The Murray State News February 25, 2016
TheNews.org
Vol. 90, No. 20
‘EAT THINK TALK’ combines intimate setting, conversation Honors College brings learning outside of the classroom Abby Siegel
every Murray State student should have every once in a asiegel@murraystate.edu while,” said Kevin Binfield, professor of English, who at A handful of Honors Coltended the dinner. lege students and two Hon He said this was the closors professors ate from an est to the feel of a liberal arts extensive menu – roasted college he has seen at Murrosemary chicken, caramelray State, and he said it is ized onion mashed potasomething he believes should toes and cheesecake – in the expand to the residential colCommonwealth Suite. They leges. casually discussed gender Binfield said he was surstereotypes on Thursday prised how little talking he evening for no grade and no had to do, describing the conextra credit. versation as “self-unfolding” “EAT TALK THINK” is a with “no stakes, no grade and new opportunity for Honors free-range conversation.” College students that allows Marjorie Hilton, assistant them to continue learning outprofessor of history, was the side the other proclassroom fessor that with their attended peers and the dinner profesand prosors. It is posed the a topic-fotopic idea. cused, Schell exclusive said the dinner conversathat is tion was open to enlightthe first ening and 10 Honors her views students were chalwho sign - Emma Schell, senior from Madisonville, Kentucky lenged. up and “The two proprofessors fessors that were who have interest in the topic facilitating the discussions of the evening. provided a lot of scientific and “Education should not be historical insight about genconfined to the classroom ders that I had never considsetting,” said Carole Inman, ered before,” she said. Honors student development She attended the dinner becounselor. “It should be part cause she wanted to discuss of our everyday life and our gender stereotypes with studinner conversations.” dents with informed opinions Honors faculty members and open minds. propose their topic ideas to “If our beliefs are never Inman and Warren Edminster, challenged and we never director of the Honors Colchange the way we think about lege, and they chose the topic something, it is impossible to from those proposed. fully understand the issue,” “We keep it small on purSchell said. pose because we want an in Other high points, Schell timate conversation,” Inman said, included delicious, free said. food that meets dietary re Emma Schell, senior from strictions. Madisonville, Kentucky, said The idea came from Inshe loved the intimate setting. man’s research on other “Although most of us did university Honors College not know anyone at the table opportunities. She made a when we got there, it felt as if few tweaks and the dinner we were old friends casually became a reality for Murray discussing gender stereotypes State Honors students. around the dinner table,” she The next “EAT TALK said. THINK” dinner is March 29 The professors who atand Andrew Black, assistant tended also said they enjoyed professor in the College of Huthe evening. manities and Fine Arts is one “This is the kind of thing professor that is attending.
MARCH
Assistant News Editor
f o r
e d u c a t i o n
Bailey Bohannan
The resolution says the students participating in the March for Edubbohannan@murraystate.edu cation should be supported by their professors and faculty members by alMary Bradley lowing for the absence to be excused; Editor-in-Chief however, the resolution does not exmbradley9@murraystate.edu cuse students from their classes that day. The decision will come down to Hundreds of students, faculty and the professor and student coming to staff are expected to march to the an agreement about missing class. capital building in Frankfort, Ken “We are not advocating for a big tucky, to protest against the proposed skip day, but we are advocating for cuts to higher education. those students to feel comfortable The March for Education will begin asking their professors, ‘Hey, do you at 10 a.m. at the Kentucky State stacare if I go up to Frankfort and miss dium and end outside of the capital this day of class?’” said Clint Combs, building, where they will expect to president of the Student Government stay until 6 p.m. Association. Kaley Owens, an organizer of the Combs said he reached out to the event, said leaders of students the March from Kenfor Education tucky State, and asked Time: 10 a.m. University what the of Kentucky, Date: Feb. 25 SGA could University of Place: Kentucky State do to help. Louisville and Combs said stadium in Frankfort, other instituEmily FerguKentucky tions plan to son – another attend, along leader of this with faculty effort – said and staff. she was concerned about students not “The faculty and staff have been taking advantage of this opportunity wonderful,” she said. “They have supfor fear of incurring an unexcused abported us 100 percent.” sence that day. Last week, the Student Govern “I decided to draft this resolution ment Association passed a resolution short and to the point,” Combs said. to support excused absences for students participating in the March for see , 2A Education. Staff writer
“
If our beliefs are never challenged and we never change the way we think about something, it is impossible to fully understand the issue
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MARCH
Graphic by Alex Hilkey/The News
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Support Students!
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Education Matters!
STEM evolving into STEAM to support the arts Bailey Bohannan Staff writer
bbohannan@murraystate.edu
The strong support for STEM is evolving into a strong support for STEAM, where “A” is for arts. STEM is the common acronym used for science, technology, engineering and mathematics disciplines, but those disciplines are now including arts to transform the acronym to STEAM. “Embracing the arts as the country privileges the STEM disciplines would show creative students who love music, art, theater and dance some possible career options that combine the arts with science,” Staci Stone, interim dean of the College of Humanities and Fine Arts, wrote in an email.
WHAT’S
INSIDE
One of STEAM’s biggest supporters is the Rhode Island School of Design. RISD began supporting this transition from STEM to STEAM in 2010. Since then, a campaign launched through the STEM to STEAM website where advocates can voice their support for the new acronym. Other acronyms have been considered including STEM+H where “H” stands for health and STEMM where the extra “M” stands for medicine or music and STREAM where the “R” and the “A” are added to represent reading and arts. However, STEAM pulled ahead as it was nationally recognized in December 2015 when President Barack Obama included supporting the arts to better enhance STEM into the “Every Student Succeeds
Act,” – an updated version of the “No Child Left Behind Act.” The addition of arts into STEM will not change the support of the STEM disciplines; instead, the arts will be supported to enhance the other STEAM disciplines. “The arts educate and train parts of the brain that may not be best served by STEM,” said Zbynek Smetana, chairman of the College of Humanities and Fine Arts. “Essentially, I am not trying to take things away; I am trying to enhance the next thing.” Smetana said STEM gained support in the past because of the job opportunities today; however, the anticipated future job opportunities do not exist yet. Smetana said he believes the arts could play an
important role in preparing for the unknown. Elaina Barnett, senior from Shelbyville, Kentucky, and studio art major, said majoring in the arts has enhanced her education, not only in an artistic way, but in critical thinking and creativity. “Art is really essential just like any of the creative pursuits, it teaches you creative problem solving,” Barnett said. “It makes you think about the whole and not just yourself.” Steve Cobb, dean of the Jesse D. Jones College of Science, Engineering and Technology said adding the arts to the STEM disciplines emphasizes the arts; additionally, he supports all other academic backgrounds, including the arts, to better enhance the
STEM fields. “I think everything can enhance the STEM disciplines, I am a proponent of broad general education,” Cobb said. Both Cobb and Smetana said adding the arts to STEM is a smart move to make economically. Art provides a more creative background to all students and better prepares students to think critically. “Doing things exactly the same way like we always did in science, doing the same experiment a thousand times over will not produce different results,” Smetana said. “We will not cure cancer without thinking about different ways on how to think about it.” “This is about being economically competitive,” he said.
MITTEN DONATION
OUR VIEW
Donations collected for kids in grades K-12, 3A
Black History Month: a month of Rifle has a selection call much-needed recognition, 4A Thursday for NCAA, 1B
RIFLE QUALIFIERS
WHAT’S ON THENEWS.ORG FRANKFORT
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SHAMROCK SHOOTOUT Kappa Delta hosts basketball tournament, 5B
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MARCH From Page 1 “But the goal was to get it out to the deans so the deans know that this is not just something that we are doing just to get out for the day, this is something we are doing because we truly care about higher education now, and higher education in the future.” Combs sent out this resolution on Friday night, Feb. 19, and was not expecting a quick response because it
was the weekend. However, the next morning, Tim Todd, interim provost and vice president of Academic Affairs, responded with a supportive response. “Right out of the floodgates, the provost emailed me back saying that he appreciated the student government’s involvement and work,” Combs said. Although Todd did not specifically voice his opinion on giving participating students an excused absence, he said he supported the effort students are putting into the March for Education because he had a similar oppor-
tunity when he was in college. In 1986, as a member of the student body, Todd marched on Frankfort to oppose tuition increases. “I’ve actually had the shoes on and walked in those footsteps, so I applauded President Combs and the SGA and the student body as an aggregate for taking a stand and wanting to do something,” Todd said. Todd said faculty members when he was in college were much like the faculty members at Murray State now. They supported the students and their efforts, but the decision ultimately is made at the student-faculty
February 25, 2016 level. In January, Gov. Matt Bevin released his proposed budget, which included a 4.5 percent cut in funding this fiscal year and a 9 percent cut in following fiscal years. Eventually, the state will move toward 100 percent performance funding for all Kentucky universities. Performance funding allots state appropriations based on certain metrics, which have not been decided yet. “We have the lowest tuition in public universities in Kentucky by and large and we are very supportive of that theme and of our students,” Todd
said. “The faculty here are a lot like the faculty I had, they love students and students are why we exist.” Owens said she and other organizers, like Ferguson and Katherine Summerfield, expect to have a large turnout despite expected cold weather. Ultimately, she said the goal of the march is to let Bevin and legislators know that the cuts to higher education cannot be passed and that students are not going stand idly by. “Students do care and they take their education seriously,” Owens said. “This is a big deal.”
A Month in Review Check out a few of our favorite images from stories that happened this month.
Chalice Keith/The News
IN ACTION: Hunter Carter, sophomore from Murray (left), and Laurel Henning, senior from Sherpardsville, Kentucky (right), participate in Racers in Action Feb. 24 in the Curris Center.
Chalice Keith/The News
IVAN ROE: Roe, a member of the Murray State rifle team, has competed around the world and hopes to make an appearance at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games. Last season, Roe was named OVC Commissioner’s Honor Roll and Collegiate Rifle Coaches Association (CRCA) Scholastic All-American.
Nicole Ely/The News
BENNIE PURCELL: Former student-athlete and coach Bennie Purcell was honored at the last home game on Feb. 13 in the CFSB Center. Purcell’s visitation has been set to go from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Feb. 27 at the Burton Family Hall of Champions. Purcell died Feb. 12 at his home in Murray.
Jenny Rohl/The News
PRESIDENTIAL LECTURE: Martin Luther King III spoke to a crowd in Lovett Auditorium for the Presidential Lecture Series about progress in the civil rights movement. Last year, MSNBC’s Chuck Todd spoke for the lecture series.
CORRECTION On Thursday, Feb. 18, The Murray State News printed an error in the article, “Mardi Gras around the world.” The article incorrectly quotes Therese Saint Paul as saying that Mardi Gras originated in Germany. That not correct. The News regrets the error. See an error? Email us at murraystatenews@ icloud.com. Nahiomy Gallardo/The News
HALL OF FAME: Murray State Athletics honored its class of 2016 Hall of Fame class on Friday, Feb. 5 in the CFSB Center. The class included one coach and four former student-athletes. The inductees were honored with a plaque, given to them by Director of Athletics Allen Ward.
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The News
February 25, 2016 News Editor: Kayla Harrell Assistant Editor: Abby Siegel Phone: 270-809-4468 Twitter: MurrayStateNews
POLICE BEAT Feb. 17
4:12a.m. a.m.Racer Public Safety received 6:51 Patrol advised Mura general incident ray State Police of an reporting abandoned form advising of aLowry person regolf cart outside the Center. ceivingwere harassing communiOfficers notified and an inforcationreport at White Residential mation was taken. College. wereconducted notified 11:42 p.m.Officers An officer a report aand traffic stopwas at taken. 121 North and 5:08 a.m.Streets. A person reported Coldwater A citation was datingtoviolence to for officers issued the driver failureatto White Residential College. A wear a seatbelt. The passenger report was taken for outstanding 4th degree was arrested on an assault. and was taken to Callowarrant
Feb. 18
9:39 a.m. An officer conducted way County Jail. a traffic stop at the residential 8:20 a.m. A caller reported a rescollege circle south of James H. idential college flag missing. The Richmond Residential College. Housing Office was notified. A citation was issued for failure 11:22 p.m. A caller reported a to wear a seatbelt and a verbal motor vehicle accident with no warning was issued for speedinjuries at White Residential Coling. lege. Officers were notified and a 10:39 a.m. A person reported report was taken. theft of property at the Public 7:17 p.m. An officer conducted a Safety building. Officers were traffic stop at the Business Building notified and a report was taken parking lot. A citation was issued for theft by unlawful taking for driving on a suspended license. more than $500.
Feb. 19
8:33 a.m. An officer served a 8:51 p.m.for A failure caller to reported the warrant appear in smell of gas at Hart Residential Colcourt at Hester Residential College. Murray Fire Departlege.Officers, The person was arrested ment, Heating and Cooling and Central a citation was issued for Plant, Murray Gas and the State Fire failure to appear in court. Marshall were notified.reported A report 1:48 p.m. A person was taken. being stuck on an elevator at 12:01 p.m. A caller reported Faculty Hall. Officers and Fa- a sparking outlet in the 300 cilities Management were block nooftified. College Courts. Officers, the Murray Fire Department, Cen-
Feb. 20
1:10 a.m. A caller reported a medical emergency at Hart Restral Heating and Cooling Plant idential College. Safety, and the State FirePublic Marshal were Murray A Ambulance Service notified. report was taken.and Student were Police notified. 4:57 p.m. Affairs The Murray DeThe patient transported to partment waswas notified of a mediMurray-Calloway County Hoscal emergency at the Volleyball pital. Officers and Murray AmCourts. 3:01 a.m. An officer conducted bulance Services were notified. a traffic stop 16th Street and at The patient wasattransported Campus Evolution. The driver a report was taken. was a.m. arrested and a citation was a 3:46 Officers conducted issuedoffor driving under the incheck a person on North 12th fluence. Street. The person was arrested and
Feb. 21
2:11 p.m. An officer conducted transported to Calloway Jail a traffic stop on Main County Street at for alcoholApartments. intoxicationAincitation a public Jamison place. reportfor was taken.to wear was A issued failure 9:09 p.m. failure A caller reported a seatbelt, to notify the a Department smoke detector activated at of Transportation Springer Residential due to of address changeCollege and failure a hair dryer. Officers were notified to provide registration receipt. and no threat of fire was found. An 10:52 p.m. A caller reported the information report was taken. smell of A marijuana at Regents 4:42 p.m. caller reported a theft Residential College. Officers of property from a vehicle from were notified an informaAlexander Hall. and Officers were notion report was taken. tified and a report was taken for
News
Group grows mitten tree Ashley Traylor || Staff writer atraylor@murraystate.edu
“The Mitten Tree” is a short story about a teacher who made her students wear socks on their hands during the cold winter months until a senior citizen volunteer donated red mittens to the teacher’s classroom during the Christmas season. The students loved the red mittens they found hanging from the Christmas tree and never wanted to take them off. Mittens for “The Mitten Tree of Love” were collected in Alexander Hall for children, grades K-12 who are not prepared for winter. Stephanie Brown, Murray State alumna, retired teacher and author of “The Mitten Tree,” started the drive in her community and two other communities before she asked Murray State to partner with her. Brown started the mitten drive after her experience in education and seeing how many of her students do not have mittens. “If the child does not have their basic needs met, clothing being one of them, they are going to have a hard time learning,” said Christina Grant, assistant professor in the Department of Early Childhood and Elementary Education. The mittens are given to the bus drivers of elementary through high
school students who will then decide what students are in need of the mittens. “It also builds the community by having us partner with local schools and having them know we are here, we are helping, we love to be able to help their students out in many ways, not just teaching them,” Grant said. The donation drive was sponsored by the Murray Area Council of the International Reading Association and the Alpha Upsilon Alpha Reading Honors Society. “I think it is a great idea for Murray State teachers to design programs that directly affect the community to connect the university to the community, in effort to help children,” said Tyler Covington, sophomore from Murray. The drive is helping students and children with an item that is low-cost and something that can be lost easily. It is an item that we can make accessible to them, Grant said. “It is not all about teaching reading, math, science. It is about knowing the child,” Grant said. Brown was a teacher for more than ten years, teaching in Georgia and Kentucky. She has published 11 stories and many can be found in Chicken Soup for the Soul and other anthologies. Brown was expected to speak Feb.
Feb. 23
3:04 p.m. Officers received a criminal mischief complaint via the LiveSafe app. A report was taken for criminal mischief in the third degree. 10:16 p.m. An officer conducted a traffic stop at University Drive. A verbal warning was issued for failure to illuminate headlights. Dining Hall. The caller was reArrests ferred to S– 2 Motor assists –3 Mary Bradley, Assistant News Editor, compiles EscortsPolice – 3 Beat with materials provided by Public Safety and Emergency Management.
Call of Fame Feb. 18, 7:25 a.m. Murray Police Department reported a calf out of the enclosure at North 16th and Diuguid Drive. Officers and the farm manager were notified. The calf was returned to the enclosure.
Not all dispatched calls are listed. Abby Siegel, Assistant News Editor, compiles Police Beat with materials provided by Public Safety and Emergency Management. Not all dispatched calls are listed.
Nicole Ely/The News
Mittens are being collected in Alexander Hall until the end of February. 17 at Murray State about “The Mitten Tree of Love” and her passion for writing short stories, but it was canceled at the last minute. She is expected to speak at Murray State during the Fall 2016 semester because Grant would like for Murray State to partner with her again. The mitten drive is important to Brown because, as a child, she could not put on gloves to go outside to play, and as her aunt helped her put
them on, she told her mittens would be easier to take on and off. Mittens remind Brown of her aunt, according to the Gleaner news outlet. It is not just about staying warm, but students will appreciate the mittens because it is a new gift, said Stella Childress, sophomore from Florence, Kentucky. The mitten donation box is found on the third floor of Alexander Hall, office 3201.
‘Coffee and Conversation’ discusses gender bias Alicia Steele || Staff writer asteele5@murraystate.edu
The Faculty Development Center will continue their series of “Coffee and Conversation” discussion meetings for faculty and professional staff. The series was started last semester by the Faculty Development Center interim coordinator Elizabeth Price. The Coffee and Conversation discussion occurred Wednesday, Feb. 24 and will be held again Friday, Feb. 26 from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. in the Faculty Development Center. The first topic discussed this semester is whether or not student evaluations disadvantage female instructors. Price said this topic idea came from a study that was published two years ago, during which two instructors, one male and one female, each taught two online courses. During the first course each instructor identified as his or her own gender, and during the second course each instructor identified as the opposite gender. “These courses were exactly the same,” Price said. “It was the same topic, they were taught the same way, they just taught it once in their own gender and once impersonating the
McKenna Dosier/The News
Faculty discussed gender bias in student evaluations at the Coffee and Conversation meetings. other gender.” Price said the study found that when an instructor identified as a woman, regardless of who was actually teaching it, they got lower evaluations than instructors who identified as a man. “The female instructor, when she identified as a man, got higher ones and the male instructor, when he identified as female, got lower ones,” Price said. Price said another study said that student evaluations of teaching mostly do not measure teaching effectiveness. However, she said that this study
found that even in a class in which a student did better with a female instructor, they still gave worse evaluations to the female instructor. “The concern is that teaching evaluations are weighted in tenure packets,” Price said. “If you have two equal candidates and one has lower teaching evaluations but is female, is that fair?” Price said that if everything else is equal, teaching evaluations may be closer to equivalent during tenure evaluations if these biases are known. Price also said she wants to have this discussion because instructors look
at student evaluations and some take them very seriously, and by having this discussion, female instructors will be aware of the idea and know that they may have some bias against them. Marcie Hinton, associate professor of public relations, said, “I do not know that I have ever thought of this issue when it comes to my own evaluations.” “Gender bias and media tends to be a topic I explore in my contemporary mass media class,” Hinton said. “I would like to see if this conversation can inform my classroom or if there is a dynamic between me and my students that I can better grasp.” Marcia Hobbs, dean of the School of Nursing and Health Professions, said since she teaches in a dominantly-female area, she does not believe that any evaluations she has received have been due to her gender. “I do not believe this is a problem at Murray State,” Hobbs said. “But, I teach with mostly women and our students are predominantly women.” Hobbs said she has always been fascinated by topics related to gender because of her history having both a military career and an academic career, which is what attracted her to this discussion topic.
Pact to help transfers earn justice degrees
Feb. 22
7:07of a.m. Officers intheft under $500received by unlawful formation on an attempt to lotaking from a vehicle. cate a person in reference to a 6:12 p.m. A caller reported the runaway juvenileatin Calloway smell of marijuana Hart. Officers County. were notified and an information 11:30 was p.m.taken. An officer conducted report a traffic stop at Five Points. A written warning was issued for 2:47 p.m. A caller disregarding a stopreported sign andan unauthorized failure to use acompany turn signal.selling products on campus at Winslow
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Cody Hall || Contributing writer chall22@murraystate.edu
Nahiomy Gallardo/The News
Todd Hill, associate professor of music, was awarded the Kentucky Music Educators Teacher of the Year.
Professor awarded Teacher of the Year Tierra Reese || Staff writer treese1@murraystate.edu
The Kentucky Music Educators Association awarded Todd Hill, associate professor of music, the 2016 College and University Teacher of the Year award, which is granted based off peer and colleague review. Hill has been congratulated by his coworkers for the effort that he has put into his work over the past 10 years at Murray State. “It feels nice to be told, ‘Hey, you’re doing a good job’ by your peers,” Hill said. Hill went through the application process four times over the years, which consists of submitting a resumé, explaining the applicant’s philosophy of teaching and six to eight letters of recommendation. Hill’s past and present students were happy to hear about his new achievements and felt that he deserved the KMEA award. “He is one of the most caring teachers I’ve ever had, so it makes sense,” said Courtney Develvis, freshman from Cadiz, Kentucky. “I think it’s awesome.”
“He has been here for a while and is one of the best teachers on faculty,” said Ben Stone, graduate student from Owensboro, Kentucky. Students within the music department that have not had Hill as a teacher have still heard by word of mouth that he is a phenomenal teacher. After winning the award, Hill not only gets recognition for himself, but the association also sends $500 to the MSU Foundation. With that money, Hill will further the education of jazz music for his students. “We can purchase some more things for the jazz program, which is great,” Hill said. The jazz program at Murray State began with 16 people in Fall 2006, when Hill began to work, and now has 77 students involved. Hill said he has always been captivated by jazz. “It has always been a big part of the pallet that I was working with,” Hill said. “The whole experience has been very worthwhile. Standing on the stage in Louisville and being congratulated by the association as a whole was a special moment.”
Murray State’s criminal justice department formed a new agreement with West Kentucky Community and Technical College (WKCTC) making it easier for them to continue their education through Murray State. West Kentucky will offer specific classes that will count towards credits at Murray State. Students can begin their education at West Kentucky for their associate degree in applied science or arts. The agreement should be in full effect by Fall 2016. “There are dozens of students each semester that, after completing their two years at WKCTC, want to continue their education,” said Daniel Hepworth, program director of the Murray State criminal justice department. WKCTC offers an associate degree in applied science. This degree focuses on the hands-on technical work of being in the criminal justice field and doesn’t focus heavily on traditional classroom work. WKCTC applied science students won’t have the courses needed to complete their bachelor’s degree in four years. “We are making compromises,” Hepworth said. “The classes they will take at WKCTC aren’t exactly what we teach, but they will work towards the degree with us.” Hepworth said that other schools in the area have been more accepting of the courses needed for the transfer from a community college to university, causing Murray State to lose a
large portion of potential students. This agreement will help with some of the competition, making Murray State a more viable option for criminal justice students that attend WKCTC and want to further their education. Hepworth worked with Gary Reese, director of criminal justice at WKCTC to reach this agreement. “We have been sending students to continue their education to many other schools for a while now, and we are excited that it is easier to send to Murray State now too,” Reese said. “The associate of science/arts are called transfer degrees. Most students that go for them plan to transfer after two years.” The students are well-advised before choosing the applied science or the associate of science or art degree before they begin their studies. Those that do not understand the system can easily take classes they do not need and lose time and money if they decide to continue their education, Reese said. The exercise science department has a similar agreement for students. “Students would be working towards their physical therapist credential while at West Kentucky, then come here to finish their education,” said Kristan Erdmann, program director for the department of athletic training. Erdmann said the department of athletic training has had an articulation agreement with WKCTC for 10 years and no student ever completed the program.
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February 25, 2016
The News
Opinion
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Our View
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A month of much-needed recognition The staff editorial is the majority opinion of The Murray State News Editorial Board. All but one member of The Murray State News’ editorial board, are white. One of our assistant editors is from Belize and we have several black staff writers, but other than that, a majority of the people who work at The News are white. That being said, we recognize and are now seeking to advocate the significance of Black History Month. Otherwise known as National African American History month, this is a celebration of black people and the progress they’ve made in U.S. history that not only improved their lives, but ultimately the strength and equality of our country. This isn’t a month for black people; it’s a month for the commemoration of their hard work to advance in a society that continues to hinder them. This isn’t about any sense of guilt or obligation – we’re not trying to make up for or overcompen-
sate for the lack of minorities on our staff. This is about the simple fact that Black History Month is not only important, but necessary. Take any history class, whether it be in a public or private school, and the topics covered on black people and the “black narrative” are typically on the basics: slavery, the civil rights movement, etc. President Barack Obama will now be in that mix. In general English classes, Langston Hughes, Toni Morrison and Zora Neale Hurston might be on the reading list, but that’s usually about it. Now when people rise up in the ranks of education and get to college, there are more opportunities to learn more about black history and read more things by black authors. At Murray State, for example, there are classes like Survey of African-American Literature, Intro to Gender and Diversity Studies, Modern Africa and Philosophy of Diversity.
But that’s just it: it’s 2016, we’re in college and specific classes need to be established in order for students to learn about black history and diversity. Black History Month needed to be established for people to recognize and learn about an entire race’s efforts, milestones and key figureheads of national reform. This time every year, there are ignorant arguments made in favor of a White History Month, a White Entertainment Television (WET) network and a White Student Council. This time every year we do a lot of eye-rolling and deep sighing. There isn’t a White History Month because the United States education system has that covered pretty well already. There isn’t White Entertainment Television because every major television network and Hollywood has that covered pretty well already, too. According to Murray State’s
website, the Black Student Council was “designed for African American Students and any other students that participate to cover issues on campus concerning them and the community to uplift all African Americans.” These organizations, networks and months of recognition exist and come with disclaimers that they are “black” because the majority constantly places minorities in a box – a box that will be forgotten in the moving process if it’s not labeled. We’ll put it in the attic and dust it off once a year when we need it or when it’s convenient for us. But as we tell ourselves we’re moving, and that we’re moving forward, are we moving forward in the right direction? Until education as a whole is modified and changed, Black History Month is an imperative stepping stone toward a more inclusive understanding of American history.
Cameron Witte Chief Videographer cwitte@murraystate.edu
I Get to Write About Anything I Want?
Joe Hedges, Ryan Alessi Adviser, Co-Adviser • 270-809-3937 jhedges@murraystate.edu, ralessi@murraystate.edu
Two heads are better than one
Write to us! The News welcomes commentaries and letters to the editor. Letters should be 600 words or less. Contributors should include phone numbers for verification. Please include hometown, classification and title or relationship to the university. Commentaries should be between 600 to 800 words. The News reserves the right to edit for style, length and content. No anonymous contributions will be accepted. All contributions should be turned in by noon on Tuesday of each week via email at letters@thenews.org. Contributions to The News are the opinion of the author and not that of The Murray State News.
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“So, are there any questions?” Silence. It happens in nearly every class, ever. The professor gives a lecture or brings up the assigned readings, only to be met with a level of silence that’s only made more painful when Taylor Grace Suiter you realize it’s coming from 25 Senior from others. Brentwood, Tennessee Now, one might think that as a person matriculates through their University Studies credits and into the higher level classes of a major, that classroom conversation would start flowing more naturally. Surely, once people take classes together for three or more years, all studying different facets of the same subject, they become willing to speak up when professors ask questions. In my experience, this isn’t the case. Higher education is not high school. No
longer are there learning targets and standards by which students must be measured. Content regurgitation is not the goal anymore – critical thinking is. While students may not have been encouraged to speak up, inquire of, or God forbid, challenge their high school teachers, those are the exact mental maneuvers that must be practiced by college students to fulfill the objective of the greater college curriculum, which is to craft better minds. Somewhere between what’s happening and what ought to be, there’s a gap filled by policy and standard-making, performance-based assessments and rewards. My solution, though by no means comprehensive, asks what would happen if we introduced a new teaching dynamic to upper level and capstone classrooms. I’m proposing panel professing, or the teaching of classes by pairs or teams of professors. While the burden of class participation certainly doesn’t fall primarily on professors, they could play a key part in improving the current state of affairs in classrooms. As classroom communication structure stands, a professor stands at the front of the room, divvying out course content while drawing on years’ worth of education and experience. It’s a generally one-sided form of communication, where the only formalized feedback
comes by way of a course assessment sheet passed out to the students at the end of the class, when it’s too late for changes to be made. By introducing multiple instructors to a classroom, the communication dynamic shifts. The formality of one-way content delivery is dissolved and made informal as students see interactive conversation between professors. Space is created for dialogue, spontaneous conversation and engaged learning. Professors, at least I hope, won’t have to pull teeth for answers or questions when they have a teammate to bounce ideas off of. Take it beyond professors who work in the same department and think about how cool a class that’s co-taught by a history professor and a civil engineering professor could be. How interesting would it be to learn about ancient bridge building and talk about the labor practices and government policies that allowed for the bridges to be built in medieval times from experts on both topics? The combinations of expertise areas are essentially endless and would be endlessly interesting at that. In a time when our university is under intensified pressure to provide a unique and superior learning experience to students, we can only benefit by thinking critically ourselves to imagine new modes of delivery. Two heads are better than one, after all.
The News
Opinion
February 25, 2016
5A
Letter to the Editor “Honesty … is such a lonely word…” Billy Joel sang back in…well, a while back. And at almost every college and university in the country the word “truth” is almost always in the mission statement and/or prominently engraved on the side of important buildings (i.e. “In Search of Truth,” etc. Really?). Is that what your instructor wants to hear about her/his class, or your vice presidents and deans want to hear from their employees regarding changes or varied expectations … the TRUTH? The truth is that the truth can be a scary yet freeing concept. On the one hand, when you tell the truth, you have shared your thoughts/feelings openly with others. What will they think/do? On the other hand, you have been honest with yourself and those around you … freeing and invigorating. My first conscious encounter with deceit was when I was 19 and a student at Marshall University. I planned to be a dentist and be rich like my cousin … but couldn’t quite get organic chemistry and so
I dropped it. Three weeks later, Uncle Sam wanted me and in three months, with little training, I was a reporter then editor of a U.S. Army newspaper in Nha Trang, Vietnam. Prior to my draft, I had three choices: 1) go in the Army, 2) be arrested or 3) move to Canada. I took the coward’s way - I didn’t want to be stigmatized as a criminal nor leave my family and friends, so I served in a war I never believed in … deceiving my core being. Coming back, my life had changed forever. I lived with distrust for authorities like those who arbitrarily threw 50,000 American lives away and hundreds of thousands of lives on the other side … and for what? Not counting those of us who were permanently physically and/or emotionally damaged. Now, I live a peaceful life of caring and truth … I speak my mind. I could at times be more civil and should always be professional … but always truthful. My challenge to you is this: seek, find and live in truth … just like it says in most academic,
I Have a Lot of Feelings So long, 21.
legal and religious documents, celebrate honesty … speak out for what you believe in … or you deceive not only those around you … but yourself as well. As a close friend of mine once said: “The truth shall make you free.”
Roger M. Weis
Professor of Nonprofit Leadership Studies
We still want to hear from you!
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.
Rational Animal
Bevin’s flawed performance funding What may be even more problematic than the monetary cuts in Gov. Matt Bevin’s budget proposal is his proposed shift to performance funding. Performance funding involves tying some of the state contribution to performance metrics. One common and largely uncontroversial version involves John Muenzberg increased fundLecturer of philosophy ing for increased enrollment. More involved models award funds based on graduation rates, student retention, types of majors and even job placement rates. The most alarming problem with performance funding in general is that studies have not proved that they actually work. The Community College Resource Center reviewed more than 40 studies of performance funding and concluded that “the research literature does not provide firm evidence that performance funding significantly increases rates of remedial completion, retention and gradua-
Cheers and Jeers Cheers and Jeers is written by the Opinion Editor. Questions, comments or concerns should be addressed to aborthwick@murraystate.edu
Comic
tion.” Unfortunately, Bevin’s proposal has three specific differences that make comparisons moot. Unlike the performance models in most other states, Bevin’s proposal includes a decrease in funding will eventually cover 100 percent of the state funding, and currently does not have specific metrics attached to the bill. The first problem is that Bevin is proposing performance funding concurrent with general funding cuts. The problem is simple: enacting changes to an institution requires money. If Murray State determines that increasing graduation rates requires hiring more academic advisers, then they need the money to hire more academic advisers. But if our funding is also being cut, then either the advisers will not be hired or even more programs will have to be cut to find the money. It is irresponsible for Gov. Bevin to demand institutional changes while simultaneously cutting the funds necessary to make the changes. The second problem is that Bevin wants 100 percent of the state contribution to be tied to performance. Most states tie 5-20 percent to performance because they want to incentivize the universities without doing harm to the institutions. Universities have basic operating costs, such as utilities, upkeep and repair, that need to be covered regardless of student enrollment. Of necessity, these costs are planned years into the future. Large swings in this funding could result in institutional neglect or decay. If we were a private university, we might
Cheers to ... Posters-at-the-Capitol.
have an endowment of hundreds of millions of dollars to insulate the university from yearly revenue swings. Universities without large endowments, such as the former Mid-Continent University, struggle to survive and occasionally close down. Traditionally, public universities have not had large endowments because their revenue is backed by the full faith and credit of the state. By removing this guaranteed funding, Bevin is putting Kentucky’s universities on an insecure financial footing. The third problem, and perhaps the most worrisome, is that Bevin wants the legislature to implement a performance funding requirement now with specific metrics only added later. By trying to require performance funding without providing details, he is trying to pass an idealized version without the messy negotiations that are required in politics. The success or failure of performance based models lies in the specific metrics used and the way they are implemented. The National Conference of State Legislatures recommends that when designing performance funding laws the legislature should “engage all stakeholders – policymakers, higher education leaders and faculty members – in the design of the funding system.” Doing this avoids costly mistakes in the design. It is not clear if Gov. Bevin understands how damaging his proposal could be. The legislature should only approve a performance funding bill that offers funding increases, affects only a portion of the state contribution and specifies the metrics to be used.
Jeers to ... Matt Bevin.
Murray State students and faculty will be attending an event today in Frankfort, Kentucky called Posters-at-the-Capitol an opportunity to demonstrate the importance of undergraduate research specifically to the people responsible for higher education in Kentucky. Good luck, everyone!
Today people marched for education at the Capitol in opposition of Gov. Bevin’s proposed budget cuts, some of which were students and faculty of Murray State. We hope you hear our pleas loud and clear, Governor. We’re urging you to reconsider.
Jeers to ... Parking spot thieves.
Cheers to ... BoM Participants.
Finding a parking spot on campus is a fight we all participate in every single day. We’re all against each other, but we’re all in this together at the same time. There’s no need to fight dirty. Some of us have unhealthy levels of road rage as is, so going around stealing parking spaces is just cruel.
Thank you to everyone who took our Best of Murray survey! As always, your input matters, whether it be in a Letter to the Editor or a simple vote in a survey. Thanks to you, some awesome Murray State faculty, staff and local Murray businesses will get some well-deserved credit for their hard work and services.
Allison Borthwick
Opinion Editor
21 was a year of firsts and lasts. To be clear: I am talking about the year 1921 – and what a crazy year it was. The United States Figure Skating Association was formed (finally) and World War I officially ended. Just kid-
ding. Well, not about those facts, because those things really did happen. But I’m not going to be writing about 1921. Better yet, I’ll be writing about the much less pertinent, definitely-not-historically-relevant 365 days I spent being 21 years old. I celebrated my birthday less than a week ago, and it was a weekend-long event full of Taylor Swift lyrics and incredible friends and family – you’ve got to take the bad with the good sometimes, I suppose. I have a confession to make, though. Lean in. Listen closely. I’m only going to say this once. I’m feeling 22. This article will detonate in T-minus 5, 4, 3 … 21 was definitely a year where a lot of things started and a lot of things ended, which generated several learning experiences. I had my first ever alcoholic beverage on Feb. 19, 2015 and was home in bed by 9:30 p.m. – don’t fact check me on that. I learned, eventually, that I do like beer but that wine reigns supreme. I also learned that alcohol really, truly is a depressant. Ever been the sad drunk at a party? It ends super well for everyone involved. I spent my first summer away from home at an internship in Austin, Texas. That was also the first time I had ever lived with a significant other. I learned that I love Austin, Texas, that traffic there is the 10th circle of hell and that you really don’t know how a person prefers to spend their time until you live with them. Once that summer ended, I started my last year of college, moved into my first apartment and learned very, very quickly how much I love apartment life. Aside from a particularly heinous suitemate situation my freshman year, I never really disliked living in the residential colleges. However, being able to cook for myself, move from a twin bed to a full, have my own bathroom and three goofy, supportive roommates? Game-changer. My first long-term, long-distance relationship ended and I learned I’m not the exception to the rule: “You have to love yourself before someone else can love you.” This is also right around the time I really learned I have three goofy, supportive roommates. I spent my first Winter Break as one of Beyoncé’s proverbial single ladies and watched the last five seasons of “One Tree Hill,” as well as all of “Making a Murderer,” and learned there really is such a thing as “too much free time.” I also learned there’s no shame and a lot of fun in spending New Year’s Eve with a few close friends playing Scattergories in my parents’ basement. I enjoyed the last Christmas I’ll ever spend with my grandma, Velia, and aunt, Lana, and I’ll cherish those memories for the rest of my life. I learned that family and the time we’re able to spend together really, truly is everything. I also recently learned that my parents weren’t totally right and that sometimes it is OK to talk to strangers, because I’ve made a lot of really great friends that way. I learned that I love my job, the people I work with and the people who read my column every week. Here’s hoping 22 goes well, and that it’s a year of more firsts than lasts. aborthwick@murraystate.edu
Mondays By Selena McPherson
6A
The News
News
CAREERfairs
February 25, 2016
CONNECT TO YOUR FUTURE internships - jobs - graduate schools
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TUE, MAR 1, 2016 2 PM - 5 PM CURRIS CENTER, 3RD FLOOR
WED, MAR 2, 2016 10 AM - 3 PM CURRIS CENTER, 3RD FLOOR
Students in the following academic disciplines should attend this event:
Students in the following academic disciplines should attend this event:
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February 25, 2016
Section B
The News
Sports Editor: Kelsey Randolph Assistant Sports Editor: Mark McFarland Phone: 270-809-4481 Twitter: MSUSportsNews
Sports
Marky Mark Talks Back
‘Happy’ Days
Everybody’s hands go up Nicole Ely/The News
Men prepare for last home game Kelsey Randolph Sports Editor
krandolph3@murraystate.edu
After a 76-60 win in their rivalry game against Austin Peay State, the Racers share the No. 1 spot for the OVC West. With two games left in the conference, one on the road against Eastern Illinois and their final home game against UT Martin Saturday, the team hopes to successfully nail the No. 2 seed for the OVC Tournament next week.
THE FOCUS
Head Coach Matt McMahon said consistency is the biggest focus, winning most of their biggest conference games in the second half of the season. McMahon said the team needs to focus on defending the glass, though he feels they have done a good job of
limiting the other team’s second opportunities. “From day one, when I was fortunate enough to get the job, we got to trust the process – it’s going to be a process,” McMahon said. “Eight of our twelve guys have never worn a jersey at Murray State until this season. There have been a lot of bumps in the road, but I think the guys are starting to come together as a group. The chemistry seems to be good. Role definition is probably as best it’s been all year, and I think guys accepted those roles and play to those strengths.”
THE SETUP
Thursday the Racers take on the Eastern Illinois Panthers (8-7 in the OVC, 12-16 overall). The Panthers lost to UT Martin Feb. 18 87-84 and won at Southeast Missouri State Feb. 20 71-68. McMahon said he’s fo-
cused on practices up to Thursday’s game, then will focus on Saturday’s game against the UT Martin Skyhawks. The Skyhawks (9-5 in the OVC, 17-12 overall) are on a seven-game win streak. They will face the Tennessee State Tigers in the Skyhawk Arena Thursday. “For simplicity purposes, we don’t focus on records,” McMahon said. “We w o r r y a b o u t getting better in practice. We have a good g r o u p , hard workMcMahon i n g a n d they’ve handled adversity all year whether an injury or another situation. They’ve hammered away, and they’ve
see MEN’S, 2B
Women knocked to 6th Mark McFarland
if you look at the standings,” Cross said. Murray State has a rare week to prepare for UT Martin as its bye week comes in the last week of the season. Cross said it gives a couple of players who are banged up a chance to get the Cross rest they need. “If it was up to me we wouldn’t have our bye week as the last week of our regular season,” Cross said. “But, you know, it is what it is, we just have to make the best of it.” Just like the first game, the Racers played Southeast Missouri State. The Skyhawks defeated the Racers by 30 points at UT Martin. In the rematch
Assistant Sports Editor mmcfarland1@murraystate.edu
Sitting in sixth place in the OVC, the Racers control their own destiny when they host UT Martin Saturday. If they win, they are in; if they lose, they need help. Austin Peay State ended the Racer’s four-game winning streak last Saturday when Murray State lost 81-72. Sophomore forward and guard Ke’Shunan James and sophomore guard Jasmine Borders combined for 37 points, 11 rebounds and two assists in the loss. The Racers will close out the regular season at 4 p.m. Saturday at the CFSB Center. If the Racers lose Saturday, they will need Tennessee Tech to lose or Tennessee State to lose twice. Head Coach Rob Cross said he believes with a win, the team is in. “We can be as high as fifth and as low as ninth, I guess,
see WOMEN’S, 2B
No. 2 rifle team finishes NCAA qualifiers Sarah Combs Staff writer
scombs8@murraystate.edu
Chalice Keith/The News
Seniors Kaitlyn Wilson from Boswell, Pennsylvania and Hannah Harris from New Albany, Indiana, and freshman Eric Sloan from Oakdale, Connecticut, all kneel for their qualifier shots Saturday.
WHAT’S
INSIDE
The No. 2 ranked Rifle team shot an aggregate of 4,715 on Sunday’s NCAA Qualifiers at the Pat Spurgin Rifle Range. Scores from the weekend are as follows: • Freshman from Gais, Switzerland Barbara Schläpfer led the day with a 1,183 aggregate. • Sophomore from Manhattan, Montana Ivan Roe followed close behind with a 1,182 aggregate. • Freshman from Fairhaven, Massachusetts, MacKenzie Martin finished with an aggregate of 1,175. • Senior from Ozark, Missouri Tessa Howald finished 1,172 • Sophomore from Ozark, Missouri Ben Estes followed with an aggregate of 1,170. The Racers wait on Thursday’s conference call to see if they will receive one of the eight invitations to the 2016 NCAA Rifle Championship.
Head Coach Alan Lollar said the team plans to prepare for the championship just like any regular match. The team’s success derives from their consistency and ability to practice like they plan to perform and holding themselves to a higher standard every time they shoot. “We will do exactly the same thing we have done since August,” Lollar said. “Our success has come down to being able to compete the way we train.” In rifle, there are five shooters (or counters) that are named and the top four scores of those five are the scores that count towards the total. Those five interchange and any of them could be top four at any given time. Lollar says the depth of their team aids in their success. Waiting for a bid in rifle is different than most sports, said Lollar. At the end of the season everything is verified by the NCAA Committee. During the conference call Thursday they will make sure that they select the right people by sending in paper targets or computer files of targets
shot so the NCAA Committee can see the scores. Then the OVC coaches will approve or disapprove scores entered by the host team – making sure everything is correct is one of the most essential parts of selecting the first eight teams. The NCAA Rifle Championship allows 48 competitors; eight five-man teams and eight individuals, four in small bore and four in air rifle. The individual scores come only from the NCAA Qualifiers match and not the rest of the season like the team aggregate scores. Lollar said it’s important to make sure the scores are correct so the right individuals are selected. Lollar is optimistic about the upcoming championship and boasts confidence in his team. “My stated goal every year is to play on the last day of the season,” Lollar said. “If you’re playing on the last day that means you’re playing for the championship.” The 2016 NCAA Rifle Selection Show will be available live at 4 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 25 on NCAA.com.
On April 15, 1947, sports in the United S t a t e s changed forever. It was the first MLB game that an A f r iMark McFarland can-AmeriAssistant Sports Editor can played in and his name was Jackie Robinson. As Black History Month has come and almost gone, it is only fitting to take a look back at what the decision to let him play in the MLB meant to the nation. The commissioner of the league at the time was Albert Benjamin “Happy” Chandler. He was a politician from Kentucky who loved the game. Branch Rickey, the owner of the Brooklyn Dodgers, came to him wanting to try and desegregate the league. They decided to try and do it. Jackie Robinson was their player of choice to try and see if he could make it. Robinson played in Minor League Baseball (MiLB), desegregating it. When it came time for Robinson to be called up to the MLB in 1947, there was a 15-1 vote by the owners against Robinson playing the MLB, Happy Chandler said in his Hall of Fame speech. The only problem for the owners was they didn’t have the power to accept a contract move from MiLB to the MLB, Happy Chandler did. He accepted the contract and Robinson was in the Opening Day lineup for the Brooklyn Dodgers. A.B. “Ben” Chandler III came and spoke to a sports history class Monday Feb. 22 about the situation his grandfather was in. He shared what his grandfather had told him and shared some of the hardships his grandfather went through. Ben Chandler said his grandfather took a low profile after he made the decision and let Ricky take the credit. When Happy Chandler was ready to come back to the world, “he felt a little bit disappointed” he didn’t get much of the credit, Ben Chandler said. “I think it was because he was such an innate politician,” Ben Chandler said. “He was always concerned about the political outlook on things, and he knew that bringing Robinson in would not be popular.” In the movie “42,” the story of Robinson coming into the lead, Happy Chandler had a very minimal role in the movie. Ben Chandler said it was a little disappointing his grandfather didn’t have much time in the movie. “They didn’t give him much of a role in it,” Ben Chandler said. “To the extent that they took his most famous quote, which was ‘Someday I’d have to meet my maker,’ and they put it in Branch Ricky’s mouth.” Robinson is clearly a hero, with all of the things he endured just to be able to play baseball with the white man and prove that African-Americans are good enough would have been enough to make anyone else break. Ricky is a hero for making the plans to desegregate the league and being the owner who made it happen is special. The person everyone forgets about is Happy Chandler, the commissioner of the league. His office was in Cincinnati overlooking the “promise land,” his home state of Kentucky, Ben Chandler said. “He had his office in the
see COLUMN, 2B
MADRIGAL DINNER
BASEBALL BATTLES
RACERETTE’S DANCE
Despite weekend loss, Racers win against Harris-Stowe, 3B
New dance team debuts at half- Our review takes a hard look at Elizabeth Residential College hosts dinner and a play, 6B time of basketball games, 4B “The Life of Pablo,” 5B
KANYE WEST
Sports
2B
MEN’S From Page 1
continued to do a good job.”
WHO TO LOOK AT
In the Austin Peay game Saturday, junior guard Damarcus Croaker made 14 points, scoring his first dou-
ble-double of the season with a career high 12 rebounds. Senior forward Jeffery Moss led the team with 22 points, 19 of those coming from the second half. Senior forward Wayne Langston saw several games of foul trouble, but McMahon said he’s seen Langston be able to control the fouls. “Jeffery has been great,
The News
February 25, 2016
he’s been an iron man for us, basically playing whole game defending the other teams’ best player,” McMahon said. “You need your seniors to step up. Wayne has been doing the same thing. He’s getting a lot of attention in the post. I want them to enjoy each moment in games and practice they’ll look back on for the rest of their life. I just want them to enjoy it.”
Nicole Ely/The News
WIN STREAK: (Top, right) The team stands and cheers when they finish the night with a win over Austin Peay State Saturday. (Top, left) Junior guard Bryce Jones throws his towel in the air in celebration of the team’s win. (Right) Junior forward Justin Seymour jumps and scores during their Austin Peay game Saturday.
WOMEN’S
COLUMN
From Page 1
From Page 1
against SEMO, the Racers were able to come away with a 19-point win at the CFSB Center. Coach Cross said the SEMO game proved they could overcome the adversity by losing badly on the road and coming home and winning. He said the team committed too many turnovers when they played at UT Martin and said they cannot do that again if they want to have any chance to beat the Skyhawks. “We have to take care of the basketball,” Cross said. “That has to be our number one priority.” Nicole Ely/The News
BROKEN STREAK: (Right) Sophomore guard Jasmine Borders dribbles down through Austin Peay State’s defense during their game Saturday. (Below, left) Junior guard LeAsia Wright looks for an open teammate in their loss Saturday. (Below, right) Sophomore forward and guard Ke’Shunan James attempts a layup against Austin Peay’s sophomore forward and center Sydney Gooch.
Carew Tower,” Ben Chandler said. “He had a desk that sat in such a way that it looked right out the window with a view over the promiseland, Kentucky.” T h e M L B h a s b e e n through so much since the bringing in of Robinson, but one can only wonder would Happy Chandler would have done during the steroid era and Pete Rose trying to get reinstated? Ben Chandler said his grandfather was strict on gambling. He would even suspend someone if they did as much as just talk to a gambler. Ben Chandler said his grandfather wanted to keep the integrity of the game. “He would have been tough on both of them I think,” Ben Chandler said. “He showed by his actions what he thought about gambling. He suspended Leo Durocher for just consorting with gamblers, he didn’t even have evidence that Durocher gambled himself. On the steroid issue, I believe he would have come down hard, as hard as he legally could.” Happy Chandler never received the credit he deserved for his part in bringing Robinson into the league, but he certainly did his part. He got the nickname ‘Happy’ when he was walking on campus at Transylvania University, when a student shouted across the way “Hey Happy,” Ben Chandler said. He also said his grandfather was just glad he wasn’t called Stinky. The decision of Happy Chandler came seven years before the Supreme Court case of Brown vs. The Board of Education, and Ben Chandler said he believes it was his grandfather’s doing that paved the way for not only that case, but other civil rights cases as well. mmcfarland1@murraystate.edu
The News
Sports
February 25, 2016
Baseball takes two out of four games
3B
Honoring Bennie Purcell When? Saturday, Feb. 27. from 4:30-6:30 p.m. before the men’s and women’s basketball double header.
Where? The Hall of Champions to the right of the entrance of the CFSB Center. Friends and fans can stop by beginning at 4:30 p.m. Bennie’s sons, Mel and Del, will be there to greet people. J.H. Churchill will provide a registry, according to goracers.com.
Softball wins two games at Hilltopper Classic Racers find success despite weather issues
Kalli Bubb/The News
Senior infielder Nick Moore waits on a pitch to come in during the 13-4 win over Harris-Stowe. Mark McFarland
Assistant Sports Editor mmcfarland1@murraystate.edu
While Spring Training for MLB is slowly beginning, the college baseball season is here. Murray State started its season in Daytona Beach, Florida, in which the Racers only won one of their three games. It was the first time in history where the two teams played each other. Both the Racers and the Wildcats came off of 40-loss seasons, but the Wildcats lost in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference championship game. The Racers returned home for their home opener on Tuesday. They played Harris-Stowe State University.
GAME ONE
The Racers started game one with a 5-0 win against the Wildcats. Junior first baseman and left-handed pitcher Jack Harnec, a transfer from Lincoln Trail Community College, got his first start of the season on the mound. He was able to throw five innings with three strikeouts, four hits and three walks. Murray State was led offensively by junior outfielder Aaron Bence with a 3-for-4 performance. The Wildcats helped out the Racers by com-
mitting two errors leading to two unearned runs. The Racers were earned three other earned runs by three RBIs from junior outfielder Adam Bauer, junior first baseman Ramsey Scott and senior outfielder Reed Thompson.
GAME TWO
The Wildcats’ pitching only allowed the Racers three hits in game two, beating Murray State 6-0. Sophomore infielder Caleb Hicks went 1-for-4 and junior outfielder Brandon Gutzler went 2-for-4 to round out the offensive effort for the Racers. Junior right-handed pitcher Austin Dubsky struggled in his first start as a Racer, going just 3.2 innings. Dubsky gave up five hits, three earned runs and two walks. The Racers struggled defensively, committing three errors that led to two unearned runs. Bethune-Cookman connected for 10 hits, three doubles and a homerun in the victory.
GAME THREE The Racers needed to put together a comeback after finding themselves down 3-0 in the top of the sixth inning. The Wildcats held off the late rally from the Racers in their 3-2 victory. Senior right-handed pitcher
Andrew Bramely went four innings giving up four hits, three earned runs and three walks. He also struck out three Wildcat hitters. The Racers scored two runs on six hits in the final game of the series. Both runs came in the top of the sixth inning. The first run came off an RBI double from Gutzler. Later in the inning, Ramsey hit a sacrifice fly scoring the second and final run for the Racers.
HARRIS-STOWE STATE
Murray State played its home opener Tuesday and won 13-4 over Harris-Stowe. The Racers combined for 15 hits and zero errors. Junior right-handed pitcher John Lollar came in relief in the second inning. He pitched two innings and finished with four strikeouts. Tyler Lawrence, junior catcher and outfielder, went 3-5 with one RBI. Bauer went 2-3 with a double and four RBI’s to lead the Racers offensively. Freshman infielder and right-handed pitcher Jaron Robinson went 2-4, four RBI’s and a walk to help contribute to the win. The Racers will play a three game series Friday, Saturday and Sunday at home against Northern Illinois University.
John Morris || Staff writer jmorris36@murraystate.edu
The Racers finished the weekend with a two non-conference wins against Missouri State and Austin Peay State at Western Kentucky University. A t the 2016 Holiday Inn Hilltopper Classic, the Racers came away with their two-game sweep on Saturday, Amundson which was intended to be a four-game tournament. Sunday’s games were canceled because of weather. “We play Western Kentucky in a midweek game every year, switching between teams who hosts the game,” Coach Kara Amundson said.
GAME ONE
Game one was a standoff with the Missouri State Bears because of their defensive matchup. Both teams had a solid pitching effort as seen by both Murray State’s junior Mason Robinson and Missouri State’s Jessie Van Es. Robinson and Van Es had three strikeouts and three walks apiece. Rob-
inson only gave up three hits with nine scoreless innings while Van Es had four hits with eight scoreless innings. The Racers’ defense was stout coming out the Missouri State game, leading the nation with their sixth double play. With the teams going scoreless, a tiebreaker was needed. The relatively new rule states that when a softball game is tied at the end of six innings, the International Tiebreaker Rule goes into affect. At the start of each inning, a runner is placed on second base with the intent of accelerating opportunities to score and bringing the game to a speedier conclusion. Missouri State started on the offensive, and once again the defense of the Racers came through as it had before, giving the opportunity of a win to Murray State. The tiebreaker finished the game when the Racers’ lineup placed sophomore Maggie Glass on second base and put senior Shelbey Miller up to bat. Miller hit a fly ball, which ultimately gave enough time for Glass to run it home. “The highlight would have been securing a 1-0 win in 9 innings versus Missouri State,” Amundson said. “It was the first game that we went into extra innings this year and it was a good test for us.”
GAME TWO
The Racers came out of the gate against the Governors with their second win on Saturday. In the first two innings, the Racers walked away with seven runs, getting another score in the fourth inning and holding an 8-0 lead. The Racers had another solid pitching game as shown by sophomore Haven Campbell. Campbell stepped on the mound for the Racer with three hits and no runs and a strike in four innings. She received her first win in her first appearance of 2016. Her relief, freshman Amber Van Duyse, also showed good pitching efforts with a no hitter, two strikeouts and an unearned run. Pitching efforts weren’t all that helped the Racers; their efforts at the plate proved to help them win as well. Junior Mallory Young was 1-2 with a walk, a double and she drove home the game with two runs. “One thing we need to continue to work out throughout this week going into our series versus Northwestern State is to do a better job at moving,” Amundson said “And scoring runners at a higher percentage and to close the door when we are ahead of our opponents.” The Racers continue play next weekend against Northwestern State in a three game set in Natchitoches, Louisiana.
The News’ pick of the week - Basketball Kelsey Randolph Sports Editor 3-5 Tyler Dixon Graduate Assistant 5-3 Mary Bradley Editor-in-Chief 5-3 Mark McFarland Assistant Sports Editor 6-2 Dave Gesler Associate Professor 3-5
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Racerettes bring something different Breanna Sill || Staff writer bsill@murraystate.edu
In the fall of 2015, three Murray State students had an idea for a dance team that they hoped could differ from the Racer Girls or the cheerleaders and bring a different vibe to campus. With the help of the office of Multicultural Affairs, the Racerettes dance team was born. After news of a new dance team spread, girls across campus came out to express interest almost instantly. “We had an informational and we had over 30 girls that came and we were just like ‘Wow, OK, so we want to support these girls,’” said Anita Chitule, Student Services Specialist of the Office of Multicultural Affairs and adviser to the Racerettes. “Then for us it’s also a retention-based program so the Racerettes have to do some of our retention work such as study hours or retention workshops.” Since its creation during the fall semester, the Racerettes have performed at numerous Murray State men’s and women’s basketball games. Their style of dance differs
cause she loves to dance. “It’s a way for me to be involved at Murray since I don’t play a sport,” she said. “I’ve always loved to perform as well and being on this team gives me that opportunity.” However, being a part of the team does come with its share of work, as prepping for their routines requires many hours of practice. “Our practices can last anywhere between two and three hours and we’ve had weeks where we’ve practiced every day,” Oliver said. “We usually practice at least twice a week to make sure everyone is good and ready for our upcoming performances.” For students who would like to become a member of the dance team, the Racerettes will host a clinic in March so that those interested can come and see what the practices are all about. Right now, there are 11 members of the Racerette dance team, but the girls are hoping to add some new faces to the mix with an upcoming tryout process to follow the clinic. “There is an interview process that anyone can take part in,” Chitule said. “There is a
from other routines attendees would typically see from the Racer Girls or cheerleaders. “The difference is the style of dance,” Chitule said. “They’re more of a hip-hop style majorette dance team so it’s a different type of dance than what the Racer Girls do and what the cheerleaders do.” The Racerette’s choreography is all original. “The choreography team is responsible for making up all of our routines,” said Imani Oliver, sophomore from St. Louis. “When they come up with something new, they are to show it to our advisers to get approval before the team can begin learning it. “The name ‘Racerette’ comes from the original name majorette and majorette style dancing pretty much consists of doing what are called stands,” Oliver said. “Stands are basically simple eight or 16 count dances where the person at the top or front row of the diamond formation will do the stand first and the rest of the team will follow afterwards.” Oliver enjoys being a part of the Racerettes be-
Jenny Rohl/The News
Freshman Abria Gulledge and the Racerettes dance during a men’s basketball game. dance routine that they have to do, so it’s like a whole process.” There is no limit on the number of girls the team hopes to accept and by becoming a Racerette, Chitule said you will get the opportunity
Tennis struggles to produce wins
to bring a new type of morale to Murray State’s campus. “I think we just bring such a more diverse style of dancing and diverse student group,” she said. “We are also a part of the Winner’s Circle, so it just adds to that whole com-
ponent of having students in the stands during men’s and women’s games and just something different to see. It’s just important for the guys and girls on the teams to have support from students across all races.”
‘Piece of pride’ in running for OVC Mascot Challenge
Sarah Combs || Staff writer scombs8@murraystate.edu
Clara Firtos || Contributing writer cfirtos@murraystate.edu
The Murray State tennis teams competed at home for a double-loss for both teams. The women ending 0-2 are on their first losing streak since 2013 and the men are continuing a losing streak that dates back to the 2015 spring season.
WOMEN
The Murray State women’s tennis team ended 0-2 this weekend against Western Kentucky and Southern Illinois University Carbondale at Kenlake 6-1 for both days. This is the first time since 2013 that the No. 2 ranked team has had a threestreak loss. Senior Megan Blue from Ontario, Canada said the young team is transitioning and still trying to find their groove. “We are a young team so it’s just trying to deal with the pressure of playing in the situations,” Blue said. “But everyone is working hard and we are optimistic about it.” Blue was the only player to win her singles match for the weekend against SIU. Blue was down in the third set and a game away from a loss but was able to fight her way back and come out with a 7-5 victory. Freshman Amina Hadzic from Esbjerg, Denmark, said that watching Blue fight through her match showed her that it’s important to keep persevering. “I’m hoping with me winning those tougher matches it will show them that they can rely on me,” Blue said. The young team didn’t lay down after their losses but plan to embrace and follow the determined philosophy of the older players. Head Coach Jorge Caetano said there were some positives that came from this weekend. The team was able to see the kind of competition in the OVC. Although the matches didn’t go as planned, the players didn’t let that get them down. “They didn’t let their heads go down at any point during the matches,” Caetano said. “They were very focused, trying to keep up and trying to play hard.” Blue says this loss will give their team incentive to work harder aiming for the rest of the season and plans to rally her teammates looking forward to their
Nicole Ely/The News
Dunker dances for the crowd at the basketball game on Feb. 13. Chalice Keith/The News
Freshman Javier Villar from Madrid, Spain, waits to volley the ball back to his opponent. match against Lindsey Wilson College this weekend. The Racers plan to take on the court this coming week and improve in order to avoid another loss. The key to a good start is getting the doubles win. Having that win gives the team confidence when they enter the singles. “We have to work harder on the doubles,” Hadzic said. “Because we get confident and we can go into singles with that one point.” The Racers will play host at 11 a.m. Saturday against Lindsey Wilson this weekend at Kenlake.
MEN
Murray State Racers couldn’t come away with a victory against South Dakota State this Saturday at Kenlake. Junior from Tell City, India, Anjan Kashyab says they’re trying not to let this match affect them. They are planning on playing hard for the next scheduled match. “From here on out, we’re focusing in on our game,” Kashyab said. The team’s goal is still to make it to the OVC Championship in defiance of the recent matches and to keep playing their best to show their support for Head Coach Mel Purcell after the recent loss of his father. “It’s the best way to support him,” Kashyab said.
Kelsey Randolph Sports Editor
“We’re always giving 110 percent because of our coach,” said sophomore from Novi Sad, Serbia, Srdjan Trosic. Both Trosic and Kashyab agree that the new players are showing dedication and the environment at practices are always fun and about bettering each other’s techniques. “It’s always funny, good spirit, and a happy spirit,” Trosic said. During the singles competition, sophomores No. 1 Will True from Bowling Green, Kentucky and No. 2 Marcel Ueltzhoeffer from Oftersheim, Germany, both won their matches. True lost his first match but fought back and won the next two sets. Trosic ranked in No. 3 but fell at 6-3 and 6-4. “Having a new team is like having a new set of weapons,” Kashyab said. As for the doubles, Ueltzhoeffer along with his partner, freshman David Schrott from Mannheim, Germany, completed their match first defeating their opponents 6-2. Trosic and freshman from Madrid, Javier Villar finished second in their match, score 6-3. The point of the doubles came down to True and Kashyab. Yet, the pair fell at 7-5, giving South Dakota State University the win. Men’s tennis is scheduled to play on Feb. 26 at Vanderbilt University. The team hasn’t won a match since Jan. 20 against Olivet Nazarene when they earned the 4-3 victory.
krandolph3@murraystate.edu
In its fourth year, the OVC Mascot Challenge is posted and Murray State’s Dunker is taking the lead. “He’s the best way to reach local elementary schools as kind of a face of the athletic department,” said Amy Wyatt, director of Marketing and Promotions for Athletics. Dunker won in 2013 and 2015 – the goal is to go for a repeat of last year. Wyatt said it’s important for Dunker because higher education budget cuts could reduce the activities for Dunker. “It’s great overall, the recognition, it’s great bringing Dunker home with a win,” Wyatt said. Dunker is a scholarship position that runs through the entire year. Dunker attends all home football and basketball games as well as various home baseball, softball and soccer games. He’s made appearances where he can. Dunker is also required to visit the local elementary schools, in order for young
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students to associate Dunker with Murray State. “Once a Racer, always a Racer,” Wyatt said. Among Dunker’s other responsibilities are to pay visit to the Murray Rotary Club, junior Racer events, birthday parties and most of the Summer O’s and the summer book reading at the Murray-Calloway Public Library. Wyatt said Dunker usually tries to attend events where President Davies is in attendance and to make campus appearances as often as he can. The scholarship position allows for Dunker to be a student and the friendly face of sports. “He’s a piece of pride for our university and represents us,” Wyatt said. The Mascot Challenge is hosted by Delta Dental and is only for the OVC. The voting runs until March 3 and the winner will be announced at the OVC Tournament, which will end March 5. The winning mascot receives $1,000 for scholarship purposes. Dunker will travel with the team to help fans cheer on the Racers.
February 25, 2016
Features
Features Editor: Connor Jaschen Assistant Features Editor: Gisselle Hernandez Phone: 270-809-5871 Twitter: MSUNewsFeatures
Gisselle Hernandez
Assistant Features Editor ghernandez1@murraystate.edu
Slam dunks by Pi Kappa Alpha and swift passes from Alpha Gamma Delta led them to taking home golden basketballs for the second year in a row after winning first place at Kappa Delta’s Shamrock Shootout on Saturday.
Shamrock Shootout scores for a cause Emily Harris/The News
Zeta Phi Beta Ball returns to campus
Taylor Inman || Staff writer tinman1@murraystate.edu
There was only one place in Murray last Friday night where you could find everyone dressed to the nine’s: Zeta Phi Beta’s Blue and White Ball, which was held for the first time in three years. No one was simply wearing their Sunday best – the ballroom was littered with full-length evening gowns and three piece suits. With plans already for next year’s ball, Zeta Phi Beta President Chelsea Tyler is working to bring back the ball from her freshman year for the sorority she loves so dearly. “People don’t really have a chance to get dressed and look nice, so why not have a ball where people can come out and do that?” Tyler said.
Author brings unique view to close Reading Series Brianna Willis || Staff writer
Carrie Jerrell, assistant professor of English, said that is intentional. “The Reading Series brings four vis Jennine Capó Crucet brought a new iting writers every year: a poet, a ficperspective to the Murray State Readtion writer, non-fiction and a Kentucky ing Series last Thursday. A sharp conwriter,” she said. “We aim for a variety trast from the previous author, Adam of styles and voices and subject matDay, Crucet brings to life the experiter.” ence of Cuban-Americans and a unique Throughout the night, Crucet made college experience. several jokes about her own life as Crucet read excerpts from her novel well as her writing style. She divulged “Make Your Home Among Strangers” information about her personal life and a brief excerpt from a short story that aided in the understanding of her in her collection of short stories titled work. Jerrell said that hopefully writ“How to Leave Hialeah.” She said that ers, such as Crucet, can inspire and she combined a real world news story connect to students here on campus, with her own experiences and a touch enriching their learning experience. of “revisionist” beliefs. This is the no “People think it is OK to interrogate tion of “what could have happened” you on your background,” Crucet said. and writing a narrative that takes a mo“Lizzet [the main character of ‘Make ment and attempts to understand outYour Home Among Strangers’] deals comes if things had gone differently. with this as well.” “I think playing around with what “We have a good number of English could’ve happened fascinates us,” she majors, and it is important for students said. to see living and She said this working writers,” concept of alshe said. “It helps ternate realities to bring them beinfluenced her cause literature writing in “Make can connect in Your Home such a personal - Jennine Crucet, author of “Make Your Home Among Strangway. Someone Around Strangers” and Murray State guest speaker ers.” The story could’ve felt lonely centers around and this writer the main character’s struggle with comes along and you connect.” being a first generation college student Jerrell said the combination of litwith unsupportive parents, as well as erature and the art gallery is benefiimmigration reform and a little boy cial as well. It allows students to see who might be deported. literature in the context of another art Crucet said she herself was a first form. She said a benefit for students generation college student, but unattending a reading is that they get to like the main character in her novel, observe and make connections themshe had supportive parents. The charselves. acter’s story plays on this “revision While the Reading Series is over for ist” idea and attempts to reimagine a this year, Jerrell said students should different outcome for the character continue to come to future readings. loosely based on a real-life young boy. “They’ll always be surprised in a Crucet is a different type of writer good way,” she said. “It is going to be than the last author to visit Murray constantly good but a different and enState for this year’s Reading Series. gaging experience every time.” bwillis2@murraystate.edu
I think playing around with what could’ve happened fascinates us.
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Kappa Delta held a basketball tournament in Racer Arena to raise funds for the organization’s national philanthropy, Prevent Child Abuse America. This has been their second annual Shamrock Shootout, with ten teams paying $30 each for the chance to dominate the court on Saturday. Sororities played against sororities and fraternities played against fraternities with sorority Alpha Gamma Delta (Alpha Gams) and fraternity Pi Kappa Alpha (Pikes) emerging as champions, once again. This year’s shootout received a lot more participation than last year’s event, said Natalie Hubbard, vice president of community service for Kappa Delta and the program’s coordinator. The tournament, which began around 10 a.m., lasted until 2 p.m., with winning teams playing against one another until the championship game decided who took home the golden spray painted basketball. Banners hand-painted by their respective Greek organizations draped one wall of the arena, serving as a colorful backdrop for the ever-so-popular selfie with President Bob Davies, who came to show support to all involved. He applauded the sorority’s efforts to make a difference for children across the nation. “I just love it when our Greek organizations get in-
“We’re trying to make it an annual thing again.” Being the only sorority in the Pan-Hellenic Council that puts on a formal event, Zeta Phi Beta wants to keep the ball up for the sorority they are all so proud of. “Honestly, when I was Tyler rushing, Zeta just stood out to me. You have everyone come together and everyone is so different and unique,” Tyler said. “But once we work together we get everything done. So it’s good that they’re different from other sororities on campus.”
volved in community efforts and support things outside of Murray State that make a difference in society,” he said. Throughout the week, the sisters tabled at the Curris Center to promote the event and engaged in change wars with other Greek organizations. Other fundraisers included auctioning off items donated by the community, asking businesses for donations and selling pinwheels – which represented childhood – at the game. Eighty percent of the proceeds are sent to national PCAA and 20 percent goes to the Kentucky PCAA. The philanthropy advocates for providing mental health services, educating parents on preventing neglect and offers services to better family relationships, according to the PCAA’s website. Sarah Kelley, president of Kappa Delta, said many sisters choose to be a member of the sorority precisely because of their philanthropy. “The philanthropy [PCAA] is the reason why I joined KD,” Hubbard said. “I have four sisters at home so I didn’t really need more sisters; it was just for helping children out.” KD hosts two major events for the philanthropy each year, with the fall event generally having much more success than the one in the spring, which might be attributed to students having less money in the second se-
While the ball wasn’t for philanthropy, Tiana Watkins, treasurer of Zeta Phi Beta, Tiana Watkins, said there is an upcoming philanthropic event that is very important to the Zetas. “We have our Finer Womanhood Week coming up in the beginning of March,” Watkins said. “It’s one of our principles. We do community service and express what ‘Finer Womanhood’ means to us.” Tyler said the entire community is welcome to attend their Finer Womanhood week and participate in their activities. Proud of her role as president, Tyler said Zeta Phi Beta pushes her to be a better person. “It showed me I have a leadership role. I used to be the person in the background cheering everyone else on, but they put me in this role and
mester, Kelley said. The tournament was considered a big success nonetheless, Hubbard said. Concession stands and games on the side allowed for more fundraising. Teams also received a discount if they adopted a theme and dressed accordingly. For instance, champions Alpha Gams dressed for their theme “Space Gams.” Janssen Starks, junior from Murray, was one of the “Gams” who helped win the championship game against Alpha Omicron Pi. Starks, who has been playing basketball since she was two, said winning this tournament a second time in a row makes her proud to be a part of her sorority. “Basketball is something I love to do and being able to play with my sisters just makes it even better,” she said. “KD won our philanthropy this year so it was an awesome experience to have the opportunity to win at their philanthropy as well.” To Starks, KD’s hard work did not go unnoticed and she said the sisters did a great job raising awareness about the organization and child abuse. “As a nursing student, I’m in a position where I study and see many cases of child abuse, more than I would like to,” she said. “To know that there are those out there fighting against it is such an amazing and special thing.”
said ‘you can do this,’” Tyler said. “They really push you to help you succeed in life and they’re really humble here.” Watkins said that you can know someone and not know they’re in Zeta Phi Beta because of how humble they really can be. “I’ve been friends with people and then later find out they are in Zeta Phi Beta,” Watkins said. “They don’t show off like some people do; they don’t wear their letters every day or do stuff like that.” And with that humility, Tyler said Zeta Phi Beta has helped her not only evolve as a student, but as a person as well. “I can tell how much I’ve grown since my freshman year,” Tyler said. “I’m growing into a woman, a finer woman at that.”
‘The Life of Pablo’: art overshadowed by ego Nick Erickson || Staff writer nerickson@murraystate.edu
Kanye West wants to rule the music industry in the 21st century, which is evident by his self-proclamation last year as the greatest rock star alive. The 38-year-old rapper and entrepreneur has built up quite the reputation as an egotistical airhead, and it doesn’t help retract those claims against him since he just released his 7th studio album, oddly titled “The Life of Pablo.” Currently only being streamed on the site Tidal, and prior to release, West changed the name three different times and continuously rearranged the track listing before settling on a finished product. To some, this record might be West at his finest, yet it is a flop to others. Regardless, one thing is for sure: he’s as immodest as ever, even more so than 2013’s “Yeezus.” Does the combination of West’s bar-spitting talent, massive ego and hefty amount of featured artists gather the title of being the best record of alltime? No, but it holds enough weight for some replay value. West spoke on social media of how “The Life of Pablo” would be a gospel album, as well as a hip-hop album. The elements of gospel incorporated into the record work in its favor and prove to be a strong point for a record such as this. Far too often, rap albums tend to be limited to uncreative loops and beats, so this factor could be intriguing to an entirely new audience not keen on listening to West for his rapping. The first track, “Ultralight Beam,” draws on the gospel influence West was talking about. Lush organ soundscapes, a church choir and a featured verse from Chance the Rapper, it has it all, even kicking off with
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West preaching the gospel. The atmosphere of this song makes it a candidate as the strongest on the album. Unfortunately, this is one of the few tracks that does not feature many expletives, a turn-off for many listeners and, obviously, radio stations. The lead single and 12th track from the album, “Real Friends,” is another standout track. West raps about trust issues and his struggle with balancing fame and family. Sadly, it seems with this track, as well as several others, that the guest appearances seem to shadow what West actually contributes lyrically or vocally. For example, Ty Dolla $ign’s verse on this track is gripping from a lyrical standpoint and flows well. On top of all of this, this track features an intriguing instrumental track that will hook listeners ears. Some of the other guest appearances are creative, but some are the exact opposite. Rapper and singer Chris Brown’s appearance, “The Waves,” would be smooth and add the extra melodic element the track needed to compensate for the average instrumentation but is failed by the glossy layer of auto-tune over his voice. On the other hand, The Week-
nd’s vocal addition to “FML” really brings some soul to the track, and it works fairly well, as West raps about staying faithful to his wife, Kim Kardashian West, and The Weeknd adds a catchy hook to the song. Where the album falls is in its lyrical predictability. Kanye isn’t the most modest guy and has no shame in singing about overly-vulgar or downright confusing topics. From the line in “Father, Stretch My Hands Pt. 1,” where he raps about the messy details of having sex with a model, to track “Famous,” in which he recalls interrupting Taylor Swift’s acceptance speech at the MTV Video Music Awards and has the nerve to say that he thinks he might have a chance to get with her. It’s quite cringy but something to be expected from someone as proud as West. Album closer, “Fade,” is very repetitious, but arguably memorable, a solid closer to a slightly above average rap album. West set his goals high for “The Life of Pablo,” but fell short. What he did achieve, however, was to write the most creative instrumentation and vibes to be found in a rap album from the 21st century, with its old school hip-hop and gospel influence. On the contrary, most of West’s lyricism is far too crude or boastful, and many listeners will find themselves wincing at the first listen. Those moments where he comes through with some deeper meaning in his raps he too often is overshadowed by the number of other artists he featured on the record. “The Life of Pablo” is a solid record, with its handful of tasteful moments, but if West wants to rule the world, or even get himself $53 million out of debt, he might need to take the ego down a notch and crank up the passion.
The News
Features
6B FRIDAY
THURSDAY
SATURDAY
February 25, 2016
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MONDAY
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7:30 p.m. Special Screening: “5 Dollars” and “Jess + Moss,” Cheri Theatre
11:30 p.m. St. Jude Up Til’ Dawn, Carr Health
9:00 a.m. Doggie Day Spa & Pet ID Event, A. Carman Animal Health Technology Center
8:00 a.m. Art for the People: WPA Exhibition and Events, Clara M. Eagle Gallery
1:00 p.m. MSU TRiO Day Celebration, Blackburn Science Building
TUESDAY
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WEDNESDAY 2
8:00 a.m. Choral Festival, Lovett Auditorium
10:00 a.m. All Majors Career Fair, Curris Center
Elizabeth college brings a taste of the Middle Ages Da’Sha Tuck || Staff writer dtuck@murraystate.edu
McKenna Dosier/The News
Students tested their theatrical ability with a medieval flair.
Testing the Bible: wading through the historical facts
Elizabeth Residential College hosted a madrigal dinner with a performance of “A Ring of Truth” last week, taking all who attended back to the Middle Ages. Almost 90 tickets were sold at the event and all proceeds will go to Elizabeth council fund so they can host more programs in the future, said Tyler Bradley, advertising lead for the show and residential director for Elizabeth. They hope to host a similar event each year. “A Ring of Truth” is a production about a less than pleasant king who plays a joke on the wrong woman, a fortune-teller with a few tricks of her own. The fortune-teller gives the queen a ring that forces whomever wears it to only tell the truth. The ring of truth makes the king see the error of his ways through
the honesty of all his subjects. “For the limited amount of people they had, it was really great,” said Jade Wagoner, freshman make-up artist for “A Ring of Truth.” Although Elizabeth was the host, students from all residential colleges made up the cast. “I enjoyed being in the show,” said Theo Triplett, sophomore from St. Louis, who played the town crier. “It was fun to be in the costumes and pull off something great.” The idea for this production came up in September from a freshman student who lives in Elizabeth who had been a part of similar performances before. The students started organizing and preparing in November. Triplett said the cast had a rehearsal or meeting six days a week. “It’s amazing how they brought it all together,” Bradley said. “I know
Breanna Sill || Staff writer bsill@murraystate.edu
“One of the goals of Christian Faculty Network is to let people know that faith and science and scholarship are perfectly compatible,” said Murphy Smith, professor of accounting and member of Christian Faculty Network. This was part of the message Smith hoped to express during his “Is the Bible Reliable? Evidence from Archaeological and Historical Research” presentation on Tuesday in the Curris Center Ballroom. Smith’s presentation ranged from presenting scientific proof of monuments or places explained in the Bible to proof of the existence of names mentioned in the Bible. “There is just an incredible amount of research that people are doing or that has been done where people are investigating archaeological evidences for the truths in the Bible,” he said. “I am totally talking about things that I found that other people have researched and found.”
it’s been stressing them all out so it’s nice to see them have the show and close it on a really good note.” The event went above and beyond what some students had anticipated. “I had no idea it was going to be this big of a deal,” said Brett Eisenhauer, sophomore from Mahomet, Illinois. “The food was amazing and the event as a whole is something, I hope becomes a yearly thing.” The cast posted fliers and used social media to get the word out about the event. They also sent personal invitations to President Bob Davies and other important figures on campus. Davies attended the event and even took part in the production. At one point during the play the king, played by Martin Dowling, pulled Davies from the audience and asked him advice on what he
Smith’s favorite piece of biblical history is the spread of Christianity. “To me, that is one of the greatest evidences,” he said. “It’s not really archeology, but it’s just saying ‘Look at this thing that happened in history and how these people transformed the world in a short period of time.’” Jacob Whitehall, senior from Lebanon Junction, Kentucky, said he found some parts more interesting than some. “The coolest thing I learned was how the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered and the history behind how they were hidden,” Whitehall said. Smith said his knowledge of accounting leads to a lot of his own personal research on the impact of religiosity on business and society. “There is lots of research today that talks about how religion affects different things in the business field,” he said. “For example, the top accounting journal is called the ‘Accounting Review.’ Well, just a few years ago a guy had an article that talked about how you can have bet-
should do about his unruly queen. Davies played along well and even let the King put him in the stockade, a barrier formed from upright wooden posts used to confine prisoners. Dowling, being the mean king, all in good fun made some not so pleasant remarks about Davies and his height, but Davies played along and shot right back at him jokingly. “I may be short, but you, sir, are short-lived,” Davies said. Other than the cast, there were many people and organizations who helped with the production. Bradley Almquist, director of choral activities, provided the costumes and various props. “The students did an outstanding job,” said Crystal Coel, Elizabeth College’s College Head. “It was self-directed. All I did was lend emotional and some financial support.”
ter quality financial reporting if you have higher levels of religiosity, meaning going to church in your community. Accounting is not religion, but he said faith makes a difference on how people handle financial reporting.” Whitehall said he thinks being knowledgeable about biblical archeology is not only important in a religious aspect, but also to maintain a strong knowledge of history. “I think these meetings are important for general knowledge of history and how things came to be,” he said. “As students we need to know how we got to where we are as a society and where we came from.” Smith echoed Whitehall by saying that without seeing the evidence of biblical archeology and becoming knowledgeable about the facts of it, he had questioned his own faith. “Evidence is very important, it is what I base my faith on,” he said. “I had to read the Bible, I had to see how it affected people in their lives, so I put my trust in the Bible and I believed that it was true.”
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The News
Features
February 25, 2016
7B This One Time
Pop Culture Corner FEATURED TWEETS
MOVIE REVIEW ‘The Witch’: great premise, poor execution
#ILoveBaeBut Daniel Van Boom @dvanboom
#ILoveBaeBut she thought “the dress” was blue and black... @midnight 11:31 pm 22 Feb 2016
Derek Togerson @DerekNBCSD
#ILoveBaeBut she still uses the word Bae. So just ... no. @midnight 9:05 pm 22 Feb 2016
Eric Schwartz
@ericschwartz #ILoveBaeBut Bae is deaf to my affections...#Baethoven @midnight 8:46 pm 22 Feb 2016
Photo courtesy of bloody-disgusting.com
Anya Taylor-Joy portrays Thomasin, a child of heretics, in the new supernaturally disturbing movie, “The Witch.”
Gage
@KingGage_ #ILoveBaeBut she be acting up 11:17 pm 22 Feb 2016
Paranormal film lacks horror and fails in captivating viewers Adam Winn || Staff writer awinn@murraystate.edu
Photo courtesy of superfame.com
Kesha denied freedom to work outside her alleged abuser After being in the midst of a heated legal battle with her producer since 2014, pop star Kesha Sebert was denied preliminary injunction by the court on Friday. The “Tik Tok” singer filed a lawsuit against her producer Dr. Luke, accusing him of sexually abusing her in years prior. Kesha has been pushing for an injunction that would allow her to work outside her six-album contract with Dr. Luke while the lawsuit unfolds in court. The Manhattan Supreme Court, however, denied her request, saying there is a lack of evidence and that Kesha “decimated her argument.” Celebrities and fans around the globe have taken a stand with Kesha, sporting the hashtag #FreeKesha across the Twitter-sphere.
Horror film fanatics are always looking forward to a new film that could be the next big hit, which people could watch and appreciate years from today. Nowadays, it’s rare for a good horror picture to be released that isn’t either a remake or a sequel, and is also innovative and frightening. Early reviews have been favorable to the newly released film “The Witch,” with big names like Stephen King tweeting “The Witch scared the hell out of me.” Unfortunately, viewers are likely to have a different reaction altogether and leave the flick more bored than bewitched by the time it reaches its over-the-top conclusion. The film takes place in Massachusetts during the 1630s and pre-dates the Salem Witch Trials by a few decades. The plot centers on a Puritan family that is banished on the grounds of heresy from the colony they were a part of and is forced to live as outcasts in the wilderness. Not long after building and settling into their new home, the family starts to be plagued by paranormal phenomena, beginning with the disappearance of the parents’ youngest infant child. As more supernatural events unfold, each family member slowly turns on one another, unsure of what is truly going on around them. First off, while this film has been categorized as part of the horror
genre, it’s more of a disturbing, psychological thriller than anything else. Viewers are consistently waiting for something really scary to happen as the plot progresses and nothing ever does. Not to say that the film doesn’t have distressing moments, but those instances are few and far between. The film’s dialogue is in the vernacular of the time and while it does add to the realism of the story, it makes it extremely difficult to understand what the actors are saying. The language spoken is almost so indecipherable that it would have made the film easier to understand had there been subtitles on the screen. Most horror films released in the past few years have depended heavily on jump scares and gore in an attempt to shock the audience. This film has very little of either and tries to rely on its ominous soundtrack and cinematography to frighten the audience instead. While these things do create an unsettling atmosphere for the movie, it never accomplishes its goal of scaring the viewers. The film’s pace is also long and drawn out to the point that it’s almost unbearable to watch. The storyline contains many scenes of long dialogue, and it makes the viewers temporarily forget that they are watching a horror film and not a period drama instead. While the film is called “The Witch,” the actual witch in the film is more of a sub-plot than the main story. The central plot primarily focuses on the destruction and dissolution of the fam-
ily as they slowly begin to turn on one another. The acting is, however, extremely well done and definitely the best part about the movie. The performance that sticks out the most is that of the teenage daughter Thomasin (Anya Taylor-Joy) who appears to be an innocent girl trapped in circumstances outside her control. She becomes the scapegoat for her religious family to blame all of the transpiring events going on around them. As far as horror films go, “The Witch” is subpar at best. The flick has unnerving background music and menacing, disconsolate scenery that help set the mood, but otherwise the rest is just a letdown. Critics from sources like Rolling Stone and the Washington Post have given the film positive reviews for being “terrorizing” and “unique.” Nevertheless, just because this so-called “horror” picture is different from the other genre-related films that have been released lately, doesn’t make this particular movie exceptional, especially when compared to classic films like “Halloween” or “The Shining.” If the viewer wants to watch a film that has few disturbing moments and some respectable acting performances, then this is a good film to check out. However, if the viewer is expecting to be frightened or looking forward to seeing something truly spell binding, regrettably the audience is in for a major disappointment.
Peer Pressure I grew up in a medium-sized town: just big enough to have a whole bunch of snot-nosed kids and just small enough for Connor Jaschen none of said Features Editor brats to have something to do. Thus, we tended to make our own fun one way or another. Now I was probably the one with the most sense of my group of friends – and by sense I mean will to survive. However, peer pressure is one heck of an influence, so young Connor had a tendency to just kind of go with the crowd. In my freshman year of high school, we decided to head to one of the closed off rock quarries to swim. Since it wasn’t exactly legal, we were careful about how we got there. We would all pile in the back of a friend’s car, park in some dirt lot a mile down the road and then walk the railroad tracks all the way to that glorious stomping ground of ours. The walk from that point was pretty secluded. You only ever really had to watch out for when the train would come, but they aren’t exactly the most quiet of machines, so when we saw or heard it, we would just step off to the side and let it pass. This particular time, though, there was a train parked on the track, not making so much as the occasional lurch forward. Not thinking much of it, we continued the trek we had made dozens of times beforehand. About halfway through the walk, the train jolted to life, lurching forward, barely faster than we were. My group definitely had a leader, who was probably the most reckless of us all, and his name was Joe. I love Joe to death, but I can never really trust all his decisions, mostly because I’m not sure about the decision-making process in the first place, or if there is one at all. Without a word, Joe grabbed a handle on the outside of the train and hopped on to the train, looking back only to smile as he rode off past us. I was astounded to say the least. “I would never do that,” younger me thought. That was until my next friend jumped on, and then the next, until finally I was the only one not latched on to the beastly contraption of metal and rust. They motioned me to come on, shouting and jeering at me. So I jumped on, too. It was dangerous and stupid, but I took the chance. Joe actually ended up climbing to the top of the train car, sprinting across and leaping to the next one, all while the train continued to pick up speed. I, however, knew my limit and decided I wasn’t Bruce Willis from “Die Hard.” I stayed right where I was, enjoying the wind through my hair. We hopped off just before we reached the quarry, when we decided the train was getting too fast. Minus a few scrapes from the dismount, we were fine. The point is, while jumping from trains is probably a pretty dumb idea, sometimes you have to take a chance. Giving in to peer pressure may not always be the best idea, but sometimes you just can’t let that train pass you. Hop on that metaphorical train and wipe that smug grin off your friend’s face, but most of all, enjoy every minute of it. cjaschen@murraystate.edu
Out this week
Read It
“Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City” by Matthew Desmond
See It
“Eddie the Eagle
Hear It
“This Unruly Mess I’ve Made” by Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
Rent It
“The Good Dinosaur”
Play It
“Alekhine’s Gun”
8B
The News
February 25, 2016