The Murray State News

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THE MUR R AY STATE

NEWS

Setting records

Page 7

Assistant Sports Editor cmorris29@murraystate.edu

100 days of

TRUMP Photo courtesy of Wikipedia

Through day 69 of Donald Trump’s presidency, the fate of the American Health Care Act was determined and the Russian controversy continued to unfold.

Alleged coordination between Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign and Russian officials escalated last Monday after

of excellence

March 30, 2017 | Vol. 91, No. 23

Week 9 Day 63 ‘Trumpcare’ bill withdrawn Collin Morris

90 years

FBI Director James Comey announced his department’s investigation into Russia’s role in the 2016 presidential election.

In an address before the U.S. House Intelligence Committee March 20, Comey formally announced the investigation, which he said has been ongoing since July.

“The FBI, as part of our counterintelligence mission, is investigating the Russian government’s efforts to interfere in

the 2016 presidential election,” Comey said. “And that includes investigating the nature of any links between individuals associated with the Trump campaign and the Russian government, and whether there was any coordination between the campaign and Russia’s efforts.”

Multiple individuals with relations to Trump’s campaign have revealed their intent to testify before the House Intelligence Committee, including Trump’s

former campaign manager, Paul Manafort, who has been accused of accepting monetary gifts from pro-Russia entities, as well as former political adviser to Trump, Roger Stone.

U.S. Rep.Devin Nunes, R-California, chairman of the Intelligence Committee, has also said the committee will hold a closed hearing with Comey and NSA Director Mike Rogers.

Comey also addressed Trump’s wiretapping claims in

see TRUMP, page 2

Racers playing for the payout

Bryan Edwards || Staff writer bedwards16murraystate.edu

$1.45 million

Three of the nation’s top teams are inviting the Murray State football team to play against them in the coming years.

The Racers play football in the FCS (Football Championship Subdivision), which is the second tier of Division I schools behind the FBS (Football Bowl Subdivision).

Every year the Racers have scheduled at least one FBS team to play against during the regular season. The Racers played against FBS school University of Illinois during the 2016 season but lost 52-3 in that contest.

Athletic Director Allen Ward said the program isn’t required to play FBS teams, but it benefits the department.

“It’s one of those necessary evils that helps our budget,” Ward said. “We play one every year and it’s one of those things that helps us bring money into the program so we can enhance it. It’s also great for the kids that get to play against those teams.”

The Racers have played difficult op-

ponents in the past but will be traveling to play against some of the nation’s best in upcoming seasons.

In the 2017 season, the Racers will travel to Louisville, Kentucky, to play against the University of Louisville Cardinals. The Cardinals finished 9-4 last season and are led by junior quarterback and 2016 Heisman Trophy winner Lamar Jackson.

The Racers and Cardinals last met in 2014, when Louisville won 66-21. The two teams will meet on Saturday, Sept.

30. The Racers haven’t beaten Louisville since the 1984 season.

In 2018, the Racers will head to Lexington, Kentucky, for their next opponent, which will be the University of Kentucky Wildcats. Kentucky finished 7-6 during their 2016 season, going to their first bowl game since 2011.

The Wildcats and the Racers last met in 2003, when Kentucky defeated the Racers 37-6 in Lexington. The game will be played on Saturday, Sept. 15, 2018.

Murray State will travel out of state

to face the Georgia Bulldogs in 2019 for the first time since 1945. The Bulldogs defeated the Racers 49-0 in that meeting.

Georgia and Murray State have some history, however, as over the offseason the Racers added junior defensive back Rico McGraw to their roster. McG r a w played for Georgia for t w o years before transferring to Murray State.

A date has yet to be set between the two teams for their matchup.

There is more of a benefit behind playing FBS schools as Murray State will receiving a total of $1.45 million to play against the three schools.

2019

2018

2017

Graphic courtesy of Austin Gordon/The News

A question of student debt Students use student loans to fund their Spring Break Lindsey Coleman

With Spring Break trips in the rear-view mirror, many students may be searching their wallets, wondering how their money fell into a hole while vacationing with college friends.

The results of a recent survey of 500 college students suggested some students could be turning to their student loans to pay for their excursions.

LendEdu, an online lending and information resource, conducted the study and concluded about 31 percent of polled college students will be using loan money to fund their Spring Break trips. Roughly 24 percent reported they have used loan money to buy alcohol, and around 33 percent said they use loan money to pay for clothing and other accessories.

Respondents had outstanding student loan debt and were planning Spring Break trips.

However, in a Twitter poll by The Murray State News, the numbers were lower. Of the 139 students polled, 12 percent said they used loan money to fund their Spring Break vacations, 53 percent said they did not and 35 percent didn’t have loans.

LendEdu estimates 60 percent of all college students will be in loan debt by graduation.

For Grant Knox, senior

from Lexington, Kentucky, his student loans are a daily necessity.

“I take about 19 or 20 credit hours every semester and have a lot of responsibilities after normal class hours, so it makes it nearly impossible for me to get a job with consistent hours,” Knox said.

While Knox said he didn’t use loan money for Spring Break, he said he uses his refund check for just about everything – rent, phone bills, food, pet care and car maintenance.

Going “full pedal to the metal” in college is a way for him to make sure graduate school is completely paid for through scholarships. He said any extra income will go toward paying back his undergraduate loans.

Janet Balok, director of financial aid, said 54 percent of Murray State undergraduate students have federal loans.

Through the Financial Aid Office, each student with loans is encouraged to have a financial planning meeting, during which Balok said students are advised to make wise monetary decisions.

Balok said refund checks, which are often used for daily expenses, must be paid back, as well.

Even though the Financial Aid Office strives to give good advice, Balok said it’s a student’s responsibility to make smart financial choices, even on Spring Break.

@TheMurrayStateNews

@MurrayStateNews

Staff writer

lcoleman7@murraystate.edu

Photo courtesy of Bring Chik-Fil-A to Murray, Kentucky

The Facebook group Bring Chik-Fil-A to Murray, Kentucky accumulated over 2,000 likes since its creation.

Chik-fil-A plans for on campus location Ashley Traylor Staff writer

atraylor@murraystate.edu

Dining Services is looking into expanding Murray State’s dining options to include the fast food chain Chick-fil-A. Paula Amols, director of Dining Services, said construction would not break ground until July 2018 because any university project that exceeds $600,000 must be to sent to Frankfort, Kentucky, for approval.

Students could use their flex dollars to purchase their meal, Amols said. The restaurant would be located on the south end of campus near the science buildings.

However, Amols could not specify the exact location because of property negotiations.

“That is a large population that needs something closer by,” Amols said. “We also wanted something that could be accessible to the general public, if they wanted to

FOLLOW US:

come. So I’m really excited we’ve found this spot, and it seems to be highly feasible.”

The estimated cost for the project is $2-4 million, depending on the model of the restaurant. Amols said they have a plan to pay for the project, so the university does not incur debt.

Amols met with Chickfil-A representatives for a site visit in early March, where they discussed different models, like brick and mortar store, walk-up counter and a drive through.

She said she is pushing for a full brick and mortar version.

Brick and mortar is a traditional, physical presence of a business. A brick and mortar Chick-fil-A includes a full menu and seating for guests.

“If we are going to do this, then I rather we do it right and give as much as we can to the students that will be using it,” Amols said.

Bringing the fast food chain to campus has been on Amols’ mind for about

www.TheNews.org

two years, when she said she first spoke with a Chick-fil-A representative. At that time, there was not a location available and Chick-fil-A executives were not interested in a food truck, which was Amols’ suggestion.

About 15 months ago, Amols said she spoke with executives about building a stand-alone Chick-fil-A because most food chains on college campuses are located in a food court.

Amols said the administration supports adding more food options, and the project is in the three-year capital plan for 2016-2018.

“We know it would be a huge home run for everyone,” Amols said. “ We think the community would love it as well.”

Charlie Graves, senior from Murray, said adding more food variety is a good thing because more choices produces happier students.

“You give people options and they are happy because they feel empowered rather

@TheMurrayStateNews

“

We know it would be a very huge home run for everyone.

- Paula Amols, vice president of Student Affairs

than limited,” Graves said.

Along with more options, he said having a Chick-fil-A would be beneficial if it opened more student-worker jobs, and it would be another place students could spend flex.

“I know there are a ton of restaurants where my friends and peers will say, ‘if only this place took flex, I would eat there all the time or if this place took flex,’ because I think flex is a lot more spendable for students than the money we earn,”

see CHIK-FIL-A, page 2

@MurrayStateNews

The News

News

Page 2

March 30, 2017

The death of textbooks

Katlyn Mackie

Contributing writer

kmackie@murraystate.edu

According to the American Enterprise Institute, a think tank, college textbook prices are 812 percent higher than they were three decades ago.

Prices have risen faster than tuition, health care costs and housing prices.

Students enrolled in a public four-year university spend an average of $1,250 a year on textbooks alone, according to a study by the College Board, a non-profit organization that connects students to college success.

“The prices have become increasingly expensive due to price increases from the publishers’ frequent changes in editions and the requirement of online learning programs,” said Andrew Dowdy, assistant director of textbooks at the University Store.

Dowdy said the requirement of online programs – also known access codes – has made it impossible to offer students used textbook options for many courses.

Dowdy also said because of the rising costs, the university has been exploring options to make course materials more affordable – like increasing the selection of lower cost e-book options, stocking lower cost used books for as many courses as possible, a more affordable rental program and allowing students to charge books to their student account.

TO RENT OR TO BUY

Although the University

Kelli O’Toole/The News

The University Store sold textbooks to approximately 5,470 students, barely over half of the total enrollment.

Store is the main place on campus to buy textbooks, many students don’t purchase course materials there.

During this spring semester, approximately 5,470 students purchased textbooks from the University Store.

According to a Twitter poll

by The Murray State News, most Murray State students purchase their textbooks online.

Some popular websites students use to purchase or rent textbooks are Amazon, Chegg, Better World Books and Half.com.

The poll showed approximately 13 percent of students decide not to purchase any textbooks.

There is also a 6 percent return rate of textbooks at the University Store, including students who dropped or changed classes.

THE MAJOR INFLUENCE

Ace Ebling, senior from Bowling Green, Kentucky, said the amount of required reading he is assigned – as a history major – makes textbooks essential for some classes, but there other classes where he found himself returning books because they were not necessary.

Ebling said he has bought textbooks online as well as the University Store and has even used alternative ways to find the information needed – like the university library databases.

The majors that most often require expensive textbooks include nursing, chemistry, engineering, business and physics among others.

Accounting is also one of the most expensive majors for textbooks because frequent edition changes and the re-

quirement of access codes, which make it impossible to sell books back once they’ve been used.

An assistant professor of accounting, Denise O’Shaugnessy, said textbooks are essential for her classes and students could not pass without them.

“How I look at it is if you are building blocks of knowledge, your textbooks are your foundation,” O’Shaughnessy said.

She said she tries to consider prices when she chooses textbooks for her students and gives them the choice of buying a hard copy of the textbook or paying for online access – whichever is more accessible to the student.

“Even though the university does not have full control of pricing, we realize the financial strain that textbooks can place on our students,” Dowdy said.

TRUMP From Page 1 his appearance, saying he has “no information that supports those tweets.”

One of Trump’s key campaign promises faltered last Friday with the withdrawal of the GOP’s replacement for “Obamacare,” the American Health Care Act. The bill, which had originally been scheduled to be heard March 21 was pushed to March 24 because Republicans did not yet feel confident in its support within the party.

In the final hours of the bill’s life, Trump made large-scale efforts to sway the vote his way.

According to The New York Times, Trump threatened dissenting congressmen with political backlash, telling Rep. Mark Meadows, R-North Carolina, “I’m going to come after you.”

Press Secretary Sean Spicer also alluded to that same backlash.

“We’re going to make sure to remember those who stood by us, and who stood by the word that they gave to their voters,” Spicer said.

Trump also threatened to move the party’s agenda away from health care reform if Republicans chose not to pass the bill Friday. Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wisconsin solidified Trump’s threats with his comments after the American Health Care Act’s withdrawal. “[The Affordable Care Act is] going to remain the law of the land until it's replaced,” Ryan said. “We did not have quite the votes to replace this law. And, so, yeah, we're going to be living with ‘Obamacare’ for the foreseeable future.”

Following the bill’s failure, Trump defended the adminis-

Minimum wage increase dies in committee Lindsey Coleman Staff writer lcoleman7@murraystate.edu

A bill that would increase the minimum wage rate in Kentucky was unable to make it past committees in the Kentucky General Assembly this month.

“HB 178 is effectively dead for the 2017 session of the Kentucky General Assembly,” Rep. Kenny Imes said.

After the bill was introduced on Feb. 7 in the Kentucky House, Imes said it was assigned to the Economic Development and Workforce Investment Committee. He said the bill has had no committee hearings since then.

As the days dwindled down near the end of the session, Imes said there was no way the bill could pass both the House and Senate.

“Personally, I believe that raising the minimum wage will effectively artificially raise the cost of goods or services provided in the marketplace,” Imes said.

He said the minimum wage worker and all consumers would be paying for the higher costs.

“Further, if an individual wants to make more money, they have ample opportunity to do so by having a good work ethic and avail themselves with

The current minimum wage in Kentucky is $7.25 per hour. According to the Kentucky Legislative Record, the proposed bill would have raised the state minimum wage on Aug. 1 for the next 5 years:

$8.80 2017

$10.35 2018

$11.90

the many countless opportunities for more education and/or training for skilled, dedicated and committed workers,” Imes said.

Associate professor of economics, Eran Guse said the bill was “doomed to fail.”

As a small business owner himself, Guse said raising the minimum wage across the board in Kentucky could be beneficial for some, but not all, namely small business owners. He and his wife own Wild Mountain Bakery in Murray.

He said business could slow down, entrepreneurs could choose not to open a small business and students might not find jobs to support their schooling.

“It could be devastating,” Guse said.

2019

$13.45 2020

$7.25 Indiana

$8.25

$8.15

Illinois

$15.00

Ohio

2021

from Murray, Brendan Parker said increases in the cost of living caused by inflation haven’t been offset by a raised minimum wage.

“A raise in the minimum wage would be a good way to keep earnings rising with the cost of living,” Parker said.

However, Parker said raising the minimum wage could have a negative effect on some businesses and on Murray State, which would face more budget concerns.

According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, 19 states began 2017 with higher minimum wages than previous years, although surrounding states that have increased their state minimum have strayed only a dollar away from the $7.25 federal minimum wage mark.

$7.70 Missouri

$7.25

$7.25

Kentucky

Tennessee

Graphic courtesy of Austin Gordon/The News

Sophomore economics major

tration’s direction.

“I never said ‘Repeal and replace it within 64 days,’” Trump said. “I have a long time.”

However, multiple examples of Trump saying “Obamacare” would be replaced “immediately” have arisen. And on Nov. 1, 2016 in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, Trump said exactly that just days before his victory.

“When we win on Nov. 8 and elect a Republican Congress, we will be able to immediately repeal and replace ‘Obamacare,’” Trump said.

He then went on to reiterate his claim.

“I will ask Congress to convene a special session so we can repeal and replace,” Trump said.

“And it will be such an honor for me, for you and for everybody in this country because ‘Obamacare’ has to be replaced.

And we will do it, and we will do it very, very quickly.”

Trump kept a separate campaign promise Friday, giving the federal government’s approval of the Keystone XL pipeline.

His decision comes just months after signing an executive order greenlighting the Dakota Access pipeline.

The approval reverses a 2015 decision by then-President Barack Obama, which denied the pipeline. TransCanada, the company behind the project, now awaits approval from the state of Nebraska to complete its construction.

After claiming states such as West Virginia and Kentucky by wide margins, Trump also began taking steps toward fulfilling his pledge to restore coal jobs those states once so desperately relied upon. Trump inked an executive order initiating the withdrawal and rewriting of the Clean Power Plan, an Obama-era Environmental Protections Agency regulation aimed at lowering carbon emissions.

CHIK-FIL-A From Page 1 Graves said.

Like Graves, Brandon Nolan, junior from Evansville, Indiana, said Chickfil-A gives more options to students, but also it will better distribute students during meal times at Thoroughbred Room and Winslow Dining Hall to thin out the lines.

As a biology major, Nolan said he realizes the need for dining on the south end of campus near the science buildings.

“I know the struggle of lunchtime: either walking a huge distance to Winslow or T-room, or waiting 30 minutes plus at the Pony Express for lunch,” Nolan said. “A building in that area would be great for those majors at lunch time.”

He said increased food option makes Murray State more marketable and allows students to splurge on flex once in awhile.

“I think it’s a great idea for Murray State to bring any chain restaurant, especially Chick-fil-A to campus,” Nolan said. “Chick-fil-A has great food and is very popular among college students.”

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THE MUR R AY STATE

NEWS

The News

News

March 30, 2017

Take Back the Night raises awareness of sexual assault

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

Destinee Marking

POLICE BEAT MARCH 22 6:38 a.m.

A caller requested a residence unlock at James H. Richmond Residential College. The on-call residence director was notified.

7:45 p.m.

An officer conducted a traffic stop at Calloway County Alternative School.

A verbal warning was issued for careless driving.

MARCH 23 12:14 p.m.

The Murray State Police Department reported information in reference to road maintenance in the Curris Center parking lot. The Murray Police Department, Calloway County Sheriff’s Office, Murray Ambulance Service and the Central Heating and Cooling Plant were notified.

12:26 p.m.

The Murray State Police Department received a fire alarm activation on the alarm center computer at Crisp Soccer Complex. Officers and the Central Heating and Cooling Plant were notified and the alarm was caused by power being restored to the building.

MARCH 24 9:13 a.m.

The Murray State Police Department received an attempt to locate in reference to a missing juvenile from Crittenden County. Officers were notified.

An officer conducted a traffic stop at state Route 121 and Bailey Road. A citation was issued for failure to wear a seat belt.

dmarking@murraystate.edu

Katrena Jordan, sophomore from Lenzburg, Illinois, is a sexual assault survivor.

She said she was first assaulted when she was six years old, and she said her family did not believe her – they thought she was only seeking attention. For that reason, she said she waited until she was 16 to tell anyone else what she had been through.

Tuesday’s Take Back the Night rally spread awareness of sexual assault by sharing stories from survivors like Jordan and gave action steps for ending sexual violence through intervention.

“It’s an opportunity for survivors to share their stories and encourages students to support survivors and to be active bystanders,” said Abigail Cox, coordinator of Murray State’s Women’s Center.

Cox said she believes people will be more likely to reach out and ask for help if people collectively respond to the issue of sexual assault and that is why it is so important to raise awareness.

Jordan was the first student to share her story of overcoming sexual violence.

“I felt as if it was my fault,” she said.

Although it has taken time, Jordan said she has come to realize she is not to blame and she does not let what happened to her define who she is.

“You have to speak up and fight for yourself because no one else can fight for you,” Jordan said.

Travis Ralls, Greenville College student from St. Louis, and a sexual abuse survivor, also shared his story.

Ralls said about 11 percent of all students on college campuses experience rape and sexual abuse.

He said he was sexually assaulted by a college intern working in the church he went to when he was 11 and 12 years old. He didn’t tell anyone about his experience until he was a senior in high school.

By reporting what happened, Ralls learned his

Abby Siegel || News Editor asiegel@murraystate.edu

Many students mourn for London after the recent terrorist attack and reflect on their time studying abroad in England.

The recent 82-second attack occurred March 22 on the Westminster Bridge in London and left five dead and more than 50 injured, representing 10 nations.

This was the deadliest attack in London since 2005.

Khalid Masood, the attacker, drove a vehicle into pedestrians and fatally stabbed a police officer.

Robyn Pizzo, senior education abroad adviser, said Murray State didn’t have any students in the city during the attack, despite London being a common education abroad destination.

Since 2010, Pizzo said 314 Murray State students, faculty and staff have traveled to London for education abroad purposes.

“I think events such as these are having an impact on students deciding to participate and have many of their families worried as well.” Pizzo said. “I don’t think studying abroad is inherently more dangerous than studying on campus.”

To make sure students are safe, Pizzo said everyone who studies abroad is equipped with a detailed crisis response plan, 24hour emergency phone numbers, fully comprehensive health and emergency insurance and connection with the U.S. consulate.

MARCH 25 10:11 a.m.

An officer reported non-criminal damage in the Regents Residential College parking lot.

4:38 p.m.

The Murray State Police Department received an attempt to locate in reference to an overdue motorist. Officers were notified.

MARCH 26 12:12 a.m.

Racer Patrol reported an unsecure door at Waterfield Library. Officers were notified.

11:50 p.m.

Officers conducted special detail for St. Jude’s 5K run at the 15th Street and Olive Boulevard gates.

MARCH 27 9:06 a.m.

A caller reported a medical emergency at Mason Hall. Officers, Student Affairs and Murray Ambulance Service were notified. The patient was transported by Murray Ambulance Service and a medical report was taken.

8:34 p.m.

An officer conducted a traffic stop at 15th Street and Calloway Avenue. A verbal warning was issued for failure to illuminate headlights.

abuser victimized multiple children.

Not only did Ralls bring justice to himself, but to others, too.

Ralls, like Jordan, said he had to realize he had no control over the situation and was not to blame.

“Although what happened to me is part of me, it doesn’t define me,” Ralls said.

Michael Mann, senior from Springfield, Kentucky, said it is the students’ responsibility to end sexual violence at Murray State.

“It is our responsibility to stop sexual assault,” Mann said. “Not only because it is the right thing to do, but because this is our campus.”

President Bob Davies call to action followed the theme of the night by challenging people to take a stand and assist those who need it.

As Racers, Davies said intervention is our responsibility.

After the rally, there was a resource fair for students to see where they can seek help if it is ever needed.

Take the pledge to end sexual assault at ItsOnUs.org.

Kelli O’Toole/The News

Travis Ralls tells his story about surviving a sexual assault.

Kelli O’Toole/The News

Students attended the Take Back the Night rally in Racer Arena on Tuesday.

“The health and safety of our students abroad is always at the forefront of our program planning and pre-departure orientations,” Pizzo said.

Katie Schoenborn, sophomore from St. Louis, is currently spend-

ing a semester abroad in the Experience Scotland Program and is an advocate for international travel.

“You have to be aware that this can happen anywhere, but you can’t let these attacks stop you

Photo courtesy of Alli Strong

Since 2010, Murray State has sent 314 students, faculty and staff to London.

from seeing the world,” Schoenborn said.

She was in London less than a month ago on a weekend excursion, taking advantage of the cheap bus ticket from Edinburgh to London.

Now in Scotland, she said the city feels the affects of the attack.

“I was at Scottish Parliament the day before the attack, and since there is big debate in Scotland on having an independence referendum and breaking away from the U.K., it has been very heated in Scottish government,” Schoenborn said. “They canceled debates in Scotland for the rest of the week due to the attack and are also on high alert.”

Caitlin Starr, junior from Hopkinsville, Kentucky, went on the Haunted Theater program to London and Dublin for Winter Break and said she is deeply saddened for the city she said she loves.

“This recent event truly pains me,” Starr said. “To see such a wonderful city and innocent people under attack is devastating to say the least.”

She said she is in awe of the history and architecture of the country, and she would travel back to London in a heartbeat, even despite the recent terrorist attack.

“There are going to be bad people everywhere, and tragic events are unfortunately going to happen.” Starr said. “However, we can’t let that stop us from enjoying and experiencing things in life.”

Student nationally named Major of the Year

MARCH 28 1:05 a.m.

An officer conducted a traffic stop in the residential college circle. A citation was issued for no registration plate, no registration receipt, failure to produce proof of insurance and failure for license to be in possession.

Michelle Hawks

Contributing writer mhawks@murraystate.edu

9:40 a.m.

The Murray State Police Department received a fire trouble alarm at Sparks Hall on the alarm center computer.

The alarm was because of maintenance being conducted on the fire alarm system.

0 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.

Staff writer

Students reflect on London after attacks

3:44 p.m.

MOTORIST ASSISTS RACER ASSISTS ARRESTS

Page 3

Kimberly Whitaker, senior from Owensboro, Kentucky, was named “Major of the Year” by the Society of Health and Physical Educators America (SHAPE) during the organization’s 132nd National Convention and Expo in Boston March 16.

T h o u g h Whitaker could not attend the conference in person, she said it was an honor to be nominated and selected.

“It’s exciting to receive a national award Whitaker in your field,” Whitaker said.

According to SHAPE America, recipients must:

•

Be a current SHAPE America member.

• Be on track toward a degree in an HPERD (health, physical education, recreation and dance) field.

• Be a junior or senior.

• Have a GPA of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale.

• Provide a service to school or community (3-5 contributions) for a minimum of two years during undergraduate career.

Miranda Terry, assistant professor in the Applied Health Sciences Department and the public and community health program director, nominated Whitaker for the award.

“She deserves this recognition for all of her hard work,” Terry said.

Whitaker is the co-founder and president of Student Health Educators Association (SHEA), the department’s professional organization. She also serves as a student

ambassador for the department of applied health sciences, was active in the planning process of the “Safe Spring Break 2017” programming and was co-creator of the “Take One, Leave One” food pantry program which provides food-insecure students with a discrete way to access food.

Whitaker is also the student coordinator of the Health Matters for Students program.

The purpose of this program is to provide five-minute presentations and activities on various health topics to improve campus health.

These five-minute presentations, given to faculty and staff, are meant to be incorporated into classrooms.

Working closely with Terry, she was awarded an Office of Research and Creative Activity (ORCA) Research Scholar Fellowship and expanded the program into the public schools by working with K-12 teachers.

She was a co-presenter on this program as part of participant recruitment at Southern District SHAPE in January 2017.

Other research projects include her involvement in bringing the Rethink Your Drink community challenge to Murray.

Additionally, alongside two of her peers, Whitaker had a poster presentation at the ORCA Fall 2016 Scholars Week titled, “Photovoice Project: Assets and Barriers to Infection Prevention on a College Campus,” which was conducted under the supervision of Terry.

Whitaker also spends her time volunteering within the community and is involved with Hester Residential College.

After graduation in May, Whitaker said she has a job lined up as a consulting analyst for an electronic health records software company and looks forward to the opportunities it will bring.

The News

Page 4

March 30, 2017

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

Opinion Our View

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

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

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

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

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

Footing the bill

Sarah Combs Sports Editor • 270-809-4481 scombs@murraystate.edu

Selena McPherson / The News

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

Austin Gordon Online Editor/Advertising Production • 270-809-5877 agordon4@murraystate.edu

Nahiomy Gallardo Advertising Sales Manager • 270-809-4478 msunewsads@gmail.com

McKenna Dosier Photography Editor • 270-809-5878 mdosier@murraystate.edu

Allison Laski Chief Videographer alaski@murraystate.edu

Stephanie Elder-Anderson Adviser • 270-809-3937 selder@murraystate.edu

The News

It isn’t often our Editorial Board has a generally unanimous opinion on a topic, especially when we’re talking politics. But a new bill proposed by the Tennessee state legislature has us nodding our heads and applauding our Southern neighbor state.

The bill, which passed the Senate Education Committee with a 7-2 vote according to The Tennessean, would grant undocumented immigrants in-state tuition for public state colleges and universities.

Currently, Tennessee law requires undocumented students living in the state to pay thousands more dollars per semester than their peers, which often leads to those students being unable to attend college or finish degrees.

The chief argument against the bill is that it is unfair for immigrants who have entered the country legally, and that it could encourage more illegal immigra-

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ing American citizens. Immigrants cannot begin the naturalization process until they are 18 years of age, and the process can take years to complete. So, for a student who has graduated high school and wants to keep learning and gaining employment opportunities that may quicken their citizenship process, having that opportunity thwarted by out-of-state tuition costs could be detrimental.

If an immigrant has already been able to reap the benefits of a K-12 education and is fully prepared to begin college-level study with their peers, isn’t it counterproductive for the state to deny those students from easily obtaining an education?

Some critics of the bill claim it favors undocumented students over American students who would still pay out-of-state tuition if they resided in another state. But, we must ask what the alternative options are. If we want

undocumented immigrants to be as educated, productive and informed as possible when it comes to obtaining citizenship, it’s illogical to then make a college education – something American students might take for granted – extremely difficult to pursue. If our goal as Americans is to integrate as many immigrants into our society as possible and lead them to legal residency, we must make education and employment opportunities more readily available to them.

If, however, our goal as Americans is to rid our communities of anyone who lacks a certain government-approved piece of paper, driving up college costs for immigrants is a grade-A plan.

If that is the attitude our citizens strive to propagate, perhaps our president will decorate his border-straddling wall with fine print on what “the land of opportunity” really means.

The Fine Print

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

TheNews.org

tion because of its monetary benefits. While a legal immigrant and state resident has full access to federal grants and scholarships, though, the undocumented student does not. And if, after receiving a K-12 public education, their college education is made impossible because of outrageous tuition costs, that student suddenly has much less opportunity for employment that would benefit the state.

“We know that if more Tennesseans have a college degree, the whole state is better off,” said Sen. Todd Gardenhire to a reporter for Chalkbeat.org. “By allowing more Tennesseans to enroll in college, we can fill crucial labor shortages and expand the overall tax base.”

Because many undocumented students were brought into the country at a young age and are not responsible for choosing their residency, the opportunity of a college education may be the first milestone in their journeys to becom-

Robert Valentine Contributing writer rvalentine@murraystate.edu During the week before Spring Break, the results of the Student Government Association elections were announced.

Tori Wood is the new SGA president and her victory came in a virtual landslide.

I say “virtual” landslide to distinguish it from a “literal” landslide – the term having come to mean an overwhelming indication of widespread voter support.

Wood received nearly 80 percent of the vote, which is a clear margin of student support if ever there was one.

That margin, however, was measured by a majority of only 8 percent of the eligible votes.

Less than one-tenth of the student population thought the election was worth the seconds it would have taken to cast a ballot – which could have been done from anywhere on campus and, in fact, from almost anywhere is the developed world.

Now, Wood’s election is just as valid as any U.S. presidential election in the last 100 years.

That’s not the problem, nor is the result the election itself, since

The lone warrior

two qualified candidates sought the job and one of them won it fair and square.

Yet, there is a problem.

Wood now becomes one of the 11 most powerful people on campus in terms of the ability to change policy, to strengthen the value of a Murray State degree, to make a Murray State education more available to qualified students and to help guarantee the lives of everyone – students, faculty, staff and their families – will improve in the future.

More importantly, she is the one of the 11 most responsible for representing the largest and most vulnerable interest group: the students.

Tori Wood has earned a place at that table.

Except for the students, faculty and the staff regents, all those folks are chosen by gubernatorial appointment. Before the governor appoints, lots of people get a chance to make recommenda-

tions and suggestions. I can’t tell you about the voting margin of victory for the faculty and staff regents, although I’m sure that figure is available. I can tell you this: a higher percentage of those electorates took part. It wouldn’t have taken much.

Why did so few students vote?

Many of them were probably unaware of the election. There weren’t many signs on campus, and three or four students told me they were surprised there was an election. That’s OK: I find students are often unaware we had a test on this day or that, despite its prominent inclusion in the syllabus (whatever that is).

Some were too busy texting or watching the latest video of a kitten. You know it’s true: we all spend too much time looking for the meaning of life on YouTube.

And some just didn’t care. They didn’t understand that, if they want someone to actively seek

WHY DID SO FEW STUDENTS VOTE?

lower tuition, a change in graduation requirements, lower housing costs – anything that makes a difference in their lives – Tori Wood or Lucas Reed was going to be that person. They didn’t see this election as a chance to voice their concerns that would be much more powerful than complaining on Twitter.

So what? So this: With a 90 percent voting rate, Tori Wood could own the board room. The implications for your education and your wallet could be enormous.

If you didn’t vote, you just sent Tori Wood to her first Board of Regents meeting with a popsicle stick instead of a club. Her passion to serve, her willingness to represent you and all the intelligence she can muster will be blunted by the collective knowledge that fewer than one in 10 of all students seems to care.

By all reports, Tori Wood is a bright, articulate young woman with a desire to serve both students and the institution. Whatever happens from here on out, however, will be all Tori. Except for 856 people, the student body doesn’t care. They can be easily to ignored. All 100 percent of them.

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 30, 2017

Page 5

Making Headway

The nefarious Odyssey Online Dylan Doyle Contributing writer ddoyle2@murraystate.edu If you are anything like me, your Facebook feed is overflowing with articles contributed by your friends to The Odyssey Online, often peppered with comma splices, subject-verb disagreement and any number of other grammatical mistakes.

There is a time and a place for this Buzzfeed-esque guilty-pleasure-indulgent writing (I personally have read more open letters than I care to admit), but my intention was to sit down and write about all of the problems I have with Odyssey contributors and their English and journalism chops (or lack thereof.)

During my research, some things changed. Rest assured, I still want to address all of you regular Odyssey contributors and readers out there, but not to act as a snob declaring the merits of highbrow writing. Instead, I want to convince you to stop writing for and reading Odyssey articles for an even better reason: Odyssey is taking advantage of you.

That’s right. Odyssey is a scam, a sucker game packaged and distributed under the guise of social media platform democratization.

The ethical elephant in the room:

Odyssey does not pay its writers a dime, unless that writer’s article got the most shares out of the local community that week, in which case Odyssey wires that writer 20 bucks.

A toxic culture pervades every area of art: the payday mayday. Ask your musician friends if they have ever been asked to play an unpaid gig for “exposure.” Ask your graphic artist friends for their “it will get your name out there in the industry” horror stories.

Odyssey writers: your art, the fruit of your creative labor, has value.

Your stories have value, or advertisers would not pay for space next to them. A big corporation that asks you to work for no compensation is swindling you.

So what is the difference between unpaid contributions to The Murray State News, for example, and Odyssey’s business model? It all comes down to the money. The News makes very little on advertising compared to Odyssey, and it is a student-run endeavor. Odyssey, in a truly villainous twist of a PR campaign, brands itself likewise. One of their taglines is “The monopoly on minds is over,” which spells out their self-proclaimed attempt to democratize the publishing industry. Again, it is a scam.

Odyssey does not care about the

online writing industry’s demographic problems, although the overwhelming whiteness and maleness of the industry certainly needs to be addressed. Peel back that fool’s gold wrapping paper and you will find a familiar beast: capitalism.

Let me bore you with a little simple math. Conservative estimates on the value of internet views sit at around $3 per thousand views.

Odyssey rakes in upwards of 360 million article views per year, according to Business Insider. From an admittedly very small sample size of 20 articles from the Murray State sphere of Odyssey, I counted an average of 4.6 ads per article (longer articles often have five, shorter ones have four.) To give Odyssey the benefit of the doubt, we will round that value down to four.

This means Odyssey would be making a profit of around $1 million per year, if each article had only one ad. Assuming most articles have four, that comes out to around $4.3 million a year in profit, and that is just counting revenue for ad views – actual clicks on the ads generate even more money for Odyssey.

As free-market capitalists are always telling us, making money is not inherently unethical, but profiting from unpaid labor is always wrong.

This company is making millions

of dollars in revenue per year by selling your content to advertisers, all without paying you a dime. Seems pretty unethical so far, right? It gets worse.

Remember that $20 Odyssey will send you if your article is the most shared that week? This is an integral part of Odyssey’s business model: they entice you to post your articles across your own social media feeds, hoping you will convince your friends and family to share your articles, getting you that much closer to that coveted 20 bucks. They are tricking you into doing their advertising for them, taking advantage of your social media accounts to get more views, which translates into more money for them.

If you regularly write or read Odyssey articles, I urge you to stop immediately. If you are someone who loves to blog, free platforms like WordPress and Blogger exist for you to craft your stories (and, should those stories go viral, to get a chunk of the advertising change.) If you just like reading topical posts about Murray State and its culture, support your friends’ blogs or The Murray State News itself.

As a rule of thumb, remember the words of Heath Ledger’s Joker: “if you’re good at something, never do it for free.”

Jeers to ... The end

Cheers to ... Helping others

Well, Spring Break has come to an end, which means the stress of the semester is about to barrel-roll over all of us and crash down with a finale of exams and presentations. It’s the worst time of the year, but it means we’re one step closer to being done. We can make it!

A women was only 100 yards away from the finish line at the Love Run Half-Marathon last weekend in Philadelphia when her knees gave out.

Two fellow runners and competitors picked up the woman and carried her to the finish line...well almost. The men put her down just before so she could cross the finish line herself. We could all stand to help others a little more!

Cheers to ... MOR CHICKIN

CHEERS & JEERS

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

Longing for the struggle Hallie Beard Opinion Editor hbeard2@murraystate.edu Most old souls would probably agree there’s a charm to the technologies of the past, even with all their glitches, frustrations and inconveniences.

Recently, I read a short story in which a man struggled to make an important phone call on a hotel pay phone, something millennials might now view as a bulky, foreign relic. One of the main points of conflict for the character was simply having enough quarters to stay on the line long enough.

Pay phones were phasing out during my childhood as cordless and cell phones began to take over, so though I remember seeing them, I never had to struggle like the character in the story to ration my dimes and nickels for a distance call.

The character’s frustration was so tangible, though, and it made me nostalgic for that kind of dated technology.

It got me thinking, too: with all our glorious technological advances, are we losing the ability to deal with physical, material conflicts?

If a writer my age were to create

an updated version of the story I read, what would the central conflict be? Someone not being able to find a phone charger? Well, if that person were in a public place, it probably wouldn’t be difficult to find someone friendly enough to lend their iPhone for a call. Sure, we can have annoying and ill-timed technological problems, but there’s no comparison when it comes to the physical frustration of dealing with a machine that simply won’t work.

Because we spend so much time on social media and communicating via phones and computers, many of the conflicts we face are completely virtual. In theory, someone can lie in bed for an entire day and never speak to another human, but initiate and resolve a handful of electronically written conversations and arguments during their period of vegetating.

In one sense, it’s great. In another, it’s terribly sad and honestly very boring.

In the old days of letter-writing, pay phone-dialing and map-using, so much depended on having reliable information. If you needed to make a call, you’d better have someone’s number memorized or be near an updated phone book, and have the exact change to potentially pay for the call. If some-

one invited you out to a place you’d never heard of, simply Googling the address and directions on the way was not an option. What if you didn’t have a map, didn’t know your way around and couldn’t get anyone to tell you reliable directions? It seems like, in many of those situations, you’d simply be out of luck.

If something like an electromagnetic pulse were to happen and we suddenly couldn’t use our electronics, would people my age even know where to begin in gathering information?

Sometimes I wonder if the newest generation even learns how to write and address letters anymore, or make a physical copy of something. Reading a map is out of the question – I’m embarrassed to say that, because I’ve never had the need, I have no idea how to get around a city or state using a paper map, save for well-marked subway lines.

In the world of instant pleasure and available solutions to any electronic problem, where’s the conflict? Where’s the consequence? I admit, since I’m mainly thinking about this in terms of narrative potential, my view is limited and problematic. Of course we can still face serious issues in terms of com-

Want to be a cartoonist for the Opinion section?

Stop by the newsroom or email Opinion Editor Hallie Beard at hbeard2@murraystate.edu for details

WRITE

TO US! We still want to hear from you.

Your voice matters.

Jeers to ... U of L On Friday, there will be an open-carry gun rally on the University of Louisville campus in an effort to “start a discussion” about gun rights, according to an article in the Courier-Journal. Look, we’re all about expressing rights, but doesn’t a gun rally downtown sound like a flat-out terrible idea? We just hope everyone is safe and calm during the rally.

If you haven’t already heard, there’s going to be yet another fast food chain joining the slew of fryers and grills in our town, and we don’t have any beef with it. The beloved Chick-fil-A may be coming to Murray in the near future, so get your “my pleasure”s ready. Those employees are trained to be strangely polite.

Got opinions?

munication and technology, but as the focus for a story, movie, etc., do they hold any weight?

This is probably something all generations grapple with – for all I know, writers in the 1950s pondered how to pull off a journey/ voyage story without the life-ordeath risks of traveling via horse and buggy. Maybe they felt the modern car was too convenient, too perfect for a point of conflict until they found enough issues to garner some suspense.

Maybe it’s just my personal tastes, but I have a hard time picturing a sophisticated, literary masterpiece that incorporates terms like “iPhone” or “Snapchat filter.” In 50 or 100 years, those terms might have the retro charm “pay phone” has now.

I’m grateful to live in this era, and I know complaining about our technology being too helpful, too handy, is privileged to the highest degree.

But, you have to admit – there’s something magical and exciting about putting in effort to get what you desire, whether that’s taking care of a record, taking snail mail to the post office or risking your last quarter on a call to someone who might leave you hanging on the dial tone.

SEE PAGE 4 FOR DETAILS Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook and Instagram: @TheMurrayStateNews or on Twitter @MurrayStateNews

The Murray State News 111 Wilson Hall Murray, Ky 42071

The News

Page 6

March 30, 2017

Sports

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

Returning home

Former Racer named new women’s basketball head coach

Jenny Rohl/The News

Murray High assistant coach Amber Guffey attends to support Tuner’s acceptance.

Bryan Edwards Staff writer

bedwards16@murraystate.edu

Jenny Rohl/The News

Rechelle Turner speaks about her plans as newly appointed Head Coach.

The Murray State Athletic Department announced in Wednesday Rechelle Turner would take the helm and become the 13th Head Coach in Murray State women’s basketball history.

Turner said she is excited for the opportunity to be able to coach Division-1 basketball.

“It’s exciting to be able to take on a new challenge of coaching in my hometown,” Turner said.

“Murray State is an amazing place of higher education and has a commitment to excellence and to be apart of that is a second-to-none opportunity to me.”

The Racers finished 15-14 last season and missed the OVC Tournament. Turner said she expects a change in culture around women’s basketball at Murray State and her expectations are high.

“Winning is contagious,” Turner said. “We’re going to go at it on day one expecting to bring this team to the level of excellence that Murray State deserves.”

Before accepting the job at Murray State, Turner coached

the Murray High School Lady Tigers for 21 seasons. Turner has a 460-178 record with Murray High. She has won eight Coach of the Year awards and also been inducted into the Marshall County Hall of Fame.

Turner has led the Lady Tigers to the All-A 1st Region Championship 13 times, backto-back KHSAA Sweet Sixteen semifinal appearances and one state championship.

Turner said she won’t change the way she coaches as she moves from high school to college.

“The championship culture that was built at Murray High will be built at Murray State,” Turner said. “We will have the same foundation and the same coaching pillars and we will build a program that is as good as any in the country.”

Athletic Director Allen Ward praised Turner for her passion when coaching on the floor.

“She is a perfect fit for this job,” Ward said. “Rachelle is a constant professional. She knows what it takes to win and know what it means to be a champion. She is an individual that can lead this program to new heights.”

‘Moving on is hard’ Freshman guard Dondre Griffin has announced his departure from the program Bryan Edwards Staff writer bedwards16@murraystate.edu

Freshman guard Dondre Griffin announced on social media that he has requested and was granted a release from Murray State.

“Thank you Murray for everything you’ve done. Moving on is hard,” Griffin stated in an instagram post. “This has been a second home to me I love Racer Nation and the Murray community.”

Head Coach Matt McMahon has confirmed that Griffin has decided to leave the team but has no further comment on the matter.

Griffin, a native of Raleigh, North Carolina, played a small role for the Racers in his freshman campaign, accumulating 55 total minutes throughout the season.

He played a career-high 10 minutes and scored a career-high nine points against Bethel on Dec. 12.

Griffin spent the season on the bench behind junior guard Jonathan Stark and senior guard

Bryce Jones, who both averaged more than 30 minutes per game.

Through his minimal role on the team, he averaged 1.7 points per game while shooting 37 percent from the field.

Griffin missed significant time during the heart of the season because of an injury to his left thumb. When he returned from the injury, he never saw more than five minutes of playing time.

Murray State’s recruiting class will fill the hold Griffin left, as the Racers have signed incoming freshmen Temetrius Morant and Tevin Brown as well as JUCO transfer Leroy Buchanan, who were all recruited as guards. The departure of Griffin has also opened up a scholarship spot, giving the Racers two open scholarships to use during off-season recruiting.

Brown is a consensus threestar recruit coming out of high school and Buchanan was recently honored as a top 100 JUCO transfer.

An announcement on where Chalice Keith/The News Griffin will transfer has yet to Freshman guard Dondre Griffin takes the court at the CFSB Center. be announced.

Turner said she believes that building relationships with her players is the key to being a successful team.

“21 years of head coaching has taught me that there is nothing more important than relationships,” Turner said.

“The players on the Murray State women’s basketball program will be taught that they matter. They will learn that they have leadership they can trust and they will find that they will be valued as players but will also find out that no number of points or rebounds will ever outweigh their value as human beings. Relationships through faith and family will become the foundation of Murray State women’s basketball.”

Lydia Grogan played for Turner at Murray High and she said her favorite thing about playing for her was the relationships she built with her players.

“Whenever she wasn’t coaching you would forget that she was your coach,” Grogan said. “We were family and she did everything for us but she also pushed us when she knew we weren’t at our best.”

Turner has already hired a coaching staff in Monica Evans, Amber Guffey and Aubrey Reese. Reese served as an assistant coach for the Racers on former coach Rob Cross’ staff.

Ward said the hiring of Turner was one of the most comfortable decisions he has made as Athletic Director and thinks highly of her.

“She’s a good enough coach to be able to see how the team fits her system but she’s also a good enough coach that she can fit her system within the team that she has,” Ward said. “She’s an outstanding coach and I feel great about the direction we are headed and where we will be in the next few years.”

Turner said she is beginning the recruiting process right away.

“We have to bring in players that fit into our program and can take it to where we want to be,” Turner said. “We are going to hit the floor running with recruiting because it’s vital to success in college basketball.”

Turner said that practices for the women’s team will be open and encourages the fans to see the team practice.

Calling the fastest kid in Murray Quinnen Taylor Staff writer

qtaylor1@murraystate.edu

The Murray State track and field will join the cross country program to host the second annual Fastest Kid in Murray and the Murray Mile competitions on March 31 at Roy Stewart Stadium.

The contests will take place after the Margaret Simmons Invitational. The Murray Mile will start at 5:15 p.m. while the Fastest Kid in Murray contest is set to begin at approximately 5:45 p.m.

Assistant track and field coach Adam Kiesler said he’s hopeful the events will grow each year.

“They mean a lot to us for the community to come out and participate in the events during our home meet,” Kiesler said. “We hope this event can get bigger over the years and become something the kids and adults look forward to participating in.”

After the events end, Murray State will host a “Track Day,” where children will have opportunities to participate in different events and receive instruction from the track and field athletes.

Senior mid-distance runner Tia Weston said she enjoys

the interaction and excitement involved.

“It’s important for them to see that we interact with other people and we’re not just standing off,” Weston said.

“We like to enjoy the time with them, and it brings fun to us and not just them.”

The contests and the Track Day give the program a chance to share tips and advice with children. But, aside from the experience, Kiesler said the events are a way to express their enthusiasm for the sport with the city of Murray.

“It’s important to the team to share their passion for track and field with the community,” Kiesler said. “It means a lot to the staff because we know how much our athletes appreciate the support from the community, and we always love watching the kids get excited about track and field.”

The entry fee is $10 and all runners will receive a shirt.

The deadline to register online for the events is March 28, but competitors may enroll on the day of the races at 4:45 p.m.

In order for the runner to enter, the child must be up to 13 years old. However, the prizes will be awarded based on the following age groups: 4 and under, 5-7, 8-9, 10-11 and 12-13.

The News

Sports

March 30, 2017

Page 7

Robinson rolls to career wins Bryan Edwards Staff writer

bedwards16@murraystate.edu

History was made in more than one way at Racer Field.

The Murray State softball program hosted its first tournament on campus, but it was senior pitcher Mason Robinson who claimed a moment that will go into the record books.

In the final game of the Racers’ 5-0 sweep of the inaugural Racer Classic, Robinson picked up the win in a complete-game shutout of the Northern Illinois Panthers. The win was the 58th of her career, making her the winningest pitcher in Murray State history. Robinson passed former record holder CheyAnne Gaskey, who pitched for the Racers during Robinson’s freshman and sophomore seasons.

Robinson said she was grateful for the honor but wants to be a part of a bigger story as a Racer.

“It’s a cool thing to have and it shows that my hard work has paid off, but I couldn’t have done it without my team,” Robinson said. “In 20 years, I hope that people see me as the pitcher that led Murray State to their first OVC Championship instead of the pitcher with the most wins.”

Robinson was recruited out of Olentangy Orange High School in Lewis Center, Ohio, where she was a three-sport

athlete, playing volleyball, basketball and softball.

She played all four years in high school, and in 2012, she won 21 consecutive games, posting a .083 ERA during that span. Robinson was an All-District selection in 2012 and a three-time All-Conference selection.

After committing to a different school during her first three years of high school, Robinson said she didn’t think that she wanted to go to that school.

“My senior year I was left with really nowhere to go after I decommitted until I heard that coach (Amundson) got the job at Murray State and that she was interested to talk to me,” Robinson said.

“We talked on the phone and I visited then committed a week later. I couldn’t be happier to be where I am.”

Head Coach Kara Amundson said Robinson was one of the first players that she recruited after she took the job at Murray State and she was really interested in Robinson when she heard about her.

“She is a real presence in the circle,” Amundson said. “She had a nasty drop curve and she could really throw the ball.”

Robinson was tested right away as a Racer. She started in 25 games and made 34 appearances in her freshman season, finishing with an 11-8 record and a 2.89 ERA. Robinson was

elected to the OVC All-Newcomer Team.

She saw improvement during her sophomore season in the win column. She won 15 games and was a first-team All-OVC honoree. She was also honored as OVC Pitcher of the Week on three separate occasions.

“

I want to help my team win a cham- pionship, but more importantly I wanted to be remembered for how I cared about my teammates.

”

- Mason Robinson, senior pitcher

Robinson took over as the Racers’ No. 1 pitcher in her junior season and posted 19 wins during that season. She was one win short of tying Gaskey’s single-season winning record of 20 that she posted in 2015. Robinson also had the 11th shutout of her career during the season, making her the record holder for most career shutouts.

She has also shown that she is one of the best in the classroom, as well. Robinson has been honored on the Commissioner’s Honor Roll for her

first three years of school.

Robinson entered her senior year with 45 career wins, and within two months of the season’s beginning, she has already reached 17 wins on the season and 62 in her career.

She is the first Racer to win 60 games and is well on track to become the program’s record holder for most wins in a single season.

The career wins record isn’t the only record Robinson has broken this year as she has also broken the career complete games record. Robinson currently has 63 complete games in her career, breaking Shelby Kosmecki’s record of 48 early in the year.

Although she has more wins than any other player in Murray State history, Robinson wants to be remembered for playing for a bigger purpose.

“I want to help my team win a championship, but more importantly, I want to be remembered for how I cared about my teammates,” Robinson said. “I want to be able to do anything to serve my team both on and off the field.

It’s not about me or what I’m doing, but it’s about what the team is doing.”

Robinson will continue her record-breaking season at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, March 29, when the Racers face off against the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers in Bowling Green, Kentucky.

Chalice Keith/The News

Senior pitcher Mason Robinson winds up to pitch.

WHILE YOU WERE AWAY BASEBALL Went 4-5 over the week. Kicking off Spring Break with a win over Austin Peay, following with three consecutive wins against Southern Illinois University Carbondale 13-10, Eastern Illinois 10-8 and 11-10. Their only loss for the week was the third game in the tri-weekend against Eastern Illinois 5-7.

SOFTBALL Spanned the week with an 0-4 record. Weber 0-7, Quinnipac 0-2 and a doubleheader against California State Northridge 7-14 and 0-11.

TENNIS Beat Florida Southern 5-4. Weather conditions cut their match against Rollins short but they finished up Spring Break with a win over Jacksonville State 5-2.

WOMEN’S GOLF Kelli O’Toole/The News

Senior pitcher Ryan Dills warms up at Reagan Field.

April 4; The Pacifier April 11: The Passion of the Christ

Had an 11-shot win in the Spring Citrus Challenge at Red Tail Golf Club in Sorrento, Florida.

The News

Sports

Page 8

March 30, 2017

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It’s been more than 20 years since Murray State’s President Kern Alexander announced his plans to form a new team on campus, one that stands today as the oldest club on campus.

Founded in 1996, the Murray State Crew Club, otherwise known as the rowing team, was the first and only of its kind in the state of Kentucky.

The newly-formed organization was met with skepticism from some. The sport first gained prominence at Ivy League schools like Yale, which first founded its team in 1843, and left some in the Murray community questioning the club’s relevance in an area with a lake known mostly for fishing.

Despite apprehension, the 1996 rowing team had a total of 172 athletes come for tryouts. The team was eventually cut to 31, and that marked the beginning of a program that is still intact today. Richard Goeller, an alumnus who served as president of the Crew Club until 2012, said the longevity of the program is encouraging.

“It feels good,” Goeller said. “I mean the fact that we’ve been around for so long through good times and bad, it’s just reassuring to know that

MURRAY STATE ROWING CLUB ROSTER J ac kW er n

bsandlin1@murraystate.edu

the program has that kind of strength.”

Those bad times were most prevalent in Spring 2008, when the rowing program fell victim to university budget cuts. The cuts brought an end to rowing as a university sport, and many thought the program had seen its last days.

The team had other thoughts, however, and met in the summer of 2008 to discuss the future of the program. They decided to keep their athletic dreams alive, agreeing to continue as a university club.

The members of that 2008 team were instrumental in keeping the tradition alive today, although the transition from a collegiate program to a university club left the team struggling financially. The lack of a team budget forced them to get funding from unconventional areas. The club today charges each member dues to participate, which women’s rowing captain Lauren Frank says can range from around $185-260 depending on participation.

“The dues depend on how many people we recruit in the fall and spring,” Frank said. “So the more people we have in the fall the lower the dues are.”

Frank said the club uses other unique ways in order to provide extra funding for the team as well as help out the community.

“We do trash pickups on

an Po we rs

Staff writer

Ry

Blake Sandlin

Graphic courtesy of Austin Gordon/The News

weekends, which is when we go out and clean up the sides of highways from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. and earn an hourly rate and then the money goes straight back to the team,” Frank said.

Despite being a club from a small mid-major school, Murray State’s rowing team faces no shortage of top competition from around the country. Frank said the school faces collegiate talent like Clemson, Alabama,

Colorado and Texas.

For rowers like Frank, she puts a lot of pride into being able to compete against the best of the best.

“As a rower, you want to be the best,” Frank said. “You are driven by a competitive spirit.

Yes, it’s great to win against [Chattanooga] and [Vanderbilt], but you’ve got more pride beating teams who have all the means to be a better team, like

Purdue or Clemson, but you outworked them.”

Frank said her decision to join the rowing team at Murray State was one that she would recommend to any other student looking to put in the work.

“I would tell them that it’s a once in a lifetime experience,” Frank said. “I have met my family through rowing and been to more places than I

would have otherwise. If you are willing to put in the work, you will get so many memories out of it. I’ve been rowing for four years and I would do it again.”

The club is currently gearing up for the spring season after spending the winter training at the Carr Health Building. The first meet of the spring season will be held on Saturday, April 1 at Clemson.

Racers shut out Colonels Women’s golf pushes tie to additional playoff round Bryan Edwards Staff writer

bedwards16@murraystate.edu

Senior pitcher Mason Robinson pitched a shutout in the Racers’ win over the Eastern Kentucky Colonels 3-0 in the first game of their double header.

The second game was canceled because of weather concerns and will not be rescheduled.

Head Coach Kara Amundson said she was happy with the win but also said the team could’ve capitalized more on offense.

“We had a few different opportunities on offense to score a few more runs,” Amundson said.

“We were happy to get the win, but we could’ve done better hitting the ball.”

Robinson recorded her 17th victory of the season as the Racers No. 1 pitcher, while only giving up three hits with five strikeouts in the contest.

Amundson said Robinson pitched a great game and has been strong all season.

“She has really attacked the zone and gave our defense an opportunity to make good plays behind her,” Amundson said.

“She doesn’t mess around and she is really easy to play behind.

She’s been doing this for four years and she knows what is expected of her when she steps on the field.”

Following a double by sophomore infielder Brenna Finck,

Kelly Diesel

Contributing writer kdiesel@murraystate.edu

Jenny Rohl/The News

The Racers went 2-5 over Spring Break after starting the season 22-4. senior infielder Jessica Twaddle and senior catcher Jocelynn Rodgers powered the Racers to the 3-0 lead with back-to-back home runs.

The three-run third inning from the Racers was all Robinson needed to shut down the EKU offense for the remainder of the game.

Senior outfielder Cayla Levins

led the Racers in hitting, going 2-for-2.

The win moves the Racers to 25-9 for the year and gets them over .500 in OVC play with a 2-1 record.

After facing Western Kentucky yesterday, the Racers will move on to Jacksonville State at 1 p.m. on Saturday, April 1 in Jacksonville, Alabama.

The Murray State women’s golf team won their latest golf match hosted by Georgia State at Eagle’s Landing Country Club in Stockbridge, Georgia March 26-28.

Both Murray State and Eastern Kentucky finished in first of 15 teams at the end of regulation play with scores of 888, forcing a playoff round between the universities. The Racers broke the tie on their first hole of the playoff to give them two consecutive wins in their last two matches.

Murray State shot 294 in the first round, 296 in the second and finished the third round shooting 293.

Eastern Kentucky shot 294 in the first round, 296 in their second and 298 in the final round.

Head Coach Velvet Milkman said she is proud of the way the Racers performed in their match.

“I am extremely pleased,” Milkman said. “Our goal is to always win, and we’ve won our last two matches so I am

very proud and pleased with that.”

Murray State’s Lucila Puente Rodriguez, freshman from Sevilla, Spain, led the way for the Racers finishing with the best score on the team. Rodriguez shot 73 in her first round, 75 in her second round and 72 on her final round to total a final score of 220.

Linette Holmslykke, sophomore from Vejle, Denmark, shot 73 in her first round 77 in her second and 71 in her final round to total a score of 221. Holmslykke finished the match in sixth place.

The Racers’ Moa Folke, junior from Tranas, Sweden and Anna Moore, junior from Hopkinsville, Kentucky, took home 14th place in the match with scores of 225. Folke shot 76 in her first round, 74 in her second and finished her final round with 75. Moore shot 71 in her first round, 76 in her second and 78 in her final round.

In individual play, the Racers’ Raeysha Surendran, freshman from Selangor, Malaysia, took home eighth place. Surendran shot 74 in

her first round, 73 in her second round and 75 in her final round to total 222 for her final score.

Milkman said she was also pleased with Surendran’s performance in her individual play.

“I think she has certainly got a lot better since last fall,” Milkman said. “She’s put together four really good rounds and I’m excited about her progress.”

Murray State will host its next and final match of the 2016 regular season before competing in the OVC Tournament. The Racers’ final match will be April 7-8 in Murray at Frances E. Miller Memorial Golf Course.

Milkman said she looks forward to playing at home for their last match of the regular season.

“With it being our home golf course, I certainly feel like it will give us a little bit of an advantage,” Milkman said. “The goal is to go in and win not only the team title but the individual title as well. I think that would be a good confidence builder going into the OVC.”

19 runners place in top 10 Quinnen Taylor Staff writer

qtaylor1@murraystate.edu

The Murray State track and field team competed in the Joe Walker Invitational from March 24-25 in Oxford, Mississippi, and came away with 19 top-10 performances.

Head Coach Jenny Swieton said she’s happy with how her team started the outdoor track and field season.

“They all look really good, we’re excited,” Swieton said.

“I think Tamdra [Lawrence] started the weekend off really well with a PR in the 200s and we had some other really good performances in the 200s. The [5,000-meter] girls did really well. Meagan [Smith] ran an outdoor PR and moved into the top-10 list so that was nice. They all performed really well.”

Sophomore sprinter Tamdra Lawrence started the outdoor season with a second-place finish in the 100meter dash clocking in at 12.11 seconds. Lawrence also placed third in the 200-meter

dash with a time of 23.87 seconds.

Freshman sprinter Norma Abdur-Rafia ran 12.41 seconds in the 100-meter dash and 24.23 seconds in the 200meter dash, finishing eighth in both events.

Junior distance runner Meagan Smith began her outdoor season with a run of 17 minutes, 46 seconds in the 5,000-meter run, earning third place. The Racers also took sixth in the 5,000-meter run after freshman distance runner Maura Farrell clocked in at 18 minutes, seven seconds.

Murray State’s 4x400 relay squad finished at three minutes, 47 seconds, placing second. Murray State also took third in the 4x100 relay sprinting at 46.42 seconds.

The Racers’ next meets will take place from March 31 through April 1. Some runners will race in either the Wash U Invitational in St. Louis or at the Margaret Simmons Invitational in Murray.

Last season, the Racers split up the runners for both

events and came away with 13 top-10 performances.

Swieton said the training between the OVC Indoor Championships and the first outdoor meet will pave the way for the upcoming meets.

“We just had four weeks between indoor OVC and now,” Swieton said. “So, we use those four weeks to work hard and that makes when they have good performances even more exciting because they’re coming off some really hard training.

But, we’ll really get going.

Each weekend will get a little more competitive and more towards what we want to do at OVC.” Murray State will then compete April 7-8, when they travel to Bowling Green, Kentucky, for the Western Kentucky Relays.

During the last Western Kentucky Relays, the Racers collected 11 top-10 finishes.

After the Western Kentucky Relays, the Racers’ next meet will be April 15 in Clarksville, Tennessee, for the Austin Peay Invitational.

McKenna Dosier/The News

Tuesday’s win marks the Racers’ third first-place finish of the season. They had just two in the 2015 -16 season.

The News

Page 9

March 30, 2017

Features

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

Graphic by Austin Gordon and Kelsey Fannin/The News

Kentuckians to compete in highly-rated TV series Destinee Marking Staff writer

dmarking@murraystate.edu

Two Kentuckians are preparing to compete in the first round of one of America’s highest-rated summer television series, American Ninja Warrior.

Andy Harrington from Calvert City, Kentucky, and Nicole Martinez from Paducah, Kentucky, are traveling to Daytona Beach, Florida, to compete against 120 other athletes in hope of earning the title ‘American Ninja Warrior.’

Harrington, 26, works full time and takes apprentice classes in the evening, but never lets that interfere with

what he is working toward accomplishing.

He trains nearly every day and said his training is so intense he has dislocated his shoulder several times while training.

Harrington said he started training specifically for the show in May 2016 and focuses on cardio and conditioning workouts leading up to the competition.

He said what he is doing is not only about physical preparation, but also mental preparation.

“I have to think positive,” Harrington said. “At the same time I’m pretty realistic with myself, but I have to have the mindset that anything can happen.”

Annual puzzle race gives back to Need Line

Harrington said friends are also a vital part of his journey; his friends initially pushed him to send his application and video to the show and continue to motivate him to keep working hard.

Jesse Treas, Harrington’s friend of three years, helped him build the equipment he trains on when he is not in a gym because he knows achieving goals is important to Harrington.

“I like to see Andy happy, and when he is on a mission, he gives it his all and that is when I think he is the happiest – when he is achieving his goals,” Treas said.

Harrington said he wants to do well, but winning is

Sydni Anderson Staff writer

sanderson33@murraystate.edu

An annual race of wit and fitness is gearing up as April 8 approaches. Fliers have been hung around campus announcing an “Amazing Race for Need Line” as the Honors College Student Council prepares for the 2017 Maneuver Murray.

Hali Christenson, sophomore from Oakes, North Dakota, is the Honors College Student Council philanthropy chairwoman, and she is in charge of Maneuver Murray this year. Christenson said the event, started in 2011 by Madison

not what he is exclusively focused on.

“I don’t care how I perform on the show; I don’t care what people think of me,” Harrington said. “I would much rather be an amazing example of the embodiment of Christ.”

Martinez, 26, is a Murray State alumna and elementary school teacher and will compete alongside Harrington April 7 - 8 in the southeastern regional competition.

The first night of competition will consist of six obstacles challenging upper body strength and balance.

Those who place in the top 30 will move on to the regional finals the next day, where additional obstacles

Mucci, has been growing since its formation.

“It is essentially an Amazing Race throughout Murray where teams are given a clue sheet that leads them to various task locations with the goal being to reach the finish line with 11 of the 12 tasks completed in the allotted time frame,” Christenson said.

The Maneuver Murray website describes the occasion as part race, part puzzle-cracker, part Murray exploration and a few parts philanthropy for Need Line.

Christenson said she had an absolute blast when volunteering to help with the event last year.

“It was so much fun to come

will be added to the end of the course. Those who complete that course will move on to the national finals in Las Vegas.

This will be Martinez’s second time competing; she competed in 2015 but failed to complete the second obstacle on the course, so she is committed to doing better this time around.

“I am motivated by challenge,” Martinez said. “The American Ninja Warrior and obstacle course world is extremely challenging.”

Martinez said she focuses on grip and hanging when she trains but, like Harrington, said mental strength is just as important.

“It is difficult, but I just get

up with the clues and see it all come together on race day,” she said. “My family was actually able to come participate last year and hearing how much fun they had made me realize I had to play a bigger role in Maneuver Murray going forward.”

Ashley Munie, sergeant at arms of the Honors College Student Council and senior from Breese, Illinois, said she has been involved with Maneuver Murray for the past three years and will be playing in it again this April.

She said she has been helping put on the event for two years.

“I had a bunch of fun helping create the clue sets and stuff a

my mind calm and peaceful before I compete,” Martinez said.

While Martinez said she is inspired by Jessie Graff, a 2013 and 2016 “American Ninja Warrior” competitor, people are likewise inspired by her.

John Veach, Martinez’s stepfather, said the dedication she has to fitness and working hard is not only inspiring to him, but also the students she teaches.

“She is a great person and has taught me a lot about life,” Veach said.

See if Harrington and Martinez make it to the show when the ninth season of “American Ninja Warrior” premieres on NBC June 12.

couple years ago,” Munie said.

“I also like on game day keeping everyone’s energy up when they come to my station.”

When it comes to the philanthropic side of the event, Munie said all the money from the Maneuver Murray competing teams’ participation fees go straight to Need Line.

“It’s important to support local philanthropies because it’s always good to give back to those less fortunate,” Munie said.

Need Line is a nonprofit organization that works to relieve food insecurity in Murray. According

see RACE, page 10

Murray State musician pursues dream after graduating Alicia Steele

Assistant News Editor asteele5@murraystate.edu

Gearing up for the big time is Murray State’s own Andy Gibson, December graduate from Gilbertsville, Kentucky, who played the Country Thunder circuit with Martina McBride, Parmalee, Kenny Rogers and more.

“The most fun was definitely the Martina McBride show, because her crew and her band are some of the most down-to-earth and welcoming people you could imagine,” Gibson said.

Recently earning a degree in business management, Gibson said he plans to use the skills learned from his degree but won’t necessarily be using the degree itself to further his music career.

“I’m going to be looking for pretty much any avenue for a career in the industry,” Gibson said.

He said he was 10 years old when he picked up his first guitar.

“It was kind of an immediate thing where it kind of clicked with me,” Gibson said. “It was one of those moments where you pick something up

and you just know that this is what you’re meant to do. This is it, the answer to any question you’ll ever have.”

He said his father, uncle, grandmother and grandfather all introduced him to music and they created an environment in which he was always around it.

“My first guitar was a Christmas present from my parents,” Gibson said.

He said the guitar sat in his - Andy room for a while until he decided to begin playing, and that’s when it clicked.

“It’s like my grandmother used to say, ‘nothing happens for no reason,’” Gibson said.

“Nothing is a coincidence.”

He said in his personal work he plays in his band, The Andy Gibson Trio, which consists of himself, a drummer – Dylan Crutcher – and a bass player – Don Gustofson.

“We’ve been together in a bunch of different

“

forms since I was in high school,” Gibson said.

“Now it’s more of a vehicle for my solo work – as far as songwriting – instead of just a cover band.”

In his solo work – which includes opening for artists and traveling on the road – he said he plays with Brad Morgan, who he met by responding to M o r g a n ’ s F a c e b o o k post in a group called Gibson ‘Nashville Gig Finder.’

Gibson said the Facebook group consists of about 12,000 people who post ads when they need musicians, and he happened to find the post asking for a lead guitarist.

“The next week, I met him in Nashville and later rehearsed with a band of guys I had never met,” Gibson said. “A few weeks later, I played for the third time ever with these guys in front of 3,000 people opening for Parmalee.”

He said shows like Par-

Not a single day goes by in my life that I don’t devote time to my career.

”

malee have taught him lessons that he is able to apply to his band, such as how to conduct yourself on stage, how to connect with the audience and what to eat while on the road.

“A lot of fast food is not good,” Gibson said. “We try to stop at a lot of locally-owned places in whatever town we’re in. We try to avoid the chains.”

He said he particularly enjoyed Zipp’s Pizzaria in Des Moines, Iowa, and Joe’s Kansas City Bar-BQue in Kansas City, Kansas.

“Both of those were standouts to me,” Gibson said.

He said while on the road he also learned to always keep a shampoo bottle in a ziplock bag.

“I opened my suitcase after a travel day to find it filled with an entire bottle of shampoo,” Gibson said. “At least it smelled good.”

Gibson said in September he released his own album, “Notions,” which was entirely self-written, self-recorded and self-produced.

“Not a single day goes by in my life that I don’t devote time to my career,” Gibson said.

Photo courtesy of Gibson’s Facebook page.

The News

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10 a.m.

Senior Salute Curris Center Dance Lounge

7:30 p.m.

Diversity Ball Murray Room, CFSB Center

1:30 p.m.

Jazz Festival, Lovett Auditorium

8 a.m.

Savannah Young BFA Exhibit: Heartfelt Notions Curris Center

5 p.m.

Japanese table Curris Center Dance Lounge

7:30 p.m.

Choir Concert: Lux et Pace II, Lovett Auditorium

3 p.m.

Coffee with Bob and university leadership Curris Center Rocking Chair Lounge

Geosciences department: small major, big opportunities

Nick Erickson

Staff writer

nerickson@murraystate.edu

The Geosciences Department has less than 40 students, making it one of the most overlooked majors at Murray State, Robin Q. Zhang, chairwoman of the department, said . There are numerous opportunities students unfamiliar with the department are said to be missing out on.

For students who are interested in the department, there are four Bachelor of Science tracks they can concentrate on: earth science, environmental geology, geoarchaeology and geographic information science (GIS).

A handful of students from the department are adamant about spreading word of what it has to offer.

Mallory Gerzan, junior from Madisonville, Kentucky, started her freshman year as a pre-vet major but said her switch to an environmental geology major came easy.

“Once I took an earth science course, I fell in love with it and switched the next semester,” Gerzan said.

Gerzan said the major is a

them. challenge but has come with many benefits, such as her Originally a physics major, West now studies GIS and current job in the Sediment loves how versatile it can be.

Soil Human lab in the Black “I’ve always been in geolburn Science Building.

“My classes are fun, the ogy and studying other cultures,” West said. “I figured I faculty are nice and I’ve could use GIS as a tool to help met some of my best friends decipher the world’s secrets.” through the department,” Gerzan said. “What more West said there is collaboration with other non-geoscicould I ask for?”

Molly Karnes, junior from ence departments, including the agriculture and biology Mount Vernon, Illinois, fell for the geoscience departdepartments.

“One day you’ll be installment similarly to Gerzan, but ing solar said her p a n heart beels on longs to roofs,” earth sciW e s t ence. “ I s a i d . started as “ T h e a chemn e x t i s t r y d a y , you’ll major,” Karnes be exsaid. “I amining Jenny Rohl/The News feel like rice proearth sci-Alicia Vera playing with sand and water at the Geofest. duction in ence has Yemen.” more application with what I Gerzan, Karnes and West come from different areas of want to do, seeing chemistry the geoscience department, applied in the environment but conclusively agree there and life.”

For students looking into is untapped potential within it. the more technological aspect of geoscience, Travis “We might be a small deWest, senior from Somerset, partment, but we are given a Kentucky, says that GIS is for lot of opportunities,” Gerzan

said. “One might think our size would affect our funding, but we actually have plenty of it.”

Gerzan said one of the students in the department got the chance to travel to Kenya last year.

“That’s just one example of the opportunities people in this department have,” he said.

The three also said because of the closeness of department members, it is less competitive than others.

“Everyone seems to love one another and always willing to help,” Karnes said.

Recently, the department held its first GeoFest, allowing students interested in geology to participate in a variety of ac tivities, from examining fossils to touring the department itself.

As for upcoming programs, Gerzan said a new class will be offered in the fall semester.

The class “Geosciences and Alcohol” will show “how geology relates to the production of alcohol across the world.”

To any student interested in enriching their knowledge of geography, culture and the earth itself, students may contact Zhang at qzhang@murraystate.edu.

Jenny Rohl/The News

The Geosciences Department hosted their first Geofest on March 15.

RACE From Page 9 to a 2014 Feeding America report, 6,060 people face food insecurity in Calloway County. The report also states there is a food insecurity rate of 16 percent in the county. According to the

Maneuver Murray website, the event raised more than $1,200 in 2015.

Tim Stark, marketing director at Murray Bank, said the establishment supports the event by being the main T-shirt sponsor. Stark said contributing to the community allows people to see more visible and significant results.

“As Murray’s only local bank, all the support pro-

vided by the Murray Bank stays right here in our hometown helping our kids and neighbors,” Stark said.

“Need Line has been operating in Murray and Calloway County for some time now, and their services have never been more needed.”

Christenson said local philanthropies are important because they have such a big impact on the community.

“Need Line does so much

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

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for the Murray community, and the Honors Student Council just wants to help give back to that,” Christenson said.

The event will take place on April 8 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Two-person teams cost $40 to register and teams of three or four people cost $60. The first-place team will receive $200, and the second-place team will receive $100.

The Heart of the Matter

It hurts until it doesn’t Pain is a funny thing. It c o m e s in many forms and can be expressed in several different ways, but I think Emily Williams we can all Assistant Features agree on Editor this particular aspect regarding pain: it seems endless.

Your nights are spent tossing and turning and it seems like no matter how hard you try, nothing can bring you the satisfaction or the peace of mind that you so desperately crave. You are stuck. You are caught up in a web of your own heartache, anxiety and regrets.

The words you left unsaid when you knew you needed to speak up on behalf of someone being slandered and bullied and the words you wish you could reel back in after fighting with a loved one, the opportunities you threw away and the memories you wish you could erase, that is the company you carry into the early hours of the morning.

I have been there and I am sure you have been, too. In some form or fashion, we have all experienced moments when we feel utterly defenseless against our own minds. We feel defeated, helpless, unwanted and discouraged. No one is immune.

But let me tell you what I have learned to be true of pain: it fades.

We know all of the usual phrases. “It can’t rain forever,” or “It’s always darkest before the dawn,” or “The sun will come out tomorrow.” You’ve heard it all and it’s usually in the form of an overly-upbeat, Disney pop song. But casting aside clichés and thinking in more realistic terms, we have to be willing to look pain dead in the face and call it what it is: an obstacle to be conquered. A hurdle to be jumped. A mountain to be climbed. An opportunity for growth.

In my own life, I have come to find that heartache, while a real pain at the time, has always led to personal growth and ultimately left me better than it found me.

I would not be who I am or where I am today if it were not

“

for gut-wrenching, heartbreaking pain. Losing someone you believed you could never live without teaches you that you are complete and whole all on your own. Failing at something you really wanted to succeed in can point you in the direct of a true and fulfilling passion you never knew you had.

But I get it. In the moment, in those dark days of your life when it seems like there will be no light at the end of the tunnel and your pain is chronic, it’s easy to get bitter, to get defeated and to give up. But I encourage you to look up, to look out.

It hurts until it doesn’t. As little orphan Annie once said, “The sun will come out tomorrow.”

Having experienced both the dark days and the days filled to the brim with sunshine, I agree with little Annie. Pain is necessary and it will come.

And it will leave you better than it found you, too, if you let it.

There is beauty in that. But the pain will fade, it will end and it will not be what defines the rest of your life. There is beauty in that, too.

I am a firm believer that everything happens for a reason (another cliché, but hang with me here) and that every detail of our lives is woven and spun into a beautiful, intricate tapestry that will ultimately turn out to be a better design than we could ever dream up ourselves. We aren’t going to understand everything that happens to us in this life, but I truly believe in the end, it’s all going to make sense. Whatever pain you are going through today and whatever heartache has left you in pieces on the ground, beauty will come from those ashes and you will soar forward into better days.

The key is to remember that you can’t do this on your own.

It may seem from our Facebook and Instagram feeds the lives of those around us are polished perfect and leave no room for mistakes or hiccups.

It may seem that we are completely isolated in our pain and that no one around us is going through the same thing we are. It’s just not true and no matter how great we are at hiding it, the pain is there. So unmask it, address it and encourage each other through it.

We weren’t meant to go at it alone.

We have to be willing to look pain dead in the face and call it what it is: an obstacle to be conquered.

”

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March 30, 2017

Page 11

Drake gives us ‘More Life’

Photo courtesy of thefader.com

Nick Erickson || Staff writer nerickson@murraystate.edu

When renowned Canadian artist Drake released “Views” in spring of 2016, he grabbed the world where it hurt: their hearts. His blend of cheeky wit with over-simplified emotion (not to mention catchy beats) has sent him to the top the past couple of years.

His next effort, “More Life,” shows that Drake is taking his artistic liberties to new heights and creating the strangest 22 tracks of his career.

“More Life” has an array of influences, most of which work well in Drake’s favor.

Though trap beats and classic pop are the most prominent, ambient rhythm and blues and tropicana make appearances throughout. Intro “Free Smoke” opens with bluesy

piano and female serenading before the trap beat drops. Drake enters, rapping about his achievements, from drunk texting female artists to ghost-writing.

Lead single “Passionfruit” holds its own and is one of the first stand-out tracks. A mellow looped beat and atmospheric chords and claps give listeners an island vibe. Drake utilizes the smooth singing voice he is praised for, though singing of rough heartache, in a fitting juxtaposition.

“Listen, hard at buildin’ trust from a distance. I think we should rule out commitment for now. ’Cause we’re fallin’ apart.”

“Get It Together” allows Jorja Smith and Drake to show some chemistry via a romantic Caribbean number. Infused with modern pop sensibilities, this track is both sensual and easy to dance to. Travis Scott’s feature

‘Kong’ magnifies ‘Monsterverse’ franchise Grant Dillard Contributing Writer gdillard@murraystate.edu

Kong: Skull Island takes place in 1973, shortly after the Vietnam War. Scientist Bill Randa (John Goodman) organizes a team of soldiers and scientists to head out to a mysterious island known as Skull Island. Upon arriving, the team comes across the giant ape known as Kong, who quickly dispatches them. The surviving members of the team must then find a way to get off the island safely, while learning more about the island and Kong himself.

One of the impressive things about “Kong: Skull Island” is how it manages to stay a good movie while also foreshadowing what’s to come in the “Monsterverse.” Films like “The Amazing Spider-Man 2” and “Independence Day: Resurgence” are examples of films that mainly focus on laying the groundwork for a franchise instead of being good films on their own. “Kong: Skull Island” doesn’t fall into that trap. The film does have references to 2014’s “Godzilla,” but they don’t feel forced or tacked on. They fit naturally into the story. This is the best way to foreshadow future films, as it doesn’t overshadow the main story.

“Kong: Skull Island” also has quite a cast of characters. While not all of them are memorable, some of the standouts are very entertaining and fun to watch. Bill Randa has the most interesting backstory, wanting to go to

Skull Island so he can prove monsters exist since he was involved in a shipwreck back in 1954, which moviegoers will recognize from “Godzilla.”

Another standout is Preston Packard (Samuel L. Jackson), an army captain who won’t leave the island until Kong is killed to avenge the soldiers who died at the hands of the giant ape. His determination to end Kong’s life makes him very engaging.

The last standout is Hank Marlow (John C. Reilly), who does more than provide many of the film’s comedic moments. He also explains to the team, as well as the audience, that Skull Island is full of lizard-type creatures known as Skullcrawlers, and Kong protects the island by fighting off these creatures.

Unfortunately, “Kong: Skull Island” suffers from a major issue that “Godzilla” has: boring main leads. The two main characters, James Conrad (Tom Hiddleston) and Mason Weaver (Brie Larson), aren’t very interesting and are very bland compared to the supporting cast.

The actors are decent as their characters, but nothing really stands out about them or makes them memorable. At best, they’re passable.

Despite bland lead characters, “Kong: Skull Island” is a fun monster movie and gives audiences a look at the excitement that’s to come for future movies in the “Monsterverse.” If the cinematic universe keeps making movies as good as this, there’s a chance it will go down in history as one of the best film franchises of all time.

TWEET OF THE WEEK “Don’t invest anything (time, money, energy, love) in a person who treats you like you are worth 99 cents.

Emotional bankruptcy is real out here.” -Halsey

on “Portland” is impactful, but the looped flute melody sounds awfully humorous. Here, Drake reveals that he has plans for his future.

2 Chainz and Young Thug’s contributions to “Sacrifices” do not deter listeners from the core message with any antics. This piano-laden number is as laidback as it can get, with Drake admitting his regrets. Meanwhile, Kanye West’s infamous prowl brings energy on “Glow” with some of the hardest-hitting beats on the album. PartyNextDoor’s rich voice steals the show on “Since Way Back,” which is comprised of silky, minimalistic guitar and a lot of reverb and added effects. The spacey nature of this track gives a sense of openness, allowing Drake to convey emotion authentically.

The organs that open the closer “Do Not Disturb” quickly serve to enhance Drake’s

flow and the thunderous percussion behind him. Singing of various stories in various cities (including buying his old lover a fake Chanel wallet), this track plateaus from the start, but the various glitches and noises in the background are oddly captivating. A strange end to the record, this track feels like trap and a random number from a 1950s radio station combined.

There is no one sound on “More Life.”

While Drake does not technically break the mold of music, one thing he does well is transcend styles from song to song. Always keeping true to himself with personal charm, he’s never afraid to use instruments or try his hand with new vocal ideas. Drake proves he can rap and sing about his thoughts in more than one way and for that, one can commend him for what he is: an artist.

UNDER THE RADAR

Photo courtesy of thisisinsider.com

DISNEY RESURRECTS ANIMATED CLASSICS If you loved Disney’s recent live-action remake of its classic animated film “Beauty and the Beast,” you’re in for quite the treat. Rumor has it Disney is planning for several more live-action films to be made based off everyone’s beloved animated classics. The films will star well-known celebrities such as Emma Stone, Reese Witherspoon and Angelina Jolie. Now if that doesn’t qualify as a fairytale ending, then what does? Here’s the complete list of anticipated Disney remakes, in no particular order.

• MULAN

• PETER PAN

• THE LION KING

• TINK (THE STORY OF TINKER BELL)

• DUMBO

• PINOCCHIO

• THE SWORD IN THE STONE

• THE JUNGLE BOOK 2

• GENIES (A PREQUEL TO ALADDIN)

• SNOW WHITE

• ALADDIN

• THE LITTLE MERMAID

• CRUELLA

• JAMES AND THE GIANT PEACH

• WINNIE THE POOH

• MARY POPPINS RETURNS

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The News

March 30, 2017