The Murray State News TheNews.org
April 24, 2015
Vol. 89, No. 29
University to reform sexual assault policies Amanda Grau || Staff writer agrau1@murraystate.edu
Mary Bradley Editor-in-Chief
mbradley9@murraystate.edu
President Bob Davies said students will likely have to take an online alcohol and sexual assault education program this fall as University officials seek to reform policies and procedures for handling sexual assault complaints. Such changes could take effect as soon as the next academic year if approved by the Board of Regents. The board will take up the issue in its next two meetings in June
and August. Davies and administrators have spent much of this academic year informally reviewing policies and procedures related to Title IX – the federal law that governs how universities should handle discrimination and sexual assault cases. The University has transitioned into a formal review, Davies said. That formal review process will be similar to the creation of Murray State’s tobacco ban. University officials first will recommend to the regents in June the proposed revisions to the Title IX process. At the following board meeting in August, the Uni-
versity will present the formal plan for the board to approve. Davies said possible recommendations include the mandatory education programs for students as well as creating a sole investigator model for sexual assault cases. Under that model, the University would designate one specifically trained person – either within the University or a contractor – to investigate allegations of sexual assault and pass a finding, as opposed to a judicial board hearing. The ultimate goal of the University is to create as safe of an environment as possible for everyone in the community, Davies said.
“The key thing not just as an institution, but as a community, is how do we work diligently to create safe environments?” Davies said. “As part of our review and in my mindset, we don’t want to have barriers (to someone) coming forward. We don’t want to have barriers of not reporting.” This comes a week after The Murray State News reported that a student ultimately transferred from Murray State after being frustrated by the University’s process that continued for six months. The article also raised questions about a potential conflict of interest during that process. One of
the administrators assigned to help the woman also was the adviser to the accused rapist’s fraternity. That administrator, Mike Young, interim associate vice president of Student Affairs, responded to The News in an email this week saying he was not available for an interview. Neither Davies nor the president of the fraternity would comment Thursday on whether Young remains the adviser of that organization. Davies also could not comment on specific individuals or the sexual assault case reported by The News April 17. Davies said Murray State’s process for handling sexual
assault cases must be flexible enough to account for specific elements of every case. But no matter what, he said, the University must move as swiftly and as fairly as possible. As part of that, the University also will work to make sure students involved in sexual assault cases to have support mechanisms in place. “One of the things that we’re looking at and have been looking at is the support services as well as the organizational function of various models with Title IX coordinators and the like, and ensuring the communication between and among those individuals,” Davies said.
Chain business success possible despite hurdles While Buffalo Wild Wings is not coming to Murray, success is possible for similar restaurants Zachary Orr
Assistant News Editor zorr@murraystate.edu
Mary Bradley/The News
Red Bus rolls around
Julia Mazzuca || Staff writer jmazzuca@murraystate.edu
A large, red, double-decker bus sparkled in the sun all day Tuesday by the Murray State gates with people in bright red shirts and big smiles ready to share with students why they were on campus. The Red Bus Project, a mobile thrift shop, came to Murray for the second year in a row, trying to raise money and awareness for the needs of orphans all over the world. Emily Bruns, senior from Quincy, Ill., contacted the Red Bus Project to ask if they would come back to Murray. “I just love what the Red Bus Project does and how the students on our campus
were impacted last spring,” Bruns said. “Since the event was sponsored by the United Campus Ministries Association, it was neat to see all the different campus ministries work together to show hope to orphans around the world.” Every 18 seconds, a child becomes an orphan and there are more than 140 million orphans around the world today who are in need of hope, according to the Red Bus Project website. The Red Bus Project goes from college to college, collecting and selling donated clothes to students, faculty and staff. Murray State students were able to walk through the double decker bus, sift through
bins, and spin a wheel to win free prizes. The bus and bins contained donated clothes, shoes and accessories that were sold to raise money for the orphans. The Red Bus Project also sold their own merchandise such as T-shirts, water bottles and bracelets. The money that they make from the red bus will help to raise awareness of the orphan crisis on college campuses across the United States, according to the Red Bus Project website. College-aged interns from the Red Bus Project and volunteers from the campus ministries of Murray State helped throughout the day to retain the flow of students.
Marilyn Holder, freshman from Lexington, Ky., helped volunteer for a part of the day to assist with anything they needed. “I enjoyed getting to be a small part of such a big project to help orphans,” Holder said. “It is really cool to see so many college students working to help orphans instead of doing stuff for themselves.” The Red Bus Project works with college students to give them the opportunity to intern and go on college tours with the bus. “The culture of the Red Bus Project is full of joy and compassion and when you step on the bus, you know that these people are striving for something greater,” Holder said.
Grimes speaks to Young Professionals Mari-Alice Jasper News Editor
mjasper1@murraystate.edu
Alison Lundergan Grimes, Kentucky secretary of state, greeted and shook hands with more than 40 members of the Young Professionals of Murray group as they trickled into the wood-paneled back room at The Big Apple Cafe. Brittany Marchetti, Murray State alumna and co-chair of the Young Professionals of Murray, said the group, already bursting with more than 60 members, started meeting together for lunch at The Big Apple in January. She said the group stemmed from a need the Chamber of Commerce acknowledged recently. There is a lack of support for young professionals in Murray. The Young Professionals of Murray group congregates at local restaurants to network with other young professionals in the city and share ideas
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to improve business in the city. Marchetti said their goal is to connect, serve and grow in the community. She said the group is composed of community members and graduate students between the age of 21 and 39. “Technically, I still qualify as a member of this group,” Grimes said. Marchetti said she was honored when Grimes contacted the group hoping to speak with them about what it is like to be a young professional in Kentucky. “(Grimes) wants to connect with Kentuckians,” Marchetti said. “She is a true young professional.” After mingling and munching on snacks prepared by The Big Apple, Grimes addressed the audience and asked them if they knew what the secretary of state does. Nervous laughter, but no hands, rose. The office of the secretary
see GRIMES, 2A
Over the past few weeks campus has been abuzz about the popular sports bar, Buffalo Wild Wings, coming to Murray. But, the idea that Buffalo W i l d W i n g s will open in Murray was nothing but a rumor, said Aaron Dail, president and CEO of the ChamDail ber of Commerce. It isn’t bringing its 21 sauces and seasoning to town anytime soon. The company didn’t return several messages left by The News about whether the chain would consider Murray, but the issue highlighted some difficulties Murray’s business community has had in attracting big-name restaurants to the city. Mark Manning, executive director for the Murray Calloway County Economic Development Company, said the reasons for large restaurant chains’ disinterest in opening in Murray probably stems from three factors: Murray not being located along a major interstate, Murray’s small population and Murray’s strict alcohol policy, which prohibits any restaurant to serve alcohol on Sunday.
These are the limiting factors for a lot of chain restaurants that consider opening in Murray, Manning said. “I do think that a lot of people in Murray would love to see some additional restaurants move in to town so that we could have more variety,” Manning said. While Manning said he understands chain restaurants often have strict policies regarding where they build, he said he believes Murray’s population is misleading. Manning said the traffic from Mayfield, Ky., and Paris, Tenn., add business to Murray. “It’s frustrating,” he said. “I think some of these places would do really well in Murray.” Cracker Barrel is an exception to this trend. Although 75 percent of Cracker Barrels nationwide are located adjacent to a major interstate, Murray’s location is among the 25 percent that are not, said Jamie Lencki, the employee training coordinator at the Murray Cracker Barrel. Lencki said that although the Murray Cracker Barrel is successful, the restaurant does not do as well as other Cracker Barrels that are closer to major interstates. “For Murray we are very successful,” Lencki said. “We do about $65,000 a week, but we are low volume for Cracker Barrel companies.” Stores off the interstate, such as in those Paducah, Ky., and Clarksville, Tenn., aver-
see BUSINESS, 2A
CORRECTION On April 17, 2015, The Murray State News printed an error in the article, “Miss MSU winner makes history.” Tanelle Smith was quoted stating she was the first black winner of the competition. The first black winner of Miss MSU was Jerry Sue Thornton in 1969. The News regrets the error.
Kory Savage/The News
Alison Lundergan Grimes speaks in Paducah, Ky., last fall during her campaign for the U.S. Senate seat.
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LGBT ENDOWMENT
OUR VIEW
TITLE IX
MUSIC FESTIVALS
$25,000 endowment to help LGBT programming, 3A
LGBT donation more than just a check, 4A
Law has unintended effects on men’s sports, 1B
Festivals around the nation can entertain fans all summer, 5B