The Murray State News

The Murray State News February 20, 2015

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Sorr

Vol. 89, No. 21

CLOSED

Murray State cancels classes for five consecutive days due to snow, low temperatures

Nicole Ely/The News

Mary Bradley || Editor-in-Chief mbradley9@murraystate.edu

As snowballs flew through the air and screams from students sledding echoed off the Curris Center walls, Murray was in a fight against an estimated 6 inches of snow, below freezing temperatures, ice and rain, according to the National Weather Service.

Throughout the five consecutive snow days announced by the University, a winter storm warning, a winter storm watch, a statewide emergency, a winter weather advisory and a wind chill advisory were declared because of the record amount of snowfall and temperatures across the commonwealth. In some cities like Eddyville, Ky., and Princeton, Ky., snowfall totaled up to 13 inches.

On Monday, Gov. Steve Beshear declared a statewide emergency to ensure local officials have access to state resources for public safety and recovery efforts.

“By declaring a state of emergency for the entire state, we can deploy any needed state as-

sistance, including National Guard troops if necessary, without delay,” Beshear said.

Beshear added that some good news about Monday’s snow was that it was light and powdery, which prevented accumulation on power lines and tree limbs.

However, the snow and a layer of ice still covered many Murray streets, including those close to campus, such as Farmer Avenue.

With Monday’s snowfall causing problems locally and statewide, the National Weather Service in Paducah, Ky., predicted another 1 to 3 inches of snow to fall Wednesday in western Kentucky and a drop in temperatures reaching as cold as 20 below zero with wind chill.

With such low temperatures, threat of frostbite and hypothermia are possible within 30 minutes of exposure. However, Thursday’s closure was due to a high risk of the Tennessee Valley Authority requiring the University to shut down power.

In an email from President Bob Davies, he said the University is prepared in case of a shutdown.

“Be assured, if we are required to curtail power

to the campus from the TVA, we are ready,” Davies said. “We have backup generators in place for all of the residential colleges/halls and for the facilities essential to ensure the safety and service of our residential students.”

The University’s 5 Minute Response, or 5MR, agreement with TVA requires the University to shut down 11,500 kilowatts of power within a five minute’s notice from TVA. The University’s last shutdown was on Jan. 6, 2014, and following the shutdown, nearly 40 percent of buildings were damaged by freezing and bursting pipes.

If Murray State were to not comply with TVA, the University would be charged $690,000. However, since the University has complied since the contract was signed in 2010, TVA has given the University $1.3 million in credits.

Following the snow and temperatures, the weather service predicted additional snow to fall Friday and for the weather to transition into 1 to 3 inches of rain Saturday, which could lead to possible flash flooding.

However, the snow days were well received by some students who took advantage of the

break from classes.

With the campus closures extending throughout the week to Friday, students had free time to enjoy the snow by sledding, having snowball fights and simply staying inside.

Dakota Fields, graduate student from Lexington, Ky., celebrated on the third day of closures by inviting students via Twitter to a snowball fight on the intramural fields.

He said he tweeted the idea of a snowball fight as a joke, but after some serious inquiries by friends, he decided to go through with the idea.

While the snowball fight was not as massive as he hoped, he said it was still worth it to have fun and relieve some stress.

“There were probably about 40 people,” he said. “But no one was bored and they had fun.

Everyone was taking pictures and selfies. We’re only six weeks into the semester, but I think this was helpful in letting go of all your worries and stress. All you’re worried about is whether you’re going to get hit or not.”

Editor’s Note: This story was written on Thursday, Feb. 19. Some details may have changed.

Carter’s memory, legacy honored by University Mari-Alice Jasper || Assistant News Editor mjasper1@murraystate.edu

Supporter. Encourager. Racer.

Last Friday, Murray State lost icon James Carter.

Carter, vice president of Institutional Advancement died while undergoing cancer treatments at Vanderbilt Medical Center.

President Bob Davies informed the faculty and staff on Saturday afternoon, asking them to keep Carter’s family and friends in their thoughts and prayers.

“While we mourn his passing, his legacy will be forever celebrated in the countless lives he touched, mainly because of the students he paved the way for at Murray State,” Davies said.

“He has made a lasting impact on our University community.”

Murray State hosted Carter’s funeral service amidst the snow at 2 p.m. Wednesday in Lovett Auditorium.

Carter, a Murray State employee for more than 27 years, graduated from Murray State in 1979 with a Bachelor of Science in Journalism and in 1986 he obtained a Master of Science in Communications. He was also a member of the Pi Kappa Alpha national fraternity.

After being a chapter consultant for Pi Kappa Alpha in Memphis, Tenn., he returned to Murray State as the director of student activities from 1981-1986. He then transferred to be the director of the Murray State Curris Center until 1989.

Although these positions included a heavy work load, Carter was also involved with the National Association of Campus Activities and volunteered to serve twice as the host coordinator for the Contemporary Concert Management and Production Workshop.

Carter worked elsewhere for a few years, but made his way back to Murray State in 1996. He served as the director of university relations for the next four years and then was promoted to the position of vice president for Institutional Advancement. As vice president he was responsible for development, communication and the alumni and University event venues at Murray State.

While working at Murray State he was a strong supporter of the music department and worked diligently to create ties to the Nashville Association of Talent Directors to help benefit our students. He also created the Lovett Live Concert Series.

Carter also ardently promoted the student

exchange program with Quingdao Agricultural University in China. “(Carter) fought tirelessly for our students in providing them opportunities to attend and be successful at Murray State,” Davies said.

Although he took on many different roles while he was employed at Murray State, Carter was always focused on one thing—the students, and that still rings true today.

As a way to honor Carter’s dedicated service to the University, Carter’s Kids on Campus, an endowment composed of gifts from his coworkers, family and friends, is being established through the Murray State University Foundation.

Carter’s fund will assist potential first-generation college students from 18 different counties in our region as well as Davies county in making arrangements to visit Murray State’s campus.

The fund will cover the cost of transportation, meals and campus related events for high school groups to visit campus.

Donations to Carter’s Kids on Campus can be made online at murraystate.edu/give as well as in personal checks.

Murray State employees can also donate via payroll deduction, given the appropriate paperwork is filled out.

Tobacco-free implementation preparation starts Ben Manhanke || Chief Videographer bmanhanke@murraystate.edu

In preparation for Murray State’s new tobacco-free policy scheduled to go into effect next August, ash trays around campus were moved 25 feet away from buildings’ entrances this week and smokers were told they had to move with them.

President Davies, backed by the Tobacco-Free Implementation Steering Committee, Davies’ council for drafting the University’s tobacco policy, has proposed certain aspects of the policy go into effect prior to the policy’s adoption in an effort to acclimate students, faculty and staff to some of the impending rule changes.

Catherine Sivills, a member of the Tobacco-Free Implementation Steering Committee, said smoking will no longer be allowed within 25 feet of buildings’ entrances upon returning from Spring Break

WHAT’S

INSIDE

on March 15. Several smoking hot spots around campus, she said, such as the Zen garden, will also be designated as tobacco-free zones.

“This is a new culture shift for our campus,” Sivills said. “So we want to kind of ease ourselves into the policy and give others the opportunity to share their concerns.”

President Davies will introduce the terms of the tobacco policy to the Board of Regents at their next meeting on Feb. 27 as mandated by the board at their December meeting.

At the board’s December meeting, Davies and the committee were also instructed to begin getting the campus ready to go tobacco-free and to begin implementing parts of the policy now.

The board will either accept the policy as is at their February meeting, or recommend changes be made to it before its

adoption.

Although the board has already voted that Murray State will be tobacco-free starting next semester, issues, such as the exact date the policy will go into effect and how those violating the tobacco-free policy will be disciplined, are still up for discussion.

As it is currently worded in Davies’ recommended tobacco policy, “employees violating this policy will be reported to their appropriated supervisor and students will be reported to the Office of Student Affairs as with any infraction to Murray State’s rules and regulations.”

Sivills said the committee and Davies do not want to administer punitive disciplines for violating the policy, such as giving out tickets, unless absolutely necessary.

“The campaign is called ‘You Matter’,”

see TOBACCO, 2

Photo Courtesy of Kyser Lough

James Carter, above, was honored Jan. 27 at the CFSB Center.

Editor’s Note:

Due to the weather and closures, The Murray State News will have limited and/or delayed delivery to the community and campus. While this week’s edition is only one section, more stories are available online.

Correction: On Feb. 13, 2015, The Murray State News printed an error in the article, “A Taste of Africa.” Aimee Habimana was listed as Aimee Love. That is incorrect, her correct last name is Habimana. The News regrets the error.

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NEW WEBSITE

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SPRING BREAK

New murraystate.edu website revealed this month, 2

Faculty diversity should increase, 4

Murray State clinches regular season OVC win, 5

It’s not too late to plan the perfect getaway, 7

The News

News

2

February 20, 2015

Updated website revealed Small business

workshop to be held in March, April

Brittany Risko || Staff Writer brisko@murraystate.edu

Murray State’s new website was softlaunched on February 6, but the planning for the new website started last year.

The original system Murray had couldn’t keep up with the high demand, so the University decided to make a change.

“We decided to do a soft launch because Friday is the day that has the least amount of traffic on the website, so if there were any issues they could be solved quickly,” said Catherine Sivills, assistant vice president of branding, marketing and communications.

“The new system we have is also one other universities use, so we are able to learn from our peers,” Sivills said.

Sivills One of the first steps that was taken was meeting with all of the admissions staff to ask them what they wanted because they are the ones who are on the recruiting end.

They requested three buttons (request info, apply now and schedule a visit) because it would reach out to potential students and parents, Sivills said.

The website has a responsive design, which means the design will stay the same no matter what device it’s shown on, Sivills said. The University was able to do that design in house, which saved a lot of money.

Kati Heil, junior from Louisville, Ky., said it looks nicer, but it’s harder to navigate.

“The buttons weren’t at the top, and when I first logged on it took a minute to find where the links were for Canvas and

TOBACCO From Page 1 she said. “We want it to be very positive.

We’re doing this for the health of our staff, faculty and students as well as the visitors.”

Not all constituencies, however, agree with this mentality. When Davies visited the Student Government Association to introduce the policy’s terms, some members voiced their concern that without the threat of a fine, smokers will not adhere to the new policy.

Michael Dobbs, president of SGA and a member of the Tobacco-Free Implementation Steering Committee, said he doesn’t

Maduewesi Nneka

nesses throughout Kentucky.

Wooldridge is a Murray nmaduewesi@murraystate.edu State graduate and joined the center in November 2009.

A three-night workshop Workers at the center will highlighting the perils of enalso help small business owntrepreneurship will be hosted ers write a business plan, an by the Murray State Kentucky imperative tool for any entreSmall Business Development preneur.

Center in Paducah beginning A business plan is a guide on March 30. for a business that includes The workshop will also be the goals of the business and held on April 2 and April 7, how the owner expects to with a deadline to register set meet those goals. on March 30.

The center is in partnership The Kentucky Small Busiwith U.S. Small Business Adness Development Center ministration. has been dedicated to pro The mission of the center viding small business owners is to strengthen Kentucky’s with priceless consultation economy through the delivand trainery of ing serhigh-qualvices to ity, inimprove depth and their busihands-on nesses for business more than consult25 years. ing to ex There isting and are 15 lostart-up cations b u s i s p r e a d - Chris Wooldridge, district director of Kentucky nesses, out across Small Business Development Center accordthe coming to the monwealth to serve as many center’s website. small business owners as posThe center helps at least sible.

24 business owners monthly The Murray State Small and 288 annually, making Business Development Centhem well known for helping ter located in downtown Murbusinesses with loans and sturay. dents aspiring to be entrepre The center serves multiple neurs. counties, including Ballard, Wooldridge said there bigCalloway, Carlisle, Fulton, gest success at the center is Graves, Hickman, Marshall helping so many people with and McCracken counties. businesses and making it The next closest center is logrow after their financial debt cated in Hopkinsville, Ky. has increased.

Chris Wooldridge, district He gave tips for starting and director of Kentucky Small keeping up a small business.

Business Development Cen “Never ignore your busiter, said they provide entreness. Be prepared to make preneurs access to capital changes. Flexibility is remanagement expertise and quired in business operation growth strategies for startups, and do not assume, because existing and struggling busithings can change,” he said.

Contributing writer

Kalli Bubb/The News

Maggie Hagan, junior from Henderson, Ky., looks at the new murraystate.edu website, which was launched Feb. 6.

MyGate, but it looks better on my phone,” Heil said.

There are less links to places, and a visible search area because people now are used to searching to find what they need and taking little time to find it, Sivills said.

Although the feedback received about the website from Student Government Association was very positive, there are still some students who dislike the website because of navigation.

Maryssa Lynn, sophomore from Edwardsville, Ill., said it has a more modern look but takes some initial deciphering.

“It looks better, but it’s going to take some time to get used to,” Lynn said.

Morgan Davis, sophomore from Clinton, Ky., said she is frustrated because she is unable to find anything on the site.

“At first, I couldn’t find where MyGate and Canvas were. I am still really frustrated that I can’t click straight to the links,” Davis said.

There are also some students who, like SGA, appreciate the new website.

Lucy Judah, senior from Louisville, Ky., said she likes the site.

“It’s clean and easy to navigate,” Judah said.

The website is mainly targeting the external audience to recruit them to Murray State, not the internal audience who is already here, but with the idea to accommodate to them as well, Sivills said.

Although most pages have already migrated over to the new site, if there are any pages that have not yet migrated, contact Charley Allen, the web manager, at 809-3919.

believe there will ever be full compliance to the tobacco policy on campus regardless of the punishment.

However, he said the most important factors in achieving compliance are patience and education.

“The key is to educate everyone on the effects of smoking and why it was decided to establish a tobacco policy,” Dobbs said.

“The idea is to have the best interest of the health of the students, faculty and staff in mind and convey to them the importance of being role models and adhering to the policy even if they don’t want to.”

Along with SGA, Davies has shared his draft of the policy with Faculty Senate, Staff Congress and students at a town hallstyle meeting. The draft is also available to be read online on the Murray State web-

site.

To date, Davies said he has received many comments about his draft, suggesting changes and improvements as well as whether there should be a tobacco policy at all.

“The board’s passed it,” he said. “The board has basically said we’re moving in this direction and we are. Moving people 25 feet away from doors and intake valves is a common practice and it’s something we can do quicker than not.”

“It’s about being courteous to all faculty, staff and students,” Davies said. “People have the choice to smoke and others have the choice not to. I don’t want to see this as an iron fist ruling, but rather it be about being a good neighbor and being respectful.”

Never ignore your business. Be prepared to make changes. Flexibility is required in business operation and do not assume, because things can change.

”

February 20, 2015

3

The News

Opinion

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

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Our View

The News 2609 University Station Murray State University Murray, Kentucky 42071-3301 murraystatenews@icloud.com Fax: 270-809-3175

TheNews.org Mary Bradley

Editor-in-Chief • 270-809-6877 mbradley9@murraystate.edu Amanda Grau News Editor • 270-809-4468 agrau1@murraystate.edu Carly Besser Opinion Editor • 270-809-5873 cbesser@murraystate.edu

Katie Wilborn/The News

Diversity is lacking in faculty and staff

Breanna Sill Features Editor • 270-809-5871 bsill@murraystate.edu Mallory Tucker Sports Editor • 270-809-4481 mtucker11@murraystate.edu Adrienne Vititoe Chief Copy Editor • 270-809-5876 avititoe@murraystate.edu Elizabeth Leggett Online Editor • 270-809-5877 eleggett@murraystate.edu Allison Borthwick Advertising Sales Manager • 270-809-4478 msunewsads@gmail.com Alex Hilkey Advertising Production • 270-809-5874 shilkey@murraystate.edu Fumi Nakamura Photography Editor • 270-809-5878 fnakamura1@murraystate.edu Ben Manhanke Chief Videographer bmanhanke@murraystate.edu Joe Hedges 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 staff editorial is the majority opinion of The Murray State News Editorial Board.

“Diversity,” is a hot-button word on many college brochures.

Having a community of different ethnicities, religions, genders and cultures is a way to introduce students to different points of view. They are able to learn just as much about people as they are about their major.

Our sister school programs, diversity scholarships and study abroad programs help make Murray State students more diverse, but faculty and staff are a different story.

Nestled in the informal Bible Belt region of the South, it can be difficult to promote diversity.

According to the University’s website, Murray State’s faculty is 86 percent white, 3 percent African-American and 3 percent Asian.

According to College Factual, Murray State is ranked 1,475 in

ethnic diversity nationwide and the male to female ratio is 60to-40. Approximately 67 percent of Murray State’s population comes from Kentucky. Graduate assistant numbers are similar, with 73 percent white, 7 percent African-American and 17 percent “alien,” or someone who is not a naturalized citizen.

We promote diversity in our student body, but faculty and staff diversity is just as important, especially in foreign language programs and African-American studies.

Our current statistics are more inclusive than they were in former years. In 2003, faculty and staff were categorized by “white,” “black” and “other.” From the fall semester to the spring semester, Murray State hired 12 more white faculty members between fall 2003 and spring 2004, while the

number of black faculty remained at 10 for all four semesters in the, while the number of “other” faculty rose by 11.

Neighboring universities have similar faculty race statistics.

Western Kentucky University’s professors are 85 percent white, 5 percent African-American and 7 percent Asian American.

To be fair, diversity means more than just race. Diversity is a concept that describes an inclusive community of people with varied characteristics, ideas and worldviews. It can include ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender, religion, disabilities or national origin.

By this definition, Murray State does deserve recognition. Our faculty is comprised of people who are LGBT, from different countries and different religious views. Having faculty in

these groups helped promote safe places for LGBT students, women who are victims of violence and have students from different religious backgrounds.

Having a faculty diverse in this way is admirable and progressive. It promotes a difference in teaching, thinking and understanding. It also helps students identify with their own diversity and be mindful of the differences of others. However, the racial diversity of our faculty should emulate its diversity in sexual orientation, gender and religion.

We understand that creating a more racially diverse faculty and staff is a project that will take years – possibly decades.

But our recent growth in faculty shows no signs in change when it should.

Let’s make our faculty match our changing student body.

A Creative Take

Thompson: All we do is rally cry

Kaylan Thompson Graduate student from Murray, Ky.

I want to let you in on a little secret.

It’s something pretty big and life-altering. If you know the secret, you feel it. If you don’t know it, you seek it relentlessly without realizing it.

Centuries of people have already discovered it. The Beatles harmonized about it.

In the pouring rain, my grandmother knew it as she picked

up worms from the driveway.

“What are you doing?” I’d ask.

“Oh, they love it. They love it,” she’d say as she’d place a worm back in the mud of her front yard. “When the sun comes back, they won’t roast on the pavement.”

Many people don’t know the secret like she did, and they live their lives in vain.

I was walking through campus the other day, rushing like everyone else from Point A

to Point B, when I noticed a disabled student walking ahead of me. He had his hood up and head down, rushing like everyone else.

Two loud-mouth girls were walking by, and the most jaw-dropping thing happened. One of the girls started cat-calling at him. The other went into a fit of laughter.

“Want some of my Mike and Ikes?” The first one yelled, inspiring the second to let out a “Yeah, he wants them!”

They kept laughing at him and at their self-perceived hilarity as he walked on by.

What was that? I froze. Did that really just happen? Really?

But what did I do? I kept walking. I called my husband and said, “I can’t believe what just happened. I can’t believe people like that go here.”

Maybe I’m just as much an embarrassment to the University for not calling them out.

Here’s the thing, though. We pride ourselves with the thought that we fight for equality – that we stand up for what is “right.”

We seek out causes and declare war on injustices as if rallying cries were our national anthem. But no one stood up to those loudmouth girls, not even me.

I want to let you in on a little secret, and I may lose you here, but all we need is love.

Quit pointing fingers and labeling sides.

You’re only digging a deeper trench. That’s not to say that injustices and inequalities shouldn’t be tackled or that people shouldn’t

band together.

What I’m saying is that we can’t fight for everything, and maybe we shouldn’t.

That was a big statement, but don’t leave me yet. My husband said something the other day that got me thinking.

“What do you think it was like thousands of years ago when seeing a stranger was a major life event?” He asked me.

We were leaving the Wellness Center and as we passed another student on the sidewalk he looked at us and then averted his eyes to the ground.

“See what I mean?” My husband said. “We don’t even realize that being together is an amazing thing. We just walk on by.”

You see, when I told you I wished I had stood up and said something to those girls, I was in the wrong. I immediately resorted to pointing fingers, blaming and fighting instead of showing genuine love to a fellow student who may have needed it.

The secret to life is this: We were made to give love and receive love. We were made to connect, to network, to be actively involved in each other’s lives. No “live and let live” kind of thing; that’s too passive. We were made to share in each other’s joys and sufferings.

We were made to care for the entire world, even inchworms on the pavement in a rainstorm. We were made to listen to others and feel their pain. Where is the listening? All we do is rally cry.

The News

Opinion

4

February 20, 2015

Letter to the Editor The title “Textbook profits benefit publisher, not University” in the February 6 issue of The Murray State News is misleading. As an Murray State faculty member and a co-author on two different chemistry texts, I would like to point out a few items regarding textbooks and their costs.

Yes, textbook prices have risen a great deal over the last 40 years. As with any such phenomenon, there are several contributing factors.

The numbers quoted – 21.6 percent university, 77.4 percent publisher – in the article may be correct. However, a publisher sells a textbook only once. A bookstore, on the other hand, may sell that textbook five or six times.

Consider a $200 chemistry textbook. Using the figures above, Murray State gets $43, and the publisher gets $157. Assume the textbook is bought back just two times for $60 each, and resold twice for $150. The publisher has still received $157.

Murray State receives a total of $223, not $43.

However, the bookstore is not entirely to blame. The book would not

be resold if there was not a market for buying and selling used textbooks.

Centuries ago, when I was a freshman, students kept most if not all of their textbooks, apart from a few that were sold privately. Today, reselling is a business of its own. The publisher sells fewer new texts, and so they are charging more for those new texts. It’s an example of undesirable feedback: with higher prices, students are more motivated to sell their texts; publisher sells even fewer new texts, etc.

It’s worth noting that publishing is a business, and like most businesses, it intends to make money. In an attempt to cover as much of the market as possible, a publisher may have three or more general chemistry texts.

Some of these make money, others break even and still others lose. Like any business, it’s a gamble—and an expensive one, as the publisher may outlay a third of a million dollars or more before a single copy is printed.

(FYI most authors aren’t getting rich either. My royalties primarily helped my daughters through college

Did she really say that?

Bible thumpers thumping

and grad school. Oh, and we bought a brand-new car. Not a Mercedes … a 2013 Honda Civic. Still paying for it).

There are a number of other factors that enter into the increased cost of textbooks. Blaming the publisher alone for the expense is disingenuous to say the least.

Terry McCreary Professor of Chemistry

We still want to hear from you.

Are you concerned about a certain issue on campus or want to share your opinion? The News is always accepting Letters to the Editor. For a chance to get your letter published in print or on TheNews.org, email us at letters@thenews.org.

Issues, Observations and Sometimes Rants

Qualls: A nation of laws Sometimes the system works.

This is one of those times, thanks to United States District Judge Andrew Hanen. Political science classes have a case study unfolding before them. Hopefully, media will report it objectively.

Judge Hanen’s preliminary injunction on the President’s Executive Order regarding imKevin Qualls migration is a Professor of manifestation of mass communications the most basic of constitutional principles: checks and balances. It is essential to our republic that no one branch of government be too powerful.

There’s a lot going on here. Let me try to unpack it.

First, this is not just about immigration. That’s what the executive order concerns but not the issue at hand. The issue at hand is the limit of presidential authority. The executive branch does not have the law-making powers of Congress.

That’s what the legislative branch is for. It’s full of elected people who are supposed to represent the interests of those who put them there. Judge Hanen recognizes this first principle.

The judiciary’s job is to determine whether acts of congress or the executive branch comport with

Cheers and Jeers Cheers and Jeers is written by the Opinion Editor.

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

Comic

the Constitution. It’s a pretty regular occurrence that congressional action is enjoined. Now we have a court saying “no” to an executive order.

Not so common.

News reports will attempt to frame this as an immigration issue. Immigration reform is an important topic that deserves much attention. Let’s assume for a moment that the Executive Order is entirely noble and excellent policy. There is much human suffering and exploitation of many who want to share in the American experience. But, hard cases make bad law.

“

The challenge is to see past political posturing and keep our eyes not on this hard case, but on a foundational principle.

-Kevin Qualls

”

This legal axiom posits that cases decided out of sympathy may create devastating consequences by establishing dangerous precedent. Allowing this ultra vires use of executive authority would be dangerous.

Good thing Judge Andrew Hanen is on the job.

The injunction is preliminary, which means temporary. Maybe it will become permanent. The executive branch will have its day in court. Until then, this is a wise decision.

Otherwise, the cat’s out of the bag, there’s toothpaste that can’t put back in the tube and a bell that can’t be un-rung. Once millions of people are granted citizenship without doing so by established legal procedures, the legislative function is

Cheers to ... Bob Davies From being the bearer of good news to making us breakfast at Winslow and plowing snow on campus, we really appreciate the hard word you have put in to make Murray State the awesome place it is.

Jeers to ... Businesses that refuse to close.

We’re pretty sure that nobody will be worried about your two for one underwear deal when they’re too busy worrying about getting groceries. Don’t risk your employees’ safety.

circumvented, and there’s no going back. This is not a contest among political parties as much as an existential threat to our very system of representative government.

Of course, this is being politicized already.

NPR describes Hanen as a “George Bush nominee.” Then they report the president’s approval rating as, ostensibly, 50 percent. Maybe President Obama can make good on FDR’s threat.

Franklin Roosevelt’s use of Executive Order was even more extensive than President Obama’s.

He was popular, too. Back in 1937, federal courts were doing a little check and balance on him. FDR publicly opined that the Supreme Court had too many cases too decide. They needed help. He was ready to provide that help by expanding the number of justices and packing the bench with his nominees. It didn’t happen. But things were tense.

Things are about to be tense again, and that’s OK. The challenge is to see past political posturing and keep our eyes not on this hard case, but on a foundational principle. This is not about whether the nation likes President Obama. In 1937, it wasn’t about whether the nation liked FDR. It was and is about following lawful procedure.

It has often been said that we are a nation of laws not of men. Judge Hanen remembers that. He did what he is supposed to do. What the Constitution requires. He responded to the president’s signature on an Executive Order with his own Judicial Decree. Indeed, the president is afloat on a sea of sycophants. Yes, he is popular with many.

Yes, immigration polices must be addressed. No, the president is not allowed to create law with his signature.

It will take many weeks or months for this to work its way through the court system. So be it.

The stakes are higher than immigration issues.

Let’s let the system work, for all of us.

Jeers to ... Bread and milk hoarders.

Even people who don’t drink milk or eat bread end up taking all of it once they hear a blizzard is coming. Save some for everyone else. We use the word ‘apocalypse’ lightly.

Cheers to ... Good Samaritans.

For those of us who don’t have snow-friendly vehicles, it’s nice to know that there’s always more than enough helping hands to get us out of ditches or out of our driveways. It doesn’t go unnoticed.

When Tennessee declared the raccoon as its state animal and the Eastern Red Cedar as its state tree, there likely wasn’t a huge discussion.

Making the Bible the state book, howCarly Besser ever, should Opinion Editor stir some debate.

Tennessee state representative Jerry Sexton, a Republican from Bean Station, is pushing for legislation to make the Bible Tennessee’s official book - a move that should rightfully incite controversy. State symbols are arbitrary, I’ll admit. I couldn’t tell you what our “official” state fossil is (after a Google search, I discovered that it’s the Brachiopod), but making the Bible an official symbol is exclusionary for a large percentage of the state’s population.

According to the Association of Statisticians for American Religious Bodies, Tennessee is made up of approximately 44-50 percent Christian adherents. Nearly half of the state does not practice Christianity.

Regardless of whether they show up on Sunday, the non-Christian half of Tennessee works there, raises families there and supports business there. To make the Bible the state book is to imply that these people are not important enough to be represented. Cities like Nashville, Memphis and Chattanooga make Tennessee a thriving state for tourism. Ridiculous proposals like this won’t help people feel welcome to the Volunteer state.

Sexton should probably read the Bible before he pushes for it to become a state symbol. On his campaign website, the freshman representative said “I am more pro-life than your pastor, more for the Second Amendment than Davy Crockett and more for traditional marriage than Adam and Eve.” I’m not a priest, but I don’t remember reading about Adam and Eve discussing gay marriage over a cup of coffee at the breakfast table. In fact, marriage was not a concept. They were just created to populate the earth. This isn’t the first time a lawmaker proposed to make the Bible a state symbol. Similar proposals failed in Mississippi and Louisiana because of separation of church and state clauses.

According to the Tennessee Constitution, “no preference shall ever be given, by law, to any religious establishment or mode of worship.” That seems pretty loud and clear to me, thought other people are having trouble understanding. That means this proposition is unconstitutional, on both a state and federal level. There is really no other way to beat around this bush. As far as religion goes, strength in numbers does not override laws. Having a large majority of Christians in our country does not mean that Christianity deserves any legal privileges over other religions.

As a representative of Tennessee, Sexton should make decisions in the best interest of his home. Creating this kind of tension seems to be doing just the opposite, as media outlets across the nation are taking humorous jabs at him. Normally I would leave the Bible Belt states be. What lawmakers choose to legislate there doesn’t affect me. But Tennessee is our close neighbor. Many of Murray State’s diverse student body come from there. They should all be included in the portrait of what makes Tennessee great - not just the people that Sexton deems worthy. cbesser@murraystate.edu

Game of Clothes

By Katie Wilborn

February 20, 2015

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The News

Sports Editor: Mallory Tucker Assistant Sports Editor: Kelsey Randolph Phone: 809-4481 Twitter: MSUSportsNews

Sports ­­

Twenty-one and done Racers clinch OVC regular season title against SEMO Redhawks

Mallory Tucker Sports Editor

mtucker11@murraystate.edu

The Racers clinched the 2014-15 OVC regular-season championship title Feb. 14 in a 94-92 overtime win over Southeast Missouri State.

Senior guard T.J. Sapp came out a free throw hero as he sunk three free throws to send the game into overtime before making another with 15.9 seconds left in the third period to solidify a win. The Redhawks, who led for the majority of the game, were unable to retaliate as they missed a buzzer-beater.

“I know a lot of people thought we were going to lose that game,” Sapp said.

“We kept talking about how much time was on the clock.

We knew this game wasn’t over. We knew the type of character we’ve got on this team. We stuck together and we followed through and we came out with a win.”

Racers off the bench added to an overall team effort as starters sophomore point guard Cameron Payne and senior forwards Jarvis Williams and Jonathan Fairell all fouled out and were benchridden. Payne fouled out with 2:43 in regulation while Williams and Fairell left the game during overtime.

“That makes it more fun, because everybody played a big, big part,” Head Coach Steve Prohm said. “Everybody had to do something to help us win, and that’s why you’ve always got to be ready. That’s

why you’ve got to practice.

That’s why we’ve got to coach everybody one through nine the same way – for those moments right there. And that was fun to see.”

Payne, the Racers’ leading scorer, contributed in a different way during the last eight minutes, cheering on his teammates and guiding Sapp as he took over as point guard.

Payne transitioned from a leader on the court to a leader on the bench as the Racers took home a conference title.

“

overtime loss and let the OVC regular-season title slip away.

“You appreciate it more when you let a couple slip out of your fingers,” Prohm said.

“I mean it’s an honor to coach here. This program has won a lot. I’m just glad we could put another championship banner up in the arena. Fans were awesome. We had great, great support from them today.

And that was the fun part, being able to really enjoy the celebration.”

The Racers on the bench

I think that it just speaks a volume of character of our guys, and it speaks a volume of character of Cameron Payne. He just wants to win. He just wants the demons out from last year.

–Steve Prohm

Men’s basketball Head Coach “I think that just speaks a volume of the character of our guys, and it speaks a volume of the character of Cameron Payne,” Prohm said. “He just wants to win. He just wants the demons out from last year. And that was awesome.

That was fun as a coach, to hear him cheer and lead and talk to T.J. That’s what you want.”

Demons from last year were all too present in the team’s mind as they battled in the same venue where they faced a heartbreaking double

celebrated as junior forwards Tyler Rambo and Wayne Langston came off the bench to help carry the team to the program’s 24th regularseason championship. Rambo made two free throws with 33.8 seconds left in overtime to put the Racers ahead, and Langston made a steal with 19 seconds to gain possession once again. Junior forward and starter Jeffery Moss put up 18 points as well, while sophomore guard Justin

see BASKETBALL, 6

Jenny Rohl/The News

Head Coach Steve Prohm and senior forward Jonathan Fairell raise their hands in celebration of their win against the Redhawks

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More broken records by track and field Da’Sha Tuck || Staff writer dtuck@murraystate.edu

The Murray State track and field team continued their trend of breaking personal records at the Grand Valley State University Big Meet Feb. 13-14.

“It was a really big meet for us,” Head Coach Jenny Severns said. “We had a lot of breakthrough performances. We couldn’t have asked for more.”

Junior Alicyn Hester landed 10th on the all-time best list for Murray State, running the 800m in 2:18.60. Hester also ran a season best in the mile, crossing the finish line at 5:08.12.

“It was a really exciting weekend for me. I finally had a breakthrough,” Hester said. “I think that as a whole, the team in two weeks at OVC, we are all going to have even bigger personal records.”

Freshman Vallery Korir claimed second place on the All-Time Best list this week in the 5000m, coming in at 17:19.01.

“Vallery was only 7/10 of a second away from the school record in the 5K,” Severns said.

“So that was really big. Then to come back and run well in the mile, that was really good.”

Several Racers set new personal records in the mile this weekend, including freshman Rebekah Priddy at 5:30.70, junior Heatherly Paschall at 5:31.20, freshman Emily Fla-

BASKETBALL

From Page 5

Seymour added seven more.

According to Sapp, this tough game showcased the strength throughout the roster.

“I know I say this a lot, but we’ve got so many weapons on our team,” Sapp said. “We’ve got guys that are going to come in ready to play.

SEMO’s senior guard Jarekious Bradley racked up 15 points and four rebounds, but senior forward Nino Johnson carried the Redhawks with 25 points and 12 rebounds.

Their efforts almost bettered the Racers, but they were still

herty at 5:31.89, junior Jacquelyn Thate at 5:35.91 and junior Rebecca Morris at 5:58.

The weight throw was also a personal record-packed event.

Senior Brianna McCarthy set a new personal record, landing seventh place on the Murray State all-time best list in the weight throw when she threw a distance of 14.48m. Freshman Abbie Lukens threw 13.17m for her personal record, while junior Lexy Schleper threw 12.18m for hers.

Honorable mentions include: • Freshman Caroline Grogan landed fourth on the Murray State all-time best list in the 5000m when she ran a 17:40.96.

• Junior Jill Jachino now holds fifth place on the Murray State all-time best list with the pole vault distance of 2.61m and went a distance of 10.49m.

• Sophomore Taylor Adcock landed eighth on the Murray State all-time best list when she ran 1:37.66 in the 600m Next week, the Racers will stay home to train and recover in preparation for Ohio Valley Conference Indoor Championships, scheduled to take place Feb. 27-28 in Charleston, Ill. “This week is about remembering we are fit and just recovering and getting our minds ready for OVC,” Severns said. unable to break the secondlongest win streak in the nation as the Racers took home their 21st consecutive win.

“The streak’s great,” Prohm said. “Everybody knows about it. It’s no hidden secret.

But that was the furthest thing from my mind when the buzzer sounded. It was, ‘Man, we did it.’ These guys did it. These guys overcame so much. To win 21 in a row, that’s remarkable, what those guys have done so far.

The Racers return to their home court at the CFSB Center at 1 p.m. on Feb. 21 as they take on Austin Peay State.

The game will be televised on the CBS Sports Network.

Sports

The News

February 20, 2015

Baseball swept in Hattiesburg Blake Bernier || Contributing writer dbernier@murraystate.edu

Offenses were on display this weekend as the Racer baseball team dropped all three games in a series against the University of Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles.

The Racers scored a total of 12 runs over the three games, but they allowed 23. In games one and two, the Golden Eagles were able to string together enough hits to score six runs in a single inning.

“Southern Miss is a quality program,” Head Coach Kevin Moulder said. “They went to the college world series a few years ago, so they aren’t chopped liver.”

Game one started well for the Racers as the three hole hitter, sophomore Tyler Lawrence, connected on a pitch from Southern Miss’s senior pitcher Christian Talley. Lawrence drove it over the fence for a homerun, giving the Racers an early 1-0 lead. Senior pitcher Brock Downey held the Golden Eagles offense in check through four innings and only allowed one run in the fourth.

“We missed some opportunities with guys in scoring position with no outs or one out, but it’s early in the season and our situational hitting will improve,” Moulder said.

In the fifth inning, the Golden Eagles scored six runs with help from two errors by the Racers. Downey left the game after giving up eight hits, seven runs, six earned runs and recording five strikeouts.

The 7-1 deficit proved to be too much for the Racers to overcome. Talley struck out 11 Racers through six innings, six of which were consecutive.

“They ran some big arms out at us,” Moulder said. “Guys that were throwing in the low 90s.”

After a late comeback attempt, the Racers fell 4-7 in game one.

In game two, the Racers jumped out to an early lead once again, but a six-run seventh inning gave the Golden Eagles an edge to win 10-3.

During the final game of the series, the Racers attempted a late comeback but came up one run short, 6-5.

“We had good starts from our pitchers in the first two games,” Moulder said. “But we just struggled to find the strike zone in the third game and that came back to haunt us. All together we competed. We didn’t play scared and our guys didn’t back down.”

The game against Harris-Stowe State University originally scheduled for Feb. 17 has been postponed due to inclement

Haley Hays/The News

The baseball team practices for their season opener that ended in loss against the Golden Eagles. weather. No makeup date is set yet.

Moulder said they are going to be creative at the next games in the Feb. 20-22 series against Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne.

The series game against IPFW is scheduled for Saturday at 7 p.m. and Sunday at noon inEmerson, Ga. at the Perfect Game Complex.

Jenny Rohl/The News

Cameron Payne celebrates with a hug as the team accepts its OVC regular season award.

February 20, 2015

Features Editor: Breanna Sill Assistant Features Editor: Madison Wepfer Phone: 270-809-5871 Twitter: MSUNewsFeatures

Features ­

WKMS to host Battle of the Bands competition Taylor Inman || Staff writer tinman1@murraystate.edu

With guitars wielded and drum sticks at the ready, bands of Murray are prepared to enter another great Battle of the Bands.

The annual Battle of the Bands will be at 7 p.m. on March 26. This is the second Battle of the Bands hosted by WKMS. This Battle of the Bands will be different from last year, with solo acts eligible to enter.

The finalists will compete live for a chance to win a promotion package worth $3,000.

The promotions will include a performance of “Live Lunch” on WKMS’s midday program “Sounds Good.”

The winning band will have access to other publicity materials and a spotlight on the band on WKMS’s website.

The winners will also have the opportunity to hold a one year full slide at Maiden Alley Cinema promoting their band and perform as a headliner at the upcoming Music at MAC event or CD release party.

“The air time is invaluable,” said Shannon Vetter, member of last year’s winning band Gideon’s Rifle.

“Our song ‘Angstadt,’ was played over a dozen times. It was my first radio interview and after we won it was our first time playing on the radio. I wish we could compete again this year. Even being selected as a semifinalist is a lot of good exposure.”

The song submission must be sent via MP3 to msu.wkms@murraystate.edu or CD to 2018 University Station, Murray, KY 42071.

Be sure the band’s submission includes the band name, names of band members, where the band is

7

The News

SpringFEVER Kayla MacAllister || Staff writer kmacallister@murraystate.edu

Stir-crazy masses of students will soon forego the lingering effects of Monday’s snowstorm for different weather and a change of scenery on Spring Break. The weeklong vacation, March 16 through 20, is quickly approaching. If students plan on getting out of Murray, there are several aspects of a trip they need to ensure are checked off their planning list before departing.

Bailey Boyd, booking representative at Edmiston Marketing in Murray, said if students’ planning for Spring Break isn’t already done, then it’s imperative to do it now.

“It’s not too late, but the longer you wait, the more expensive your flights will be and options for hotels, condos, etc. become more and more sparse,” she said.

While Emiston Marketing is solely an online business primarily functioning to service U.S. military personnel, Boyd said that a large number of families book trips through the month of March.

The number of families also booking trips during the traditional weeks of Spring Break will make planning harder for procrastinating students. However, last-minute getaways are possible.

“We are a part of a generation that is making travel agencies obsolete,” Boyd said. “We’re young, keen, and hopefully frugal, and it’s a gratifying experience to plan a vacation that is backed by research, booked all on one’s own through trusted sites or services, all without having to contact or pay a travel representative.”

from, phone number, email address and any other information that you would like to include.

There also must be a signed release form for WKMS to showcase your song.

The release form can be found on WKMS’s website or at WKMS’s station, which is located on the eighth floor of Price Doyle Fine Arts Building, in room 817.

The song submitted can be any song the band wants but it must be appropriate according to the Federal Communication Commission‘s standards.

The song must be an original creation by the band, be a radio-quality recording and be a different submission than last year’s submission for the second time.

Bands with preexisting recording contracts or that are employed by WKMS are restricted from entering the contest.

WKMS had a large turnout last year, and are expecting the same this year.

“Last year we had nearly 40 bands enter,” said Jenni Todd, Membership Coordinator at WKMS. “Program Director and ‘Sounds Good’ and ‘Beyond the Edge’ host Tracy Ross anticipates about the same number of entries this year.”

Last year’s winner Gideon’s Rifle will help judge the submissions, along with WKMS music hosts and WKMS listeners.

By entering the contest, bands agree to perform live in the final round if chosen and must have 3 songs prepared to do so.

They must also agree to allow WKMS to air their submitted song on the air during local programming and as part of a “Battle of the Bands” compilation CD as a special fundraiser.

Here are a few thing to add to your Spring Break checklist: PICK A DESTINATION

Whether students choose to spend their week away from classes alone or with a group, destination is the choice that influences every other aspect of a trip.

Being realistic initially will make the entire planning process go more smoothly.

SET A BUDGET

Students need to decide immediately how much they are comfortable shelling out and set a budget. Then, they should be realistic and know they will want to spend more once the vacation is actually underway and to allow for a little wiggle room.

TRAVEL DETAILS

The chosen destination, whether it’s a week in Cancun, Mexico, or a weekend in a cabin in Gatlinburg, Tenn., will ultimately decide if students fly or drive away from Murray State. Flights generally get more expensive the closer they are to the departure date. If students choose to drive, though, they should make sure the vehicle they choose to take is in mint condition and reliable.

Once departure and return dates have been decided, finding a place to stay is next. Spaciousness, price and proximity to the beach or city students will visit are all key factors to consider.

PACK

Deciding what to take is arguably the best and worst part of preparation for a trip. A vacation is the perfect opportunity to shop for the perfect swimsuit or snow pants. In the haze of new purchases, though, students shouldn’t forget the essentials.

SAVE, SAVE, SAVE

Even if students already have money budgeted, this is the time to save for that wiggle room. There are always products and excursions that cost a little extra, and being able to say yes to those things can add a little extra into- students’ Spring Break experience.

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February 20, 2015