: SA AT: 9 A.M. TTO O 11 P P.M. .M. .

THE NEWS .ORG

8A

The News

News

April 18, 2014

Fumi Nakamura/The News

Zac Willis, senior from Clinton, Ky., proposed to his long-time girlfriend Tori Harper, junior from Martin, Tenn., at All-Campus Sing Wednesday.

love SING From Page 1 Best choreography was awarded to Sigma Sigma Sigma and Best Costume was awarded to Alpha Gamma Delta.

Alpha Gam also received the Spirit Award, which was based on the penny wars, T-shirt sales and the instrument drive held before the event. They were also the overall winners of All-Campus Sing.

However, the Director’s Choice award recipient went to fraternity Pi Kappa Alpha, who gave a memorable performance when director Zac Willis proposed to Tori Harper during the number.

The crowd roared as the song “Marry Me” began to play through the speakers and Pike sang.

“I loved all the performances,” said Jake Clark, freshman from Paducah, Ky. “But I felt Pike’s performance was really creative and surprising with a proposal at the end of the number.”

Though most were surprised by the proposal, other students were surprised by their first experience with the longstanding tradition.

From the variety of themes and wide range of musical choices, the show impressed Amber Upton, freshman from Paris, Tenn.

“I loved the show,” Upton said. “The performances were great. There were great songs and great choreography. This is my first year at All-Campus Sing, and now I definitely want to be involved next year.”

Photos by Jenny Rohl/The News

Students from independent organizations, residential colleges, sororities and fraternities participated in Wednesday’s All-Campus Sing.

April 18, 2014

7

The News

# of consecutive wins

by Racer softball team (second-longest streak in program history)

Sports

Sports Editor: Mallory Tucker Phone: 270-809-4481 Twitter: MSUSportsNews

Tennis clinches OVC regular season title Tom Via || Staff writer tvia@murraystate.edu

Lori Allen/The News

Freshman Verginie Tchakarova plays against Belmont at the Bennie Purcell Tennis Courts.

A pair of victories against Southeast Missouri State and UT Martin earned women’s tennis its first OVC regular season championship in more than a decade.

With the victories, Murray State earned the top seed in this weekend’s OVC Tournament in Paducah, Ky., and Head Coach Olga Elkin was proud of the way her team to played with the championship a match away.

"We knew what was on the line and didn't let the pressure change the way we played,” Elkin said. “We try not to talk about outcomes to not put any pressure on anyone.”

The pressure was two victories by the Racers to be the top seed and earn a share of the title with Eastern Kentucky who the Racers beat two weeks ago.

After defeating Southeast Missouri

State 6-1 on Saturday, the Racers took on UT Martin with the championship on the line.

The Racers got off to a slow start as No. 1 doubles freshmen duo of Eleonore and Verginie Tchakarova lost 8-4. With the loss, Murray State needed both remaining teams to overcome deficits to take the doubles point.

On court three, senior Carla Suga and sophomore Megan Blue were tied 8-8 and headed for tiebreakers.

“We knew that (UT Martin) was a really good doubles team and we saw that the twins lost so we knew it was on us,” Suga said.

With the first point of the match on the line, Suga and Blue dominated the final game with a 7-2 victory in the tiebreakers.

Suga credited the team’s practice

see CLINCH, 2B

’Breds get aggressive in road victory Nick Dolan || Staff writer ndolan@murraystate.edu

The ’Breds are not often mistaken for an aggressive team.

They stand in eighth among all OVC teams in stolen bases with 24 on the season.

However, Wednesday's performance had sophomore Taylor Mathews looking for words.

“It was actually a surprise for us to be aggressive like this,” he said.

“We just wanted to be aggressive today and we were. We had three (steals) today.”

Murray State (16-18, 9-11 OVC) beat the visiting Evansville Purple Aces 11-6 in the teams’ first of two meetings this season.

Mathews swiped two of the team’s three bags, junior Anthony Bayus added a steal of his own and two more runners were thrown out trying for second.

Head Coach Rob McDonald called for a couple hit and runs as well, but the team was only successful on one attempt.

Even though the ’Breds skipper signaled for more activity in Tuesday's contest, he chalked it up to just taking advantage of the situation they are given.

“I don't know (if we were trying to be more aggressive), the guys were playing hard and when the opportunities present themselves you always try to stay aggressive and the guys did a good job,” McDonald said. “We got some big hits, we were able to run the bases some and our pitching was pretty good.”

The ’Breds offense started hot and stayed hot with freshman Tyler Lawrence coming through early in the game.

Lawrence singled home senior Ty Stetson in the first inning after Stetson singled and advanced to third two batters later.

In the third Lawrence doubled to advance junior Kollin Dowdy who reached on catcher's interference.

Dowdy and Lawrence were brought home by junior Matt McGown's double to right center.

Then, Dowdy doubled home Bayus and Mathews in the fourth to stretch the 'Breds' lead to 5-0.

Murray State sophomore Andrew Bramley held the Purple Aces scoreless through four innings before being relieved by Tyler Saltsman with two men on and two outs in the fifth inning.

see AGGRESSIVE, 2B

Section B

Fumi Nakamura/The News

SPRING SCRIMMAGE: Football finishes spring season with a final scrimmage. The team looks to its younger players to adjust for loss of seniors in the fall. See 2B for full story.

From the Sidelines

Allow me to introduce myself I’ve loved to write since I was in elementary school.

In fourth grade, my teacher entered a few of my pieces into a regional writing contest, and I began winning Mallory awards for poetry Tucker and fiction.

Sports Editor I never thought writing was difficult, and looking back, winning awards on a fourth, fifth and sixth grade level probably wasn’t that great of an accomplishment.

The biggest effect of these experiences didn’t come from the awards I won, but from the words of the people around me.

“You should be a writer when you grow up.”

I never thought twice about these comments from people.

Writing never seemed like a realistic job to me.

Writing was fun.

I was going to be a veterinarian, and I knew it from the time I was 5 years old.

When I got accepted into Mizzou’s pre-veterinary scholars program my senior year of high school, all my dreams were finally being realized.

Flash-forward a year later and I’m at a completely different school in a completely different state with a completely different major.

And I couldn’t be any happier. I’m actually getting paid to write. Something that I’ve always considered a hobby is now a job.

When I applied to The News last semester, I wanted to sell ads.

Somehow Ryan Richardson – my former editor – got his hands on my application and asked if I wanted to write for the sports section.

I can’t really think of two things that I’d like to combine and make a career of more than athletics and writing, so of course I took him up on his offer.

I couldn’t have asked for a better editor at my first real writing gig than Ryan.

He answered all of my annoying questions, he put up with my rushed and erroneous stories and he never insulted my writing, even when I knew it was subpar.

Working for The News as a writer has already taught me so much. It’s introduced me to new sports, new people and new experiences.

I’ve gained so much respect for people on all ends of the sports media spectrum.

Producing a sports section requires a combined effort from so many sides. The athletes, coaches, sports information directors, editors and all of the writers must cooperate to produce the expected stories, whether this effort is recognized or not.

I can hardly contain my excitement to start this new chapter as editor. I look forward to finishing out what’s been a great year and starting it all over in the fall.

Track shows consistency at WKU Jonathan Ferris Staff writer jferris2@murraystate.edu

After several consecutive weekends of poor weather, the women’s track team took advantage of sunny skies Saturday at the Hilltopper Relays hosted

by Western Kentucky.

“We had some really bright spots,” Head Coach Jenny Severns said. “We had some consistent performances. We had some people PR, but we had a lot of people perform consistently the way they have been all year. That was good. We definitely need to see that consistency with the team.”

Junior Tonia Pratt continued her season of dominance in the hammer throw and shot put

events, taking home a pair of top five finishes, including first place in the hammer throw with a mark of 183 feet, 11 inches.

A large number of underclassmen also stepped up for the Racers.

Freshman Victoria Yocum posted personal bests in each of her two events.

The Bardstown, Ky., native made her debut in the 400meter dash, earning a fourth place finish with a time of 57.64 seconds.

Yocum also competed in the 200-meter dash and took home a 14th place finish with a time of 25.12.

Sophomore Hannah McAllister joined added some impressive performances of her own, finishing two spots

ahead of Yocum in 12th place in the 200-meter.

McAllister also posted a personal best in the 100 meter dash, with a time of 12.00 seconds – earning a fourth place finish.

Sophomore Emma Gilmore earned a second-place finish in the 800 meter with a time of 2:15.34.

Severns said she was pleased with the performances of some of the team’s younger members, but that she did not see it as a surprise.

“I wouldn’t say it’s surprising,” Severns said. “We see (the underclassmen) every day so we know that it’s coming. It’s good though.

We definitely need it. They’re Jenny Rohl/The News

see CONSISTENT, 2B

Sophomore Kiara Austin jumps hurdles at practice.

WHAT’S

RACER SCRIMMAGE

WINNING STREAK

TERRAPIN-STATION

THEATER PRESENTS

INSIDE

Football wraps up its spring season, 3B

Softball earns three wins at Austin Peay State, 4B

Local record store talks business, deals, 5B

Department prepares for controversial play, 6B

The News

Sports

2B

CLINCH

AGGRESSIVE

From Page 1

From Page 1

routine for the added confidence when the match was tight.

“Coach Elkin has us playing tiebreakers in practice and it has become second nature for us,” Suga said.

With the teams tied at one, the final doubles match went to a tiebreaker as well.

Junior Andrea Eskauriatza and sophomore Erin Patton, who had not lost a doubles match in conference play, weren’t nervous.

“It was a tough doubles match but it came to the tiebreaker - I was very confident,” Eskauriatza said.

Once again the Racers dominated in the extra points and won 7-1 to take the match and the valuable doubles point.

“It was really exciting because we knew it was a must-win match so we could be undefeated and win the doubles point,” Patton said. “The momentum of the doubles really carried over into my singles match because the whole team was fired up.”

With the doubles point on their side, the Racers looked to take the championship quickly. After Eskauriatza won 6-0, 6-1 at the No. 1 draw, she was joined by Eleonore Tchakarova who won 6-4, 6-1.

Just one victory away from the title, the focus shifted to Patton at the No. 6 draw. After taking the first set 6-2, Patton battled in the second set.

After falling behind 3-2 in set, Patton recom-posed herself to take next three games.

Serving for the championship, Patton was able to force an error by her opponent bring the Racers the title.

“It is really exciting to know that I won the championship with my match,” Patton said.

“What makes it even better was knowing that it got us the bye into the semifinals.”

The win for Patton came at the right time for Racers, as she had lost three consecutive matches.

With the championship point on her side, Patton believes the win will help her this weekend.

Said Patton: “I haven’t been playing so well in the my last few matches so getting this win gives me the confidence I need for the tournament.”

Saltsman allowed Bramley’s runners to score before inducing an inning-ending pop out.

“It was nice that we got out to a little bit of a lead,” McDonald said. “Then, what I was especially happy about was that we got out to a lead and then we kept adding to it and that was good, that was big.

“I think that means a lot for our team’s mentality to continue to add on and to be able to do that.”

And the offense certainly did not stop there for the ’Breds.

Bayus scored on Lawrence’s second RBI single of the game, with two outs in the home half of the fifth.

Junior Derek Yoder ripped an RBI double down the third baseline to score McGown in what would be Murray State’s biggest offensive inning.

Yoder and Luke Daugherty came across after a Mathews double and Mathews scored off a Bayus groundout before Dowdy ended the inning with a fly out.

Daugherty made sure to add his own RBI hit in the eighth inning, plating McGown from first base with a deep shot down the right field line.

The Purple Aces were able to trim the deficit, scoring four runs in the ninth but freshman John Lollar shut the door on any comeback attempt.

After last week’s close game with No. 10 Ole Miss, Mathews said the team is confident heading into its Ohio State series April 18-20.

“We’re pretty pumped,” he said. “It’s going to be exciting and hopefully we’ll get some good wins and jump back next weekend into our conference games.”

Sports shorts News in less than a minute Two to transfer from basketball program Staff Report Men’s basketball Head Coach Steve Prohm announced Monday that sophomore guard C.J. Ford and sophomore forward Zay Henderson will transfer out of the Murray State basketball program.

“I wish them the best,” Prohm said. “C.J. and Zay are each outstanding individuals and I hope they have success in the rest of their college careers. I appreciate their efforts in our program the last two years.”

Both players are transferring in hopes of finding more playing time elsewhere, leaving Coach Prohm with three scholarships available for next season. One was filled Wednesday with the signing of Wayne Langston, a 6-foot-7-inch forward transferring from McLennan Community College in Waco, Texas.

Langston was one of only 10 players to be named AllAmerican by the National Junior College Athletic Association in the 2013-14 season, averaging 10.8 points and 7.5 rebounds per game.

Miller leaves football team after one year Staff Report

Lori Allen/The News

Junior left-handed pitcher Brock Downey faces Eastern Illinois.

CONSISTENT From Page 1 emerging as leaders of this team in the future.”

Sydney Potts and Kiara Austin joined Pratt with successes of their own in the field events.

Potts earned a second-place finish in the javelin throw with a mark of 41.39 meters.

Austin set a personal best mark of 5.33 meters in the long jump and earned a 14th place finish.

“So far I’ve been pretty satisfied with how my outdoor season is going,” Austin said. “As long as I can stay consistent and improve that much more in the long haul to improve the team, I’m fine with that.”

The Racers now prepare to head to Columbus, Ohio this weekend for the Jesse Owens Classic,

THANK YOU

FOR YOUR BUSINESS AND YOUR LOYALTY TO OUR SERVICE DEPARTMENT Bill Blackburn Service Manager

April 18, 2014

hosted by Ohio State University.

“This weekend is just a good opportunity to see some really great competition,” Severns said.

“It’s fun to go to meets like these because you see people really step up and do big things just because everyone is doing so well around them.”

After this weekend, the Racers have just one more meet before their season culminates at the OVC Outdoor Championships, May 2 and 3 in Edwardsville, Ill. Severns, however, said she isn’t looking too far in the future.

“The biggest thing for us is just continuing what we’ve been doing all year,” she said. “We need to continue making little jumps here and there because at the end of the year those add up big.”

The Jesse Owens Classic begins today at 4:30 p.m. in Columbus, Ohio.

Football Head Coach Chris Hatcher announced April 11 that sophomore quarterback Maikhail Miller has left the team for personal reasons.

The transfer from the University of Mississippi was named to the OVC All-Newcomer team during his first season at Murray State. He was second in the OVC in passing yards, touchdown passes and completion percentage.

Senior C.J. Bennett and sophomore KD Humphries will be competing for the quarterback position, with junior Parks Frazier still in the mix, according to Coach Hatcher.

Powell attends private workout with Falcons Staff Report Former Racer Walter Powell worked out privately with the Atlanta Falcons on April 10.

Last season, the wide receiver caught 66 passes for 837 yards and 13 touchdowns, averaging 31.5 yards per return, with one touchdown return.

At the NFL combine earlier this year, Powell ran the 40-yard dash in 4.63 seconds and bench pressed 10 reps of 225 pounds. His vertical leap was 31.5 inches with a 10-foot broad jump.

The News

Sports

April 18, 2014

3B

Men ready for tournament Women’s golf wins, draws in matches

Peter Northcutt || Staff writer pnorthcutt@murraystate.edu

The Murray State men’s golf team finished in seventh place out of 14 teams at the Tennessee State Big Blue Intercollegiate at the President’s Reserve Course at the Hermitage Golf Course in Nashville, Tenn. The tournament, which took place Monday and Tuesday, capped off the regular season for the Racers.

After the first 36 holes, Murray State held steady at sixth place, turning in scores of 294+292=586. The Racers slipped up in the third round Tuesday morning but only fell to seventh place, finishing with a round score of 307 for a total score of 893.

Head Coach Eddie Hunt was positive when commenting on his team’s performance this weekend. “I was pleased for the most part,� Hunt said. “We could have played better but you can always say that I feel like.�

The Racers’ top-five finishers were all within six shots of one another at the end of the third round. Hunt said that consistency is one of the team’s main strengths heading into the OVC Tournament next week. “We have been playing much more consistent,� Hunt said. “All five players contributed to our score. There’s not a whole lot of difference between our No. 1 player and our No. 5 player. If we can keep getting good performances from everybody I think that’s really going to help our team.�

Sophomore Jared Gosser turned in the lowest total score for the Racers as he shot 221 for the tournament, taking 16th place overall. Junior Jordan Smith was close behind, taking 18th place with a score of 222.

Preston French, Daniel Harper and Matt Zakutney rounded out the team scores, placing 27th, 38th and 54th, respectively. In individual play, sophomore Duncan McCormick found himself in 31st place while T.J. Ferry finished in 36th. “One thing that has really been different this year than in past years is that we are very young and inexperienced,� Hunt said. “As a golf team, those are two things that are hard to overcome sometimes, but they’ve all worked really hard.�

Mallory Tucker || Sports Editor mtucker11@murraystate.edu

Jenny Rohl/The News

Sophomore Jared Gosser follows through on his swing at a practice earlier this week.

With the OVC Tournament only a week away, Hunt is looking to his underclassmen to perform when the lights are shining brightest. “We just have a couple of kids who played in the OVC Tournament last year so they have some experience but we have at least three that’s never played in the OVC,� Hunt said. “We’re just trying to get acclimated to the conditions and it’s a little more pressure.�

The importance of the OVC Tournament is not lost on Hunt, who has coached the Racers for 12 years.

“At our level the OVC Tournament is just so important because if you win that you get to go on to the next level,� Hunt said. “Austin Peay and Jacksonville State have been playing well all season but after that I think it’s really wide open among the rest of the teams. As long as we can get a good score in the first round and get in the mix I think that will really help us as the tournament goes along.�

The OVC Tournament will kick off April 25th at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail in Mobile, Ala.

Racers end spring season Staff Report The Racers held their last football scrimmage of the spring Saturday, running more than 30 plays with multiple quarterbacks.

Redshirt sophomore KD Humphries and senior CJ Bennett will battle for the position of quarterback, with senior Parks Frazier in the mix while he recovers from an injury.

The Racers’ defense looks to find strength in its linebackers, with five players returning with at least 25 tackles last season.

The hole left by All-American and allFumi Nakamura/The News time leader in receiving yards and touchJunior wide receiver Paul Rice catches a pass at Saturday’s downs Walter Powell will be filled by one of five players who caught at least 23 passes scrimmage.

Tracy D. McKinney, CIC Steven S. Dabbs, CIC

#5..) .$ ' ( !

- X W R

5 H S D L U -ONDA Y

& R I DA Y

A

M

P M

3

T H 3 T

-UR R A Y

9 R W H G

&D O O R Z D \ ¡ V

)D Y R U L W H

$X W R

5H S D L U

\ H D U V

L Q

D

5R Z

Boots & Hats, Western & Designer Apparel, Jewelry, Home & Yard Decor, Tack, Rodeo Equipment

705 Main St. Hwy 641 Like Us on Facebook Check for TNT Arena Events listed on Facebook All MSU Students will receive a 10% discount (excluding sale items)

(270) 753 753-5500 -5500

Nationwide 1-800-626-3302

Key Auto P Parts arts

6WDWH 5RXWH 6RXWK 0XUUD\ .< 0XUUD\ .< .<

&RPSOHWH (QJLQHV Â&#x2021; 7UDQVPLVVLRQV Â&#x2021; 5HDU (QGV &RPSOHWH (QJLQHV Â&#x2021; 7UDQVPLVVLRQV Â&#x2021; 5HDU (QGV 6WDUWHUV Â&#x2021; $OWHUQDWRUV Â&#x2021; 'RRUV Â&#x2021; :KHHO &RYHUV 6WDUWHUV Â&#x2021; $OWHUQDWRUV Â&#x2021; 'RRUV Â&#x2021; :KHHO &RYHUV 5DGLRV Â&#x2021; :KHHOV Â&#x2021; $XWR $FFHVVRULHV 5DGLRV Â&#x2021; :KHHOV Â&#x2021; $XWR $FFHVVRULHV

last season or from the addition of incomers Jordon Gandy and DeQavius Walker.

As for running backs, the team will fill the voids left by Jaamal Berry and Duane Brady by means of friendly competition. Junior Pokey Harris, who spent last season at wide receiver, will make the move to running back as he did his freshman year. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been real pleased with our want to and our ability to pick things up,â&#x20AC;? Head Coach Chris Hatcher said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We got a lot of new players, a lot of guys who red-shirted, a few transfers who came in at the midterm, so our practices have been a little slower than I would like for them to at times, but all in all itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s been a good spring up to this point.â&#x20AC;?

Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s golf finished its regular season over the weekend with a tri-match victory over OVC competitors Belmont and Austin Peay State and a draw versus Southern Illinois.

On Saturday, the Racers faced the Bruins and Governors at the Highlands Golf Course in Huntsville, Ala. Senior Delaney Howson led the team with a low score of 76 to win the sixth medalist honor of her career. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I did all right in Alabama,â&#x20AC;? Howson said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t the best, but it was OK for the wind and just playing a new course in general. The course was pretty tough, so it was definitely a learning experience. I didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t play very well in the front nine, so I mean it could have been better. But obviously itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s always nice to win.â&#x20AC;?

After one 18-hole round, the Racers overall team score was 319, bettering Belmont and Austin Peayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s respective scores of 326 and 333.

Freshmen Sydney Trimble and Jacklyn Van Meter tied for third place with a score of 80. Sophomores Abbi Stamper and Sophie Hillier placed eighth and 10th, respectively. Freshman Minta Yin placed 16th in individual play with a score of 91. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The greens were a lot different than weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re used to,â&#x20AC;? Howson said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re really firm, so the ball wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t holding as much, and theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re really big, so if you put it on the wrong spot in the green you had the potential to three putt. But overall I think we did pretty well. It was a good experience to play a trail course and get in some good practice before heading to Alabama again next week.â&#x20AC;?

Scheduling multiple matches on courses similar to the OVC Championship venue in order to get experience for the upcoming tournament, the Racers had a quick turnaround over the weekend.

They traveled to Cape Girardeau, Mo., Sunday for their dual-match against SIU at Dalhousie Golf Course. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I feel like we definitely live out of our suitcase more than in our dorm,â&#x20AC;? Trimble said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re always traveling.â&#x20AC;?

The Racers arrived in Missouri to find a windy, rainy day on the course.

The inclimate weather didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t phase Van Meter, who led the Racers with a score of 78 to place second in the match. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It all comes down to patience,â&#x20AC;? Van Meter said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;If Velvet really pushes us to do anything, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s to always have patience. Those bad conditions that we played in, 45 mph wind and rain, you have to have patience in that. I think I did that really well. I had fun and it was just great.â&#x20AC;?

Teammates Howson and Yin both carded scores of 80 to tie for third place. Trimble placed sixth and Stamper placed eighth while Hillier and Junior Gina Nuzzo carded respective rounds of 86 and 87 in individual play.

The dual match against SIU was the last of regular season play for the Racers as they prepare for the OVC Championship, set to take place Monday through Wednesday at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail at the Shoals in Muscle Shoals, Ala.

Curtis J. Bucy, Agent Shelly Caldwell, CSR

AUTO - HOME - FARM - BUSINESS - LIFE MOTORCYCLE - BOAT 270.753.3500

100 NORTH 5TH STREET MURRAY

M ur r ay An imal Ho spi tal 1601 College Farm Road Murray, KY 42071 270-753-2088

TERRY D. CANERDY, D.V.M. M I C H E L L E D. W ES TE R F EL D Small animal veterinary care, surgery, dentistry, exotic pets and boarding.

Present your Racercard for a 10 percent discount off of your first visit.

Where the health and happiness of your pet come first!

The News

Sports

4B

April 18, 2014

Softball continues streak Peter Northcutt || Staff writer pnorthcutt@murraystate.edu

Jenny Rohl/The News

Junior outfielder Casey Castile stands ready to swing.

The softball team extended its win streak to seven games this weekend as it swept Austin Peay State in a three-game series. The seven-game win streak is the second longest in school history.

Although pleased with the team’s recent success, Head Coach Kara Amundson said that she is more focused on what lies ahead than what they have already accomplished.

“We try not to focus on that stuff too much,” Amundson said. “The win streak means we are doing some things right but we need to look forward to the next game and the next series.”

Murray State came into the weekend with a 21-18 record and a four-game win streak only to be met by Austin’s Peay’s similar record of 18-21 and a two-game win streak of its own.

Austin Peay looked to squash the Racers’ hopes early in the first game as the Governors scored in the bottom of the first on a triple by Lauren de Castro that scored Mel Pavel.

The Racers quickly responded, however, when junior Casey Castile led off the frame with a single then advanced to second on an Austin Peay error.

The game was then tied at one when freshman Cayla Levins brought Castile home on a single of her own. Freshman Jocelynn Rodgers and sophomore Erica Howard followed with timely hits to bring Levins home for the score, pushing the lead out to 2-1.

Austin Peay quickly tied the game back up on a score by de Castro off a Racer error.

In the seventh inning, freshman Taylor Odom scored the winning run off a double from Levins, who was then thrown out at third.

The bottom of the seventh did not go as smoothly as the Racers would have liked as the first two Austin Peay batters reached on Murray State errors. The Racers found a way to hold on, though, holding the Governors scoreless to win the game 3-2.

The second game of the series was much less of a contest

as Murray State blew out Austin Peay 12-2.

The first inning was uneventful with both teams remaining scoreless, but Murray State hit its stride in the second with five runs, capped by two runs by Shelbey Miller and Howard on an error by the Governors.

Austin Peay showed resiliency in the bottom of the frame by scoring one run when Rikki Arkansas singled to bring in Laurel Burroughs, but that was the only life they would show for the rest of the game.

The Racers would go on to score three more runs in the third, two in the fourth and two in the fifth.

The Racers finished the game with 13 hits marking just the second time in program history that they have recorded more than 10 hits in three straight games.

Junior Mo Ramsey attributed the team’s recent hitting success to a diverse core of hitters.

“We have such a variety of hitters, someone is going to be hitting every game,” Ramsey said. “We just trust each other so much right now.”

The Racers completed the series sweep Sunday, putting together a 6-0 shutout against Austin Peay.

Miller was first on the board for the Racers when she scored on a sacrifice from junior Alexa Becker.

Miller and Ramsey continued to hit the ball well, both getting on base with a single.

They were then driven home for the score on a fielder’s choice by senior Leslie Bridges to push the lead to 3-0.

The Racers tacked on two more points in the fourth inning on runs by freshmen Mallory Young and Miller.

Levins scored the last point of the game in the fifth inning on a double from Rodgers.

Mason Robinson pitched a complete game shutout for her third shutout of the season.

Amundson was pleased with her team after the threegame sweep.

“Any time you can go on the road and get three wins is a big deal, especially in the second half of our conference season,” Amundson said. “It gives us a big boost to our team chemistry and our standings in the conference.”

Tennis prepares for offseason Tom Via || Staff writer tvia@murraystate.edu

With a schedule that featured five ranked opponents, men’s tennis couldn’t overcome a difficult schedule that was intended to prepare them for conference play.

“We had a really difficult schedule this year and I didn’t focus on the results because it was preparing for the team for the OVC,” said Head Coach Mel Purcell. “I felt that the schedule would have made us more competitive in conference play but it didn’t.”

As a team, the Racers won three matches this season including a sixth-straight win over rival Western Kentucky in early April. In conference

play, while the Racers only beat Tennessee State, there were some bright spots individually.

Senior Adam Taylor led the team in wins this season with six coming at the No. 1 spot against the toughest competition. Taylor’s highlight of the season happened during senior weekend where he won his final six matches at the Bennie Purcell Tennis Courts.

Taylor teamed up with junior Max McLean in doubles and to earn five wins to lead the team.

“Adam Taylor and Max McLean were our bright spots this year and played well in doubles,” Purcell said. “They had some matches that they were leading but did not finish.”

Behind the upperclassman, freshman David Hess stood out, according to Purcell. Hess fin-

ished second on the team in wins with four during his first season with the Racers. Playing primarily at the No. 5 spot, Hess earned experience at two other draws during competitions.

“David improved each match that he played,” Purcell said. “He is still adjusting to Division I tennis but he got stronger and more comfortable as the season went along.”

While there was individual success, one area plagued Murray State all year.

“Doubles are where we struggled this year and it hurt us,” Purcell said.

Outside of Taylor and McLean who stayed paired together all season, five different combinations combined for three wins. The struggles for the opening point of matches caused

Purcell to make a final doubles change in late March, but it wasn’t enough.

“Doubles are very important when it comes to the team aspect,” Purcell said. “If you lose the doubles point then it puts pressure on the guys to win four singles matches and you can’t depend on that.”

With the season over, Purcell said that the doubles area will the addressed in the offseason and while he is recruiting.

“I’m going to concentrate on bringing in players that can help us with doubles because that is our weakness right now,” Purcell said.

“There isn’t a lot of emphasis on doubles for players and winning that point makes things easier for us.”

What’s in YOUR basket?

The Real Easter Story: The Creator-God of the universe, Jesus Christ, left His home in heaven to become a human being. He lived a perfect life, performed miracles, was betrayed, and wrongfully condemned to death.

After being crucified, Jesus’ body was placed in a tomb. Three days later, he rose from the dead. After His resurrection, He remained on earth speaking to people for 40 days and then ascended to heaven. Jesus sacrificed Himself to make a way for all people to have an abundant life now and eternal life in heaven.

Jesus said, “I am the light of the world; he who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” – John 8:12. God is reaching out to men and women through His son Jesus Christ. To find out more about God’s relevance in your life we encourage you to read Josh McDowell’s story. Go to ChristianFacultyRacers.net and click on the link.

CHRISTIAN FACULTY RACERS

We are a group of professors, lecturers, and administrators united by our common experience that Jesus Christ provides intellectually and spiritually satisfying answers to life’s most important questions. We are available to students, faculty, and staff who might like to discuss such questions with us. For more information about the Christian Faculty Network, please visit our website: ChristianFacultyRacers.net.

Debbie Bell English & Philosophy Teresa Betts Management, Marketing & Business Admin.

Steve Dublin Management, Marketing & Business Admin.

David Durr Economics & Finance

James Duane Bolin History

David Eaton Economics & Finance

Todd Broker Economics & Finance

Warren Edminster Honors Program

James Clinger Political Science & Sociology

Scott Erickson Music

Tom Denton Finance & Admin.

Services – Emeritus Dwayne Driskill Hutson School of Agriculture

Robin Esau Community Leadership & Human Services

Katy Garth Nursing Joyce Gordon Management, Marketing & Business Admin.

Dannie Harrison College of Business – Emeritus James Hereford Science, Engineering & Technology Terry Holmes Management, Marketing & Business Admin.

David Ferguson Agricultural Sciences

Dayna Hutchinson Management, Marketing & Bus. Admin.

Renee Fister Mathematics & Statistics

Timothy Johnston Management, Marketing & Business Admin.

Joetta Kelly Health Sciences & Human Services Stefan Linnhoff Management, Marketing & Business Admin.

Glynn Mangold Management, Marketing & Business Admin.

Jessica Naber Nursing

Holly Rudolph Accounting

Ted Thiede Engineering & Physics

Kim Paschall Health Services

Melony Shemberger Journalism & Mass Communications

Lou Davidson Tillson Organizational Communication

Brenda Sheets Management, Marketing & Business Admin.

Roger Weis Community Leadership & Human Services

Kathy Smith Management, Marketing & Business Admin.

Mark Welch President's Office

Steve Prohm Men's Basketball Kevin Revell Chemistry

James Mantooth Student Affairs

Joshua Ridley Engineering & Physics

Katie Mantooth Career Services

Jeanetta Riley Early Childhood & Elementary Ed.

Gilbert Mathis Economics & Finance – Emeritus Tim Miller Accounting – Emeritus

Joy Roach Management, Marketing & Business Admin.

Winfield Rose Political Science & Sociology

Murphy Smith Accounting Tommy Stambaugh Accounting

Gina Winchester Regional Outreach Stephen White Biological Sciences Emeritus

Olympia Stewart Center for Academic Advising

Note: This ad presents the personal convictions of the individuals listed; the ad does not represent or support any view or position of Murray State University or any academic department. The ad does represent and acknowledge the diversity of academic contributions to Murray State University by men and women of various race, ethnic group, and cultural background who share the Christian faith.

April 18, 2014

5B

The News

Features

Features Editor: Hunter Harrell Assistant Features Editor: Breanna Sill Phone: 270-809-5871 Twitter: MSUNewsFeatures

Jenny Rohl/The News

National Record Store Day Brandon Cash || Staff writer bcash1@murraystate.edu

National Record Store day is Saturday, and all the local music and record stores are gearing up for their customers.

In 2007, National Record Store Day became a way for independent record store owners and employees to celebrate and spread the unique and diverse musical culture their stores offer.

Each year, Record Store Day marks the release of vinyl albums and special downloads valuable to serious music collectors.

This year, the holiday will expand to include international releases in Germany, France, Italy, United Kingdom and others.

However, the stores do not control what records get released in which countries.

This year, special releases from artists like Slipknot, Green Day, Skrillex and more are being released this week to stores across the nation who made purchases.

Some records will only be available during and after National Record Store Day, including four albums from Aerosmith and one by Johnny Cash.

Warner Bros Records will also release an album by The Flaming Lips called “Gates of Steel.” Warner Bros Records is also an official sponsor of Record Store Day. “We receive some special releases that

come out exclusively on National Record Store Day,” said Tim Peyton, Terrapin Station employee. “It’s a big-time event and one of our busiest days of the year.”

Though the record store has placed orders for some of the exclusive items being released, such as Johnny Cash’s new album, it won’t know exactly what is for sale until the items are delivered.

Since most items released on record store day are exclusive, only about 1,000 copies of each item will be released.

“The organization of the event just keeps getting better and better each year,” Peyton said. “It helps stores gain more and more recognition, which is great because there aren’t many record stores left.”

Later Saturday night, around 6:30, Terrapin Station will host live music from five bands, all from the Murray or Paducah, Ky., area and have played in the store before.

“Since there are extremely limited releases of most Record Store Day releases, I gotta pick them up before anyone else does,” said Matthew Rowan, junior from Palma, Ky. “And at night they have live music; it's seriously the coolest thing to do in this town.”

The bands expected to play Saturday night are local bands; “The Barbariettes” as well as “The Savage Radley.”

From Paducah, the “Hi-Fi Ninja” and “Teenage Rehab” will perform. And from

Metropolis, Ill., “Leonard the Band” will play.

"I'm most excited for the records," said Matthew Duke, from Kevil, Ky. "They always have a great selection every year, and I always end up wanting more than what I can actually buy."

Duke said Record Store Day is different because it is the one day of the year where record labels put out special records that you can't get any time of the year in limited quantities.

Another local music store, Sunset Boulevard Music, has also placed orders for exclusive releases and plans to play music all day throughout the store.

The store will also be selling some old records that it has never opened in honor of Record Store Day. There is also a website, recordstoreday.com, that allows people to view all the titles to be released on Record Store Day and help them find local record stores that are participating in the event.

Record Store Day sales tend to focus on music enthusiasts who collect vinyl because the majority of the special releases will be on 12 and 7-inch vinyls.

Record stores also tend to markdown a lot of their prices on records they already have, so customers can get a good deal on a record they may have seen before from last year but were unable to afford.

National Record Store Day exclusive releases Artist

Title

Bastille

“Of the Night Picture Disc”

David Bowie

“1984 Picture Disc”

Cage the Elephant “Take it or Leave it” Eric Church

“The Outsiders”

The Civil Wars

“Live at Eddie’s Attic”

The Cure

“Side by Side Series”

The Doors

“Weird Scene Inside the Goldmine”

Grateful Dead

“Live at Hampton Coliseum”

Veruca Salt

“Veruca Salt”

Faces&Places

Race to raise Local record store serves students funds for community 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.

Breanna Sill

Assistant Features Editor bsill@murraystate.edu

For some, riding around with the windows down blaring their favorite album is just a hobby, but for the owners and frequent shoppers of Terrapin Station record store, music is a way of life.

Terrapin Station has been a staple in the community of Murray since 1985. The first store was located on Olive Street, but in 1993 it moved into the Bel-Air Shopping Center, where it is still located today.

Bobby Copeland, owner of Terrapin Station, grew up in Marshall County, Ky., but after living in places such as Syracuse, N.Y., and southern California, decided to come back to Murray and open his own used record store like the ones he had seen in the larger cities.

Copeland got the name for his store from a Grateful Dead album released in 1977 and said the band is significant to him because it’s the band he has seen the most live and is one of his favorites.

About 10 years ago, Copeland was contacted by lawyers of The Grateful Dead who were putting together a tribute gallery for the band and were interested in using the name “Terrapin Station” for the name of the interactive gallery.

“You can put out a song under the same name as someone else and you can copyright lyrics but not a name,” he said. “So they sent us back another letter and said if we sent them $10 we could be ambitiously licensed with them and it was settled that way.”

Copeland said that previously most of the traffic through the store

was from students, but it has nearly evened out between students and community members. He has also had people travel from places like St. Louis, Mo., and Lexington, Ky., just to see what kind of selection the store has and take advantage of its low prices.

While CD sales in the store are slowly dwindling, Copeland said people are coming in chasing classic vinyl records.

“Back then it was people coming in and trading in their old vinyl records in ’85 and getting CDs,” Copeland said. “But now it’s the other way around; people don’t want CDs anymore, they want the vinyl sound.”

Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd are the records that most college-aged students come into the store are looking for. People who bought the albums in the 60s and 70s when they came out are trading in the records and people in their twenties are the ones coming in chasing after them, he said.

“Vinyl is a sweeter sound,” Copeland said. “Some people would describe it as warmer; other people have different ways of saying it. It’s all about touch. When the sound is digital, it’s read by a code and it’s kind of like instant coffee and fresh coffee. You can see the difference and you can hear the difference.”

Vinyl records and CDs are not the only things offered to customers at Terrapin Station. It offers a variety of used books, DVDs and clothing. It also offers in-store credit or cash back for items people bring in.

“We have customers we see every week,” he said. “People don’t come in to find anything in particular, but just to see what has come in the past week. We sometimes get dozens or hundreds of new pieces of vinyl a week and we always have people coming in regularly to check on that.”

Madison Wepfer || Staff writer mwepfer@murraystate.edu

Jenny Rohl/The News

Clint Baumgartner, senior from Henderson, Ky., browses through hundreds of vinyl records at Terrapin Station.

The sun came out for the annual Murray Half Marathon Saturday. Dozens of runners and spirit teams crowded the streets of downtown Murray in order to participate in the race and help raise money for the Murray-Calloway Endowment for Healthcare.

This is the fourth annual event and it’s still going strong. This year, 730 runners from 19 states participated in the race, breaking last year’s record. The Endowment reached its financial goal of $3.5 million, but it’s still hoping to expand in the future, according to Susan Davis, coordinator for the Endowment.

The money raised at this event will not only help fund the hospital, it will also go toward the Anna Mae Owen Residential Hospice House. The facility will be specifically designed to accommodate patients facing end-of-life situations. The building will be located on State Route 94 West and is expected to be built sometime this spring.

More than 250 volunteers came to the event to cheer on runners, help set up water tables and organize the event. Spirit teams were set up every halfmile to encourage runners every step of the way.

The teams played music, handed out water and fruit slices for the runners and dressed up with a theme.

“There was a ‘Wizard of Oz’ theme, a bumble bee theme and a rock ‘n’ roll theme,” said participant Valerie Bender from Geneva, Ill. “They’re very helpful especially when it comes to the sixth mile.

They’re like a little support team and they hand out water which is nice.”

After the race, the awards were given. A total of $1,000 was awarded to the top five male and female finishers. Gold, silver and bronze medals were given to the winners of each age group. The halfmarathon winner of the female division was Carolyne Tanui, graduate student from Murray. This was her first half-marathon, but she is a member of the track and field team for Murray State.

“I enjoyed it,” Tanui said. “I went just to see how

see RACE, 6B

Features

6B

THE

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Entertainment news sure to spice up your lunch conversationâ&#x20AC;?

WATER COOLER Information and photos from The Associated Press Compiled by Breanna Sill

DISNEY CHANNEL DIRECTS CHARACTERS TO THE ALTAR Disney Channelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s children-oriented series â&#x20AC;&#x153;Jessieâ&#x20AC;? is taking a new spin no other show on the channel has taken before; a trip to the altar.

This is the first time a lead character on the channel has become engaged as a storyline on the show.

The four-part episode will dive into a whirlwind romance and a proposal of marriage.

Play portrays twisted â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Peanutsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Kaylan Proctor || Contributing writer kproctor1@murraystate.edu

The â&#x20AC;&#x153;Peanutsâ&#x20AC;? crew is back, but not in its usual form. The theater department will present Bert V. Royalâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x153;Dog Sees God: Confessions of a Teenage Blockhead,â&#x20AC;? a loving homage to the comic strip by Charles M. Shulz, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Peanuts.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;Dog Sees Godâ&#x20AC;? is the answer for all who have wondered what happens to Charlie Brown and his friends once they grow up. Daryl Phillipy, assistant professor of theater, directs the play. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The playwright has taken the universe and characters created by Charles M. Shulz in his iconic â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Peanutsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; comic strip and transported them from the young children they are in the strip to a contemporary setting,â&#x20AC;? Phillipy said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;They are now in high school, dealing with all of the things that typical high school students deal with.â&#x20AC;?

Royal has changed the names of the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Peanutsâ&#x20AC;? characters due to copyright issues, but the characters themselves are still recognizable. Charlie Brown is now CB, dealing with the depression accompanying the death of his dog, Snoopy. The play revolves around CB and his teenage friends as they overcome the adversity of life and try to understand their world through the difficulty of teenage angst.

Taking the motif of the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Dear Pen Palâ&#x20AC;? letters used by Shulz in his comic strips to explore deep existential questions, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Dog Sees Godâ&#x20AC;? takes the stance that â&#x20AC;&#x153;Pen Palâ&#x20AC;? is actually God. CB continues to write to Pen Pal, wondering why he never replies and if he actually exists. At the end of the play, CB finally gets a response.

Though the letter does not necessarily contain answers to CBâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s questions, it does reveal the fact that there is hope.

The play has a disclaimer for mature audiences only, as there is drug use, alcohol use, strong sexual

content and profanity. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the real world,â&#x20AC;? Phillipy said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;None of itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sugar coated at all. Some things they say and do, well, might be considered shocking or downright vulgar. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s our world. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a realistic look at the world. All of that is still contained and the play still retains its deep, theological message. If people just look at the shallow aspect of mature content, then theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re missing the complete message of the play, which is an attempt to explore the questions of, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;What is this thing called life and how do I manage it?â&#x20AC;&#x2122; and â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Where does faith fit in to all of that?â&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;?

Phillipy said he is excited about the play and its content. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The actors, a cast of eight Murray State students, have been doing a great job with it,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fast; itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s funny. It makes you laugh and makes you cry. The play has got some depth to it. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s extremely funny, but itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll break your heart, too. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a very well-rounded play.â&#x20AC;?

LGBT Programming and the Murray Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Center will sponsor an opening night reception for the show Thursday. The reception will offer light refreshments and will be followed by a post-show discussion. A post-show discussion will also follow the Sunday matinee April 27. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We will talk about the issues that are in the play because it certainly brings up a lot of questions to talk about,â&#x20AC;? Phillipy said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We are going to talk about the issue of sexual orientation for sure, but we will also discuss the topics of bulimia, the female body image, drug use and alcohol use.â&#x20AC;?

The department is also partnering with Joshua Adairâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x153;Gender and Diversity Studiesâ&#x20AC;? class as some of the students will be facilitating the postshow discussions. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Dog Sees Godâ&#x20AC;? will show Thursday through April 26 at 7:30 p.m., and April 27 at 2:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. in Wilson Hall 310B, The Actorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Studio.

Doors open at 7 p.m. and seating is limited.

The News

F

April 18, 2014

lashback riday

Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s go back in time to 2002, the year Michael Jackson held his child over a hotel balcony ledge above papparazzi, â&#x20AC;&#x153;American Idolâ&#x20AC;? was the fad television show, and everyone and their mother was jamming to â&#x20AC;&#x153;Hot in Herreâ&#x20AC;? by Nelly. These are the top five movies from 2002.

1

Spider Man

Catch Me If You Can

2

City of God

3

The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers

4

A Walk to Remember

5 Compiled by Breanna Sill

RACE From Page 5B

FOLK SINGER TO BE CELEBRATED AT SUMMER FESTIVAL Folk singer Pete Seeger will recieve a celebration in his honor at the 2014 Clearwater Festival.

Organizers say the two-day festival in June will celebrate the late singer and his suriving wifeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s legacy.

The couple founded the Hudson River Sloop Clearwater and festival in the 1960s.

Soundbyte "Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re getting really upset and whenever a man shows emotion, I appear.â&#x20AC;?

- Taylor Swift on â&#x20AC;&#x153;Saturday Night Liveâ&#x20AC;? during a surprise appearance during Seth Rogenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s monologue.

PUZZLES Want to sponsor Sudoku Puzzles?

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

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

This weekâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s topic: #MTVMovieAwards

Photo courtesy of Murray State University

MISS MSU: Check out our Q&A with the winner of Saturdayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Miss MSU Scholarship Pageant, Summer Davis at TheNews.org.

Jasmeet Singh

Ellen Degeneres

@JusReign Nicki Minaj looking that normal makes her look that much more abnormal. #MTVMovieAwards 9: 31 p.m. 13 April 14

@TheEllenShow Congrats to @channingtatum on winning the Trailblazer award! Little known fact, "Trailblazer" was Channing's stripper name. #MTVMovieAwards 9 :18 p.m. 13 April 14

MUCH

E! Online

@Much He didn't smile, even while hugging Rihanna. You still got it, Eminem. #MTVMovieAwards 9:20 p.m. 13 April 14

@eonline "Zac Eefron" is the new Adele Dazeem. #MTVMovieAwards 8:50 p.m. 13 April 14

SOLUTIONS AT THENEWS.ORG

SUDOKU

Photo courtesy of Filmburners Photo Club

Carolyne Tanui, graduate student from Murray, crosses the finish line.

it feels to run a half-marathon. It was fun just running around Murray enjoying the pretty town.â&#x20AC;?

She also said that she felt supported by all of the other runners. Although there are â&#x20AC;&#x153;eliteâ&#x20AC;? runners and those who only do it for the fundraising aspect or for the enjoyment of running, everyone is each otherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s support system.

A total of 47 sponsors contributed to the event, including the Murray Bank, which donated $125,000 to the event. The entire community came together to support the runners and help raise money for the hospital and Hospice House.

The Endowment was able to give out $7,000 in awards this year thanks to entry fees and $50,000 from sponsorships. Last year, the money raised was $43,000.

The coordinators of the Murray Half Marathon plan to continue the event for years to come and hope to keep raising money for the Hospice House.

A WOMAN S

BOUT I QUE

& /2 !, ,

OC C AS I ON S

AN D WOME N

, E T

U S

R E V AMP Y OU R

WAR DR OBE

WI T H

5.)

15%

34 9, % 3

AN D N AME

BR AN DS

The News

Features

April 18, 2014

WHAT’S HAPPENIN’?

TODAY • 7:30 p.m.

“SWING INTO SPRING” Murray State University Jazz Concert and WKMS 91, Lovett Auditorium

SATURDAY

7B

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

MONDAY

SUNDAY • All day Easter • 7:30 p.m.

Sci-Fi Club Fun, Curris Center, Cumberland Room

• All day Easter Egg Hunt, Central Park • 9:30 a.m.

Easter on the Square, downtown Court Square

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

• 7:30 a.m.

Business@Breakfast, CFSB Center, The Murray Room • 8 a.m.

Dale Leys Art Exhibition, Robert O. Miller Conference Center

• 11:30 a.m.

Oakley Dining Room Luncheon, 204 North Oakley Applied Science • 7 p.m.

Panel on Intersectionality: The Environment Surrounds Us

THURSDAY

• 8 a.m.

Patterns of Distinction $ecurity Matter$ Conference, Curris Center • 7:30 p.m.

Dog Sees God: Confessions of a Teenage Blockhead, Wilson Hall, Studio Theater • 5 p.m.

Mud Volleyball Tournament, William "Bill" Cherry Agricultural Exposition Center

• 10 a.m.

Screen Printing Shirts with MESS, Carr Health Building Lawn • 5 p.m.

Political Forum: Meet the Candidates, MWC Clubhouse

Happy Easter from The Murray State News!

Movie Review

Photo courtesy of examiner.com

Up-and-coming actor Brenton Thwaites stars in “Oculus,” which premiered in theaters April 11.

‘Oculus’ revives horror fans’ spirits Katrina Yarbrough Contributing writer kyarbrough2@murraystate.edu

These days, most of the horror films are predictable and not frightening. Some may be filled with gore, like “Evil Dead” or have things that jump out at every unexpected moment, like “Paranormal Activity.”

Fortunately, 2014 may be the year that horror films get a little bit of their spook back.

The trailer for the film “Oculus” piqued significant interest for its plot and the cast.

Karen Gillan, Scottish actress from the popular BBCA show “Doc-

tor Who,” plays the role of Kaylie Russell while Brenton Thwaites plays the role of Tim Russell.

Unfortunately for Karen, the doctor didn’t swoop down in the Tardis to help out his companion with this scary situation.

Kaylie and Tim are siblings who, to our liking, live in a house with some antique items such as a creepy mirror that should have been thrown out.

Tim also just got released from a mental institution because he was blamed for being a part of a tragic incident when he was a child.

Mental institutions and antique mirrors are great items to add when building a horror plot.

“Oculus” takes place between two time frames, the present day and when the siblings were children. Basically, the film is made up of scenes of the present as well as flashbacks.

Some films do not manage to keep their appeal depending on the child actors chosen to play lead roles.

Although they are not well known, Annalise Basso and Garrett Ryan play the younger versions of the siblings who see dead people.

As far as acting goes for the film, the young stars shine bright and almost out perform their older counterparts.

“Oculus” is a long film and it tends to stay pretty dark since most of the scenes occur over the course of the night.

The main plot of the story involves the mirror. Some critics may whine because mirrors are often used when scary things need to happen. Although that may be true, it goes over in a great way when done correctly.

Luckily, it was in this film. Even if they were trying to accuse and place the blame of a crime on a mirror, it still worked.

Even without the doctor and the typical cheesy horror movie plot, “Oculus” managed to be a well-directed and put-together horror film that is worth seeing.

Celebrity Encounters

Florida Georgia who?

Flashback to the end of summer and the beginning of fall of 2012 – what was the song that took over the radio for months that no one could quit Breanna Sill singing?

If you are Assistant Features thinking of the Editor song “Cruise”

by Florida Georgia Line, you would be correct.

Well, this is one of the biggest celebrity encounters I could kick myself in the butt about over and over. It was June of 2012 and not a soul had ever heard of Florida Georgia Line before.

A lot of people know about the Ryman Auditorium because it is right in the middle of downtown Nashville, Tenn., but what a lot of people do not know about is the alley on the side that leads directly backstage.

One night during the CMA Music Festival my friends and I were just strolling through the streets downtown and saw a big crowd of people over by the stage door and decided to go see what the fuss was about.

Most of the people were surrounding upcoming country star Chase Rice, but my friends and I were not too interested in him.

That was when we saw a few other people talking to these two tall guys off to the side of the alley. We decided to go over and see if they were anyone to get excited over.

When we walked up the two men introduced themselves as Brian (Kelley) and Tyler (Hubbard) and told us about their newly signed band Florida Georgia Line.

At CMA Fest meeting people on the street who are “newly signed” or “just releasing a single” are a dime a dozen, so taking them seriously is not something you do often. Well, this time we were very, very wrong.

The two guys proceeded to tell us about being signed to Big Machine Records and asked us to listen for their first single “Cruise” which was being released to country radio.

After that we all went our separate ways, no autographs or pictures or anything.

Who would have thought those random guys we met in an alley in Nashville would turn into the platinum selling superstars they are now? Boy, were we kicking ourselves about that for the next few months. bsill@murraystate.edu

See It

Rent It

Hear It

Read It

Play It

“Transcendence”

“Tyler Perry’s Madea’s Neighbors From Hell”

“Pop Psychology” Neon Trees

“Everybody’s Got Something”

by Robin Roberts

“Dark Souls II”

Let’s Le et’s Vape Vappe p Introducing ucin ng Murray and Paducah’s Paduccah cah’s tasteful steful alternative to smo smoking oking -Electrronic -Electronic o Cigarettes Cigarre ettes -Mods & Mech mods m -Locally made eLiquids eLiq quids -Accessories -Accesso ories 506 J N 12th St. Murray, KY 42071 270-761-8273 3381 Hinkleville Rd. Paducah, KY 42001 270-575-0001

WWW.MYVAPEPARADISE.COM

Every Monday ndayy & Tuesday Tu uesday is Racer Day! Bring your stud student dent ID to receive 10% % off MURRAY : Mon. - Thur. 10 a.m. - 7 p.m.

Fri. - Sat. 10 a.m. - 9 p.m.

Sun. 1 p.m. - 5 p.m.

PADUCAH : Mon. - Sun. 9 a.m. - 9 p.m.

)RŹRZ 8V

@MurrayStateNews @MSUSportsNews @MSUNewsFeatures

THE NEWS .ORG

Photos courtesy of amazon.com

Out This Week

8B

The News April 18, 2014