M
THE MUR R AY STATE
NEWS
Running it in
Abby Siegel || News Editor asiegel@murraystate.edu
The Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education approved a 5 percent tuition increase cap for Murray State for the 2017-18 academic year. CPE, a statewide postsecondary and adult education coordinating agency, approved a ceiling limit of 3-5 percent increase for tuition and mandatory fees for students at public universities in Kentucky. Western Kentucky University was capped at a 3 percent increase. The University of Kentucky and Northern Kentucky University were capped at a 4 percent increase. Eastern Kentucky University, Kentucky State University, Morehead State University and Murray State were capped at a 5 percent increase. The University of Louisville didn’t have a ceiling set because the university’s board of trustees already voted not to increase tuition next year. The ceiling for the Kentucky Community and Technical College System set a 3.9 percent tuition increase. Campuses will face an $11.5 million shortfall for the 2017-18 year even with the increase in tuition revenue. According to CPE, this increase is intended to “offset inflationary fixed costs, manage growth in employer-paid retirement contributions and support continuing progress to produce a more highly-skilled and productive workforce, create new jobs and grow Kentucky’s economy through higher levels of educational attainment.” “CPE is a chief advocate for secondary education and adult education,” said Shawn Reynolds, member of the Murray State Board of Trustees, who was recently sworn into the CPE Council. Reynolds said CPE develops strategies and ideas to improve postsecondary and
4% 3% Graphic courtesy of Connor Jaschen/The News
Religious freedom bill passes state Senate Katlyn Mackie || Staff writer kmackie2@murraystate.edu
The Kentucky Senate recently passed a new bill allowing more freedoms for religious and political groups in high schools and state universities, but some aspects concern members of the LGBT community. The bill, known as Senate Bill 17, was signed by Gov. Matt Bevin on March 16 and is being interpreted as a way to legalize LGBT discrimination. While the bill mainly focuses
on areas like being able to “voluntarily express religious or political viewpoints” in school assignments without discrimination and to wear religious messages on clothes, there is a section that send up a red flag. The bill states: “no recognized religious or political student organization is hindered or discriminated against in the ordering of its internal affairs, selection of leaders and members…” This leads people to believe that a person can be excluded from an organization and justify
it by stating religious reasons. Michelle Barber, Interim Coordinator of LGBT programming, said Murray State values the freedom to join and form groups, assemble, learn and build bridges within the racer family and organizational borders should be open to those who want to learn. She also said SB 17 could be a slippery slope toward excluding people, on religious grounds, with differing views, sexual orientations, gender
see SENATE, page 2
Bringing back the baccalaureate Lindsey Coleman Staff writer
lcoleman7@murraystate.edu
For the first time in at least 40 years, a baccalaureate service will be held 7 p.m. - 8 p.m. Friday, May 12 in Lovett Auditorium to honor graduating seniors. According to the press release, students should expect a “nondenominational Christian baccalaureate service thanking God for our graduates and asking his blessing on them in the future.” Graduates of December 2016, May 2017 and August 2017, family, friends, faculty, alumni, former, present and future students and the general public are invited to attend. Attendance is purely voluntary. Graduates and faculty are welcome to wear academic regalia and may participate in the processional and recessional. The Murray State chapter of the Christian Faculty Network
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is sponsoring the event, and the United Campus Ministries Association is supporting it. Winfield Rose, the event’s coordinator, leadership council member of Christian Faculty Network and professor of political science, said baccalaureate will add a spiritual dimension to graduation. “What you try to focus on for a baccalaureate service is getting the graduates to think about the kind of person they are, as opposed to the kind of person they would like to be,” Rose said. Rose presented the proposal to the Christian Faculty Network last year, and he said they were supportive. The night will be complete with a processional, an invocation, hymns, a speaker, a benediction and a recessional. Rose recommended retired pastor John Dale to speak at the event. “John is a legend around here,” Rose said. “He is widely regarded as a superb speaker.”
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Dale, local pastor for 46 years, said when Rose asked him if he’d like to speak at baccalaureate, he was honored and glad to have the opportunity. “I don’t claim to come with a great deal of wisdom or great inRose tellectual prowess, but I do have a lot of experience,” Dale said. Dale retired from Glendale Road Church of Christ in 2012 but still continues to preach at various churches, weddings and funerals. He earned his master’s degree in communication from Murray State in 1968, and he taught speech at the university for seven years before retiring
see CHRISTIAN, page 2
@TheMurrayStateNews
of excellence
April 6, 2017 | Vol. 91, No. 24
Tuition cap set at 5%
5%
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90 years
see TUITION, page 2
Provost candidate race narrows Staff Report
Keith Hargrove will be on campus Tuesday, April 11, 2017. Keith Hargrove has served as the dean of the College of Engineering at Tennessee State University since 2009. He was previously the department chairman and associate professor in the Department of Industrial Manufacturing and Information Engineering. He earned his Ph.D. in industrial and manufacturing engineering at the University of Iowa, his master’s degree in engineering at Missouri University of Science and Technology and his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering at Tennessee State University.
Mark Arant will be on campus Tuesday, April 13, 2017. Mark Arant has served as the provost and vice president for Academic Affairs at Northeastern State University since 2014. Arant has held positions at the University of Arkansas – Fort Smith and the University of Louisiana at Monroe. He earned his Ph.D. in organic chemistry from the University of Alabama and his bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Louisiana Tech University.
Dennis Rome will be on campus Tuesday, April 18, 2017. Dennis Rome has served as dean of the College of Letters and Sciences at Columbus State University since 2014. Rome has held positions at the University of Wisconsin – Parkside, Indiana University Bloomington, DePaul University, Wright State University and Wilmington College. He earned his Ph.D. in sociology from Washington State University, his master’s degree in sociology from Howard University and his bachelor’s degree in sociology from Bradley University.
Two boutiques opening Lindsey Coleman Staff writer
lcoleman7@murraystate.edu
In the next two weeks, two new boutiques will open their doors in Murray: Madi Lou Lou’s at 615 S. 12th St. and Southern Soul at 109 S. Fourth St. Southern Soul’s grand opening will be April 8 at 10 a.m. and Madi Lou Lou’s will be April 15 at 10 a.m. Murray-Calloway County Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Aaron Dail said several boutiques have set up shop in Murray in the past five years, many of them being owned by women, and they have done very well. He said Murray has one of the strongest women’s boutique offerings in the area, which draws more people to the economy of Murray.
MADI LOU LOU’S
Owner Penny Hammond said the goal at Madi Lou Lou’s is to provide fashionable boutique clothing at affordable prices, while raising awareness for tracheomalacia. She said she plans to donate a portion of the profits to Kosair Charities. Tracheomalacia is an airway defect, causing the windpipe to be floppy and/or collapse while breathing. The store is named after Hammond’s 1-year-old daughter Madison, or “Madi Lou Lou,” who was diagnosed with tracheomalacia. The family makes monthly visits to a doctor at Kosair Children’s Hospital in Louisville. “Blessings in disguise is what I feel like this is,” Hammond said. “Granted, my daughter is sick, but if it wasn’t for her, I wouldn’t have had to give up my job, and I wouldn’t have had a reason to pursue this.” Hammond has been selling clothing online since July
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Chalice Keith/The News
Madi Lou Lou’s (top) opens exactly a week after Southern Soul. 2016, but she said she stepped out on faith and began opening a storefront three weeks ago. Right now, she is targeting women and children, with the hopes of adding boys clothing soon. The store also has a consignment component. She said she hopes to keep prices affordable, especially with college students in mind. “I’m the girl who wants to wear boutique clothes at affordable prices, so that’s what I’m going to have,”
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Hammond said.
SOUTHERN SOUL
Owners and cousins Laura Riley and Jenny Jackson also started out online but have now shifted their focus to a Southern Soul storefront on the Court Square. Riley said Southern Soul isn’t just a boutique. She said she wants the “all-around experience” of home goods, gifts
see SHOP, page 2
@MurrayStateNews
100 days of
TRUMP
Week 11 Day 77
Finding support for Gorsuch Collin Morris
Assistant Sports Editor cmorris29@murraystate.edu
The same weekend President Donald Trump teed off under the spring sun at the Trump National Golf Club, a federal judge approved a $25 million settlement in the Trump University lawsuit and U.S. senators continue to haggle over the vacant Supreme Court seat. Through the weekend, reports began surfacing of Republican senators scourging for Democrats willing to vote for the confirmation of Supreme Court nominee, Neil Gorsuch. So far, only three have publicly announced their intent to support Gorsuch, leaving the Republican majority five seats away from numbers
Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
Neil Gorsuch’s position on the Supreme Court will be voted on next week. large enough to prevent a filibuster by Democrats. If the Republican leadership is unable to sway the remaining moderate Democrats, they will forced to either abandon Gorsuch as nominee or proceed using
an unprecedented maneuver known as the “nuclear option,” which will permanently alter Senate rules to allow a nominee to be confirmed by a simple majority vote.
Read more at TheNews.org.
Former provost goes to Morehead State Staff Report Joseph “Jay” Morgan, former Murray State provost and vice president for Academic Affairs, was n a m e d Morehead State University’s 14th president. Morgan Morehead’s Board of Regents announced Morgan’s hiring March 29 after a national search. He will take office
The News
News
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July 1, which will begin his four-year contract. His contract will be reviewed annually for extensions, and he will be paid $325,000 per year. Currently, Morgan is the chief academic officer and vice president for Academic Affairs and Student Success for the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education. Prior to CPE at Murray State, Morgan also served as the associate provost for graduate education and research, was a graduate program coordinator and a professor. He began teaching at Murray State in 1997.
Morehead State’s current president, Wayne Andrews, has been in office since 2005. He will retire June 30. Murray State President Bob Davies said he congratulated Morgan on his accomplishment. “Jay is a strong advocate for higher education, and he has a passion for serving students,” Davies said. “Murray State and Morehead State have a long history of working together, and I know that with him in this leadership role, we will continue to do so for the betterment of our current and future students.”
SENATE From Page 1 identities or faiths. “As a religious freedom bill, I have no problem with the principle – it’s a Constitutional right I hold dear,” Barber said. “But most LGBTQ people recognize this type of bill as permission to discriminate against people who are LGBTQ.” Although it is said that many people believe this is a way for student groups to discriminate against LGBT people, there are others who don’t agree. Shianne Arns, freshman from
TUITION From Page 1 adult education, and the tuition cap does this by preventing tuition from increasing at an uneven rate from year to year. Shawn Touney, director of communication, said university officials are in the process
SHOP From Page 1 and clothes with a farmhouse and trendy vibe. “I think that we have something for everyone, not just one style,” Riley said. Riley said the goal is for all clothing items to be less than $50. “I just know when I’m going out and looking for clothes, I
CHRISTIAN From Page 1 from teaching. “I want it to be something that will be practical, will be thoughtful, compassionate, challenging and true,” Dale said. “I think that can be done without being offensive.” For those who don’t identify as Christian, Dale said he hopes
April 6, 2017
St. Peter’s, Missouri, said she doesn’t really believe this bill is a way to discriminate against LGBTQ students and it is hard to say if they are targeting them or not. “In all honesty, with it being so vague of a statement anyone could take it anyway they want,” Arns – who LGBT identifies – said. “In this day and age people get offended by the littlest of things.” Tim Palmer, Campus minister of the Wesley Foundation, said while he doesn’t know much about the SB 17 personally, he does know people are supposed to love their neighbor as they are. He also said he doesn’t know
the sexual orientation of his members and doesn’t believe he has the right to know, as it is a personal topic and doesn’t affect whether the students are included or not. Barber said many of the LGBT students come from solid faith backgrounds and are searching for faith homes while attending Murray State and will even have religious activities for the students during Gaypril, a month-long celebration of LGBT culture. “It would be a shame if any group, local or national, religious or otherwise, excluded someone because of their sexual orientation or gender identity,” Barber said.
of determining a proposed budget with tuition rate for the 2017-18 academic year. The rate will be voted on by the Board of Regents at a special meeting April 21. “Murray State University is supportive of the 2017-18 tuition and mandatory fee ceiling approved by The Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education,” Touney said. “We believe these rates strike the right balance be-
tween keeping costs affordable for students and their families, while providing adequate funding for our campuses to address fixed and unavoidable current and future funding needs.” A tuition forum will be held at 2 p.m. Thursday, April 6 in Wrather Auditorium to discuss the proposed tuition changes for next year. The event will livestream at murraystate.edu/ streaming.
want something that I can afford,” Riley said. “When I was in college, I can remember, you don’t have a lot of money. We want to keep it affordable for everyone.” Southern Soul carries local brands such as Farmhouse 31 Designs, Muddywater candles and Frolik Calligraphy. Style blogger and junior from Paducah, Kentucky, Elizabeth Young said she shops at many boutiques in Murray, but what sets Southern Soul apart is their style and afford-
able prices. “I haven’t seen hardly anything on their site that is already in a boutique here in Murray,” Young said. “They give a modern feel without it being too overwhelming.” Leigh Anne Pool, junior from St. Louis, said shopping local is important to her. “I really like buying my clothes at the boutiques in Murray because I know exactly where the money goes,” Pool said. “ It helps our town and it helps the people of Murray.”
the message will be a welcoming environment for every background, and he doesn’t intend to insult anyone. “I want them to feel good about their accomplishments but also want them to be encouraged in a world that is pretty negative,” Dale said. Casey Puckett, senior from Livermore, Kentucky, and co-president of Murray State’s Baptist Campus Ministry, said baccalaureate will be a great event and a way for seniors to
see how this community supports them. “I think it will bring about some criticism, but in reality, a baccalaureate service is a time for people of the community to love on seniors and to assure them that they and their future plans are cared for,” Puckett said. “Who doesn’t like being cared for and loved on?” There is no admission charge, but registration for the event is encouraged. For a link to register, visit TheNews.org.
The News
News
April 6, 2017
Employers look beyond GPA
News Editor: Abby Siegel Assistant Editor: Alicia Steele Phone: 270-809-4468 Twitter: MurrayStateNews
Ashley Traylor || Staff writer atraylor@murraystate.edu
POLICE BEAT MARCH 29 10 a.m.
Murray Ambulance Service requested assistance for a Life Flight Landing in the Roy Stewart Stadium parking lot. Officers and the Murray Fire Department were notified.
4:08 p.m.
An officer conducted a traffic stop at Heritage Hall. A citation was issued for speeding 16-25 mph over the limit.
MARCH 30 8:06 a.m.
The Murray State Police Department served a warrant of arrest at Calloway County High School for first-degree criminal mischief on private property and third-degree criminal mischief.
10:04 a.m.
As graduation approaches and seniors construct resumés, a high GPA helps students land jobs, but hiring managers are looking beyond students’ grades into their experience and involvement. Robert Long, visiting distinguished professor of nonprofit leadership, said students do not need to include their GPAs on their resumés because it’s generally not important in the job marketplace. He said in his career, which included job development and hiring, he did not ask about transcripts or GPA. “What always seems to matter most in the hiring process as indicators of career success are issues of commitment to the mission, passion to have an impact and willingness to grow and learn along the way,” Long said. Evidence of being able to advance the workplace is found in a student’s resumé, along with all that makes them who they are, he said, and employers are looking for someone to bring a “healthy, balanced and dedicated attitude and commitment to the mission of the organization.” Sandra Miles, Hutchens distinguished professor of management, said students should include their GPA on their resumés if it is something to brag about, but employers are looking for more than good grades. “GPA is part of the equation,” Miles said. “It’s not the entire equation.”
Paige Effinger
Contributing writer peffinger@murraystate.edu
MARCH 31 8:46 a.m.
The fifth Annual Show Pig Sale for the Hutson School of Agriculture took place April 1 and featured more than 50 student-raised animals. The Pig Sale is an auction where people who are looking to buy the pigs will be able to assess them before making a purchase. Any pigs that do not sell at the live auction will be sold online. Every year, the sale is facilitated by the livestock management and marketing class, which raises the pigs to sell to people around the area. Another class, experience in swine production, also assists with the sale by dealing with the business and operational side of the sale. Emily Gill, senior agribusiness major from Oaktown, Illinois, said the class worked with the pigs, gave them vaccinations and clipped their teeth. Gill and fellow classmate Heath Durbin were nominated by their class to co-chair planning the sale. Durbin, senior agriculture business major from Calhoun, Kentucky, said the class is responsible for going to the farm and deciding how they want to breed the pigs based on phenotypes. Gill said a nice pig to buy depends on what type of pig you
The Murray State Police Department served a warrant at Faculty Hall. The person was arrested for first-degree criminal mischief.
8:10 p.m.
An officer conducted a traffic stop at state Route 121 and Waldrop Drive. A verbal warning was issued for failure to yield to right of way.
APRIL 1 4:54 p.m.
An officer conducted a traffic stop on Coldwater Road. A verbal warning was issued for failure to wear a seat belt and a citation was issued for possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia.
7:46 p.m.
The Murray Police Department reported an attempt to locate in reference to a shoplifting suspect. Officers were notified.
APRIL 2 1:24 p.m.
An officer conducted a traffic stop in the Racer Arena parking lot. A verbal warning was issued for failure to wear a seat belt.
10:46 p.m.
The Murray State Police Department received a fire alarm activation at Hollis C. Franklin Residential College on the alarm center computer. Officers and the Central Heating and Cooling Plant were notified. The alarm was caused by steam from a shower and no threat of fire was detected.
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- Sandra Miles, Hutchens distinguished professor of management
GPA is important, she said, but leadership, service and experience are important factors to hiring managers because what students do outside the classroom sets them apart from other candidates applying for the same job. She said if a student has a 3.0 GPA and no additional involvement, then they are not the most preferable candidate to an employer. “But, if you’re taking a 3.0 and you’re looking in terms of you’ve been elected to leadership positions of student organizations, you’re an active volunteer, you’ve managed a full-time job to work your way through school, then that’s going to put in more weight than a 4.0 student that didn’t do anything in addition to going to school,” Miles said. She said while in high school, students had four years to prepare for college. Once in college, they have four years to build their resumé to make them the most employable candidate. For students wanting to attend graduate school or further their education, Miles said GPA is a factor, but admission is also dependent on scores from the admissions test.
are looking for, such as a certain breed, or if you want certain traits. People buy pigs based on individual need and purpose. “Everybody has different opinions on what type of pig they want,” Durbin said. In this area, most of the people they sell the pigs to are students who buy them for Future Farmers of America or 4-H projects. “We really pride ourselves on trying to make sure that the 4-H and FFA kids are successful,” Durbin said. He said they average about $250 for each pig, but it depends on who is buying the pig and how much they are willing to pay for it. All of the proceeds from the sale go back into the Hutson School of Agriculture. Gill said all of the pigs have a set starting amount – usually around $1 per pound. “We are solely concerned with having enough money to make the farm advancements to open up more opportunities for Murray State students who are interested in the swine industry,” Durbin said. The Pig Sale is something unique to Murray State, and Durbin said Murray State offers very unique experiential learning opportunities in the agriculture department. “The way that our agriculture department is set up is special,” Durbin said. “We have a lot of opportunities to offer at Murray State.”
Kelli O’Toole/The News
Students in the livestock management and marketing class facilitate the auction.
Kelli O’Toole/The News
Pigs that are not sold during the auction will be posted for sale online.
Paducah expands Sunday alcohol sales to microbreweries in the city
APRIL 3 5:09 p.m.
An officer conducted a traffic stop in the White Residential College parking lot. A citation was issued for failure to wear a seat belt and a verbal warning was issued for texting while driving.
Destinee Marking
An officer conducted a traffic stop on Paramount Drive. A verbal warning was issued for failure to wear a seat belt and license to be in possession.
APRIL 4 12:04 1.m.
An officer conducted a traffic stop on Paramount Drive. The driver was arrested for improper lane usage and arrest for driving under the influence, first offense.
5:07 p.m.
A caller reported a medical emergency at the Wellness Center. Officers and Murray Ambulance Service were notified and a medical report was taken. The patient refused transport by Murray Ambulance Service.
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Alicia Steele, Assistant News Editor, compiles Police Beat with materials provided by Public Safety and Emergency Management.
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sell malt beverages by the tilled spirits, wine and malt drink and package on Sunbeverages by the drink on dmarking@murraystate.edu days from 11 a.m. until 10 Sundays,” Spencer said. “Disp.m.,” Spencer said. cussion before the City ComThe Paducah City Commission recently apMicrobreweries are indemission began in 2003.” proved an amendment that adds microbrewerpendently-owned breweries Out of the two microbrew ies to the list of facilities that can sell alcoholic that produce beers to sell eries in Paducah, Spencer - Cory Greene, tap room manager at Dry beverages on Sundays. locally. said one was already eligible Ground Brewing Company Pam Spencer, public information officer for Discussion regarding the to sell alcoholic beverages Paducah, Kentucky, said the amendment was sale of alcoholic beverages on Sundays is not because it holds a restaurant license, while the approved by the City Commission March 21 new for the city of Paducah. other only sells alcohol, so it can now make and officially went into effect March 24. “Paducah amended its ordinance in NoSunday one of its business days. “The amendment allows microbreweries to vember 2005 to provide for the sale of disTodd Blume, owner of Paducah Beer Werks, said the new amendment will not affect his facility because of the restaurant license it already holds, but he said he is now able to sell growlers – or jugs of beer – in packages. Blume’s brewpub is not currently open on Sundays, and he said he does not plan on changing, but he does appreciate the option. “I think it’s a great move because it’s allowing us to grow without being restricted by laws,” Blume said. The other microbrewery, Dry Ground Brewing Company, is taking advantage of the amendment. Cory Greene, tap room manager at Dry Ground Brewing Company, said the facility will now open on Sundays. “We’ve said since the beginning that if the law changed, we would open on Sundays,” Greene said. Greene said not much is open on Sundays in the area, so he expects a decent amount of business. “It’s definitely something that needed to happen when you have counties around us Jenny Rohl/The News going ‘wet,’” Greene said. “It’s a sign of the The new amendment will allow microbreweries to sell alcohol by the drink and by the package on Sundays. times and we need to catch up.” Staff writer
6:37 p.m.
Not all dispatched calls are listed.
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GPA is part of the equation. It’s not the entire equation.
Teri Ray, lecturer of management, said if a student’s GPA puts them in an above average category for their institution, then they should include it on their resumés. She said an above average GPA would be a 3.0 or higher. However, Ray said if she is the one hiring, GPA is not the first thing she looks at, but she said it paints a picture of the individual’s work ethic. She said an important piece of information to include on a resumés is the accreditation of the course curriculum. “Our curriculum, what we teach you, that professional group has said, ‘Yes, you are teaching what we want them to know when we graduate,’” Ray said. Taylor Sickling, senior from La Center, Kentucky, has maintained a 4.0 GPA throughout school and she said she has always placed emphasis on her grades. “My grades reflect the amount of effort I put into my courses and the amount of effort I put into my courses reflects the passion I have for my future career,” Sickling said. As part of her nonprofit curriculum, Sickling needed a 300-hour internship. During her interview, the director commended on her on a 4.0, and she said she believes it helped secure her internship, but she also has leadership experience. “Our GPAs, the actual numbers, are not as important as what lies behind them: our work ethic, character and passion for what we want to do in the future,” Sickling said.
Pigs raised, auctioned by agriculture students
A person reported a theft of property at James H. Richmond Residential College. Officers were notified and a report was taken for receiving stolen property less than $500.
MOTORIST ASSISTS RACER ASSISTS ARRESTS
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It’s a sign of the times and we need to catch up.
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The News
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April 6, 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
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Double takes: campus carry By no means should everyone, everywhere to be armed at all times. However, many students are so personally afraid and uncomfortable with guns, they don’t even want other people to have the right to carry. Allowing concealed carry on college campuses is not a bad thing, though. Take 10 steps off campus and concealed carry laws apply, whether it’s outside your home or out by Burrito Shack (though most people at the Shack aren’t packing). Aside from the frequently cited mass shooting argument, the dangers of on-campus crimes are just as realistic as off-campus crimes and should be treated as such. Allowing concealed carry on campus would give students the same safety they are allowed to feel 10 feet off campus or anywhere else in the world. Depriving someone the right to protect themselves because others are uncomfortable with it seems both counterproductive and unhelpful in the grand scheme of
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things. People who go out of their way to get a concealed carry license (including classes, tests and background checks, which vary by state) are statistically not committing crimes with those weapons. If a criminal wishes harm on another person, they will not go through the trouble of buying licensed weapons, completing background checks and carrying their license on them. Those people will do what they want to anyway. Those people – those criminals – are out there already. You may never run into them personally, and surely they are few and far between, but the idea that allowing concealed carry invites this sort of criminal onto campus is simply wrong. Two rules of being a criminal are as follows: don’t talk to the cops, and don’t try to rob a gun store, because they will probably fire back. The adage doesn’t end at the boundaries of a college campus.
Georgia House Bill 280 has public college and university administrators under the gun as they grapple with an ominous question: should this “campus carry” bill, which would allow students with concealed carry licenses to tote their weapons on campus, pass? Supporters of the bill and gun rights-enthusiasts argue letting students protect and defend themselves is a simple right that should thrive on campuses, too. But this begs an unnerving question: how often do students on college campuses feel the need to use a gun as a means of self-defense? Are we to believe that a large percentage of college students are both adequately trained and emotionally prepared at all times to shoot, or at least brandish, a gun while in a compromising situation? Furthermore, it’s troubling to think a campus full of 18-22 year olds – who are often struggling with mental/emotional instability, dealing with new and confusing social situations and engaging
in passionate debates – could have guns alongside their biology textbooks at any time. In a 2016 Johns Hopkins School of Public Health study, researchers found that having guns on campuses actually increased rates of violent crimes and sexual assault. A student may have acquired a gun legally and in accordance with required background checks and tests, but this does not mean that student will only use the gun lawfully. A student may legally purchase alcohol, but the lawful transaction does not stop the student from doing something harmful, like driving under the influence or experiencing alcohol poisoning. Replace guns with another weapon, like knives or swords or flame-throwers, and the idea of fighting to let students conceal these on campus sounds barbaric and theatrical. If students beg to be armed during their English class, there’s a bigger, more frightening problem to address.
Between You and Media
Debunking Pinterest fails
TheNews.org The News welcomes commentaries and letters to the editor. Submissions should be 600 words or less, and contributors should include phone numbers for verification. Please include hometown, classification and title or relationship to the university. The News reserves the right to edit for style, length and content. No anonymous contributions will be accepted. All contributions should be turned in by noon on Monday of each week via email to hbeard2@murraystate.edu. Contributions to The News are the opinion of the author and not that of The Murray State News.
FROM AN OPPONENT:
FROM A SUPPORTER:
Rachel Wood Contributing writer rwood7@murraystate.edu I’ve been sewing since I was 13, and one of the first questions people ask me about my skill is, “Who taught you how to do that?” Not my mother or grandmother, as most people normally expect. Not even an instructor during a class at my local craft store. No, I learned how to use my grandmother’s old sewing machine through the internet. It’s certainly not as romantic as seeing a skill passed down through generations, but the internet is revolutionizing how people pick up new trades. Whether you want to learn to knit a scarf, build a shelf or plant your own vegetable garden, there’s an online tutorial for it. While Pinterest has been the most obvious place for crafters to pick up new projects, YouTube and Facebook have also contributed a great deal to this trend. The internet wasn’t the first place for these tutorials, of course; TV channels like HGTV and DIY Network have been driving the
do-it-yourself trend since the 1990s. The real change seems to come from the types of people who are sharing these skills. It’s one thing to watch a professional seamstress show you how to do an embroidery project, but it’s entirely different when it comes from an accountant or hair stylist. I think DIY is so on trend now because the internet is s h o w ing that anyone can do it themselves, regardless of training or even access to materials. With great DIY inspiration, though, comes a lot of room for error. There’s the obvious danger that comes with using new tools – you might need a little more than a video tutorial for your first go around with a table saw – but there are also other risks involved.
One trap I’ve frequently stumbled into is the “I can definitely do that” pitfall. I’ve seen unique dresses online that I’m certain I can recreate for a cheaper price; countless hours and wasted materials later, I’m left with an end product that shows I clearly should’ve just bought the original dress. Pinterest is also notorious for passing off altered photos as easy DIY projects, much to the chagrin of those who attempt them (glow-in-thedark flowers and moss graffiti are two infamous examples). Also, there are some DIY projects that probably shouldn’t be taught online. While it might sound like a good idea to forgo the technician fee and try to fix your laptop’s motherboard yourself, it’s also a good way to void your warranty. So, is it even worth trying to learn a skill online? Absolutely.
STARTING SMALL AND PRACTICING OFTEN IS KEY
But, just like any hobby, it takes hands-on practice. You can’t expect yourself to turn a wooden pallet into a beautiful, finished end table if you don’t know how to use wood stain. Starting small and practicing often is key to perfecting a skill, whether you’re learning it in a classroom or from a YouTube tutorial. All too often we expect perfect results just because we engaged with step-bystep instructions, but it’s simply unrealistic to execute something perfectly on your first (or even fifth) try. If you have a hobby you’re interested in, the internet is making it easier than ever for you to get started. There are plenty of helpful websites to get you through the basics of almost any skill – but you do have to actually learn the basics. Troubleshoot using forums and fellow DIYers on social media. Constantly look up terminology you don’t understand. Learn your new trade piece by piece. Just don’t expect your first try at a project to be flawless – “practice makes perfect” isn’t a tired adage for nothing.
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
April 6, 2017
Page 5
Rational Animal
Crossing the threshhold John Muenzberg Contributing writer jmuenzberg@murraystate.edu Some of the most satisfying moments in teaching is when a student is inspired by your course and the material encourages a new way of thinking about the world. Sometimes students will express amazement that they have a new way to interpret their lives. Recent work in education has emphasized the importance of key concepts in learning new disciplines. They are called “threshold concepts.” A threshold concept is knowledge that is key to understanding a discipline but also forces a reinterpretation about the world in general. Since it forces a reinterpretation of the world, the concepts have been described as both troublesome and irreversible. They are troublesome because they cause intellectual upheaval and change. They are irreversible because once they are learned, it is difficult to go back to an old way of thinking. Current pedagogy encourages
using threshold concepts to improve the quality of lower-level classes. Such a conception of higher education fits in well with Murray State’s University Studies curriculum. Another activity that can transform your interpretation of the world is studying abroad. Studying abroad (or, at minimum, traveling abroad) is not valuable because there is some specific information that you need through the program. Rather, the experience of studying in a foreign country changes the way you think about people, cultures and nations. One way studying abroad is similar to a threshold concept is that the experiential aspect of studying abroad adds viewpoints a textbook cannot provide. These viewpoints can be part of the curriculum or from the extracurricular experiences. There are many things you can learn about German history or French management practices in the classroom, but the experience of observing the historical sites or talking to managers will add to the textbook learning in
confusing experiences can be fun. Upon reflection, one realizes we are able to navigate and live in these foreign environments precisely because human beings are so similar. A truly “foreign” people would have nothing in common with us. Most places you travel to are different but not absolutely foreign. These experiences can transform a student. They are troublesome because they challenge our assumptions about our society and ourselves. They are transformative because they lead you to reinterpret your world. They are irreversible because once you see more of the world, you will see your own nation differently. And after you see your nation differently, there is little chance you will revert to your prior conceptions. Studying abroad may not fit the theory of threshold concepts exactly, but the effect is the same. The Spring Study Abroad Fair is April 11. There are many possible ways to study abroad. Ideally, they will transform the way you interpret yourself and the world as much as your courses do.
subtle yet important ways. As a personal example, I have taught an ethics course a few dozen times. This coming winter term, I hope to take students to London and Edinburgh to examine how ethical theory informs our understanding of both war and reasons for peace. On one hand, there is nothing in the course that requires us to travel specifically to London or Edinburgh. On the other hand, the experiential application, whether in London, Berlin or Beijing, will add an embodied experience to the theory that will transform the class material. The extracurricular experiences from studying abroad can also transform the way you see the world. Meeting with people in foreign countries challenges your assumptions and preconceptions. Simply walking in a foreign city highlights the differences from American cities and can help you understand that society’s priorities and history. After examining the differences between people, one comes to see how much we have in common. Strange food and
Jeers to ... Pink Star
Cheers to ... Risk
A new kind of diamond is on the market, and it’s ridiculous. Called the “Pink Star,” it’s a pink incredibly rare gem that just became the most expensive stone ever sold at an auction. The price tag? $71.2 million. I, the Opinion Editor, am Jeering this because I’ll never have that kind of money.
A high school student made a bold statement in his personal application essay to Stanford University: instead of a generic what-matters-to-me narrative, the student wrote #BlackLivesMatter 100 times for his submission. The student’s move has received mixed reviews, but it worked out: he was admitted. #BlackLivesMatter
Got opinions?
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TO US! We still want to hear from you. Your voice matters.
CHEERS & JEERS Cheers to ... The future
Jeers to ... Creepy Facebook
While gearing up for graduation is a stressful time, Murray State grads can rest assured our small university has prepared us well for the post-grad world. We’ve got advantages larger urban universities don’t have: a small student-to-faculty ratio, manageable class sizes and friendly administrators.
Nothing is worse than logging onto Facebook, scrolling through the timeline and seeing advertisements for products you’ve recently viewed on your browser. How far will Facebook go before it sends a robot to spy on us in our own homes? Big Brother alert! Mark Zuckerburg, we’ve had enough!
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
Unabashed gratitude Hallie Beard Opinion Editor hbeard2@murraystate.edu There’s nothing I love more than getting to meet or encounter an author in person, though it can sometimes be awkward (being starstruck usually makes me say weird things). For months, I’ve been wanting to read Ross Gay’s “Catalog of Unabashed Gratitude,” the poet’s newest collection. If you’re not familiar with any contemporary poetry, this is a delightful collection to start with. Between giving reading precedence to other school-related books or collections I’d already started and not wanting to drop the money on a new book, I couldn’t get my hands on the collection until last week. Conveniently, I was able to attend a reading by Gay at a university where he read poems from his new collection along with essays that haven’t been published yet. And, of course, I did not pass up the opportunity to buy the collection I’d been wanting and get it
signed. Fangirling aside, the reading and collection caused me to dwell on some interesting questions. While one of the main topics of the book is death – the death of the author’s father, the death of a lover and the general realization of mortality – its central focus is that idea introduced in the title: unabashed gratitude. How, I wondered, can we be grateful in the midst of death, whether it’s personal or global? In Gay’s newest essays, he concentrates on writing about delights – quite simply, objects, occurences or people that delight him. One audience member asked, “How do you practice delight? How do you practice gratitude?” Initially, it seems like an impossible question. Isn’t gratitude something you feel as a response? Can it actually be practiced and generated without a source? Well, yes. Like anger, love, happiness or any other abstractions, they can be self-generated and practiced, though they might initially arise in a reactionary or
passion-based manner. Gay pointed out in response to the question that, once you resolve to practice gratitude and actively notice things that delight you, it becomes easier and easier. The first time you try it, you might only feel grateful for something incredibly important, like waking up and not being ill. But after days, weeks or months of active practice, noticing small, peculiar things – like a beautiful plant outside or a striking feature on a stranger’s face – becomes second nature. In one poem in “Catalog,” the speaker describes the body of someone dying: it’s flailing and jerking in a frightening way, but the speaker pretends the body is dancing instead. While this is a quite morbid and ultra poetic example, it’s an effective picture of turning something terrifying into something beautiful. Readers, if you’ve endured my poetry-talk so far, I have an exercise in gratitude for you. Maybe you’re already someone who easily notices beautiful things, but as I barrel toward the end of the
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
semester, I find it much easier to focus on the negative. So, if you need a boost in gratitude, do this: Take a piece of notebook paper – don’t burden yourself with a fancy journal or note-keeping app – and keep it folded in your backpack or purse. Everyday, write down at least five items that delight you or make you grateful. If you’re having trouble with coming up with these items, don’t be afraid to turn it into a social experiment. Are you friends with someone who sees the world in a particularly rosy way? Ask them to tell you something they’ve noticed that day that is purely delightful, pretty or joy-inducing. If writing things down is a hassle for you, use social media to your advantage. Create a tweet for each item, or make an Insagram post once per day of your most delightful discovery. I’m hoping to use this exercise myself as I approach graduation, if only to make a mental time-capsule of all the things at Murray State I’ve grown to admire in the midst of stress and mundane tasks.
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The News
Page 6
April 6, 2017
Sports Editor: Sarah Combs Assistant Sports Editor: Collin Morris Phone: 270-809-4481 Twitter: MSUSportsNews
Sports
Lawrence breaks all-time RBIs record
Jenny Rohl/The News
Senior catcher Tyler Lawrence now leads Murray State with 168 career RBIs. Kelly Diesel
Contributing writer kdiesel@murraystate.edu
On March 28 at Reagan Field, senior catcher Tyler Lawrence hit a sacrifice fly to right field that put him in the Murray State history books. With two RBIs in that game against Lindenwood University, Lawrence became the program’s all-time leader in RBIs baseball with 168. Wes Cunningham previously held the record for Murray State with 167 RBIs in his time with the Racers. Cunningham batted a .411 his senior year with 11 home runs and 52 RBIs in 192 at-bats. Assistant Coach Andy Morgan said Lawrence brings
more than just offense to the team. “Tyler is a good player who can hit and has turned himself into a good catcher,” Morgan said. “He’s got better every year, and he’s an important piece to the things we do. He’s a good kid and a good leader.” Lawrence comes from Collierville, Tennessee, where he attended Christian Brothers High School his junior and senior year. Hitting .400 on the season, Lawrence helped lead his team to a 36-8 record and a state championship his senior year. In Lawrence’s freshman year with Murray State, he started in all 52 games with a batting average of .313 and totaled 36 RBIs, four of them
were game-winning RBIs. Lawrence also hit 11 doubles and led the team with 21 multihit games in his freshman year. Lawrence came back after his freshman year leading the team with 12 home runs and 46 RBIs as a sophomore. Lawrence had a batting average of .302 and also led the team with 13 doubles, 62 hits and 27 walks. He was the only Racer to start all 56 games in the 2015 season. In his sophomore year with the Racers, Lawrence set an OVC record and Murray State record with four home runs against Morehead State on May 15. Lawrence went 5 for 5 in that game against the Eagles and totaled 11 RBIs, which is just one short of the OVC and
Murray State record of 12 RBIs in one game. Lawrence said his work ethic and teammates are a big part of his success. “The day to day work is what helps me,” Lawrence said. “Between classes or whenever I have some free time getting to the cages helps a lot. Also my teammates have a lot to do with it because having teammates that want to get better really helps.” In last year’s season, Lawrence was selected to FirstTeam All OVC and was ninth in the OVC with a .355 batting average. Lawrence tacked on eight home runs and 58 RBIs his junior year and recorded a Murray State record of 22 doubles, which ranked 21st in
the country and second in the OVC. Lawrence was in the top 50 in the country with a .469 on-base percentage and was walked 44 times last year. Lawrence also had a 14-game hitting streak that lasted from April 1 to April 28 his junior year. Lawrence’s senior year has had a similar start to his past seasons with the Racers. Lawrence currently bats a .308 with 33 RBIs and five home runs on 107 at-bats. Only Brandon Gutzler, junior outfielder, has more RBIs than Lawrence this year with 35. Lawrence has started in all 28 games for Murray State and also has eight doubles and one triple on his 33 hits.
Lawrence said he would love to make it into the MLB if he got the chance but won’t rely on it. “Playing pro ball would be a thing I’d like to do if I get the opportunity,” Lawrence said. “But if that doesn’t work out then I’ll concentrate on my degree and start looking for a job in the real world.” Before he graduates, Lawrence said he has a goal to accomplish with the baseball team. “Getting that OVC ring at the end of the year before I graduate would be a great way to go out,” Lawrence said. “It’s something Murray State hasn’t done in a very long time and I’d like to get that before I leave here.”
Gilbert Thomas Jr. set to transfer Track and field competes at home Blake Sandlin Staff writer
bsandlin1@murraystate.edu
Freshman forward Gilbert Thomas Jr. announced Friday, March 31 on social media that he will be leaving the men’s basketball program at Murray State. Thomas took to Instagram to announce his decision to part ways with the team, thanking the community for its endearing support. “Unfortunately, I will not be attending Murray State next year,” Thomas wrote. “God must have a different plan for me. I would also like to thank the fans not in the community that supported me throughout the year making this place feel like home!” Thomas played limited minutes for the Racers in his freshman season, averaging 10.7 minutes per game. In that time, he averaged 3 points per game with 2.7 rebounds. His biggest contributions came in games against Austin Peay, Green Bay and Bethel, in which he scored 12 points in each. Thomas’ announcement came just days after Murray State guard Dondre Griffin’s announcement of his transfer. The departure of the two Racers, as well as former Racer Justin Seymour, who announced his transfer last summer, leaves Head Coach Matt McMahon with three scholarships to utilize in the upcoming season. Thomas is yet to announce his transfer destination.
Blake Sandlin || Staff writer bsandlin1@murraystate.edu
Chalice Keith/The News
Thomas dunks in an exhibition game against Berry in which he scored 21 points.
Murray State’s track and field team competed in two meets on Friday night, coming away with multiple top finishes. Murray State sent a group of distance runners to Washington University in St. Louis, to compete in several events on Friday. The rest of the team stayed at home to compete in the Margaret Simmons Invitational. At Washington, freshman middle distance runner Ali Hester placed fifth in the 5000-meter by running a time of 17 minutes, 18 seconds. Her performance ranked third all-time in the event in Murray State history. Junior distance runner Meagan Smith ran 36 minutes, 31 seconds in the 10,000-meter run, notching a fourth-place finish out of 32 runners. Junior distance runner Caroline Grogan also finished in 37 minutes, 30 seconds to claim a 12th-place finish in the run. In the home event held at Roy Stewart Stadium, sophomore sprinter Tamdra Lewis clocked in at 12.15 seconds in the 100meter dash to claim first place. Sophomore sprinter Dajiah White followed closely behind with time of 12.65 seconds for second place. The 200-meter event had junior sprinter Anna Curlin finishing first out of two runners with 26.09 seconds. In middle distance, freshman sprinter Norma Abdur-Rafia claimed a first-place finish out
of four runners in the 400-meter after recording a time of 56.59 seconds. Senior middle distance runner Tia Weston won the 800-meter with a time of 2 minutes, 22 seconds. Sophomore sprinter Jocelyn Paine won the 400-meter hurdles out of four runners by recording a time of 1 minutes, 4 seconds. Freshman high jumper Hope Tewes recording a first-place finish in high jump with a leap of 1.58 meters. Junior hurdler Taylor McCammon had a record-breaking performance, with 5.56-meter jump in the long jump, setting a meet record. A 13.08-meter performance in shot put was enough for freshman thrower Jewel Wagner to claim first. Head Coach Jenny Swieton said despite competing in several heats against their own team, she feels the team is still producing great results. “I’m really happy with how it went,” Swieton said. “I think our team is getting to the point where even if we’re competing with one another, we can get some really good performances out of that.” Murray State’s 4x400 meter relay team broke the Simmons Invitational record and recorded the second-best performance at the school by running the event in 3 minute, 55 seconds. The Racers will compete again on April 7 at the Western Kentucky Relays in Bowling Green, Kentucky.
The News
Sports
April 6, 2017
Page 7
Tennis team looks to move OVC play nears for Racers above .500 in conference Kelly Diesel
Contributing writer
kdiesel@murraystate.edu
The Murray State women’s golf team has one more match ahead of them before they compete in the OVC Tournament. Teams outside the OVC including Arkansas State, Northern Kentucky, the University of South Alabama and the University of Louisiana-Monroe will compete in this upcoming match. Arkansas State’s Beth Ann Compton, sophomore from Hartselle, Alabama, has played 21 rounds for the Red Wolves averaging 76 with 1,596 total strokes. Northern Kentucky’s Ryliegh Waltz, senior from
Liberty, Indiana, has played 23 rounds for the Norse averaging 78.43 with a season-low round of 71. Murray State will host their final match of the regular season from April 7-8 at Frances E. Miller Memorial Golf Course in Murray. Head Coach Velvet Milkman said she has high expectations for this weekend’s match. “We have a good shot at winning both the team and individual events,” Milkman said. “I think playing on our home golf course can help us do that.” The Racers have placed first in four matches so far this season and have only placed outside the top three in just two of its nine matches so far this
season. Milkman said the key to their success is the team’s work ethic. “They are willing to put in the time to try to get better,” Milkman said. “They’re competitive, they like to play and they like to compete and that helps as well.” Murray State’s Moa Folke, junior from Tranas, Sweden, leads the way for the Racers with an average of 74 over 27 rounds played with 1,999 strokes on the season. Folke is also in a three-way tie for the lowest round score of 67 in the OVC, which she placed on March 21 in her second round of the Spring Citrus Challenge.
see GOLF, page 8
Softball takes to the sky Bryan Edwards || Staff writer bedwards16@murraystate.edu
Chalice Keith/The News
The Murray State tennis team huddles before its matches last weekend. Blake Sandlin Staff writer
bsandlin1@murraystate.edu
Murray State tennis will be looking to bounce back against Eastern Illinois and Southern Illinois University Edwardsville after dropping two home matches last weekend. Following a 5-2 loss against Southeast Missouri State on Saturday and another 6-1 to UT Martin on Sunday, the Racers must rally to defeat an EIU team that is 11-6 and currently riding a two-game winning streak. Head Coach Jorge Caetano acknowledged that the team’s struggles recently are a setback but said his team will spend the week working to get back on track. “We have our backs against the wall, but this team is always going to battle, always going to fight,” Caetano said. “We’re going to work hard this week to try to get back. We’re going to work extra harder, we’ve talked about it, we’ve got a lot of work to do. The Panthers are coming off of a weekend during which they defeated Belmont, a team that Murray State fell to 4-3, and
Tennessee State, who the Racers defeated 6-1. The Panthers are sitting at fourth place in the conference with a 3-2 record. Caetano, while acknowledging it will be a tough match, said the Racers’ matchup advantage could play a key role in the match. “I think we do matchup well against them,” Caetano said. “Doubles, I think we have a really good chance to win the doubles point, it’s going to be big for us. Every court is going to be a battle so we have to make sure that we’re ready for them. We can win at every position, they can win at every position. It can be any sport, there’s no favorites against EIU.” The Racers will then set their sights on a SIUE team which has made easy work of its schedule this year. The Cougars are currently the winningest team in the OVC, riding a 15-game streak with an unblemished conference record as the season is nearing its end. Caetano said there’s one thing that makes this SIUE team so dangerous. “Consistency,” he said. “I think every position they play really well. They really be-
lieve in themselves. They won their conference last year and just knowing that you were a championship team makes a big difference. They go to the courts thinking they are better than the other teams and they take care of business.” The confidence that comes from being the defending OVC Champion is certainly key. The Cougars took the OVC crown last season and have not shown signs of letting up this year. Caetano said in order to bounce back from their recent struggles, he will preach resiliency so his team will be prepared for the obstacles they will face this weekend. “This week it’s all about working on toughness,” Caetano said. “That’s what we’re going to do the whole week; just doing things that we hate to do just to make sure that we’re tough and can handle those things so that when we go to a match we will be able to handle anything the opponent throws at us.” The 5-9 Racers will hit the court at 10 a.m. on Friday, April 7 to face Eastern Illinois in Charleston, Illinois.
The Murray State softball team continues their lengthy road trip on Saturday, beginning with the Skyhawks of UT Martin and the Redhawks of Southeast Missouri in OVC Play. Head Coach Kara Amundson said the OVC field is tough this year because of the level of competition in many other games. “It’s going to be a big weekend for us,” Amundson said. “The field is tough this year, you have to show up and play in every game to play well. Being able to have a chunk of practice days this week will help us prepare for the games this weekend.” Following their 2-1 start in the conference, the Racers began a
Jenny Rohl/The News
Junior pitcher Haven Campbell winds up her pitch at Racer Field.
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seven-game road trip, starting with nonconference opponent Western Kentucky. After falling to WKU 0-1, the team jumped back into conference play against defending OVC Champions Jacksonville State. The two losses to the Gamecocks move the Racers to 3-7 overall in away games and 0-3 on the current road trip. They will close the series of road games with four games in two days against UT Martin and Southeast Missouri State. Amundson said the team has been prepared for the road schedule but also said traveling can take a lot out of the team. “Traveling takes it out of everyone. You can’t deny it, but you can’t use it as an excuse as
well,” Amundson said. “Martin and SEMO aren’t that far away from us so we aren’t having to travel very far to play, but we have to come ready to play. If we are lucky enough to make the conference tournament again this year, we will be on the road so we have to figure it out on the road.” The Skyhawks enter the series against the Racers 25-9 and are currently 4-2 in conference play. The Racers and Skyhawks both have 12 wins against each other in the all-time series with the Racers winning the last three games. Senior pitcher Brooke Kennedy leads UT Martin with a 12-2 record this season in the circle, while Murray State is led by senior pitcher Mason Robinson, who has a team-high 17 wins on the season. Following their doubleheader against the Skyhawks, the Racers will travel to Cape Girardeau, Missouri, to match up against SEMO. The Redhawks currently sit at 15-16 on the season and are on a nine-game losing streak. SEMO freshman Rachel Anderson leads the team with a .438 batting average and has a teamhigh 21 RBIs on the year. Senior infielder Jessica Twaddle continues to be a reliable bat for the Racers, hitting .400 while leading the team with nine home runs on the season. The Racers will begin their road trip against the Skyhawks at 1 p.m. on Saturday, April 8 in Martin, Tennessee.
The News
Sports
Page 8
April 6, 2017
Jacksonville State controls weekend Baseball Kelly Diesel
Contributing writer kdiesel@murraystate.edu
Murray State’s baseball team lost two games of three last weekend in its three-game series with Jacksonville State. Assistant Coach Andy Morgan said the games were just off nights for the team’s batters. “We played really good defense and we pitched pretty well overall, but our offense wasn’t there,” Morgan said. “We are a really good hitting team and that’s what we do, but our bats didn’t show up.” In the first game of the series on March 31, Murray State lost in extra innings by a final score of 7-5 after 11 innings. Freshman infielder Davis Sims got the Racers on the board in first inning with a single up the middle that scored senior catcher Tyler Lawrence and junior infielder Kipp Moore. Senior pitcher Jack Hranec hit a solo home run in the sixth inning to give the Racers a 3-0 lead. JSU responded in the seventh with three runs of its own and again in the eighth with two more. In the bottom of the ninth Adam Bauer, senior outfielder, hit a sacrifice fly and Brandon Gutzler, junior outfielder, hit an RBI single to tie the game at 5-5 and force extra innings. In the 11th, JSU junior infielder, Dalton Etheridge, hit a two-run home run to left field to give the Gamecocks a 7-5 victory. In game two of the series on April 1, the Racers came away with the win in a 6-4 game. Moore started the scoring with a solo home run to left field in the first inning. Murray State scored another run in the second and two more in the third
to give the Racers a 4-0 lead. The Gamecocks scored two in the fourth inning to make it a 4-2 game until Caleb Hicks, junior infielder, singled to center scoring Hranec and Sims for Murray State, extending the lead to 6-2. In the sixth, JSU’s Taylor Hawthrone, junior infielder, tripled to right center field to score two runs, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the 6-4 lead. Game three of the series on April 2 went to Gamecocks by a final score of 4-3. The Racers found themselves down 4-1 at the end of the sixth but responded in the eighth. After a sacrifice fly from Lawrence, freshman outfielder Ryan Perkins hit an RBI single to score Bauer and make it a one-run game. JSU held onto that one-run lead and came away with the victory over Murray State. The Racers are now 15-12 on the season and 6-6 in OVC play. Morgan said he and the team know they are better than what the record shows. “I believe we’re six and six in conference, and I feel like we’re better than that and we should be better than that,” Morgan said. “We’ve lost some games that we feel like we shouldn’t have but we have half the year left to make a run.” Morgan said the consistency needs to improve on the team. “We need to put it all together,” Morgan said. “When we hit we have to play defense and pitch better, we need to show up each game and make sure everything comes together to be successful.” Murray State’s next game is at 5 p.m. on April 4 in Bowling Green, Kentucky, where they are set to take on Western Kentucky.
Softball Bryan Edwards Staff writer
bedwards16@murraystate.edu
L L L L W
W W W W L
Jenny Rohl/The News
Senior pitcher Ryan Dills on the mound at Reagan Field.
The Murray State softball team continued its road trip through the OVC as they traveled to Jacksonville, Alabama to play a doubleheader against the Jacksonville State Gamecocks. The Racers could not keep the Gamecocks from scoring and fell in both games, moving to 0-3 on their road trip. Head Coach Kara Amundson said the offense played well in the series but couldn’t make up for the JSU attack. “Jacksonville State hits over .300 as a team and I don’t think we were prepared for that in the circle,” Amundson said. “[Robinson] didn’t play her best in the circle, but we didn’t play well enough behind her to get the wins.” GAME ONE Murray State opened the scoring in the first inning when sophomore infielder Brenna Finck scored on a wild pitch by JSU junior pitcher Whitney Gillespie. With two runners on base in the bottom of the second inning, the Gamecocks took a 3-1 lead following a three-run home run by junior first baseman Leila Chambers. JSU scored four more runs in the game and only allowed two more from the Racers to take game one of the doubleheader 7-3. Gillespie recorded her 12th win of the season, going toeto-toe with the Racers’ ace pitcher, senior Mason Robinson. Robinson ended with the loss, moving her to 17-6 on the season.
Murray State tennis fall to 2-3 in OVC standings Blake Sandlin Staff writer
bsandlin1@murraystate.edu
Murray State tennis competed for a fourth-place position in the OVC standings this weekend in matches against Southeast Missouri State and UT Martin. The Racers squared off against SEMO on Saturday in a match that ended 5-2 in favor of the Redhawks. SEMO’s win pushed it to 4-1 in the OVC, putting it in third place in the conference standings. Senior from Hamburg, Germany, Alina Schibol won her singles match in two sets, finishing 6-1 against Annisa Warasanti to give the Racers one of their points on the day. Freshman from Kaohsiung, Taiwan, Claire Chang, won a tight match against SEMO’s Oleksandra Doroshenko in three sets to claim a 6-2, 4-6, 10-7 victory. In doubles, the pair of freshman Anja Loncarevic, from Guilherand-Granges, France, and sophomore Amina Hadzic, from
Esbjerg, Denmark, defeated the Redhawk duo of freshman Kseniya Zonova and sophomore Anais Emelie 6-2 in the Racers’ only doubles victory on Saturday. The Redhawks claimed the next two matches, propelling them to their 5-2 victory. Head Coach Jorge Caetano said SEMO’s competitiveness was the deciding factor in the match Saturday. “We got beaten by a team that played better than us, had more energy,” Caetano said. “They just fought for every single point, so you’ve got to give it to them. Our team didn’t perform well.” The team had a quick turnaround prior to facing UTM on Sunday. The Skyhawks came into the match with an 8-3 overall record and an unblemished conference record. They kept with the trend against the Racers by claiming a 6-1 win. Jeanne Mason, sophomore from Dinard, France, recorded the only singles win for Murray State on the day by defeating UTM sophomore Jemima Potter in two sets 6-2, 6-4.
Chalice Keith/The News
Amina Hadzic, sophomore from Esbjerg, Denmark, went two-for-two in doubles over the weekend. Hadzic and Loncarevic claimed the sole doubles win for the Racers by defeating senior Hitomi Naito and sophomore Asel Jumamukhambetova by a score of 6-2. The Skyhawks won five other singles matches and their doubles point to remain unbeaten in
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league play. With the two losses over the weekend, the Racers move to 5-9 overall and 2-3 in conference play. Caetano said the effort was there in Sunday’s match, but the age and experience of the Skyhawks inevitably won out. “We knew UT Martin was the
favorite to win the conference this year,” Caetano said. “They have a really good senior class playing number one, two and three. The Racers will competing at 10 a.m. on Friday, April 7 against Eastern Illinois in Charleston, Illinois.
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GAME TWO The Racers scored first again in game two of the doubleheader on an RBI single from sophomore infielder Madison Culver. After the Gamecocks tied the game at 1-1 in the first inning, junior infielder Erika Downey put some space in between the two teams during the second inning with a tworun home run. Senior infielder Jessica Twaddle hit an RBI double, pushing the Racer lead to 4-1 after Finck scored. The Gamecocks answered with eight runs in two innings to give JSU a 9-4 lead. Chambers and senior shortstop Cadi Oliver each had a home run in that span. Twaddle tried to rally the team with a two-run shot of her own, but it wasn’t enough as the Gamecocks beat the Racers 10-6 Although the team lost, Amundson said she saw some positives from an offensive standpoint in the two games. “Offensively, we have been a little lackluster recently,” Amundson said. “We started off crazy with scoring a lot, but we fell off a bit. I’ve been telling them in practice this past week that we need to focus on doing your job offensively. I think they have to take that to heart and our offense benefits from it.” The losses move the Racers to 25-12 on the season with a 2-3 record in OVC play. The Racers have struggled playing away from home, posting a 3-7 on the road this season. Murray State will continue their road trip at 1 p.m. on Saturday, April 8 when the Racers travel to Martin, Tennessee, to face off against the UT Martin Skyhawks in a doubleheader.
GOLF From Page 7
Eastern Kentucky’s Elsa Moberly and Morehead State’s Anna Magnusson both share the three-way tie with Folke. Close behind Folke for the Racers are Lucila Puente Rodriguez, freshman from Sevilla, Spain and Linette Holmslykke, sophomore from Vejle, Denmark. Rodriguez averages 74.3 in 27 rounds played with 2,006 strokes, and Holmslykke averages 74.5 over 26 rounds played with 1,938 strokes. Holmslykke posted the second lowest score for the Racers this season with 68 in her third round on Feb. 28 at the Edwin Watts Kiawah Island Classic. Murray State leads the OVC in team play with an average of 297.7 over 27 rounds played, taking 8,039 total strokes. Murray State also posted the lowest team score in the OVC of 286 on Feb. 28 at the Edwin Watts Kiawah Island Classic in its third round.
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April 6, 2017
Features
Features Editor: Gisselle Hernandez Assistant Features Editor: Emily Williams Phone: 270-809-5871 Twitter: MSUNewsFeatures
The strength, struggle of being a MilSo Taking a look at Racers’ sacrifice when having a military significant others Da’Sha Tuck || Staff writer dtuck@murraystate.edu
Separated at a moment’s notice for a few months or maybe a few years, maintaining a relationship from miles away through calls, texts or emails and always wondering if their spouse will return home are what make the life of a military significant other. “You have to realize that you can’t always be his top concern,” said Victoria Peeler, Murray State alumna, engaged to Nathan Dickinson, U.S. Army. “There will be times that he has to put his job above the relationship.”
THE SACRIFICE
Dickinson said he chose the army because it provided him with the most career options. He had been in active duty for almost four years when he met his now fiancée. Peeler and Dickinson live in Fort Campbell, Kentucky. Peeler said she considers herself lucky because other than a three-week training, she and her fiancé have not been separated because of Dickinson’s military obligations. But not all military significant others have been so lucky. Tara Foren, senior from Humboldt, Tennessee, has been a military significant other for about five years. She and her boyfriend Chris Bledsoe, U.S. Navy, have had a more challenging experience. “We started dating in September 2012, and he left for deployment to Afghanistan in May 2013,” Foren
Welcom e Hom e!
said. “He was gone for nine months.” Although being separated was difficult, Foren said she knew the service was Bledsoe’s pride and joy, and knowing Bledsoe was loving what he was doing made it easier. But it wasn’t all easy. “There were a lot of tears through the months he was away,” Foren said. “Nights I couldn’t sleep from worrying and not hearing from him for weeks.” She said her biggest fear was never seeing her best friend again. Since they have been together, Bledsoe has served overseas in Afghanistan, Germany, Ireland and Romania. He has also served in the states in California, Mississippi, Virginia, Texas and Illinois. Bledsoe said the first deployment was difficult. “I didn’t want to leave because I knew, with it being our first time apart, it would be hard with us still trying to get to know each other to continue building the bond we had already developed,” Bledsoe said.
said the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. F o r e n said the distance made her relationship stronger. She said they are both strong in their Photo courtesy of Tara faith; they Foren pray about Chris Bledsoe (left) and Tara everything. Foren (right). “We pray before we eat, we pray out loud together and for one another,” she said. “I honestly believe God put us in each other’s lives, and I’m forever thankful.” Foren said being in a relationship with a military man or woman is all about support, loyalty and patience.
MAINTAINING THE RELATIONSHIP
Dickinson said leaving is completely normal because he has done it his entire adult life. “There are very few positives of having a significant other at home while you’re gone,” Dickinson said. “It’s one more thing to worry about, constantly missing them and trying to keep everything alive while not being there is hard.”
Bledsoe said he had worries when he left for deployment. He thought he would lose his girlfriend to someone who could be more physically present. “I truly never thought I would date anyone in the military,” Foren said. “The thought of calling it quits because of the military has never crossed my mind.” These military significant others
ADVISING
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Graphic courtesy of Kelsey Fannin/The News
Quilling receives competitive study abroad scholarship
Nick Erickson
Staff writer
nerickson@murraystate.edu
Murray State’s Anissa Quilling, senior vocal music major from St. Louis, was selected to receive the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship and the ability to study abroad in Mexico this summer. The Gilman scholarship provides students up to $5,000 to apply toward their study abroad programs. Quilling said the scholarship covered half of the cost, while her Murray State grants and scholarships covered the remainder. Quilling, who will graduate with her bachelor’s degree this August, said the scholarship process was competitive. “I received a lot of help from Robyn Pizzo in the study abroad office,” Quilling said. Quilling said she was required to write two separate essays in addition to the application. “One was a statement of purpose, and the other was a project proposal,” Quilling said. “I’ll complete the proposal while abroad in Mexico this summer and present it once I return.” Quilling has high aspira-
tions for her stay in Mexico, planning to immerse herself in the music culture for her project. “My project consists of recording the authentic music in the city, like at the weekly festivals,” Quilling said. “ I will then create voice exercises that relate to the style of music and singing that I experience and record.” Quilling said she plans to further her education after studying abroad in Mexico. “After I graduate from MSU, I will attend Lindenwood University in St. Charles, Missouri,” Quilling said. “There, I will complete the Master of Arts in Teaching program with an emphasis in music education.” A prestigious scholarship is not the only t h i n g
Quilling has received. People have b e e n showing her continual support a n d praise f o r h e r achievements, especially her loved ones. Kamaria Simmons, Quilling’s best friend of six years a n d S t .
Louis native, said she admires Quilling’s humble nature in light of all her achievements. “Ever since I have known her, she has been extremely talented and ambitious,” Simmons said. “Her spirit is so gentle, so loving, and she wants others to have as much success as she does.” Michael D’Ambrosio, music professor and Quilling’s academic adviser for the past four years, said he has faith in her endeavors. “She holds herself to a high standard and represents both the Music Department and the university with grace and dignity,” D’Ambrosio said. “I look forward to seeing what she is able to achieve after her time with us has passed.” Though her time at Murray State will soon come to an end, Quillings sees many opportunities in the future. “I am so thankful for this opportunity,” Quilling said.
“
Her spirit is so gentle, so loving, and she wants others to have as much success as she does. – Kamaria Simmons, Quillings’ best friend
Chalice Keith/The News
Anissa Quilling will study abroad in Mexico his summer.
Murray Police Department launches spring recruitment Sydni Anderson Staff writer
sanderson33@murraystate.edu
After a series of recruitment efforts, Murray residents may see a few more gray uniforms and shiny, gold badges in town. Job postings have popped up on the Murray Police Department Facebook page and as a result, officers have been recruited. According to the Murray Police Department Facebook page, four officers were welcomed into the department after completing Basic Training Academy in Richmond, Kentucky, on March 17. Brant Shutt, sergeant of sup-
port services, said there is not a new demand for officers, but the department is trying to regain a full staff. Shutt said the department currently has positions for 40 sworn police officers but recently had positions open for two patrol officers and two dispatchers. “With a potential officer, we want someone who we believe can handle the physical and mental stress that the job can entail,” Shutt said. “We want someone who is responsible and who we believe can maintain composure under pressure.” Shutt said the process of training after the recruits are hired includes traveling to Rich-
mond, Kentucky, for the Police shift, before they are allowed to Academy at the Department of patrol on their own,” Shutt said. Criminal Justice The Training. Shutt benefit of a said the officers full staff is spend 23 weeks efficiency. covering a range Shutt said of topics, includa minimum ing legal classes, of four offiemergency drivcers are out ing, firearms, deat one time fensive tactics, with each Shelby Tooke, senior from Shelbyville, shift. DUI patrol and testing and phys Kentucky ical training. S h e l b y “Once graduated from the Tooke, senior from Shelbyville, academy, the recruits will then Kentucky, is president of Murspend nine weeks with a training ray State’s Criminal Justice Sociofficer at the Murray Police Deety. Tooke said she feels that the partment, three weeks on each quantity of officers hired does
“
Personally, I respect every officer no matter what department, office or state they represent. -
”
not matter as much as the quality. Nevertheless, she said she is very supportive of police departments in general and feels Murray is a very safe community. “I have done an internship with a sheriff's office and have seen some of the daily stressors deputies and officers face,” Tooke said. “Personally, I respect every officer no matter what department, office or state they represent. Every time I have encountered Murray police officers, they have been very helpful and respectful.” Shutt said the Murray Police Department routinely makes appearances at the Murray State Career Fair along with the City
of Murray to recruit new people. The department also holds an eight-week Citizens Police Academy to educate citizens on the issues that law enforcement officers face in Murray and Calloway County. To apply to be a Murray police officer, the candidate must be 21 years old or older and have a high school diploma or an equivalent degree. Shutt said the candidate must pass a physical condition assessment, a written test, a psychological screener, a polygraph test, a drug screen, a background check and an oral interview. People may submit applications online through the city website.
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Features
Page 10
April 6, 2017
Diversity Ball draws multicultural students to dance floor
Gisselle Hernandez
Features Editor
ghernandez1@murraystate.edu
Students spent Friday night dancing, dining and winning prizes at the first Diversity Ball, formerly known as Prom Night, in the CFSB Center Murray Room. The event was co-sponsored by Campus Activities Board, Student Government Association, Student Government Diversity Chairs, International Student Organization and office of Multicultural Affairs. Ifeoluwa Akindele, junior
from Louisville and coordinator of the event, said they decided to change the name from Prom Night because it sounded too high school. “I didn’t really like my prom so I didn’t want to be reminded of that,” Akindele said. “I’m sure a lot of people felt the same way so we thought about it and it was a friend who suggested a ball instead. We [named it] diversity because it’s supposed to be a multicultural prom so why not make it Diversity Ball?” Akindele said it was her first time planning an event like
this and it was a lot of work because of her inexperience. She received help from SGA and OMA, and another student, senior Bryan Orange, helped her coordinate as well. “Actually, we planned it for last semester, but it got pushed back a couple times because we had to keep revamping and deciding what we wanted to do,” Orange said. “We tried to get as many people from different ethnicities and countries so we can have a diverse audience.” Akindele said it is important for there to be events like the Diversity Ball on campus be-
cause not many people know about all the different countries Murray State represents. She believed it was a good way to showcase the university’s culture. “I think it’s very important because especially here, a lot of students do come from small towns where they’re not really exposed to a lot of different cultures,” she said. “So they might as well get it here before they go out into the workforce.” Orange said the most difficult part about planning the event was getting the word out to all the organizations and
people from different countries. This is why they decided to partner with International Student Organization for the first time, Akindele said. The most expensive part of the event was the food, which came from university catering. Orange said the expenses were covered by CAB’s budget. The Diversity Ball was CAB’s last event for the semester and despite it starting at 7 p.m., the dance floor kicked up around 8:30. Students from all corners of the world took to the floor to dance in unison to “Wobble,” before bob-
bing to a wide range of music played by the DJ. After a few songs, S.G Carthell, director for diversity initiatives, announced winners for a raffle where the winners had to do an impromptu runway walk, cheered on by the rest of the attendees. Jeanie Morgan, adviser to the Student Government Association and student organizations, said the Murray Room was a great place to host the event because it wasn’t too big or too small.
Read more at TheNews.org.
Jenny Rohl/The News
Students danced, ate and won prizes at the Diversity Ball last Friday.
Theater students pursue, execute passion despite criticism Emily Williams
Assistant Features Editor ewilliams15@murraystate.edu
Theater students at Murray State are speaking out against the stereotypes and belittling that comes with being a theater major and are pursuing their passion, nonetheless. Brooke McCord, senior from Puryear, Tennessee, is a theater major and said it is a huge time commitment. She said this is especially true when designing and directing a play by yourself, which is what she and many other theater majors were required to do recently for their Directing II Festival, an event
held as a requirement for an Advanced Directing course at Murray State. McCord said the festival is the result of a semester-long project in which each student in the course was required to choose a 15-minute, one-act play. The student is then entirely in charge of directing the play, purchasing the royalties and casting. She said on her end of the work for this project, she spent about 15-20 hours a week planning and preparing the play on top of maintaining her other classwork and working two jobs. She has also been a member of Sigma Sigma Sigma since
Photo courtesy of Brooke McCord
Brooke McCord directed and premiered the play “Dead Boy” last weekend. she was a freshman, which, she said, is a time commitment as well. “Your classes are the work
that you do, so we’re a very busy group of students,” McCord said. McCord said she has encoun-
tered people who put down theater as a major, or who say that it isn’t “real” or isn’t very difficult. These are the same people who assume there are no jobs out there after college for a theater major, she said. “I think it’s really ignorant when people say things like that,” McCord said. “I haven’t even finished my degree yet, but I’ve been working as a professional director now for two and a half years doing what I want to do. The jobs are out there and I think that’s a huge misconception that people have, that there’s no work. There’s work everywhere, you just have to look for it.”
Maddie Brasher-Evans, sophomore from Owensboro, Kentucky, said she is used to people telling her that theater is not a “real” major. “Honestly, you sort of get used to it after awhile,” she said. “Every theater major I know has to work about 10 times harder than everyone else because we are constantly going. We are constantly in rehearsals or learning lines. People don't realize that most nights I am so exhausted because I've had a full day of classes, work, rehearsal and then have homework and lines to go over.”
Read more at TheNews.org.
ALPHA CHI CHAPTER- SIGMA SIGMA SIGMA Celebrating 75 Years of Leadership at Murray State as the First Greek Organization on Campus
Distinguished Alumnus Awards- Martha Robertson Ellison, Dr. Gayle Douglass Rayburn, Dr. Anna McHargue, Brig. Gen. (Retired) Mary Opdyke Marsh Distinguished Professor-Frances Brown Golden Horseshoe Award- Dr. Jane Freeman Wells MSU Board of Trustees- Dr. Brinda Smith, Anne Wrather Hoke, Dr. Jane Freeman Wells MSU Board of Regents- Beverly Ford, Lori Dial MSU Alumni Association Board of Governors- Presidents: Martha Cunningham Lewis, Jane Freeman Wells, Karen Cocke Owen; Vice-president- Alma Atwood Ashby; Executive Secretary- Donna Grogan Herndon; Members- Grace West Underwood, Barbara Harris Erwin, Frances Sledd Olson, Barbara Diuguid Mason, Virginia Berry Heddens, Dorothy Brumbaugh, Nancy Spann Watkins, Rosemary Jones Prow, Beverly Riley Solomon, Melissa Sexton Briscoe, Marcia Chumbler Broadbent, Anne Wrather Hoke, Anne Erwin Dill, Emily Young Gholson, Mary Lindsey Wooldridge, Judy Russell Alpha Chi Chapter Advisor’s Awards: Outstanding Advisors of the Region- Jan Jones Wilson, Kathy Rayburn Kopperud, Donna Grogan Herndon; Fraternity/ Sorority Advisor of the Year- Jane Paris Hall Faculty (Current & Retired): Julie Matheny Boyd- Lecturer, OS&H (Owner- EHS Industrial Consultants); Retired- Betty Driver, Jane Hall, Jeanette Furches, Jane Freeman Wells, Brinda Smith, Frances Bradley, Frances Brown Current MSU Staff members: Christian Cruce- Director of Scholarships; Jan Reagan Fuqua- Director of Procurement; Leslie Furches, J.D.- Director, McNair Program; Karol Siress Hardison- Director, University Bookstore; Jennie Rottinghaus- Office of Development; Shelley Freeman Todd- Director- CFSB Center & Lovett Auditorium; Jennifer Young- Assistant Director, Recruitment & Enrollment Management
Saluting the Legacy of the Charter Members of the Alpha Chi Chapter of Sigma Sigma Sigma Clara Allen, Betty Akin, Grace Ashbrook*, Ruth Anne Bowlin, Clara Mae Breckenridge, Nell Donoho, Kathryn Goheen, Martha Lou Hays*, Mary Virginia Henry, Martha Belle Hood*, Mary Ernestine Jackson, Barbara Kettler, Betty Boyd Mabry, Dollye C. McAlister, Barbara Mitchell, Ruth Nall, Estelle Pickard, Betty Phillips, Louise Putnam, Anne Howell Richmond, Martha Robertson, Shelby Rumph, Jane Wake, Grace West, Derexa Wiley, Leah Williamson*
2,170 Initiates
Exceptional Experiences. Empowered Women.
*Still living
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Features
April 6, 2017
Page 11
‘Power Rangers’ Go Go for gold UNDER THE RADAR
Photo courtesy of eonline.com
Photo courtesy of screenrant.com
The Power Rangers suit up for their battle against Rita Repulsa. Grant Dillard Staff writer gdillard@murraystate.edu
For over 20 years, “Mighty Morphin Power Rangers” has been known as one of the cheesiest and iconic TV shows from the ‘90s. Resulting in multiple shows throughout the years, as well as two theatrically-released films, the franchise still continues even to this day. Hoping to appeal to those who may not have been fans of the series in its early days, Saban Brands and Lionsgate have teamed up to create a film reboot that has a more serious tone and cuts back on the goofiness of the source material. The story focuses on five troubled teenagers, Jason (Dacre Montgomery), Trini (Becky G.), Billy (RJ Cyler), Zack (Ludi Lin), and Kimberly (Naomi Scott) who come across a mysterious alien spaceship, as well as five colored coins that give them superhuman abilities. Upon exploring the spaceship, they find a robot named Alpha 5 (Bill Hader) and an ancient being known as Zordon (Bryan Cranston) who explains they have been chosen to become the Power Rangers. But when an enemy
from the past known as Rita Repulsa (Elizabeth Banks) returns to Earth, the five heroes must learn to work together and stop her from destroying the world. The best thing the film has going for it is its five main leads. Rather than the main characters being a couple of goody two shoes kids like in the show, each of the main characters have their flaws and have made some bad decisions in their lives. But deep down, they’re still good people who just don’t know their purpose in life. The film also makes some of the characters relatable to more audiences with Trini identifying as a member of the LGBT community, and Billy being on the autism spectrum. Though the heroes don’t suit up and fight the bad guys until the climax, the film never comes across as boring or tedious. This shows how interesting and complex the main leads are. One of the film’s best moments has to be a campfire scene where they talk and learn more about each other. This is where the audience can fully identify with the leads and care more about them. Other actors like Bill Hader and Bryan Cranston play their parts well, but the oddball of the
cast has to be Elizabeth Banks as Rita. While the other actors look like they’re taking their roles seriously, Banks apparently thinks that she should be as over-the-top silly as possible, resulting in a villain that’s hard to be afraid of and take seriously. Her performance ranks up there with villains from Adam West’s Batman. By far, one of the biggest problems with the film is an obnoxious product placement for Krispy Kreme. With other movies or shows, they’ve had product placement in the background, but “Power Rangers” takes it to a whole new level. A Krispy Kreme establishment in the Ranger’s hometown actually becomes a major plot point in the film’s climax. It’s ridiculous and unnecessary, but at least Krispy Kreme got its money’s worth. Despite an over-the-top antagonist and unnecessary product placement, “Power Rangers” is worth seeing for its great main characters, good story and fun climax. Viewers who are looking for a lot of action in a movie may be disappointed that there isn’t much Power Ranger combat until the climax. Still, “Power Rangers” is a good first installment for what could be a fun film franchise that will hopefully lead to even better movies.
Big Wreck pushes the confines of genre
‘13 REASONS WHY’ AIRS ON NETFLIX The new Netflix Original “13 Reasons Why” surfaced last week and has several people talking about real-life issues that sometimes seem to fall between the cracks. The intense teen drama centers around Hannah Baker (Katherine Langford), who commits suicide, but not before leaving behind 13 audio tapes for her classmates that explain why she made the decision to take her own life. The series tackles many hard subjects such as bullying, rape, drug use and school violence. After binge-watching the series, it will be tempting to pass out hugs like they’re candy and throw around encouragement as confetti and that’s completely OK.
YOUR POLLEN SURVIVAL GUIDE FOR THE SEASON OF SNIFFLES • Go all-natural: Nettles, a plant pigment called quercetin and plenty of vitamin C have all been known to reduce runny nose, watery eyes, etc.
• Reduce stress:
Studies show that chronic stress can actually heighten the chances for allergy symptoms, so take some time to just rest up.
• Keep a healthy diet/exercise: If your body is in tip-top condition from the get-go, it’s less likely to be bogged down by the weight of pesky allergens. So keep H2O close and snack on some seasonal fruit. And if you’re feeling up for it, a run wouldn’t hurt either. Photo courtesy of vimeo.com
Lead singer of Big Wreck, Ian Thornley, rocking out the double neck guitar. Nick Erickson || Staff writer nerickson@murraystate.edu
Canada’s reserved rock stars Big Wreck have made a name for themselves over the last two decades, while still remaining relatively underground. From opening for Dream Theater in 1997 to an eight-year disbandment to 2014’s “Ghost,” the group has been through a lot to spread their art to all corners of the world. With their latest effort “Grace Street,” the band has honed in on their classic rock roots, while giving it their own ambitious flair. Opening with frontman Ian Thornley’s beautiful voice in “It Comes As No Surprise,” it’s not long before an onslaught of guitars and drums bombards listeners. Thornley’s timbre is more refined than ever, favoring the likes of Mick Jagger. The repeating synchronization of the instruments toward the end of the track feels heavy and emotive, before smoothly transcending into softness.
Flowing from the first track into the next, “One Good Piece Of Me” is as energetic as one could hope for. The bass guitar and hi-hat licks give this track purpose and the feeling of a raging dance club. However, the band brings the tempo down for a more sentimental number on “Useless.” Thornley sings of being turmoil-ridden and distraught, though the angelic strums of an acoustic guitar and his lush vibrato are anything but dark.“Eventually the worrying ends. Where does it stop? Where do I begin? I never thought that I’d be the one. Towards a storm I usually run,” he says. “Motionless” reinstates the momentum with a light drum groove, but now the guitars steal the spotlight. Reverb and effect-laden, the way the chords are used is intricate and lovely. These same guitars take on an aggressive form with the start of “Digging In,” before going into a chilled, lounge room vibe with an ambient chorus. As the track concludes, Thornley belts out his voice in a manor as if almost a nod to
ACDC, while guitarist Brian Doherty wails on his six-string. Further pushing the confines of a set genre is the eastern-esque intro of “The Arborist.” With the bright plucking of a sitar, the group toggles between traditional rock instrumentation and Japanese scales. The album concludes with the bass-driven “All My Fears On You.” The first 30 seconds alone would make The Cure proud. With the moodiness of the clean guitar loop and deep swell of the drums, Thornley reintroduces an acoustic riff to listeners as the track returns back into the way it started – not before resolving into a soaring guitar solo, of course. If there is one thing that has kept Big Wreck running, it’s their aspiration to innovate. The group takes influence from an array of genres and notable artists yet never rehashes the same track twice. Whether a fan of the roughness of rock, the emotional punch of blues or even the experimentation of jazz, one can simply turn to Big Wreck for good music.
TWEET OF THE WEEK “Crayola is retiring the ‘dandelion’ crayon. I feel bad for kids in the future who won’t know what the color dandelion tastes like.”
-Stephen Colbert
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April 6, 2017