M
THE MUR R AY STATE
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90 years of excellence
Survival of the fittest
February 9, 2017 | Vol. 91, No. 17
A Murray State parking story Lindsey Coleman Staff writer
lcoleman7@murraystate.edu
Many Murray State students who drive a car on campus have realized and thus complained about the prices for parking permits and citations. Murray State personnel opened up about the parking revenue and explained where the money goes. Shawn Touney, Murray State Director of Communication, said parking operations generate approximately $960,000 annually. This number includes all revenue sources, two of which are parking permit and ticket costs. “The revenues earned through the Parking FOAPAL (fund, organization, account, program, activity and location) are used for administrative costs in administering the parking program to include parking lot maintenance, lighting and new parking lot development and to provide other education and general support,” Jill Hunt, senior executive coordinator for the president at Murray State, said. Touney said parking lot maintenance includes the upkeep of lighting, resurfacing and proper marking of various lots, all of which are regular and necessary budgeted expenses. “Within the 2016-17 budget, nearly 50 percent of all revenues collected through parking operations are scheduled to be transferred to the University’s general fund to support other university needs,” Touney said. At Murray State, fines range from $30-$100, depending on the offense. A forged or stolen permit will result in the highest fines. From Aug. 1, 2015 to June 1, 2016, the total dollar amount collected from parking citations was $342,467.83. In the same time frame, 10,944 total tickets were given
Photos courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
Week 3 TRUMP Day 20 Senate confirms DeVos, Sessions 100 days of
Matthew Parks Staff writer
mparks6@murraystate.edu
1,295 TICKETS 1,072 TICKETS 774 TICKETS 546 TICKETS 487 TICKETS
see TICKET, page 2
Jenny Rohl/The News Graphic courtesy of Austin Gordon
The price of convenience Matthew Parks Staff writer mparks6@murraystate.edu
Sabra Jackson Contributing writer sjackson30@murraystate.edu
Fast Track, the popular convenience-style store on Murray State’s campus, has been the subject of scrutiny from some students due to items having higher prices than other retailers. In a price comparison by reporters from The Murray State News, it was found that Fast Track prices tend to be anywhere between 10 to 30 percent higher than those same products at mass retailers. However, Amols said that while some prices are higher, it is due to the cost Fast Track has to pay for those items, plus an additional percentage cost to cut a profit large enough for the facility to continue its services. Mass retailers such as Walmart or Kroger buy their products in massive quantities, entitling them to bulk discounts which they can then pass on to customers. Amols said unfortunately the small amount of product that Fast Track buys isn’t enough to receive those discounts – but they still strive to offer the lowest possible prices to students. “We’re totally aware of the fact that the prices [at Fast Track] tend to be higher than people pay elsewhere,” Amols said. “It’s just a function of that
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kind of business.” Amols said that the store does make a small profit, but its main purpose is to provide accessible services for students and all the money they make goes back into the university. “We do make money from the store,” Amols said. “But all that money goes back into the facility, the university and the students.” She also said that the facility pays for its own products, services, renovations, etc. and is not funded by the university – another major reason prices may seem higher than at major chain stores. “I think one of the biggest fallacies someone can make is trying to even compare a place like Fast Track to Walmart or Kroger,” Amols said. “We do the best we can understanding that [students] obviously have your financial stresses.” She said the facility has major renovations planned to be finished by Fall 2017. The plan is to expand the store by around 50 percent and offer more products such as a F’real Shake Machine, similar to what Huck’s has. Tim Bruce, executive chef and manager of dining services, said they strive to take student suggestions into consideration when making purchasing decisions and facility upgrades, although those are sometimes limited by contracts with supply vendors. While they could potentially offer options for cheaper prices,
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Fast Track Price Comparison FAST TRACK
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Betsy DeVos was confirmed Wednesday as the Secretary of Education after a historic and contentious confirmation process. For the first time in United States history, the vice president was called to the Capitol to break a tie vote, declaring DeVos as the education secretary after an all-night debate session on the Senate floor. DeVos’s confirmation was contested because many believed she showed a lack of basic knowledge on the education system during her initial confirmation hearing. She spent time dodging questions from senators, including Democrat Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders. Democrat Sen. Al Franken, called for Republicans to vote against DeVos in a fiery speech
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Abby Siegel || News Editor Lindsey Coleman
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Staff writer
lcoleman7@murraystate.edu
Paige Effinger
Apple Jacks $5.99 (8.7 oz.) Cereal
Contributing writer
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Bruce says it would require them to significantly scale back on the number of products they offer. Bruce said he believes dining services better serves the student body by offering a wider variety of products. Laura Linck, senior from Edwardsville, Illinois, says she shops at Fast Track because of it’s convenience. “I am still going to shop there no matter what the prices are just because I don’t want to
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have to go off campus to get some stuff sometimes,” Linck said. Linck said she thinks the prices have gone up from when she was a freshman, but she still plans to shop there until she graduates. “We still have the option to go off campus to get things,” Linck said. “This is supposed to be a small convenience store for when needed but not necessarily for everything.”
@MurrayStateNews
see TRUMP, page 2
Elkins, Alessi spar asiegel@murraystate.edu
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moments before the vote. “If we cannot set aside party loyalty long enough to perform the essential duty of vetting the president’s nominees, what are we even doing here?” Franken said. While two Republican senators did dissent against DeVos’s confirmation, Democrats failed to obtain the one additional vote they needed to block her appointment, despite the lengthy debate process. After the vote concluded, Vice President Mike Pence issued a statement from the White House in which he backed his decision and stated his belief that DeVos will be an excellent education secretary. “In Betsy DeVos, we have one of America’s foremost advocates for educational opportunity and excellence,” Pence said. Shortly after, Jeff Sessions,
peffinger@murraystate.edu
At the Calloway County Public library board of Trustees meeting Wednesday, Ryan Alessi, former acting president and Library Board member, gave his “rebuttal” to the comments Judge Executive Larry Elkins made regarding board transparency and Alessi’s home residence that broke board policy. Alessi said there were comments made at the fiscal court special session Feb. 2 that were out of context and facts were misrepresented – or, he said, “maybe it is a contagious outbreak of amnesia.” “The most forgetful person in this county appears to be the Judge Executive,” Alessi said. On multiple accounts, Alessi said he had mentioned moving out of state but would remain a property owner in Calloway County, including prior to the July fiscal court meeting. However, Elkins “must have forgotten this
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conversation.” Alessi also commented on the information requests Elkins said he requested of the library. At the fiscal court meeting, Elkins said the Board failed to provide information he requested, yet Alessi said that wasn’t the case. “When I was told basically if you want any information, you’re going to have to file an open records request, you might as well have gotten you a big red flag and waved it in my face,” Elkins said at the special session last week. He continued and said he expects the community to respect his position as an elected official, regardless of their personal feelings about him as an individual. “The reason that request was not answered by the library was because the library
see LIBRARY, page 2
CORRECTION On Thursday, Feb. 2, The Murray State News incorrectly spelled the late Dani Cogswell as Dani Cogsworth, in the story, “Dare to be different.” The News regrets the error.
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February 9, 2017
TICKET
TRUMP
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on campus. 1,295 of those tickets were given in the lot across from Pogue Library on North 15th Street. Coming in second place was the Curris Center lot on Chestnut Street with 1,072 tickets. Murray State parking permits are based on zones, for which all permits cost $100, with the exception of the economy permit at $60. According to their parking websites, Western Kentucky University’s parking permits range from $50-$200 per year, the University of Kentucky permits cost anywhere from $56-$296, and the University of Louisville charges $98-$590 per permit, all of which are based on the type of permit purchased. A proposed multi-tiered parking system would potentially increase permit cost at Murray State, while allowing students to choose what type of pass they buy. Currently, the relationship between student and university dictates what zone they can park in. For example, on-campus sophomores are able to park closer to the dorms than freshmen. The university sent a parking survey to all students, faculty and staff Jan. 26 concerning a new system. It proposes an in-
Republican senator from Alabama , was confirmed in another vote to his position of Attorney General with a tally of 52-to-47. In a controversial move, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell made a call to silence Warren during her speech against Session’s appointment. Warren chose to read from a letter by Coretta Scott King written in 1986 that contained derisive remarks against Sessions and his relations with African Americans in Alabama. McConnell accused Warren of “impugning the motives” of Sessions, which is not allowed in Senate debates, and passed a vote to silence her from speaking for the rest of the session. “Sen. Warren was giving a lengthy speech,” McConnell said. “She had appeared to violate the rule. She was warned. She was given an explanation. Nevertheless, she persisted.” The Trump Administration has drawn criticism from humanitarian organizations after a raid in Yemen that killed at least 23 civilians and one Navy SEAL in the mission that was carried out on Jan. 29, according to nongovernmental organization Reprieve. Yemen is a common target of U.S. raids since the 9/11 attacks in 2011 as a part of the “war on terror,” since members of the al-Qaida regularly take refuge there. The raid was originally planned by the Obama Administration but was not carried out until the end of January due to “operational difficulties,” according to a White House statement. An al-Qaida base was the target of the operation where military officials said they hoped to gain intelligence that would be used in future strikes and to prevent domestic terror attacks. A senior Yemeni official said the operation was a failure, adding that Yemen had
LIBRARY From Page 1 never received it,” Alessi said. On Aug. 4, Elkins made an information request by email to Mignon Pittman, library director, but Elkins only sent it to one address – his own personal alternative email address. “One of the things the new library can do is have that computer lab so we all can come in and use it,” Alessi said. “People who don’t have internet can have access, and
Jenny Rohl/The News
Parking citations accumulated $342,467.83 from August 2015 to June 2016. crease in permit cost that could be anywhere from $200-$800 for premium and reserved spots under the new model. The survey is open until Feb. 15. Peter Northcutt, senior from Calvert City, Kentucky, said he has received many parking tickets while pursuing an education at Murray State, most of which have been due to parking in the wrong zone to get to class on time. He said it seems as if the university gives students two options: skip class because no
spots are available in your zone or park in an incorrect zone and pay ticket fines. “It’s frustrating because I feel like I, as a student, am being actively hunted down because of the inadequacies of the university and the parking department,” Northcutt said. Although he agrees that Parking Services is acting within their proposed parking rules, Northcutt said those very rules are ridiculous. “I think that if the university accepts tuition from a certain
amount of students, they should be required to provide amenities and accommodations to that number of students,” which Northcutt said should include providing the necessary parking near the classes students pay tuition for. “The motivations and priorities (of the parking department), in a perfect world should be to maintain order, but with the integration of revenue, they are now a money-making business, and I think there’s an inherent conflict there,” Northcutt said.
we could all take classes. And the judge, I think, would get on board with that because that would help him learn how to use his own email.” On Oct. 14, the Library Board received an Open Records Request from lawyer Chip Adams. “I would think this all began because of an easy mistake – it happens – but maybe since the county taxpayers are now on the hook for all these lawyers, the judge might make a great gesture by spending some of his $95,263 salary to help defray the costs of the legal bills.”
Officer elections were tabled until the next meeting as no member wanted to step forward as board president at this time. In order to pay for future expansion costs, board members met with community members who are experienced in the area of leading capital campaigns. The board plans to launch a campaign of their own in the near future. Catherine Lanier, board trustee, said the board feels confident in the insight in Murray to make the capital campaign launch a success. She said many people were willing to help in the process.
“Right now we’re really looking at how we go about creating a capital campaign. It involves a feasibility of what money is out there, who are we competing with, who else is asking for money, what kind of niches does the library have that they can target,” Lanier said. Senate Bill 48, which would have changed the way library board members could be appointed, was removed from the agenda in Frankfort. The next regular library board meeting is scheduled for 4:30 p.m., March 8 at the Calloway County Public Library meeting room.
asked the US to stop ground operations in the country without approval from the Yemeni government. While official results of the operation are classified, Sen. John McCain also called the raid a “failure” while speaking to reporters about the incident. The third week of Trump’s presidency also involved a great deal of controversy and political sparring over his immigration ban. A federal judge in Seattle issued a temporary block on Trump’s new immigration executive order Friday after a week of protests and public outrage. The court decided the order was unconstitutional, as there was no solid evidence that the seven banned nations had actually been the point of origin for any terrorists. The Trump Administration immediately filed a request to re-enact the order, which was rejected by a federal appeals court Sunday. For now, immigrants from the formerly banned nations are free to enter the country, regardless of refugee status. The White House released a statement following the ruling that called the decision “outrageous” and vowed to fight for Trump’s order. “The president’s order is intended to protect the homeland and he has the constitutional authority and responsibility to protect the American people,” the statement read. Trump took to Twitter in defense of his order, saying, “When a country is no longer able to say who can, and who cannot, come in and out, especially for reasons of safety & security – big trouble!” The ruling against Trump’s order is a temporary measure that only grants exemption from the rule until the government and opponents of the ban have a chance to make full arguments against it or until the Trump Administration wins a stay in court, which would negate the judge’s ruling.
Read more at TheNews.org.
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February 9, 2017 News Editor: Abby Siegel Assistant Editor: Alicia Steele Phone: 270-809-4468 Twitter: MurrayStateNews
POLICE BEAT Feb. 1
10:31 a.m. A person reported a theft complaint to Public Safety. Officers were notified and it was determined to be theft by unlawful taking under $500. 8:41 p.m. A caller reported the smell of marijuana in Franklin Residential College. Officers and the on-call residence director were notified and an information report was taken.
Feb. 2
10:17 a.m. An officer conducted a traffic stop at North 16th Street and Farmer Avenue. A citation was issued for failure to wear a seat belt. 4:47 p.m. A caller reported an alcohol complaint in Regents Residential College. Officers and the residence director were notified.
Feb. 3
9:28 a.m. Public Safety received a fire alarm activation at James H. Richmond Residential College on the alarm center computer. Officers, Facilities Management, the State Fire Marshall, Murray State Housing and the Central Heating and Cooling Plant were notified. Activation was caused by an intentional pull station activation and no threat of fire was determined. 4:17 p.m. A caller requested a vehicle unlock at Hollis C. Franklin Residential College. Officers and Hortons Lock Shop were notified.
Feb. 4
5:18 p.m. A caller reported a theft complaint at Faculty Hall. Officers were notified and a report was taken for theft by unlawful taking over $500. 9:10 p.m. A caller reported the smell of marijuana at White Residential College. Officers were notified and a citation was issued for possession of marijuana.
Feb. 5
1:38 p.m. An officer conducted a traffic stop at North 15th and Main streets. A citation was issued for failure to wear a seat belt. The driver was also cited for possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia. 9:18 p.m. Public Safety received a parking complaint in a residential college parking lot via the LiveSafe app. Officers were notified and a verbal warning was issued for parking in a handicap spot.
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Agriculture adds Farrowing Learning Laboratory Ashley Traylor|| Staff writer atraylor@murraystate.edu
Michelle Hawks
Contributing writer mhawks@murraystate.edu
The agriculture program is offering students experiential knowledge through the use of the Modular Swine Farrowing Learning Laboratory that opened Jan. 31. For a class project for experience in swine production during the 2014 fall semester, students designed a new farrowing house for the swine unit on the North Farm. Under the leadership of Matt Shultz, assistant professor of agriculture, the class set up a meeting with Tony Brannon, dean of the Hutson School of Agriculture. “Immediately, we set forth on a path to procure this facility to move our operation from the outdated, energy inefficient, boar test station converted farrowing house into this state of the art learning laboratory,” Brannon said. He said the swine operation would not have been possible without alumna Claire Crocker. While a student here, Crocker, in coordination with Bill DeWees, professor of pre-veterinary medicine at Murray State, wrote a proposal to establish a “show pig” production unit. From there, Brannon said the idea was propelled into reality by contributions from several, passionate faculty members. Shultz said two years ago the university made a transition as part of the university enhancement plan to focus on experiential learning, which included coursework to make full use of the facilities on the farm. The two courses designed to immerse students in hands-on learning were experience in swine production livestock management and marketing. He said in swine production, students will look at phenotypic traits and take part in breeding decisions and sire options. Livestock management and marketing follows up on experience in swine production because students market the animals through websites and social media. Shultz said
students are responsible for the nutrition of the animals so they look their best for sale. Murray State maintains 15 sows – adult female pigs – and he said they produce about 200 pigs each year, which are sold in auction. Shultz said this year there will be an online sale and a traditional sale. The traditional sale is scheduled for April 1 at the William “Bill” Cherry Agricultural Exposition Center. The target market for the pigs are youth organizations like Future Farmers of America. He said buyers look at correct skeletal design, correct structure and adequate muscle. A few years ago students prepared a SWOT – strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats – analysis of the farm and suggested the facilities were one of “our biggest weaknesses, as well as one of our biggest opportunities,” Shultz said. He said the students put together a plan to update and modernize the farm, and the farrowing unit was the first phase. Shultz said Murray State’s agriculture program is unique because students are immersed in animal care as well as the business side of it. He said it is a student-run program. “This is the only university I’ve been at where we have anything remotely close to that,” Shultz said. “Most schools you would visit the farm and maybe see some demonstrations, maybe get to do something like give some vaccinations, maybe do a little bit of artificial insemination. But getting to see the entire process from start to end and then getting to make actual decisions in a high-stakes environment with real money and real animals is very unique.” He said the next phase will be to modernize the finishing facility and create an open-air solid manure system to eliminate odor created by the hogs. Ella Fourqurean, senior from Gracey, Kentucky, said at the North Farm they farrow and process pigs, which includes giving them ear notches, clipping teeth and giving proper shots. She said they are a student-led
McKenna Dosier/The News
The piglets in the Farrowing Learning Laboratory are a few weeks old. farm at the swine unit, and the hands-on experience is the best thing about the farm. Fourqurean said she showed pigs growing up, but she didn’t farrow so she didn’t know a lot about breeding and farrowing pigs. “This has been a learning experience for me, and so I hope to take what I learned here at Murray and take it with me as I’m older,” Fourqurean said. She said a typical day for students at the farm begins with making sure the animals are healthy and fed. During the winter, they make sure the water runs and the
huts are bedded for the animals, and they make sure the farm is well-maintained. Jane Webster, senior from Taylorsville, Kentucky, said the hands-on learning sets Murray State’s agriculture program apart from other universities because the day-to-day activities on the farm are diverse. “It’s amazing how much we’ve learned here,” Webster said. “Like seeing it in the books and seeing it on a video or a PowerPoint is so much different than seeing it person. We’ve had the opportunity to see a lot of things.”
Feb. 6
1:59 a.m. A caller reported a suspicious person at the Price Doyle Fine Arts Complex. Officers were notified and an information report was taken. 2:55 p.m. A caller reported a stolen vehicle in the north residential side of campus. Officers were notified and the vehicle was located and determined not to be stolen. An information report was taken.
Feb. 7
5:31 a.m. Public Safety received a smoke detector activation at Crisp Soccer Complex from the alarm center computer. Officers and the Central Heating and Cooling Plant were notified. No threat of fire was located and cause of activation was determined to be because of a mechanical malfunction. Racer assists – 0 Motorist assists – 1 Arrests - 0
Alicia Steele, Assistant News Editor, compiles Police Beat with materials provided by Public Safety and Emergency Management. Not all dispatched calls are listed.
Love Police Beat? You can check it out every week online, too, on TheNews.org.
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McKenna Dosier/The News
A piglet sits near its mother in Murray State’s new Farrowing Learning Laboratory.
The Agriculture program’s new Farrowing Learning Laboratory is located at the North Farm.
Women’s Leadership Conference to be held in the Curris Center
Alicia Steele
Assistant News Editor asteele5@murraystate.edu
Murray State will host the Leadership Launch Women’s Lunch on Feb. 22, including the annual Town and Gown Breakfast and the Celebrate Women Luncheon. “The great thing about this leadership lunch is it’s a compact, one-day conference that can appeal to all those audiences, whether you’re interested in pursuing a business career or you’re interested in pursuing civic volunteerism or just leading your home the best you can,” said Melanie Brooks, previous coordinator of the event. She said Lana Porter, Murray State alumna and board chairwoman of Leadership Women of America, through her loyalty to Murray State, was able to help bring the conference to campus. “It’s not something every university is able to do,” Brooks said. “But it fits so perfectly with what we were hoping to do on campus.” She said the agenda planned for the day will focus on work-life balance, leadership development, multigenerational workplace and mentoring. According to a draft of the agenda for the day, speakers include but are not limited to: • President Bob Davies: Welcome to Murray
State Linda Crompton, president and CEO of Leadership Women: Breakfast keynote speaker • Cate Loes, assistant professor of management at Belmont University and independent business consultant: Create workplace synergy through generational differences • Laura Douglas, vice president of corporate responsibility and community affairs at LG&E and KU: Taking risks as a leader • Michelle Bundren, director of membership development at the Murray-Calloway County Chamber of Commerce: Leadership Launch – Making an impact • Lillie Brock, co-founder, speaker, coach, author of “The Change Cycle”: Letting go of holding on. “It’s going to cover a lot of ground,” Brooks said. The conference is open to all Murray community members, Murray State faculty and staff and any students who wish to attend. “Students are more than invited,” Brooks said. “Having students at the table will be really important.” Carol Brunn, current coordinator, said the first time she attended the event she thought about how she wished more students had attended the event •
because they could have gotten a lot out of it. Brooks said a major component of the conference is its partnership with the Murray-Calloway County Chamber of Commerce, which serves as a sponsor of the event. Michelle Bundren, director of membership development for the chamber, said she was able to attend the event last year as a member of the Young Professionals of Murray group. “Knowing the quality of speakers and professional development topics presented, it was really a no brainer for the chamber to get involved,” Bundren said. She said the chamber wants to be an advocate for uniting the business community, specifically to tackle local issues. “If we can partner to help women in business grow professionally and develop as a leader, they can take these skills back to their workplace and become better employees,” Bundren said. “We also want to make sure our local business community has easy and affordable access to such great training and leadership experiences without having to travel to larger cities.” Anyone interested in attending the conference can register online with a $99 registration fee for the full day or $15 for the Celebrate Women Luncheon only.
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February 9, 2017
The News
Opinion
Opinion Editor: Hallie Beard Phone: 270-809-5873
Our View
The staff editorial is the majority opinion of The Murray State News Editorial Board.
Connor Jaschen
Trigger wisely
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to encounter an occasional “graphic content warning” or disclaimer before working with a particularly troubled individual? The concept of sensitivity warnings is not new – somehow, though, the phrase “trigger warning” has accrued a fairly negative connotation. As storytellers, writers and journalists must also confront challenging and emotionally disturbing subjects in order to give a voice to the voiceless and spread awareness about important issues. In this case, encountering those sensitive topics could expand their perspectives to make them more compassionate, informed humans. Staff writer Sydni Anderson spoke with philosophy professor Cynthia Gayman about the issue, and her commentary serves as a guide for both students and professors: “To be responsible, we have to be willing to bear discomfort in order for our hearts to grow to be more compassionate human beings,” Gayman said. For students, that may mean confronting painful topics with an open mind and sense of resilience. For professors, it may mean asking if their acceptance or rejections of trigger warnings – or a heads up in the course syllabus – will encourage class growth or simply lead to humiliating exploitation and misunderstanding. Selena McPherson /The News
Kelsey Watznauer Chief Copy Editor • 270-809-5876 kwatznauer@murraystate.edu
In the modern university classroom, the phrase “trigger warning” can be as controversial as any sensitive material following its utterance. The two schools of thought on this issue are equally passionate and divided – while some professors see the use of trigger warnings as a means of coddling, others recognize it as an exercise in empathy and mindfulness. Because our editorial board is as opinionated and diverse as the student body we strive to represent, we struggled to agree on a firm stance. However, our discussion raised a valid question: could professionalism, transparency and efficient planning eradicate the need for explicit trigger warnings in classes? One of the issues surrounding the warnings is negative student exposure. For example, if a professor issues a trigger warning before discussing an assignment covering sexual assault and allows any triggered students to immediately leave class, that professor has risked singling out sexual assault survivors. In that situation, a student’s most traumatizing insecurities, fears or experiences may suddenly be on display for the entire class. That isn’t helpful or healing for teacher or student, and it undoubtedly creates more,
not less, tension in the classroom. Instead of professors using trigger warnings as a blatant and unannounced calling-out of students who may be sensitive to certain topics, they should incorporate thoughtful discussion and alternatives well in advance. Professors are required to present tentative syllabi to students on the first day of classes – therefore, if a professor knows the class will be covering potentially traumatizing material on a certain day or week, that information could be apparent on the course schedule. Students, then, could privately email the professor to ask for an alternate assignment, reading, discussion, etc. if the planned material would cause unbearable stress.
Professors, too, could also promote the use of the free Counseling Services on campus if they feel uncomfortable addressing student trauma. There will be times when offensive topics cannot be avoided, but there’s a way to avoid resorting to the “Get over it, snowflake” attitude some trigger warning-critics have against millennials on college campuses. Students in the medical field, for instance, can’t easily get around seeing graphic photographs or videos of abused persons or victims of assault, and students pursuing psychology might have to explore the psyche of an attacker. These students most likely know the nature of their studies before choosing majors, but is it unreasonable
Making Headway
Why politics matters Dylan Doyle || Contributing writer ddoyle2@murraystate.edu As a journalism major, I’m expected to keep up with the news. Our professors don’t just encourage us to pay attention to current events; they require it. Since political journalism is what interests me, I do my best to take in as much political coverage as possible from a diverse range of sources. I will be the first to admit that I fill my social media accounts with far too many political commentaries, and from time to time my friends rightly call me out on it. But the most infuriating questions I get usually begin with a why. Why bother? Why care so much about politics? Why spend your time talking, writing or thinking about it? Isn’t it all rigged anyway? Why argue with that Facebook friend about Donald Trump? Don’t you know you are not going to change his views? There exists a strange sort of apathy around political discourse in the public eye. Even the recent presidential election season, with all of its circus and buzzing controversy, only enticed about 31 percent of Americans to follow it “very closely,” according to a 2016 Gallup poll. Compare that to the 60 percent of Americans who describe themselves as sports fans. Some more context: 80 million people watched last year’s final presidential debate, the largest viewership the event has ever had.
Compare that to 112 million people who tuned in to see the 2016 Super Bowl. Of course, these numbers do not take into account the countless people watching either event at viewing parties, sports bars or restaurants, etc. Factoring those in, the gap between the two is likely much larger. Why did so many more Americans care about guys running after a ball than the choosing of their next leader? Why did Beyoncé and Bruno Mars garner so many more viewers than Hillary Clinton and eventual president Donald Trump? Disclaimer: I’m not trying to disparage your interests or the multibillion dollar sports and music industries. I admit I never got the hang of the whole sports thing, but I definitely get the appeal of Queen Bey. But let us be honest with ourselves – at the end of the day, even Beyoncé is just an entertainer, and Peyton Manning is just a guy chasing a ball. I know it’s an unpopular opinion, but stay with me here. How much impact do celebrities or athletes actually have on your quality of life? They are not the people deciding whether or not you will have health insurance next month, how long you will be paying off student loans or if your mom will be able to pay for her medication with her Social Security check. You can choose to ignore pop culture and carry on through life perfectly fine. I avoid all mention of sports, and the worst thing to come from that is a glaring gap in my trivia night
game. The same cannot be said about politics. The reality is, politics affects you whether you care about it or not. People are representing you in the local, state and federal governments – if they never hear from you, they are free to take your silence as acceptance of their policies, even if those policies hurt you and your loved ones. It’s simply a matter of realizing you have a voice and making that voice heard. That being said, you have to be informed on the issues first, and that comes from consuming news from lots of places and critically thinking about it. Forget about sites like Breitbart and ThinkProgress that have obvious political slants and agendas. Find unbiased information and form your own conclusions. You just might be surprised to learn your political affiliation does not match that of your parents or friends like you thought it did. If you pay taxes, drive on roads or use the postal system, you cannot opt out of politics. The decisions made by politicians will directly affect you whether you like it or not – that is just the way it is. After you realize that, it only makes sense to concern yourself with politics. If we, the little guys, never wise up and band together, the rich and powerful will always crush us. Crack open a world history book and see for yourself. It is up to you to use your vote and your speech to force the government to care about your interests and the interests of your voiceless and downtrodden brothers and sisters.
OUR CONTRIBUTORS
Hallie Beard Opinion Editor
Dylan Doyle Junior from Marion, KY
John Muenzberg Lecturer of philosophy
Robert Valentine Senior lecturer of advertising
Rachel Wood Junior from Birmingham, AL
The News
Opinion
February 9, 2017
Page 5
Letter to the Editor
From Martin Cothran The Family Foundation of Kentucky:
A number of state legislatures have seen the introduction of proposed laws that would restrict bathroom use in schools according to the student’s biological sex. Kentucky is one of them. The case for these bills is quite simple: Many parents don’t want their children using school facilities like bathrooms and locker rooms with students of the opposite biological sex. They think there are already enough problems with sexual harassment, not to mention the
simple embarrassment a child naturally experiences when having to fully or partially disrobe in close quarters without the kind of privacy sex-segregated facilities have always provided. Parents aren’t thinking about discrimination when it comes to rules governing school facilities. All they care about is the well-being of their children. One of the arguments against such laws is that transgender students will be safer if they are allowed to use the bathroom of their choice, regardless of biology. However, it is never explained how a biological fe-
male using a male bathroom or a biological male using a female bathroom will be safer. In fact, to some people it sounds like a recipe for trouble. More practically speaking, bathrooms aren’t made for politics: They’re made for biological realities. A simple inspection of the appliances in any bathroom will make that clear. Despite common sense arguments in favor of such legislation, a few conservatives have been spooked by arguments that Kentucky will suffer the same fate as North Carolina, if we pass such legislation. Liberals argue that
North Carolina lost business and the governor lost reelection as a result. This argument has everything going for it but the evidence. In fact, the governor was tepid in his support of the legislation and tarnished by other issues that cost him popularity. Meanwhile, the sponsor of the North Carolina bill did not lose last November but was actually promoted by his constituents from the House to the Senate. And the state’s attorney general, the chief advocate for the bill, won reelection by over 300,000 votes! And a loss of jobs in the state? North Carolina expe-
rienced the eighth fastest job growth of any state in 2016 and is predicted to add over 100,000 jobs in 2017. It also outpaced the average of other states in numerous economic indicators. Bathrooms need to be depoliticized. It’s not only common sense and good business, it’s better for children.
Got opinions? Write to us. See page 4 for details!
Jeers to ... Ice! Yikes!
Cheers to ... Political art
So, there’s been a crack in the Antarctic Ice Shelf, and it’s grown 17 miles in just two months, according to The New York Times. Scientists are concerned it will soon break completely, which would cause one of the biggest icebergs ever recorded. We should probably just ignore it, right?
Playwright Robert Schenkkan has written a new play called “Building the Wall,” and it only took him one week to complete. In 1992, Schenkkan received the Pulitzer Prize for drama for his “The Kentucky Cycle,” so this guy clearly means business and knows how to churn out some relevant, challenging art.
Cheers to ... You
CHEERS & JEERS
Readers, we’re taking a moment to appreciate your support of The Murray State News. We cherish every snarky comment on our Facebook posts, every strewn paper on the wet ground by the library and every whisper we catch of someone saying, “Is this really news?” You rock.
Jeers to ... myGate Must myGate force us to change our passwords every single semester? It’s a giant pain in the you-know-what, and it makes the transition into the new semester that much more difficult. What’s worse is when myGate decides to lock students out of the portal and prompt yet another password change.
Cheers & Jeers is written by The Murray State News’ Opinion Editor. Questions, comments or concerns should be addressed to hbeard2@murraystate.edu The Fine Print
A nation of haters? Robert Valentine Contributing writer rvalentine@murraystate.edu So, all the other nations are concerned that the U.S. has become a nation of haters. And, like people apparently everywhere, there are a number of people on our campus who are concerned that the country has become “polarized,” “divided,” “fragmented” and so forth. I’m sure it looks like that to some people. What will happen and what will be done is a matter for time to sort out. You and I can have very little influence on policies in Washington or Frankfort, Kentucky, despite the many efforts of well-meaning people to march, demonstrate and organize. Frankly, I don’t think America is any more or less hateful or mean-spirited today than it was on Nov. 7. The election of Donald Trump, who seems to appeal to a few people who would like to isolate America from the world with walls and immigration policy, did not alter the personal feelings of
anyone about neighbors, friends and countrymen. The election was probably more of a reaction of people who were tired of being unemployed or tired of seeing a parade of politicians whose only real goal is reelection. The fact that this reaction ended up with Trump’s selection as chief executive of the national government was as much an unintended consequence as anything, probably. The fact that he is attempting to do some of the rather silly things with which he entertained out-of-touch comedians, celebrities and news commentators should come as no surprise. His apparent grasp of employment, education, government, international trade and foreign relations continues to be entertaining, in a way, but not nearly as humorous as it was when he could not really hurt anyone. However, it is saddening to see nice people on all sides of our political fences trying to take responsibility for all the pain, fear and confusion that is afflicting folks throughout the
globe. Very few people have actually been affected by any political actions so far: no one has been deported, no one has been jailed, no wall has been built and no businesses have closed. Lots of people feel threatened, but so far . . . It probably won’t take long before the current “bull in a china shop” strategy of political change does result in some real injury. That will be pretty sad, too. We all wish we could do something to prevent it, but the two principal parties gave us thin choices, and this is the result. You can, however, take this to the bank: You are not a hater. You are the same person you were, and your friends – regardless of their political pronouncements and affiliations – are still the people who attracted your attention when you became friends. No political proclamation can make you fear someone just because he is a Muslim or a Mexican. No executive order can prevent you from according equal rights and respect to each gender or force you to fear and despise people who are grappling with their
sexual identity. You have to take responsibility for your feelings and beliefs. You’re in college, so part of your mission is to examine those beliefs, to test them and, once you are sure of them, to remain faithful to them in word and in deed. You have the opportunity and the resources to think deeply about these things and craft a path that will let you live your convictions. If you want to do something, show your respect for others. Demonstrate your faith in equality. Share your confidence in what America really is. Let it shine. Are we a nation of haters? Probably not. But we are a nation of people who have fears and insecurities, and those things sometimes bring out the worst in any of us. It’s hard not to be afraid and distrustful. Very hard. But it’s not impossible and not permissible. It’s time for all of us to be who we think we are and to treat others as Americans should treat others – one fellow human being at a time. You can do that. You should. You must.
We asked, you answered:
Some Things Considered
Change needed Hallie Beard, Opinion Editor Since coming to Murray State as a freshman, my main critical question about this town has remained the same: why, as a small college town, don’t we have more successful local business that are culturally relevant, diverse in product and alluring to both students and citizens? Admittedly, the biggest gap I’m thinking of concerns food. I love food, and I love ethnic cuisine – in Louisville, if I want to have Indian, Ethiopian or local/organic hippie food, the options are endless. In Murray, the arm of non-American cuisine only reaches about as far as the Mexican border or some commercialized fantasy-land of general “Asia” (Jasmine is great, but far from authentic enough to push any boundaries). It seems that, whenever something pops up that seems at all diverse, it disappears before it can catch on. Anyone remember that yoga studio and juice bar combo next to the tattoo shop? Yeah, that lasted a hot ashtanga minute. Even Mary’s Kitchen – which was by no means a place for a sophisticated palate, but boy did they have some good 3 a.m. pancakes – has closed during my short college career here, and what has replaced its general absence? Corporate chains. The Arby’s, the hotels, the Panera – they’re all fine, but where’s the local flavor? Though Paducah is not on my list of favorite cities and the beer they produce is highly underwhelming, I appreciate the city’s support of the arts and independent businesses. Go downtown in Paducah and you’ll see murals by the river, art galleries, coffee shops, unique restaurants and plenty of chains to go around, too. What does our downtown have? Well, there’s that one decent pizza place, a Christian bookstore and the statue of Jefferson Davis. For the record, I have no problem with the Christian bookstore. I have a problem with a town that houses a university lacking an expansive (preferably independent) bookseller. The University Store just doesn’t cut it for the average reader, and neither do the few incense-infused bookshelves at Terrapin Station (shout out to that place, you’re all right, actually). I understand Murray locals are extremely protective of this town and what it has to offer, so they might be unwilling to accept my complaints as legitimate. That’s justified – when anyone from outside of Louisville criticizes the city, I automatically feel my haunches raise. Also note I fully appreciate what quaint, quirky little local places we do have. It’s just that I wish we could have more of them, and that they were more popular among the college crowd. For example, Willow Bistro (formerly Gloria’s) probably has the best food in Murray, period, and they have a quality selection of non-American cuisine made fresh. I adore that restaurant, but its prices hinder me from going there as often as I wish. Plus, I’ve never seen more than maybe four people there at a time – usually, when I go, I’m alone in a starkly quiet room. If only we could combine the quality of a place like Willow Bistro, the eccentricity of Terrapin Station and the coffee grounds of Gigabites with the popularity and friendliness of a place like Mr. J’s Grill and Pub. Murray has expanded exponentially since my siblings attended in the early 2000s and my parents, the 1970s. But, isn’t it a little drab – again, talking about a college town where the university is the epicenter of the city – that places like The Hungry Bear and Sirloin Stockade outlive more adventurous businesses? I think we’ve got enough angus and “home cookin’” in this place to keep us plump and patriotic, but it wouldn’t hurt to shake things up for a change. And to keep shaking them up for a long, long time. hbeard2@murraystate.edu
Page 6 Sports Editor: Sarah Combs Assistant Sports Editor: Collin Morris Phone: 270-809-4481 Twitter: MSUSportsNews
Track and Field improve at Don Denoon Invite Quinnen Taylor Staff writer
qtaylor1@murraystate.edu
The Murray State track and field team finished second behind the Southern Illinois Salukis in the Don Denoon Invitational in Carbondale, Illinois. Head Coach Jenny Swieton said she is pleased with her team’s progression so far into the season. “I think everyone is beginning to turn the corner and their fitness is improving,” Swieton said. “They’re coming off a period of hard training and still performing well. We’re getting better in each event and to have a second place finish, it’s just super.” The meet consisted of 10 teams including the University of Memphis, Southern Illinois, as well as conference foes UT Martin and Southeast Missouri State. The top five teams in the standings included the Salukis with 140 points, the Racers at 86.6 points, the Memphis Tigers at 61 points, the Arkansas State Red Wolves at 34 points and the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Cougars at 26 points. Sophomore from Popular Bluff, Missouri, Jabreuna Brimlett earned Murray State a first-
place finish with a time of 8.62 seconds, a 10-point addition. Brimlett also took first in long jump, with a leap of 5.66 meters. The 60-meter finals ended with the Racers in second place after sophomore Tamdra Lawrence sprinted a time of 7.58 seconds to give Murray State an 8-point boost in the standings. Freshman from Oak Park, Illinois, Norma Abdur-Rafia completed the 400-meter dash in 57.23 seconds, awarding her the second place position behind the time of 57.17 seconds clocked in by Southern Illinois’ freshman Shafiqua Maloney. Murray State also finished second in the 800-meter run after senior from Fairdale, Kentucky, Tia Weston clocked in at 2:17.42 minutes, finishing behind Memphis’ sophomore Celine Rone and her 2:16.52 minute performance. Freshman from Melbourne, Australia, Hilary McAdam also rounded out the third place position with 2:18.63 minutes. Murray State’s A-squad for the 4x400-meter relay ended in fourth with a run of 4:00.98 minutes. The Racers’ next indoor meet will be the Samford Invite on Feb. 10-11 in Birmingham, Alabama.
NCAA looks to revise RPI rules Blake Sandlin || Staff writer bsandlin1@murraystate.edu
In 2015, a widespread social media campaign fought the RPI system. The hashtag “#RacersDeserveABid” gathered supporters nationwide. Despite much lobbying by then Head Coach Steve Prohm and OVC Commissioner Beth DeBauche, the campaign wasn’t enough to gain an atlarge bid for the NCAA Tournament. The NCAA’s decision left the team to compete in the National Invitation Tournament. This brought questions concerning the validity of the NCAA’s hallmark system, the Ratings Percentage Index. The RPI is a ranking tool used to project the standings of teams based on their wins, losses and strength of schedule. While this isn’t the only tool used by the NCAA selection committee in their deliberations, it certainly has a big impact. The RPI system, first introduced in 1981, is largely focused on the strength of a team’s schedule, which makes up three-quarters of the ranking. Therefore, who the team plays can be more important than whether they win or lose. This creates a problem for a mid-major team like Murray State that struggles to schedule teams with a better RPI. As Murray State athletic director, Allen Ward, explains, scheduling top competition can be a challenge. “Mid-majors typically don’t have as much control over their strength of schedule,” Ward said. “They aren’t in a position to buy a large number of home games, may not be invited to high-level exempt tournaments, and really good teams will find it difficult to schedule at home or home series. Each
February 9, 2017
The News
program has its own scheduling philosophies and objectives. Playing a top mid-major program on the road is likely not one of them.” The NCAA has become increasingly aware of these flaws, and has shown they are open to alterations in order to find truly the best 37 at-large basketball teams in the country. After the National Association of Basketball Coaches asked the NCAA to reconsider their selection methods last spring, the league took its first steps at revision. The NCAA’s senior vice president, Dan Gavitt, and Jim Schaus, Ohio University athletic director, held a meeting in Indianapolis, and invited expert statisticians including Jeff Sagarin (Sagarin), Ben Alamar (ESPN’s BPI), Kevin Pauga (KPI) and Ken Pomeroy (KenPom.com). The main goal of the meeting was to develop a composite metric, which would more fairly and accurately determine the most deserving tournament teams. Gavitt said on NCAA. com he believes developing newer metrics for the selection committee to use will help make the selection process even more accurate. “In an imperfect process, I think what the committee strives to get as perfect as possible is to have justification and rationale for their decisions,” Gavitt said. “And the more that can be rooted in fact and in data, the more comfortable they can be with those decisions and the more justifiable they can be in explaining them.” Although a permanent solution has yet to have been made, college basketball fans can rest easy knowing the league is taking the proper steps to ensure a fair selection process for collegiate teams nationwide.
Sports
OVC CHAMPS Murray State brings home gold
Chalice Keith/The News
Sophomore from Fairhaven, Massachusetts Mackenzie Martin focuses in at the Pat Spurgin Rifle Range. Blake Sandlin || Staff writer bsandlin1@murraystate.edu
Murray State’s rifle team traveled to Morehead, Kentucky, last weekend in hopes of securing their second-straight conference title at the 2017 OVC Rifle Championships. The Racers took what they came for, claiming their 12th OVC Championship at the Button Rifle Range with a final score of 4,690. The back-to-back title wasn’t the only award the Racers secured. The team also came away with nine out of 10 OVC All-Conference honors and several personal awards. The team shot 2,319 in smallbore to go along with 2,371 in air rifle to lead all teams. Jacksonville State finished second to the Racers with an aggregate score of 4,647. In third place, Morehead State finished the weekend with 4,632. Ivan Roe, junior from Manhattan, Montana, led all shooters during the tournament, shooting 587 in smallbore
and 594 in air rifle to finish with an aggregate score of 1,181. Sophomore Alathea Sellars, from Puryear, Tennessee, also pitched in a 594 air rifle score on the way to the Racer’s championship victory. Sophomore Mackenzie Martin, from Fairhaven, Massachusetts, added 576 in smallbore and 592 in air rifle, shooting a total of 1,168. After an off day of shooting on Saturday, Head Coach Alan Lollar said his team bounced back to secure the conference title. “Our smallbore was a little down yesterday, we had some good groups that were just a little wide,” Lollar said during the tournament. “We worked hard for every shot, so the effort was good and that’s what we judge ourselves on. Today, our air rifle was consistent as usual. Everyone worked hard and it was a complete team effort.” Roe’s performances throughout the year were enough to earn him the OVC Smallbore Athlete of the Year.
Sellars earned the OVC Air Rifle Athlete of the Year. Freshman Meike Drewell, from Austin, Texas, shared OVC Co-Freshman of the Year honors with UT Martin freshman, Kaitlin Korinek. Lollar received the OVC Coach of the Year honor, the fifth of his career. Lollar is already looking ahead to his team’s next challenge and hopes to carry their momentum forward when they compete next week. “Overall, it was a good weekend to start building on,” Lollar said. “We are always looking to get better and we will take lessons learned from this match and apply them to training for the next match.” The Racers have a week to prepare before hitting the range at 8 a.m. on Feb. 12 in Lexington, Kentucky, to face second-ranked West Virginia at the Buell Armory. Sunday’s match will be the last regular season contest for both squads before they compete in the NCAA Qualifier.
Holloway back in the bank Kelly Diesel
Contributing writer kdiesel@murraystate.edu
One of Murray State’s greatest basketball players found himself back in the CFSB Center, but this time he was coaching against his alma mater. Belmont’s assistant coach, Tyler Holloway, said he was flooded with emotions and memories as he entered the CFSB Center when the Belmont Bruins battled the Racers. Holloway, a Murray State graduate and former basketball player, said he always looks forward to visiting Murray. “It really makes me miss playing seeing that type of atmosphere at your old school,” Holloway said. “The emotions I get driving back into Murray and thinking about my time playing and all the people I met along the way will never change. Murray State as a whole, from the basketball team to the classmates and friends I made along the way, will al-
ways stay with me forever.” I’ve been a very self-driven Holloway holds the allperson,” Holloway said. “I time free throw percentage tried to out-work, out-think record at Murray State with and do whatever else I could an 86 percent to put my average at team in the the line. Holbest possible loway was situation to a shooting be successguard who ful; which made 210 that has re3-point shots ally helped in his four me out in years, placing the coachhim second ing world as in Racers’ well, here at history of Belmont.” 3-pointers After gradumade. Holating college, loway beHolloway came the 34th became the m e m b e r o f - Tyler Holloway assistant coach for personal asthe Racer’s Belmont sistant to the 1,000-Point Belmont BruClub, totaling 1,083 career ins coaching staff. Holloway points. spoke with Belmont’s head Holloway said he is gratecoach, Rick Byrd who offul for his coaching staff fered him a position on the and teammates who aided basketball team coaching his tremendous playing castaff. Holloway is now in his reer at Murray, but he also eighth season as an assistant credits himself and his work coach to the Belmont basketethic. ball team, and he is also in “Going back to high school, his sixth year as the director
“
Murray State as a whole, from the basketball team to the classmates and friends I made along the way, will always stay with me forever.
”
of basketball operations at Belmont. Holloway said Belmont’s head coach is one of the most influential people in his life after college and credits him for more than just coaching. “As good of a coach Coach Bryd is, I tell people all the time he’s a better man and that really means a lot,” Holloway said. “My time with him has been invaluable, and I’ve learned a tremendous amount of both basketball and non-basketball related things that I will carry with me forever.” Holloway said he hopes to achieve his goal of becoming a head coach one day, and he has his options open for any situation or opportunity that comes his way. “My whole focus is just to do the best job I possibly can, wherever I am and let the doors open where they may,” Holloway said. “I just want to let the chips fall where they may, and if God opens up the right door at the right time for me, well I’ll be sure to run on through.”
UPCOMING EVENTS
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
FEBRUARY 10th
FEBRUARY 11th
Tennis------Arkansas State Softball-----Mercer Softball-----Portland Track-------Samford
Softball-----Dayton WBB-------Austin Peay MBB-------Austin Peay Softball-----Kent State
SUNDAY
FEBRUARY 12th
Rifle--------West Virginia Softball-----Kent State Home games in bold
The News
Sports
February 9, 2017
Page 7
Racers gear up for Austin Peay doubleheader MEN’S
WOMEN’S
Bryan Edwards || Staff writer
Kelly Diesel || Contributing writer
bedwards16@murraystate.edu
kdiesel@murraystate.edu
With five games remaining in the regular season, the Murray State men’s basketball team hopes to close out this season strong. “We understand what’s at stake for us,” senior guard Bryce Jones said. “We’re in control of our own destiny and we know what we have to do in these next six games and we need to take it one day at a time.” The Racers are currently tied with UT Martin and Southeast Missouri State for the OVC West division lead and all three teams will play one another in the closing games of the year. Head Coach Matt McMahon said that they are taking this season one game at a time and before they face those teams, they must focus on the games before hand. “We have to focus on what’s ahead for us,” McMahon said. “It’s going to come down to these final six games to determine where we are seeded in the OVC Tournament.” The Austin Peay State Governors are one of the teams that stand in the Racers’ way of claiming their 20th regular season championship in another installment on the 2016-17 Battle of The Border rivalry series. The two teams last met on Jan. 21, when the Governors defeated the Racers 84-81 in overtime at the Dunn Center in Clarksville, Tennessee. The upcoming meeting between the two will be the 123rd in history, the Racers lead the alltime series 79-43 and have won six of the last seven meetings between the two teams. The Governors are coached by Dave Loos, who is in his 27th season at Austin Peay. Loos had a 409-390 record overall on the Austin Peay sidelines. Junior guard Josh Robinson leads the scoring for the Governors, averaging 21 points per game this season. Robinson has also been named OVC Player of the Week twice this season. Juniors Jonathan Stark and Terrell Miller have taken OVC Newcomer of the Week honors a total of 9 times this season (Stark 6, Miller 3). The Racers lead the rivalry series 16.5-7.5, however, the Governors have won the last two contests between the two schools. There are 14 contests left in the rivalry series for this season. The men’s basketball teams will square off at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 11 in the CFSB Center.
The Racers welcome Austin Peay State to the CFSB Center at 5 p.m. this Saturday, Feb. 11. The Racers lost their previous game to Austin Peay this season on Jan. 21, with a final score of 75-63 in favor of the Governors. The game was played in Clarksville, Tennessee, at the Dunn Center, home of the Governors. The Racers dug themselves into a deep hole shooting only 24 percent from the floor in the first two quarters of the game. The Governors ended the first half of play by going on a 16-0 run, a run that the Racers couldn’t catch up to. Ke’Shunan James, who averages 19.5 points per game, poured in 20 points and six rebounds in the losing effort to Austin Peay. LeAsia Wright, who averages 15.5 points per game, added 17 points and also collected six rebounds. The Racers were out-rebounded 49-31 in that game, and their bench was outscored 21 to five. The cold shooting, rebounds and bench points kept the Racers from coming back against the Governors. The loss to Austin Peay sparked a fivegame losing streak for the Racers in OVC play. Since losing to the Governors, the Racers lost their next four matchups to Southeast Missouri State, UT Martin, Morehead State and Belmont. The Racers recently broke that streak when they defeated Eastern Kentucky Monday, Feb. 6, with a final score of 70-64 Racers. The Racers perform well with home-court advantage against Austin Peay in the last four years. From the 2012-13 season to last year’s 2015-16 season, Murray State has won every game against Austin Peay played at the CFSB Center. During these past four years at home, the Racers defeated the Governors by an average score of five points per game. The Racer’s last loss to Austin Peay in Murray came in the 2011-12 season, with a final score of 85-72 in favor of the Governors. The Racers have only five conference games left in the season, and with a OVC record of five-six, these last five games will determine their spot in the conference tournament at the end of the year.
BASKETBALL
BATTLE of the BORDER
BASKETBALL
GOAL | 33.5 Points to Win 30 25 20 15
2w & 0l 1w & 1l 0w & 2l 2w & 0l 1w & 1l 0w & 2l
10 5
MSU
Brady’s World Keith Jaco || Contributing writer rjaco@murraystate.edu
The New England Patriots won their fifth Vince Lombardi Trophy Sunday night, pulling out a 25point comeback to win the first overtime game in Super Bowl history. The win was attributed to Patriots quarterback Tom Brady’s performance in the second half, finishing with a Super Bowl personal best of 463 yards on 43-of-62 passing. The Patriot’s 34-28 win gave Head Coach Bill Belichick his fifth Super Bowl victory, the most of any coach in NFL history. The game started scoreless after one quarter of play. The Falcons struck first, executing with ball movement by running back Devonta Freeman and passing from quarterback Matt Ryan. A costly fumble and interception by the Patriots led to a high-scoring second quarter for the Falcons’ offense. Atlanta jumped out to a 21-0 lead on a 82-yard pick-six by cornerback Robert Alford. This burst of offensive power by the Falcons occurred over a 10-minute stretch in which they scored three consecutive touchdowns. The Patriots salvaged their first half by converting on a 3rd-and-2, setting up a 41-yard field goal by place-kicker Stephen Gostkowski. The second half opened up with back-to-back three and outs followed by another Falcons touch-
16.5
Photo courtesy of Flickr
down. Now, with a 28-3 lead, the Falcons seemed to be in the driver’s seat. Brady answered with a touchdown of his own, accompanied by a Gostkowski missed extra point, cutting the deficit to 19. The Patriots executed on a Falcon’s three and out and fumble to cut the lead down to one possession. After consecutive defensive stands, the Patriots raced down the field and scored the game-tying touchdown, sending the game into the first overtime in Super Bowl history. New England won the overtime coin toss and elected to receive. Brady and company put together a drive, moving the ball with multiple quick, short passes. The Patriots moved down the field in roughly four minutes, capping off the drive with a two-yard touchdown run by running back James White.
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7.5
APSU Graphic courtesy of Austin Gordon/The News
The News
Sports
Page 8
February 9, 2017
Racers break five-game losing streak
O N T BR
Chalice Keith/The News
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Jenny Rohl/The News
Chalice Keith/The News
Sophomore forward Abria Gulledge attacks the paint at the CFSB Center.
Senior guard LeAsia Wright drives past a Belmont defender at the CFSB Center.
Junior forward Ke’Shunan James lays up a floater against Eastern Kentucky in the CFSB Center.
Collin Morris
Kelly Diesel
Sarah Combs
Assistant Sports Editor cmorris29@murraystate.edu
The Murray State women’s basketball team dropped its fourth-straight conference game last Wednesday, losing to the Eagles of Morehead State 73-59. The Racers (4-5) sat at seventh place in the OVC after that loss, falling behind Eastern Kentucky (5-4) and remaining behind Tennessee Tech (6-4), Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (54), Austin Peay State (5-5), Morehead State (7-3) and Belmont (9-0). Morehead State’s defensive effort held the Racers to 29 percent field goal percentage on 20-of-68 shooting and 20 percent 3-point shooting on just 5-of-25 shooting for the game, while the Eagles shot 46 percent and 36 percent. The Eagles won the first half by a margin of 43-24, in-
cluding a 21-7 second quarter in their favor. The Racers rallied back in the second half, winning quarters three and four by five points but couldn’t overcome the staunch lead. Ke’Shunan James, junior forward, led the Racers with 19 points on 39 percent shooting and seven rebounds. Junior guard Bria Bethea put together her third-straight double-digit scoring performance with 13 points on 44 percent shooting. No other Racers reached double-digit scoring figures. For Morehead State, sophomore guard Miranda Crockett converted eight of her 14 shots, resulting in an 18-point outing on 57 percent shooting. Two other Eagles also entered double-digit scoring: redshirt senior guard Brianna McQueen with 15 points on 33 percent shooting and senior forward Shay Steele with 12 on 83 percent.
Contributing writer kdiesel@murraystate.edu
Murray State lost their fifth consecutive OVC game against the Belmont Bruins at the CFSB Center on Saturday, Feb. 6. A final score of 87-69 helped the Bruins remain undefeated in conference play, improving their OVC record to 11-0. The Racers struggled on the defensive boards, giving up 15 offensive rebounds and allowing 30 second-chance points to the Bruins. The Racers also struggled to keep the Bruins out of the paint, allowing 44 total points coming from the paint compared to the Racers’ 18. The Racers went 12-of-22 (54.5 percent) from behind the 3-point line, but it still was not enough to overcome the second-chance points they gave up. Junior forward Bria Bet-
hea shot 6-of-8 from three, pouring in 26 points to lead the Racers in scoring. Junior forward Ke’Shunan James and senior guard LeAsia Wright also contributed 20 points each. Darby Maggard, sophomore guard for the Bruins, nailed eight of her 12 3-point shots. Maggard ended the third quarter by hitting three 3-pointers in a row, which stretched a very close game from 59-54 to 68-54 in Belmont’s favor. Head Coach Rob Cross emphasized the need to get up and guard Maggard outside the 3-point line, but that effort never seemed to come from the Racers. “[Maggard] is a great point guard, she’s one of the best point guards in our league,” Cross said. “But if we could have stepped out to defend her a little more, I would think she wouldn’t have shot 8-12 from the 3-point line.”
Sports Editor
scombs8@murraystate.edu
The Murray State Racers enjoyed the sweet taste of payback Monday night with a six-point win over Eastern Kentucky 70-64. The Racers made history last year, becoming the only eighth seed to knock out a top ranked seed in the first round of tournament play in OVC Tournament history. The momentum laxed, though, and third seed Eastern eliminated the Racers in the semifinal game by 11 points. Senior guard LeAsia Wright finished with 21 points and made two big shots in the final two minutes of the game, pushing the Racers ahead of the Colonels. Wright said the outcome was a lot better this season and the locker room energy was high. “Everybody feels great,” Wright said. “Energy is high, everybody is excited and happy to
actually beat them.” Junior forward Ke’Shunan James added 21 points to the board, along with eight rebounds and five steals. Head Coach Rob Cross acknowledged the benefits of having a go-to player who can get into the paint and make plays. “We are at our best when [James’] penetrating to pass and score,” Cross said. “I’m just happy she’s on our side.” Across the roster, the Racers pulled 16 points from the bench. Sophomore forward Taylor Reese contributed five points and pulled down eight rebounds. Cross said Reese did an outstanding job coming off the bench to relieve senior forward Kyra Gulledge and gave the Racers a rebounding presence along with contesting shots in the paint. The Racers will spend the next two days preparing for No. 3 ranked Austin Peay State at 5 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 11 at the CFSB Center.
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Features Editor: Gisselle Hernandez Assistant Features Editor: Emily Williams Phone: 270-809-5871 Twitter: MSUNewsFeatures
Features
A whole new sense of confidence
Emily Williams
Assistant Features Editor
ewilliams15@murraystate.edu
Following your dreams can be a scary thing that requires you to step out of your comfort zone, defy all odds and just go for it. But as intimidating as that process may seem, that is exactly what Elizabeth Young, junior from Paducah, Kentucky, did when she launched Kentucky Styled, her now successful blog and Instagram account that centers on fashion and beauty. Young said her journey with Kentucky Styled began as a freshman at Murray State and started to admire some of the bigger fashion blogs she followed on social media. She said both her roommate at the time and her boyfriend encouraged her to step up, take action and launch an
Pakistani student makes most of short stay Nick Erickson
@kentuckystyled
Staff writer
Follow
nerickson@murraystate.edu
There is an abundance of foreign exchange students who travel from their home countries to attend Murray State. However, not many of those students stay for the traditional college timespan of four years. Not many of these students affiliate themselves with Greek life on campus, either. Birth Subhash, exchange student from Karachi, Pakistan, is breaking this norm by rushing Sigma Pi this semester and immersing himself in the activities and friendship the fraternity has to offer. Subhash, a junior computer science major, came to Murray State through the International Research and Exchanges Board (IREX), which chose Murray State as his best fit. “I’m here for just one semester, but I can accomplish a lot,” Subhash said. “Although it’s such a short stay, I’m so happy with Murray.” Subhash said he wanted to enroll in the foreign exchange program to learn more about U.S. culture, as well as his own. Subhash said IREX required him to engage in an on-campus student organization, and he said joining a fraternity was a great opportunity to do so. He had never known about Sigma Pi before coming to Murray State, but soon knew it was the fraternity for him. “I met with one guy from Sigma Pi, and he told me everything about it,” Subhash said. “Then, I met with other
brothers and everyone was really helping, so I decided to join.” Subhash said he has some other requirements from the IREX, and he plans to correlate with his relations with the fraternity. “I can complete most of the program requirements through being in Sigma Pi,” Subhash said. “For example, I can do my 20 hours of community service, all while being with my brothers.” Subhash said he does not know anyone else from Pakistan here at Murray State but hopes to see more students from his country to come to Murray State to studies. In light of President Donald Trump’s recent immigration order, Subhash has decided not to be too opinionated on the matter. “I’ve heard a good deal about it, and I believe there would be a specific reason for his statement,” Subhash said. “Therefore, I have a neutral opinion about it.” The order from the president that was in effect, prohibited people from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen from entering the United States. Subhash said he will not worry until his home country becomes targeted. “I just want to make sure that out of the seven targeted countries, Pakistan is not one of them,” Subhash said. Subhash plans on returning to Pakistan at the end of the semester, but his admiration and initiative will linger and serve to pave the way for future foreign exchange students in Greek life.
Students welcome Year of the Rooster Staff report Murray State’s annual Chinese New Year celebration took place on Wednesday, Feb. 1 from 4:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. in Winslow Dining Hall. The celebration consisted of authentic Chinese food, singing and performances. Students who helped with preparation for the event said it took three weeks to coordinate, plan and prepare everything. This included making 1,500 dumplings over a series of weekends, since it is Chinese tradition to make dumplings together for the New Year. Jiajia Li, student from China, said the event’s tradition is to serve authentic
Chinese food and to put on performances, whether that be singing or playing instruments. As this is happening, Li said it is traditional to hand out red envelopes containing money for the New Year. “I feel like so many people have different ideas about Chinese life,” Li said. “So I am just excited to introduce my culture here.” Zidi Xu, student from China who performed at the event, said it was her first time attending. “It’s very important to me,” Xu said. “Today we are really happy that we can celebrate the most important festival here.”
Contributed by Elizabeth Young
Instagram account, which later evolved into a personal blog. Tommy DeRossett, Young’s longtime boyfriend and junior from Paducah, Kentucky, said Young spends around seven or eight hours a week maintaining the blog, whether that be planning during her downtime, taking photos, etc. He said he is very proud of her for what she is doing with the blog. “She’s always been a really shy person, so watching her actually put herself out there and try was really awesome,” DeRossett said. “The fact that it’s just taken off and she keeps putting effort into it is just really awesome.” DeRossett said Young puts her all into everything she does. “A year ago, I didn’t like the way I looked, I didn’t like
the way my hair was. If there was anything that I could pick apart about myself, I did,” Young said. “I didn’t feel like I had potential and I felt like I had all of this stuff that I was really passionate about but I didn’t know how to put it into action. It was so frustrating.” Young said her decision to pursue this dream has really allowed her to grow as an individual, to break down personal barriers and to express herself in a creative and unique way. “Now, it’s like, I am totally OK with talking to strangers and giving them advice, and I’m completely fine with putting myself in front of the camera,” Young said. “All of a sudden, I thought, ‘If I don’t like the way that my hair looks, or if I don’t like the way that I do my makeup, why don’t I learn how to change it?’” Young said she wasn’t try-
ing to make herself perfect – because no one is perfect – but she was trying to defy odds and do what she thought she never could do. “So, I just got up and I did it,” Young said. Young said it has been very cool to do what she thought wasn’t possible for someone to do in a town as small as Murray. She said she has been sponsored by companies such as LiketoKnow.it (a company that partners with Instagram accounts and provides readyto-shop product links), Payless ShoeSource, Timex and local boutiques such as Ribbon Chix. “You don’t think about how someone taking a picture of you in your favorite outfit can make you feel,” Young said. “It’s this whole new sense of confidence.”
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Features
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The News
February 9, 2017
Trigger Warnings: the impact on academics Sydni Anderson Staff writer
sanderson33@murraystate.edu
In classrooms across the United States, a new phrase has emerged: Trigger Warning. After the University of Chicago sent a letter to incoming freshman regarding its lack of support towards trigger warnings last year, these warnings have been a hot topic in the media. According to Merriam-Webster Dictionary, “trigger warnings” are warning statements concerning content that may be disturbing or upsetting. According to a report by the American Association of University Professors, a current threat to academic freedom in the classroom comes from a demand that teachers provide warnings in advance if assigned material contains anything that might trigger difficult emotional responses for students. An example of this threat is the outrage surrounding the Wellesley College “Sleepwalker” sculpture. In 2014, a sculpture of a man in just his underwear stumbling onto the exclusively female campus caused an uproar among students. A petition circulated for the removal of the sculpture from the public area, earning more than 500 signatures. Students said, the statue was
triggering thoughts of sexual assault. Cynthia Gayman, professor of philosophy at Murray State, said professors are supposed to be expanding viewpoints. She said the opportunity to speak on challenging situations are sometimes necessary for growth. “It’s an opportunity to see all kinds of people who go through all kinds of things,” Gayman said. “To be responsible, we have to be willing to bear discomfort in order for our hearts to grow to be more compassionate human beings.” Gayman said her aim is not to be controversial but said growth does not occur when someone is in their comfort bubble. She said in her class, if she knows in advance that there is a veteran with PTSD she’ll be mindful. “Those people are the most grateful for the opportunity to speak on challenging situations,” Gayman said. Still, Gayman offers coloring books for people who need to re-center themselves in her class.
In the AAUP report, the subcommittee of Academic Freedom and Tenure said the assumption that students need to be protected rather than challenged in a classroom is infantilizing and anti-intellectual. Trigger warnings suggest that classrooms should offer protection and comfort rather than an intellectually-challenging education. In the letter to incoming freshmen, the University of Chicago wrote the university does not support trigger warnings as a part of its commitment to freedom of expression. The university pushed for the freedom to explore a wide range of ideas. In a National Public Radio study on the presence of trigger warnings in American university classrooms, researchers reached out to college faculty. For public 4-year non-profit universities, 51 percent of professors in the study said they had used trigger warnings in their classroom while the other 49 percent said they did not. In some classes at Murray State, trigger warnings seem to have slipped into academia. W h i l e there is a r g u ment over whether this is good or bad, one thing is for sure: it is controversial.
ACADEMIC
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EXPLICIT CONTENT
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STUDENT GOVERNMENT ASSOCIATION Get Involved! Positions
Senate Chair
President - must be Junior by fall semester, 2.7 gpa Executive Vice President - must be Junior by fall semester, 2.7 gpa Vice President of Administration - 2.7 gpa Vice President of Finance - 2.7 gpa Senator At Large – 8 positions, 2.5 gpa College of Business – 3 positions, 2.5 gpa College Education & Human Services – 3 positions, 2.5 gpa College of Humanities & Fine Arts – 3 positions, 2.5 gpa College Science, Engineering & Technology – 3 positions, 2.5 gpa Hutson School of Agriculture – 3 positions, 2.5 gpa School of Nursing & Health Professionals – 3 positions, 2.5 gpa RCA President - 2.7 gpa RCA Vice President – 2.5 gpa RCA Secretary/Treasurer, 2.5 gpa
Elections/Ways & Means – 1 position, 2.5 gpa Publications & Public Relations, 1 position, 2.5 gpa University Affairs – 1 position, 2.5 gpa Judicial Board Chair – 1 position, 2.5 gpa SGA Webmaster – 1 position, 2.5 gpa
Applications due Monday, February 27, 2017 at noon in the CSI office. All RCA officers must have lived in residential college 1 year prior to election. Mandatory candidates meeting Barkley room, 4 pm.
Applications due Monday, April 3 at noon in the CSI office.
Applications due Monday, April 3 at noon in the CSI office.
Other Judicial Board – 10 members, must be Junior by fall semester, 2.5 gpa
Campus Activities Board – 15 chair positions, 2.5 gpa
Applications available online www.murraystate.edu/sga or in the Center for Student Involvement office, 111 Curris Center. Online Voting, Monday, March 13, 2017 at 12:01 AM through Tuesday, March 14, 2017 at 11:59 PM
The News
Features
February 9, 2017
Under the Radar
nerickson@murraystate.edu
Bey bearing twins Just when we thought Beyoncé couldn’t set the bar any higher, she announced to the Instagram world last Wednesday through a beautiful floral maternity photo that she is pregnant with – brace yourselves – twins. You heard that right. Queen B will be gracing this world with not one, but two more human beings made up of her flawless DNA. What a time to be alive, right? The twins will join Beyoncé, Jay Z and Blue Ivy Carter, the couple’s first daughter. In her Instagram post announcing the babies, Beyoncé wrote “We would like to share our love and happiness. We have been blessed two times over. We are incredibly grateful that our family will be growing by two, and we thank you for your well wishes.” No, thank you, Queen B. Thank you.
The Heart of the Matter
‘Split’ encapsulates horror Nick Erickson || Staff writer
Photo courtesy of thetelegraph.co
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Directors like M. Night Shyamalan are held to an extremely high standard and for good reason. His work with 1999’s “The Sixth Sense” set the bar high for chilling thrillers and has carried his legacy for almost two decades, minus a few hiccups (such as “The Last Airbender”). However, with his newest release, “Split,” Shyamalan, without overdoing it, paints for viewers a horrifying display of the inner machinations of a man who cannot control his body. Much like Shyamalan’s work in “The Visit,” “Split” is all about the escape. The film centers on Kevin Crumb, played by James McAvoy, who kidnaps three teenage girls in a parking lot. Soon, the girls discover that Kevin suffers from dissociative identity disorder, and Dennis, the persona who captured them, is merely one of his 23 varied personalities. A 24th personality, dubbed “The Beast,” is deemed to be approaching and horrific. It’s of
utmost urgency that the girls escape before he assumes the final form and claims them victim. One would easily commend an actor for a successful portrayal of one character, and mastering numerous characters within the confines of a two-hour film is an extraordinary task. Each persona inside the antagonist’s head is intricate but also a looseenough character to easily grasp. McAvoy’s strongest portrayals range from innocuous to vile. From Dennis’ obsessive, violent-natured body, to Patricia, a dainty English woman, to Hedwig, an innocent 9-year-old boy with a lisp, McAvoy is captivating. Though each character is vastly different, McAvoy’s concrete performance makes for a shiveringly believable performance. While the strongest performance lies in McAvoy’s character, there are other strong suits to be found. The three girls captured by Dennis, Claire (Haley Lu Richardson), Marcia (Jessica Sula) and Casey (Anya Taylor-Joy) all give great performances
You Do You
as a group of unsuspecting girls held captive within the confines of Kevin’s reach. His psychologist, Dr. Karen Fletcher, played by Betty Buckley, is shown as sympathetic to Kevin’s character, and when it comes down to it, she gives a gut-wrenching performance. Though a linear plot, it’s difficult for one to pinpoint exactly what is about to happen next. Much like Kevin’s multiple personalities, the plot also keeps changing, and it makes for quite the ride. “Split” has caught a plethora of criticism since its announcement, as people have claimed it demonizes those with mental disorders. However, those who watch the film will soon realize it doesn’t belittle those with dissociative identity disorder. Rather, it perfectly illustrates the psychological aspect of coping with it and shines light on a real issue, all while creating a genuinely terrifying film. “Split” is not for the faint of heart, but for those who dare, prepare to find the most intriguing construct and impressive acting in the realm of 21st century horror.
Photo courtesy of screenrant.com
Elbow is reborn Photo courtesy of usweekly.com
Gaga Fans Unite Just in case you missed it, Lady Gaga was the Super Bowl halftime performance and she completely rocked the house. Obviously no live performance is going to be perfect and maybe it wasn’t the best halftime show yet, but Gaga brought it sporting a Versace crop top and fans were proud. Unfortunately, the pop star is being attacked by the internet for not having a perfectly flat, toned tummy. Tweets and articles began to circulate about the star’s physical appearance shortly after the performance and her “little monsters” began to fire back. They sent out encouraging and uplifting tweets about how harmful body shaming is and how Gaga’s body is perfectly fine just the way it is. Agreed. It’s time we stop body shaming, guys. Honestly, who doesn’t have a little tummy squish on them?
Nick Erickson || Staff writer nerickson@murraystate.edu
The English alt-rock band Elbow has had an impressive discography in their two and a half decade lifespan. After their 2014 release, “The Take Off and Landing of Everything,” things deviated from the norm when lead singer Guy Garvey got married and drummer and founding member Richard Jupp left the band. Now, with their seventh studio album, “Little Fictions,” listeners can consider these changes a rebirth for the band, now more cohesive and melodious than ever before. On “Little Fictions,” Garvey uses his newfound love as the central lyric topic. In traditional Elbow fashion, the tracks are primarily built around the ingenious use of loop pedals. Layers of piano and fuzzy synths, electric guitar squabble and soft, yet ambitious drumming are ever present. While Garvey’s lyricism is clearly lovesick, it is more sincere than in spouts of sugary infatuation like many other artists.
Opener “Magnificent” kicks off with a guitar and keyboard hook that is reminiscent of The Cure. Garvey’s voice is lower than most popular artists today, but his timbre is so rich and smooth, it’s a refreshing contrast from the herd. “The world that doesn’t even know how much it needs this little girl,” he sings. The innovative use of Chris Potter’s various keyboard patches on this number, as well as throughout the entirety of the record, is a selling-point, always filling the void. The tropical vibes of “Gentle Storm” carry listeners to a distant beach via resonating piano chords and beats. “All Disco” flows serenely as both piano rolls and the delicate pulse of a guitar carry listeners through the soundscape. The minimalistic “Head for Supplies” showcases Garvey’s silky voice over a beautiful guitar loop and light cymbal taps. The lush harmonies of respective guitarist and bassist Mark Potter and Pete Turner blend with Garvey to create one of the most remarkable
performances of the album. From the bass-octave piano driven “Firebrand & Angel” to the ‘80s synthwave atmosphere of “K2,” the band continually brings in instrumentation that feels lighthearted and thought-provoking, especially when coupled with Garvey’s vocabulary. Closer “Kindling” starts with an unusual, yet invoking drumbeat and a wall of ambience, as Garvey sings of how, though traveling will distance himself from his love, he will still long for and return to her. “I will be far away for a while, but my heart’s staying put,” Garvey sings and a feature from the Halle Orchestra’s string ensemble crescendos, before fading out into a myriad of persistent chords. “Little Fictions” is Elbow’s most upbeat and optimistic endeavor yet. With its bright compositions and Garvey’s undeniable charm, this album proves that some things truly get better with age. As Garvey’s romance flourishes, we can expect the same for Elbow’s commercial success.
Maybe I’m the only one, but I have a hard time when it comes to caring too much about what other people think of me. I mean, sure, to Emily Williams Assistant Features some extent it’s a Editor good thing to care about how others perceive you and to present yourself in a respectable, decent way. However, when you care so much about how so-and-so perceives you that you make decisions based solely off of their opinion, you’re going down the wrong road. People-pleasing robs you of the power to call the shots in your own life, and it directs your focus to all of the wrong things. Instead of making healthy choices for yourself, you’re worried about what people will think when you dare tell them “No” once in a blue moon. Instead of concentrating on making a decision that will make you happy and benefit you in the long run, you’re more concerned about what others will think of that decision. Rather than focusing on the morally correct thing to do, you’re worried about doing exactly what everyone else is doing or what feels right at the time. Speaking from experience, that is no way to live. Sure, in the moment, the people around you will be applauding and cheering you on (either figuratively or literally, depending on the situation), but is it really worth it? My mother always tells me, “At the end of the day, when you lay your head down on your pillow, you are the only one who has to deal with and live with the decisions you have made that day. No one else but you.” The longer I live, the more I realize how right she is. No one else is there when you are left to review the choices you made that day. It’s just you and the silence of the night. So make the right decision for yourself and don’t worry about much else. Keep in mind that we should always consider the feelings of others and factor that into our choices, but we should never give someone’s mere opinion the power to decide what happens within the context of our own lives. As the old saying goes, “You can’t please everybody,” and that couldn’t be more true. When you’re focused on doing you, doing what’s right, doing what’s healthy and not allowing the opinions of others to run your life, that’s when you’re going to reach your full, life-giving potential. ewilliams15@murraystate.edu
Soundbyte “I charge you to eradicate barriers and work on transforming your mind and behavior in the direction of love. This is not New Age balderdash. This is what it means to be human.” -Sufjan Stevens, regarding refugees
Out this week
Photo courtesy of amazon.com
Read It
“Always a Bridesmaid (For Hire)” Jen Glantz
Photo courtesy of comingsoon.net
See It
“Fifty Shades Darker”
Photo courtesy of universalmusic.com
Hear It
“Little Fictions” Elbow
Photo courtesy of pubfilm.com
Rent It
“Burn Country”
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Play It “Nioh”
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The News
February 9, 2017