The Murray State News

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Basketball resets

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Staff member arrested on meth charges

TRUMP Week 5 Matthew Parks Staff writer

mparks6@murraystate.edu

Connor Jaschen Editor-in-Chief

cjaschen@murraystate.edu

The Department of Homeland Security released two memos Feb. 21, on border security and illegal immigrants.

The memos follow President Donald Trump’s executive orders last month, three of which were specified in DHS memos.

The memos detail the government’s expansion of those eligible for expedition and the beginning stages of a southern border wall. The memo’s reference President Barack Obama’s catch and release policy, in which undocumented immigrants detained at the border were released into the U.S. for a later court hearing.

The memo, “Implementing the president’s border security and immigration enforcement improvements policies,” said many undocumented immigrants released never return for their scheduled removal hearings.

On Monday, Trump picked Lt. Gen. Herbert McMaster to

see TRUMP, page 2

of excellence

February 23, 2017 | Vol. 91, No. 19

100 days of

Day 35

90 years Staff report

Ex-Racer recovers from shooting No arrests have been made in the attempted murder of former wide receiver Kendarian Jennings

Ashley Traylor/The News

Former Racer Kendarian Jennings was found between these cars, a bullet wound in the back and the head, but he survived.

Sarah Combs || Sports Editor scombs8@murraystate.edu

Ashley Traylor || Staff writer atraylor@murraystate.edu

Former Murray State wide receiver and Memphis, Tennessee, native Kendarian Jennings is in stable condition after being shot twice on Monday night at approximately 11:45 p.m.

Former teammate Tay Harris has been in contact with the family and said Jennings was shot once in the back and once in the neck, which “traveled to his head.”

Jennings underwent a second surgery Wednesday morning to remove the bullets from his head. Harris said the surgery went well and Jennings will begin rehab next week.

The 23-year-old was found by neighbors lying on the ground cov-

ered in blood outside of an apartment commonly referred to as Cambridge 2 on Welch Court with $400-500 cash.

“You could tell that he was sitting there with money in one hand, phone in the other, got shot and fell back and just dropped it,” witness at the scene Darren Peoples told reporters.

Witnesses said Jennings was responsive but didn’t realize that he had been shot.

“I think I got shot,” Jennings told witnesses as he was lying on the ground.

The witnesses applied pressure to the wounds with a shirt while waiting for paramedics to arrive on the scene.

“You’re gonna be OK, you’re gonna be fine,” a witness told Jennings.

Peoples said he ran to the window and saw a black car “fishtailing”

shortly after the gunshots were heard.

Jennings was airlifted to VanderPhoto courtesy of GoRacer bilt University Kendarian Jennings Medical Center where he underwent surgery. He is now responsive and breathing on his own, Harris said.

The Murray Police Department has not released any possible suspects and said it is an ongoing investigation.

Jennings walked onto the Murray State football program from Christian Brothers High School in Memphis, Tennessee, studying public relations. He attended Murray State all four years of college, redshirted his sophomore year and graduated with his bachelor’s degree in May 2015.

Chris Emerson, building services technician for Murray State, was arrested Feb. 16, in Graves County on charges including possession and manufacturing methamphetemine.

Officers reported to the scene after a woman called 911 and hung up abruptly. Before she hung up, all she said was there were firearms involved.

Police arrived, obtained a search warrant and found items used for the manufacturing of methamphetamine and a marijuana-growing facility in one of the back closets, according to a Graves County Sheriff’s office press release.

Police also found both methamphetamine and marijuana in the residence.

According to police, officers found a backpack containing a handgun with the serial numbers scratched off inside the home.

Four of the six people inside the home, including Emerson, were arrested on numerous charges.

Emerson’s charges includes possession of a controlled substance, possession of marijuana, manufacturing of methamphetamine and cultivation of marijuana. Emerson is currently being held in Graves County Jail, with the bond set at $50,000.

University administration declined to comment.

Marijuana complaints are high Collin Morris

Assistant Sports Editor cmorris29@murraystate.edu

The Murray State Police Department received 14 drug complaints reported from the residential colleges between Jan. 17 and Feb. 16, according to its crime logs.

Of the 14 complaints, five resulted in drug citations for either possession of marijuana or drug paraphernalia.

The remaining nine complaints led to reports from the responding officers but no criminal charges.

All 14 instances came from callers reporting the smell of marijuana in their residential colleges. Five occurred in White Residential College, four in Elizabeth, two in Hart and one each in Hester, Regents and Hollis C. Franklin.

Last year, in response to marijuana usage, Murray State began using a new system called the Marijuana eCheckup To Go for Colleges

Chalice Keith and Haley Hays/The News

On average, Murray State averages about 23 to 27 marijuana citations per year. and Universities. According to the eCheckup website, it is an online program designed to prevent and intervene in marijuana use for college-aged adults, with each program being suited specifically to the individual user.

Mike Young, associate vice president for Student Affairs and retention, said the legal protocol has changed for

marijuana. While possession of marijuana had previously resulted in a three-night stay in jail, it now constitutes a court date in conjunction with the campus’ requirements. Young said the campus also has its own procedural requirements for students found in possession of marijuana.

“If a student is found to be

in possession of marijuana, they are typically cited by the MSU police, and therefore, those people go to court,” Young said. “Also, those students would meet with [the Housing Office staff], and we would assign a Marijuana eCheckup, as well as 10 hours of community service, then we would do a follow-up meeting after that.”

Young said the rising costs of the legal process, such as a possession of marijuana charge, could cost as much as $450 in fines and fees. Multiple instances of disciplinary action within the residential colleges can also lead to dismissal from the colleges without reimbursement of housing payments.

He said the approach to combating marijuana on campus has evolved into more of an educational approach about the downfalls of recreational marijuana use. Ad-

see MARIJUANA, page 2

Davies signs off on performance funding Lindsey Coleman Staff writer lcoleman7@murraystate.edu

A bill proposing the performance-based funding metrics for secondary education funding has been filed and was introduced in the Kentucky Senate on Feb. 10.

In December 2016, a postsecondary education work group met to recommend metrics for the funding model.

University President Bob Davies said the work group was comprised of some of Gov. Matt Bevin’s staff, Sen. David Givens, R–Greensburg, Rep. Arnold Simpson, D–Covington and public institution presidents, including Davies himself.

The metrics take student

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success, course completion and operational support into consideration.

Davies said the bill reflects very closely what the work group put forth in December.

“The model itself is, like many types of things that go through this process, made up of a series of compromises,” Davies said. “Is it ideal and perfect for Murray State? No. Does the model hurt Murray State? No, it does not.”

He said the aspect of the model that equalizes the playing field is funding is based on how universities improve over a three-year rolling average.

“It makes for a longer-term approach versus a short-term gain,” Davies said.

For every university, Da-

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vies said the goal of the model is to increase retention and progression of students towards earning their bachelor’s degrees, increase degrees that support necessary STEM+H (science, technology, engineering, mathematics and health) jobs for the Kentucky economy and close achievement gaps in degrees of underrepresented and underprepared students.

“When we look at Murray State, it’s how do you recruit, retain and move students to graduation,” Davies said.

Fred Dietz, associate vice president of enrollment management, said the model works in Murray State’s favor.

“I think the funding model could be a catalyst to grow enrollment,” Dietz said. “The

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challenge will be to have good representation from STEM, non-STEM, first-generation and low-income students.”

The funding model will be used to distribute 5 percent of Murray State’s state appropriation funding beginning in the coming fiscal year.

ASPECTS OF THE MODEL

Three areas are taken into consideration: 35 percent student success, 35 percent course completion and 30 percent operational support. All metrics are based on bachelor’s degrees.

Students’ success measures how students are doing. The overall number of bachelor degrees earned plus the num-

see FUNDING, page 2

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News

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February 23, 2017

The cost of construction Alicia Steele Assistant News Editor asteele5@murraystate.edu

Over the past few years, Murray State’s Facilities Management has completed multiple projects to enhance the overall structure of the campus.

“We’re constantly thinking about how we can make your environment better for learning,” said David Burdette, interim chief facilities officer and director of facilities design and construction.

He said Murray State is continually evolving and with new students, programs and ideas, older buildings are going to need to either be renovated or newly built.

RESIDENTIAL COLLEGES

“There was a 10-year plan put together to do replacements, which included the new Lee Clark, James H. Richmond and eventually the new H. C. Franklin,” said Jason Youngblood, assistant director of facilities design and construction. “Along with that was renovating some of the high rises – Elizabeth and Hester – and future renovations to Regents, White and Hart.”

He said before Murray State can spend its bond money on a project it must go before the legislative branch to be approved. Hollis C. Franklin Residential College in particular was approved in July 2014 and design began immediately after.

“It takes a good two years to get a major building from concept to ribbon cutting,”

MARIJUANA From Page 1 ditionally, campus staff has been more conscientious of mental health and its relation to drug use.

“We’re looking at it from a health and wellness perspective,” Young said. “The law is clear, but the education that is coming out is more on the lines of self-preservation. We also have the Student Inter-

Taylor Family Dental Dr. Randy Taylor, D.M.D. Dr. Rich Vonnahme, D.M.D. Dr. Anna Jayjock, D.M.D.

Jenny Rohl/The News

The Engineering and Physics Building is the final project in the 15-year plan for a “science complex.”

Residential College, upgrades were made to the rooms and restrooms to make them more ADA – American Disabilities Act – accessible, space was carved out for study and group meetings and the lights and electrical systems were upgraded.

“Basically the shell of the building and the layout of the building stayed the same except for the first floor lobby,” Youngblood said.

He said they opened the lobby for more student gatherings, added a more secure entrance to the building and added offices for the residence director and college head.

Burdette said.

He said in terms of who pays for the building, one can almost draw a line down Chestnut Street to separate the north and south sides of campus.

“Any residential facility you’re paying, if you live in them, through residential fees,” Burdette said. “So look at that as a user fee.”

He said most importantly, there are no tax dollars and no tuition dollars that go into building a new residential facility on campus.

“In fact we can’t spend tax dollars or tuition dollars on residential or dining facilities,” Burdette said. “They have to be what we call self-operated.”

In the case of Franklin, Murray State took out bonds to pay for the building, and Burdette said the next 20 years of students will be paying for the building.

In renovating Elizabeth

Burdette said 15 years ago Murray State administrators had a dream of having a science complex. The last installment of this is the in-progress Engineering and

vention Team that meets on a weekly basis and deals with issues a student could have, such as, they were written up for alcohol possession and now they’re having suicidal thoughts, so we can put those pieces together, and maybe there’s a drinking problem or some depression.”

Jen Caldwell, assistant director for residential services, said her staff looks for trends in reported drug usage to see what needs to be done, including counseling.

“If that’s not their first of-

fense as far as a policy violation, they’re going to be on our radar,” Caldwell said.

“I’ll be checking with our staff to find out what is their communication with this student, to see why we’ve had no problems with this behavior, but now we have multiple issues.”

In a written response from Chief of Police James Herring, he said the Murray State Police Department issued an average of 23-27 marijuana citations per year over the last five years.

ACADEMIC BUILDINGS

FUNDING From Page 1 ber of degrees earned by low income, STEM+H or underrepresented students is considered.

Another aspect of student success is the progression of students through their degree requirements. When students earn 30, 60 and 90 credit hours, the university receives points.

Course completion addresses how many credits are earned and how many students pass classes. Courses are weighted based on their discipline and cost to produce the class. Davies said 400level classes are weighted differently than 100-level classes, for example.

Davies said integrity and ethics will be maintained.

Pressure will not be put on teachers to push borderline students up to passing grades.

Operational support for the institution measures where money is spent on resources.

This is based on maintenance and operation of academic facilities, student support functions and academic support functions.

“The goal is to have support systems in place to ensure that students will be successful,” said Adrienne King, vice president of university advancement.

The model will be reviewed every three years, and Davies said recommendations will be made for improvement, which will ensure the model can change and benefit universities.

“Slow and steady is going to win the race,” Davies said.

“If we stick to the strategies that we have in place, we stick to our values and our core assumptions of what an undergraduate degree is about, we’re going to be fine.”

When looking at the fun-

30% Operational support

35% Student success

35% Course completion Graphic courtesy of Austin Gordon/The News

damentals of Murray State, Davies said the university is extremely well-positioned for the process.

SUPPORT FOR THE ARTS

Although the model heavily supports STEM+H degrees, Davies said the Murray State administration will not abandon the liberal arts mission.

“If we abandon that philosophy of teaching the whole person, the brand of Murray State would diminish. We would not be able to attract the top students and we would also see a decline because our graduates are extremely wellsought after for employment, and that enhances the value of Murray State,” Davies said.

Not only because of the new model, but in being an efficient and effective university, Davies said Murray State administrators need to make sure all programs have a pathway for a degree in four years, while making sure they’re focused on the ability of students to leave Murray State well and broadly educated.

Although Davies said a depth

of knowledge in a certain discipline is important, having a breadth of learning to help students adapt and change is vital, as well.

Jeff Osborne, associate professor of English, said the arts are worth preserving at Murray State.

“I think that Murray State has an opportunity to be seen as the public university of choice for students who want to get an education in the humanities,” Osborne said.

Whether students major in humanities or not, Osborne said the skills students acquire in humanities classes are important to make them more successful employees and more productive members of the world they live in.

“People who major in humanities and have to deal with imaginative texts like literature or who have to wade through a lot of archival material to figure out what’s happening at a particular moment in history – those create people who are more careful thinkers and communicators,” Osborne said.

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Physics Building.

He said Youngblood met with faculty members, including physics and engineering faculty and the dean of the college, several times and asked them what was needed to enhance the academics of the program.

“They’re called usually programming meetings,” Youngblood said. “To program the space needs.”

From there, Burdette said a legislative package was again put together to go to Frankfort, Kentucky, but the difference is that the money for an academic project will come from the commonwealth of Kentucky.

“In our language, we call that a state-funded building,” Burdette said.

He said that building will open in April, and will be put to use for Summer and Fall 2017 classes.

Read more at TheNews.org.

TRUMP From Page 1 lead the National Security Agency, though he will have to be confirmed by the Senate because of his three-star ranking as a general. McMaster is a veteran of both the Persian Gulf War and the second Iraq War. Sean Spicer, White House Press Secretary, addressed Obama’s controversial stance on transgender bathroom policies in school.

“The president has maintained for a long time that this is a state’s rights issue,” Spicer said.

However, during the campaign, then-candidate Trump said “People go, they use the bathroom they feel appropriate,” in an interview with the Today show. The discrepancy between the two statements has not been addressed.

Trump was initially slow to address the situation regarding former national security adviser Michael Flynn. He avidly defended him during his first full-length news conference Feb. 16.

He said Flynn was “just doing his job,” by contacting Russia to discuss lifting sanctions.

The president also said while he did not direct the adviser to contact Russia, he would have – although it wasn’t clear whether or not Trump knew that he would have been issuing an illegal directive.

“I didn’t direct him,” Trump said. “But I would have directed him to because that was his job.”

During the press conference, Trump claimed that what he referred to as the “fake media” was responsible for the scandal, and he said the real problem in the White House is the leaking of classified intelligence – “a big problem.”

On Twitter, Trump defended Flynn, tweeting, “The real scandal here is that classified information is given out by ‘intelligence’ like candy.

Very un-American!”

He continued to say he had no connections with Russia and “no idea” if any other communication had taken place with Russian officials, about sanctions or other topics.

“The Democrats had to come up with a story as to why they lost the election, and so badly (306), so they made up a story – RUSSIA,” Trump tweeted after the conference.

“Fake news!”

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News

February 23, 2017

Page 3

Breathitt Veterinary Center to open next week

News Editor: Abby Siegel Assistant Editor: Alicia Steele Phone: 270-809-4468 Twitter: MurrayStateNews

Michelle Hawks

Contributing writer

POLICE BEAT FEB. 15

10:14 a.m.

A caller reported a motor vehicle collision with injuries at Regents Drive and Chestnut Street. Officers, Student Affairs and Murray Ambulance Service were notified. The patient was transported to Murray-Calloway County Hospital and a collision report was taken.

8:35 p.m.

A caller reported being stuck on an elevator in Hart Residential College.

Officers and the Central Heating and Cooling Plant were notified.

FEB. 16

10:16 a.m.

An officer conducted a traffic stop in the Curris Center parking lot. A citation was issued for failure to wear a seat belt.

4:45 p.m.

A caller reported a motor vehicle collision with injuries at Chestnut Street and Waldrop Drive. Officers, Student Affairs, the Murray Fire Department, Murray Ambulance Service and Max’s 641 Towing and Service were notified. All people refused transport and a collision report was taken.

mhawks@murraystate.edu

Breathitt Veterinary Center (BVC) will officially open its new 53,000-square-foot building in Hopkinsville, Kentucky, Feb. 27.

According to its website, the mission of BVC is “to provide rapid, accurate diagnostic data that enables veterinarians to make appropriate treatment decisions.”

Debbie Reed, director of BVC, said the new facility will help fulfill that mission.

“It’s a vast upgrade from our current facility,” Reed said.

She said the $34 million project, which broke ground in Fall 2014, would not have been possible without the help and interest of local farmers and organizations.

Among the upgrades in the new facility is a Biosafety Level 3 area, where she said they will be able to work on diagnosing diseases that are considered foreign animal diseases.

Reed said the new facility will be providing the same services they always have, including a

broad range of testing.

“We have a great staff that works really hard and gets the testing done so that we can make sure animals are healthy – both food animals and companion animals,” Reed said.

She said although every state has at least one diagnostics center, BVC is unique in because it is not associated with a college of veterinary medicine or with the state Department of Agriculture.

Instead, it is part of the Hutson School of Agriculture.

Though the center is not located on or near campus, Kelsey Lewis, senior pre-veterinary medicine major from Haubstadt, Indiana, said the BVC plays a huge role in the last semester of the veterinary technology program.

She said the last semester, which is often referred to as Breathitt, involves lectures and classes run by some of the doctors at BVC, as well as some labs that are held at the center.

“We are very lucky in our program to have the opportunity to learn from such amazing, well-educated and experienced people and to get the great hands-on ex-

Photo courtesy of Breathitt Veterinary Center

The new Breathitt Veterinary Center is located in Hopkinsville, Kentucky. perience this program allows us,” Lewis said.

Reed said this hands-on experience will be valuable to the students once they enter the workforce.

For right now, she said students in the program and those coming into the program can expect for everything to stay the same as they begin to use the new

facility.

Currently, students are doing work at A. Carman Pavilion Animal Health Facility.

“The biggest impact this will have on students is having a better facility to do observations in,” Reed said. “We will also have some updated audio-visual capabilities, but it remains to be seen how far we push those.”

A caller reported damage to their vehicle at Alexander Hall. Officers were notified and an information report was taken.

Hutson School of Agriculture teaming with Dining Services to serve local pork

11:42 p.m.

Contributing writer

FEB. 17

2:34 p.m.

Sabra Jackson

A caller reported the smell of smoke at Franklin Residential College. Officers, Central Plant and the on-call residence director were notified. No threat of fire was detected and the smell was caused by a breaker being tripped. An information report was taken.

sjackson30@murraystate.edu

Coming in April to a [Winslow] Dining Hall near you will be locally grown pork courtesy of the Murray State North Farm.

Students of the fall experience in swine production class suggested a design for a new farrowing facility located on the North Farm to expand the current operation. The members of the group who created this proposition include Heath Durbin and Seth Carter, both seniors in agribusiness, and Sydney Linville, a recent Murray State graduate.

Coy Murphy, senior from Owensboro, Kentucky, participated in the construction of the

FEB. 18

2:32 p.m.

An officer conducted a traffic stop at 12th and 9th streets. A verbal warning was issued for weaving and failure to obey a traffic control device.

6:50 p.m.

The Murray State Police Department received an attempt to locate in reference to a possible intoxicated driver on 16th Street. Officers were notified.

FEB. 19

1:42 p.m.

An officer conducted a traffic stop at 16th Street and Calloway Avenue. A verbal warning was issued for failure to wear a seat belt.

2:22 p.m.

A caller reported a parking complaint in the Old Richmond Residential College parking lot. The owner was notified and the vehicle was moved.

FEB. 20

10:18 a.m.

Officers served a warrant in Blackburn Science Building. The person was cited and arrested on the warrant for possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of marijuana and first offense, second-degree possession of a controlled substance.

McKenna Dosier/The News

Piglets raised in the Swine Unit may be used for meat at Winslow.

A caller reported damage to Murray State property at Price Doyle Fine Arts Building. Officers and Facilities Management were notified and a report was taken for third-degree criminal mischief.

Michelle Hawks

Contributing writer mhawks@murraystate.edu

FEB. 21

6:35 p.m.

The Central Heating and Cooling Plant notified the Murray State Police Department of a fire alarm activation at Hart Residential College. Officers, the Murray Fire Department and the State Fire Marshall were notified. Activation was because of burnt food and a fire report was taken.

11:05 p.m.

A caller reported the smell of marijuana at Franklin Residential College.

Officers and the on-call residence director were notified and an information report was taken.

0 1 1

Alicia Steele, Assistant News Editor, compiles Police Beat with materials provided by Public Safety and Emergency Management.

Not all dispatched calls are listed.

practice what they learn in class.”

The students who put together the project designed to produce pork for the dining hall assembled an analysis looking at many things including feed costs, increases in labor and increases in infrastructure. Students then looked at the analysis to determine if the project would pay for itself and if it was worth doing.

Students in the group and Dining Services worked together to make this project work with little disturbances.

“I can tell you I have been really impressed with the students that are working on this program. When they have come to the meetings, they’ve really been prepared, they’ve really gotten their information, they were very professional about it,” said Paula Amols, director of Dining Services. “I think it has been a great exercise for them.”

Tim Bruce, executive chef, said the pigs will be used for a variety of things in Winslow.

“We use ground pork for things, the ribs and the bellies we will be able to use definitely,” Bruce said. “The hams will be difficult so I am hoping [Shultz, the students and the processing plant] find a spot for hams, that would make the cost much better for everybody.”

As far as a change in the menu goes, there will only be a slight difference.

“It will take a little creativity on the part of Tim and his culinary team and they might very well make some adjustments to the menu mix so that they can make good use of what is worth using,” Amols said.

She said she believes this will be beneficial for all because it will be supporting the learning experience within the university.

“This is another way we are investing back into the university,” Amols said.

Along with being used in Dining Services, the pork produced will also be served at events hosted in the William “Bill” Cherry Agricultural Exposition Center.

Casey’s General Store opening today

2:24 p.m.

MOTORIST ASSISTS RACER ASSISTS ARRESTS

farrowing unit project. He said he hopes this will help show that agriculture is the center of everything.

“I want to see this program take off,” Murphy said. “I want to be able to educate people that the meat products that they are eating from the cafeterias came from the hog farm here at Murray State.”

Murphy said he wants community members to keep an open mind and be able to see this side of agriculture and know all meat comes from a farm.

Matt Shultz, professor in the Hutson School of Agriculture and instructor of the class, said the class is designed to focus on swine experience and swine production, which is operationalbased, so the class proposes strategic initiatives which are designed to emulate a real-life farm.

These proposals range from changing the direction of the existing farm, analyzing manure handling, financial situations, reproductive approaches, training demonstrations for employees and students, grain storage, finishing capacity and others. The goal of these projects is to determine the most important needs and follow through with them.

“Even though we are a university, we operate just like a real farm,” Shultz said. “Our mentality there is if it does not make dollars, it does not make sense.”

The pigs will be taken to Hampton Meats in Hopkinsville, Kentucky, to be slaughtered and processed.

Some of the animals will continue to be sold as project pigs for youth around the community involved in FFA and 4-H as well as being used as show pigs representing Murray State, which they have been used for in the past.

“I would really like people to know that what we are really doing here is taking learning and putting it into experience and we are doing so in an immersive environment,” Shultz said. “We have created an environment for students to

Casey’s General Store will open its Murray location Feb. 23 on state Route 121 across from BP. Aaron Dail, president and CEO of the Murray-Calloway County Chamber of Commerce, said its opening marks a continuation in growth for the north side of town.

“It provides more options for people who travel in that direction,” Dail said. “It’s great to see that development.”

Roger Dillingham of Artisan Contractors said the location will have all the prepared food that Casey’s offers, including a sub sandwich station and made from scratch donuts and pizza Casey’s is known for.

Dillingham said the Murray location represents the tenth Casey’s store in Kentucky and the largest store in the chain, which has nearly 2,000 locations across the Midwest.

The store is roughly 4,300 square feet.

It will have a six pump fuel set up and can accommodate up to 12 vehicles at one time.

Dail said a large part of the franchise’s decision to come to Murray was the increasing ability for businesses to open in a timely manner.

Cathy Morris, human resource director for the city of Murray, was part of the committee that worked to make it easier for businesses to come to Murray.

Kelli O”Toole/The News

Casey’s General Store will open today on state Route 121 in Murray.

She said although she has not seen the numbers to prove the project has increased growth, she thinks it has been an overall success and looks forward to what lies ahead.

“The more a business sees how easy and how friendly it is, the more they want to commit and be a part of the community,” Morris said.

The News

Page 4

February 23, 2017

Opinion Editor: Hallie Beard Phone: 270-809-5873

Opinion

M

Our View

Connor Jaschen Editor-in-Chief • 270-809-6877 cjaschen@murraystate.edu

Abby Siegel News Editor • 270-809-4468 asiegel@murraystate.edu

Hallie Beard Opinion Editor • 270-809-5873 hbeard2@murraystate.edu

Gisselle Hernandez Features Editor • 270-809-5871 ghernandez1@murraystate.edu

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

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

President Donald Trump’s Twitter has been a shrine of cringe-worthy rants, accusations and boastings since before he took his seat in the Oval Office.

But a tweet from Friday, Feb. 17 has us – and every news organization in the country – doing more than wincing in embarrassment.

In response to “failing” news outlets producing stories he calls “FAKE NEWS,” the president tweeted that such media (including The New York Times, NBC and CNN, to name a few) are not his enemy, but the enemy of the American people.

In a recent press conference, he assured his audience of journalists and media representatives that those sources of news were not only “failing,” but “very fake” and “bad.” His justification for making those claims?

“I know what’s good and bad.

I’d be a pretty good reporter ...

So I understand it. So, because I’m there. I know what was said.

I know who’s saying it. I’m there.

So it’s very important to me.”

Aside from the president’s confusing and laughable assemblage of fourth-grade level utterances, the content of his speech is troubling, to say the least.

To defend his judgments of “bad” news reporting with statements meant to show his omnipotence is a testament to his arrogance and to the warped reality he inhabits – one in which he has the power and intelligence to control everything and be eternally right.

In that particular press conference, which took place a day before his Twitter blunder, Trump made it very clear that our nation is divided into groups of us versus them; the people versus the enemy; good versus bad.

After repeatedly cutting off a reporter to make snide remarks, he said to him, “The public doesn’t believe you people anymore.”

If he hadn’t made his opposition to the press clear enough,

The News strives to be the university community’s source for information. Our goal is to present that information in a fair and unbiased manner and provide a free and open forum for expression and debate.

The News is a designated public forum. Student editors have authority to make all content decisions without censorship or advance approval.

The paper offers a hands-on learning environment for students interested in journalism. The campus press should be free from censorship and advance approval of copy and its editors should develop their editorial and news policies.

The News is prepared and edited by students and is an official publication of Murray State University. The first copy is free. Additional copies are available for 25 cents at 111 Wilson Hall.

confident that our abilities and rights (let’s not forget about the First Amendment, President Trump) in educating the public and telling stories that must be told are far from un-American.

Initially, Trump’s statement may just seem like another inflammatory tweet. But the frightening reality is that he could easily begin regulating which news outlets are allowed entrance into press conferences and events – news outlets he’d trust to be in his favor.

Once he begins controlling public media in that way, we’re one step closer to being fed antagonistic propaganda in place of having the freedom to choose from varying reputable news sources.

If there’s one good thing to come of the president’s opposition to our efforts, it’s that he’s teaching us, as aspiring journalists, what not to do and what journalistic integrity and empathy does not look like.

Making Headway

Defog the mirror

TheNews.org The News welcomes commentaries and letters to the editor. Submissions should be 600 words or less, and contributors should include phone numbers for verification. Please include hometown, classification and title or relationship to the university. The News reserves the right to edit for style, length and content. No anonymous contributions will be accepted. All contributions should be turned in by noon on Monday of each week via email to hbeard2@murraystate.edu. Contributions to The News are the opinion of the author and not that of The Murray State News.

using the term “you people” surely eradicated any doubt.

While the baby-boomer generation may remember President Trump as an active “businessman,” most of the millennial generation grew up on the image of Trump’s harsh and ridiculous persona on “The Apprentice.” In other words, the millennial generation is aware of Trump because of his presence in the media, the reports of his various successes and failures in tabloids and entertainment magazines.

How, then, can someone who is only revealed to us through the media call that outlet – something that makes his fame possible – the enemy of the American people?

Furthermore, if journalists, producers, videographers, photographers and even web and print designers are the enemy of the American people specifically, does that imply they are un-American? As students of journalism, public relations and writing here at The Murray State News, we’re

Dylan Doyle || Contributing writer ddoyle2@murraystate.edu It’s the kind of thing you hear people say in the heat of an argument: don’t get defensive.

When someone says something hurtful (a harsh truth, a boldfaced lie, a personal jab), it stings because we have been emotionally attacked, and our brains begin running defense.

The truth is, most of us are very doubtful of our own worth, at least in the privacy of our own minds. Plagued by insecurity, we rely on positive external perceptions to bolster our self-esteem, and we tend to react negatively to criticism, even if it’s constructive.

In short, people love compliments and hate condemnation. Shocking.

Humans are hardwired psychologically to protect our fragile sense of self-estimation – we reflexively seek retribution for perceived slights, and we tell ourselves things to patch up our damaged egos.

The trouble is, those things we tell ourselves? They’re not always true.

There is a strong case to be made for “chewing” on criticism – that is, taking a moment to evaluate the merit of what the other person is saying to you or accusing you of, in a manner as close to objectivity as you can manage. In other words, think about what you are hearing, take an honest look at your-

self in the mirror and see if the person calling you a name is right or not.

This is easier to do when you know the other person has your best interests at heart.

Taking constructive criticism from your parents or your professors is often fairly straightforward. The trick is to do the same with people at whom you are angry, and those angry at you.

“

You cannot work on your flaws if you do not allow yourself to see them.

“

Kelsey Watznauer Chief Copy Editor • 270-809-5876 kwatznauer@murraystate.edu

Selena McPherson /The News

All sorts of things can fog up your internal mirror, and most of them can be wiped away with simple honesty. Fight the urge to represent yourself as you wish you were. All you can do is see yourself as you actually are, and go from there.

It sounds simple, but it is quite the opposite. Training yourself to set your emotions aside and fighting that instinct to retaliate – these are not small things. Like anything

worth having, it takes practice and perseverance.

Of course, none of this means you should let bullies walk all over you and call you every name in the book without protest.

You are nobody’s doormat, and if someone is calling you discriminatory slurs or vague and unsubstantiated insults, show them the door. Remember, you are trying to see yourself in a more honest light, and bigots have nothing to teach you.

The final move in this process (and the most difficult) comes after you have chewed on the criticism for a while. Whether you decide the person’s attack is fair and plan future changes to yourself or realize their words hold no merit, the ultimate step is the same: let it go. You aren’t strong enough to carry around the burden of everyone’s opinion of you – no one is. Trying to do so will only make you miserable.

Unfortunately, it is often our reflex to latch onto negativity and let it consume us.

This is yet another reflex you have to fight. If you have already learned what you can from criticism, thinking about it any further is no longer useful; in fact, it’s damaging.

Let it come, let it help you grow, let it go.

You cannot work on your flaws if you do not allow yourself to see them. In the end, the truth is all we have.

They say it will set you free. See if they are right.

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 23, 2017

Page 5

The Fine Print

The colleges of Murray State Robert Valentine Contributing writer rvalentine@murraystate.edu Do you know of which college you are a member?

The automatic response is usually, “Of course! I’m at Murray State! Go Racers!”

Murray State is, of course, your university.

But what’s your college?

“I’m undecided. I don’t have a college.”

Wrong again. Everyone at Murray State, from the newest freshman to the oldest faculty member, is assigned to a residential college as soon as the enrollment is complete or the contract signed. Know it or not, you’re in a college. Look at your ID. Ironically, the reason you have a residential college has nothing to do with residence.

You can commute from Memphis, Tennessee, or Louisville, Kentucky, if you like, but you’re still a member of one of the eight residential colleges. You can be a non-traditional sophomore who lives in a three-bedroom ranch-style house with a husband, two kids, three dogs and a psychotic cat, but you have a college, too.

Relax: there are no dues, you don’t have to buy a special tie or attend meetings. You will

still graduate (after you finish your 120 hours and pay your parking fines), and your degree will be just as good.

But if you get lonely, or if you’re going through a sports withdrawal, you might want to visit your new home away from home. There are people just like you – and some who are very, very different.

There are all kinds of athletic teams that need your help, philanthropic efforts that could use another hand and arts groups – from choirs to theatre troupes – that would love to see you show up and express an interest.

All these people are based around one of the eight residential colleges. The building, however, is not the college. The college is made up of the people: about 1,000 students, 80 faculty and around 80 staff members. That’s the college of which you

are actually a member.

The thinking was – and is – that you’ll survive your first year if you are a member of a definable group. You can make friends, get involved and get help when you need it.

From academic problems to medical issues to financial or romantic crises, your college is a first stop for help and support.

I mention all of this because Regents College is looking for a new faculty head. You could help. The faculty head is the position that turns a mere dorm into the center of a residential college. Most faculty members are, in fact, human. All of them know their way around a campus and its bureaucracy, so having someone like that at your side can make the trip through the Oz-like land of post-secondary education much, much easier, and perhaps, even fun.

The colleges are what make your time at Murray State different, whether you know it or not.

The best seven years I ever spent on any campus were as the faculty head of Elizabeth Residential College. There were late nights, early mornings, busy weekends, serious discussions and lots of laughs. And meetings; how could I have forgotten the meetings?

And changed lives. I can’t forget that: people who wanted to drop out but stayed and graduated. People who were lost and got found – not by me, but by friends or other faculty. That was big.

If you’re a faculty member who is looking for another way to make a difference, this is it.

If you’re a student who knows a professor who cares and communicates, make the suggestion.

If you’re a colleague who sees the potential in one of your friends, open that door.

I guarantee you will change the life of the faculty member who chooses to lead one of the eight colleges at Murray State. I can also guarantee that person will change the lives of others.

The colleges are what make your time at Murray State different, whether you know it or not. You can help to maintain that difference and to expand its influence for good. The Rhinos of Regents need your help.

We all do.

CHEERS & JEERS Jeers to ... Trump, again

Cheers to ... Rokerthon

We know, we already covered our disappointment with President Donald Trump on the page to the left. But, just let us have this.

Trump specifically bad-mouthed media and journalists, so the accusation is a bit too close to home for us. Can we put him in a “Mean Girls”-style Burn Book?

Racers came together Tuesday, Feb. 21 in the Curris Center to be a part of a video for Al Roker’s Rokerthon 3: Storming Into The Madness. The big star of the video? Our favorite Murray State tradition, the Shoe Tree! Students put their “Shoes Up” for the exciting event.

Cheers to ... April in February

Jeers to ... Listicles

We’ve already been blessed with a warm winter, but now it feels as if spring – or even early summer – has come early. We are all for the warm breeze and the flowers beginning to perk up, and this all means we’re one step closer to Dairy Queen opening!

We love a good listicle, but lately, Facebook has been crowded with those over-emotional, usually cliché-ridden and poorly-written listicles about mental health and emotion. They’re important topics, but can we get a take on it that doesn’t feel like a 14-year-old’s Tumblr post?

Cheers & Jeers is written by The Murray State News’ Opinion Editor. Questions, comments or concerns should be addressed to hbeard2@murraystate.edu

Some Things Considered

Plan your own way Hallie Beard || Opinion Editor hbeard2@murraystate.edu

For elementary students, college students and working adults alike, it seems there’s a yearround pressure from social media, magazines and advertisements to do one thing: get organized.

Whether referring to school, work or the home, the message is always clear – to become a better person with sharp reflexes and a polished, energized spirit, declutter your surroundings, mind and possessions and compartmentalize your life.

The sentiment is fine and dandy – organization is a way to fight anxiety, effectively visualize tasks and make progress seem tangible. But there are major issues with our culture’s obsession with what a Pinterest board might call “#GettingOrganized.”

Walk into Target or Walmart at the beginning of an academic year or even calendar year and what products line the shelves of the office section? Planners. The collection can feel pretty Seussian – big planners, small planners, planners with polka dots and stripes, planners in odd shapes and bindings. Trying to find one is exhausting, and the design elements of some of them seem to hinder any potential for clarity of mind. The problem, though, is that these obnoxious books are seen as the end-all be-all mark of organization, especially for craft-oriented college students.

Each time I buy a planner and try to use it – which has only been a couple of times in my life – I regret it. The pre-made and illustrated layouts often make me feel more anxious and constrained than usual, and the concept of writing

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out all of my tasks in one singular place drives me into a panic spiral.

This year, I decided to make my own planner.

I bought a blank journal that was a size, binding and weight I liked, but after hand-drawing and labeling monthly and weekly calendars for half the year, I realized the pursuit was probably not worth the work it required. Here we are in late February, and I haven’t made a single entry in the masterpiece I created.

According to the Pinterest-fed world, my life is unorganized without typical planning stationery and methods, isn’t it? Without a desk covered in stylish drawers, folders, boxes and compartments, I’m setting myself up to have an unsuccessful semester full of surprises and messy consequences for my haphazard life. Aren’t I? Nope – not at all. The problem with mainstream products that claim to be the gateway into a perfectly ordered life is that the creators (or advertisers, maybe) assume their perception of organization is a one-size-fits-all deal. It isn’t.

We’re all taught that cleaning our rooms – making the bed, lining items up on surfaces, hanging up our clothes – is good for us, and I don’t dispute that. I take my Friday Cleaning Days very seriously, and it’s relaxing to pull out ye ole Swiffer duster and go to town. But, I don’t bother to make cleaning or organizing a priority during the week when I’m actually getting work done.

Why? Because clean surfaces or organized folders/stationery do not increase my productivity. I’ve tested this theory for years, and now that I have my own apartment and space for gauging results, I know I’m not crazy. Traditional methods of organization and cleanliness often make

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me feel less productive, more frantic and less sure of what has to be done.

When my desk is covered in papers and my bedroom in clothes, it isn’t a pretty sight, but I know where everything is, and my body is accustomed to dealing with the large yet controlled and habitual mess I create. It’s when I try to “put things away” that I cannot find anything or get tasks accomplished as quickly or easily.

So, don’t let mainstream conceptions of organization make you feel like a mess for not conforming – maybe your brain isn’t meant for Lilly Pulitzer planners or coffee-themed desk boxes.

In addition, why are planning materials – and the concept of organization in general – so heavily gendered? Take a gander through a stationary aisle or Pinterest board and count how many men you see advertised as being interested in organization. Is the idea here that women are simply better at planning, or that women must be more organized to combat their stereotypical emotional side? Either way, it’s a bit strange, and The Murray State News pretty sexist if 111 Wilson Hall you analyze the Murray KY 42071 (advertised) media.

Gender issues in media aside: maybe your brain works best in the midst of a little clutter, and that’s OK. You must find the method and environment that works for you and stay true to it. If you’re the eye of a storm in a tornado, so be it. Own the mess.

Got comics?

Email Opinion Editor Hallie Beard for information

The News

Page 6

February 23, 2017

Sports Croaker grounded Sharing the Sports Editor: Sarah Combs Assistant Sports Editor: Collin Morris Phone: 270-809-4481 Twitter: MSUSportsNews

State Farm Dark Horse Dunker leading nominee is out for season Blake Sandlin Staff writer

bsandlin1@murraystate.edu

Murray State’s men’s basketball team announced Monday they will be moving forward with the rest of their season without starting senior guard Damarcus Croaker.

Head Coach Matt McMahon said Croaker suffered a fracture to the fifth metatarsal in his right foot during the first play of Saturday night’s game against Eastern Illinois. The injury was first diagnosed on Saturday as a sprained foot, but after further evaluation, it was ruled a break. Croaker will undergo season-ending surgery on his foot on Friday, Feb. 24.

On the Racer’s first possession against the Panthers, Croaker drove to the basket and made a hop-step into the paint resulting in an awkward landing, which forced him to sit out the remainder of the game in a boot.

Croaker was averaging high numbers for the season, 10.5 points per game and 4.6 rebounds per game, second only to junior forward Terrell Miller Jr. McMahon said the loss of Croaker was crushing news for the team.

“Obviously I’m devastated and heartbroken for Damarcus,” McMahon said. “It’s a really sad way to see his playing career end on the first possession of the game on senior night with so many family and friends here to celebrate the night with him.”

According to McMahon, Croaker was demoralized as a result of his career-ending injury.

“I mean he’s crushed, and rightfully so,” McMahon said.

“He’s invested a lot in this, he’s a critical part of our team. You hate to see anyone ever get injured, but with the timing of it with it being senior night, being in the middle of a division race, and so on and so forth.”

Croaker, who is known for his above-the-rim antics, was chosen earlier this month to be on the ballot for the State Farm Dark Horse Dunker competition, an online contest in which fans vote to send one player to the State Farm College Slam Dunk & 3-Point Championships at the NCAA Final Four. Croaker was in the lead in his matchup by a score of 68.62-31.38 but there is no word yet as to what will happen as a result of Croaker’s injury.

As for potential lineup changes, McMahon said the upcoming week of practice will determine the new five.

“We’ll have to evaluate it this week in practice,” McMahon said. “Gee [McGhee] will slide into that spot, and as far as substitutions off the bench, we’ll see how the week in practice plays out.”

Croaker spent his past two seasons at Murray State after transferring from Texas midway through his sophomore

extra weight

Bryan Edwards Staff writer

bedwards16@murraystate.edu

Jenny Rohl/The News

season. His season-ending injury comes at a time when Murray State is neck-and-neck in the OVC West division.

The Racers are currently tied for first place with Southeast Missouri State and UT Martin at 8-6 in conference play.

The Racer’s tournament seeding will be dependent on their performance in these final two games and will have to find a way to succeed without a key player.

A change of tournament scenery Bryan Edwards Staff writer bedwards16@murraystate.edu For 23 of the last 24 years, the OVC men’s and women’s basketball tournaments have been held in Nashville, Tennessee, but the tournament has found its new home for the near future.

The Ohio Valley Conference announced the annual conference tournaments will be played at the Ford Center in Evansville, Indiana.

Murray State president and chairman of the OVC Board of Presidents, Bob Davies, said he is excited about the move.

“I look forward to the OVC Championship being played in Evansville at the Ford Center,” Davies said. “This facility is the ideal place to showcase our conference and will be a memorable experience for our student athletes. I’m confident that out Murray State alumni and fans will continue to show amazing support for our Racers. I also look forward to the emerging partnership with the community of Evansville and know this will be an exciting event for the participants and spectators.”

The OVC Tournament has been held in the Municipal Auditorium in Nashville since 2002 and was home for the tournament as well between 1993-2001.

The tournament was moved to Louisville, Kentucky, in 2002 and moved back to Nashville for the 2003 postseason tournament.

Murray State athletic director Allen Ward thinks the change is good for the OVC and he thinks very highly of Evansville and their facilities.

“Evansville has an outstanding facility, they made a fantastic presentation and it’s obviously a town that really loves their basketball,” Ward said. “You want to make sure that you focus on the student-athlete experience and having a facility that has championship quality like the Ford Center and they want to have you play there really means a lot. Nashville has a lot to offer but we believe that Evansville has a lot as well and for me the facility is what swayed it for me.”

The contract between the Ford Center and the OVC is only for the 2018 tournament but Ward thinks that the tournament will stay in Evansville for years to come.

“Any chance you get host a tournament, you’ll realize you have to be there for three or four years before you can become entrenched and get the community behind it,” Ward said. “I wouldn’t be surprised if we were in Evansville for several more years, I think that’s going to be the best for us.”

The Ford Center is a 10,000-seat arena that is home to the University of Evansville men’s and women’s basketball, as well as the Evansville Thunderbolts of the Southern Professional Hockey League.

The OVC has yet to determine the location of the tournament following the 2018 tournament and will discuss the location during the 2017-18 academic year.

The Nashville Sports Council said that they will attempt to bring the tournament back to Nashville in 2019.

The OVC Tournament will be held in the Nashville Municipal Auditorium for what could be the final time starting on March 1 and concluding March 4.

The Racers’ men’s basketball team was forced back into a three-way tie for first place in the OVC Western division after falling to the Eastern Illinois Panthers.

Murray State enters the final weekend of the regular season at 14-14 and 8-6 in the OVC. The Racers have two games left to secure the No. 2 seed in the OVC Tournament.

Without senior guard Damarcus Croaker, McMahon said senior forward Gee McGhee will fill in the starting lineup but is waiting for practice to conclude to determine roles coming off of the bench.

“I think it’s early to tell,” McMahon said. “We have to put a lot of emphasis in practice this week and evaluate different combinations to see who plays well and who earns their minutes in the next three days of practice.”

One win for the Racers this week will guarantee a spot in the OVC Tournament. The Racers could be seeded as high as the two seed or they

could possibly miss the conference tournament under certain scenarios.

McMahon said that they can’t focus on the big picture but to make an adjustment to fill the hole in the lineup with Croaker’s injury.

“We have to be locked in to make adjustments to our style of play that will benefit us due to the injury,” McMahon said. “We have to get better these three days of practice so we can go on the road and beat a SEMO team that is playing very well.”

The Racers will play against Southeast Missouri State and UT Martin, the two teams that are tied with the Racers for the lead in the OVC West.

The team was in a similar situation last season. With two games left, the Racers needed to defeat Eastern Illinois and UTM to capture the OVC West title, but they were unsuccessful in their efforts, splitting the two games and giving UTM the OVC West Championship.

Murray State begins their final week of play at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 23 against SEMO in Cape Girardeau, Missouri.

Racers take the field in first home game Kelly Diesel

Contributing writer kdiesel@murraystate.edu

Murray State’s baseball team will play its first home games this weekend, in a three-game series against the University at Buffalo.

Starting on Friday, Feb. 24, at 3 p.m. at Reagan Field, the Racers begin this series against the Buffalo Bulls.

Murray State will also play at 1 p.m. Feb. 25-26 against the Bulls at Reagan Field.

“We’re looking forward to playing at home on Reagan Field – it will be great to be on our home field,” Head Coach Kevin Moulder said.

“We feel real confident when we’re playing at home.”

In the 2016 season, the Racers finished the year with a 19-11 record at home, compared to a 8-17 record on the road.

“It is something we’ve been working on this year,” Moulder said. “Playing on the road was kind of one of our big flaws as a team last year, but I think that had to do with a lot of new players and lack of experience, so we weren’t that great on the road.”

The Racers have had a successful start to their 2017 season with a record of 3-0, all three games being played on the road. Murray State has defeated the 13th nationally-ranked team, the

University of Louisiana-Lafayette. The Racers have also beaten Hofstra University and Southeastern Louisiana University and have only given up two runs in those three games.

Junior infielder Kipp Moore leads the Racers in batting with a .384 average and three RBIs. The Racers have hit a home run in each game of this season, and Moore is just one of three players to do so. Junior outfielder Brandon Gutzler and senior catcher Tyler Lawrence have also contributed to the home run totals this season.

Senior pitcher Ryan Dills has been named this week’s ADIDAS OVC Pitcher of the Week for his performance against Louisiana-Lafayette.

Dills threw seven innings, tied his career-high striking out 10 batters, gave up zero runs and only four hits in the 2-0 victory for the Racers.

Murray State did not play Buffalo last season and have no experience against the Bulls, who have started their season with a 1-2 record.

“We’re not going to be very familiar with Buffalo, which is all right,” Moulder said. “This weekend it will be more about our team and how we play. If we do the things we know how to do and are capable of doing, I will always take our chances.”

UPCOMING EVENTS THURSDAY FEBRUARY 23

MBB------SEMO

FRIDAY

FEBRUARY 24

Softball-----Samford Baseball----Buffalo Track--------OVC

SATURDAY FEBRUARY 25

Softball-----Dayton WBB-------Austin Peay MBB-------Austin Peay Softball-----Kent State

SUNDAY

FEBRUARY 26

Golf-------Loyola Softball----Samford Baseball---Buffalo Softball----UAB WBB------UT Martin MBB------UT Martin Home games in bold

The News

Sports

February 23, 2017

Page 7

Racers battle for position Women’s basketball plays for higher seed in OVC tournament Blake Sandlin Staff writer

bsandlin1@murraystate.edu

Kelli O’Toole/The News

Racers battle for a rebound over SIUE in the CFSB Center.

With the OVC Tournament set to commence next week, the Murray State women’s basketball team will have their final test of the regular season when they match up against UT Martin on Saturday.

The Racers are currently caught in a three-way tie for fourth place with UTM and Tennessee Tech. If Tech loses and the Racers beat the Skyhawks Saturday, they will take sole possession of fourth place in the conference standings.

The 15-12 Racers will face a UTM team that is currently sitting at 10-17. The Skyhawks are currently riding a fourgame winning streak against conference opponents.

The Skyhawks will come into Saturday with four of their players averaging double digits in scoring. They are led by the play of freshman guard Kendall Spray, who is averaging 13 points per game.

Sophomore guard Myah Taylor is averaging 12.9 points per game.

UTM currently leads the conference in 3-point field goals made, as well as 3-point field goal percentage. The Skyhawks also lead the OVC in free-throw percentage.

“

There’s always room to get better, and we certainly need to be better if we want to win our next game.

”

-Head Coach Rob Cross

As for facing a team with the 3-point prowess of UTM, Cross said defending the Skyhawk shooters on the perimeter will be key.

“With [UTM], the one thing about it, I mean they’re gonna shoot it,” Cross said. “They’re gonna shoot it quick. They have no conscience. They have that freedom to let it fly, so you really have to be up on them. You have to close out with two hands high and really get up on them and make sure you take that away from certain players on their roster.”

The Racers, who are coming off of a 85-76 loss last Saturday, are led by junior guard

Ke’Shunan James who is averaging 19.6 points per game to go along with 7.3 rebounds per game. Senior guard LeAsia Wright is averaging 14.7 points per game and junior guard Bria Bethea is averaging 11.3 points.

Murray State Head Coach Rob Cross said the way the OVC has played out this season with many teams neckand-neck with each other is unprecedented in his years of coaching.

“You look at what happened this past weekend, I mean it’s possible we can end up with nine to 10 teams in our league with at least seven wins. It’s very possible, and I’ve never seen that.”

This final week of play could potentially show a drastic change in the OVC women’s standings. There is only a two-win difference between Eastern Illinois, the 12th and final-ranked team, and Murray State, the fourth-ranked team.

Because of this small deficit, Cross said his team has to get better in their next two games.

“There’s always room to get better, and we certainly need to be better if we want to win our next game,” Cross said.

The Racers play in their final regular season game at 4 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 25 at Skyhawk Arena in Martin, Tennessee.

Ohio Valley Conference

2016-17 Basketball Standings* MENS

East

Belmont Morehead State Tennessee Tech Jacksonville State Tennessee State Eastern Kentucky

West

Southeast Missouri UT Martin Murray State Austin Peay Eastern Illinois SIUE

WOMENS

W-L 14-1 9-5 8-6 8-6 8-7 3-11

Games Left 1 2 2 2 1 2

W-L 8-6 8-6 8-6 6-8 6-8 0-15

Games Left 2 2 2 2 1 1

Belmont Morehead State SIUE Murray State UT Martin Tennessee Tech Austin Peay Southeast Missouri Eastern Kentucky Jacksonville State Tennessee State Eastern Illinois

W-L 15-0 10-5 8-7 7-7 7-7 7-8 6-8 6-8 6-8 5-9 5-10 5-10

* Standings as of Wednesday, Feb. 22 at 5 p.m.

U.S. 641 N. Murray 270-753-9622 Circus Skate Murray, KY

Games Left 1 1 1 2 2 1 2 2 2 2 1 1

Graphic courtesy of Austin Gordon/The News

WE’RE

HIRING Pick up an application at 111 Wilson Hall or apply online at thenews.org/apply

The News

Sports

Page 8

February 23, 2017

Rifle team sets sights on 31st NCAA championship OVC CHAMPIONSHIP

MEET SCHEDULE Kelli O’ Toole/The News

Murray State currently has seven shooters in the top 35 individual averages in the country.

Blake Sandlin || Staff writer bsandlin1@murraystate.edu

Third-ranked Murray State rifle finished its final match at home with a 4,702 – 4,666 win against eighth-ranked Nebraska on Sunday for the 2017 NCAA Qualifier.

The Racer’s win came off of 2,337 smallbore and 2,365 air rifle to finish on top in the qualifier. The Racers match against the Cornhuskers was their final home match, which will help to determine their fate in the 2017 NCAA Championship.

Mackenzie Martin, sopho-

more from Fairhaven, Massachusetts, shot 1,182 off of 586 smallbore and a 596 air rifle to lead all shooters on Sunday. Junior from Manhattan, Montana, Ivan Roe, followed shortly after by shooting 1,180 off of 585 smallbore and 595 air rifle.

Murray State Head Coach Alan Lollar said he was pleased his team had the opportunity to compete in a different atmosphere with added pressure.

“This is a tough match because even though we treat it like any other, it’s the qualifier – it’s the last match of

the year, and we know it’s a little different,” Lollar said. “I like that because we have the chance to learn how to handle matches surrounded by distraction. We accomplished that pretty well as a team, but need to get better.”

Although she wasn’t a squaded shooter for the qualifier, freshman from Austin, Texas, Meike Drewell, led all shooters in smallbore with 587 to tie her career-high.

The NCAA relies on a four score system to help determine the eight most deserving teams to participate in the NCAA Championship. The

league takes into account a team’s three highest scores at different locations, plus their performance at the NCAA Qualifier, which accounts for 25 percent of a team’s total score.

Lollar said if his team hopes to have success, they must continue to shoot with consistency.

“The next two weeks are key in that we have to stay focused and train the same way we have all year,” Lollar said.

“Nothing needs to change. We got here by training the way we want to compete and then competing that way. We have to continue that.”

Friday

FEBRUARY 24 8-8:30 a.m.

Implement Weigh-in

9 a.m.

Pentathlon 55-meter hurdles

rjaco@murraystate.edu

The NBA held the 66th annual All-Star Game last Sunday, Feb. 19 in New Orleans.

The Western Conference defeated the Eastern Conference in a high-scoring battle, 192-182. This year’s events took place at the Smoothie King Center, home of the New Orleans Pelicans. After a weekend full of activities, the main event served up a star-studded display of skill and athleticism.

Shot Put

~11:48 a.m.

Long Jump

~12:40 p.m. ~1:55 p.m.

800-meter run Heptathlon 55-meter dash

~9:10 a.m.

Long Jump

~9:48 a.m.

Shot Put

~10:54 a.m.

High Jump

~11:42 a.m.

12:30-1:30 p.m. Implement Weigh-in 2:30/4:30 p.m.

Finals

High Jump (W-M)

Trials & Finals

Staff Report

Long Jump (M-W)

Trials & Finals

Murray State’s Rodeo Club competed in the Ranch Rodeo on Feb. 18 at the William “Bill” Cherry Agricultural Exposition Center.

The 10-team competition headlined sorting, wild cow milking, ribbon roping, branding and steer riding as its key events.

Teams were limited to four competitors per team and charged an admission price of $400, as well as a $10 arena charge.

The event was hosted by Little Livestock LLC, which hosts these Ranch Rodeos frequently in Kentucky and Tennessee.

Weight Throw (M-W)

Prelims*

3 p.m.*

60-meters/HH* (W-M)

Trials

3:30 p.m.

800-meters (W-M)

Trials

4 p.m.

400-meters (W-M)

Trials

4:30 p.m.

60-meters (W-M)

Trials

5 p.m.

High Hurdles (W-M)

Trials

5:30 p.m.

200-meters (W-M)

Finals

6:10 p.m.

Distance Medley (W-M)

Finals

6:40 p.m.

5,000-meters (W-M)

* Only necessary if there are more than 4 heats in the first round.

Saturday

FEBRUARY 25 9-10 a.m.

9 a.m.

Implement Weigh-in Heptathlon 55-meter hurdles

~9:38 a.m. ~12:16 p.m.

Pole Vault 1,000-meter run

11 a.m./1 p.m.

1:30 p.m.

1:50 p.m.

2:10 p.m.

2:25 p.m.

2:45 p.m.

3 p.m.

Chalice Keith/The News

Anthony Davis wins 2017 All-Star MVP Contributing writer

~9:38 a.m.

High Jump

Murray State attends Ranch Rodeo

Keith Jaco

Multi’s

High-flying dunks and passing led the way for most of the action Sunday night.

The league’s top performers came to shine trying out every dunk in the book and shooting the lights out.

The home crowd received a healthy dose of their star power forward Anthony Davis. Davis scored 52 points in 32 minutes of play on his way to breaking Wilt Chamberlain’s scoring record and won MVP honors.

Close behind Davis in scoring and MVP consideration was Oklahoma City guard

Russell Westbrook, who scored 41 points in just 20 minutes.

Although the West possessed a more potent, high-scoring offense, each team fought for the lead. East starting forwards, LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo, put on dunking performances, tallying multiple slams.

Fans were also able to see Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant play together for the first time since Durant departed Oklahoma City for the Golden State Warriors

last summer. Western Conference Head Coach Steve Kerr played the pair for just a minute of on-court action.

In this short time of play, a give-and-go from Durant set up a Westbrook alley-oop that erupted the nearly soldout crowd.

The lack of a defensive presence, a common theme each year, paved the way for each team to convert nearly 40 points apiece each quarter. The NBA continues regular season play Thursday, Feb. 20 with 12 teams facing off as the late-season playoff push begins.

3:15 p.m.

3:45 p.m.

Shot Put (M-W)

Trials & Finals

Triple Jump (M-W)

Trials & Finals

Pole Vault (W-M)

Finals

One-mile run (W-M)

Finals

400-meters (W-M)

Finals

60-meters (W-M)

Finals

High Hurdles (W-M)

Finals

800-meters (W-M)

Finals

200-meters (W-M)

Finals

3,000-meters (W-M)

Finals

One-mile relay (W-M)

Finals

All Times Central

Graphic courtesy of Austin Gordon/The News

Check out TheNews.org next week for the championship results.

The News

Page 9

February 23, 2017

Features

Features Editor: Gisselle Hernandez Assistant Features Editor: Emily Williams Phone: 270-809-5871 Twitter: MSUNewsFeatures

‘Vagina Monologues’ share Matthew Park Staff writer mparks6@murraystate.edu

Female empowerment – only two months into 2017 – has been one of the most hot-button topics of the year.

The Women’s March that took place in Washington D.C. in January was one of the largest protests in history, with an estimated five million who marched nationwide and 500,000 in D.C. alone, with a mission of showing the world that women’s rights are human rights.

In Murray, the local March for Equality and Justice drew massive crowds led by locals and students in the community, and now, with Murray State’s production of Eve Ensler’s “Vagina Monologues,” students and faculty have come together to produce a “story of violence, strength, loss, vulnerability and triumph.”

The production took place last weekend in the Curris Center Ballroom, and was directed by Murray State graduate students Jasmine Wilkerson and Tyler Bradley.

All profits from the event went to support the Purchase Area Sexual Assault and Child Advocacy Center, a nonprofit that provides intervention services to the victims of sexual-based crimes.

Bradley said this year’s monologues are significant because of the current environment surrounding women’s equality.

“Because of events such as the Women’s March on Washington, discussion continues happening about female empowerment, what equality and equity is and what that might look like in this American age,” Bradley said.

“This event helps further those discussions, and helps us explore our own masculinities and femininities, and how our stories are one of the most powerful tools in education, advocacy and empowerment.”

People showed up en masse for the show’s production. During the Friday showing, the ballroom was so packed more chairs had to be brought in for audience members.

The monologues themselves tackled a myriad of issues, from rape to LGBT issues, to what it means to be a woman in modern society.

“The Vagina Monologues” have always been subject to critique because of the crass nature involved in much of the dialogue, but Ensler herself defended those criticisms, saying the monologues are simply the real stories of real women – with no sugarcoating to be found.

Carly Dothsuk, senior from Mason,

Chalice Keith/The News

story of triumph Michigan, said the production is important to her because of the message it sends to women everywhere.

“It’s difficult to be a woman in this day and age,” Dothsuk said. “You’re perpetually surrounded by people telling you what you should be and how you should think, while simultaneously trying to shame you for things you can’t control – i.e. having a vagina, your gender identity, whatever the case may be.”

Dothsuk said the current political environment in the United States also makes the monologues more important than ever.

“There’s a lot of vitriolic discourse out there right now,” Dothsuk said.

“Anything that can make people feel empowered and safe and loved can only be a good thing.”

Kappa Delta shakes things up for Shamrock week Gisselle Hernandez Features Editor

ghernandez1@murraystate.edu

Kappa Delta decided to shake things up for their spring Shamrock week by hosting their first Shamrock Talent Show to raise more than $2,000 for their philanthropy, Prevent Child Abuse America, last Friday at Lovett Auditorium.

The stage acted as both a place for the performers to

showcase their talent while also having the audience occupy half of the stage. There were 12 acts on the evening’s agenda, each representing a Greek organization on campus. Each team paid $80 to participate and audience members paid $10 at the door.

Jacey King, vice president of community service at KD and senior from Henderson, Kentucky, was the coordinator for the event. Since being elected in November, King said this was

her first big event and despite still being somewhat of a rookie, she was sure it was a success.

“It was just about what I expected. Being new at it, I was a little stressed, but with the help of my committee and my sorority we got through it well,” she said. “I started preparing for tonight around the beginning of December.”

KD had done various other events for their Shamrock week, like laser tag and a bas-

ketball tournament. King said she wanted to try something different that could also be fun.

“We did basketball before and that was all-day event and I could see how some people didn’t like sitting around,” she said. “So, I wanted something where everyone could be engaged.”

The sorority raised more than $2,000, with 80 percent going to their regional headquarters and 20 percent to their

J-Fresh takes the stage again Emily Williams

spired him to pursue his dream, and he admires J. Cole, another famous performer, because he finished college while pursuing his music career.

“He finished school and now he’s big time,” Jones said. “I look up to that because I want to finish school. I want to get my degree.”

Jones said his No. 1 goal is to make others’ dreams come true. He said the main reason he creates his art is to express the things he’s been through that others can relate to.

“I know what it’s like to have that dream just sitting inside your head and nobody really believing in you,” Jones said. “Like it’s just you against the world. I want to help people’s dreams come true, too, and to serve those people who have the same dream as me.”

Terron Gilmore, senior from New Orleans, said he and J-Fresh have been friends since 2014 and if he could describe him in one word, it would be “cool.”

“He’s been working hard on his music,” Gilmore said.

“He deserves to get far.”

Gilmore said you never have to expect negativity in J-Fresh’s music.

Storm Herron, J-fresh’s producer and engineer from St. Louis, said he has known him for two or three years and he has noticed he is an extremely hard worker and is always improving.

“He’s definitely serious about his art form,” Herron said.

“He works and works on his creativity, and he raps about real-life things. He’s consistently working on his craft.”

Herron said J-Fresh brings something new and fresh to the hip-hop world.

“I see him being true to who he is as an individual because he writes about his experiences,” Herron said. “There’s a genuine factor to that and that’s very rare.”

Assistant Features Editor ewilliams15@murraystate.edu

Murray State’s Jared “J-Fresh” Jones has been rapping and singing since he was a fifth grader in St. Louis, and the performer recently took his musical artistry to the America’s Got Talent audition stage in Memphis, Tennessee, for the second time.

After auditioning for America’s Got Talent in January 2016 in Kansas City, Missouri, Jones said the judges liked him and gave him a second audition, this time with the executive judges on the show. Jones said he took the audition and was just one round away from making it far enough to be on the TV auditions.

He said that inspired him to try out again this year.

“The year before I tried out, I saw it on TV,” Jones said. “I saw that Nick Cannon was on there and I’ve always looked up to Nick Cannon.

So I was thinking like, ‘Wow, I could audition and possibly meet him and that could open up doors for me.’”

Jones is a junior at Murray State, majoring in music business with a minor in business administration, and he said it is sometimes hard to balance school and his art.

“There’s not really any studios down here so I’m mostly just making music when I go back to St. Louis, so that helps a lot,” Jones said. “I just make sure all my school work is done first. When my free time comes in, that’s when I write new songs or listen to new beats. So I just balance it out. Time management, basically.”

Jones said rapper Lil Wayne in-

Jenny Rohl/The News

Read more at TheNews.org.

national headquarters.

There were three judges for the talent show and the first act was by the band Lethargic Superdudes, who are in Phi Kappa Tau, singing one of their original songs. The second act was Alpha Omicron Pi, with two sisters singing and rapping “Airplanes” by B.o.B. and Hayley Williams.

The audience then witnessed a magic act by Alpha Sigma Phi brother Canyon Kenny and

although it took two tries for it to work, the audience was amused by the performance.

For the first time in perhaps all history, there was a synchronized swimming team from Lambda Chi Alpha taking over Lovett’s stage, doing backstrokes and butterfly strokes in the air behind a blue tarp, fully-clad with goggles and sunscreen.

Read more at TheNews.org.

The Heart of the Matter

TLC College is hard.

Y e s , you can m a k e that argument for just a b o u t a n y thing, depending on Emily Williams who you Assistant Features are and Editor w h a t you’re going through, and maybe as college students, we’ve yet to face our hardest days in the “real world.” But that absolutely does not change the fact that life within the bubble of a university is no picnic. At times, it has the potential to drain you of what makes you who you are in the first place.

With tear-filled eyes and over a couple of Culver’s milkshakes, my best friend and I recently took the time to sit and talk about how hard life can be and how easy it is to lose sight of yourself in the hectic, confusing and seemingly-impossible circumstances sometimes.

In these times, when we’re flooded with assignments and deadlines, when we’re trying to balance relationships and work in a healthy way, when we’re forced to choose between two really good things, when we just can’t seem to get the right amount of sleep at night, when we just feel like we don’t quite measure up, I think it’s important for us to remember this: It’s OK. There will be nights when you physically cannot hold your eyes open any longer, and on those nights, I think it’s OK to set your literature book aside, turn out the light and get a good night’s

rest. The work you need to do will get done because you always do it, but when your body is screaming at you for sleep and for nourishment, you need to listen to it and get some shut-eye.

You need to make time for the things you love. You need to read, not only the required text for your classes that week, but that book that’s collecting dust on your shelf that you bought during syllabus week. You need to sit out in the sunshine and breathe in the fresh air during a study break. You need to laugh with your friends over something really stupid while you should probably be doing your biology homework.

Education is important, working hard is important and applying yourself is important, but you will never be able to live up to what you are capable of if you are completely and utterly exhausted, mentally and physically. I think in college we sometimes forget how important it is to take care of ourselves.

And that is most definitely an easy thing to do, with a chore list a mile high, rent to pay and grades to maintain. But sometimes the most productive thing you can do is take a nap. Take a nap, wake up and go at it again. Because you’re only human. You’re no robot (but how cool would that be?)

So, about 10 minutes from now, (after you’re finished wasting your existence reading about my thoughts for the week) when you start to feel the fear of not measuring up creep in, you should take a deep breath, do something you love, eat something outside the boundaries of your diet and go easy on yourself.

You’re doing the best you can. ewilliams15@murraystate.edu

The News

Features

Page 10

February 23, 2017

Sell us your major Nick Erickson || Staff writer nerickson@murraystate.edu

From painting to biomedical science, there are a plethora of

majors offered at Murray State.

With this wide range of fields in which students can study, it can be a burden on those students to decide what fits for them. The

Murray State News asked students who are passionate about their current major to “sell it” in an effort to help indecisive students make their pick.

For those seeking less conventional, equally-rewarding fields of study, performing arts may be the right fit. Nick Toole, senior from Louisville, Kentucky, said his major is one of the more engaging, fun majors offered.

“I get to literally fight people for school,” Toole, theater major with an emphasis in combat performance, said. “I have the chance to play with swords and weapons all day, for a grade, and nothing quite beats that.”

Toole said the classes he takes, including suzuki, involve a lot of movement and strength training.

“I have the chance to do what I’m passionate about, with less of the paperwork,” Toole said.

For those who want an array of real-life applications with their career, Shanna Hicks, senior from Louisville, Kentucky, said the versatility of her political science major is a huge selling point.

“Besides political science itself, you could teach political science, or go into the legal studies field,” Hicks said. “On top of that, there’s a ton of scholarship opportunities for undergraduates to take advantage of.”

Not only are developmental social skills vital to college life – they are also necessary out in the real world, no matter what career someone has.

Moe Nagaki, exchange student from Osaka, Japan, is a communication major with a focus in English as a second language. Coming from a foreign country, Nagaki believes that her major offers skills essential to all human beings.

“We cannot live without communication, as all behavior is communication,” Nagaki said. “Even the way we sit in our chairs is a way of communication.”

Nagaki said she believes anyone can take something away from her major.

“Coming from Japan, studying communications has helped me a lot,” Nagaki said. “I know that it will be helpful to anyone of any home.”

Le’Daija Smith, freshman from Highland, Kentucky, said her major in athletic training is a gateway to involvement with the pros.

“With athletic training, I’ll hopefully be able to work with pro athletes,” Smith said. “It’s my gateway to getting behind the scenes and involved in the world of sports.”

Smith recommends the major to anyone looking for involvement in the big leagues.

“If you want the chance to work with your favorite teams, this is your best shot,” Smith said.

Jenny Rohl/The News

Paducah Mellow Mushroom opens its doors

Sydni Anderson Staff writer

sanderson33@murraystate. edu

A famous Georgia-based pizza franchise set up shop in Paducah, Kentucky, and opened its doors to the public Monday morning. Ed Musselman, owner of the Paducah Mellow Mushroom, said the business has had a busy beginning.

“I’ve been working 20 hour days for the past week,” Musselman said.

Musselman not only owns the restaurant, but the building it resides in.

Mellow Mushroom exists in one of Paducah’s historic landmarks: The Coke Plant built in 1939 by an early Coca-Cola bottler. Mellow Mushroom is the third business to live in the plant, following Dry Ground Brewing

Company and Pipers Tea and Coffee which are still open in the building.

Mellow Mushroom brings two things to the plant: pizza and art.

Like all other Mellow Mushrooms across the country, art is a staple theme in the Paducah establishment.

Amy Senn is a Mellow Mushroom art director collaborating with Musselman to bring artwork

to his restaurant. Senn said the Paducah establishment will feature the work of more than 20 local artists, compared to the typical five to seven she usually works with.

Paducah artist Rob Estes of Brushstroke Signs painted the Mellow Mushroom’s signature mural in a rainbow of colors, featuring the words “Enjoy Paducah” and an effigy of Luther F. Carson,

the man who opened the Coke plant in the early 20th century.

According to The Coke Plant’s Facebook page, the bar top at Mellow Mushroom was handcrafted by Paducah craftsman Marty Steve out of 100-year-old red gum beams that were salvaged from a demolition at 5th and Broadway streets.

Read more at TheNews.org.

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 23, 2017

Page 11

Carlton displays pure talent

Photo courtesy of dinealonerecords.com

Nick Erickson || Staff writer nerickson@murraystate.edu

Just three months after releasing her debut live album, ‘Liberman Live’, Vanessa Carlton dropped a new EP, “Earlier Things Live.” The Pennsylvanian pop rock star focuses on revitalizing the highlights of her older discography, and she sounds as pure as ever in this album.

Rarely utilizing more than her emotive voice, a piano and a violin, Carlton’s stripped-down approach to her hits of the last decade is captivating.

Opening with “Carousel,” originally from 2011’s “Rabbits on the Run,” the song might be a live recording, but it sounds as polished as the original. Over ascending piano runs, Carlton’s smooth voice assures listeners that a broken heart is not forever. “Love comes back around again. It’s a carousel, my friend.”

With the acoustic version of what is arguably her most popular track, Carlton breathes new life into 2002’s “A Thousand Miles.”

The famous introductory piano riff and staccato strings aid in bringing out the passion in Carlton’s croon. It is here where the delicate bowing of the featured violin works its magic, stealing the show toward the bridge of the track.

The somber Rhodes and string duet that opens “White Houses” packs a melancholic punch as Carlton pours her heart out over her piano. “Hear the Bells” an incorporation of odd, clunking bells mimicking the piano melodies and is hauntingly beautiful. Carlton’s high falsetto over her piano solo bridge makes for a tearjerker.

Featuring her husband and Deer Tick frontman, John McCauley,” “In Our Time” gives the EP a notable country twang, without losing the flow of the previous tracks. Marking the first appearance of an

acoustic guitar, its bouncy melody carries McCauley and Carlton as they trade off lines in the song.

Ending the track with a whistle melody, this track is by far the standout of the album because of its shift from piano-pop to country ballad.

Concluding the album with a return to piano chords and violin stabs, “Marching Line,” seems to gradually crescendo as Carlton sings of moving past regret. “It’s time to join the marching line, leave it all behind,” she sings as she begins to pound the ivories harder before the track resolves into a powerful ending.

Carlton is an emotionally-driven artist. Putting her emotions into her compositions, “Earlier Things Live” helps listeners recognize her true talent and ability better than ever before. With this organic recording and release, Carlton reminds us that she can truly sing and play without all the studio magic, and that’s an impressive feat.

The Great Wall falls Contributing writer gdillard@murraystate.edu

The Great Wall of China is a marvelous sight to behold and has had many stories told about it. Some are said to be true, others are known as legends. The plot of “The Great Wall” is told as one of them. It even says in the opening credits, “This is one of those legends.” As legends, as well as fantasy films go, “The Great Wall” is a decently presented, yet flawed film that could have been a much greater tale, but still serviceable as is.

Taking place during the Northern Song Dynasty, the film focuses on a warrior named William (Matt Damon) who searches for gunpowder alongside his friend, Tovar (Pedro Pascal). Looking for shelter, they come across the Great Wall and are imprisoned by the Chinese army led by Commander Lin Mae (Tian Jing). Shortly after, the Great Wall is attacked by an armada of monstrous creatures that have constantly been a threat to the Chinese army for many years. After William and Tovar help the army fend off the monsters, they earn the trust and respect of the commander and her soldiers, who want him to help put an end to the attacks. At first, William and Tovar just want to obtain the army’s gunpowder and get away. But over time, William starts to realize that there’s more to life than fortune and riches and hopes to help Commander Lin Mae defeat the creatures

Photo courtesy of collider.com

once and for all.

The presentation of the film is quite extraordinary and helps it overcome some of its deeper flaws.

“The Great Wall” is expansive in scope and its world feels gigantic and grand. Thanks to its ancient Chinese setting, the world shown is very stylish and beautiful to look at.

It’s action sequences are fastpaced and exciting to watch. They’re filmed very well, and it’s easy for viewers to see what’s happening.

The first attack on the wall by the monsters is the best action scene in the movie, and it’s about as good as the battle of Helm’s Deep in “Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers.”

While the main cast isn’t great, there are standouts, with William being a very good protagonist. The character arc of someone who is down on his luck and eventually becomes a hero has been done in many films before, but it’s always a good way to develop a protagonist for a film like this. It’s a good filmmaking tactic that helps the audience get more invested in the story. Matt Damon’s performance isn’t Oscar-worthy, but it’s convincing enough and it works.

Another standout is actress Tian Jing as Commander Lin Mae. She’s very likable, and also presents a tough-girl type attitude that makes her very intriguing.

Unfortunately, “The Great Wall” has issues that really bring it down and prevent it from being amazing.

The first act does start off a little

rough, beginning during an action scene involving William and Pedro before the audience can get invested in them.

Also, it would’ve been better if more of the characters were memorable, and not just William and Lin Mae. But what really hinders the film from brilliance is its boring second half. Not only does the film slow down to a crawl, but it also throws in the ‘misunderstanding’ plot point that belongs mainly in romantic comedies, and not a big-budget action film. Thankfully, the third act picks back up immediately.

Despite a dreadful second act, “The Great Wall” is still worth seeing for some entertaining action sequences, a few likable characters and a vast and expansive world. “The Great Wall” may be decent and entertaining at times, but unfortunately, it’s far from great.

UNDER THE RADAR

Photo courtesy of denofgeek.com

Grant Dillard

NEW & NOTEWORTHY

PRESIDENT OF ICELAND PROVES TO BE A BIG BULLY

Photo courtesy of IcelandMag.com

Rumor has it Iceland’s president wants to ban pineapple on pizza and to be honest, we are super offended by the entire thing. While taking questions from high school students in Akureyi, the jerk of a president threw a “political grenade” and stated if he had the power to pass a ban on pineapple as a pizza topping, he definitely would. First of all, dude, what’s wrong with you? Secondly, no. Absolutely not. Icelanders, stand your ground on this one. That’s a slice of your life that no president should have the power to take away from you.

Photo courtesy of JoBlo.com

SEE IT “Get Out”

Photo courtesy of pitchfork.com

HEAR IT

“Prisoner”

By Ryan Adams

Photo courtesy of rebekahlyons.com

READ IT

“You Are Free”

By Rebekah Lyons

Page 12

The News

February 23, 2017