The Murray State News

M

THE MUR R AY STATE

NEWS

A heart of gold

Page 9

90 years of excellence

March 2, 2017 | Vol. 91, No. 20

Racer refuses to roll Receiver cut after refusing punishment on medical grounds Sarah Combs || Sports Editor scombs8@murraystate.edu

Photos courtesy of Jenny Rohl/The News

Racers move on to face Morehead State Thursday, March 2 at the Municipal Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee.

Stark saves the day Racers defeat Tennessee Tech in double overtime Bryan Edwards || Staff writer bedwards16@murraystate.edu

Junior guard Jonathan Stark recorded a career-high 41 points in The Racers’ 85-84 double overtime victory against Tennessee Tech in the first round of the OVC tournament.

Stark hit the game-winning three point shot with six seconds remaining to give the Racers a win and advance in the OVC Tournament.

Senior guard Bryce Jones said he wasn’t surprised that the shot fell for Stark and was happy for him.

“I’ve played against him for two summers and he has been making crazy shots like that every since I met him,” Jones said. “When he makes those shots in these moments I’m just happy for him. You dream of making those shots, and knowing that I’m in the gym with him when he makes them, I just feel blessed.”

A confrontational encounter with a coach led to wide receiver Mark Dodson being released from the football program in mid-February. Dodson said Head Coach Mitch Stewart sent out an email saying he quit.

“I never did quit, he (Stewart) cut me off the team,” Dodson said.

Dodson said the incident began with the team’s accountability point system, which punishes players for missing class. After one of Dodson’s teammates failed to show up for class, the whole team was given “rolls,” wherein players literally roll across the enDodson tirety of the football field.

This time, though, the players were told to roll for 600 yards.

Dodson sought out an alternative punishment for medical reasons, having been treated for migraines since at least early 2016. Medical records provided to The Murray State News show he was been on a daily medication for migraines. Dodson said the athletic trainers were aware of his medical condition.

Running back coach Sean Dawkins reportedly said they would discuss it the following day.

On Feb. 15, Dodson showed up for practice at 5:30 a.m. ready to carry out the new punishment he had hoped was coming. However, Dodson said Dawkins refused to give a dif-

see OVC, page 2

Former Governor rebukes Trump

Collin Morris

Assistant Sports Editor

cmorris29@murraystate.edu

On Oct. 1, 2013, open enrollment began for Kentucky’s health care exchange known as Kynect – the program went on to become known as one of the most successful implementations of former President Barack Obama’s Affordable Care Act. Four years later, former Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear faced the U.S. Congress to defend his state’s success once more.

President Donald Trump delivered his first address to a joint session of Congress Tuesday night. The U.S. Constitution requires the president to occasionally report to Congress, and every president since Ronald Reagan has delivered this address to Congress early in their terms, according to History.com.

More recently, it has become a political custom for the opposing party to choose a representative to deliver a response to the president’s address.

Tuesday, Beshear followed Trump’s address with the Democrats’ perspective of the country’s well-being, which had been previously announced by Democratic leaders, Sen. Chuck Schumer and Rep. Nancy Pelosi.

Beshear, who completed his second and final term as governor in 2015, delivered his address live from a local restaurant in Lexington. He focused on division, financial policies, Wall Street and, predominantly, “Obamacare.”

He began his rebuke by knocking one of Trump’s many executive orders.

“Mr. President, as a can-

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Photo courtesy of flickr.com

Former Gov. Steve Beshear criticized Donald Trump, urging him to keep health care promises. didate, you promised to be a champion for families struggling to make ends meet and I hope you live up to that promise,” Beshear said. “But one of your very first executive orders makes it harder for those families to even afford a mortgage.”

He then went on to question Trump’s stances on financial regulations, as well as the backgrounds of his cabinet appointees.

“Then you started rolling back rules that provide oversight of the financial industry and safeguard us against another national economic meltdown,” Beshear said, referring to the president’s weakening of the Dodd-Frank Act. “And you picked a Cabinet of billionaires and Wall Street insiders who want to eviscerate the protections that most Americans count on and that help level the playing field.”

Beshear then transitioned his focus to the issue of health care, using approximately six of his nine minutes and the remainder of his speech to defend affordable health in-

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surance.

“Mr. President, folks here in in Kentucky expect you to keep your word, because this isn’t a game - it’s life and death for people,” Beshear said. “These ideas promise access to care, but deny the importance of making care affordable and effective. They would charge families more for fewer benefits and put the insurance companies back in control.”

He said those unable to afford health coverage aren’t anomalies, but regular Americans with whom we associate frequently.

“Look, they’re not aliens from some distant planet.

They are our friends and neighbors. We sit in the bleachers with them on Friday night, we worship in the pews with them on Sunday morning,” Beshear said. “And before the Affordable Care Act, they woke up every morning and went to work, just hoping and praying they wouldn’t get sick because they knew that

see BESHEAR, page 2

@TheMurrayStateNews

see DODSON, page 2

Looking forward, TRUMP rolling back 100 days of

Connor Jaschen Editor-in-Chief

cjaschen@murraystate.edu

President Donald Trump addressed Congress Tuesday night in a speech about unity and the Trump Administration’s progress thus far.

Trump stayed true to form on many issues, including immigration and military spending, though reached across the aisle, urging Democrats and Republicans to unite for the common good.

“Solving these, and so many other pressing problems, will require us to work past the differences of party,” Trump said. “It will require us to tap into the American spirit that has overcome every challenge throughout our long and storied history.”

During the speech, Trump

introduced four guests, each of whom had family members killed by illegal immigrant felons. This prompted the roll out of the Victims of Immigration Crime Engagement (VOICE) program, under the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). ICE will publish weekly listings of crimes committed by immigrants – though the distinction between immigrants and illegal immigrants was not made clear.

Trump closed his speech by encouraging Congress to look towards the future.

“Hopefully, the 250th year for America will see a world that is more peaceful, more just and more free,” Trump said.

Trump referenced Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin’s remarks on Kentucky’s Affordable Care Act program, saying the program was unsustainable and

collapsing, a sharp contrast to former Gov. Steve Beshear’s comments made during his rebuttal speech in a Lexington restaurant.

Since Trump’s speech, the Dow Jones industrial average has shot up at least 300 points.

Closing above 21,000 for the first time ever, stocks rode off Trump’s promises to cut corporate taxes and re-pledging his policy to roll back two old regulations for every one new regulation.

Trump released his budget plan earlier this week, which would increase military spending by more than $54 billion.

These increases would help be alleviated by a 37 percent cut to the Department of State, which is responsible for the negotiation of treaties and representa-

see TRUMP, page 2

Health services considers user fee Lindsey Coleman Staff writer

lcoleman7@murraystate.edu

At the Board of Regents meeting Feb. 24, Don Robertson, vice president of Student Affairs, and Jackie Dudley, vice president of Finance and Administrative Services, presented several options for a Health Services expansion, which included potentially implementing a Health Services fee or moving the facility to the residential side of campus.

“You’re not going to do well academically if you’re not feeling well, so we want to make sure what we’re providing is best meeting the needs of students,” Robertson said.

Robertson said during Fall 2016, a steering commit-

@MurrayStateNews

tee including Kim Paschall, Health Services director, and several other staff and student representatives were assembled to wade through proposals and feedback from Hodgkins Beckley Consulting.

The consulting firm provides project management consultations for student health operations. After their studies at Murray State, Robertson said the firm concluded there is an unusually high amount of satisfaction with Health Services when compared with other universities. They also found the level of faculty and staff who utilize Health Services is higher than most universities.

Health Services currently requires approximately $530,000 per year to operate.

To fund the potential new initiatives, Robertson said a health fee, which would tentatively be $149 for students and faculty on the Murray campus, a per-visit fee or billing insurance companies for visits could be in the works.

Student Government Association President Clint Combs said SGA informally polled the student senate about options for health services at the Feb. 22 meeting.

“What we found is what I think the board came to the conclusion of,” Combs said.

“We need some concrete ideas of what some be some options for Health Services.”

Combs said of the approximately 20 people in attendance, half were in favor of

@TheMurrayStateNews

@MurrayStateNews

see HEALTH, page 2

HEALTH From Page 1 Health Services yearly fees, half were in favor of billing insurance and all representatives were adamant that insurance should not be a requirement for service.

Students expressed if a fee is charged, more services would be expected, he said.

Health Services, currently located in Wells Hall, could

The News

News

Page 2 be moving to the residential side of campus, which Robertson said would make sense in some regards.

“I think it’s important the university does want to keep Health Services on campus,” Paschall said. “They don’t want students to have to go off campus.”

The consultants thought the hours of operation were short, and Robertson said they would recommend hours of operation to expand to 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Consultants looked at

the scope of operation, and Robertson said they recommended a greater focus on women’s health, psychiatric health and immunizations. To achieve those goals, the firm presented six models, which he said included everything from maintaining the existing model and adding a few services, to completely outsourcing the operation to a combination of the two.

Thus far in the process, Robertson said they’re not leaning towards any specific model, but they hope to be

financially efficient no matter what option they choose.

The next step will be to send out a request for information to see what operations other health providers could service on campus.

Robertson said Health Services is affected by the university budget. Because of budget cuts last year, the consulting physician and inhouse lab were lost at the center. Now, CLIA-waived rapid testing is performed at the center, and a nurse practitioner sees patients.

March 2, 2017 Robertson said the request for information will be sent out, input will be evaluated, a request for proposals may be sent out and a decision will be made for or against outsourcing in the next year.

“I think if we are able to enhance our operations, then we can do more, serve a larger number of students,” Paschall said. “We typically see 65 students a day, and during flu season it can get up to 100.” She said sometimes the office reaches full capacity and only some stu-

dents can be seen, so increasing services and the hours of operation would be beneficial.

At the board meeting, President Bob Davies said as a community and a small city, offering Health Services on campus is vital.

“Health Services is a necessary and important component of our university, the question becomes how do we appropriately offer the services, if necessary, how do we expand the services in the most fiscally-approved manner,” Davies said.

Board of Regents revamps alcohol policy Sabra Jackson

Contributing writer sjackson30@murraystate.edu

Photos courtesy of Jenny Rohl/The News

OVC

Head Coach Matt McMahon said the team fought hard so they could keep the ride going.

“What a great basketball From Page 1 game,” McMahon said.

“I’m really proud of the guys, I thought they were very resilient and we were fortunate to come out of this game with the win.”

The Racers led 62-60 in the final seconds of the game, but a dunk by Golden Eagle junior forward Curtis Phillips Jr. tied the contest at 62 with one second remaining to send the game into overtime.

Tennessee Tech senior guard Kajon Mack scored all nine points for the Golden Eagles

DODSON From Page 1 ferent punishment. Instead, an on-field confrontation erupted between the two.

Dodson said Dawkins got aggressive and told him to leave after he asked once again for an alternative punishment. Dodson walked away, hoping not to escalate the situation. It didn’t work. A source who wished to remain anonymous witnessed the incident and confirmed the story.

After Dodson walked away, he said Dawkins followed him into the entrance hallway, provoking him with vulgar language as he went. From this point on, the pair were alone, with no other witnesses.

Dodson said his former coach took it one step further. Dawkins reportedly began poking Dodson in the head and repeating, “Hit me.”

“He said I hadn’t done anything for the university,” Dodson said. “(He) told me I was soft, weak.”

Dawkins then allegedly got up “in my (Dodson’s) face saying, ‘What are you gonna do.’”

BESHEAR From Page 1 they were just one bad diagnosis away from bankruptcy.”

Beshear also acknowledged Trump’s recent debacle with members of the press corp, saying descent is not inherently treacherous.

“President Trump also needs to understand that people may disagree with him from time to time, but that doesn’t make them his enemies,” Beshear said. “When the president attacks the loyalty and credibility of our intelligence agencies, the court system, the military, the free press, individual Americans, simply because he doesn’t

in the overtime period, but a missed shot on their final possession. Stark rolled around a screen and missed a potential game winning shot, sending the game into a second overtime.

Jones opened the second overtime with five points, and Stark scored the final seven including the three that ultimately sealed the game for the Racers.

Murray State freshman Jalen Dupree scored the first basket of the game in his first career start in a Racer uniform. Although Dupree fouled out in the game, he recorded 12 points and 11 rebounds, marking his second double-double in as many games. Miller also recorded a double-double with 14 points

and 12 rebounds. Jones also put up 12 points, including five during the second overtime.

The Racers hit a drought early in the first half, going 6:20 without a point. The Golden Eagles capitalized on the Racer drought, taking the lead at 13-6.

The trio of Jones, and Stark and junior forward Terrell Miller led the Racers back, but were still trailing 29-30 at the half.

The win advances the Racers onto the second round of the OVC Tournament, where they will square off against the Morehead State Eagles. The Eagles defeated the Racers 101-100 in their only meeting this season.

Tip-off is set for 8:30 p.m. on Thursday, Mar. 2 in Nashville.

This was when Dodson broke. The pair reportedly began swapping vulgarities, though Dodson said it was only after his coach’s provocation.

Dodson said another coach came and pulled Dawkins away from him to break up the incident.

The next morning, Dawkins reached out to Dodson via phone call, but Dodson said he didn’t have anything to say to him. Dodson said he ignored texts he received from Dawkins later that morning.

Dodson returned the following day to “make things right” with Stewart.

Instead of an apology, Stewart greeted Dodson with an ultimatum: do double the “rolling” or he was off the team.

“What makes you different from the team that you need an alternate punishment?” Dodson said Stewart asked him.

Reportedly, Stewart said medication wasn’t a legitimate reason not to do the punishment and he hadn’t contributed enough to the team to deserve special treatment.

Dodson told Stewart “by no means” was he trying to put himself over the team.

“I’m all about team and accountability,” Dodson said.

Dodson said he reminded Stewart he was on medication for a documented medical condition that both the coaching staff and the trainers were aware of.

Stewart reportedly said the only member of the team who didn’t have to do rolls was offensive lineman Noah Banks, who Dodson said had a seizure in the locker room from ‘rolling’ too much last season.

“I don’t have an alternate for you Dodson,” Stewart told him.

“I’m not gonna put myself in that situation,” Dodson said to Stewart. “I know the pain I’m gonna be in after 600 yards of rolling.”

Stewart addressed the confrontation between Dodson and his running back coach, reportedly telling Dodson he has to “be OK with it because Coach Dawkins was going through some things.”

When Dodson refused to complete the double rolls, Stewart told him coaches were already cleaning out his locker.

“When he told me, tears just dropped down,” Dodson said. “I just couldn’t believe it.”

Dodson said he walked into the locker room to see his locker completely empty with a black garbage bag containing all

of his things.

Dodson has filed a complaint against Dawkins and Stewart with the office of Institutional Diversity, Equity and Access and the NCAA compliance officer.

“I did everything they asked me to do,” Dodson said. “I have never been in trouble on or off the field while I’ve been here.”

Dodson said he has recruited for the team and even hosted potential players, promoting Murray State. Yet, he said all of that has changed.

“This felt like home,” he said.

“I did everything right.”

Dodson said he still wants to play football, but he can’t trust Dawkins or Stewart anymore.

“I can’t trust them no more [sic],” Dodson said.

He plans to graduate in May with a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice. As for his football career, he still has eligibility remaining since he redshirted last season after sustaining a season-ending injury to his foot.

“I’m getting in contact with a couple of schools,” Dodson said, in reference to his eligibility.

Dodson says he just wants to play football.

The News reached out to university officials but was told they could not comment on “personnel matters.”

like what they say, he’s eroding our democracy and that’s reckless.”

In closing, Beshear said Democrats are looking to refocus the country’s leaders and bureaucrats and called for Americans to unite under the language of the Pledge of Allegiance.

“Kentucky made real progress while I was governor because we were motivated by one thing - helping families. Democrats are trying to bring that same focus back to Washington D.C.,” Beshear said. “Americans are a diverse people and we may disagree on a lot of things, but we’ve always come together when we remember that we are one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”

TRUMP

The bill would eliminate funding to Planned Parenthood, a stipulation that may cause considerable bipartisan roadblocks if the legislation ever hits the Senate floor.

Trump signed another executive order Tuesday to begin limiting jurisdiction of the Environmental Protection Agency and the Army Corps.

Of Engineers surrounding the Clean Water rule. The rule designates small bodies of water as under the control of these governmental organizations.

According to an article by The Hill, Trump plans to sign an executive order to end the Obama-era hold on new coal mining projects on federal land and rolling back the Clean Power Plan, which provided limits for power plant emission levels.

From Page 1 tion in the United Nations.

BBC reported Tuesday Republican leaders, including Sen. Lindsey Graham are beginning to stand up against this proposal, going as far as calling the budget “dead on arrival.”

Last week, Politico obtained the draft of a Republican-sponsored House bill to replace the Affordable Care Act. According to Politico, the bill relies on tax credits based on age to replace “Obamacare” subsidies and would roll back Medicaid expansion, leaving expansion and funding to the individual states. Much of the bill would go into effect in 2020.

The Board of Regents approved changes made to the alcohol policy in the Student Life Policies, Rules and Procedures during their meeting Feb. 24.

Don Robertson, vice president of Student Affairs, and Mike Young, associate vice president of Student Affairs, presented a change in the policy that was reviewed by the President’s Cabinet on Jan. 24.

Robertson and a committee, including Abigail French, coordinator of the Women’s Center and Education Program, put the new policy together.

You can find a copy of the alcohol policy along with tailgating procedures and Tent City guidelines in the Murray State University Libraries.

In addition to implementing fines and a tailgating procedure, the policy covers the affects of drinking and how to overcome them as well as information on what outside resources are available for students who need them.

“There’s a lot of information about resources,” French said.

“Not all students know where to look for those.”

FINES

The board reviewed the policy in regards to how students will be fined based on the use of alcohol on campus.

Robertson said the fine students will be given is lower than other universities, including University of Louisville, Marquette University and University of Kentucky, which is where the idea for the change came from.

If students host a party in university housing, the student living in the room will be fined. There is an additional sanction for students in the room under 21 and drinking alcohol.

“That’s basically a fee that will be assessed similarly to any other housing violation,” French said.

Young said if the student is a minor their parents will be informed on the second offense to the policy. Students over 21 are responsible for themselves as adults, therefore parents will not be briefed on the situation.

“The reason that it comes into effect at the second of-

fense is because we want to give the student the opportunity at that first offense to correct the behavior themselves,” French said.

There are four different levels to the severity system which varies by degree of severity and the number of offenses. The fine will increase as you continue to violate the policy.

“It’s meant to stress the importance of our alcohol policy on campus as well as provide effective deterrent against future violations,” SGA President Clint Comb said.

Young said the students involved in Greek life will be heard in front of the Greek Standards Board of their organization as well as the Murray State Judicial Board if university codes have been broken.

TAILGATING PROCEDURE

The tailgating procedure highlights the state and local laws of the use of alcoholic beverages. It states people attending tailgating events are to be respectful of the nature and character of Murray State.

This procedure has already been put into practice but was never officially written down.

Now, those who register to tailgate will receive a copy of the procedure upon registration.

According to the tailgating procedure, “consumption of alcoholic beverages from their original containers is strictly prohibited.”

People may consume alcoholic beverages from paper or solid colored plastic cups. The use of cans and bottles for alcohol is not permitted during such events and open alcohol containers outside Stewart Stadium parking lots are prohibited. Drinking during games is also illicit.

While the alcohol policy only covers student involvement, the tailgating procedure touches not only students, but alumni, parents and community members visiting the university on game day.

The alcohol eCheckup is currently being paid for by the university. However, the fees collected from the violations to the alcohol policy will be assist in providing the program.

“All the things that we do, we do to educate the students,” Young said. “We are trying to create a safe environment.”

McKenna Dosier/The News

RadioShack closing Staff report Anyone in Murray wishing to shop at the RadioShack store located on 12th Street must do so before the store closes Friday, March 10.

Since March 1, everything in the store is 30 to 50 percent off.

A RadioShack employee said the sale was not initially started because the store was closing, rather it was an effort to pick up more business.

“In the end, it didn’t work out,” the employee said.

One of the biggest concerns

now that the store is officially closing is where Sprint customers will have to go since RadioShack offered its services until Feb. 28.

Now, the closest Sprint store is located in Paducah, Kentucky on Hinkleville Road.

If a Sprint customer doesn’t want to make the trip, a Sprint app is available for smartphones and customers can call any store with concerns.

Current RadioShack employees said they don’t know what will come of the building once the store is cleared out.

The News

News

March 2, 2017

Page 3

Iwis donates Chevrolet Volt for student research project

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

Sabra Jackson

Contributing writer

POLICE BEAT FEB. 22 12:48 a.m.

An officer conducted a traffic stop in the Baptist Campus Ministry parking lot. A verbal warning was issued for failure to illuminate headlights.

10:06 p.m.

A caller reported being stuck on an elevator in the Business Building but was able to get off. The Central Heating and Cooling Plant was notified.

FEB. 23 8:41 a.m.

The Murray State Police Department received a sprinkler tamper alarm at Faculty Hall on the alarm center computer. Facilities Management was notified and the alarm was because of maintenance being conducted by Facilities Management.

sjackson30@murraystate.edu

Iwis, a factory that came to Murray in March 2010 and is located just north of town off U.S. Route 641, partnered with the Jesse D. Jones College of Science, Engineering and Technology and donated a Chevrolet Volt for students to use in research of alternative energy.

Iwis motorsysteme is a production plant based out of Munich. The chain of factories is a world leader in cost-effective timing drive systems based on precision chains. Most, if not all, car manufacturers are supplied with systems from the plants in Munich and Landsberg, Germany.

The donated car was on display in front of Pogue Library Friday. Danny Claiborne, department chairman of the Institute of Engineering, and Patrick Smith, senior engineering major, were there to answer questions, the community had about the car.

Claiborne said the Institute of Engineering has been working on a partnership with Iwis for more than three years after Iwis built a plant in

Murray.

In May of 2016, 17 students and three faculty members, including Claiborne, had the opportunity to go to Munich and see the plant.

“We got to know the CEO of North America Iwis, and then he moved to Murray and obviously our friendship continued to grow,” Claiborne said.

Iwis originally worked with Chev-

rolet on the car to complete all the development that was needed. Once the company was done, it wanted to give the car to Murray State to allow students the chance to see how car engineers use alternative energy as a different motive.

“We are just going to use it for the students’ ability to look at and possibly even have interest in research in this direction,” Claiborne said.

VITA program returns Dining Services

1:18 p.m.

The Murray State Police Department received a fax from the office of Institutional Diversity, Equity and Access in reference to an off-campus sexual assault that occurred in the 2016 fall semester. Officers were notified.

Katlyn Mackie

Contributing writer kmackie2@murraystate.edu

FEB. 24

United Way is involved again with the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program after taking several years hiatus.

VITA is a program sponsored by the Internal Revenue Service that has been providing tax assistance to Murray State students and employees, moderate-income taxpayers and senior citizens in Murray-Calloway County since 1976.

United Way’s purpose in the program is to assist with reaching out to the community through media to advertise the program, as well as provide access to volunteers for the elderly.

“United Way’s major focus is education, health and wellness and financial literacy,” said Gerald Washington, director of United Way. “The VITA program feeds very well into one of the focus areas, which is financial literacy.”

The VITA program is run by student volunteers and supervised by Denise O’Shaughnessy, assistant professor of accounting.

The volunteers, which are from Beta Alpha Psi – the accounting honor society – and students in accounting courses, have to complete two training courses and become certified in standards of conduct prior to participating.

Then, the volunteers have the choice to take the intake and quality review course, as well as the tax courses after passing the intake review course. Certifications for tax courses are basic, advanced or non-residence.

The volunteers who serve as greeters explain the process, help taxpayers complete the required documentation and introduce the taxpayer to an interviewer who evaluates the client’s documentation and carries out an intake questionnaire.

Two student volunteers then prepare the return form based on their level of certification, and a reviewer approves the return prior to meeting with the client.

While the volunteers are preparing the taxpayer’s return forms,

1:55 p.m.

Murray State Parking Management reported an abandoned vehicle at 16th Street and Ryan Avenue. Officers and Max’s 641 Towing and Service were notified.

11:29 p.m.

A caller reported information in regards to a safety hazard at Price Doyle Fine Arts Building. Officers and the Central Heating and Cooling Plant were notified and an information report was taken.

FEB. 25 3:11 a.m.

An officer conducted a traffic stop at 16th Street and Shroat Drive. A verbal warning was issued for speeding.

8:20 p.m.

An officer conducted a traffic stop at 16th and Miller streets. A verbal warning was issued for rear license plate not illuminated.

FEB. 26 10:02 a.m.

An officer conducted a traffic stop on Payne Street. Max’s 641 Towing and Service was notified and a citation was issued for no registration plates, no registration receipt, operating on an expired license and first-offense failure of owner to maintain required insurance.

1:07 p.m.

A caller reported unwanted sexual contact between acquaintances. Officers are investigating.

FEB. 27 12:44 p.m.

A caller requested to speak with an officer in reference to receiving unwanted communications. Officers were notified and an information report was taken.

6:40 p.m.

O’Shaughnessy said financial experts from local banks within the community educate taxpayers on subjects such as their credit score and budgeting.

“The best thing about all of this is the students get exposure to working with actual clients,” O’Shaughnessy said. “It’s really great experience for the students.”

Madison Embry, graduate student from Morgantown, Kentucky, and site coordinator for VITA, said she got involved with the program because she saw how great the program was and how it was an asset to the Murray community.

“It is not necessarily just student involvement for an organization on campus; we are actually helping the community and doing the service to provide the tax returns for people,” Embry said. “It’s not just students or foreign students, it’s also people throughout the community, so being able to give back to Murray when they’ve given so much to me is wonderful.”

The first session was Feb. 17 and 31 returns were completed. A total of 100 returns were completed last year, and O’Shaughnessy said she hopes to exceed that number this year.

“We try to help people have a better literacy in financial matters, whether it be understanding a budget, how to control debt, how do you plan for the future with funds or how to read a credit report, all those things that are responsible for financial literacy issues,” Washington said.

Those wishing to receive the services VITA provides need to bring a photo ID and Social Security card; 2016 W-2s, 1099s and other tax records; and copies of completed 2015 tax returns, if available.

The sessions in Business Building Room 353 at Murray State are at the following times: • Noon - 4 p.m. on March 3 • Noon - 4 p.m. on March 10 • Noon - 6 p.m. on April 7 Additional sessions for the elderly take place at the Weaks Community Building at the following times: • Noon - 4 p.m. on March 31 • 9 a.m. - Noon on April 1

director retiring midsemester

Sabra Jackson

Contributing writer sjackson30@murraystate.edu

After being at Murray State for five years, Paula Amols, director of Dining Services, is retiring with her last day being April 14.

Amols said the director “provides a vision for where they would like to see dining services go and follow through with these plans and make them Amols happen.”

Terri Benton, assistant director of Dining Services, said Amols has done just that.

“We have enjoyed having her,” Benton said. “She really listens to the students and really hears what they have to say.”

Last year, Murray State hosted the National Association of College and University Food Services (NACUFS) regional conference.

Although Amols said she was nervous about the conference, Benton said it went great. She said the highlight of working with Amols was the closing banquet that brought Amols to tears after seeing how great the conference was.

Before Murray State, Amols worked at Cornell Dining for 23 years. She said she has worked jobs in the food service industry most of her life.

During her retirement, Amols said she plans to go back to her hometown of Ithaca, New York,

to be back with her friends and family. She said she plans to buy “a fixer-upper” house to give her something to make her own and to continue volunteering with a local no-kill shelter which she has volunteered previously.

She said her favorite events hosted during her career at Murray State were the Harvest Dinner and the Chinese New Year celebration.

Amols said she hopes these two events will continue to grow on campus.

“We wish Paula the best in her retirement. While she will no doubt be missed by our staff and many others on campus, I know she is excited about her new chapter,” said Emily Asher, manager of Data and Communications for Dining Services and Racer Hospitality.

Amols said she is optimistic on how she is leaving the staff here at Murray State. She said she hopes they will continue in a positive direction.

“She has had a significant impact on the university and her leadership has helped the dining program grow here at MSU,” Asher said.

Amols said she owes a lot of her progress to Don Robertson, vice president of Student Affairs.

She said he was very supportive of what she wanted to do.

“I really have been very lucky with how the people here have been just wonderful. They were very welcoming, very helpful,” Amols said. “I think the people are probably the best thing about here.”

At this time, a replacement director has not been selected.

Town and Gown supports new EDC building financially

A caller reported a parking complaint at Fast Track. The vehicle was moved while the caller was still on the phone.

Michelle Hawks

Contributing writer

FEB. 28

mhawks@murraystate.edu

3:57 p.m.

Murray State’s Town and Gown program made a $25,000 financial commitment toward the construction of a spec building with the goal of bringing more industry into the area.

Carol Brunn, head of Town and

A caller reported a theft complaint at Faculty Hall. Officers were notified and a theft report was taken for theft by unlawful taking more than $500.

11:49 p.m.

Racer Patrol reported storm damage at Wells Hall. Officers and the Central Heating and Cooling Plant were notified.

MOTORIST ASSISTS RACER ASSISTS ARRESTS

Photo courtesy of Matt Markgraff, WKMS

With regular charging, Chevrolet’s website expects the car to go 1,000 miles before needing to fill up gas.

Smith said he hopes that the car will excite students who are interested in alternative energy. Although he has chosen a different career path, he is encouraging others to seek a career opportunity within the company.

Iwis has hosted and sponsored different events throughout the community. Murray State and Iwis are working together to hire students and send them to an engineering plant in Germany.

Smith said being able to see the new technology coming out is one of the positives of having the car at Murray State.

Smith works in the Institute of Engineering as a student worker with Claiborne and said he hopes to see the students take advantage of the opportunity to work with Iwis in the future.

“We are going to use the Iwis car as a demonstration of corporate partners and use it as a marketing tool for the Institute of Engineering so that people can see that we are connected with our corporate partners, and we think that is really, really important,” Claiborne said.

Gown, said the commitment – $25,000 over five years – is just one way Town and Gown works with its partners to grow both the community and the university.

According to its website, Town and Gown is a partnership between university and community leaders to allow for collaboration on a broad range of issues.

Brunn said the money comes from

3 0 0

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

Not all dispatched calls are listed.

Photo courtesy of the Murray-Calloway Economic Development Corporation

Murray State’s Town and Gown program donated to a new spec building in the community.

38 Town and Gown partners, who pay an annual fee to be associated with the organization.

“While you are investing in Town and Gown with that fee, we, in turn, take that money and invest it back into the community,” Brunn said.

Mark Manning, executive director of Murray-Calloway Economic Development Corporation, said the building is a necessity in order to add to an already large industrial sector in the Murray-Calloway County area.

“Murray has done well economically,” Manning said. “But that poses a problem; if an industry wanted to come to Murray, there’s no building.”

Although he said there is no way to determine how long it will take for an industry to move into the building, he said his goal is to have it sold by the time the building is finished.

He said in the past, companies have loved Murray for the educational opportunities, low crime rate and relatively low taxes, as well as the strong sense of community that is found in the area.

Because of this, he said he is confident the building, which is equipped with the latest technology, will serve its purpose and bring in high-paying jobs.

Manning said the goal is to create a minimum of 100 high-paying jobs.

However, he said the building can be doubled in size, allowing for a total of 250-300 jobs to be created.

“The building is designed to be flexible for all industries,” Manning said.

According to the EDC website, the spec building is 62,351 square feet and will have a building pad that will allow for the building to expand more than 120,000 square feet. It will include partially finished office space, as well as tall ceilings, five dock doors and one drive-in door, among other amenities.

Manning said if the weather cooperates, the building will be completed in the next five months. He said a webcam will be installed at the site so community members can see the progress of the building on their website.

The News

Page 4

March 2, 2017

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

Opinion Our View

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

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Selena McPherson /The News

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Facebook felonies

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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.

The U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments Monday about whether or not a North Carolina law was a violation of the First Amendment.

The law? It’s a peculiar one – one that made having a Facebook account a felony.

In North Carolina, registered sex offenders are not allowed to access social media sites like Facebook, Snapchat and Instagram because of the potential threat they pose to minors on the sites.

While the law may seem like a way to protect children and teenagers from predators on social media, it’s a free speech restriction that might be doing more harm than good.

No parent wants their child to be in the company of a convicted rapist, but not every person who is a registered “sex offender” has committed a heinous crime against another human.

In some states, someone can be deemed a sex offender by some act of public indecency,

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.

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.

like urinating in public. An act like that – something drunken fraternity boys probably commit every weekend – is more embarrassing than harmful and doesn’t threaten another person.

It’s clearly a less severe crime than molestation, but according to state law, it’s under the same umbrella.

For many sex offenders, they must continue to register themselves for many years after they’ve served time for the crime they committed.

For a fairly innocent offender – like someone who got caught urinating in public – who has met court requirements and fulfilled registration duties year after year, is taking away their free speech via social media justified?

Facebook and other social media platforms are what enables many Americans to communicate with friends and family who may otherwise be unreachable. To take away that vessel, restricting not only a person’s speech, but a person’s ability to

communicate with loved ones or find out about significant events, is to strip them of basic human rights.

One of the main criminal justice concerns in the U.S. is how convicts can be reintegrated into society, especially when our prison systems fail to function as rehabilitation centers. If states begin to dehumanize convicts who have served time for minor crimes, how can we expect convicts returning from years in prison for serious crimes to have any hope of normalcy?

Denying a large group of humans the right to behave like law-abiding, “normal” citizens who enjoy sharing cat memes on Facebook is not the answer to preventing abuse on social media.

While criminals who have committed dangerous crimes against other humans should be monitored and not left to loiter around, say, an elementary school, states shouldn’t leave crime prevention up to the per-

petrator. In other words, there are many ways education could be used to help children and teenagers become more aware of the problem of cyber danger.

Most children probably have periodic exposure to “stranger danger” talks, but once students reach high school – a time when they might be more likely to encounter potentially dangerous sexual situations – those kinds of educational sessions are not at the forefront anymore.

Like issues of drug abuse or unwanted pregnancy, early and frequent education is a major part of finding solutions that are effective and lasting. If more youths were educated about the online presence of sexual predators – not to mention that certain non-sexual acts could land them a spot on the sex offender registry in their state – there would be less need to implement laws like North Carolina’s that violate the First Amendment and dehumanize people who have already served time.

Between You and Media

The autoplay concern Rachel Wood || Contributing writer rwood7@murraystate.edu Autoplay videos on Facebook are not only killing your productivity – they’re killing independent creators.

YouTube has become a huge source of creativity, filmmaking and education over its decade of existence, so much so that many creators are finding ways to make a living off of their videos. Google’s use of advertising programs and creator endorsements, as well as the growing overall number of social media users, has made this even more accessible to users dabbling in making YouTube their day job.

The issue comes when people want to share the videos they find on YouTube.

Facebook’s current post layout is not ideal for outside video links; those browsing their newsfeeds on a mobile device will have to follow the link to another page to view the video. So, how can a user get their new favorite video to autoplay on their followers’ feeds? Either rip the video from YouTube and host it natively on Facebook or share the video from a user that’s already gone through that process.

So, what’s the issue here? What if you’re

still giving credit to the original creator in the upload or in your post?

When you post a YouTube link, the content is still hosted on the original page, letting the creator get their normal cut from ad revenue and viewership. When you reupload it to Facebook, you break the link between creator and content, ending their revenue path in the process.

On their podcast, “Hello Internet,” YouTube content creators CGP Grey and Brady Haran began referring to this phenomenon as “freebooting,” thereby creating a new term for this subset of copyright infringement.

Having fallen victim to freebooters themselves, the pair stressed just how infuriating it was to see their reuploaded clips go viral with no credit or payoff in return. Despite rising creator concern since the term was coined in 2014, Facebook has yet to get a handle on the users illegally reuploading media.

Facebook could strengthen its copyright infringement detection systems, but this seems like a lofty goal with the millions of pieces of content shared on the site every day. A better option, it seems, would be for Facebook to reformat their post layout to allow videos to play at least a video preview natively in the newsfeed. This way, viewers

can still view the ads on the video, helping the creator in turn.

Some creators have also opted to format their videos for Facebook and post it themselves in an attempt to combat freebooting on their end. Bakers and DIY-ers especially have found that adding short jump cuts to their longer videos and taking out the narration can be a better format for the fastpaced Facebook newsfeed. While it helps creators keep ownership of their work on multiple platforms, there is still no great way for creators to profit off of their hard work on Facebook.

What can you do in the meantime? Check the page that’s hosting the video you want to share. If the original creator is behind it, there’s a chance they’re at least getting some payoff from an autoplay video going viral.

Sadly, it’s more likely the video has been harvested from an independent source by a big name content reuploader – I’m sure you’ve already seen them in your feed. As fun as it is to share adorable dog videos with your friends, it’s best to find the original uploader before sharing it.

I know you want to share a post that will get lots of likes and comments, but don’t do it at the expense of someone’s day job.

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

March 2, 2017

Page 5

Rational Animal

Can enforcing the law be wrong?

John Muenzberg Contributing writer jmuenzberg@murraystate.edu In 1931, police officers entered the family home of Ignacio Pina, then six years old.

The police rounded up the family and held them until they could be deported back to Mexico. The problem was that Ignacio and his siblings were U.S. citizens with U.S. birth certificates. Even though those birth certificates were in the house, the arresting officers refused to let them grab any belongings.

Since the U.S. government was not required to present evidence of their foreign status, they deported the family to a country the children had never lived in.

Ignacio Pina spent 16 years trying to return to the U.S. He was not alone. During the 1930s the U.S. “repatriated” up to 400,000 people of Mexican descent. The major injustice was that a large percentage of these people were actually U.S. citizens. At the time, U.S. im-

migration laws restricted immigration of non-whites. As a result, few people actually considered these Mexican-Americans to be full citizens, no matter what documents they may have had.

During his presidential campaign, Donald Trump promised to round up all people who are living in the U.S. without proper legal status. A critical evaluation of that idea demonstrates it is not a reasonable solution.

President Trump is again discussing strategies to begin deporting people, although his new plans are not finalized.

The first problem with deporting all undocumented people is that the project would be much more massive than many people understand. There are an estimated 11 million people living in the U.S. illegally. George W. Bush deported about 250,000 people per year. If Trump continues to deport 250,000 per year it will take 44 years to deport everyone that is here now. If Trump wishes to deport 11 million people before the 2020

election, he will need to deport 3 million per year. That is about seven times more than 2013, when Barack Obama deported a record-setting 435,498 people.

That is one reason Obama instructed The Department of Homeland Security to focus deportation efforts on violent criminals. This is also why politicians who have thought critically about this issue offer paths to citizenship, derided by some as “amnesty.”

There is no way to effectively and efficiently deport that many undocumented people.

Since they are undocumented, it is difficult to know who they are or where they live. The only way we could find them would be for the U.S. government to round up 30-40 million people who look “foreign” and force them prove their citizenship. If we actually do this legally, they must all be given a hearing to allow them to prove who they are, which takes time and requires money and personnel.

But proving citizenship is not as easy as it

sounds. For example, a driver’s license is not considered proof of citizenship. Do you keep your birth certificate with you? Of course you can send for a copy, but Homeland Security will hold you in detention for the 2-3 weeks it may take for it to arrive. This means the U.S. will need to build detention camps for the 2-3 million people they will have to detain at any one time. Imagine detaining 2 million citizens to find 200,000 immigrants.

Legally and politically, it cannot be done.

And even with hearings and evidence, people will fall through the cracks. It is estimated that in 2010, 4,000 U.S. citizens were incorrectly deported. If you compare to the numbers above, that is about 10 percent of all deportations. It is illegal to deport a U.S. citizen. Under a plan of mass deportations this illegal activity would be widespread.

“Deporting All Illegals” is a nice campaign slogan. Modest and targeted methods, such as deporting violent offenders, is a more reasonable, legal and moral solution.

CHEERS & JEERS Jeers to ... Oscars

Cheers to ... OVC

Listen, this would be a Cheer – everyone loves the glitz and glam of celebrity award shows, but you know what people don’t like? Having to sit through the awkwardness of naming the wrong winner for a category. The second-hand embarrassment is simply unbearable.

It’s that time of year again! While the OVC Tournament hasn’t been the best event for our basketball teams for a few years, we usually bring home the bacon in other categories. Maybe this is our year, though – maybe Racer basketball will slay this time.

Cheers to ... March

Jeers to ... Wasted textbooks

It’s the month of Spring Break. It’s the month everything starts to get real. The ball rolls faster toward finals, toward graduation, toward freedom. This is the month where the tunnel has some sort of glow in the distance...maybe not a light, but...something luminous, right?

Nothing is more infuriating than spending precious food money on yet another expensive textbook only to have it sit on your shelf for 16 weeks gathering dust. Can’t professors warn us if we will completely ignore a textbook? Ain’t nobody got dollars to waste on more paper.

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

An impending sense of doom Hallie Beard || Opinion Editor hbeard2@murraystate.edu

This week, “Twister” star Bill Paxton died from surgery complications.

Paxton was worried about his surgery, or at least the email he sent to a friend suggests he was, according to various news sources that printed an excerpt. I assume anyone would be worried or nervous about a significant surgery, but I’m wondering if Paxton’s concerns were more than pre-knife jitters.

Believe it or not, patients facing surgery can have what’s called “an impending sense of doom” – essentially, an intense fear that their own death is near. Now, whether or not Paxton felt this, I’ll never know. But the question got me thinking.

Perhaps it sounds a bit new age-y, but I’m a big believer in the concept of energy and how our minds and spirits work with our physical form to produce and derive energies from our surroundings. For that reason, I also think our beings – our essences, souls, animas, whatever – are more connected than we think. Whether or not this gives us more power over our experiences is the question that troubles me.

For the past couple years, I’ve been actively trying to be a more positive and optimistic person. Until recently, I believed very strongly in a theory I made up: The Theory of Negativity, or Hallie’s Law. The theory states if a person imagines hypothetical situations in detail, that situation cannot happen – or at least is very unlikely to happen – in

Cartoonist needed!

real life. So, I’d use this thinking to make myself feel better in potentially dangerous situations.

For example: let’s say I’m walking to my car at night and I suddenly get the fear that someone could attack me. Well, if I imagine a very specific scenario – the attacker comes from that building wearing xyz and says xyz and kidnaps me – the likelihood of that specific scenario happening then seems extremely low, and my fear subsides.

I believed for years it was a pretty clever way of dissuading fear.

The downside of the theory is that it worked in reverse, too. I’d be thinking of hypothetical positive situations – having a good conversation with a friend, hearing good news, succeeding at a task – and suddenly realize, according to my theory, that good thing couldn’t happen because of the way I’d thought about it.

To cut to the chase: it was a terrible theory to live by, and one that encouraged horrible thoughts and feared uplifting ones. Don’t follow it.

What’s funny is that my philosophy has nearly done a one-eighty since those days. My theory implied that my thoughts had the power to stop things from happening rather than cause things to happen. But now that I work to have a more positive outlook on life, it’s seeming that the opposite is true: our thoughts probably encourage a great deal of things to happen because of the way our mental/spiritual/figurative selves affect our physical selves and energies.

Does that mean a patient facing surgery who has an impending sense of doom actually causes

their own death? No – I think “cause” is too strong a word. But does that patient make themselves more susceptible to complications overbearing their system and leading to death? I think so.

Consider how children face fear and injury.

Let’s say we’ve got two kids, Thing 1 and Thing 2, who are about to play dodgeball. Thing 1 wants the game to be fun, and they’re gearing up their psyche to win. For Thing 1, the adrenaline they’re feeling is going to help their muscles feel stronger and more able to succeed and avoid injury.

Thing 2, on the other hand, dreads dodgeball.

They just “know” they will get hit in the face with the ball or get knocked down because they’re not good at sports and don’t have the strength. Essentially, they’re coaxing every nerve in their system to embrace and expect failure. For Thing 2, the adrenaline in the body is making them shaky, unstable and unfocused – a state of mind and body that submits to injury and pain.

If these two kids play the horrible game that is dodgeball (can you tell I grew up Thing 2 in this scenario?), what would you wager is the outcome? Is Thing 2 going to pull talent, confidence and resilience out of thin air and magically defeat the capable Thing 1? Probably not. Because they’ve geared up for certain outcomes, those outcomes are looking pretty plausible.

Readers, maybe this is all mumbo jumbo to you and the idea of energies or auras just sounds like witchcraft. Take it as you will, but do some experimenting this week. Are your fears and negative feelings purely coincidence, or has your psyche been controlling the chess board? Let me know.

Got comics?

Capitol effort by Murray State undergraduates Arthur Boston

Scholarly Communication Librarian By the time these words are printed, a few gnarly calluses will have developed on my feet from standing on the mercilessly hard marble floors of the Capitol Building in Frankfort, Kentucky. No complaints though, some outstanding Murray State students will have similarly sore feet.

The callous-causer being the 16th annual Posters-at-the-Capitol.

Posters is a highly-competitive event organized by Murray State where 190 undergraduate students from all state-funded universities present 127 faculty-mentored posters to those responsible for crafting higher education policy in our state.

Gov. Matthew Bevin has proclaimed March 2, 2017 as Undergraduate Research Day in the commonwealth, to coincide with the event.

At this year’s event, 13 of your fellow undergraduate colleagues will represent Murray State, from a wide swath of disciplines from across our campus: economics and finance, English and philosophy, history, telecommunications systems management and nursing.

The posters these students have worked to build are laudable, but the most important aspect they bring to this event is their sore feet. And by that, I mean to say: the physical aspect of their presence in our State Capitol Building. By being there, offering in-the-moment conversation about concepts that don’t normally find intake within the everyday media diet. By being there to present real faces to supplant any abstract notion about students in the minds of legislators.

I would like to commend these Murray State undergraduate students for being there, at Posters-at-the-Capitol: Chloe Chaplin, Hannah Sparkman, Jaime Elizabeth Staengel, Jalpaben B. Patel, Joshua Drouin, Laura Guebert, Maegann L. Hardison, Mitchell I. Harris, Rachel Wood, Richard J. Applin, Saeed Almalki, Sarah C. Locke and Stacie Hearell.

And their faculty mentors, too: Abdul Yarali (telecommunications systems management), Andy Black (English and philosophy), David Eaton (economics and finance), David Pizzo (history), Jessica Naber (nursing) and Kathy Callahan (history).

View the posters at digitalcommons.murraystate.edu/postersatthecapitol/2017/Murray.

Email Opinion Editor Hallie Beard for information

The News

Page 6

March 2, 2017

Sports

Sports Editor: Sarah Combs Assistant Sports Editor: Collin Morris Phone: 270-809-4481 Twitter: MSUSportsNews

Coming to a Crossroad Murray State releases Head Coach Rob Cross after first winning season in four years Blake Sandlin Staff writer

bsandlin1@murraystate.edu

Jenny Rohl/The News

Murray State Director of Athletics Allen Ward announced Monday the program has agreed to part ways with women’s basketball Head Coach Rob Cross after serving a total of 21 years on the coaching staff.

The Racers’ loss in their final regular season game against the Skyhawks resulted in a loss of their conference tournament bid in Cross’ ninth season at the helm. Ward announced Monday that the team will seek a coaching change.

“I appreciate all that Coach Cross has done for the women’s basketball program as both an assistant and as head coach,” Ward said. “But after fully evaluating all facets of the program, I believe a change will help us be more consistent, establish a clearer identity and give the program a boost of energy and direction it seems to be lacking.”

Cross took over in 2008, succeeding Head Coach Joey Adams. Before taking the head coach position, he worked for 13 years as an assistant coach under three separate head coaches at Murray State. In his first season as head coach, Cross won the program’s first regular season championship with a 16-2 conference record.

Cross said walking into Ward’s office Monday morning, he had an inclination about what was about to occur.

“Yeah, I had a pretty good idea. It wasn’t a preordained thing during the season,” Cross said. “We didn’t have discussions, but you know I didn’t think we achieved like we could’ve.”

In nine seasons, Cross finished with a combined record of 120-147. He finished as the all-time winningest coach in Murray State program history.

Despite a losing record in his time at Murray State, Cross also garnered the achievement of joining the

OVC top 10 winningest coaches with his 117th win in December. In Cross’ career at the university, there has never been a game he has not been on the bench for.

Because of Cross’ accolades in his years at the university, Ward said the decision to part ways was a difficult one.

“This was a very difficult decision as I think the world of Rob and his family,” Ward said. “He’s a class act and I’m grateful for his service and dedication to the university. He’s a great ambassador for Murray State.”

Cross said he wants to be remembered as a coach who cared more about his players than their performance on the court.

“Hopefully people will say that I did things the right way and that I always treated people with respect and you know was really more concerned about the young women I was trying to serve as their coach, then I was about winning or losing basketball games,” Cross said.

This season his team finished with an overall record of 15-14 going 7-9 in conference play. The Racers’ loss on Saturday left them in a four-way tie with Southeast Missouri State, Eastern Kentucky and Tennessee Tech for sixth place to secure the eighth and final spot in the OVC Tournament. The Racers fell short in the tiebreaker which determined the final teams by their regular season record against one another.

Despite the loss, Ward said he is energized about the program’s future following Cross’ departure.

“I’m excited about what the future may hold for women’s basketball at Murray State,” Ward said.

“I believe that we have the facilities, resources and support to be among the best in the OVC year in and year out. I’ll be looking for a new coach that can make that happen.”

Ward said the search for a replacement will begin immediately.

Beat by the buzzer Thunder trade Cam Payne Collin Morris

Assistant Sports Editor cmorris29@murraystate.edu

With an 83-82 loss to UT Martin on Saturday night, the Murray State women’s basketball team has officially lost their conference tournament bid and fallen out of OVC Championship contention.

The Racers finished with a 15-14 overall record and a 7-9

conference record. The loss put them in a four-way tie in the OVC tournament with Southeast Missouri State, Tennessee Tech and Eastern Kentucky. The tiebreaker was determined by headto-head records between all teams. Tech finished 3-1, SEMO and EKU 2-2 and Murray State 1-3, leaving the Racers in ninth place and out of the tournament.

The 2017 season ended on

Kelli O’ Toole/The News

The Racers finished 1-3 in games against competitors for the eighth-seed.

a missed buzzer-beater from junior forward Ke’Shunan James, who finished with 29 points on 11-of-24 shooting and seven rebounds. She ends the season averaging 20.5 points, 7.3 rebounds and 3.8 assists.

S e n i o r g u a r d L e A s i a Wright finished her final season with a 14.3 points per game average, making her the team’s second leading scorer. Wright played to her averages against the Skyhawks, finishing with 14 points, shooting 60 percent and grabbing four rebounds.

Sophomore forward Abria Gulledge and junior guard Bria Bethea mirrored the team’s leaders, with Gulledge tallying 17 points on 7-of-13 shooting and Bethea 14 points on 5-of-10 shooting.

Despite losing the first half by a 54-45 margin, the Racers rallied back, winning the second half 37-29. UTM also led by as much as 11 points toward the end of the first half.

The Racers lose seniors Krystal James, Daniella Pisano, Kyra Gulledge and Wright. The team will reconvene for its 2017 season in the winter of this year.

Collin Morris

Assistant Sports Editor cmorris29@murraystate.edu

In the summer of 2015, former OVC Player of the Year, Cameron P a y n e became the highest overall NBA draft pick in Racer Payne basketball history after being selected 14th by the Oklahoma City Thunder. Less than two years later, Payne is on the move again.

At the height of last Thursday’s 2 p.m. trade deadline, the Thunder dealt Payne, forward Joffrey Lauvergne and guard Anthony Morrow to the Chicago Bulls in exchange for forwards Taj Gibson and Doug McDermott, as well as an unprotected 2018 second-round pick.

Payne appeared in 77 games during his time with the Thunder, averaging 5.1 points on 39 percent shooting, 1.9 assists and 1.5 rebounds in just 13.2 minutes per game but missed the first 37 games of

the 2017 season with a broken foot.

The vast majority of the Thunder’s minutes at point guard are allotted to NBA AllStar, Russell Westbrook, who Payne had become famous for his relationship with.

Payne and Westbrook performed in pre-game dance routines and handshakes before the tipoff of each game, and Westbrook even requested one of his sponsors, Mountain Dew, feature Payne in their most recent commercial.

In his two games since making his first appearance with the Bulls on Feb. 25, Payne is averaging six points on 31 percent shooting, two assists and 2 rebounds in 14.5 minutes per game.

While Payne is moving from his place behind Westbrook, he is entering a crowded backcourt. The Bulls currently have five other point guards on their roster including Rajon Rondo, Michael Carter-Williams and Jerian Grant, as well as the only other former Murray State basketball player on an NBA roster, Isaiah Canaan.

In an interview following the trade, Bulls Executive Vice President of Operations John Paxson said the team has had

their eye on Payne since the 2015 draft.

“A couple of years ago, when Cam Payne came out in the draft, we were very, very high on him, Paxson said. “He was high on our board and we had some real good discussion about even trying to get him at that draft.”

Paxson also said he sees potential in the young point guard.

“

A couple of years ago, when Cam Payne came out in the draft, we were very, very high on him.

”

- John Paxson, Executive Vice President of Operations

“We re-developed this roster,” Paxson said. “The chance to get younger is important to us and the point guard position in particular is a key position in this league. We see him as young guy that’s going to develop and get better.”

Softball prepares for upcoming 2017 Coach B Classic Quinnen Taylor Staff writer

qtaylor1@murraystate.edu

The Murray State softball team is set to compete in the Coach B Classic in Carbondale, Illinois.

Murray State currently holds an 11-4 overall record after the Samford Classic, in which they picked up two consecutive victories against Samford and a win against Iowa State.

Head Coach Kara Amundson said the tournament will be another learning experience to her squad going into later contests.

“It’s always a super solid tournament,” Amundson said.

“We’re playing all Illinois schools that we haven’t really gotten to play in the past.

They’re all really good competition and I think it’s going to be another good test for us going into the future and going into our conference play.”

The Racers are led by sophomore infielder Brenna Finck, who currently averages .464 in her 56 times at bat, and senior infielder Jessica Twaddle, who has a .408 batting average in her 49 times at bat.

As a team, the Racers have tal-

lied 16 home runs and 85 RBIs so far into the season.

Senior pitcher Mason Robinson currently leads the Racers with a 1.86 ERA to go with an 8-2 record.

The Racers will compete against the Northern Illinois Huskies and Western Illinois Leathernecks in the first meeting between the teams on March 4.

Murray State will also face the University of Illinois Chicago Flames for the first time, as well as the host of the tournament, the Southern Illinois Salukis, on March 5.

Northern Illinois enters into

the tournament currently riding a 6-3 overall record after collecting a 4-1 record at the Cardinal Classic in Beaumont, Texas.

Northern Illinois senior infielder Kayti Grable enters the tournament with a .462 batting average from her 26 times at bat.

Sophomore outfielder Jessica Rio also comes into the contest with a batting average of .444 from her 27 times at bat.

Western Illinois comes into the tournament having recently competed in the Central Arkansas Invitational where they posted a 2-2 record.

Senior infielder Nina Mag-

gio and freshman center fielder Meghan Henson currently lead the Leathernecks in batting average at .368. Sophomore pitcher Emily Ira currently has a 4.12 ERA along with a 1-5 record.

The Racers will then take on UIC, who holds a 9-5 record after a 2-3 outing at the Santa Clara Invitational.

Sophomore outfielder Lexi Watts leads the Flames with a .468 batting average as junior infielder Tiana Mack-Miller enters the contest with a .381 average.

Senior pitcher Elaine Heflin currently has a 0.95 ERA to make for a 5-1 record while sophomore

pitcher Karissa Frazier holds a 1.10 ERA along with a 3-3 record.

The last contest of the series will be against the Salukis. The Racers currently hold a 1-4 alltime record against the Salukis.

The Salukis recently competed in the Mississippi State Spring Valley Tournament where they posted a 2-3 record to make for a 8-7 overall record on the season.

Senior pitcher Shaye Harre is currently averaging .351 from her 37 times at bat while sophomore outfielder Eyrika Brandenburg averages .317 from 41 times at bat.

The News

Sports

March 2, 2017

Page 7

2017 OVC CHAMPIONSHIP

MEN’S BASKETBALL BRACKET March 1-4 | Nashville, TN No. 5 Southeast Missouri GAME 1

March 1 - 6:30 p.m.

OVC Digital Network

No. 5 Southeast Missouri GAME 3

No. 8 Tennessee State

March 2 - 6:30 p.m.

OVC Digital Network

GAME 5

No. 4 Jacksonville State

March 3 - 6:30 p.m.

ESPNU

No. 6 Tennessee Tech GAME 2

March 1 - 8:30 p.m.

OVC Digital Network

GAME 7

No. 1 Belmont

March 4 - 7 p.m.

ESPN2

No. 7 Murray State 2017 OVC Tournament Champions

GAME 4

No. 7 Murray State

March 2 - 8:30 p.m.

OVC Digital Network

GAME 6

No. 3 Morehead State

March 3 - 9 p.m.

ESPNU

No. 2 UT Martin

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March 2, 2017

Racers shut out by Governors in first exhibition match

Blake Sandlin || Staff writer

bsandlin1@murraystate.edu

Murray State’s women’s soccer team kicked off the spring season with a scrimmage against Austin Peay on Sunday.

The Governors scored four goals to the Racers’ zero in the first exhibition match for both teams.

Murray State Head Coach Jeremy Groves, while acknowledging the season is still in its early stages, said he was disheartened by his team’s performance in their first scrimmage game.

“It’s obviously really early in the spring,” Groves said. “I kind of just laid into them a little bit.

That’s not the product that we ever want to see on the field here, and that’s not the product that’s made us successful and 17-0-3 over the past two seasons in conference.”

Murray State will be playing their three-game spring slate without their complete fall roster after senior midfielders Taylor Richerson and Ali Critcher graduated. Groves said the loss of those players shouldn’t dictate the Racers’ execution.

“We lost two people last year,” Groves said. “Those two people weren’t game changers

for us. It’s disappointing that we come out and we don’t get that many play-dates in the spring, and that’s one of those performances. It all starts with me, and we’ll try and change things a little bit with what we’re going to do in training here.”

Moving forward, Groves said the team needs to improve one thing if they want to avoid another shutout later in the year.

“A little bit of toughness,” Groves said. “I think [APSU] did whatever they wanted to do.

Their players dribbled around and did whatever.”

The Racers will match up against the University of Southern Indiana in their next game, who finished with a 9-9-1 last season in Division II. Groves said his goal throughout the spring season is to manipulate his game plan and gauge the talent of his players before the fall season begins.

“You get to play some other people like we did today,” Groves said. “We get to see some people play who have never played before, and then we get to figure some stuff out for next year. You know, some rotations before the incoming freshmen come.”

In the fall season, the Racers finished with an 8-5-4 record

Kelli O’ Toole/The News

The Racers have two games remaining on their spring schedule including Southern Indiana and Lipscomb. and an unblemished record in OVC regular season play. Last season’s team fell short of an OVC crown after a 2-1 overtime loss to SIUE. Groves said a team’s regular

season success can often be gauged by its performances in the spring.

“Typically, coming off of a good spring, you usually have a good fall,” he said. “That’s not

always the case, but you can certainly have indicators. That’s why these games are important.

We don’t get that much time with them.”

Murray State will have more

than a month off before they take the field again for their second exhibition match at 3 p.m. on Tuesday, March 28 at Cutchin Field in Murray against Southern Indiana.

Racers finish sixth overall Racing for a three-peat in OVC Tournament meet End indoor season on high note Quinnen Taylor Staff writer qtaylor1@murraystate.edu

Staff Report Racer fans rejoice: Dunker won the Delta Dental of Tennessee’s 2017 OVC Mascot Challenge for the third year in a row, beating out 12 other OVC mascots.

Voting was open from noon on Feb. 16 to noon on March 2.

Dunker’s win was announced during the halftime show of Game 2 of the OVC Tournament.

Jenny Rohl/The News

The Murray State women’s track and field team earned 10 top-seven finishes, placing sixth in the OVC Indoor Championships hosted by Eastern Illinois.

Head Coach Jenny Swieton said the meet was a great experience for her younger squad.

“We had some really great performances this weekend,” Swieton said. “The conference is getting better every year and everyone knew they had to give everything they had this weekend. In the words of Theodore Roosevelt they ‘dared greatly,’ and that is all we can ask. Our team is relatively young and this was a great stepping-stone towards our goals for the future. I am very proud of every-

one.”

The Racers collected a total of 54.5 points throughout the meet and finished behind Austin Peay, Eastern Kentucky, Tennessee State, Tennessee Tech and meet champion EIU, which accumulated 125 total points.

Norma Abdur-Rafia, freshman from Oak Park, Illinois, finished the 400-meter dash at 56.94 seconds, earning a third place finish, and took fourth place in the 200-meter dash with a time of 24.62 seconds.

Sophomore Tamdra Lawrence, from Macon, Georgia, sprinted a time of 7.5 seconds in the 60-meter dash for second place. Lawrence also placed in third with a time of 24.42 seconds in the 200-meter dash.

Murray State placed fifth in the 60-meter hurdles after sophomore Jabreuna Brimlett

from Poplar Bluff, Missouri clocked in at 8.61 seconds.

Freshman Yasmine Homa from Murray and senior Chleo LeGrand from Cape Girardeau, Missouri, earned fifth and seventh, respectively, in the pole vault with 3.29 meters each, though LeGrand scratched on her first attempt.

The Racers earned fifth place with a 3:59.48 performance by the 400-meter relay team.

The women’s pentathlon ended with a second-place finish by Brimlett with 3,328 points and a fourth-place performance by sophomore Aubrey Main from Huntingburg, Indiana with 3,070 points.

With the indoor season coming to a conclusion, the Racers will begin their first outdoor meet March 24-25 at Oxford, Mississippi.

March

Calendar of Sporting Events Sunday

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

1

2

3

4

MBB v. Tennessee Tech (OVC Tournament)

MBB OVC 2nd round BB v. Kentucky State

MBB OVC Semifinals

BB v. Siena SB @ Coach B Classic MBB OVC Championship

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

29

30

31

BB v. Siena SB @ Coach B Classic

SB v. Racer Classic BB @ SIUE

WGolf v. Morehead State SB @ Matador Classic BB v. Austin Peay

WGolf v. Georgia State SB v. Morehead State BB @ Eastern Illinois

WGolf @ North Florida

MGolf @v. UT Martin

WGolf v. Morehead State SB @ Matador Classic Tennis @ Florida Southern Tennis @ Embry-Riddle

WGolf @ Georgia State

BB v. Southern Illinois

BB @ Kentucky

Soccer v. Southern Indiana BB v. Lindenwood

Tennis @ Saint Louis

SB @ Western Illinois

Tennis @ Rollins BB @ Southern Illinois

SB @ Western Kentucky

Rifle v. Ohio State (NCAA Championship) SB v. Racer Classic BB @ SIUE Track @ NCAA Tournament

Tennis @ Belmont BB v. Austin Peay

MGolf v. Florida Atlantic Tennis v. Jacksonville State BB @ Eastern Illinois Track @ Mississippi

SB v. Racer Classic BB @ SIUE

Tennis @ Tennessee State BB v. Austin Peay SB @ Matador Classic

MGolf v. Florida Atlantic BB @ Eastern Illinois SB v. Eastern Kentucky

Tennis v. UT Martin BB v. Jacksonville State Track v. Margaret Simmons Invitational Kelli O’ Toole/The News

The News

Page 9

March 2, 2017 Features Editor: Gisselle Hernandez Assistant Features Editor: Emily Williams Phone: 270-809-5871 Twitter: MSUNewsFeatures

Features Emily Williams

won his second gold medal in the event. The swimmer has ewilliams15@murraystate.edu also earned two world championships and seven NCAA Most people wouldn’t titles. expect a three-time “The big takeaway from, at Olympic gold medleast from any achievement alist and former I have made or any success, world record is that I did not do any of it holder to advoalone,” Ervin said. “If I reach cate the idea great peaks, there are also that success great valleys I had to contend isn’t everywith. The people that were thing. But there for those were with me that is exat the end as well.” actly the Chalice Keith/The News Ervin said he had a new goal m e s s a g e Anthony Ervin, oldest Olympic swimmer on Team USA, visited campus on Monday to speak of his in mind his third time around A n t h o n y journey. in the Olympics.

E r v i n , “I just wanted to be the American best version of me,” he said. competition “How people respond to that swimmer, is completely out of my conproclaimed trol. No matter what, I wasn’t to a crowd of going to let what somebody students, faculty else was doing get to me. and staff at MurI knew who it was that I ray State on Feb. 27 wanted to succeed for now. in the Curris Center It was the people who cared Ballroom. about me the most.”

The event was sponAccording to swimswam. sored by the Student Govcom, Ervin donated the gold ernment Association, and Vice medal he earned at the SydPresident Nathan Payne said ney games to the Red Cross they wanted to bring a distinTsunami relief fund. He sold Photo courtesy of Business Insider the medal on eBay to a swim guished speaker such as Ervin to campus to speak this year, not After 16 years, Olympic gold medalist Anthony Ervin won his second gold medal in the 2016 Rio fan in the Philippines and just hold a concert or something Olympics. raised more than $17,000 for similar as they have done in past the organization. He is also the water. years. the oldest Olympic competing swimmer “It was about the play,” he said. “That’s “We thought it would be a great opporin the U.S. to date. where it started and that’s where it retunity to showcase someone who was very Michelle Blanchett, junior from Hendermained.” important,” Payne said. “Anthony’s story son, Kentucky, said she came to the event Through many peaks and valleys, Ervin really stuck out to us.” because it was required for an assignment earned his first gold medal in the 2000 Payne said he thought it was beneficial in a class, but she really enjoyed it.

Summer Olympic Games in Sydney, in the for students to hear Ervin speak about “I really liked how animated he was,” 50-meter freestyle. At the young age of 22, some of the same issues they may be tryBlanchett said. “I loved his attitude and it Ervin stopped swimming competitively ing to overcome in their own lives. was very comforting to listen to him. You and went through one of the darkest, most Ervin said at the beginning of his career could really relate to him.” self-destructive times in his life. he relied on being a fast swimmer for his Ervin ended the night by emphasizing Although he pursued higher education self-esteem and sense of worth. He said the fact that even with the amount of sucand earned a degree in English at the Unithis put a lot of pressure on him and afcess he has had, he has experienced far versity of California, Berkeley, he also fected his ability to perform well. more losses than wins in his career and his began abusing drugs, alcohol and battling “You started to feel validated and imlife. He believes it is all about community depression. The swimmer also has Toportant if you did well,” Ervin said. “You and said we cannot do this alone. urette syndrome and said that has been a wanted to be good at this because you “Things rarely end up the way you think roadblock that has been hard to overcome. wanted other people to like you.” they will,” he said. “We’re all just a bunch These things defined Ervin’s life until get He said it wasn’t until he really began to of people trying to get somewhere. When ting back on track and beginning to train feel the burden of not measuring up that things start going south in your life, you again in 2011. During the 2016 Summer he remembered it wasn’t about competing need those loyal people. I didn’t do any of Olympic Games in Rio De Janeiro, Ervin so much as where it all began: the love of this on my own.”

Assistant Features Editor

JUST KEEP SWIMMING

Olympic gold medalist shares hardships, accomplishments with students

“

Things rarely end up the way you think they will. We’re all just a bunch of people trying to get somewhere.

-Anthony Ervin, Olympic gold medalist and, at 35, oldest swimmer on Team USA.

Graphic courtesy of Austin Gordon/The News

McCallon Seib: Bridging two countries Da’Sha Tuck

“If we were able to establish a university partnership, we have to have faculty on this campus partner with us,” McCallon Seib said. “It will take me coming back and saying, ‘OK, how do we do this as a campus.’”

Staff writer

dtuck@murraystate.edu

Melanie McCallon Seib, Murray State’s education abroad director, accepted the Fulbright Award, an international scholarship, and will attend the International Education Administrator’s (IEA) Seminar in India March 17.

The goal of the Fulbright program is to increase mutual understanding and support friendly and peaceful relations between the U.S. and other countries.

“The Fulbright IEA is really all about the mobility of Indian students to the U.S. and U.S. students to India,” McCallon Seib said.

McCallon Seib said she is focused on discovering more about higher education in India and finding ways to increase the mobility between the two countries. She plans to find out what “roadblocks” are in the way and conquer them.

IGNITING INTEREST IN INDIA

During the 16 years McCallon Seib has been working at Murray State, she said several faculty members have expressed interest in taking students to India. There was one successful study abroad trip to India years ago, but it hasn’t happened since.

When McCallon Seib originally applied for the Fulbright Award, she hoped to find ways to send students to India affordably and effectively but she said, personally, she has always been intrigued by India.

“I had an Indian graduate assistant years and years ago and he peaked my interest in India,” McCallon Seib said.

“From the stories he would tell, his demeanor and compassion for other humans, he made me really interested in India as a country.”

Gautham Rao, Murray State alumnus from India, was the graduate assistant McCallon Seib was referring to. He now lives in Portland, Oregon, and

LOOKING FORWARD

Jenny Rohl/The News

Melanie McCallon Seib begins her journey to India on March 17. has fond memories of working with McCallon Seib.

“I truly enjoyed the time I spent working with Melanie,” Rao said. “She offered a fundstrapped international student a job that allowed me to complete my courses and graduate.”

PREPARING FOR THE TRIP

Gesturing to a large stack of papers mounded on her desk, McCallon Seib said she has begun reading, researching and planning for the seminars.

Staying up to date on current news in India and going through the process to get her business visa has been a priority.

McCallon Seib was surprised by the letters she had to submit as part of her visa application.

Included was a letter declaring she would not proselytize, convert or attempt to convert someone from one religion to another, while in India. She also had to submit a letter declaring she is not a journalist.

“It’s a process,” she said. “If I were a student and this were the first time I was going any-

where, I’d be freaking out.”

McCallon Seib said she is glad she now knows more about the process so she can better advise students in the future.

The trip will begin on March 17. McCallon Seib will be in India for two weeks plus the four days of travel there and back.

CROSSING THE BARRIERS

While in India, McCallon Seib will assess the academic opportunities that are available and recruit Murray State students accordingly.

For example, one of the universities McCallon Seib will visit is a petroleum university.

If she were to make an agreement with that university, she would come back and partner with the science department at Murray State.

She said she thinks India is not “on the radar” when students think of studying abroad.

Because Indian culture is so different from the U.S., she said, students think it will challenge them too far out of their comfort zones.

In order to get students to study abroad in India and allowing Indian students to study in the United States successfully, McCallon Seib said, it will take her entire team.

David Pizzo, senior education abroad adviser, said McCallon Seib is a fierce advocate for education abroad at Murray State who works tirelessly.

“We are excited for her to be chosen as part of the Fulbright expedition to India and looking forward to guiding more students towards less traditional study abroad destinations,” Pizzo said.

She said she has known all along how valuable the faculty is in the education abroad department and she can’t wait to see where this opportunity takes them as a team and Murray State as a whole.

“Mostly I think what it shows for my team and Murray State (being awarded the Fulbright) is what we have been able to do and the support we have had from the faculty, the deans, the students, the administration to be able to think outside the box and grow study abroad.”

The countdown has begun for McCallon Seib. In the meantime, she and her team are planning and organizing for this trip. They hope in a few years they will be able to offer a regular (every two years) study abroad program to students.

Rao said he wishes McCallon Seib the best on her trip and he knows she will be successful in creating this rapport with universities in India.

“She was a great mentor and friend and always looked out for the students under her care,” Rao said. “She believed we were a global citizen and that we had more similarities to learn from than differences.”

‘Adult’ play garners praise from students Nick Erickson || Staff writer nerickson@murraystate.edu

The College of Humanities and Fine Arts and the Department of Theater recently presented “All In the Timing.”

The play was held Feb. 22-25 in the Actor’s Studio Theater of Wilson Hall.

The play was advertised as containing adult language and content. The show charged $10 admission but was free to students with their Murray State ID. The play was a collection of four smaller plays by David Ives, a playwright from Chicago. Woven together, the four plays were “The Philadelphia,” “Seven Menus,” “English Made Simple” and “Sure Thing.”

Director Matthew Crider chose to overlap the plays, which were originally standalone.

“Originally in ‘All In the Timing,’ there are more than a dozen short plays, and I selected four of them that revolve around both relationships and communication,” Crider said.

“In the production – only lasting around an hour – it is a fun, funny and very silly show.”

Isaac Gish, freshman theater major from Nashville, Tennessee, took on the role of Barry in the performance, a man working in high finance, who takes on the complexity of human love, communication and allaround nature.

“I’ve been acting since the fifth grade,” Gish said. “But I really started in high school when I was accepted into Nashville School of the Arts Theater Program.”

Gish said taking on this play was a challenge, but it was also very rewarding.

“It was some of the most brutal memorization I've ever encountered,” Gish said. “The lines in this show are so intricate and fast-paced that it was a challenge to get them under my belt, but it was a blast.”

Gish said his fellow cast members were some of the most talented people he had ever worked with, both in front of and behind the curtain.

Among the other cast members were Landen Bates, senior theater major from Columbus, Ohio, and Carly Matiskie, a pre-vet and theater double major from Royalton, Illinois.

Teddy Martin, junior from Pewee Valley, Kentucky, said the performance was the funniest and most captivating play he’d ever watched.

“I couldn’t stop laughing the whole performance,” Martin said. “The rapid-fire dialogue also made it easy to stay interested with what was happening in front of you.”

“My favorite character was by-far Barry,” he said. “Isaac’s memorization of his lines in ‘English Made Simple’ was quite impressive.”

Read more at TheNews.org.

Contributed by Matthew Crider

The play “All in the Timing” featured student actors from the theater program.

The News

Features

March 2, 2017

Photos courtesy of Chalice Keith and Jenny Rohl/The News

Page 10

Students hosted two final events in honor of Black History Month as February came to a close.

Sydni Anderson Staff writer

sanderson33@murraystate.edu

Despite being hosted in a Murray State dining facility, African-American Night was less about food and more about diversity and culture.

Students and faculty gathered to speak about African-American history at Winslow Dining Hall last week. Jazz music played in the intervals between speakers, and laughter could be heard from nearby tables. Students who correctly answered black history trivia questions received prizes.

African-American Night was held in the South Commons of Winslow on Feb. 22.

The event was sponsored by the office of Multicultural Affairs, Black Student Council and the National Panhellenic Council.

S.G. Carthell, senior director of diversity initiatives, said he wanted to provide an informative program centered on eating good food and having a good time.

“Basically, we just wanted to come out and share some

African-American facts and history in a kind of lighthearted way where folks could learn about the culture,” he said.

Carthell said he thinks Murray State does a good job handling diversity on campus, although there is always room for improvement.

“We do better than most,” Carthell said. “This is a campus where, when injustices or things happen, people come together. Students have come together to support students that were not like them. I think this campus is fairly tolerant of different views.”

Karvontay Stephenson, president of Black Student Council from Louisville, Kentucky, agreed with Carthell and gave a student’s perspective on the matter.

“We take it to heart,” Stephenson said. “We make sure that, although we have our own races, we branch out and make sure that other people are included in the things that we do and make people feel welcome here at Murray State.”

Jade Townsley, junior from Paducah, Kentucky, said she feels like multicultural stu-

dents are well-represented on campus.

“Bob Davies does a really good job with diversity,” Townsley said.

Prior to the event, the NAACP caucus of Black Student Council hosted a memorial service for people affected by racism and those who they’ve lost. Carthell said students of different races came out to support and people passing by also contributed.

“We had a candle that caught on fire with the paper,” Carthell said. “A young man walked by and helped put it out. He wasn’t even a part of it, but he wanted to help.

That’s the kind of campus we have.”

Carthell said it is up in the air whether the event will be annual, and it’s not unusual for the office of Multicultural Affairs to have one-time events.

Stephenson said Black Student Council is always open to teaming up with other organizations and supporting them.

“We just want to make the campus as diverse and included as we can,” Stephenson said.

Gisselle Hernandez Features Editor

ghernandez1@murraystate.edu

Murray State’s women’s empowerment group ECHOS, Inc. hosted their first Open Mic Night to cap Black History Month with a “bang” last week in the Curris Center Dance Lounge.

ECHOS stands for Eloquent Commitment to Helping Our Sisters and Chynna Ross, member of ECHOS, described the group’s mission as “breaking the cycle that women cannot work together.” The sisters donned black clothing as they hosted the event, inviting attendees to sign a black poster board at the entrance that said in bold letters, “We are Black History” as they came in.

The evening began with student Alexandria Smith singing the National Negro Anthem and proceeded with Ki’Ron Sickles, the night’s co-master of ceremonies, giving the audience the history of Black History Month. Between each act, there was a Black History trivia game with prizes, all of the questions were about a

particular moment in history that reflected strongly on African-American achievements.

The first act was by Kenny Howard, who played “God Bless the Child” by Billy Howard on his trumpet. After a trivia question, LaToya Tyson followed with spoken word poem titled “Thick Chicks,” an ode to all women who are “36, 29, 42.” Chaevon Harper performed two original rap songs and after an intermission, Anissa Quilling was welcomed to the stage to perform “I Know Where I’ve Been” from “Hairspray.” The penultimate act was Jared “J-Fresh” Jones rapping his own “The Way She Moves” with Ebony Clark closing the night by reciting two Maya Angelou poems.

Desiree Curry, president of ECHOS and senior from Fort Campbell, Kentucky, said hosting events like this creates an area where people can be comfortable and can help improve the campus in many ways.

“Because I know sometimes it can be scary talking to people that don’t look like you,” she said. “So if you come to

an event like this and you see everyone’s having fun and everyone enjoying it, they’re nice to you or you’re nice to them, if you did have a negative view of those kind of people or something like that, it would change your mindset.”

ECHOS hosts many other events throughout the school year, with one of their biggest being The Great Migration in the fall to help freshmen women transition into college life. Among other events, the women’s group hosts Womanhood Tea parties, Empowerment Week and even a heel dancing class, which Sickles said helps women get in touch with their inner beauty to feel “good inside and out.” The group currently has 15 members, all women, but they also host events to empower men as well, one of them being the “Don’t Forget Our Brother” event.

“We try to encourage men in the community and uplift them as well,” Sickles said.

“Just because we don’t want to forget them when we’re uplifting and bringing up everybody else.”

Read more at TheNews.org.

John Mayer makes waves with album release Nick Erickson || Staff writer nerickson@murraystate.edu

Versatility is a key factor in staying relevant in the music world. While many of the top-charting artists today rely on electronic overproduction, limiting themselves to one genre, there are a few that shine in other musical realms.

Folk-pop artist John Mayer holds true to his roots and is still managing to sell millions of records. Mayer has gradually been releasing his newest album, “The Search for Everything,” in sections, with the first “wave” dropping in January. The latest installment, “Wave Two,” was released last month, and it proves the Connecticut-native artist’s ability to garnish the blues genre is as wonder-

fully diverse as ever.

In its mere four tracks, Mayer fluctuates between variations of soul, folk, blues and downright country. Having attended the Berkley College of Music, Mayer shows his knowledge of composition methods throughout the album. With the ambitious opener “Still Feel Like Your Man” begins with soft, rolling piano chords and Mayer’s falsetto which quickly crashes into a funky drum groove.

Mayer and layers of harmonies, along with added electric guitar noodling, provide a vague 70s atmosphere.

“Emoji of a Wave” starts with electric piano notes and Mayer’s signature acoustic guitar plucking. “The dissonance is killing me, it breaks my heart,” Mayer sings to his

Photo courtesy of Complex

lover. With a mesh of a guitar and keyboard solo in the

Get ready for Spring Break with Vera Bradley from

bridge, the song contrasts to the previous track in its

lighter tonality, yet the low array of violins buried subtly in the mix keep the listener weighted, intrigued for what might happen next.

The pounding guitar groove that ignites “Helpless” wears Mayer’s Thunderbirds influence proudly. Mayer showcases his guitar virtuosity with the solo in the middle of the track, transcending from dark surf rock to classic shred territory, before returning to its original, pulsating form. “If I’m helpless, tell me now, tell me now,” Mayer repeats on the head-bobbing chorus that could easily fit onto an unreleased Blue Oyster Cult LP. The wave’s closer track “Roll It On Home” harnesses Mayer’s country twang that’s ever persistent in his discography. With steel guitar

and slide picking galore, this track might sound like background music one would hear at a Cracker Barrel, but Mayer’s charming voice makes it pop more than what many contemporary artists could say for themselves. Ending on a smooth note with Mayer softly singing over a decrescendo snare drum line.

Mayer has an aura to him that rivals the likes of many contemporary solo artists and their guitars. From Elvis to Ed Sheeran, Mayer’s musicianship has stood the test of these last nearly two decades, and he shows no signs of winding down. The entire release of “The Search for Everything” might be spread apart, but Mayer’s talented flow is anything but disjointed.

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The Murray State News

The News

March 2, 2017

Features

Page 11

‘Rings’ lacks horror Grant Dillard || Contributing writer gdillard@murraystate.edu

A sequel to 2002’s hit horror film, “The Ring” doesn’t look like a good idea to many, seeing that there was already a sequel in 2005 that was hated by critics and moviegoers alike. So, it’s easy to assume that “Rings,” the newest installment in the franchise, is just a phoned in sequel produced in a sad attempt to cash in on the success of the first movie. Surprisingly though, “Rings” is a wellmade movie that, while not exactly scary, does tell an interesting story that will keep viewers hooked until the very end.

“Rings” focuses on Julia (Matilda Lutz) and her longtime boyfriend, Holt (Alex Roe.) After Holt leaves for college, he and Julia still keep in contact. But after a few weeks of not hearing from Holt, Julia goes to the college hoping to find him.

After eventually finding Holt, she discovers his professor, Gabriel (Johnny Galecki,) has been conducting experiments on his students involving a cursed video, in an attempt to understand it. The curse being: once someone watches the video, they have seven days until Samara, the ghostly girl from the last movie, will come to them and kill them. After Julia watches the video, she and Holt must solve the mystery of the video in order to put an end to the curse.

The story is engaging, and gives the audience a fascinating mystery involving Samara’s backstory. It’s easy to follow and understand, but it’s also not predictable. Julia and Holt aren’t the

best lead characters, but at least they aren’t annoying and unlikable like a lot of horror movie protagonists. They do their jobs fine, and the audience won’t want them to die horribly. Gabriel is a more fascinating character, however, having a good motivation for why he’s conducting these experiments. He thinks the cursed video could possibly be linked to the afterlife, and it could be a breakthrough discovery for science. His actions may not be the greatest, but the audience can understand why he’s doing them. There’s also a twist ending that will no doubt lead to many discussions and speculations, while also setting up the possibility for more sequels. Rather than feeling gimmicky, the ending seems very smart and well thought-out.

The biggest problem with “Rings,” a horror film, is that it’s not that scary. There’s disturbing imagery, no doubt, especially during the scenes where the characters watch the tape. But aside from that, there really aren’t any chilling scenes that will give audiences nightmares. There are scenes that look like they try to build suspense, yet they always end in a jump scare. It’s a shame filmmakers nowadays don’t seem to understand that loud noises aren’t enough to scare moviegoers in a scary movie. Only children would be scared of the jump scares found in “Rings.”

“Rings” most likely won’t go down in history as one of the best horror films of all time, but it’s still an entertaining movie with a good story and a creative ending. Moviegoers looking for a good mystery film will want to check this one out.

Photo courtesy of sickchirpse.com

A recap of The Oscars #Oscarfail In what people are calling the most epic mixup moment in Oscars history, Faye Dunaway was handed an incorrect category envelope by a PwC partner and as a result, announced the wrong winner for Best Picture during the Academy Awards on Sunday night. PwC is the accounting firm that has been tabulating the Academy Award results for 83 years. The firm considers the Oscars to be one of their most important clients. “La La Land” was initially awarded the Oscar and filmmakers took the stage to give their acceptance speeches.

But they were quickly shut down when producers realized the flaw and that the award actually belonged to “Moonlight.” Yikes. Talk about a punch in the gut. You’ll be OK though, “La La Land.”

You held your own throughout the night. PwC accepted full responsibility and posted a formal apology for the mishap.

Photo courtesy of time.com

#Winning Best Picture: “Moonlight” Best Actor: Casey Affleck, “Manchester By the Sea” Best Actress: Emma Stone, “La La Land” Best Foreign Language Film: “The Salesman” Best Animated Feature Film: “Zootopia” Best Supporting Actor: Mahershala Ali, “Moonlight” Best Supporting Actress: Viola Davis, “Fences” Best Documentary Feature: “O.J.: Made in America” Best Director: Damien Chazelle, “La La Land” Best Original Music Score: “La La Land” Best Original Screenplay: “Manchester By the Sea” Best Original Song: City of Stars, “La La Land”

Photo courtesy of letusnerd.com

Best Writing Adapted Screenplay: “Moonlight” Best Cinematography: Linus Sandgren, “La La Land” Best Costume Design: Colleen Atwood, “Fantastic Beasts” Best Animated Short Film: “Piper” Best Visual Effects: “The Jungle Book” Best Live Action Short Film: “Sing” Best Film Editing: John Gilbert, “Hacksaw Ridge” Best Documentary Short Subject: “The White Helmets” Best Sound Editing: Sylvain Bellemare, “Arrival” Best Production Design: “La La Land” Best Makeup: “Suicide Squad” Best Sound Mixing: “Hacksaw Ridge”

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The News

March 2, 2017