The Murray State News

The Murray State News February 4, 2016

King to speak on civil rights progress Bailey Bohannan Staff writer

bbohannan@murraystate.edu

This year’s speaker at the Presidential Lecture will be Martin Luther King III, son of civil rights activist Martin Luther King Jr. This year, Murray State is celebrating 60 years of desegregation and Kentucky is celebrating 50 years of civil rights acts, said Clint Combs, president of Student Government AssoKing ciation.

“It just kind of fell into our laps as we were searching,” Combs said. “The more we discussed it the more it made sense, so we are really excited to have him here this year.”

King will speak at 8 p.m. Feb. 8 in Lovett Auditorium during the Presidential Lecture with the topic of “Continuing the Legacy: the Civil Rights Struggle of the 21st Century.”

The Presidential Lecture is hosted and organized by the Student Government Association, the MSU Foundation and the President’s office. Each year, a committee made up of members from all three of these organizations meets to discuss who should speak at the annual Presidential Lecture. This year, these organizations looked at dozens of potential speakers who would not only appeal to students, but also to the community of Murray and Murray State alumni, Combs said.

Each year the committee seeks out individual leaders of the nation. The individuals who have spoken in the past bring national notoriety and set a standard for Murray State, said Jeanie Morgan, coordinator for

see KING, 2A

TheNews.org

Vol. 90, No. 17

BUDGET

Bevin proposes shake-up Calls for moving millions to underfunded teacher’s pension system Ashley Traylor || Staff writer atraylor@murraystate.edu

Gov. Matt Bevin announced Jan. 26 his proposed budget that gives over $1.1 billion to the state’s pension system, although the Kentucky Teachers’ Retirement System will still be grossly underfunded by $24.4 billion.

“Our Kentucky Teacher Retirement System is 40 cents per dollar underfunded,” said Clint Combs, Student Government Association president.

Kentucky has the second worst pension system in America, with Illinois being the first. Kentucky only has 44 percent of their pension system funded, according to a report by CNN. “The changes to the overall educational system in Kentucky has been more than stressful,” said Susan Brunson, teacher in McCracken County. “Our expectations, methods of teaching and now pay are being greatly affected.”

Bevin’s budget gives $130.7 million to the Kentucky Retirement System and $591.5 million to the Kentucky Teachers’ Retirement System, according to the

Kalli Bubb/The News

Lexington Herald Leader.

Bevin rejected borrowing $3.3 billion to restore the Kentucky Retirement System for the short term, according to the Lexington Herald Leader. Bevin said this was borrowing money from our children.

Michael Morgan, associate English professor, said he would rather borrow the money because the interest rates are so low.

“Gov. Beshear actually made that proposal and it had a lot of support of legislators,” Morgan said. “I do not know what they were worried about exactly, but I presume since there was a proposal made by the governor, who I trusted quite a bit. That was his idea and I would go for it. It seemed like a reasonable plan.”

The Kentucky legislature began working on the pension crisis in 2013, when new legislation was passed, although this legislation did not improve the state of the retirement funds.

The reform in 2013 created a new pension plan for anyone hired after Jan. 1, 2014. It included funding a plan to pay the pension

Ashley Traylor Staff writer

atraylor@murraystate.edu

see RETIRE, 2A

College of Arts and Humanities responds to Bevin’s comments on French literature Bailey Bohannan || Staff writer bbohannan@murraystate.edu

Professors and deans at Murray State are fighting back against a certain statement Bevin made in his State of the Commonwealth speech Jan. 26.

“There will be more incentives to electrical engineers than French literature majors,” Bevin said.

As the hot topic at most colleges, and Murray State professors and deans in the College of Arts and Humanities and the College of Science, Engineering and Technology have something to say about it.

“His claim that taxpayers should not support Kentucky students who wish to study French literature demonstrates a deeply-troubling lack of understanding about the purpose of education in general, and the value of degrees in the humanities to the economic prosperity of the commonwealth,” said Jeff Osborne, associate professor of English.

At the Kentucky Council of Postsecondary Education, President Robert King said he and his team are doing everything they can to try and persuade Bevin and the legislature to work something out with the universities and community colleges to make these next two years not as rough.

“I think that through continuing discussion with the governor and legislature, that we will do our best to persuade them that people earning liberal arts degrees are valuable participants in the economy that there are plenty of jobs for people earning those degrees,” King said.

Osborne, and other professors in the College of Humanities and Fine Arts, such as Staci Stone, associate professor of English and the Interim Dean of the College of Humanities and Fine Arts, and Reika Ebert, chairwoman from the department of modern languages, said education is about being well-rounded individuals with a wide variety of knowledge, and that is what Murray State is preparing students to be.

“College provides an opportunity for those students to hone their craft and truly enjoy the learning that takes place – content that helps them become lifelong learners,” Stone said.

A prime example of this well-rounded education with a specific engagement into the arts, is Ryan Wynne, graduate from Murray State with a bachelor of science in studio art and design with an emphasis in graphic design.

see ARTS, 2A

For an in-depth look at Bevin’s proposed budget’s effect on Murray State, check out The News next Thursday

Pavilion on past rotary president’s bucket list Bailey Bohannan Staff writer

bbohannan@murraystate.edu

Emily Harris/The News

The Rotary Club has raised more than $100,000 for their pavilion project.

WHAT’S

INSIDE

The Murray Rotary Club is focusing all of its effort into its biggest building project ever to achieve the vision of a former president who is battling cancer.

Dick Weaver, retired RCA employee and management consultant, was the Rotary Club president in 1999 when the club organized donations of materials and volunteer labor to construct the six-tier seating area and concrete amphitheater in Murray-Calloway Park.

Weaver now wants to see the amphitheater with a covered pavilion.

“I am 88 years old and I have got three different types of cancer, so it is one of those things that is on my to-do list before I go,” Weaver said.

This is the Rotary’s top priority this year, said Roger Reichmuth, the Rotary Board’s campaign chairman. Together, Reichmuth and James Gallimore, the project chairman, have put all of the club’s effort toward fulfilling Weaver’s goal.

“It was [Weaver’s] dream and his idea to start this,” Gallimore said. “We have made this the Rotary’s number one project for this year is to complete this amphitheater project for the community.”

The Rotary Club has already raised $105,000 since November toward the $160,000 pavilion they plan to erect and dedicate by May 19. Gallimore said they will begin construction when they have reached $130,000.

The club planned to have started construction in January; however, due to weather and lack of funding, the construction has been delayed two months.

PAVILION PURPOSE

Once completed, the Rotary Club hopes this new building will attract more performing arts acts, such as dance performances and live music, and also provide a venue for weddings, reunions and other outdoor activities.

Although no summer events have been planned yet, Gallimore said events will begin to be scheduled after the dedica-

‘Racers in Action’ spurs student letters

tion on May 19 and the July 4 Freedom Fest will be hosted there.

The new pavilion will benefit Murray by attracting new talent to the area and inspire people to get outdoors, Gallimore said.

“Different performing arts will be able to use this facility for concerts or productions,” Gallimore said. “It would be something that a Rotary Club would contribute to the community that will last for decades.”

Kelsey Mcllroy, sophomore from St. Louis, who has participated in a production at Playhouse in the Park, said she hopes to see this new building give people of Murray more to do and get more people outdoors.

“It could bring attention to everything that park has to offer, such as The Playhouse Theater and the mini water park,” Mcllroy said.

Weaver was the president of the Rotary Club when the

OUR VIEW

Panhellenic council collects used prom dresses, 3A

Humanities and Fine Arts: Not a Racers look to improve losing lost cause, 4A road swing, 1B

FOUL TROUBLE

see ACTION, 2A

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Check us out for live updates of events around campus @MurrayStateNews.

BASKETBALL

WEAVER’S DREAM

GIVING BACK

Students gathered in the Curris Center on Jan. 27 for “Racers in Action Day,” an event hosted by the Student Government Association, or SGA, for students to reach out to Kentucky legislators about the future of higher education.

“We (Kentucky) are tied with West Virginia in dead last for reinvesting in our public universities with a negative one or two percent,” said SGA President Clint Combs. “It is pretty sad.”

Gov. Matt Bevin delivered his proposed budget speech on Tuesday, Jan. 26 in Frankfort, Kentucky. The proposed budget cuts university spending, along with other state agencies’ funds for a total of 9 percent over the next two years. Higher education will experience a $4.32 million cut.

SGA’s purpose behind “Racers in Action Day” was to inform students of the current budget cuts. This event also gave students an opportunity to write letters to Kentucky’s legislature “to show the state legislature that we have the power to affect what the state is going to do,” said Kenneth White, senior from Vista, California.

The state tightened the budget in 2007 during the beginning stages of the recession.

“They started cutting higher education money, which is a natural thing for states to go for because, unlike a lot of government administrations, this part of it can be reimbursed through tuition,” Combs said.

Murray State’s enrollment has steadily increased since 2007, but state funding has decreased by 20 percent, Combs said.

As a result, Murray State has proposed to increase their tuition in Fall 2016 for incoming students in order to compensate the underfunding, but also to make Murray State a more marketable university.

Murray State is known for their affordable tuition, but the cheap tuition prices do not imply dissatisfactory education.

“Bumping our tuition prices up a little bit is making us more on par with the market,” Combs said. “People will no longer associate us with being the cheap institution but the quality institution.”

The Board of Student Body President’s main lobbying goal

see PARK, 2A

Follow @MSUSportsNews on Twitter and check out our continuing game coverage on TheNews.org.

PIANO PLAYER CAB makes plans to bring music to Valentine’s Day, 5B

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2A

KING

ACTION

From Page 1

From Page 1

student activities.

“I think the Presidential Lecture is one of the ways that we can establish ourselves as a university that looks forward,” Morgan said.

The past Presidential Lectures – such as when Bill Nye the Science Guy spoke – have brought in such a crowd that the lecture has moved to the CFSB Center. Although this year the lecture will be held at Lovett Auditorium, Morgan said she is expecting a very large crowd and hopes to fill Lovett to its maximum capacity of 2,100.

Morgan said students should take advantage of this opportunity to come and listen to King speak because this is not an opportunity that students get on a regular basis. She said it is important to see different perspectives and to hear about someone else’s history.

“I think it is very important that students experience different viewpoints,” Morgan said.

“It is important that you open your mind and listen to people who have experienced different situations in their life.”

Combs said he wants students to come out to the lecture because he and everyone who worked on bringing King here are excited about it. “[Listening to King speak is] a history lesson that you just can’t get in the classroom,” Combs said.

Two students who said they will be taking advantage of this opportunity to hear King speak are Kailey Ray, sophomore from Murray, and Katelyn Brinkman, junior from Waterloo, Illinois. They both said they want to hear King speak because it is not something they can hear every day.

Ray said she looks forward to the lecture because she thinks there is a lot that could be learned from someone so close to a major historical figure.

“I would be interested in what this man had to say,” Ray said. “I am sure he will be a wonderful speaker and will inspire us to go forth and make a change in the world like his father did and like he is trying to do right now.”

was to restore the lottery funding, scholarships that go toward Kentucky’s most need-based students, Combs said.

Last year, the Kentucky Lottery provided $221 million, although $28 million was redirected to the general fund; therefore, 62,000 students were denied scholarships because there was no money left, according to the Lexington Herald Leader.

“We all need that money,” said Ty Minter, junior from Memphis, Tennessee. “Books are expensive, school is expensive, living is expensive, so the more money that we have, the more likely we are to return to college.”

Gov. Bevin announced in his speech that 100 percent of the Kentucky Lottery proceeds

PARK From Page 1 whole project began.

Over the past 15 years, the project has been put on hold because his late wife, former professor and dean of education at Murray State, was diagnosed with dementia and Weaver was dedicated to her health.

Weaver has been distracted over the years by other projects and his own health as well.

“My wife had dementia, so I was dedicated to that,” Weaver said. “I have worked on other projects and stuff like that and the amphitheater was still being used at that stage so there was no real emphasis to do it.”

Weaver said the whole community helping out with this new pavilion for the amphitheater and donating to the fundraiser reminds him why he and his wife moved to Murray many years back.

“From my stand-point, it is another one of those things that help this continue to be the most caring community, the most giving community, in the country,” Weaver said.

will go toward scholarships for students, not be redirected to state lawmakers to fund a different budget.

“That was one thing we were incredibly proud of, and Governor Bevin’s leadership in getting that lottery funding restored,” Combs said.

“Racers in Action” also informed students of the pension crisis in Kentucky. The Kentucky Teacher Retirement system is 40 cents per dollar underfunded, Combs said.

Teachers are paying into the retirement program, but there may not be any money when they retire. Gov. Bevin is working toward restoring the Kentucky Teacher Retirement system.

Combs said this is an issue that needs to be addressed. He hopes it does not take away from higher education funding because the more people who are educated, the more it sets the state up for long-term benefits.

“If we get that focus back on

February 4, 2016

higher education, you’ll start to see less spending on public services, like Medicaid,” Combs said. “You’ll be spending less on the prison system. You’ll be receiving more tax dollars.”

Higher education can fix some terminal problems, but universities need the funding to continue retention.

Students sent 65 letters to representatives all over Kentucky on Jan. 27 for “Racers in Action Day.” This was just one of three events SGA will be hosting.

There will be two more “Racer in Action Days” held on Feb. 8 and Feb. 24. Students will be given another opportunity to write letters, emails, call their legislators and register to vote.

“We are students and a lot of people discount our power in the political arena,” Combs said. “But we are dedicated to our educational future and the future of Kentucky through higher education.”

RETIRE

ington Herald Leader.

“These are people who are paying into something that when they retire, might not be there,” Combs said.

From Page 1 The teacher’s retirement sysdebt, limit cost-of-living adjusttem sold $750 million in assets ments and a cash-balance retireand next year, will sell $850 milment plan, according to the Pew lion to keep the program someCharitable Trusts. what funded, according to the In 2002, Kentucky RetireLexington Herald Leader. ment System was 111 percent Part of an educator’s salary funded, but a decade later, the goes toward the Kentucky funds Retirew e r e m e n t disapSystem, pearing. but the T h e amount s t a t e of eduwas not cators contribinvestuting ing their money dollars

- Susan Brunson, teacher in McCracken County into the in the pension system system or paying benefits. This fell from 76,449 to 72,246, led to $14 billion in pension while more teachers are drawdebt, according to research by ing benefits, according to the Pew Charitable Trusts.

Lexington Herald Leader.

The 2007 recession only There are 122,000 teachers made the pension crisis worse with their retirement pay at because there was not enough stake and many more state money to add to the retirement employees that may not resystems. Every extra dollar is ceive retirement. The system going to the pension system to can go broke. compensate for the years of loss.

“It is really sickening to The Kentucky Teachers’ think that I may end up with Retirement System needs an less money than expected,” extra $1 billion over two years Brunson said. “Or to be at to support retiring teachers and the mercy of what legislators professors, according to the Lexdeem appropriate.”

“

It is really sickening to think that I may end up with less money than expected or to be at the mercy of what legislators deem appropriate.

”

Emily Harris/The News

Alexis Macklin, junior from Louisville, Kentucky, fills out a voter registration form.

ARTS From Page 1 Wynne graduated in December, and he took right off into the design business. He said after graduating on Dec. 12, he had interviewed for three jobs within a week and was hired by a graphic design firm in Nashville, Tennessee on December 23. After being hired, Wynne moved to Nashville on Jan. 2 and started working on Jan. 4.

“There is a very common stigma that because you are an art major, you will not find a job after graduation, and that majoring in the arts is useless or ‘not a real major,’” he said.

“I can very confidently say this is untrue.”

Wynne said he agrees with the professors and deans at Murray State. Steve Cobb, dean and professor at Jesse D. Jones College of Science, Engineering and Technology, said no matter what discipline a student is going into, they need to have their eyes open to the future possibilities with that major.

“Now when a student is deciding on what discipline to major in, I think it is very important that the students go into it with their eyes open and that they understand the

economic conditions, the market conditions, the financial realities of the decisions that they make, because there are consequences to the decisions we make and everything is a tradeoff,” Cobb said.

Cobb said although engineers are needed in our country, there is also a great need for the humanities and fine arts disciplines, and Wynne agrees with him alongside other professors.

“Engineering and science is not for everybody and our country does need scientists and engineers, but our county also needs artists and poets and musicians and that brings a richness to society and it brings a fullness to our lives and to our country,” Cobb said.

When it all comes down to it, the decision is the students’, and while they should keep their eyes open as Cobb said, they should also pursue what they love, and any doubts about careers and jobs, Wynne said, depend on passion and hard work.

“Pushing young adults to careers that ‘make sense’ rather than pushing them to work hard at a career they love does not seem like it would help anyone,” Wynne said. “I would much rather have an engineer who wants to be an engineer working for me, than an engineer who really wants to be a historian.”

The News

News

February 4, 2016

News Editor: Kayla Harrell Assistant Editor: Abby Siegel Phone: 270-809-4468 Twitter: MurrayStateNews

3A

Read more of The Murray State News at TheNews.org

Faculty member receives patent for invention Cody Hall Contributing writer chall22@murraystate.edu Robert “Bob” Pilgrim, computer science professor for 26 years, has received a patent for a camera he made that allows the user to see through fog.

One morning while walking his dog, Pilgrim had a camera and a visible block filter he had been working on for another research project.

When he used the filter as a lens, he noticed that he could see to the far side of the field he was in.

It took Pilgrim five years and $3,000 to receive the patent for his camera.

He had the help of Chris Tanner, who worked for the patent office, to achieve this. The camera is currently working and Pilgrim is im-

proving the design before trying to market it.

Once the camera is finished, Pilgrim will try to find a suitable market for the technology.

“Rather than thinking how to solve a problem, you notice something and think how I can exploit this,” Pilgrim said.

Pilgrim wanted to use his invention as a teaching opportunity for his computer science students.

“The purpose of this patent was to show my students how the patent process worked,” he said.

Pilgrim said that 85 percent of people who submit a patent are rejected, and many of them have great ideas, but the patent office will “never accept an application the first time through.”

Pilgrim has several ideas

for what he wanted to use this camera for, many directly improving the safety of the user.

It could be integrated into cars to give a live feed of what is going on in front of the car, allowing the driver to see through the fog without being distracted with a monitor on the side.

Mary Coleman, member of Four Rivers K-9 search, rescue and recovery team, said Pilgrim’s invention would be useful for ATV and horseback searchers.

“There are times when we are searching in the morning when it is foggy out, and the people on the ATVs cannot navigate through the wooded areas very well,” Coleman said.

“With this camera we could be much more effective,” she said.

The camera could benefit other teams who respond to emergency situations by increasing their safety when there is heavy fog.

“A device like that would be great for when you are coming up to an accident in the mornings,” Sgt. Brant Shutt, Murray police officer, said.

“It is an interesting idea that could have many different implications,” he said.

Another use of the camera is to be used as a scope for a rifle.

It has the potential to increase safety when hunting, allowing the hunter to see more than just the deer on the opposite end of the scope.

Pilgrim intends to market the product once all technology improvements are complete.

Emily Harris/The News

Robert Pilgrim received a patent for the camera he invented that can see through fog.

Panhellenic Council collects prom dresses for nonprofit Mikayla Marshall || Staff writer mmarshall5@murraystate.edu The Panhellenic Council and Off ice of Greek Life are accepting prom dresses and accessories to donate to Cinderella’s Closet in Paducah, Kentucky.

They will be accepting donations until early February. The dresses will go to girls who couldn’t go to prom if they did not have this help. The Panhellenic Council plans to make this a yearly event.

The Council adopted “Circle of Sisterhood” last year, which focuses on education for girls and empowering women. They thought Cinderella’s Closet f it well with their goal to help women feel confident in themselves.

All six sororities on campus are in charge of gathering the dresses from their chapter and the Panhellenic Council will give them to the women in Paducah.

All women on Murray State’s campus are welcome to bring dresses in to donate and can drop them off in the Student Life Center on the first f loor of the Curris Center.

“The whole point of this is for her to have fun and for her to make memories that she will never forget,” said Evan Ditty, Coordinator of Greek Life & Student Leadership Programs.

He said that Greek Life’s mission is to

Nahiomy Gallardo/The News

The Panhellenic Council is collecting used prom dresses to donate to Cinderella’s Closet, a nonprofit in Paducah, Kentucky that empowers women. make better people and this is a self less act that will make a difference for an individual.

“Moments like these really remind us of how important it is to give back,” Ditty said.

Cinderella’s Closet is dedicated to turning “Dresses into Dreams,” as their mission

states. It began as a ministry of Immanuel United Methodist Church and has grown to include other churches throughout the country. Each is founded on the belief that providing formal wear is a way to show God’s love for amazing young women. There are

“closets” located in every region of Kentucky.

“This will be my first time donating to Cinderella’s Closet and I plan on giving four dresses,” Anna Gorsick, junior from Louisville, Kentucky, said.

She said she wants the girls who get her dresses to have a good time and to not let anyone ruin their night.

“It is really easy to take for granted the experiences you get to have because of the family you came from,” she said.

Parents will pay at least $989 when their daughter goes to prom, according to The Guardian, and prom is often seen as the ultimate high school experience.

“I think everybody should get to go at least once and prom dresses are overly expensive,” Allie Roberts, sophomore from Versailles, Kentucky, said. “There is no reason a dress should cost $500.”

Roberts said it is nice to see all the sororities coming together instead of competing.

“There is so much more to a sorority than just the social aspect,” said Chandler Dunn, Panhellenic’s Vice President of Community Service & Philanthropy.

“I think it means so much for us to help people because we help so many people, all the sororities with all the different philanthropies and how much of an impact we do have,” he said.

POLICE BEAT

6:51 a.m. Racer Patrol advised Murray State Police of an abandoned golf cart outside the Lowry Center. Officers were notified and an information report was taken.

11:42 p.m.

A n 11:41 a.m. Officers re- 5:43 a.m. A caller re- 4:19 a.m. A caller reported 12:08 a.m. A caller 12:26 a.m. Officers re- 11:33 a.m. Officers con- 3:14 p.m. A caller reofficer conducted a traffic stop at 121 North and Coldwater Streets. A citation was issued to the driver for failure to wear a seatbelt. The passenger was arrested on an outstanding warrant and was taken ceived a report of a space ported being stuck on an a medical emergency at reported a smell of ceived a noise complaint ducted a traffic stop at quested a welfare to Calloway County Jail. heater catching fire on Jan. elevator in Hart Residen- Springer Residential Col- marijuana at Hester Res- via the LiveSafe App at I21 and Waldrop Street check of a person living 8:20 a.m. A caller reported a residential college flag missing. The Housing Office was notified.

21 at Regents Residential tial College. Public Safety lege. Public Safety, Mur- idential College. Public Dodson Street and Mur- and a citation was issued off-campus. Murray Po11:22 p.m. A caller reported a motor vehicle accident with no injuries at White Residential College. Officers were notified and a report was taken.

College that wasn’t pre- and Central Heating and ray Ambulance Service Safety was notified and a ray Police Department for driving 43 mph in a 25 lice Department was no7:17 p.m. An officer conducted a traffic stop at the Business Building parking lot. A citation was issued for driving on a suspended license. viously reported. Public Cooling was notified. The and Student Affairs were report was taken. was notified. mph zone. tified.

8:51 p.m. A caller reported the smell of gas at Hart Residential College. Officers, Murray Fire Department, Central Heating and Cooling Plant, Murray Gas and the State Fire Marshall were notified. A report was taken.

Safety and the Kentucky elevator was then placed notified, and Murray Am- 11:04 p.m. A caller re- 12:49 a.m. Officers con- 8:22 p.m. Public Safety 3:15 p.m. A caller re12:01 p.m. A caller reported a sparking outlet in the 300 block of College Courts. Officers, the Murray Fire Department, Central Heating and Cooling Plant and the State Fire Marshal were notified.

State Fire Marshall were out of service. bulance Service trans- ported loud noises and ducted a traffic stop on received a General In- ported a smoke detecA report was taken. notified.

9:43 p.m. A caller re- ported the patient to the screaming in College Payne Street and a cita- cident Reporting Form tor going off in College 4:57 p.m. The Murray Police Department was notified of a medical emergency at the Volleyball Courts. Officers and Murray Ambulance Services were notified. The patient was transported and a report 8:50 p.m. Officers were ported the smell of hospital.

Courts 100 Block. Public tion was issued for fail- referencing a harassment Courts 300 Block. Public was taken. advised of a drug com- marijuana at James H. 1:28 p.m. A caller re- Safety was notified and a ure to wear a seatbelt, complaint that occurred Safety were notified and 3:46 a.m. Officers conducted a check of a person on North 12th Street. The person was arrested and transported to Calloway County Jail for alcohol intoxication in a public place. A report was taken. failure to illuminate off-campus and Murray the smoke detector was plaint at Franklin Residen- Richmond Residential ported an individual being report was issued.

9:09 p.m. A caller reported a smoke detector activated at Springer Residential College due to a hair dryer. Officers were notified and no threat of fire was found. An information report was taken.

College.

Publicfrom Safety was stuck on an elevator in possesPolice Department were tial College.

A criminal a dumpster.

4:42 p.m.

A caller reported a theft of property a vehicle from Alexander Hall. Officers were notified and a reportheadlights was taken and for theft of under $500 by unlawful takinglocated from ainvehicle. notified. report was taken for tamHart Residential College. sion of an open alcohol notified.

6:12 p.m. A caller reported the smell of marijuana at Hart. Officers were notified and an information report was taken. pering with physical eviPublic Safety and Facilcontainer in the vehicle.

Escorts - 2 dence. ities Management were Arrests - 0 2:47 p.m. A caller reported an unauthorized company selling notified. products on campus at Winslow Dining Hall. The caller was referred to Student Affairs.

Motor assistswere - 5 notified 6:12 p.m. A caller reported the smell of natural gas at the Old Fine Arts Building. Officers, Central Heating and Cooling Plant, Murray Fire department, Murray Gas and the State Fire Marshall

Jan. 27

Jan. 28

Jan. 29

Jan. 30

Jan. 31

Feb. 1

Feb. 2

Monday

Escorts – 2 Motor assists – 2 8:30 Brain Blast Tournament Arrests – 0

Tuesday

Abby Siegel, Assistant News Editor, compiles Police Beat with Openprovided Mic Night materials

by Public Safety and Emergency Management. Not all dispatched calls are listed.

Wednesday Live Acoustic Music Dart Tournament

Friday Live Music

Saturday Free Jukebox

270-753-3406

200 North 15th Street Murray, Kentucky

$2 Tuesday!

Featuring great food and drinks and FREE Jukebox 6 to 8:30 Dine-In/ Carry-Out Right across from Wilson Hall

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February 4, 2016

The News

Opinion

Opinion Editor: Allison Borthwick Phone: 270-809-5873

­

Our View

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

TheNews.org Mary Bradley

Editor-in-Chief • 270-809-6877 mbradley9@murraystate.edu Kayla Harrell News Editor • 270-809-4468 kharrell4@murraystate.edu

Humanities and fine arts: not a lost cause

Selena McPherson/The News

The staff editorial is the majority opinion of The Murray State News Editorial Board.

Allison Borthwick Opinion Editor • 270-809-5873 aborthwick@murraystate.edu Connor Jaschen Features Editor • 270-809-5871 cjaschen@murraystate.edu Kelsey Randolph Sports Editor • 270-809-4481 krandolph3@murraystate.edu Kelsey Watznauer Chief Copy Editor • 270-809-5876 kwatznauer@murraystate.edu Austin Gordon Online Editor • 270-809-5877 agordon4@murraystate.edu Jenny Rohl Advertising Manager • 270-809-4478 msunewsads@gmail.com Alex Hilkey Advertising Production • 270-809-5874 shilkey@murraystate.edu Kalli Bubb Photography Editor • 270-809-5878 kbubb@murraystate.edu

Matt Bevin: • Governor of Kentucky • Conservative Republican • Military veteran • Small business owner • Husband and father • Graduate of Washington and Lee University, a private liberal arts college • Possessor of a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree • Public cynic of humanities and fine arts degrees • Hypocrite His campaign slogan?

“Together, we can give Kentucky a brighter future.”

However, apparently our future will only be bright if more funding and incentives are given to aspects of higher education focused on science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) career fields, according to the budget proposal speech he gave on Jan. 26.

You seem to have forgotten your roots, Governor. You may not be utilizing your BA degree in East Asian Studies, which is

in 2010 medical schools accepted 51 percent of humanities majors and 45 percent of social science majors who applied.

Also, according to Forbes, “Throughout the major U.S. tech hubs, whether Silicon Valley or Seattle, Boston or Austin, (Texas), software companies are discovering that liberal arts thinking makes them stronger.”

Uh oh, Governor – it looks like the prodigal majors are fraternizing with the enemy, and for good reason.

Despite the statistics and findings that state those with STEM careers are more successful and content than those with humanities and fine arts careers, there are equal amounts of studies that negate those findings.

Study after study, report after report and finding after finding state one implicit truth: employers want well-rounded candidates.

Catherine Weinberger, economist at UC Santa Barbara, said employees with strong, balanced

social and math skills earn roughly 10 percent more than people skilled in just one area.

Following that train of statistically-grounded thinking, it might be unwise to put all your eggs (funding) into one basket (career-track).

So, not only have we busted the myth that engineers and mathematicians unequivocally make more money, but there are also studies that show people in these careers aren’t always the most satisfied with their lives.

According to Career Bliss, 60 percent of “The Happiest Jobs in America” don’t fall within STEM career fields.

Man, with all these facts and figures about the benefits of a liberal arts degree, we’ve forgotten what the original argument was.

STEM degrees are more valuable than humanities and fine arts degrees, wasn’t it, Governor?

Think again: maybe they can, in fact, work together.

Some Things Considered

Cameron Witte Chief Videographer cwitte@murraystate.edu

News flash for Matt

Joe Hedges, Ryan Alessi Adviser, Co-Adviser • 270-809-3937 jhedges@murraystate.edu, ralessi@murraystate.edu

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fine and statistically-common (see below), but that is no reason to use your position of power to publicly discourage the pursuit of a humanities/fine arts major.

According to Forbes, only 27 percent of college graduates are working in a job that relates to their major or degree. This is mostly due to the fact that, also according to Forbes, 93 percent of employers value communication, critical thinking and problem-solving skills over a candidate’s specific undergraduate degree – all skills humanities and fine arts majors hone in college.

Yes, this may mean that those with degrees in humanities and fine arts aren’t using them in a directly-related career – but don’t get your hopes up, Governor. Said degrees are often sought after by recruiters in the very career fields you’re placing your hopes and funding in – STEM careers.

According to the Association of American Medical Colleges,

Hallie Beard Junior from Louisville, Ky.

I don’t usually get too heated about politics, but I’ve got a beef with Gov. Matt Bevin.

Here’s why:

Bevin gave his first budget proposal last Tuesday, stirring up quite a conversation on education in the commonwealth.

While he didn’t touch K-12 public schools, he proposed 9 percent cuts to universities over the next two years along with an

immediate 4.5 percent cut.

None of this is pleasant, but what really struck me was Bevin’s peculiar attitude toward the humanities in education.

He wants funding for universities in Kentucky to gradually become based on performance in terms of the graduates they churn out – which doesn’t sound that bad until you learn that his idea of a valuable graduate is limited to one with a degree in a STEM field.

He told reporters, “There will be more incentives to electrical engineers than French

literature majors. There just will . . . All the people in the world that want to study French literature can do so, they are just not going to be subsidized by the taxpayer.”

Bevin, I hate to say it, but you’re only kicking a dog who’s already dead. You say that as if people have previously been rewarding arts majors and scoffing at students who want to be engineers.

Newsflash: people already don’t care about kids who study art. No, really, they don’t.

Think about the kind of careers or jobs we’re taught are worthwhile growing up – being a doctor, a lawyer, a dentist, an engineer.

These are the tracks that get oohs and ahhs, because they make a lot of money.

So I’m not surprised this is happening, but it doesn’t make me any less frustrated.

Before I started college – and even now – I dreaded talking about my major because of the subtle ridicule that always followed.

Nearly every time I said my focus would be literature, English or creative writing, it would elicit one of three responses, generally: a joke about being poor (original!), a disinterested “oh,” and quick change of subject (noted!) or an oh-so helpful, “well, there’s always teaching” (double whammy!).

Translation: students who study subjects like French literature aren’t new to getting brushed off and we can take it because we know what we’re getting ourselves into. No one has been waving dollar bills at apathetic high school graduates, hoping to lure them into literature programs.

But what you must know, Bevin, is that dis-

couraging the arts in education only creates a cycle of disappointment.

You don’t want to give money to programs that don’t seem as successful as others, but by decreasing funding, you’re making it more difficult for the program to be successful, which in turn repels students who have potential to improve it. Less funding = less potential = less success = less funding and so on.

Now’s a good time to remember, Matty, that you have a BA in East Asian Studies from a private liberal arts college. I’m sorry that didn’t work out for ya, but don’t penalize students who have more potential for success in unique fields just because you have a skewed opinion of what makes people valuable.

And speaking of valuable, let’s also note that Bevin is a transplant Louisvillian (he wasn’t born there, so we don’t claim him).

Louisville thrives on the humanities – what would it be without the Louisville Ballet, Actors Theatre or the Louisville Orchestra?

Before I’m trolled, let me be clear about what I’m not suggesting: that STEM majors should be discouraged or that humanities majors should be given more incentives than anyone else or that Kentucky will crash and burn if Bevin’s proposals go through.

Maybe things will turn out better than expected or maybe ol’ Matt will have a change of heart.

Either way, you’re coming in loud and clear, Bev. Message received. Just know, we’re not easily broken.

The News

Opinion

February 4, 2016

5A

Letter to the Editor

I Have a Lot of Feelings The secondhand experience

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Are you concerned about a certain issue on campus or just 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 your submission to letters@thenews.org.

I’ve Got A Story For You

Auld acquaintance

You are probably reading this column at the end of what may appropriately be called, “Equality Month.”

It may be so called because two of the world’s greatest advocates of human equality have their birthdays celebrated worldwide in January.

They were not politicians or generals, neither Robert Valentine was ever elected to Senior lecturer high public office, of advertising and both came from professions that were – and are – unlikely to spawn political philosophers.

Americans will immediately name Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Before his assassination at the age of 39, he had led a revolution in peaceful protest and led the nation into a new age of political and social equality. A national holiday marks the debt owed by the nation to his wisdom and courage. We celebrate on the Monday nearest his birthday, Jan. 15.

Most of us, however, would not recognize the contribution of the son of a poor Scottish farmer. Born in the southwest of Scotland, Rob-

Cheers and Jeers Cheers and Jeers is written by The Murray State News’ Opinion Editor.

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

Comic

ert Burns grew to be the best-known poet of his age. Dead for more than two centuries, authorities still recognize him as the greatest poet in the English language. Around the world, his admirers gather for celebratory dinners, often wearing kilts in honor of their own Scottish heritage, on his birthday, Jan. 25.

Burns led no marches, counseled no presidents or kings. He headed no movements, nor did he create memorable speeches that stirred a nation to action. He died at 37 from illness. In his day, there were no televisions and no elections to compel the powerful to attend the will of the people.

But there were books.

Burns’ passionate poems of respect for the common people and his logical appeals for the inherent worth of every individual moved thousands of his fellow Scots and British immigrants to the New World – many transported against their will by the English king.

Like Dr. King, his words proved to be pow-

“

Most of us, however, would not recognize the contribution of the son of a poor Scottish farmer.

”

Cheers to ... February.

erful tools to encourage freedom from tyranny and to embolden a belief in self-worth among both men and women. Although popular with the high-born and the wealthy for the beauty of his verse, he was revered by the common people for the dignity he gave their lives.

In case you forgot, you probably sang his great hymn to friendship only three weeks before his birthday, three weeks ago.

“Should auld acquaintance be forgot, and never brought to mind?” we all sang on New Year’s Eve. The answer is so obvious, the poet never provides it.

Friendship is forever.

Among his many poems extolling the worth of the individual is the manifesto of equality best known as “A Man’s a Man for All That.”

After making the powerful argument that a person of character and honesty is of greater value than one who is merely wealthy or well-born, he concludes, “Then let us pray that come it may — as come it will for all that — That sense and worth, o’er all the earth may bear the gree, and all that.

For all that, and all that, It’s coming yet for all that, That man to man, the world o’er, Shall brothers be for all that.”

We cannot but believe that now, as “Equality Month” becomes Black History Month, Dr. King would enthusiastically agree.

So should we all.

Jeers to ... Agave closing.

January flew by, and now it’s time to hold our resolutions close and guard them from all the impending temptations of chocolate and heart-shaped candy. It’s also Black History Month, which is something to look forward to. Here’s to a month of some much-needed education!

So long, Agave. We will miss you, your delicious food and tempting margaritas. Not sure what it is about the past few months, but Murray favorites keep closing unexpectedly and it’s a huge bummer for us all.

Hold your local favorites close, everyone, and hope that nothing else will be closing.

Jeers to ... Mixed emotions.

Cheers to ... Gary Ransdell.

Yes, the 60 degree weather we’ve been having lately is a literal breath of fresh air from blizzards and below-freezing temperatures.

But while we’re frolicking in the spring-like weather, we can’t help but feel wary of what this weather is indicative of: Global Warming. Buzz-kill.

The Western Kentucky University President has announced plans to retire in 2017.

According to a statement released by the university, he plans to use this time to ensure quality new leadership and to advocate the importance of higher education.

I finally read “Gone Girl.”

I feel like I emerged from some dark cave in the form of someone’s elderly uncle who just discovered kale chips or the word “bae.”

Allison Borthwick While it took a movie Opinion Editor adaptation to make the book surge in popularity, the book itself definitely lived up to all the hype. Granted, the book had been sitting on bookstore shelves since 2012, but the whole wide world collectively lost their minds two years later when Ben Affleck popped up on their screens in “Gone Girl” movie trailers.

Apparently the written word needs validation from the silver screen to get some recognition these days.

I say all this like I’m not part of the problem – it’s 2016 and I just now read the book because my best friend got the movie during Walmart’s Black Friday madness and I refused to watch it with her until I read it first.

Anyway, what struck me the most about the book’s content wasn’t the plot twists or “whodunit” whirlwinds the author, Gillian Flynn, doles out to readers. I wasn’t initially intrigued by the fact, or fallacy, that “Gone Girl” offered feminism a new hero. I was, however, relieved to finally read a book that told the ugly truth of human error.

The 21st century, in all its technologically-innovative glory, has generated a whole new kind of human experience.

We prefer our food, entertainment and relationships to be ideal, and to be attained with great ease. We demand both quality and quantity.

When there are bumps in the road, we have our GPS reroute us and then have someone repave the road that had the nerve to slightly inconvenience us.

This is all inspired by my favorite quote from the book: “We stare at the wonders of the world, dull-eyed, underwhelmed … the secondhand experience is always better. The image is crisper, the view is keener, the camera angle and the soundtrack manipulate my emotions in a way reality can’t anymore.”

Why buy the cow when you can get the milk for free?

The fact is, some people would rather spend money on overpriced tickets to see Disneynature’s latest movie in IMAX 3D than visit a local zoo or spend a few hours in a park.

Some people would rather have an algorithm find their perfect match or would rather swipe through a bunch of faces on their phones until something, not someone/a real person, happens to catch their shallow eye.

Turn on your TV and flip through the channels – you will more than likely see a tourism commercial, and not even for a destination you would need a passport for. There are states within the boarders of our own country practically begging us to spend some of our precious vacation days exploring the sites they’ve preserved on good ol’ American soil.

Face-to-face contact is not only a nuisance, it’s simply not something we’re trained to do anymore. Seeing something in person only comes after we extensively research the destination/attraction online first – assessing if something like Niagara Falls is even worth the effort.

Why buy the boat ticket when you can Google image search for free?

Why read the book when you can watch the movie? aborthwick@murraystate.edu

Snow days

By Selena McPherson

The News

News

6A

February 4, 2016

Murray State reveals new class ring Tierra Reese || Staff writer treese1@murraystate.edu

The first official ring for Murray State is being unveiled Feb. 6 at the men’s home basketball game.

Ordering a ring will be available starting Feb. 8 in the Curris Center, across from the University Store with a representative from the ring company, Balfour, providing information and taking orders from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Balfour website has made ordering a ring available online as well.

There will be three display units presenting the college ring information with one in the University Store, the Alumni Center and the other will be revealed after the unveiling of the ring.

L.G. Balfour Company, since mid-2014, has taken over to provide the first official college ring for Murray State students and alumni. Balfour, a “recognized leader in college ring sales,” said Mark Welch, director of alumni relations, offers a variety of personalization options for three different types of rings.

Welch, an alumnus of Murray State class

of 1979, is not only promoting this new ring but also plans to purchase one as well.

“It is a symbol to people that I am connected to this institution. There is meaning and nostalgia behind the ring,” Welch said.

Shawn Reynolds, president of the Alumni Association and an alumnus of Murray State, plans to purchase a ring also.

“It is a great opportunity for people who never got the chance to get a ring,” Reynolds said. “I have told some of my friends that also graduated from Murray about this new ring as well.”

Over two years ago, Jim Carter, former vice president and head of the Alumni Association, put together a committee of students to help select designs, which became the official “standard” Murray State ring.

Rings range from a standard chunky, bulgy ring to a smaller “cocktail” ring with added embellishments of one’s choice. Balfour has their website available for customizations; however, each official ring will have Murray State class of (year) on it for identification.

Becki Beyler, Balfour’s regional territory manager, has been working with Murray

State’s Alumni Association to help decide what these rings will look like. Beyler said these rings are available to junior and senior Murray State students and graduates from the past.

Attributing to the creation of the ring, Beyler wanted the ring to be less about the individual and more about the university, making the ring resonate with the school attended.

Beyler encourages students to buy a ring, because it will create an instant bond between people that could initiate a conversation.

“A collection of rings with the symbol for Murray State will bond from now until forever, which will signify that you are proud of your university, you are a team player and you are involved,” Beyler said.

These rings typically will range anywhere from $400 to $1,400, depending on the metal, stones, engravings and other embellishments desired.

The Friday before the commencement date, there will be a ring ceremony where students and family can come and pick up their official ring.

“

It is a symbol to people that I am connected to this institution. There is meaning and nostalgia behind the ring.

- Mark Welch, director of Alumni relations

”

New scholarship application launches for students Courtney Scoby Staff writer

cscoby@murraystate.edu

Nicole Ely/The News

The new scholarship application can be found on Murray State’s website.

The way students apply for scholarships at Murray State is changing. The new scholarship application system went live on Jan. 8.

There are several different reasons why the university changed scholarship application systems, said Christian Cruce, director of scholarships.

“We have outgrown the previous system,” Cruce said.

“We are also approaching the end of the contract for the previous system. In addition, the previous scholarship system is being phased out and replaced with a new system by the software company that owns it.

Therefore, a change in scholarship application systems was inevitable.”

Among other things, the new application system is supposed to be faster and easier for students to use.

“Previously, students had to apply for individual scholarship,” Cruce said. “In the new system, students will get considered for all possible scholarships in which they meet the criteria if they submit a scholarship application and any requested documentation. “ The new application system will speed along the scholarship process in general as well, not just for students.

“The system provides additional capabilities that will allow the entire process of awarding scholarships to become more efficient, from working with scholarship

“Serving you for 28 years”

committees to notifying students who are awarded scholarships,” Cruce said.

Although the system is still new to students, the Scholarship Office has already been receiving feedback on the new system, most of which is positive, Cruce said.

However, many students were not happy with the timing of the implementation of the new system, which went into effect a mere week before this year’s scholarship deadline.

“While we know that the timing of the switch was not ideal, it was unavoidable,” Cruce said. “The staff in the Scholarship Office has been working tirelessly to make the transition as smooth as possible for students.”

Other than the timing of the system switch, student opinions of the new system are mixed.

“Being able to answer all of the various questions asked in the old application was very cumbersome and slow,” said Josh Drouin, junior from Mayfield, Kentucky. “The new system has streamlined all of the questions into one location, meaning that you no longer have to answer the same question many times.”

Filling out the application quickly is not a primary concern for other students, however.

Accuracy was a main concern for MK Bleichner, junior from Fairfield, Ohio, who applied on the old system and logged into the new system to ensure that all of her information transferred correctly.

“Even though it was often a lengthy process and the system ran a bit slow, I definitely prefer the old system,” Bleichner said. “The new one would not allow me to edit some of my information that had transferred, like my number of credits completed and officer positions in organizations.”

While the new system’s ability to choose and apply for scholarships based on a student’s application materials without the student having to do so manually may be a plus for some, Bleichner does not agree.

“I like knowing how many scholarships I am applying for and I make sure I apply for any that require financial aid, even if by federal guidelines I do not ‘need’ it,” she said.

Bleichner worries that the inclusion of a FAFSA and the new system’s choosing which scholarship her information will be entered into will lessen her chances of receiving scholarship money.

“I am an excellent student, I am involved on campus, and I want the determination of whether I get a scholarship or not based on these things, not how much money my parents make,” Bleichner said. “They have helped me out so much and I am trying to keep them from having to pay as much, which is why I apply for scholarships in the first place.”

The Scholarship Office encourages students to contact them with any questions or concerns regarding the new application system at msu. scholarship@murraystate. edu.

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February 4, 2016

Section B

The News

Sports

Sports Editor: Kelsey Randolph Assistant Sports Editor: Mark McFarland Phone: 270-809-4481 Twitter: MSUSportsNews

Baseball, softball begin practices for tough season play.

­­

Racers foul out

Kalli Bubb/The News

Men’s basketball looks to come back at SEMO

Kelsey Randolph

Sports Editor

krandolph3@murraystate.edu

Fourteen seconds after UT Martin won the tipoff Saturday, senior forward Wayne Langston committed a foul as the first official play of the game.

In an effort to prevent more foul trouble, Langston played just 14 minutes but still fouled four times. Five of those fourteen minutes were played in the last 15 minutes of the game, when Head Coach Matt McMahon put Langston back in the game in an effort to widen the gap of the losing score.

“I guess I watch film to see what I’m doing wrong so it won’t continue to happ e n , ” Langston said.

Walking off the McMahon court with his head hung low and a pat on the back from Head Coach Matt McMahon, Langston’s face showed frustration after the Racers lost 63-59 against the Skyhawks.

“We’ve got to make some adjustments, obviously,” McMahon said.

McMahon was under the impression a player could arm bar with no extension on a catch, but that’s been called a foul lately. McMahon plans to go back to the officials’ tape from the beginning of the season to review and adjust as necessary.

“We can’t afford for him to get these ticky-tack fouls and end up on the bench,” McMahon said. “He doesn’t help us over there.”

As of Monday, Langston tied for 14th place for the most fouls per game.

Through Langston’s first 22 games, referees have called him for 82 fouls, an average of 3.73 per game. Only 13

INSIDE 3B:

Racers show Tigers no love Women’s tennis serves 7-0 wins against Olivet Nazarene Sarah Combs

Contributing writer scombs6@murraystate.edu

Jenny Rohl/The News

Head Coach Matt McMahon talks to the players during a timeout in the UT Martin game Saturday. players in NCAA basketball average more. He has fouled out five times.

Langston is second in the OVC for fouls per game, only falling .04 behind Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s forward, Yemi Makanjuola, who averages 3.77 a game.

Similar to the first half, the Racers began the second half with their first official call on a foul by Langston in the first nine seconds.

Saturday’s game was a frustrating defeat all around.

McMahon and the team are looking to prove they can win on the road despite their record losing streak on

the road. UT Martin is now in third place for the OVC West while Murray State is second to Eastern Illinois.

“It’s definitely frustrating.

I felt like I tried not to be as aggressive, but the first call was an arm bar,” McMahon said. “And I’ve been doing

see SEMO, 2B

The Racers’ quick turnaround from Friday to Saturday didn’t bother Erin Patton, senior from Memphis, Tennessee, who said she didn’t think fatigue played a part in her performance during Murray State’s victories.

After solidifying her position last season as the third person in Murray State women’s tennis history to have an undefeated season, Patton ended last season with a record of 14-0 and said she’s entering this season with complete confidence in both her team and individual performance. The senior’s only loss last season was in the NCAA tournament. Patton said she was able to her focus during the two matches to earn wins.

“I came out to dominate and do what I came out here to do,” Patton said.

Patton and the Racers opened the season with a 7-0 win against Evansville on Friday and came back to defeat Olivet Nazarene University 7-0 Saturday at the Kenlake Tennis Center.

The fast turnaround didn’t concern Coach Jorge Caetano and his team’s ability to perform. Caetano made sure his team got plenty of rest and remained healthy for the match against the Tigers. Murray State started the match against the Tigers by winning the doubles point but struggled with earning the singles matches.

“We got the doubles point again; for singles it was tough,” Caetano said. “The first four matches were very tough. That’s the main thing

with these girls; they like to compete.”

Caetano said the goal is to win the conference title while enjoying the journey to get there.

“We have won back-toback conference titles, so they know what it takes,” Caetano said. “The five new ones embrace that very well, and they just want to win.”

Megan Blue, senior from Ontario, Canada, has occupied the No. 1 spot for the team, delivering results both days, winning singles matches against Evansville and the Tigers and pulling together with Amina Hadzic, freshman from Esbjeg, Denmark in doubles against the Tigers.

“It’s good, I think, for all the other girls to know they can rely on her as No. 1,” Caetano said.

Caetano said the Racers still have fundamentals to focus on for the upcoming week heading into their match against Louisville.

“We work on fundamentals [through the week],” Caetano said. “We work on strategy so we can be ready for the next weekend.”

The Racers swept the Tigers Saturday in singles with wins from Blue; Patton; Hadzic; Haily Morgan, freshman from Anthem, Arizona, Jeanne Masson, freshman from Dinard, France and Suzanne Stoltz senior from Brisbane, Australia.

Hadzic and Blue won their doubles competition 6-2 with Masson and Alina Schibol, junior Hamburg, Germany, following suit with a 6-0, resulting in the Racers’ point.

The Racers head to Louisville, Kentucky for a match against the Cardinals at 4 p.m.

Sunday.

Women attempt to rebound after loss

Mark McFarland Assistant Sports Editor

mmcfarland1@murraystate.edu

Recent struggles have put the Racers at 3-6 and in tenth place in the OVC and in danger of missing the OVC tournament for the third straight season.

The team has not been able to string together wins this year as its longest and only win streak sits at three games. Offense has not come easy for Murray State, shooting 37 percent as a team. Defense has been much of the same story as opponents are shooting 43 percent against

the Racers.

The largest margin of victory for the Racers was 25 points against Blue Mountain College while losing to Florida State University 101-59, a 42-point deficit as the low point of the season.

UT Martin was the latest team to take it to the Racers as they lost 92-62 despite having senior forward Kyra Gulledge and sophomore forward and guard Ke’Shunan James finish with double-doubles. The Racers were unable to get anything started against the high tempo offense of the Skyhawks. Turnovers hurt Murray State as it committed

Marky Mark Talks Back

Strikeout the DH

Baseball has been America’s pastime since before Major League B a s e Mark McFarland ball was Assistant Sports Editor founded in

WHAT’S

INSIDE

1903. Much of the game is the same today; sadly one thing changed, the development of the designated hitter.

It took the American League 70 years to decide to take the pitcher out of the lineup and add the DH. In 1973, the AL did what it wanted to do and boasted a

26 turnovers and gave up 37 points off of those turnovers.

Head Coach Rob Cross said they need to be able to hold onto the ball if they want to be able to compete.

“For whatever reason we just threw the ball to them, to Cross be honest with you,” Cross said. “They took advantage of it.”

The loss came after the

Racers beat Eastern Illinois at home to move them into the top eight teams of the conference and a spot in the OVC Tournament.

Murray State has a tough road against the top teams in the conference if they wants to have a shot to get to Nashville at the end of the month for the OVC Tournament.

They have to play the conference leader SIUE once more, second place UT Martin, fourth place SEMO and sixth place Austin Peay twice.

The Racers host Austin Peay at 5 p.m. Saturday and will play at SIUE at 7 p.m. Feb. 10 in Edwardsville, Illinois.

Sophomore forward and guard Ke’Shunan James dribbles past a defender at the UT Martin game Saturday.

higher batting average than the National League. Attendance in the AL continued to rise above the NL. The NL decided to have a vote in 1980 to see if they would adopt the DH as well.

Voting didn’t go as planned, as only nine teams voted in the process. Four teams voted for, five against.

The St. Louis Cardinals fired their general manager for being one of the four

teams in favor of the DH going to the NL. In the first year, the AL had the DH the AL hit .259 and the NL hit .254. Even with the pitcher in the lineup the NL only hit five fewer points than the AL. Many people believe that with the DH in the NL there will be fewer injuries to pitchers.

Injuries like Adam Wainwright, starting pitcher for

the St. Louis Cardinals, tearing his Achilles tendon last season while he was up to bat.

This is one of the arguments for the DH to be league-wide.

It is a sad day when kids who are good at both hitting and pitching in high school get to college and have to decide which one they want to do. Baseball was invented without the DH and did just fine without it before 1973.

The AL has been ruined

Jenny Rohl/The News

since it adopted the DH. The NL is still in baseball’s purest form and this is should never change.

Baseball was all about strategy; now it’s down to half of baseball being all about the strategy.

Baseball is more interesting when watching what the manager has to go through in order to decide if he wants

see COLUMN, 2B

SOFTBALL PREVIEW

STUDENT ASSOCIATION

POETRY READING

Racers prepare for spring play, 6A

African student organization document culture shock, 5B

Louisville author showcases poems, work for reading series, 6B

The News

Sports

2B

February 4, 2016

SEMO From Page 1 that all year so I really don’t know to be honest.”

Stepping in while Langston was sitting on the bench, freshman forward Charles Brown came in to help out.

McMahon said he’s been tremendous on the practice floor and picks up what a player is trying to do from a strategic standpoint.

“It’s the little things like that when you add them up they become big things,” McMahon said. “I think he’s earned that time. When he’s got those minutes in the game, he’s been productive.”

Langston said he’s seen that Brown has always been a hard worker.

“I tell him that his day will come,” McMahon said.

He said Brown has been confident and played tremendously at the game against UT Martin, so much so that Langston had no worries during the first half of the game.

While frustrated to sit on the bench, Langston said he felt great about watching his teammates.

Traveling to Southeast Missouri State Thursday, the Racers look to come home with a win against the

COLUMN From Page 1 to keep his pitcher out there for the eighth inning and let him hit in the top of ninth in a one-run game, or to bring in a pinch hitter and have the setup man or closer come into the game. From the fifth inning on in a NL game is some of the most interesting and intense baseball anyone will watch.

Watching the manager pace back and forth in the dugout trying to figure out his next move.

Who should pinch hit? Do we need to pinch hit? Strategy is important to the game of baseball because it is already a slow-moving game.

People believe baseball is boring; the strategy makes the game more interesting and easier to watch all the way through.

However, in an AL game, the manager has to decide when he wants his next piece of bubble gum, his next handful of sunflower seeds and when to bring in a pitcher.

Half the time they don’t even need to think about the pitcher.

Another thing someone might see is the AL manager going out to argue with an umpire while standing there looking baffled while he waits for the dugout to tell

Photo by Jenny Rohl/The News Graphic by Kelsey Randolph/The News

Redhawks, who are fifth in the OVC West. SEMO has won three of their last four games, which includes a win against UT Martin. him whether or not he needs to challenge the call. How does this seem fun? How do people believe this is how baseball is supposed to be played?

Baseball has had its issues in the recent years, why make it even worse?

The MLB has just barely made it out alive after the steroid era. It put instant replay in the game and now it wants to put the DH in both leagues.

People will say it works well in the AL. Yes it does, but it makes their game more boring than the NL game. Just because it works in one league doesn’t mean it will work in the other. Many NL fans would hate it if the DH ever came to their league; they wouldn’t want to watch a game on TV let alone pay copious amounts of money to drive to an MLB stadium and sit there for two to four hours watching a brand of baseball they don’t stand for.

Major League Baseball should be warned; the NL should be warned. If this change happens, baseball will not only lose money, but could no longer be America’s pastime.

The fans of baseball and fans of the NL beg of Major League Baseball, do not “fix” what isn’t broken. Do not bring the DH to NL, it is not welcome and will not be supported.

Racers sprint past opponents at Pitt State John Morris || Staff writer jmorris36@murraystate.edu

M u r r a y State competed at the Pitt State Invite Friday and Saturday in Pittsburgh, Kansas.

The Racers set several personal records over the weekend and touched some of Murray State’s history books with new ranks.

Senior distance runner Ali Hester was one of many putting on a top performance at the meet this weekend.

With new territory like Pittsburgh, Hester was impressed with her performance.

“I was not familiar with Pitt State’s campus or indoor facility,” Hester said. “That was my first time competing there but I really enjoyed the track and thought it was a beautiful facility.”

Even though Hester and the team were new to this particular area the team faired well with a solid outing.

“I thought the meet was the best for MSU so far this season. We had a great number of people get personal Swieton records for this season and even lifetime individual records. I was very proud of how our entire team did; it

is a big step forward for us,” Hester said.

Head Coach Jenny Swieton also was proud of the team’s performance in a new area.

Swieton said the Racers have a lot of potential and

Notable performances include: • Senior distance runner Ali Hester took first place in the 3000-meter running 10 minutes and 14 seconds.

“

I thought the meet was the best for MSU so far this season. We had a great number of people get personal records for this season and even lifetime individual records. I was very proud of how our entire team did; it is a big step forward for us.

”

-Ali Hester, senior distance runner

are off to a great start with indoor performances. Swieton and Hester would agree that one of the big reasons for these performances is the concentration of the goals set for the team and individuals.

The team’s goals to push and encourage each other and inspire everyone to want to accomplish big things and ultimately win the conference.

“I think we have a lot of people who really want to do something special this year,” Swieton said. “Our team is full of people that are not afraid to make sacrifices for their team and who really love to compete.”

• Hester also competed in the distance meter relay with freshman jumper Aubrey Main and fellow senior distance runners Emma Gilmore and Brittany Bohn. The relay team placed second with 12 minutes and 16 seconds.

• Freshman sprinter Tamdra Lawrence and freshman sprinter and hurdler Jocelyn Payne competed in the 60-meter dash. Lawrence set a new personal record, also ranking No. 2 all time in Murray State history at 7.57 seconds.

Payne also set a new per-

sonal record with 7.83 seconds and she also set another personal record in the 400-meter dash timed at 58.80 seconds.

• Freshman sprinter and hurdler and jumper Jabreuna Brimlett set a personal record and all set a rank of third time at Murray State for the 60-meter hurdles, running 8.61 seconds.

• Sophomore hurdler and jumper Taylor McCammon set a personal record in 60-meter hurdles times a 8.71 seconds, which ranked her fourth all time for Murray State.

• Sophomore middle distance runner Emani Griffin and junior middle distance runner Tia Weston set personal records in the 800-meter dash. Griffin timed 2 minutes and 19 seconds and Weston timed 2 minutes and 17 seconds.

• Freshman thrower Christina Meinhardt set a shot put personal record throwing 12.37 meters.

• Freshman pole vaulter Emily Heil and junior pole vault Chleo LeGrand both set personal records. Heil vaulted 3.06 meters and LeGrand vaulted 3.36 meters.

The Racers will split up this weekend in their next meet with a group headed to Notre Dame and others heading to Southern Illinois University Carbondale.

The News’ pick of the week - Basketball Kelsey Randolph Sports Editor 2-2 Tyler Dixon Graduate Assistant 2-2 Mary Bradley Editor-in-Chief 2-2 Mark McFarland Assistant Sports Editor 3-1 Dave Gesler Associate Professor 1-3

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The News

Sports

February 4, 2016

3B

Baseball ‘to be competitive’ Mark McFarland

Assistant Sports Editor mmcfarland1@murraystate.edu

Murray State baseball will kick off its season Feb. 19 in Daytona Beach, Florida at Bethune-Cookman.

The Racers finished last season with a 16-40 overall record and an 11-19-conference record in the OVC. Head Coach Kevin Moulder is in his second season as head coach and will send out his first recruiting class for the Racers onto the field. After a rebuilding season, Moulder is excited to see the work that his team can do Feb. 19. Moulder said in order to be fully ready for the season, they need to get great weather like they were able to get last Saturday and Sunday.

“We’ll be ready to go one way or another,” Moulder said. “Now the more we get outside the better Moulder it is, but I am excited about opening up in Daytona.

It should be great weather temperature-wise for us.”

NON-CONFERENCE

The non-conference schedule for the Racers is not an easy one. Murray State will play teams like Creighton University, University of Kentucky

and University of Mississippi.

Last season Creighton went 32-19 overall and had a 13-4 conference record. The Bluejays play at T.D. Ameritrade Stadium in Omaha, Nebraska, which also hosts the College World Series. Coach Moulder is impressed with Creighton and feels that they will be a good matchup that will test the Racers.

“At the beginning of March, we have Creighton coming to town and that’ll be one of the best mid-major teams in the country,” Moulder said. “They go to regionals on a regular basis.”

The Bluejays lost 8-7 in the Big East Conference tournament championship to St. John’s University. With the loss, Creighton was unable to play in NCAA Tournament.

Murray State will play Kentucky twice this year as part of an away-neutral series. The first game will be in Lexington, Kentucky and the second game will be played at Brooks Stadium in Paducah, Kentucky.

Moulder said he is excited to be able to play at Brooks Stadium since it is close to Murray State but is not a true home game.

Kentucky struggled last year, going 30-25 overall and finishing the SEC regular season one game below .500. The Wildcats were unable to get past Auburn University in the first round of the SEC Tournament, losing 6-3.

Ole Miss finished last year 0-2 in NCAA Regionals. The

Rebels had a 30-28 overall record and SEC record of 15-14 but could not get out of the first round of the SEC Tournament losing, to the University of Alabama 6-1.

After the loss to Alabama, the Rebels went on to the Los Angeles NCAA Regional. They played the University of Maryland in the first game, losing just 3-1. The next game was much of the same story for Ole Miss as they lost to California State University-Bakersfield 2-1 to be knocked out of the NCAA Tournament.

The game between the Racers and the Rebels will be at 6 p.m. April 20 in Oxford, Mississippi.

REUNITED TWO YEARS LATER

Murray State will travel to St. Louis University for a onegame series. Moulder used to be one of the assistant coaches at St. Louis and will be going back for the first time in two years as the head coach for the Racers. Moulder said it is a little bittersweet going back since he likes the coaches and players there.

“I’m excited because it’s a place that I love and I helped build up to the level they are at now,” Moulder said. “It’ll be fun for me in that regard, but I also am not extremely excited about having to compete against friends.”

Moulder continued to say that St. Louis is an area were he likes to recruit and will continue to try and recruit in the

future.

“It’ll be a neat game,” Moulder said. “We have a lot of kids from the St. Louis area on the team and we have five guys who are signed from our early class.”

“

We’ll be ready to go one way or another. Now the more we get outside the better it is, but I am excited about opening up in Daytona.

CONFERENCE

Murray State went 11-19 in the OVC last year, finishing ninth out of 11 teams. Southeast Missouri State won the conference, going 22-8 in the OVC, but lost to Morehead State 16-3 in the conference tournament championship game.

The Racers won’t start their OVC games until Mar. 11 when they travel to UT Martin.

Moulder believes his team has the talent to be competitive and make the OVC Tournament at the end of the season.

“I hope we get some consistency from us that’ll start with pitching,” Moulder said. “If we can find three guys to give us consistent starts on the weekend, then I feel like we can be really competitive. We certainly have the in-house candidates to do so, but we got a battle going on right now for those three spots. If we get that figured out, we can be really competitive in conference this year.”

Moulder said the team was not competitive in the conference last year, and that is something they want to be able to do. He said he thinks that is how they will be judged with the rest of the country.

The Racers will travel to

- Head Coach Kevin Moulder

SEMO at the end of April for a three-game series and will play Morehead State for their final series of the regular season.

NOTEABLE RACERS

A few players have led the Racers in the fall and early on into the spring, turning heads of the coaching staff and some of their teammates.

Junior catcher Tyler Lawrence is on the list of top 150 draft prospects for the 2016 MLB draft. Lawrence hit .302 with 12 home runs and 46 RBIs to lead Murray State in most offensive categories.

Sophomore infielder and catcher Kipp Moore is a versatile infielder who spends some time catching. He hit .260 on the year with 23 RBIs and crossed the plate 25 times last season.

Aaron Bence a junior outfield transfer from Rend Lake College who can help the Racers with his speed. He led Rend Lake in batting average hitting .347 last season. He also led the team in hits with 51 and stolen bases with 47 on 50 attempts.

He ranked third in the country in stolen bases for Rend Lake

”

last season.

Caleb Hicks is a sophomore infielder and is a transfer from Jefferson College. Hicks has shown a strong arm whether at shortstop or third base.. He can hit for average and power. He was tied for second on his team with 10 home runs last spring as a lead-off hitter.

Ramsey Scott, junior first baseman transferred from Maple Woods Community College who has shown he can hit the ball. He hit .298 with 10 home runs and 43 RBIs last season with Maple Woods.

The senior leader of the team, Andrew Bramley, is a righthanded pitcher who struggled a little bit with a 7.56 ERA. He has since improved his pitches and velocity on the mound. He looks to be one of the anchors on the team.

The Racers will look to improve upon the season they had last year as they have more talent who will be able to help them get the wins they need.

Moulder said with his first recruiting class he was trying to put extra talent on the field to try and spark some victories.

Kalli Bubb and Jenny Rohl/The News

(Left) Junior catcher, Tyler Lawrence is gets ready for a pitch to come to the plate in a game last season. Lawrence led the team in batting average, homeruns and RBIs in 2015. (Top) The Murray State baseball team celebrates after winning a game last season.

Racers picked third John Morris Staff writer jmorris36@murraystate.edu

Despite finishing 38-19 last season, the Murray State softball team still has something to prove this season.

“Any time you are in athletics, the ultimate goal is to win a championship,” Head Coach Kara Amundson said. “How we get to that point is really what we try to focus on as a team.”

The team finished third in the conference last year with a record of 20-7 to tie the previous OVC record. The Racers were picked third in the OVC preseason poll.

“Really what matters is where we are come M a y , ” Amundson said.

Amundson “ W e d o not put too much thought into where we are ranked pre-season.”

Amundson firmly believes the only way things are going to get done is if everyone stays focused.

“We focus as a team, and as individuals, about process over outcome,” Amundson said. “If we are preparing

for and focusing on the process, the outcome will hopefully take care of itself.”

Murray State boasted a 14-3 home record last season, but only 11-12 on the road.

This year’s roster includes seven starters from last year’s team, including some recognized talent in junior infielder Maggie Glass, who was named First Team 2015 All-OVC and junior infielder Jessica Twaddle, who was the 2015 OVC’s Player of the Year.

Amundson said the motto this year is “We over me.”

“The difference in this year’s team is that we are all connected. This team is one big family and has the best team chemistry since I have been here at Murray State,” senior infielder Erica Howard said. “Every single player brings something to the table that we need to win a conference championship and we are all committed to that goal.”

“The Racers finished 7-1 during the fall season. I am proud of how hard this team has worked throughout the fall and even since we have been back after the holidays,” Amundson said.

“It can be a grind to work out starting in August and not get to play our first actual game until February.

“But every year you graduate players and have

new players in so the dynamic of the team is never the same. As a coaching staff, we always have to be ready to adjust with that,” Amundson said.

Amundson and the staff have committed to making sure the team is cohesive and each class has a part in the expectations and the goals set for the season.

The freshmen and their readiness to compete and start their careers in the program as well as how the seniors are on the mission for the first OVC title, Amundson said.

“My mindset is to be the best team player I can be, no matter what role I may play.

I have had many different roles since I have been here; and I take pride in each one of them. That is also what I hope for the rest of my teammates,” Howard said. “I hope to lead my team in that way exactly. I want each person to realize that no matter their role, they are important to this team and to us winning a championship. Being a leader does not always mean making the star plays and getting the winning hit. It is about keeping your teammates focused on a goal and keep working toward that goal.”

The softball team begins their season on Feb. 12 in Kennesaw, Georgia at the Kickoff Classic.

Kalli Bubb/The News

(Top) A Murray State softball player runs to first base after hitting the ball in a game this fall. (Bottom) Freshman outfielder, Leah Kesel scores a run during a fall game.

The News

Sports

4B

February 4, 2016

STUDENT GOVERNMENT ASSOCIATION AWARDS The Murray State University Student Government Association is now accepting applications for the following Awards:

Jim Baurer Outstanding Staff Service Award

Ralph H. Woods Memorial Award

Established to honor and recognize a staff member who has gone above and beyond the call of prescribed duty and shown exceptional dedication with regard to the students of Murray State University.

Application deadline Noon, February 19, 2016.

Established to honor and recognize a student or students who have made an outstanding contribution in service and leadership to Murray State University. Application deadline Noon, March 11, 2016.

Applications are available in the CSI office, MSU News and www.murraystate.edu/sga.

Please contact the SGA in the Center for Student Involvement office for additional information 270-809-6951.

Max Carman Outstanding Teacher Award This award is given in recognition of the recipient’s teaching excellence as evidenced by his/her effectiveness and ability to motivate and inspire students in the classroom and outside the classroom. Application deadline Noon, February 19, 2016.

NOMINATION FOR STUDENT GOVERNMENT ASSOCIATION'S MAX CARMAN OUTSTANDING TEACHER AWARD I,

(your name)

nominate (professor)

, would like to for the award.

Please complete the following information: 1.

2.

4. What qualities do you feel this professor has that would qualify him/her for this award for outstanding classroom performance?

What department does the faculty member teach in?

*REQUIREMENT FOR AWARD: FOUR (4) YEARS FULL TIME TEACHING EXPERIENCE AT MURRAY STATE UNIVERSITY Student's signature

Date__________

Major

Phone_________

Have you had the professor in class? If so, what classes?

Email address________________________________________________

3.

DEADLINE - NOON, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2016

Is the professor available for assistance outside the classroom?

STUDENT GOVERNMENT ASSOCIATION RALPH H. WOODS MEMORIAL AWARD APPLICATION Form to be filled out by nominee or person making nomination and submitted to Jeanie Morgan, Student Government Association, Center for Student Involvement office, with three (3) letters of recommendation, no later than NOON, FRIDAY, MARCH 11, 2016.

NOMINEE ________________________________________________________ Campus Address__________________________________________________ Email Address___________________________________________________ NAME OF NOMINATING ORGANIZATION OR INDIVIDUAL _________________________________________________________________ ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

ACTIVITIES

NOMINATION FOR STUDENT GOVERNMENT ASSOCIATION'S JIM BAURER OUTSTANDING STAFF SERVICE AWARD I,

(your name)

nominate (staff )

, would like to for the award.

Nominee name______________________________________________ Campus address____________________________________________ Campus telephone number___________________________________ Email address_____________________________________________ Please complete the following information: 1.

2. What qualities do you feel this staff person has that would qualify him/her for this award?

What area does the staff member work in?

*REQUIREMENT FOR AWARD: FIVE (5) YEARS FULL TIME EMPLOYMENT AT MURRAY STATE UNIVERSITY Student's signature

Date_____

Major

Phone_________

Email address________________________________________________ DEADLINE - NOON, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2016

February 4, 2016

5B

The News

Features Editor: Connor Jaschen Assistant Features Editor: Gisselle Hernandez Phone: 270-809-5871 Twitter: MSUNewsFeatures

Features ­

RACERS AROUND THE GLOBE

Murray

Pakistan Nigeria

Documenting the stories of international Murray State students and their acclimation to the Racer lifestyle.

Graphic by Alex Hilkey/The News

Global spotlight: A cross continental home Gisselle Hernandez

Assistant Features Editor ghernandez1@murraystate.edu

When Victory Aniemeke left Nigeria to attend Murray State, the only thing he was unaccustomed to was people having trouble understanding him.

After all, Aniemeke was familiar with the United States after spending summer vacations in the U.S. with his family. But he soon found his professors and fellow classmates struggled to understand his Nigerian accent, even though he has been speaking English all his life.

“Every [African] develops an American accent, but I spoke straight out of my Nigerian accent,” he said. “I talk like how I talk back home.”

As a freshman at Murray State, Aniemeke is one of the 56 African students who have adopted Murray as their home away from home. They have embraced the challenges and differing experiences that come along with being an international student at Murray State, such as communicating with other students and homesickness.

Living in a town that contrasts in development and culture with his own, Aniemeke said, allows him a chance to meet new people, and being involved in the African Student Association, a chance to meet students from other African nations as well.

ADAPTING TO MURRAY LIFE

Self-proclaimed social butterfly, Aniemeke can often be seen smiling, describing himself as “a friendly person who likes to make jokes.”

Aniemeke also soon became familiar with his teachers’ and classmates’ accents, which he said made socializing easier.

He said his people skills came in handy as he became the social chair for the African Student Association at Murray State. With 35 members, the organization aims to introduce diversity to the Murray community through African culture and tradition, said Serah Waweru, the association’s president.

The organization hosts fundraisers to raise awareness about the continent, as well as events promoted

by African students. Such events include the Miss Murray State International Pageant and mixers. Those who are curious enough learn the traditions and differences between cultures.

EARLY CHILDHOOD

Aniemeke, for instance, said his hometown is much less developed than Murray.

“Really, the videos you see on TV sometimes are true,” he said. “People are really broke back home.”

Aniemeke’s father, however, is a successful pastor and teacher. He’s held in high regard by people in his village and owns the largest house in the community, Aniemeke said.

“Power, money and respect,” along with God, are the ingredients to a successful life, Aniemeke said. “My father has all three. I want to be like him.”

As someone who was literally raised by being disciplined with a whip, Aniemeke said he loves both his parents for molding him into who he is.

He attributes his social skills and personality to his father,

including his father’s tough discipline.

“If they didn’t whip me I would be worse off,” he said.

“In America, they don’t touch their kids. Back home, my dad would fling his belt like a ninja – and I’m glad he did.”

AFRICAN STUDENT ASSOCIATION: A HOME AWAY FROM HOME

While Aniemeke said he’s happy in Murray, he – like many students – does miss a couple parts of home: some of his favorite foods and his mom.

Nostalgia had led to the African Student Association hosting events such as the annual “Taste of Africa,” which showcases the different foods of the countries in Africa.

This year, though, the event was canceled because of financial difficulties. The organization is planning other events to raise awareness of African culture and to unite their members.

The organization also has goals of recruiting up to 20 more members, because of the influx of 19 more African students at the university

this semester, said Waweru.

The goal is to also help African students feel welcomed.

“Not only is ASA an African student organization but also for African students who are not yet comfortable making friends with Americans,” said Chinazam Amuchienwa, member of ASA. “When they come in, they are more familiar with people from African countries.”

When they graduate from Murray State, African Student Association members receive a certificate recognizing their involvement in the organization.

As for Aniemeke, who doesn’t know as yet if he will return to Nigeria, thoughts of graduation seem far away.

“I just go with the flow,” he said. “For now, I am focusing on school. Everything else will come afterwards.”

Top 3 African countries with students at Murray State

Nigeria

33

59%

Kenya

9

16%

Zambia

5

9%

Source: Murray State Institute for International Studies

Pakistani student recounts time as Racer Da’Sha Tuck || Staff writer dtuck@murraystate.edu

against those in her country who are oppressing women.

Humaira Almad Khan, who studied at Murray State last semester, describes her home is Pakistan as being religiously-conservative.

She said the culture in Pakistan can restrict the freedoms of women. In some parts of the country, women and girls are not even allowed to leave the home. Because of this, Khan started a campaign in 2009 called “You Need to Rise.“ The campaign is being used to help Pakistani women understand that they have rights to stand against men.

“These girls are the mentors of the next generation and they should not let men dominate the society,” Khan said.

Khan was an exchange student who spent the fall of 2015 attending Murray State as a student ambassador through the Global Undergraduate Exchange Program.

Now, back home in Pakistan, she is continuing her fight

Khan hails from the city of Dera Ismail Khan. Here, she said, girls are allowed to be educated, but if they interact with men too much they are labeled as “corrupt girls,” bringing shame to their families.

This has been a barrier for women and girls, keeping them away from fulfilling their dreams and living independent lives, Khan said.

Many girls and women stay quiet after being harassed by male teachers and students, Khan said. If they spoke against them, the women would be blamed. She said Pakistani society would ask why the woman was even interacting with a man in the first place.

“As I started to understand things, I found out that the first factor that declines a women’s dreams is the lack of social support and lack of self-confi-

CHANGING THE WORLD

dence,” Khan said.

Khan said that’s when she knew she had to begin working to empower women. That required educating herself, which is why she jumped at the chance to study in the United States.

IGNORING BIGOTRY

Just as the women in Pakistan are up against oppressors because they are women, Khan sometimes faced negativity while in the United States because of her religion.

Khan told a story about going out with her friends to Cookout where she was harassed by a man she said was drunk.

She said as she and her friends waited to order, the man repeatedly tried to pull off her hijab, the traditional Muslim headdress.

“I asked my friends not to worry because if we showed that we are worried, he will have succeeded in his act of harassing me,” Khan said.

Lydia Kiesewetter, junior from Louisville, Kentucky, and Khan’s residential adviser, said

Khan always stayed positive even during difficult situations.

Even after returning to Pakistan, Khan keeps up with American politics.

She said she saw American Muslims protesting on social media because of comments made by Donald Trump, a Republican candidate for president.

“Someone who is hoping to become the president of the United States, who is a literate man, should not behave with such ignorance,” Khan said.

Khan said true Muslims know that ruthless violence goes against the very tenets of the religion. Those who do violent acts are not truly of the faith, she said.

LEAVING MURRAY

During her time in the United States, Khan had many experiences she described as memorable, including her stay in White Residential College.

“It was an honor to have Humaira as a resident,” Kiesewetter said. “She was completely self-

less and externally uplifting.”

Kiesewetter said Khan was ready to involve anyone with what she was doing. She said Khan gave a family feeling to White’s fifth floor.

“She made me my favorite lamb kabsa her second weekend here,” Kiesewetter said.

“She brought it to my room.

She knew I liked it, so she invited me to eat with her and her friends and then let me keep the leftovers.”

Kiesewetter said she believes Khan made a difference in Murray while she was here.

Khan was involved in the Muslim Student Organization (MSO). She said her MSO brothers helped her stay strong in her beliefs.

Moving to Murray, though, was a culture shock, Khan said.

Her MSO brothers, she said, helped her with every problem she encountered.

Khan studied veterinary technology and pre-veterinary medicine while attending Murray State.

“Humaira was a very pleas-

ant, polite and highly intelligent young lady,” said Terry Canerdy, head of the veterinary technology/pre-veterinary medicine program. “I feel the experience for me to meet such an outstanding and kindhearted young lady from Pakistan was more rewarding than what I could have ever done for this exchange student as her professor.”

Her classes were enjoyable, and Khan said she learned so much more than her field at Murray State.

“I learned to live and to recognize my rights which are not given to me in my country,” Khan said.

Now that Khan has completed her semester in the States she is using her experiences and the knowledge gained in Murray to make changes in Pakistan.

“While we tread the path towards empowerment, let us use the lessons of the past as a spring board from which we may leap into future phenomenal success,” Khan said.

The News

Features

6B FRIDAY

THURSDAY

SATURDAY

February 4, 2016

SUNDAY

MONDAY

WEDNESDAY

TUESDAY

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

2:00 p.m.

Love=Setting Boundaries, Twitter @loveisrespect

1:00 p.m.

Free Headshot Fridays & Job Search Series, Career Services

9:00 a.m.

Murray’s 3rd Annual Help-Portrait, Robert O. Miller Conference Center

All-Day Disney’s The Little Mermaid, Murray Woman’s Club

10:00 a.m.

Racers in Action Day, Curris Center

All-Day Wear Orange Love, All Murray State Campuses

8:00 a.m.

“Dr. With A Heart” Day to benefit Need Line, Heskett Chiropractic Center, Inc.

Poetry with grit

Brianna Willis || Staff writer bwillis2@murraystate.edu

Adam Day, a Louisville, Kentucky native, stood in front of a crowd at a podium. Day leaned into the mic to speak and dove straight into a poem. The poem was violent, gritty and profane.

As Day read, his body was framed by two paintings. One portrayed a man swimming through a ring of fire; the other a whale being internally destroyed from eating a ship. The painting depicted the whale’s insides wrapped around protruding wood from the ship, while Day recited a poem about a war using vivid and colorful imagery.

ADAM DAY

McKenna Dosier/The News

Louisville author, Adam Day, read some of his poems and from his book, “Model of a City in Civil War,” in front of a captivated crowd.

Music to come to Curris Taylor Inman || Contributing writer tinman1@murraystate.edu

Eric Obermeyer said he knows how to impress the ladies.

In conjunction with the Campus Activities Board, Obermeyer, senior from Jasper, Indiana, plans to test his skills in the Curris Center, playing piano for the students passing through.

“I play all the pretty stuff like ‘A River Flows in You.’ That pretty piano music is easy to play, but girls are really impressed by it.”

Grant Knox, showcasing chair for the Campus Activities Board, arranged for Obermeyer to perform songs from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 12 in the Curris Center Rocking Chair Lounge. Obermeyer will be performing prepared songs, including songs from Frank Sinatra and Michael Bublé, but will also be taking requests and free-styling on the piano.

“Hopefully we can get people to stop and listen for a second,” Knox said. “I love showcasing musicians here at Murray. As a music major, I see the same musicians every day but not too often do you see talented musicians who have no involvement with the music department.”

Obermeyer is no stranger to Murray State’s music department, and as a Music Education major with an instrumental emphasis in euphonium, he participates with both piano and baritone on campus, playing in Murray State’s jazz orchestra and wind ensemble.

Obermeyer said he has spent extensive time studying baritone, but it was jazz piano he learned by himself as a child.

“My mom would go to our piano and would play cool music; nothing like classical music, I was never interested in that,” Obermeyer said. “She would leave and keep the sheet music out, so I would sneak in there and learn to

play it.”

Since his love for music seemed to start at a young age, Obermeyer said he carried that love with him up through high school and into college.

“I was one of those geeky kids in middle school that didn’t have many friends, but I definitely had music,” Obermeyer said. “Then I joined band, and it has its stereotypes, but people don’t realize you make so many friendships. And the connection you share with them through music, it’s amazing.”

For Obermeyer and Knox, it would be enough just for students to feel the music when they pass by them in the Curris Center.

“Even though this isn’t a concert setting, people will notice the music and I think it will change their day,” Knox said. “All too often, things like this can only be found in concerts and recitals that you have to go out of your way to attend. Doing this in the Curris Center during lunch hours will allow students to experience music in their own element.”

Getting students to experience something is the main goal of the Campus Activities Board, who sponsored this Valentine’s Day themed piano serenade.

CAB Vice president Nathan Payne said he believes that if it’s not going to grab the attention of Murray State’s students, then it’s not worth putting on.

“A lot of companies will try to contact us with ideas for projects,” Payne said. “But if we don’t think students come out, we don’t even bother.

Every single decision we make immediately comes from the students. If they don’t come out, or if they don’t tell us they liked it, then we’re likely to not do it again.”

So on the Friday before Valentine’s Day, walk a little slower when going to lunch in the Curris Center, and listen close for some Sinatra, Bublé or maybe even “A River Flows in You.”

Day said he grew up in a rough neighborhood in the city.

He said his parents always saw the importance in education and had him go to a school outside of their neighborhood.

“There were tons of books in our house,” Day said. “My parents weren’t readers, they were very working class, but they always made sure my sister and I were.”

Day attributes his interest in English to his rough but refined upbringing.

He said there was a sort of “science fair” for literature at his school that was called Young Authors. Watching the older boys he knew who were into punk rock and skateboarding, participate in poetry competi-

tions made poetry more appealing to him, Day said.

“Subgenres always exist and these worlds, punk, skateboarding,” he said. “There is something there that is speaking to people who are searching for an unconventional place.”

He called the hard but soft attributes of his world and friends growing up the aspect that drives his understanding of the world, which he brings to his writing.

THE READING

Day’s poetry in general tackles violence, but he did not shy away from making jokes and inserting humor into his reading.

He mostly read from his book “Model of a City in Civil War” in which he pulls from personal experience, historical events and figures to weave together a collection of poems that he said should cause a reaction.

“I deal with the visceral,” Day said. “I like to defend it by saying there is a lot of pretty poetry out there that there is room for some unpretty stuff.”

The historical aspect appeals to Day because he said he finds it fascinating and worth exploring.

He included a poem about Abraham Lincoln and one about John Brown and his sons. Day said that by exploring these prominent figures in history, he can humanize them and see them for more than just the president who freed the slaves.

“Poetry focuses too much on ‘the self,’” he said. “By focus-

ing on history it becomes more real, it isn’t all flowers and teddy bears.”

THE READER

Jared Slayden, senior from Clinton, Kentucky, said he found the reading to be refreshing, and said he left with a feeling of lightheartedness.

“He really knew how to keep a college-aged crowd engaged,” he said. “While the subject matter may have been dark, Day himself was a fantastic reader with a great sense of humor.”

Slayden said he read the book before the reading so he wasn’t surprised by the content. However, he was surprised when he read the book the first time.

He said that Day’s syntax was powerful and that the darkness worked well with his writing style.

“His subject matter approached violence without the typical disdain you get when reading other poems,” Slayden said. “It is very common place to push away these common occurrences, but Day embraced them.”

What interested Slayden in the writing of the poetry was the surrealist tone with the violent subject matter. He said it created this unique experience of a dreamy, yet very violent image.

Slayden was excited to have a Kentucky poet that wasn’t a typical country poet.

“It really was a fantastic reading,” he said.

‘The Little Mermaid’ makes a splash Breanna Sill Staff writer bsill@murraystate.edu

A local community theater took on a classic tale of true love and defying the odds during its opening weekend production of “The Little Mermaid” on Jan. 29-31.

Playhouse in the Park is a community theater located in Murray’s Central Park. Since its opening in 1977, the theater has put on more than 10 productions per year and has become an outlet for young people to showcase their talents.

The talent in the theater’s first production of 2016 started work in November.

“There has been a lot of planning and a lot of time going into this show before we even got to the show tonight,” said Brad Brauser, director of “The Little Mermaid.”

All the planning and time that was put into the production was to ensure the cast and crew captured the magic expected from a Disney show.

“People have a certain expectation when it comes to Disney and doing live shows at community theaters like this can be hard because of limited resources,” Brauser said.

“We don’t have the budgets or the sets of the big Broadway productions, but I think we have done a fantastic job of capturing

McKenna Dosier/The News

Laurel Johnson gears up for her performance as the lead role, Ariel. that Disney magic as much as we could.”

Brauser is not the only person who went into the production feeling the pressure of high crowd expectations.

The two teenage leads of the show, Laurel Johnston of Murray, who plays Ariel, and Jake Hunter of Mayfield, Kentucky, who plays Prince Eric, also put valuable time and practice into perfecting their roles.

“It’s a really iconic role that I never thought that I could achieve when I first started doing this,” Johnston said.

Hunter echoed her, adding he felt that portraying Prince Eric left him with some big shoes to fill.

“The songs portray a lot more to his character than I think the words do,”

Hunter said. “I mean, everybody fell in love with him and it’s kind of hard to depict that, but I mean, I knew when I took this that I would not be able to be the one that everybody fell in love with, but there are ways to show what his character is and that is my purpose. I am just kind of an embodiment of him.”

With the addition of more musical numbers, the stage version of the show differs from the animated version in a few ways.

“It’s true to the movie,” Johnston said. “But we have more music than they do in the movie.

Prince Eric has two songs and King Triton has some singing. There is a quartet and I (Ariel) have a song when I technically have no

voice, but it’s like a time freeze sort of thing, but we definitely have some different music in it.”

Stephen Keene, music director and Murray State alumnus, said a lot of time is spent rehearsing the music amongst the cast.

“I spend time with the whole cast, but I spend a lot of time with just the lead actors to help them learn how to breathe and sing with emotion,” he said. “I have a music degree from Murray State so that has helped me with this quite a bit.”

Playhouse in the Park’s close proximity to Murray State makes it an easy outlet for students who want to participate in productions but are not serious theater majors.

“I think that Playhouse in the Park is something that is really culturally-enriching for a lot of people who aren’t just music majors,” said Sydney Chambers, junior from Paducah, Kentucky, and the actress who portrays Ursala in the production. “We have Campus Lights that happens, and anyone can do that, but there are a lot of shows that are restricted to theater and music majors. They are so much fun to see, but it’s totally different to be a part of it.”

Upcoming performances of “The Little Mermaid” will be at 7 p.m. on Feb. 4, Feb. 5 and Feb. 6 and at 2:30 on Feb. 7 at Playhouse in the Park.

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

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February 4, 2016

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Pop MEDIA REVIEWS Culture ‘The Revenant’: A visually stunning masterpiece Corner Adam Winn || Staff writer awinn@murraystate.edu

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Most moviegoers who haven’t seen the film ‘The Revenant’ are probably at least familiar with the flick, as it has already become one of the biggest hits of 2016. The film has won and is continuing to be nominated for dozens of awards throughout the entertainment industry. That said, is the movie worth the time to watch? Yes, because at its core, this film is an excellent story involving family, survival and most importantly, revenge.

Before getting into the plot, it’s best to mention that the film is set in the 1820s and follows a group of men involved in a fur trade expedition. As for the plot, after an attack is made on the party of trappers by the Arikara Native American tribe, the remaining survivors head back to the nearest outpost to regroup. Along the way, an American frontiersman in the group named Hugh Glass (Leonardo DiCaprio) is viciously attacked by a bear and is left barely alive.

The other remaining men, including Glass’s son Hawk, take on the role of carrying him on their way back to the outpost. Once the group reaches a dangerous point in their return trip and realize they can’t carry Glass with them in his weakened state, a couple of the men volunteer to stay behind and care for him, while the rest continue to head back to their base.

Among the remaining men, a man named John Fitzgerald (Tom Hardy) makes an unforgivable decision, betraying Glass and, in the process, ends up leaving him for dead. Relying on his undeniable amount of anger and strength, Glass survives. After this, he goes on a journey through hell and back in the hopes of seeking revenge against Fitzgerald for the betrayals he commit-

Photo courtesy of www.laguiadelvaron.com

ted against him.

For starters, the film is a technical work of art with each particular shot carefully and meticulously planned out in advance. The camera work is done so well that it tricks the viewer into believing that they are actually there in the wilderness with Glass and all of the other men. It’s also notable to mention that the movie was all shot in natural light. By doing so, it adds more realism to the film, especially compared to most other movies that usually just edit the lighting in post-production.

The acting is nothing short of amazing by everyone involved in the film.

DiCaprio gives one of his best performances to date portraying Glass. He does the part so well that the viewer can feel his character’s emotions, such as rage or sadness, to the point that it almost becomes stressful to watch.

The viewer watches him endure more brutality that most people have faced in their whole lifetime. At one point his character says, “I ain’t afraid to die no more, I done it already” and the viewer can believe he means it.

Many theatergoers will think that

DiCaprio gave the film’s best performance, but others may think that Hardy’s portrayal as the brutal antagonist Fitzgerald was the ultimate juggernaut of the movie. Hardy plays the role with such ferocity that he could give his character Bane from the “Dark Knight Rises” nightmares.

While the film is a visual masterpiece and contains amazing acting jobs from the cast, the movie is not flawless. The length of the film, like most of DiCaprio’s previous movies, is extremely long and is overly drawn out to the point that the viewer may start to get a bit bored while watching. A few of the scenes could even have been omitted or shortened and it wouldn’t have hurt the overall quality of the film.

Movie viewers who haven’t seen ‘The Revenant’ in theaters yet, do yourself a favor and go check the film out. It contains some of the best acting in recent memory and is so vivid and graphic that no review could give the film the appropriate justice it deserves.

Puth’s ‘Nine Track Mind’ exceeds expectations Nick Erickson Staff writer nerickson@murraystate.edu

Photo courtesy of www.glamour.com

‘Grease: Live’ slays on Fox TV Fox TV aired the adaptation of the classic 1978 ’50s-themed musical, “Grease: Live,” on Sunday night to rave reviews on social media.

Despite some technical difficulties, the program was called a worthy successor to the 1978 film by CNN. Julianne Hough and Vanessa Hudgens put on quite a show, especially considering Hudgens’ dad died from cancer the night before. She resorted to Twitter to inform fans about her loss.

“Tonight, I do the show in his honor,” Hudgens tweeted.

According to many fans on Twitter, the “High School Musical” actress put on a great performance.

Though his name might not ring a bell to everyone, rising pop- tar Charlie Puth has been heard by hundreds of millions. Gaining attention from his contribution to Wiz Khalifa’s hit single, “See You Again,” Puth’s silky smooth vocals and piano deserved a spotlight of their own.

That day has come, as Puth’s debut LP “Nine Track Mind” was released Jan. 29. Now that Puth is in control of the reins, does his talent measure up to the hype built in anticipation for the release? It most certainly does, as listeners will come to see the 24-year-old’s delivery packs more punch than your average pop record.

If one thing is for certain, it’s that Puth knows how to compose a catchy song.

Having studied at the world-renown Berklee College of Music, he’s wellversed in music theory, and it shows on “Nine Track Mind.” More than 12 tracks, Puth captures the “feel-good” atmosphere of swing, the emotion of R&B and the sugar-sweetness of pop. A man of many talents, Puth’s vocals are glossy and not over-produced. Most of the tracks are driven by simple, yet tastefully-written piano lines. Other instrumentation comes into play at times,

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such as clean guitar melodies and electronic drum percussion. These all help to add extra diversity to the sound he is going for.

Starting the album off with some delicate piano playing and low, soothing vocals from Puth is “One Call Away.”

On this track, Puth sings of doing all the things that you do for the person you love and how wonderful it is when you feel comfortable with that person. It’s more heartfelt than most pop songs, and bound to be relatable to most listeners.

Already at more than 200 million views on YouTube, Puth unveiled his lead single from the album back in April

of last year, “Marvin Gaye,” which is still arguably one of the strongest on the record. This song is a throwback to the music of the ‘50s, and stands out from mainstream songs. Featuring the ever-so-popular Meghan Trainor, the duet fits seamlessly as the two sing sensuously through cleverly-constructed verses. Trainor’s smooth singing and Puth’s upbeat piano chords will have listeners tapping their feet for years to come. This is pop at its most creative.

Other tracks do just as well showcasing Puth. Track five, “We Don’t Talk Anymore,” is built around an addictive guitar riff and features pop star Selena Gomez, who adds depth and beautiful harmonies to Puth’s powerful performance. Puth brings forth some newfound angry emotions on track 10, “Suffer,” as he belts out his feelings about the end of a relationship. The album closer, “Some Type of Love,” carries itself at a slow pace. Ending the album on a laid-back note, Puth sings softly over gospel-esque harmonies.

“When the world’s on fire, we won’t even move,” Puth sings.

Pop music gets a reputation for being stale and lacking substance. Charlie Puth shows the world that this isn’t always the case.

And Who Prays?

Growing up in the Bible Belt, you see a lot about religion and most of it is pretty singular in regards to denominaConnor Jaschen tions.

Features Editor S o , while I am not particularly religious, the ideas of some higher power have been ever-present in my life, from what I’m interested in to what I dedicate myself to. When I write creatively, religion is almost always an ever-present theme coursing through whatever I set my mind to.

How could it not be? The belief in something greater than oneself has been around as long as the human race, whether it be God or the power of nature itself.

The quote for the week is from Mark Twain, from his autobiography. He writes: “But who prays for Satan?

Who, in 18 centuries, has had the common humanity to pray for the one sinner that needed it most?”

Of course, Twain is talking about religion here, seemingly here to criticize the whole practice.

I am not here to do that.

Instead, I hope only to read the quote at face value, regardless of what Twain was trying to get at originally.

This quote is powerful.

Being intelligent human beings allows us the ability to do both great and terrible things. From acts of love to acts of sheer evil, they are all in the spectrum of human thought, of human emotion and the history of the human race.

But this quote reminds us not only of the bad, but also the innate ability for us to have hope, even in the darkest of situations, and even for the darkest of souls.

Now, the whole praying for Satan thing doesn’t literally hit home for me, due to my ambivalence towards the subject, but the theme of seeing light in the darkness is an optimistic one at least, even for people like myself.

At the end of the day, we are all human. For better or worse, we all have the same innate abilities to do harm as well as to do good. To believe yourself above the sins someone else has committed is arrogant.

They are human, too. They may have chosen incorrectly.

Take a good look at yourself.

You have all the potential in the world to be good. With that comes the responsibility to make conscious decisions about your actions, based not solely on the repercussions, but what it means for the world.

There is enough evil in the world. If you have the ability to become the antithesis to that, why wouldn’t you?

At the end of the day, we are all just human. Don’t forget that when you are looking at someone you don’t agree with.

All a prayer is, is hope. So, when you are told to pray for the sinner, it is just being told to look at both them and yourself, and remember everyone has a chance. cjaschen@murraystate.edu

Out this week

Read It

“The Nightingale”

by Kristin Hannah

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“The Choice”

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“Big Black Coat”

by Junior Boys

Rent It

“The Last Witch Hunter”

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“Dying Light: The Following”

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February 4, 2016