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
WHAT’S
INSIDE
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.
Find an error? Send corrections to murraystatenews@ icloud.com
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Students react to the new fencing set up for New Franklin Residential College on TheNews.org.
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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
The News
News
2A
April 24, 2015
Pocket’s gas station closed because of leak Zachary Orr
Assistant News Editor zorr@murraystate.edu
Pocket’s Shell Food Mart, located at the corner of 12th and Chestnut streets, has been closed for unknown reasons for more than a month. Sitting at one of Murray’s busiest intersections, there has been much speculation as to what caused the station to close its doors. Harold Hurt, attorney for Kentucky Lake Oil Company, which owns Pocket’s, said there were many factors in play that caused the station to close. The most prominent factor is a gas leak that occurred underground at an adjacent gas station in the 1990s, called TPI, contaminating both the soil and water underneath the station, Hurt said. “Since that date all the way up until now, (the state) has been trying to remediate the soil and the water contamination and they’ve been unsuccessful,” he said. There was a license agree-
Haley Hays/The News
Pocket’s, located at the corner of 12th and Chestnut streets, is closed because of a gas leak underground.
south of the station. This area is fenced off along with the gas station. Edward Winner, branch manager for the Underground Storage Tank branch of the Kentucky Division of Waste Management, confirmed that a leak had occurred underneath the Pocket’s location. Winner said a leak this size is common for gas stations in the area, and it was the choice of Kentucky Lake Oil, not the state, to shut down the station. The term of the lease between Kentucky Lake Oil Company and the Young family, who owns the property, was about to expire when the gas station closed. Hurt said there were automatic provisions in the lease for an increase in rent, but he could not say if this affected Kentucky Lake Oil’s decision to close the station. Kentucky Lake Oil Company did not return phone calls made by The News and was unable to comment if the rent increase affected their de-
cision. Hurt said it is unclear whether or not Kentucky Lake Oil Company will rebuild in the location after the soil replacement is done. “That’s to be determined,” Hurt said. “No decision has been made on that right now.” Many students were inconvenienced when Pocket’s closed. Erica Gramke, freshman from Fenton, Miss., said she went to Pocket’s regularly. “I feel like it’s an inconvenience, because I go to that gas station all the time and it’s kind of a hassle going to the other ones,” Gramke said. Sean Seavers, senior from Goreville, Ill., said that he thinks it was a responsible decision for Pocket’s to close and address the leak. “Other than that, it’s one of those situations where we enjoy the people that work there and we enjoy the atmosphere in there,” Seavers said. “For it to close, it’s really kind of a bummer.”
ment between the TPI station that caused the leak and the state to address the leak whenever they closed, Hurt said. However, TPI did not fulfill the agreement. “They haven’t been able to do it because they could not do
it like we’ve agreed to,” he said. Instead, Kentucky Lake Oil Company will work with the state to remove and replace the contaminated soil and water, Hurt said. “The best way to remediate it, according to the state folks,
is to tear down everything, haul off the bad soil and get rid of the bad water and put in new soil and be done with it,” Hurt said. “So that’s what is happening.” Hurt said the affected area is the empty lot sitting to the
GRIMES
BUSINESS
From Page 1
From Page 1
of state is responsible for handling business registration filings in Kentucky among other tasks such as overseeing the voting process and promoting civic education. Grimes explained the importance of entrepreneurship and business in Kentucky and encouraged everyone in the room to vote in the upcoming primary election, May 19. Grimes said she wanted to see western Kentucky succeed by improving small businesses in the area and by helping startups get started more efficiently. There are more than 300,000 small businesses in Kentucky, according to the 2013 Small Business Profile reported by the Small Business Association. Grimes then congratulated the group and said she hopes to see more groups like these sprout up across Kentucky because of the fellowship groups like these provide to young professionals. There are other young professionals groups in Lexington and Louisville.
age about double the Murray Cracker Barrel’s weekly revenue, Lencki said. She said she believes this, along with Murray’s alcohol policy, is what drives away other chains like Buffalo Wild Wings from coming to Murray. Austin Vitt, sophomore from Mount Juliet, Tenn., said he believes Murray could catch up to places like Paducah in terms of restaurant variety if it would allow business to serve alcohol on Sundays. “Growing up outside Nashville, I never heard of a town that couldn’t sell alcohol on Sundays,” Vitt said. “It seems really backwards to me.” Vitt said he hopes Murray leaders change the city’s laws. “I’d like to come here and have similar options as I do at home,” Vitt said. “Sure, there is good food here, but not nearly the variety I’m used to.” Dail said he’s not aware of the alcohol policy deterring any restaurant from coming to Murray. There are many factors that could limit the large
chains from coming, he said. “They may take that into account when taking a look at Murray, but we have not had anyone say, ‘this is a huge problem and a hurdle for us’,” Dail said. The Chamber of Commerce is taking the initiative to show big businesses just how successful they can be in Murray. It recently revamped MyMurray.com, which now includes detailed demographic information about Murray and the surrounding area. Dail said he thinks having this information on hand will inform businesses as to what exactly Murray has to offer. “We’re trying to overcome that perception sometimes, which is Murray is a small college town,” Dail said. “That’s the way we love to describe ourselves, but we have plenty of retail and restaurants that rival some larger communities.” Kaitlyn Cory, junior from Murray, said she was upset to hear that Buffalo Wild Wings isn’t coming to Murray. “I was disappointed because they have great food, and it would be a fun place for college kids to hang out,” Cory said.
Olympic Plaza houses several local restaurants in Murray, including Los Portales, Jasmine Thai and Sushi and Tom’s Pizza.
The Spring Senior Breakfast will be held Thursday, April 30, at 8 a.m. in the Curris Center Ballroom. Seniors and Graduate students who are graduating in May and August 2015 are invited to the breakfast free of charge. Students should RSVP
Faculty and Staff
may purchase tickets for $5 from their administrative msu.studentaffairs@murraystate.edu assistant or the Office of or 270.809.6831 Student Affairs, 425 Wells Hall.
to the Office of Student Affairs no later than Friday, April 24.
For More Information Contact the Office of Student Affairs at 270.809.6831
Attention Seniors
20 15
Nicole Ely/The News
1813 U.S. 641 Murray, Ky More Than a Bookstore...
Court Square, Murray
Gifts DVDs Music WebKinz Willow Tree Angels
| 270-753-1622
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April 24, 2015 News Editor: Mari-Alice Jasper Assistant Editor: Zachary Orr Phone: 270-809-4468 Twitter: MurrayStateNews
POLICE BEAT April 16
6:51 a.m. Racer Patrol advised Mur4:17State p.m.Police An officer ray of anconducted abandoned parking enforcement onCenter. 15th golf cart outside the Lowry Street. Five parking citations Officers were notified and an inforwere issued. mation report was taken. 9:35 p.m. 11:42 p.m. An Anofficer officerconducted conducted a traffic stop theNorth Stewart a traffic stop atat 121 and Stadium parking lot. A verbal Coldwater Streets. A citation was warning wasdriver issuedfor forfailure failureto issued to the to use a proper turn signal. wear a seatbelt. The passenger
April 17 was arrested an outstanding 10:50 a.m. Aoncaller reported warrant andoutlet was taken to Calloa smoking in Blackburn way County Jail. Science Building. The police, 8:20 a.m.Fire A caller reportedState a resMurray Department, idential college office flag missing. The Fire Marshal’s and FaciliHousing Office waswere notified. ties Management notified. 11:22 p.m. A caller the reported It was determined smoke a motor vehiclebyaccident was caused a faulty with surgeno injuries at White Residential protector and extension cord.College. were notified and a 6:05Officers p.m. The Murray Police report was taken. Department reported an emer7:17 p.m. An officer conducted gency medical service call at a traffic stop at the Business Building Roy Stewart Stadium. The poparking lot.Student A citation was were issued lice and Affairs for drivingThe on apatient suspended license. notified. was trans8:51 p.m. A caller reported the ported. smell of gas at Hart Residential Col-
April 18
lege. Fire Depart9:22Officers, a.m. AnMurray officer conducted ment, Central Heating and Cooling a traffic stop at the intersection Plant, Murray theAvenue. State Fire of 16th StreetGas andand Ryan Marshall were notified. report A citation was issued forAdisrewas taken. garding a traffic control device. 12:01 A caller callerreported reporteda a 7:03 p.m. p.m. A sparking in the block parking outlet complaint at 300 College ofCourts. College Courts. Officers, the The police were notiMurray Fire Department, Cenfied and the vehicle was moved. tral Heating and Cooling Plant
April 19 and the State Fire Marshal were 2:04 a.m. A caller reported a notified. A report was taken. medical emergency at Lee Clark 4:57 p.m. The Murray Police DeResidential College. The police partment was notified of a mediand Murray Ambulance Service cal emergency at the Volleyball were notified. The patient reCourts. Officers and Murray Amfused transportation and a rebulance Services were notified. port was taken. The patient was transported and 3:20 p.m. A caller requested to a report was taken. speak to an on-call nurse. The 3:46 a.m. Officers conducted a on-call nurse was notified. check of a person on North 12th Street. The person was arrested and
April 20
transported to Calloway County Jail for alcohol a public 4:25 p.m. intoxication The Centralin Heating and Cooling reported the place. A reportPlant was taken. 9:09 A caller reported smellp.m. of gasoline at Lovett Aua ditorium. smoke detector activated The police were no-at Springer Residential College due to tified. The source of the smell a was hair located dryer. Officers were notified and removed. and nop.m. threatAofcaller fire was found. aAn 8:23 reported information report was taken. drug complaint at Hester res4:42 p.m. A caller reported a theft college. police ofidential property from a The vehicle from were notified and a citation Alexander Hall. Officers were nowas and issued for possession tified a report was takenof for marijuana. theft of under $500 by unlawful taking from a vehicle.
April 21 6:12 p.m. A caller reported the 8:47ofa.m. A caller reported a smell marijuana at Hart. Officers motor vehicleand collision with no were notified an information injuries Blackburn. The poreport wasattaken. lice were notified and a report was taken. 2:47 9:09p.m. a.m.AAcaller callerreported reportedan unauthorized company selling theft of property under $500 at products on campus at Winslow White Residential College. The Dining caller police Hall. were The notified andwas a re-referred to Student Affairs. port was taken for theft. 6:12 p.m. A caller reported the smell of natural gas at the Old Fine
April 22
Arts Officers, Central 1:17 Building. p.m. An officer conducted Heating Cooling Plant, Murray a trafficand stop at College Courts. Fire Murray Gasfor and A department, citation was issued the State Fire Marshall were notispeeding and failure to profied and a report was taken. duce and insurance card. 10:25 p.m. A caller reported a physical altercation at Hart Motorists assists –8 Residential The poRacer escorts –College. 1 lice were Arrests – 2 notified and a criminal report was taken for assault Mary Bradley, in the fourthAssistant degree. News Editor, compiles Police Beat with materials
Call of Fame April 16, 10:18 p.m. – An officer conducted a traffic stop at the intersection of Main and 16th streets. A person was arrested for fleeing on foot and driving on a suspended drivers license for driving under the influence. The driver was cited for failure to use a turn signal. Racer Assists: 8 Motor Assists: 6 Safety and Emerprovided by Public gency Management. Arrests: 1 Not all dispatched calls are listed. Zachary Orr, Assistant News Editor, compiles Police Beat with materials provided by Public Safety and Emergency Management.
3A
Geosciences to add new program Abby Siegel || Contributing writer
asiegel@murraystate.edu
The University’s department of geosciences is adding a certificate in Geographic Information Science (GIS) to be awarded to students who qualify by completing the program beginning December 2015. Just as the department is growing in both students and program opportunities, so is the career field. The projected percentage change in employment from 2012–22 for geographers is to increase 29 percent, according to the United States Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics. The average increase is 11 percent. “The current reality for employment areas where geographic data is a fundamental aspect of the job, employers both private and public are requiring proof of GIS experience,” said Robin Zhang, professor of geosciences. The certificate will benefit students in many fields including biology, agriculture, civil and environmental engineering, environmental science, computer science and business, Zhang said. The certificate has become a requirement to be competitive in these fields and will allow Murray State graduates to stand out among other applicants. Zhang said employers are looking for proficiency in knowledge beyond the college transcript. The 15-hour certification program will allow students to gain experience in data collection, data management methods and techniques, data analysis and interpretation and remote sensing techniques. Students will also practice using industry standard hardware and software to explore several different geographic information science applications.
Nicole Ely/The News
Handheld wildlife GPS units demonstrate the progress made in the fast-growing field of Geographic Information Science “The reason the GIS Certificate Program was created is to fill a growing demand for geospatial science skills in today’s job market, as well as to provide students fundamental knowledge of GI science necessary for today’s diverse array of fields and disciplines,” said Haluk Cetin, professor of geosciences. The certificate’s origins can be traced to the late 1990s when Cetin initiated Precision Agriculture and NASA projects, as well as projects for the U.S. Geological Survey that required the use of geospatial technology. The department then studied the programs that benchmark institu-
tions were using and began to create the certificate offered at Murray State that would benefit students across multiple departments, illustrating the multidisciplinary aspect of the program. After many attempts at getting the program approved, it was approved in early 2015. “The GIScience field has been one of the fastest growing fields,” Cetin said. “This certificate should provide a better leverage for a student when looking for a job, particularly requiring geospatial technology experience.” Spencer Moran, junior from Taylorsville, Ky., said he believes that his experience in geographic infor-
mation science helped him land an internship this summer with the Army Corps of Engineers. “I was told that my experience with GIS really distinguished me from the other applicants,” Moran said. Moran said he is very excited about his internship as a GS-4 park ranger. His dream job is to become a parks and recreation manager after completing his undergraduate degree in environmental geology and his Masters in business administration. “It’s very competitive in the workplace; this certification will make me one step closer to landing that dream job,” he said.
Alumna makes $25,000 donation Abby Siegel || Contributing writer asiegel@murraystate.edu
Murray State alumna Kristie Helms and her wife donated $25,000 to the University’s Office of LGBT Programming to begin an endowment that will “help students be exactly who they want to be.” With roots in small town Possum Trot, Ky., Helms has seen a change in scenery since her childhood. She now works as the Global Head of Social Business and Promotional Strategy for State Street – a global Fortune 500 company with headquarters in Boston. Helms said her desire to give back to the University stems from the support she has received in her company while being openly gay. She and her wife of 14 years, Kathryn Carter Nettles, want to create an atmosphere of acceptance and provide awareness opportunities for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender students in western Kentucky, similar to what they receive in Boston, she said. “No one in Boston bats an eye when I mention that I’m married to a woman,” Helms said. She said having the same rights as her “straight neighbors” is something she is proud of. In Kentucky this is not the case, she said. According to the Kentucky Revised Statutes, “marriage refers only to the civil status, condition, or relation of one (1) man and one (1) woman united in law for life, for the discharge to each other and the community of the duties legally incumbent upon those whose association is founded on the distinction of sex.” Alongside Kentucky, 13 other states do not allow gay marriage, including Ohio and Tennessee. “It’s a very different landscape in western Kentucky,” Helms said in regards to the rights given to the LGBT community. “I’ve been away from Kentucky nearly 20 years because I was fearful of judgment in the region – that’s 20 years too long to stay away from the region you love.” Her activism for increasing LGBT awareness in Kentucky began in 2004 through her volunteer efforts during the Democratic National Convention, helping the Kentucky delegation navigate Boston. Through this she met a young Kentucky man who was not out to other delegates and was shocked to see the rainbow flags and pamphlets at the Human Rights Campaign Table. She recalls this man saying with wide eyes, “are they allowed to do that? To just be…gay? In the open?” Helms said she wants to ensure that Murray State and the surrounding western Kentucky community knows that alumni not only support the work of the Murray State Office of LGBT Programming and the student organization Alliance, but also will do whatever they can to help the momentum build and spread to the surrounding
Jenny Rohl/The News
Members of the rowing team, one of the University’s four club sports, practice using rowing machines.
Club sports lack funding Julia Mazzuca || Staff writer jmazzuca1@murraystate.edu Murray State club sports struggle Photo courtesy of linkedin.com
Alumna Kristie Helms is an activist for LGBT rights. areas. When Helms attended the first Murray State LGBT alumni gathering she was shocked to find out that all the alumni at the event had come out later in life. She said she believes this to be due to the lack of support and understanding by the community. “I’ve been amazed since that event to learn just how committed Murray State is to diversity,” Helms said. “The work the University has done and the amazing energy displayed by Jody Cofer Randall and MSU Alliance is just amazing – far beyond what was in place when I was in school.” Although the funds were donated to the Office of LGBT Programming, students within the Alliance organization are excited about the donation. “I never thought I would still be a student and see something like this happen for my community at Murray State and I’m beyond glad for this gift,” said Morgan Randall, senior from Louisville, Ky., and president of Alliance. “My mind ran with all the possibilities that this will give the Office of LGBT Programming in the fight for equality at Murray State.” Randall said she believes the funds will allow for more freedom to support the programming that Alliance does as well as create stronger programs through their partnership. The Office of LGBT Programming provides support for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community at the University, through services such as the Safe Zone and educational programming in effort to create an inclusive environment. The MSU Foundation will receive the Kristie Helms and Kathryn Carter Nettles Fund for Excellence and Acceptance and Awareness donation over the course of five years. “I made the promise that I would do everything I could to spread acceptance in the Commonwealth of Kentucky that I love so much,” Helms said.
to continue because of minimum funding from the University and an inconsistent willingness from students to pay for the club sports. Steve Leitch, director of Campus Recreation, explained how the University only has four successful clubs to date: rowing, baseball, ultimate Frisbee and cycling. “In order to start a club, it takes a lot of work to get it going and to get it established,” Leitch said. “Because we don’t have a student fee that funds club sports, money can be an issue.” A club sport is defined as any competitive sports that are regulated by students, rather than an intercollegiate athletic association, according to Leitch. The only fee Murray State has that is designated toward campus recreation for the students is the athletic fee. This fee covers the student costs for the Wellness Center, technology within the Wellness Center and the ability for students to get into varsity athletic games for free. There is a Campus Recreation Fund that has some budget, but with budget cuts from two years ago, some dollars had to be taken out of the fund said Don Robertson, vice president of Student Affairs. “Club sports are designed to be funded by the students who are wanting to pay,” Robertson said, “If you have that interest, you should want to pay.” Some students definitely have the interest, but being able to pay can be a problem for college students who are struggling to make ends meet. Claire May, a captain of the rowing team, has encountered this problem before. “If rowers are unable to pay their dues, then we set up payment plans for them or we ask our alumni to sponsor a rower for a semester,” May said. The option of alumni sponsoring a rower comes from the longevity of the club, which began 19 years ago. “It is common for some passion-
ate people to do all the leg work in getting the club going, but then they graduate and nothing of the club is left,” Leitch said. The rowing team has been able to continue as a club for so long because of the long line of alumni that stands behind the current team, Robertson said. Murray State, a University booming with 11,000 students, only has four club sports. Schools such as Western Kentucky University and the University of Kentucky have many more. Western Kentucky University is estimated to have 21,000 students and also has 19 club sports clubs, according to their club sports page on their website. The University of Kentucky has 21,441 students and has 49 sports clubs, according to its website. Although these schools have more students than Murray State, there still is a gray area as to why Murray State has such a low amount of club sports. One difference between these schools and Murray State is the funding behind it. Western Kentucky University has a student activities fee that is included in a student’s tuition and fees that are paid annually. When a club sport needs funding, they have the chance to appeal to the student government and ask to receive some of the money, raised by the fee. The University of Kentucky has a $75 fee that is taken out of student fees and partly given to the campus recreation fund which helps assist club sports as needed. All three schools’ club sports fund raise for themselves, Western Kentucky and the University of Kentucky just receive more assistance from students than Murray State. Olivia Jacks, member of the rowing team, has seen the benefits of being on a team at Murray State. “‘The Murray State rowing team is less like a team and more like a family,” Jacks said. “I know that I can always count on them to have my back and I wouldn’t trade me experience with the rowing team for anything else.”
4A
April 24, 2015
The News
Opinion
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Our View
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TheNews.org Mary Bradley
Editor-in-Chief • 270-809-6877 mbradley9@murraystate.edu Mari-Alice Jasper News Editor • 270-809-4468 mjasper1@murraystate.edu Allison Borthwick Opinion Editor • 270-809-5873 aborthwick@murraystate.edu Breanna Sill Features Editor • 270-809-5871 bsill@murraystate.edu Kelsey Randolph Sports Editor • 270-809-4481 krandolph3@murraystate.edu Adrienne Vititoe Chief Copy Editor • 270-809-5876 avititoe@murraystate.edu Elizabeth Leggett Online Editor • 270-809-5877 eleggett@murraystate.edu Jenny Rohl 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 Cameron Witte Chief Videographer cwitte@murraystate.edu Joe Hedges Adviser • 270-809-3937 jhedges@murraystate.edu
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Katie Wilborn/The News
$25,000 donation more than just a check The staff editorial is the majority opinion of The Murray State News Editorial Board. $25,000 will be donated to the Murray State Office of LGBT Programming in the form of a five-year endowment by alumna Kristie Helms and her wife – an investment not just for financial support, but for hope as well. No matter the benefactor, a donation of any size by alumni means a great deal to the University and to its students. It’s one of the many examples of how we can continue to make a difference at Murray State after we graduate, and we should see more support like this from alumni in all aspects of the University. According to the Murray State Alumni Association website, more than 66,000 alumni have the opportunity to show this kind of support. There are 66,000 people who are supposed to be the most loyal and strongest supporters of Murray State. There are 66,000
people who have the best chance of promoting the University by word-of-mouth advocacy among their respective professional and social networks. Alumni are who we, as current students of Murray State, look up to as role models. They come back as speakers, professors and mentors to guide us to success after graduation so we, in turn, can do the same. We see their names on our academic buildings and second homes and wonder what greatness they achieved to attain that honor. Whether it be donating $5 or $25,000, attending University events or helping recruit future Racers, Murray State still needs you after you graduate. Support of any kind for the LGBT community, however, is something the Office of LGBT Programming struggles with gaining and will likely continue
to struggle with. Regardless of the good this office does for the University by providing services like the Safe Zone and educational programming, there is a negative stigma with the LGBT community that some people still can’t look past. If a donation was made to any other organization, those not involved in that organization might not even hear about it. We here about this donation, though, because of how controversial the particular cause is. A long-term endowment validates and confirms there is some progress for the efforts of LGBT advocates. Despite Murray State being located in the “Bible Belt” of Kentucky, there is hope. There is hope for people who have come out, but feel ostracized. There is hope for people who haven’t come out because they’re afraid.
There is hope for an advocate to speak up and say, “These people are my friends, and there’s nothing wrong with them. I support them and they are no different than you or me,” without fear of backlash. There is hope that acceptance and awareness will overshadow hatred and ignorance. This money is a message to the University and to the surrounding western Kentucky community that The Office of LGBT Programming, Alliance and their supporters aren’t going anywhere. Generous donations like the Kristie Helms and Kathryn Carter Nettles Fund for Excellence and Acceptance and Awareness will see to that. No matter what you believe, believe this: Murray State and its students need your support after you graduate. How will you contribute?
A Creative Take
Confessions of a First-Year Graduate
She’s telling me about all the students who don’t know what to do and, while my head is nodding and mouth is smiling, my brain is thinking that was me. The professor I’m talking to continues to describe what I’m taking upon myself to name: student disilluKaylan Thompson sionment. Graduate student stu-dent dis-ill-u-sionfrom Murray ment (noun) 1. The false sense of security college students fall prey to that hides reality and leads them into believing they are a perpetual student. 2. A blackhole of apathy. I’m nearing the end of my second semester of graduate courses in mass communications and I’m just now exploring career options. Why? Because I was one of the students she’s talking about, one of the suckers pulled into student disillusionment. I took no time off between undergrad and graduate school, switching gears from creative writing to journalism
partly because I didn’t want to bet my future success on my ability to write fiction and mostly because I felt lost. My plan was to buy myself some time. If the time you’re buying is graduate school hours, you must really need it. I can’t tell you how many fellow classmates from undergraduate jumped into graduate school because they had no idea where they were headed outside of Murray State. And I can’t tell you how many times in those four years I didn’t think about a career. Here’s my point. It’s OK not to know, but it’s not OK to not search until you do. There are a lot of “nots” in there, so I’ll break it down. It’s not OK to coast through school without actively researching and learning where it could take you. Many enter college knowing what they want to do, so they take the path that gets them there. Many more enter college knowing what they like or what they are good at, so they take the path that allows them to explore. This path is great. It’s the one I took, but it’s also the dangerous one. It’s the one most susceptible to Student Disillusionment. My memories of undergrad are light and airy. I remember the evening workshops, sitting next to the window and tracking the progression of the seasons until spring. I remember living with my grandmother and our Jimmy Fallon-watching date nights. I remember meeting my best friend who then turned into my husband, but I don’t remember once thinking seriously about my plans after college. I had been lured into student disillusion-
ment. I felt as if I would always and only exist in this world where I binge watch “Lost,” eat peanut butter crackers with my grandmother and occasionally turn in a paper. So, you can imagine my surprise when graduate school shocked me with its change of pace. I realized quickly that I better start running, because everyone else seemed to be strides ahead. Maybe they’re all good at faking it, but I’m believing them. For a while now I’ve been researching the prospect of teaching in college, which brings me back to the conversation I’m having with this professor. “It’s saddening the number of seniors who approach me, crying,” she says. “They beg me to tell them what to do next, to tell them what jobs to apply for and what they can do with the degree they acquired. All I can tell them is that’s what college was for, to discover those things.” I can feel the guttural heaviness of being completely lost, the feeling I’m sure her students were overcome by. The only thing I can think is, why did I not care sooner? I’m on the right path now, but how far ahead would I be if I was checking out all these library books on teaching sooner? How much more would I know if I actually read, not skimmed, all those textbooks I rented? I was tricked into thinking college was a ride. It’s fun, that’s true; these have been the best years of my life, but the haze of my disillusionment is fading. I’m visualizing my goal far ahead, and I’m wishing I was much closer to it.
The News
Opinion
April 24, 2015
Letter to the Editor
As an RA, this story really hits home with me. During training, we are told to help victims of rape and to lead them to the offices on campus that will help them. From this story, it sounds like the process that University leaders preach about and support full-heartedly is not efficient. From my experiences in Housing, I think Murray State needs to work on its consequences when students break rules or policies. Some rules are repeatedly broken and nothing seems to be done, such as visitation policy violations or showing their ID at the door. Everything is a “gray area,” and nothing seems to be done, like the police officer told Smith her drunken state was a “gray area.” If Murray State wants a safe learning environment, rules and policies, as well as important judicial processes like this, need to be reviewed and taken more seriously. I wish Smith all the best and I am extremely saddened by her situation.
Alissa Sommerfeldt Sophomore from Owensboro, Ky.
I know it’s very trendy to link fraternities and rape culture right now, but I think the larger story here is how difficult it is to file sexual assault charges within the University system. Anyone who knows Mike Young will tell you there is no way he would ever protect a rapist. Ever. So instead of trying to pin this on him, look closer at the difficulty of pursuing charges within the University framework in general. She went to the Women’s Center, then the counseling center – both those delayed her and/or couldn’t help. She reported to police, who apparently told her she didn’t have a case to bring, is what I’m getting? So she went the University route, but that’s not the same as going to the police and getting charges filed. What this story leaves out is what is ideally supposed to happen. What is best practice? Where did this fall apart? Instead of hinging the story on blaming one man, look at the failures from the moment she sought help. Because that is what’s going to effect change for women on campus. That is what is going to make a difference
to the next woman who needs help. I think looking at the first places she went is interesting – those are totally logical to me. I’m surprised and disappointed they couldn’t offer her guidance. That would be a good opportunity for positive change. Having something as simple as a sheet that victims are handed at the Title IX offices telling them what to expect and what the procedure is in these cases -- letting them have some sense of control back would probably help alleviate some of the pain of feeling out of control. There are many opportunities for improvement here, and I think implying there was some sort of coverup would be a shame because it would miss these many ways the system can be improved for all women.
Alyson McNutt English Alumna from Huntsville, Ala.
5A These are Facebook comments responding to the article “It had taken over my life.“ The News reserves the right to publish Facebook comments and messages, as the Facebook page is considered an open public forum.
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
A rambling rant on communication technology The Internet is slow today (Tuesday). Interacting with colleagues and students in the very same building is frustrated because somehow, somewhere a fragile fiber optic cable was broken. We depend on webbased applications for almost everything. Teaching and Kevin Qualls learning, getting a Professor of prescription remass communications filled, filing taxes and even making a phone call are all dependent on the Internet working properly. Whether by cyber attack or backhoe incident, all it takes to stop us dead in our tracks is a fiber-optic fracture. We are extremely vulnerable. Yes, there are concerns about privacy, government spying, hacking and the sort. But there is something much more at stake because of our dependency on fiber optics. Our personal security is at risk. More on that later. Not making a lot of progress on the office computer, I went home at lunch to see what could be accomplished there. No Internet at all. No tele-
phone. Every channel on the TV frozen on whatever frame was being displayed when that bit of fiber was broken. All those services are bundled on a single copper coax cable. And that copper coax cable is part of a larger grid belonging to Time Warner Cable. They are out of business today, too. Go to their office, and they can’t do a thing for you. Not until they have net access again.
“
Whether by cyber attack or
backhoe incident, all it takes to stop us dead in our tracks is a
fiber-optic fracture. We are extremely vulnerable.
- Kevin Qualls
”
When the Internet was working this morning, I saw news headlines about the country of Denmark doing away with FM radio altogether. That’s stupid. We’ll probably follow suit in the USA soon enough. Wireless communication sounds pretty appealing when wired communication is completely shut down by natural disaster, terrorist attack, or whatever. But cell phone companies need more bandwidth. And they have a powerful lobbying group. CTIA, aka “the wireless association” represents the interests of cell phone companies in efforts to get favorable legislation for the cell phone industry. I think CTIA is an acronym for Cellular Telephone Industry Association. I would
look it up to be sure, but can’t because of that broken fiber-optic cable. Anyway, let’s talk about CTIA. Maybe you’ve seen their commercials. Really well done. Clever. It shows smart looking people accomplishing impressive things through cell phone technology. They use the tag line: “Wireless is Freedom.” Bovine excrement. They are not advertising to you. They are buying influence with TV networks that, coincidently, are not telling you what CTIA is up to. CTIA is petitioning Congress and the FCC to sell at auction the public airwaves that are owned by us all, collectively. It’ s been happening already. They want more. Digital TV transmissions only use about one sixth of the bandwidth that analogue transmissions required. That’s why some TV stations have several channels now. WPSD has Retro-TV, for example. They are licensed to use airwaves that are owned by us. In return, they are supposed to operate in our interest, convenience or necessity. And they do, especially when the weather outside is frightful. I hope there are no tornadoes in the area today. TV stations come to me over Time Warner and they’ve got a broken piece of fiber. It’s time to kick it old school. I want an antenna. FCC coverage maps say that up to 8 HDTV over-the-air stations could be received in Murray, with an antenna up on the roof. And it’s free. Still, those TV stations aren’t talking about what CTIA is doing. But now you know something is up. You read about it right here in The Murray State News. Maybe you could Google it when the Internet is working again.
Jeers to ... Final papers/projects.
Cheers and Jeers
Cheers to ... One more week. We’ve officially got one more week of classes, y’all! We can do it. I’m coughing my lungs out and using any tissue I can get my hands on while writing this, but even I’m optimistic. One more week of papers, projects and presentations stands between us and finals.
It happens every year. We know it’s coming. It’s like seeing a dust storm rise up miles in front of you and being powerless to stop it from making impact. The final papers, projects and presentations struggle is an intense one. When it rains, it pours.
Cheers and Jeers is written by the Opinion Editor.
Jeers to ... Global warming.
Cheers to ... Experiential learning.
Questions, comments or concerns should be addressed to aborthwick@murraystate.edu
Comic
Apparently the world is two degrees Celsius away from the risk of “super droughts, extinctions and worse,“ according to CNN. com. They’re predicting it will be a “climate catastrophe.“ I’ve seen The Day After Tomorrow too many times to be okay with this notion. Sorry, Al Gore.
Seeing events around campus like the Quality Enhancement Plan’s “Real World Market“ and the study abroad fair surely makes the University proud. Students are also getting excited for summer internships. This is experiential learning at its finest.
I have a lot of feelings See existential crisis below
There is no true way to prove my existence. Everything I have ever said or done during the 21 years and two months I have “been” could be a fabrication of my imagination Allison Borthwick – or yours. I don’t know if Opinion Editor I am real. I don’t know if you are real. I don’t know if the keyboard I am typing on is real, or if you can even read the words I am typing with it. I can look into a mirror and justify my existence for a brief moment that way, until I consider the possible nonexistence of that mirror. I can ask a complete stranger if they can see me too, but I could very well be talking to thin air. I can ask my parents to send a copy of my birth certificate, but there is no way of knowing whether or not they are real, whether or not the piece of paper is real or whether or not I was born physically and not mentally. I could be the side effect of somebody’s brain tumor, and that freaks me out a little bit. I never really thought about any of this until now. I have thought about the possibility of an existence after life, sure. The idea that one day everything will end, totally and completely, without my awareness of it even happening terrifies me. I am not afraid of dying. I am afraid of not living after dying. I don’t care if I am reincarnated as a manatee, doomed to haunt this newsroom for all eternity or destined for heaven. I just cannot bear the thought of this life being it. There is immortality in nonexistence. I don’t think I can actually justify my existence without living within someone else’s. When I was a kid, I used to look out the window of my mom’s van and try to make eye-contact with the people we passed. I vividly remember looking into the eyes of a boy that was about my age and wondering what he was seeing at that exact moment. He had a blonde bowl-style haircut, blue eyes and a red T-shirt. I wondered what he thought about having a blonde bowl-style haircut, blue eyes, and a red T-shirt on. I wondered where he was going. I wondered who was driving him. I wondered if he was happy. Most importantly, I was wondering if he could see me and if he was wondering any of the same things about me. If he didn’t see me, it could have been because he was zoning out and in a world of his own thoughts that I so deeply, and weirdly, wanted to experience as well. Within a few seconds, I contemplated more about another boy’s life than I ever had my own. I know what you’re thinking: “Who hired this girl? What kind of weirdos work at The News? She took 4/20 a little too seriously this year.” The Editorial Board hired me. I am a proud, stone-cold weirdo. And wrong – never have I ever smoked marijuana. I’m just a 21 year old thinking a bit too much about life. Ever heard of a quarter-life crisis? You’re looking at one! I’m going to graduate in about a year, so I guess it’s better I start questioning things like this now than when people expect me to act and think like a fully functioning adult whatever that means. aborthwick@murraystate.edu
Relax By Jade Simpson
The News
News
6A
April 24, 2015
Murray State wins third at “Chainless Challenge” Mari-Alice Jasper || News Editor
trol technologies and systems. The company’s goal is to solve some of the world’s greatest engineering challenges, according to their website. Ten teams including competitors from Purdue University, University of Akron and the Illinois Institute of Technology participated in the 2015 Chainless Challenge. The Chainless Challenge is one way Parker Hannifin is working to attack these challenges head on. Hays said Parker Hannifin transports the competitors by shuttling them to the air field where the competition took place via charter bus. “As soon as you get off that bus though,” he said. “That’s when things get serious.” Hays said the questions from multiple judges out in the field were the most frustrating part of the competition. Competitors were required to give a presentation on their design to leaders at Parker Hannifin as well as get their bike back in working condition before the competition begins. Hays said all of the air and fluids in the bike had to be removed from the bike before it was transported to California. “The team has three to four hours to prepare your bike before the competition begins,” he said. “You have to replace the fluids in the bike and the air in the tires.”
mjasper1@murraystate.edu
Using hydraulics and a lot of pedal power, three engineering students from Murray State brought home third this month in the national Parker Hannifin “Chainless Challenge” in Irvine, California.
THE UNDERDOGS
The three members of the smallest team competing in the Chainless Challenge this year, Morgan Hays, junior from Murray, Alex Derick, sophomore from Owensboro, Ky., and Majed Dukhi D Alotibi, senior from Saudi Arabia, had their work cut out for them. Hays said he and the other members spent many late nights in the hydraulics lab at Murray State working on the bike, chugging coffee from Future Grounds to keep themselves going. “We definitely felt like the underdogs going into this competition,” he said. Sidney Martin, Science Engineering and Technology professor and adviser for the Murray State Chainless Challenge team, said the competition inspires students to advance the technology as much as possible. “The most efficient way to make a bicycle go is with a chain,” he said. “But they are always trying to find new controls.” Engineering students from Murray State have been participating in the Chainless Challenge since 2005 and were defending champions from last year. Competitors have to build a working bicycle using compression rather than a chain to keep it going.
THE BIKE REDESIGNED
Martin said the Murray State team entered a three-wheel bike in which the seat is lower and the pedals are higher. This recumbent style bike and has two wheels in the front and one wheel in the back. He said the team started working on the design during the fall semester. “At the time we knew our bike was too heavy,” he said. “So we redesigned the bike to eliminate as much weight as possible.” Martin said before the redesign, they were using hydraulic accumulators that weigh about 45 pounds each. This year, they swapped to a newer model that is about half the
LOOKING TO NEXT YEAR
Courtesy of Sidney Martin
Morgan Hays, junior from Murray, pedals the bike the Murray State team designed for the Parker Hannifin “Chainless Challenge.” size and half the weight of the older accumulators. The maximum weight for the bike to compete is 225 pounds, according to the Chainless Challenge rulebook. The bike the Murray State team submitted weighed 242 pounds, so the team lost some points, but they were still able to compete. Martin said parts of the transmission were sent to Engineering Graphic and Design students who used 3D printing to change originally metal parts into plastic, lighter parts. The transmission on the bike is a five speed Baker transmission equipped with custom gear ratios to make the bike work. Using a 3D printer saved the team about 7 pounds in weight overall.
Martin said for the bike to work, the rider has to pedal the bike as hard as possible to build up 4,000 pounds per square inch of compression. This pressure is then applied to a fluid: hydraulic oil. The oil flows through the motor and spins the gears causing the rear wheel to turn and move the bike forward. Martin said it takes about 10 minutes to fully “charge” the bike. “Within those 10 minutes, we sometimes have to change peddlers three times because they get tired,” he said.
COMPETING IN CALIFORNIA
At the competition, teams subjected their bikes to three tests to determine the designs’ strengths and
weaknesses. The drag race is a 200-yard sprint for the bikes. The efficiency test determines which team’s bike can push the most weight the farthest. The distance test, a six and a half mile race, aims to see how far the bike can go after being fully charged once. The Murray State team won first place in the sprint race and won third place in the efficiency test. “Our bike is like a racehorse,” Martin said. “We go really fast for a short, defined distance.” Hays said he thought the competition went smoothly and that it was organized well. Parker Hannifin, a billion dollar global company, is the world’s leading manufacturer of motion and con-
Hays said he participated in the competition this year because he wanted the program at Murray State to keep going. “Next year I want to deal more with the electrical side of the bike,” he said. “I want to try adding ‘Raspberry Pi’ to the system.” Hays said the competition was an experience beneficial to his future career, because of the networking students were able to do while in California. “Parker Hannifin is pulling students from the competition for employment,” he said. Hays encouraged other students to get involved with the competition because of the experience, but also because of the fun he had working with his colleagues. “The three of us are the old team now,” he said. “But we want to help students that are a part of the new team to help them be successful.”
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April 24, 2015
Section B
The News
Sports Editor: Kelsey Randolph Phone: 809-4481 Twitter: MSUSportsNews
Sports
Title IX
unintended effects Kalli Bubb/The News
Need for balance causes inadvertent results to men’s sports
Blake Bernier || Staff writer
dbernier@murraystate.edu
A review of sports programs offered at universities across the country shows that nearly twice as many women’s sports are available in comparison to
men’s sports – a continuing ripple effect of Title IX. That’s not quite the case at Murray State. Beyond the coed rifle team, there are five men’s sports that are scholarship-funded compared to eight for women’s sports. Because of the complex way that scholarships are calculated – taking into consideration in-state versus outof-state tuition – Murray State had more scholarships available for men’s sports in 201415. The original purpose of the 47-year-old federal law was to create equality between genders in the academic and athletic areas of universities. “No person in the United States shall, on the basis of
sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving federal financial assistance,” reads the first line of the bill. In 1972, when Congress passed the bill, the number of women represented in collegiate sports was 29,997 compared to 170,384 for men. In the meantime the number of girls and women participating in all levels of athletics through college jumped from 295,000 in 1971 to 2.8 million in 2001, according to the National Coalition for Women and Girls in Education. Girls made up 41.5 percent of all varsity athletes in 2001.
In order to comply with the new law, schools had to create a level of equality in sports offered as well as scholarships. This meant numbers would be tabulated each year to determine if a school had met the requirements. According to the NCAA website, “Under Title IX there are no sport exclusions or exceptions. Individual participation opportunities (number of student-athletes participating rather than number of sports) in all men’s and women’s sports are counted in determining whether an institution meets Title IX participation standards.” One issue with this is that there are no women’s sports equivalent to football. Foot-
ball takes up a majority of the scholarships allotted for the men’s athletics across the nation and in order to balance it, multiple women’s sports are required. Murray State offers the equivalent of 63 scholarships for the football team. Coaches can award 63 full rides to players or provide partial scholarships to more players – as long as the total amount adds up to the equivalent of 63 scholarships. The sport with the next highest number of scholarships is women’s track and cross-country with the equivalent of 18. “Title IX does not require reductions in opportunities for male student-athletes,” according to NCAA.org. “One
of the purposes is to create the same opportunity and quality of treatment for both female and male student-athletes. Eliminating men’s sports programs is not the intent of Title IX. The intent of Title IX is to bring treatment of the disadvantaged gender up to the level of the advantaged group.” Reductions may not be the intent of Title IX, but that is the effect that it has on athletic departments across the nation. Tulsa University, a school once known for baseball, was forced to eliminate baseball in 1980 entirely in order to balance the men’s and women’s
see TITLE IX, 2B
Back to back tennis champions Blake Bernier || Staff writer dbernier@murraystate.edu
The women’s tennis team defeated Eastern Kentucky in the championship match on April 19 for the second straight year to win the OVC title. After finishing the regular season as co-champions with Eastern, the Racers showed their postseason prowess by beating Eastern Illinois 4-0 in the semifinals then following it with a 4-2 victory over Eastern. The title was the eighth in Racer history and the first for Head Coach Jorge Caetano, who took over in August. “It was a close match,” Caetano said. “We took the crucial doubles point and after that we got started in the singles but with only four courts we only had 1-4 playing, and we lost the first set in three of the four matches.” The match was a mirror image to the previous meetings between the two teams. In the regular season the Racers beat Eastern 5-2 and in last year’s championship match, the Racers won 4-1. In the 2015 championship, senior Andrea Eskauriatza
WHAT’S
INSIDE
clinched the match point by defeating the OVC Player of the Year, Amandine Faouzi from Eastern, despite losing the first set. “I’m so happy for her,” Caetano said. “She really played her heart out and she deserved it so much. I’m really happy that she was able to win her final match in the OVC.” Caetano said that Eskauriatza was challenged by leg cramps in the third set but pushed through the pain to secure the victory. After the match was over she went to the trainers to get full body cramps evaluated. In the race for four points in the competition, the Racers struck first. Winning the doubles point and taking a 1-0 lead was the formula the Racers used all season long. Freshman Nancy Karaky, the OVC Freshman of the Year, was the first to complete a singles match and earned the Racers their second point. The next two matches were wins by Eastern and that left the score tied at 2-2. Sophomore Alena Vasileva completed her match and the Racers regained the lead with two matches still in progress.
Eskauriatza was up in the second set after dropping the first, making a third set imminent. Meanwhile, junior Erin Patton had won 6-1 in the first set of her match. With a title on the line, Eskauriatza closed out her match, winning sets two and three 6-4, 6-4 for the deciding point in the competition. Once the title was won, the remaining match was stopped. Patton was one game from the victory as the score was 5-1. After winning the first set, Patton needed just two points to win her match, but with Eskauriatza gaining the deciding team point, the final points were never played. With the NCAA Tournament around the corner, Patton will be putting her undefeated record on the line again. The last time a women’s tennis player went undefeated for an entire season was in 1968 when Martie Bastin went 10-0. Now the Racers wait to find out from the NCAA on who they will match up against in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The selection show will be at 4 p.m. April 28.
Kory Savage/The News
Junior Megan Blue prepares for her singles match against Jacksonville State on April 11.
OVC THREE
LOSING STREAK
Softball moves to the number three spot, 3B
Racer baseball record 10 losses Murray Half Marathon draws so far, 4B record crowd, 5B
HALF MARATHON
PICKET FENCE New store opens in Olympic plaza, 6B
The News
Sports
2B
TITLE IX From Page 1
sports. Its baseball team reached the College World Series twice, once in 1969 and again in 1971, and finished as high as second in 1969. “Rising cost of the sport and the expense of establishing full women’s sports at the school made the decision necessary,” according to an April 12, 1980 article in Victoria Advocate. Margaret Simmons, a member of the NCAA Track and Field Hall of Fame and an alumna, said she believes there needs to be some form of change because Title IX forced Murray State to eliminate a once
successful men’s track team. “We had to drop men’s track because of numbers because we had too many men’s athletes,” Simmons said. “So we had to reduce the number of men athletes and the easiest way to do it was to take away men’s track and add golf, softball and rowing in order to balance the numbers.” Women’s golf was added in 1993 and rowing began as a club sport in 1996, with the women’s team being elevated to NCAA status in 1998. In 2008, softball was introduced and replaced rowing. After changing men’s track to a non-scholarship sport in 2004, Murray State faced challenges in maintaining a roster and meeting academic progress rates as per NCAA guidelines. This led to the sport being cut
April 24, 2015
completely from the University’s athletics program in 2006. For the time being, Murray State’s proportionality is stable, but that could change in the future. Since 2007 Murray State’s enrollment trend has been roughly 60 percent female and 40 percent male. “I believe we are currently in a strong position as it relates to our ability to be in compliance with Title IX,” said Director of Athletics Allan Ward. “Now should the trend in enrollment swing more toward females in the future, it would certainly cause us to look at what we’d need to do to stay aligned proportionally.” Simmons has a simple solution to halt the cutting of programs: don’t count football when counting the numbers to verify compliance. However, Ward believes that
without football in the mix, the growth in women’s sports likely wouldn’t have been as dramatic, and some of the men’s sports eliminated might still be competing. It’s not a new idea by any means. In 1974, just two years after the law’s enactment, U.S. Sen. John Tower of Texas, proposed an amendment to exempt the revenue-producing sports from Title IX compliance. The amendment was rejected. Less than a year later a revised version appeared in Congress but it died in committee before reaching the House floor. Ward said he thinks a change to the wording of Title IX to exclude revenue producing sports could benefit universities nationwide but he doesn’t see it happening anytime in the near future.
Graphic by Taylor McStoots/The News
Kalli Bubb/The News
Redshirt sophomore wide receiver Jordan Brown practices during spring play before their opening game Friday.
Fall 2015 Football Schedule Date
School
Time
Sept. 9
Kentucky Wesleyan
6 p.m.
Sept. 12
Northern Illinois
TBA
Sept. 19
Western Michigan
TBA
Sept. 26
Tennessee Tech
6 p.m.
Oct. 3
Southern Missouri State
6 p.m.
Oct. 10
Austin Peay State
3 p.m.
Oct 24
UT Martin
TBA
Oct. 31
Eastern Illinois
1 p.m.
Nov. 7
Tennessee State
TBA
Nov. 14
Eastern Kentucky
1 p.m.
Nov. 21
Jacksonville State
1 p.m.
* Bold denotes home games
From the sidelines
Objectively biased Journalism is a peculiar profession. The job of a journalist is to inform their readers, viewers or listeners of current news that is timely, significant, proximate, Mallory Tucker prominent or Staff writer involves a matter of human interest. And while our duty is to disseminate news, it is also our duty to do so in an interesting, story form. Just as famous authors capture the impressions of their era through their fictional work, journalists do the same through truth. In our modern world, news can be distributed easily and immediately in 140 characters or less, yet I struggle to agree with the notion that social media and bystander journalism is the new norm of the field. Yes, they are both important factors, but they will never, in my opinion, completely replace the art of journalism. In The Elements of Journalism, Bill Kovach and Tom Rosenstiel said: “The purpose of journalism is not defined by technology, nor by journalists or the techniques they employ. The principles and purpose of journalism are defined by something more basic: the function news plays in the lives of people.” Journalism, in other words, is about touching peoples’ lives. If journalism as a whole is peculiar, which I believe it to be, sports journalism is twice as strange. The biggest difference between newswriting and sports writing is that of the connection between athletes, coaches, fans and programs and the reporters that cover them. While investigative reporters sometimes write news series that extend over a length of time, causing the journalist to form a relationship with his or her sources, this is the norm in sports journalism, not a once-a-year feature. Yes, reporters on police and various other beats form a repertoire as they speak to the same people day in and day out. But as they yearn to learn about the news their sources possess, sports reporters yearn to learn about the lives their sources lead. We sit down for extended periods of time with athletes for features, we interview them week after week at press conferences and we sit in the same seat on press row game after game. For beat reporters, the story doesn’t ever stop. There’s always a “What’s next?” and there’s always a relationship that can’t be undone. That’s where things can get tricky, sticky and downright messy. It’s always said that journalists aren’t at a game for the win or the loss; they’re there for the story. But when you’ve gone to every game and you’ve learned every backstory, it’s hard not to secretly – and I mean secretly – hope for a specific outcome. When you know the significance of a game to players, coaches and fans, it’s hard not to wish the best for the people you spend all of your professional time with. Unless you’re heartless and incapable of forming normal relationships, in which case I suppose journalism is a great field for you. The greatest journalists have recognized, addressed and managed this issue – that of objectivity – to the best of their abilities so that those who follow in their footsteps can better understand the role it plays. Kovach and Rosenstiel describe objectivity as “one of the great confusions about journalism.” According to the two world-renowned journalists, objectivity is not meant to imply that journalists are free of bias, rather that they develop a consistent method of testing information. This development, when used in all journalism, ensures that biases don’t undermine the accuracy of a journalists’ work. As long as a piece is fair, accurate and true, bias should not be a defining factor, no matter the connection a writer has made with a subject during their time working together. Louisville, Ky., native (and crazy person) Hunter S. Thompson once said: “So much for objective journalism. Don’t bother to look for it here – not under any byline of mine; or anyone else I can think of. With the possible exception of things like box scores, race results, and stock market tabulations, there is no such thing as objective journalism. The phrase itself is a pompous contradiction in terms.” Although Thompson, a Gonzo journalist, took writer-source relationships to extremes, I think he has a point. What I’m trying to say is this: It’s hard. It’s difficult to be a beat reporter, a university reporter and a sports reporter. It’s difficult to remain objective and impossible to remain unbiased. As we sit in interviews, nodding in agreement with our interviewee, laughing when they laugh and crying when they cry, it’s hard to undermine our human nature, and it’s even harder to touch our audience if we aren’t touched by our sources. mtucker11@murraystate.edu
The News
Sports
April 24, 2015
3B
Racers move to spot three Racer softball bumped to third place in OVC standings after loss to Jacksonville State John Morris
Contributing writer jmorris36@murraystate.edu
After sweeping doubleheaders against Evansville on Tuesday and Tennessee Tech on Sunday the Racers are on a four-game win streak. But the team has to make up for a costly series Saturday against Jacksonville State, which is second in the OVC, that knocked the Racers (29-16, 14-7) back to third place. “This weekend was one of those weekends; we let Jacksonville slip away with two wins but bounced back on Sunday and took two from Tech,” said sophomore infielder Maggie Glass. Racers were second in the OVC standings but have fallen to third after losing to Jacksonville State with a score of 2-8 in game one and 2-5 in game two. Game one showed some pitching woes with the Racers going through three pitchers. The pitchers gave up a combined eight runs with four walks and two strikeouts.
Mo Ramsey led the Racers in game one and went 3-for-4 with an RBI and a run. Jessica Twaddle also stared going 2-for-4. Game two finished early with Jacksonville State getting two walks which brought home. The Racers battled back getting a run in the fifth and sixth. Jacksonville State came away with a pair of runs from two walks in the bottom of the sixth. Mallory Young ended the day going 2-for-2 and Shelbey Miller was 1-for-2 with a run and a double. The Racers picked up by sweeping Tennessee Tech on Sunday. The Racers took a 4-0 shutout win in game one. Glass finished the sweep scoring a solo home run. CheyAnne Gaskey didn’t allow a run all game and pitched her fourth shutout of the season. In game two the Racers used a 10-run rally to end the game 14-5. The Racers started out fast in game two getting two runs from Twaddle and Ramsey.
The Racers got another two runs from a walk by Glass and a homerun from Taylor Odom, her fourth of the season. The game was hit with a 83-minute rain delay and after the delay passed Tennessee Tech earned five runs. The game was a 5-4 in the seventh. Ramsey scored and Shelbey Miller made a single to tie it. After a double from Jocelynn Rodgers to make it 7-5 and a homerun by Glass, Murray State would go on to score five more runs in the seventh, totaling 10 runs on 11 hits in the frame. According to GoRacers. com, the 18 hits tie the program record for most in a game, while the 14 runs rank fifth. Twaddle led Murray in game two by making a career-high 4-for-5 with two RBIs and three runs, while Ramsey was 3-for-5 with three runs and an RBI and Howard was 3-for-4 with a run. Gaskey moved to 15-8 with the relief win, allowing no runs on just one hit with three strikeouts over 1.1 innings.
Jenny Rohl/The News
The Racers acknowledge Southeast Missouri after the Redhawk’s loss on April 11 and 12.
Women drop championship Men’s golf tees off to OVC Mallory Tucker || Staff writer
Mallory Tucker || Staff writer mtucker11@murraystate.edu
mtucker11@murraystate.edu
The women’s golf team was unable to repeat their OVC Championship performance from last year and come home with a title, but sophomore Minta Yin placed second overall as the team took home sixth of the 10 OVC teams April 22 at Hampton Cove, a Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail in Owens Crossroads, Ala. “We did (hope for better),” Head Coach Velvet Milkman told GoRacers.com. “But I saw a lot of positives this week, especially Minta. We’re a young team and I think that showed with nerves and that kind of thing. The future is bright for our program if we keep working hard and keep improving.” Finishing the first round in fifth place with a total score of 312 and improving to tie for fourth with 306 at the end of the second round, the Racers tallied another 306 finish Wednesday but were unable to catch fifth place Morehead State, just four strokes below. Tournament champion Eastern Kentucky finished just one stroke ahead of second place Jacksonville State. Yin carded rounds of 74-74-70=218, just one stroke above medalist Sofie Levin of Eastern Kentucky. Junior Abbi Stamper, sophomore Jacklyn Van Meter, freshman Moa Folke and junior Sophie Hillier rounded out the course for the Racers, with respective scores of 229, 239, 242 and 246.
The men’s golf team tees off in the first round of the OVC championship Friday in Muscle Shoals, Ala. With a two week break since their last tournament, Tennessee State’s Big Blue Intercollegiate in Nashville, Tenn., the team has been preparing by traveling to various courses in the area more similar to The Shoals, the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail that the men will compete on, including the Paducah Country Club in Paducah, Ky., and the Tennessean in Springville, Tenn. The final lineup of the season has been set by Head Coach Eddie Hunt, and it includes senior Jordan Smith and juniors Duncan McCormick, Brock Simmons, Jordan Gosser and Preston French. Of the five, Simmons is the only golfer that hasn’t competed in the OVC Championship. “We looked at the last two tournaments,” Hunt said. “And those five really played better than everybody else. And I think over the year, that was our best lineup. Experience-wise, I think that they earned a spot. I think we’ve got a good group.” Jacksonville State is a favored team heading into the tournament, but Hunt thinks every team is just as capable of taking home a title. “I think it’s really kind of wide open,” Hunt
Team name
Sorority
Record
1. Tri Sigma 2. AOII Pandas
4-0 3-0
Residential College 1. White Sharks Girls A 2. Lizo A
Team name
Fraternity
Record
1. Lambda Chi Alpha 2. Pi Kappa Alpha 3. Alpha Sigma Phi
3-1 2-1 2-1
Intramural Soccer
Regents Rhinos fall to Springer-Franklin A
Residential College 5-0 4-1
Independent A 1. Ballz Deep 2. A-TEAM
Courtesy of Dave Winder
Sophie Hillier from Sandy, England drives the ball down the green.
said. “I think it’s going to be that type of tournament, whoever’s really playing good and gets three solid rounds, I think that’s who’s going to win.” The Racers’ recurring downfall this season has been two strong rounds of golf with a third faulty round falling somewhere within the tournament. Hunt is confident that each of the five golfers to play this weekend can contribute three solid rounds. He said the lone senior, Smith, leads by example through his work ethic. “Since I’ve been coaching golf, he’s probably the hardest worker,” Hunt said. “We’ve had some great players come through Murray State, but overall he’s probably the hardest worker that I’ve had in the 13 to 14 years. And I think that really shows in his play.” As conference awards are announced this week, Smith is definitely in the running. The team traveled and got in a practice round Wednesday, which Hunt believes to be an advantage over some teams that got into Alabama later. His biggest concern, however, is getting in the three scheduled rounds. “I’ve got my fingers crossed that we get three really good days of play in,” Hunt said. “Because in the past – I think the last four or five years – we’ve had to just complete the tournament with two rounds and not play the third round. And I don’t think that’s fair for anybody. A lot can happen in a round of golf.”
1. Hart A 2. White Sharks 3. Lizo A
6-1 5-2 5-2
Independent A 5-0 5-1
1. SSO 2. AL AIN FC
7-0 5-1
Independent B Results are as of Tuesday. Standings courtesy of IMLeagues.
1. Bani Yas 2. Man Chest Hair United
6-0 5-0
Photos by Nicole Ely/The News
COLD START: (Above, left) A Regents Rhino player follows the ball down the field Tuesday. (Above, right) A Springer-Franklin A player steals the ball from a Regents Rhino player to take the win during Tuesday’s intramural game.
Sports
4B
Racers run to improve across the board John Morris || Staff writer jmorris36@murraystate.edu
The Racers showed improvement at Austin Peay State Saturday with multiple athletes improving in their events. “We made some really big steps in some areas that we needed to,” said Head Coach Jenny Severns. “You can tell all the hard work is starting to pay off and people are starting to see improvements in their performances.” Severns said she is pleased with the way the team is performing. She said she wants to make sure the women are working hard but have time to rest themselves after not having much of a break going from this winter’s indoor season straight to outdoor. The Racers are two meets away from the OVC Tournament. “I definitely think we’re in a much better place than we were in indoor and we’re in a much better place then we were even a couple weeks ago,” Severns said. With OVC being so close, health is big factor for the Racers going forward. “We’re still kind of being cautious with some people just to be safe we’re like 95 percent healthy,” Severns said. The Racers got a preview of championships on Saturday as they competed against OVC opponents Austin Peay, Jacksonville State, Belmont, Tennessee Tech, along with non-conference teams from Western Kentucky, Lipscomb and Loyola-New Orleans. • Tonia Pratt took first in all three events she competed in. She topped the shot put with a distance of 14.71 meter. She followed that with a throw of 47.00m in the discus, while picking up a 52.35m throw in the hammer throw. • Kiara Austin set a personal record in the triple jump that also landed her in second on the Murray State All Time Best list. She jumped 12.34 meter, which was good for third place. • Brittany Bohn finished second in the 800 meter with a time of 2 minutes 14.35 seconds. • Emani Griffin and Heatherly Paschall set personal records in the event with times of 2:24.39 and 2:34.42, respectively. • Lexy Schleper threw the discus 35.70 meter for a personal record. Her 27.03 meter javelin throw also was a new personal record. She also competed in the hammer and threw 38.93m. • Taylor McCammon set a personal record in the high jump when she cleared 1.54 meter. Taylor Horton also set a personal record of 1.49m. • Darcy Sullivan set a personal record in the hammer throw with a distance of 28.08m. • Anna Curlin came out of the 400 meter with a personal record as she finished fifth in 59.02. • Jill Jachino set a personal record in the long jump when she finished seventh with a jump of 4.97 meter. • Deja Rodgers set a personal record in the 200 meter dash when she finished in 25.44. “I’m confident in the way we’re going; we’re definitely going in the right direction,” Severns said. The Racers travel to Arkansas State Friday and Saturday for the A-State Red Wolves Open.
The News
April 24, 2015
Racers stretch to 10 losses Blake Bernier || Staff writer dbernier@murraystate.edu
It’s been a tough stretch for the Racers. They have lost 10 consecutive games. There are only 12 OVC games remaining in the season and the Racers (14-28, 9-9) are clinging to seventh place in the conference. Only eight teams are invited to compete in the OVC Tournament. “We’ve got to get the ball stopped from rolling downhill,” said Assistant Coach Andy Morgan. “We need to get it turned around.” The Racers played without starting pitcher Brock Downey and centerfielder Taylor Mathews last weekend against Tennessee Tech (18-19, 1110) after both suffered injuries April 15 against Western Kentucky. Without Downey, their best pitcher and hitter, and Mathews, a key defensive player, the Racers lost all three games to Tennessee Tech. “Getting healthy is the number one thing,” Morgan said. “And then we just need to continue to compete. That’s what we’ve talked about all year. Make the routine play, throw strikes, get our hits and just do all the little things and we’ll be fine.” Downey suffered a sprained wrist after a collision with Western’s first baseman and Mathews left the game with a concussion after colliding with right fielder Pokey Harris. “Pokey didn’t get hurt,” Morgan said. “Apparently he’s used to running into people.” Harris is a two-sport athlete who plays baseball and football at Murray State. He is best known as a return specialist for the Racers. With Downey out, they bumped up each starter in the rotation. Instead of being the game two starter, Brad Boegel had to assume the new role of game one starter. “When things are going bad, somebody has got
Jenny Rohl/The News
Freshman infielder Kip Moore hits a walk off homerun during the Racers’ game against Jacksonville State on April 14. to step up and make a play, make a big pitch or get a big hit,” Morgan said. “Instead of just letting the ball continue to roll down the hill. Somebody has to get it stopped, get it turned around and we’ll be fine.” The Racers will have the opportunity to turn things around this weekend with three home games against Southeast Missouri State (25-15, 16-5), the top team in the OVC.
Road games have been a struggle for the team all year. Over the season the Racers have played 33 road games and are 9-24. The next home game will be their 10th of the season. “We’ve been road warriors,” Morgan said. “It takes a toll on you but that’s part of being a college athlete.” The Racers will play at 6 p.m. Friday at Reagan Field against SEMO.
OVC Volleyball Champions return to the court Staff Report Returning to their 2014 OVC Championship court, the Racer volleyball team opens its spring play with a split squad traveling to UT Martin and Southeast Missouri State. While in Martin, Tenn., the first team of Racers defeated Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville in a set 25-13 and 25-15, and UT Martin, 25-14 and 24-13. The second team that opened at UT Martin lost all sets against both Southern Illinois and UT Martin. During the second road game of the spring season, the Racers traveled to Cape Girardeau, Mo., which posed a little more difficult. The first team lost their first set against SEMO 23-25 but broke even when they won their second set 2512. The first team posed three wins against Jefferson County Junior College, Southern Indiana and Missouri State at St. Louis. The second team managed two ties with one against Missouri Baptist College, Mineral Area Junior College but lost against Missouri University of Science and Technology, then finished with a defeat against UT Martin. According to GoRacers.com, Head Coach David Schwepker said he is pleased with how spring play is going and that these games are good places to improve on weaknesses from last season.
Jenny Rohl/The News
The volleyball team puts up their Racer shoes during their final game of the fall season where they were named the OVC Regular Season Champions.
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April 24, 2015
5B
The News
Features
Features Editor: Breanna Sill Assistant Features Editor: Madison Wepfer Phone: 270-809-5871 Twitter: MSUNewsFeatures
Music festival mania Kayla MacAllister || Staff writer kmacallister@murraystate.edu
Warm weather has graced the city of Murray once again and spring commencement is a short two weeks away, which means Summer Break is coming and with it, music festivals. Traditional classes are on hold for the coming months, and concerts are planned all over the country. Surprisingly though, Murray is a shorter distance away from these festivals than most beach vacation destinations. The following are all notable music festivals closer than an eight hour car ride from Murray, in chronological order.
BEALE STREET MUSIC FESTIVAL - THREE HOUR DRIVE The Beale Street Music Festival will be held May 1-3 in Tom Lee Park in downtown Memphis, Tenn. Tickets are still available for $94, according to the Music Festival Junkie (MFJ) website, but as of Tuesday Ticketmaster had tickets available for $43. A few of the festival’s headliners are The Avett Brothers, Ed Sheeran, the Pixies, Lenny Kravitz, Hozier and Cage the Elephant. It is a multistage, three-day event that is best known for its “eclectic mix of contemporary rock, blues, soul and modern talent and its musically inspired setting,” said the festival’s official website.
SHAKY KNEES MUSIC FESTIVAL – SIX HOUR DRIVE Shaky Knees Music Festival 2015 will be May 8-10 in Atlanta. One day tickets are $99 and three day tickets are $499. The Strokes, Manchester Orchestra, Old Crow Medicine Show and The Devil Makes Three are a few of the prominent acts to perform. The festival includes separate late night shows.
SHAKY BOOTS MUSIC FESTIVAL – SIX HOUR DRIVE Shaky Boots Music Festival 2015 will be the debut of the country music festival May 16-17 in Atlanta. The coordinators of Shaky Knees are behind Shaky Boots as well. For $169, attendees can see big name artists like Blake Shelton, Brad Paisley, Kip Moore and The Band Perry perform at the KSU Sports and Entertainment Park.
COUNTERPOINT MUSIC AND ARTS FESTIVAL – FIVE AND A HALF HOUR DRIVE CounterPoint is located in Rome, Ga., and the 2015 installment will take place May 22-24. The festival prides itself on having more than three stages and also its visual experience. It hosts an Art Village that is filled with rare arts and crafts and large, interactive installations. As for the music part, Widespread Panic, Zedd and The Roots will headline. Tickets are $175.
BONNAROO MUSIC AND ARTS FESTIVAL – THREE HOUR DRIVE Bonnaroo, ‘Roo, one of Rolling Stone’s “50 Moments That Changed Rock & Roll” – it goes by many names but is known by virtually all. Located on 700 acres in Manchester, Tenn., Bonnaroo 2015 will be June 11-14. Tickets run for $300-$325. The festival is much more than the multitude of musical acts it advertises; comedy and cinema tents, yoga, a 5K run, craft breweries and nightly parades are all options if attendees want to change it up. Billy Joel, Kendrick Lamar, Florence + the Machine, Bassnectar and Childish Gambino are all notable 2015 performers.
CMA MUSIC FESTIVAL – TWO HOUR DRIVE Held June 11-14, CMA Fest is as close as Nashville, Tenn., to Murray State’s campus and provides free entertainment throughout downtown in addition to its four days of not free concerts. The four-day passes are sold out, including its nightly concerts, but never fear. “With seven free stages, you’re certain to see a variety of artists from legends to the latest up-and-comers,” said CMA Fest’s official website. “Vendors line The Buckle on historic Broadway (Street), waiting to hand out product and food samples, play games and give away freebies.”
VANS WARPED TOUR – TWO HOUR DRIVE Presented by Journeys, Warped Tour is a time-honored tradition that started for many in their teens, one that many college students can enjoy as well. Warped is coming to the Tennessee State Fairgrounds in Nashville on July 1. Tickets are $38. Asking Alexandria, blessthefall, The Wonder Years and Pierce the Veil are a few of the headliners.
LOLLAPALOOZA – SIX AND A HALF HOUR DRIVE Lollapalooza will be July 31-Aug. 2 in Chicago. The only tickets not sold out are Platinum and VIP Passes, which are more than $3,000. For further information, see the festival’s website. *All travel time estimates provided by Google Maps. Graphic by Taylor McStoots/The News
Community art Murray Half Marathon draws record crowd gallery gives local artists platform to display work Jessica Bostick || Contributing writer jbostick2@murraystate.edu
Gisselle Hernandez Contributing writer
ghernandez1@murraystate.edu
Members of the Murray community gathered at the Robert O. Miller Conference Center to admire the Murray Art Guild’s 27th annual Visual Evidence Exhibition on Saturday. The Murray Art Guild, or MAG, is a community visual art center that was established in 1967. It gives local artists a platform to show their work. In the spring of each year, the MAG hosts the Visual Evidence Exhibit. Entries are submitted digitally for a fee of $15 for one or two entries. Any can enter and have a chance to be chosen by a judge to be displayed at the exhibition. This year, nearly 90 pieces were submitted by not only locals, but neighboring residents as well such as students from Austin Peay State University in Tennessee. The juror for this year’s exhibit, Shannon Duffy, professor of art education, chose pieces that made the exhibition flow as a whole. “I looked at works that speak
and interplay with each other,” Duffy said. The exhibit displayed different forms of art, such as photography, sculptures, oil paintings and mixed media. Artists and art enthusiasts alike roamed through the exhibit pausing at different pieces, admiring the talent of artists of all ages. The price of some pieces ranged from $100 to more than $1,000, while others were not for sale. The president of the MAG board, Melissa Shown, said the purpose of such exhibitions is to raise awareness of the talent Murray has. “I once saw a meme on social media that read, the Earth with out ‘art’ is just ‘Eh.’” Shown said. “I think that sentiment would hold true if the community of Murray didn’t have places like the Murray Art Guild.” Debi Danielson, executive director of the MAG, presented awards at the exhibition at 7 p.m. Tom Kelly’s oil painting on canvas, “Winged Woman,” displaying a woman dressed colorfully with wings sprout-
see ART, 6B
The fifth annual Murray Half Marathon put on by Murray-Calloway County Hospital took place Saturday. Proceeds went to the Anna Mae Owen Residential Hospice House. The turnout this year was more than ever before with more than 750 runners from 16 states, numerous volunteers, spirit teams and several spectators who came to show their support and cheer on runners. The winner of the half marathon was Daniel Kirwa with a time of one hour, 10 minutes, 56 seconds. Kirwa also won the half marathon in 2012 with a time of one hour, five minutes and four seconds. The female winner was Marion Kandie with a time of 1:28:04. Spirit awards were also given in the form of prize money towards the organizations represented. The prize money amounts ranged from $500 for first place to $25 for 12th place. The winners were: • First place -Delta Sigma Theta • Second place -CCMS Cheerleaders • Third place - Murray State African Student’s Association • Fourth place -The Eagle Explosion • Fifth place -CCHS Beta Club • Sixth place - CASA by the Lakes • Seventh place - Kappa Delta • Eighth place - Memorial Baptist “Bee Strong” • Ninth place - Alpha Delta Pi • 10th place - Young Professionals of Murray The 13.1 mile path was designed to show runners the best Murray has to offer. The path went through the courthouse square, the park where Playhouse in the Park takes place, industrial areas and Murray State. “Another wonderful race,” said the half marathon’s Facebook page. “Thank you so much to our 750 runners, our countless volunteers, our amazing spirit teams and spectators and to the resi-
Fumi Nakamura/The News
Bommanna Loganathan, professor of environmental/analytical chemistry, runs in the Murray Half Marathon Saturday. dents of Murray/Calloway County who support our efforts. Stay tuned for the big announcement of next year’s race date once we have it set. Thanks again for all your support.” The Anna Mae Owen Residential Hospice House provides comfort to patients at the end of their lives. It offers a calm environment to patients and encourages visits from family and friends.
It’s funded solely on donations and depends on events such as the half marathon to provide funding. Last year the marathon brought in $45,000 to the Anna Mae Owen Residential Hospice House project. The marathon this year had over 750 runners participate, 50 more than last year so the total amount of money raised is expected to approach last year’s total.
The News
Features
6B
The week ahead... FRIDAY
SATURDAY
SUNDAY
April 24, 2015
If you would like an event to appear on the calendar here or on TheNews.org, email the Features Editor, Breanna Sill, at bsill@murraystate.edu. Please submit events by noon Wednesday for consideration.
MONDAY
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
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7:30 p.m. “The Complete Works of William Shakespeare,” Robert E Johnson, Price Doyle Fine Arts Center
4 p.m. Runway for a Reason, Curris Center Theater
8 a.m. Murray Art Guild’s Visual Evidence Exhibit, Robert O. Miller Conference Center
7 p.m. Firefall Planetarium Show, Land Between the Lakes Planetarium
9 a.m. Peaceful Spirit Yoga, Carr Health Dance Studio
1 p.m. Getting Ahead in a Just Getting By World, West Kentucky Community & Technical College, Paducah, Ky.
8 a.m. Senior Breakfast, Curris Center Ballroom
New store opened in Olympic Plaza Picket Fence opens to offer monogrammed gifts and clothing Brianna Willis || Contributing writer bwillis2@murraystate.edu
Many Murray State students are familiar with the smells of sizzling fajitas and fresh chips and queso at Los Portales, but not with the lavender and eucalyptus scents that waft throughout the store Picket Fence, which lies just next door. For a store that has only been open since Feb. 5, it offers a unique shopping experience not everyone may be familiar with. At first glance the shop has monogrammed clothing, hats and totes to fill the front window. Upon entering however, customers are greeted with much more than a clothing store. Soaps, lotions, bath bombs, unique jewelry and canvas art fill half of the store. Catering to a mostly southern, college age audience, Picket Fence carries items such as Yeti coolers and canvas art with phrases such as “Sweet Tea Served Here.” Owner Jennifer Riley wanted something college students would enjoy and purchase, so along with bath and body items and wall art, she chose to sell monogrammed clothes. She taught herself to monogram and offers Comfort Colors clothing as well as totes. Picket Fence will monogram items customers bring in. Monogramming starts at $8 and up based on the design and the item. She said she enjoys the monogramming aspect, but the most important part to her, she said, is supporting non-profit organizations. Picket Fence currently carries items from 13 “give-back” companies, meaning that when customers buy an item from one of those companies, some of the proceeds go toward to funding their philanthropic efforts. When customers buy a bar of soap from Hand in Hand, the proceeds go to donate one bar of soap and a month of clean water to a child in a developing country. Her mother worked in retail and Riley said she grew up learning to appreciate fashion. After her children were born, Riley quit her
Kalli Bubb/The News
Picket Fence offers monogrammed clothing, hats and totes along with other unique items. teaching job and got involved in youth ministry at her local church. This grew into her eventually becoming a full-time youth ministry director in Murray and having a passion for helping those in need. “I wanted to do something different,” Riley said. “I guess I just wanted to find a way to combine my love for ministry and helping others, with my love of shopping.” She said she chose the name “Picket Fence” because it symbolizes neighborhood. “Everyone wants their own version of the ‘white picket fence’ so whatever that version is for you, we just hope that we can help you make that, and then help others that are less fortunate,” she said.
She said it took a lot of research to piece together different “give-back” companies that would combine well to create a cohesive shopping experience. Riley also said the ultimate goal of Picket Fence is that proceeds of the monogramming will go to local organizations in Murray, so that 100 percent of the items purchased benefit others in need. She said she wants students of Murray State to know when they buy an item from Picket Fence, they are helping those who may not be fortunate enough to enroll in a university. Riley hopes Murray State students enjoy helping others and looking fashionable while doing so.
ART From Page 5B ing from her back, won an Honorable Mention award. Another Honorable Mention award went to Annette Mooso Sitton, for “Lower Trail II,” which was a mixed media art. Second place in photography was awarded to Stephen Kleinatland for his piece “Alone in the Wood” and first place in photography was awarded to Nancy Green-Smith for “The Sentinel,” a black and white photograph of a tree by Kentucky Lake. In the 3D category, David McBeth’s “Bottle”, a vase-like piece made of clay, won second place. First place 3D was awarded to Rosemary Kandt’s mixed media piece, “Coat Flower Necklace.” Frances Swells “and Soooo, I said,” which was a mixed water media piece, received second place for mixed media, First place Mixed Media was awarded to Carol Harlan, for her piece “Falling Into Autumn.” In the paintings category, Sandy Sasso received second place for her piece titled “Mike Rock,” which was oil on canvas. First place was awarded to Diane Shaw, for her piece “Lake Front,” also an oil on canvas painting. In the drawings category, Joy Thomas received first place for “The Nape of her Neck,” which was pastel on paper. The last award presented for the night was the Best of Show award, which was received by Wyatt Severs, for his piece “Table,” which was a table made of wood. This particular piece was not for sale and according to Severs took two days to complete, which he said was a challenge. “It’s an honor to win this award,” Severs said. “(There are) many fine objects in here so I feel very privileged.” Shown said artistic outlets such as these elevate the quality of living in Murray. “I think people in the community should take advantage of the resources the Murray Art Guild offers,” she said. “Not only does it serve as a source of inspiration for creative expression, it functions as a space for community gathering where the exchange of ideas is encouraged.”
Tri-Sigma raises funds for play therapy at annual 5K Connor Jaschen || Staff writer cjaschen@murraystate.edu
Among the masses of spring semester events and philanthropies, ranging from Pike’s Peak Week to the Pie-a-Pi hosted by Alpha Delta Pi, the annual Tri-Sigma Glow Run stood as a beacon of light for the patients of play therapy the philanthropy event is held for. The sisters of Sigma Sigma Sigma created an event that had the ability to unite not only our campus, but Murray as a whole. Tori Chapman, sophomore from Murray, and sister of Alpha Omicron Pi, participated in the event. Describing herself as never one to let a good cause go by the wayside, Chapman enlisted several other students to run by her side. Lindey Hunt, former Murray State student, and Brett Watson, high school friend of Chapman, took up the call as running partners. Chapman found out about the event in class, overhearing Kristen McNutt, sophomore from Murray and member of Tri-Sigma, and a fellow sorority sister talking about this mini-marathon. Having been longtime friends with McNutt, Chapman was quick to help out. “Kristen and I are good friends from high school and,
AHT/PreVet Club to offer pet services Saturday
honestly, she always supports our philanthropy,” Chapman said. It was Chapman’s first time participating in the Glow Run and she was excited to support her fellow students of Murray State, as well as her fellow members of Greek Life. “If we don’t support each other, what are we doing as a Greek community?” she said. However, Chapman’s reason for running was not solely centered on our campus. “I really admire their philanthropy of play therapy,” Chapman said. “It’s really important for the kids.” According to the Oxford-English Dictionary’s online database, play therapy is, “therapy in which emotionally disturbed children are encouraged to act out their fantasies and express their feelings through play, aided by a therapist’s interpretations.” Chapman recalled seeing people from all over the community, rather than just from Murray State’s campus. Through the support of the Murray State community – on campus and off – approximately 500 registered runners put their own money in for the cause. This alone raised just under $6,000 for Tri-Sigma to donate to their philanthropy. “It means a lot,” Chapman said. “Because we’re in different organizations, but our hearts are the same.”
Da’Sha Tuck || Staff writer dtuck@murraystate.edu
The Calloway County Humane Society is a home for many animals that once may have had a family but got out and lost their way. The pets in those cages and kennels were either abandoned, lost or born there. In attempts to remedy this problem the Humane Society and the Animal Health Technology/ Pre-Veterinary Club come together once a year and offer pet microchipping as well as other veterinary services. This is an annual spring event. The event will start at 8 a.m. at the Carman Animal Health Technology Pavilion and will end at 4 p.m. This is an opportunity for the students to learn more about animal health while at the same time attempting to decrease the number of lost pets in Murray. “The students benefit greatly from participating in this event,” said Stephanie Shepherd, sophomore from Fort Knox, Ky., and historian for the AHT/Pre-Vet Club. “It gives them hands on expe-
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Sigma Sigma Sigma held its annual Glow Run 5K Saturday.
rience with the animals and a chance to use their skills learned from the school’s program. They also benefit from this experience by working as a team throughout each station. If you were to walk through the stations you’ll find that everyone is helping each other out in some form or fashion.” Shepherd said this event usually has a good turnout. She said this year’s event will attract approximately 200 pet owners. The students that work this event are volunteers. Shepherd said that some courses do require students to volunteer for half of the day but most are just there because they want to participate and get the experience. “What I look forward to most during AHT Day is the same reason I look forward to Doggie Day Spas,” Shepherd said. “I love working with the animals and working alongside my colleagues. The event itself may be tiring and sometimes stressful, but at the end of the day laughs were made, people go home smiling and tails are wagging, which makes all of the work worth it.” Pet microchipping will be offered on Saturday. Racheal Goulet, a licensed veterinary technician
at The Murray Animal Hospital, said that microchipping is a wonderful idea and that the first thing they do when they find a stray is scan it to see if animals had been chipped. She said she has seen many animals reunited with their families because of this tool. Goulet said chipping the animals is a quick process that they usually take very well. She compared it to a shot just with a larger gaged needle. The cost for microchipping your pet will be $10. Trained volunteers as well as students will be present Saturday to inject the microchips. The chips are placed in between the animal’s shoulder blades and is no larger than a grain of rice. Microchipping is like having a collar on your pet that is permanent and has no chance of being lost. This event will offer other services including baths, nail trimming, physicals and heartworm treatment. There will also be complete packages offered which will include all amenities. The only requirement for your pet to attend this event is proof of rabies vaccination.
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Features
April 24, 2015
Pop Culture Corner
7B Celebrity Encounters
FEATURED TWEETS EARTH DAY
XOXO, Gossip Girl
Thomas Sanders @foster_dawg Happy Earth Day to my favorite planet! Honestly, no other planet does it better than you, brah. You the real MVP (Most Valuable Planet). 1:00pm 22 Apr 2015
Pete Davidson @petedavidson HAPPY EARTH DAY *spikes coke can in street* 4:26pm 22 Apr 2015
Disney Pixar @DisneyPixar ‘Humans would put seeds in the ground, pour water on them, and they grow food, like pizza!” Happy #EarthDay. 11:00am 22 Apr 2015
Elayne Boosler @ElayneBoosler Happy Earth Day! Why does food last 5 days in the fridge, and 3 centuries in the ground? #hotdogsareforever 4:48pm 22 Apr 2015
AFFLECK EMBARRASSED OF HIS ANCESTRY After participating on the show “Finding Your Roots,” a TV show about ancestry, Ben Affleck found one of his relatives was a slave owner. Affleck was disgusted by the finding, so he urged the show’s director to leave out that limb on his family tree. “I was embarrassed. The very thought left a bad taste in my mouth,” Affleck said.
EVERYWHERE YOU LOOK, ‘FULL HOUSE’ IS BACK
John Stamos announced on “Jimmy Kimmel Live” that Netflix is planning to reboot the 1990s sitcom, “Full House.” Candace Cameron-Bure (D.J.), Jodie Sweetin (Stephanie), Andrea Barber (Kimmy) and Stamos (Jesse), are all confirmed for the new series, Netflix is still talking with Lori Loughlin, MaryKate Olsen, Ashley Olsen, Bob Saget and Dave Coulier. “It will be fresh and contemporary and it’ll be current,” Cameron-Bure said. “We’re not going to try and re-do the old Full House stories, but I think that we will capture the same feel of the show.”
Soundbyte “In high school, every time you stuck your neck out, there was always a bunch of people there ready to chop your head off. Hollywood’s not different.” -Ryan Gosling on how his pre-fame days prepared him for the spotlight, to Vanity Fair
Photo courtesy of unfriendedmovie.com
Heather Sossman and Matthew Bohrer star in the horror film “Unfriended,” which was released in theaters Friday.
‘Unfriended’ is original and frightening John Gruccio || Contributing writer jgruccio@murraystate.edu
For years, we have been hearing rumors about the film industry trying to incorporate more real-life scenarios when it comes to the production of horror films. With films like “Paranormal Activity” and “The Conjuring” jarring audiences’ eyes wide open with fear, the need for something original and terrifying is also real. Believe it or not, “Unfriended” is a venture that actually succeeds for the most part. After the anniversary of the death of one of their classmates, six friends decide to get together on Skype to catch up. However, they are confronted by the past when a mysterious seventh person joins their group chat and starts asking questions about the death of this classmate. Seeking vengeance for her death, this mysterious figure will kill one friend after another until they find out who led her to kill herself. “Unfriended” stars Shelley Hennig, Renee Olstead, Will Peltz, Moses Jacob Storm, Jacob Wysocki, Courtney Halverson and Heather Sossaman. Levan Gabriadze directs the film with a script by Nelson Greaves. First off, let it be known that despite this film’s flaws, the concept is actually a pretty interesting one. A girl from class kills herself and then apparently comes
back from the dead to pick off her frenemies while they are all on a Skype call. Where is director Josh Trank when you need him for a film like this? However, where this film lacks in dialogue and overall acting skill, the film is actually quite thrilling and even more so chilling. Besides the cast of mostly unknown actors, the overall film vibe is basically that of a normal day real life. We have a group of friends meeting up together talking about normal stuff like Facebook, videos on YouTube and music to check out on Pandora. We really get the impending sense through the film that we are all really alone despite technology, which is in itself depressing to think about. One of the most intense things about this movie is the fact that these people are being punished, some violently. However, they deserve every bit of what they are getting. It’s a rare and genuine treat to see this kind of plot scenario in a supernatural film. Now, when it comes to the horror, please proceed with caution. This film is nothing compared to the likes of “Evil Dead” or even “Saw,” but If you are squeamish to blood and gore, I would bring a friend with you. The film was originally released as “Cybernatural” at the Fantasia Festival in the summer of 2014. It was released in theaters on April 17, 2015.
This film is original and a good scream flick. I hope that the film’s producers will take these next words seriously. Please do not make a sequel! This film is fine how it ends. Give us another good idea from the drawing board, not a flawed horror sequel. That’s the end of my rant. If you are looking for a good chill that might keep you away from your computer, I recommend you check out this film.
Quick Facts Title:
Unfriended
Rating: R
Cast: Shelley Hennig, Renee Olstead, Will Peltz, Moses Jacob Storm, Jacob Wysocki, Courtney Halverson and Heather Sossaman
Similar to: Paranormal Activity Untraceable Stay Alive
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For my final column as Features Editor I am going to share one of my favorite celebrity encounters. In 2012, Breanna Sill I was in NashFeatures Editor ville, Tenn., for CMA Music Festival week once again and that year, the CMT Awards were held during the same week also and they had a special celebrity host that year. This was right after Kristen Bell had appeared on “The Ellen Degeneres Show” and exposed her love of sloths to the entire world. If you haven’t seen the YouTube video of it, I highly recommend it. Anyway, so who doesn’t love Kristen Bell? She is hilarious and is the voice of the narrator on “Gossip Girl” so to me, she felt like an old friend. My friends and I had already declared it our mission for the week to meet her. So it was a really exciting thing when we got on Twitter and saw someone had tweeted about seeing Kristen at the airport in Los Angeles. So immediately we got in the car and drove to Nashville’s airport in hopes to catch a glimpse of her. On the way to the airport we stopped at Cracker Barrel and picked up the perfect gift for her: a sloth stuffed animal. When we got to the airport we found which gate her flight would be coming in at and decided to wait. We were far from the only people waiting for her arrival; there were actual paparazzi there, as well. When she walked through the airport we saw her immediately because she is a small person and her husband Dax Shepard who was with her is very, very tall. They were easy to spot. As soon as she walked through the final security gate she and Dax went over to the Starbucks that is immediately outside the gate and we didn’t want to ambush them by any means. So we waited patiently for them to get their coffee. Once they were finished they walked right past us, and obviously knew we were waiting for them. A friend of mine called Kristen’s name and the couple pretty blatantly ignored us. After that, we were pretty upset, but in one final effort to meet the star another friend yelled “Kristen, we have a sloth for you,” and instantly she turned around and headed our way. When we gave her the sloth stuffed animal we could tell she seemed appreciative and took pictures with all of us. Dax even came over and introduced himself and took pictures with all of us, as well. When they asked us how we knew they were going to be flying into the airport that day, they seemed pretty surprised that we had found it out via Twitter. It wasn’t until later that I read somewhere how private the couple is and how they are against having their personal lives anywhere in the social media or media world. Every year since then, Kristen has seemed to remember me when she sees me seat filling at the CMT Awards. And even better, I got to hear Gossip Girl say “You know you love me. XOXO, Gossip Girl,” in real life.
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April 24, 2015