The Murray State News

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PAGE 3 March 15, 2018 | Vol. 92, No. 22

‘Repair and restore’

Nick Bohannon/The News

The Board of Regents voted to “repair and restore” J. H. Richmond Residential College.

Lindsey Coleman News Editor

lcoleman7@murraystate.edu

At the March 9 quarterly Board of Regents meeting, the board unanimously voted to accept the $2 million “repair and restore” model recommended by the Finance and Building and Grounds committees for J.H. Richmond Hall.

The total budget for the project is in the range of $12 million dollars, but insurance is expected to cover a large amount of the cost. Director of Communications, Shawn Touney, said $2 million was allotted for energy-efficiency, long-term maintenance, revenue factors and any structural changes, which will be funded by existing housing reserves.

During a special meeting of the Finance and Building and Grounds committees on March 8, representatives from Luckett & Farley, the engineer-

ing and architecture firm from Louisville, Kentucky that designed the original structure of Richmond Hall, gave a presentation about four possible avenues, which ranged from $9 to $16 million in cost and included the options of demolition, repair, restoration and repurposing. The joint committees unanimously recommended the repair and restore options.

The President and CEO of Luckett and Farley, Aric Andrew, and architect John Whitney surmised that the building could be broken into three parts: areas of little visible damage, demolition with structure still intact and entire demolition.

To determine the status of the building, Luckett & Farley was employed by Murray State to conduct a structural analysis of J. H. Richmond and provide suggestions moving forward. Architects and mechanical, electrical, structural and plumbing engineers walked through the building to assess the

condition of Richmond.

“We’ve determined that depending where you are in the building, there are some areas that are in reasonably good condition, but there are others that need to be significantly selectively demolished before using again,” Whitney said.

After inspection, Whitney said the explosion area is basically gone and will have to be rebuilt. The areas adjacent to it will be stripped down to the metal studs and the concrete. All drywall and mechanical and electrical systems will be replaced. In the area that shows little visible damage, they will remove the ceiling, lighting, flooring and drywall where there is water damage. Mechanical, electrical and plumbing facilities will be removed there also, but they will be inspected and used again if found to be in good condition. The elevator in Richmond will have to be removed as well.

“The project can be completed and ready for

student occupancy by August 2019, so it’s a pretty quick turn around,” Whitney said. “Doing anything other than the repair and restore option would require another six or seven months of construction, essentially.”

The final plan will come back from the firm for a review at a later date, and a contract with Luckett & Farley is expected by May. Andrew said he agrees with the board’s decision to move forward with repairing and restoring Richmond.

“We think is it a great option and the most expeditious,” Andrew said. “We think it’s a great value.”

President Bob Davies said the cause of the explosion on June 28, 2017 is still under investigation by the state fire marshal.

“It could be months,” Davies said. “It could be years. That’s at their pace and movement. We are dealing with Murray State’s opportunity to move forward.”

Payne, McIndoo named SGA Parker in court president and vice president Ashley Traylor

Interim Editor-in-Chief atraylor@murraystate.edu

Brock Kirk/The News

J.T. Payne and Kelly McIndoo were elected to serve as Student Government President and Vice President, respectively.

Paige Effinger Staff writer

peffinger@murraystate.edu

J.T. Payne and Kelly McIndoo are the newly elected Student Government Association president and vice president.

Students had the opportunity to vote for several SGA positions earlier this week through their MyGate account.

The winners were announced on Wednesday at the Center for Student Involvement office in the Curris Center.

Payne and McIndoo both said they are very excited to be elected to their new positions. The pair won about 65 percent of the votes cast by students.

“It’s a very humbling ex-

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perience for sure,” Payne said. “We are very excited to serve the students of Murray State.”

The pair based their campaign on building a culture that is welcoming and inclusive to all students at Murray State, and they are eager to begin serving the student body.

“We want to start on day one by marketing and filling in the vacancies we’re going to have in SGA with a wide, diverse range of people,” Payne said.

McIndoo said that she hopes they can spread the word on campus about SGA and what the students do.

Before their term goes into effect, Payne said they hope to be an “open ear” as they listen to the concerns of students. Next semester,

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they plan to hit the ground running.

Along with SGA president, Payne will also serve as Student Regent. McIndoo will serve both as vice president and as Campus Activities Board chairman. However, Payne and McIndoo were already involved on Murray State’s campus, and they believe past experiences will help them in their positions.

Payne is the president of the College Republicans and a student ambassador for the College of Agriculture. Until he begins his role as president, he will continue his position as senator-at-large in SGA. McIndoo serves as vice president within her sorority, Alpha Omicron Pi. “We feel that our combined Greek life, academic college, student government

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and student organization experience really gives us the experience necessary to represent all students at Murray State,” Payne said.

Like the other candidates, Payne said him and McIndoo worked hard on their campaign, and they are looking forward to the next step.

“It was a stressful time,” Payne said. “We’re glad it’s over, and we’re looking forward to continuing on and serving the students of Murray State.”

Payne will take over for outgoing SGA President Tori Wood. McIndoo will step in the position that Madison Jarrett has held for the last year.

To see the full list of the students elected to SGA, visit this story on www.TheNews.org.

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Straight-faced and emotionless with his hands-clasped, Gabriel Parker, the 16-yearold accused in the Marshall County High School shooting, sat in court Monday as his attorney, Tom Griffiths argued for his case to be transferred back to the juvenile court.

Parker was arraigned in circuit court on Feb. 16, where he was formally charged with two counts of murder and 14 counts of first degree assault.

During Monday’s hearing, Griffiths said he believed the juvenile court did not follow the proper procedure for Parker to be tried as an adult, and his constitutional rights were violated when he was transferred to circuit court.

“The juvenile law exists in order to protect kids, all kids, and there’s a reason for that,” Griffiths said. “The legislature in their wisdom has determined that people under the age of 18 should be treated

differently. They passed an entire code to that effect, and that has been analyzed and upheld as a good thing, as a rational thing, the right thing to do in Kentucky and under the United States Constitution.”

The juvenile court considers certain factors when deciding to move a youthful offender to the adult court.

These eight factors include, but are not limited to, the seriousness of the offense, if the offense is against persons, maturity of the juvenile, their prior criminal record and the best interest of the community.

When handling a juvenile case, Griffiths said the judge must consider a large amount of information, make detailed findings and examine the eight factors, but he said Parker’s case was rushed and the juvenile code was not followed.

“We had a hearing that was 25 minutes long, Judge,”

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News Editor: Lindsey Coleman Page Designer: Savanna Hatfield Phone: 270-809-4468 Twitter: MurrayStateNews

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Schooley remains Staff Regent March for our lives Ashley Traylor

Interim Editor-in-Chief atraylor@murraystate.edu

Phil Schooley, telecommunications systems management online transfer adviser, was re-elected as Staff Regent, clinching the election with about 80 more votes than his opponents.

Schooley has experience on the governance Board of Regents, as this year marks his ninth year as Staff Regent, and his new term beginning July 1 will be his fourth term serving as regent.

“It makes me both proud and humble that my fellow staff members place their trust in me to represent them,” Schooley said.

“I would like to take this opportunity to thank those staff members who supported me.”

Carol Brunn, special projects coordinator and coordinator for Town and Gown, and SG Carthell, senior director of diversity initiatives, ran against Schooley in the election. There were a total of 325 voters out of 973 staff that were eligible to vote. Of those 325 voters, Schooley received 159 votes, while Brunn and Carthell received 85 and 81, respectively.

Brian Schooley, Schooley’s son and recent graduate

Parker From Page 1 Griffiths said to Judge Jamie Jameson during the hearing.

“This is the worst thing that has happened in Marshall County in anyone’s memory.

This is the case that has more focus in the news and in the mouths of every single person in this Commonwealth, and instead of a full hearing, examining all eight factors, instead of people going through what is required by the juvenile code, they rushed through it in 25 minutes. And of that, Judge, ten minutes is testimony from a single witness.”

In addition to the speedy juvenile court process, Griffiths argued the Automatic Trans-

of Murray State’s doctor of education program, said he is proud of his dad being reelected as Staff Regent.

“I got my love of Murray State from him, watching him be a proud alumni to now being a proud member of the staff and Board of Regents,” Brian said. “I can’t think of many people who love this place more than him. He loves his position as Staff Regent and takes the responsibility extremely serious because he knows he can foster change and great things for the university.”

In addition to serving as Staff Regent, since coming to Murray State 17 years ago, Schooley has served in campus governance, such as Staff Congress, Parking and Transportation Work Group, Staff Congress president, Faculty and Staff Insurance and Benefits committee and Faculty and Staff Leadership committee. He also served on many Board of Regents committees.

“I have served in a variety of capacities which has made it possible for me to develop a productive working relationship with Murray State staff members campus-wide as well as affording me the beneficial experience of working with the faculty,” Phil said in his questionnaire in regards to how he would be an effective Staff Regent.

“I have gained insight into the concerns of each of these groups which has enabled me to work effectively with them to move Murray State forward.”

Phil said he enjoys holding this position because he is a link between the Board of Regents, the administration and all of the staff members.

He said it gives him an opportunity to keep the staff informed of the issues and convey their needs and concerns to the administration and the Board of Regents.

Though his duty is to inform staff members of issues affecting Murray State, he

fer Statute, which allows for a child to be transferred to circuit court and tried as an adult with the finding of probable cause, is a “loophole that was created in order to bypass the juvenile code.”

Prosecutor Tom Ford “wholeheartedly disagreed” with Griffith’s arguments.

“The juvenile court also protects the public,” Ford said. “It protects victims.

There is no constitutional right to be treated as a juvenile. The supreme court has made that abundantly clear.

Gabe Parker has no constitutional right to go back to district court as a juvenile.”

Ford said the time frame of the preliminary hearing is irrelevant. “[The defendant] made no motion to continue until the hearing itself, offered no witnesses, offered no evidence,

sat completely still, has done nothing,” Ford said. “He has the right to stay silent, but his council offered nothing in their own case to rebut a cross examination of our witness. It doesn’t take more than ten minutes from the detective to find probable cause that Gabe Parker was over the age of 14, allegedly used a firearm and allegedly committed a felony.”

Ford also said the court only needs findings on two of the eight factors, and those two factors were the seriousness of the alleged offense and that the offense was committed against persons.

“There is no expert in the world that could come in and say that this was not a serious offense to murder two children and seriously injure many others,” Ford said.

said the biggest challenge is being an advocate for every staff member and ensuring that projects and policies support the staff. He said his goal as Staff Regent is to be a strong voice and promote and protect the interests of Murray State’s staff.

The Staff Regent must be a full-time staff member of the university, classified as a non-teaching personnel and have been employed at Murray State for at least three years as of March 6, 2018.

Voting took place March 6-8, and the results of the election were announced March 9.

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Schooley was voted by the staff of Murray State to serve as the staff regent.

He also refuted Griffiths’ statement that the Automatic Transfer Statute is a loophole, but rather the law.

Juveniles cannot be sentenced to the death penalty, and they cannot face life in prison without parole. Ford said because of this the next consequence Parker can face is the penalty of life in prison with the possibility of parole in 25 years. This is the same sentence that Heath High School shooter, Michael Carneal received.

Jameson recessed the hearing, giving the Attorney General’s office three weeks to respond to the hearing. A decision to move Parker back to the juvenile court or keep him in the circuit court will be made at a later time.

Parker is scheduled to be back in court on Aug. 3 at 1 p.m.

Marshall County judge executive creates security protocol for MCHS Lindsey Coleman News Editor

lcoleman7@murraystate.edu

“We cannot wait any longer to secure our high school.”

Those are the words of Marshall County Judge Executive Kevin Neal.

Neal sent a press release earlier this week to the local media outlining his proposed plan for beefing up security at Marshall County High School.

“I am not going to wait for another tragedy to make known what I feel needs to be done,” Neal said.

The judge executive said his security plan for Marshall County High School is threefold: hiring six resource officers for the high school, installing metal detectors and building a new Marshall County Sheriff’s Department on the high school grounds.

Neal said under his plan, the six resource officers would be dedicated to the high school and would not be called away to answer other calls in the county like deputies could.

In addition, four of the officers would remain at the high school, while two would also spend time at the two middle schools and elementary schools.

The second part of Neal’s proposal includes adding two metal detectors with two entry points into the high school.

The final part of the plan would relocate the Sheriff’s Department to the high school in an attempt to deter “a potential shooter or anyone looking to harm students.”

“This location not only offers rapid response to Marshall County High School but also increases response time to Christian Fellowship, Central Elementary and North Marshall Middle,” Neal said in the release. “Officers can walk the campus during allotted times, increasing the security presence in and outside of school facilities.”

To alleviate any concerns about criminals being on campus, Neal said they could be processed at the Judicial Building. School Superintendent Trent Lovett and Marshall County Sheriff Kevin Byers sat down with Neal to go over his proposed plans. They “responded positively to this proposal when

I sat down with each of them,” Neal said.

To fund the security measures, Neal said he thinks the school district should reevaluate whether or not expansion projects are necessary.

“I understand renovation projects to schools can be important,” Neal said. “However, they’re not more important than the lives of our students.” $13.3 million dollars is slated to renovate the high school

and Sharpe Elementary. Neal said that money would pay for salary and benefits (at $55,000) for six resource officers for 33 years.

“Just decide today to get our students, teachers and staff protected,” he said. “This tragedy can happen again. We must not try to convince ourselves otherwise. Fortunately, we can dramatically decrease the chances. The time is now.”

Lindsey Coleman News Editor

lcoleman7@murraystate.edu

Local students have been active in the planning of the Marshall County/Western Kentucky March for Our Lives scheduled for 1 p.m. on Saturday, March 24 in Calvert City’s Memorial Park.

The march, organized mainly by Marshall County, Calloway County and Murray High School students with the help of advisers and organizations, was scheduled to coincide with the National March for Our Lives in Washington, D.C. Students are receiving organizational support from Kentuckians for the Commonwealth, a grassroots organization of Kentuckians, and Pennyroyal Indivisible, this region’s chapter of the national Indivisible organization that mobilizes progressive grassroots groups to affect local change.

Lexi Fortner, senior at Murray High school, is one of the students involved in the planning of the event. Fortner said she plans to be involved with this issue even after the march is over.

First and foremost, Fortner said students shouldn’t be worrying about potential shooter situations. Instead, she said they simply should be worried about what lunch to bring or what shoes to wear.

“I hope that by having the numbers and showing that even though my generation is barely old enough to vote, we are paying attention,” Fortner said. “We as a whole want change. At this point, I honestly just want the government to acknowledge that this is going on. I want our lawmakers to realize that yes, by standing up we are taking action. Yes, we are your futures and yes, we do want to fix the problems arising in our country, but if you don’t take care of us, we can’t take care of you.”

The idea for the march originated from Heather Adams and her 14-year-old son, Seth,

Murray State named one of America’s safest colleges Destinee Marking Staff writer

dmarking@murraystate.edu

Murray State is ranked among the top 100 safest college campuses in the United States in 2018 by the National Council for Home Safety and Security.

The association has published a list for two years, and this is Murray State’s first time making it, ranking at No. 86.

According to the association’s official website, the list was compiled by analyzing the most recent data from the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting and the Campus Safety and Security information gathered by the U.S. Department of Education. Also taken into consideration were crime rates for the cities in which schools are located and the number of law enforcement officers employed by each school.

Most recent data for Murray State from the Department of Education (2016) • Murder: 0 offenses • Rape: 22 on-campus offenses • Fondling: 4 on-campus offenses • Aggravated Assault: 3 on-campus offenses • Burglary: 12 on-campus offenses • Motor Vehicle Theft: 6 on-campus offenses • Arson: 0 offenses

Graphic courtesy of marshall .kyschools.us

who is a freshman at Marshall County High School and was in the building when the shooting happened. In a press release for the march, he said they want to increase safety and change the culture. He believes this unification of the community will help them process the emotional trauma.

Seth was in the high school cafeteria and about 20 yards from the shooter on Jan. 23 when 16 students were shot.

He said he didn’t see anything, but he heard shots, and he is still dealing with the aftermath. One way he has coped with the trauma is by talking to others about their experiences and thoughts.

“Just gathering together, and writing down ideas — it’s like a group therapy almost, it’s like a therapeutic process,” Seth said. “That said, this is more than a political organization. This march is for unity, and a sense of moving forward, a sense of bringing change to the community and change to our culture and change to our laws even, and creating a better environment for everybody - for the students at Marshall County, for everybody in Marshall County and surrounding communities, and in Kentucky and in our country.”

At the event, scheduled speakers include gunshot wound expert and Vanderbilt Medical Center physician Dr. Sterling Haring and Alonzo Pennington, a hunting guide and folk entertainer.

The march route will be announced the day of the event.

Fortner said 500 people are expected to attend, and anyone is welcome.

“We need as many people as possible to help emphasize the frustration we as students, parents, friends and family go through so on a day to day basis worrying about students’ safety and well-being, when we just need to worry about grades and homework,” Fortner said.

For more information visit the March for Our Lives Marshall County/West Kentucky Facebook page, which is linked on TheNews.org.

Most recent data for the city of Murray from the FBI (2016) • Murder: 0 offenses • Rape: 11 offenses • Robbery: 10 offenses • Aggravated assault: 20 offenses • Burglary: 125 offenses • Motor Vehicle Theft: 16 offenses • Arson: 2 offenses

Murray State Chief of Police James Herring said this news is confirmation of what he already believes.

“I’m very glad we got the recognition,” Herring said.

“I think it puts out to someone else what we’ve always known.”

Herring gave thanks to the community for Murray State earning a spot on this list.

“The safety of campus is usually a reflection of how seriously the people - faculty, staff and students - take safety because the police department, we can’t do that by ourselves,” Herring said.

To continue keeping campus safe, Herring said he urges everyone to report suspicious activity and crimes, as well as keep oneself safe by keeping track of personal belongings, locking doors and locking cars.

Other Kentucky schools ranking among the top 100 include Northern Kentucky University at No. 3 and Morehead State University at No. 18.

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COVER DESIGN

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San Diego bound: Racers find out opponent Gage Johnson || Staff writer gjohnson17@murraystate.edu

Fans piled into the CFSB Center on Sunday to watch the NCAA Tournament Selection Show and witness the Racers be rewarded with a 12seed in the NCAA tournament.

As Racer Nation awaited Murray State’s name to be called for the 16th time in program history, a multitude of combinations of matchups and locations were predicted by professional analysts.

Will the game somehow end up in Nashville, Tennessee? Will they be given a 13-seed and be tasked with taking on teams like Arizona University or Texas Tech University? Would they take on the University of Kentucky for the first time in program history?

Many bracketologists and college basketball analysts across the country predicted a West Virginia and Murray State first round matchup.

Most foresaw this matchup as a 4-seed versus a 13-seed matchup. However, as the Mountaineers’ name was displayed as a 5-seed, the Racers’ name followed suit as the 12-seed, prompting the crowd of Racer fans to erupt in cheers.

“It’s the third-highest seed in the history of this great program,” Head Coach Matt McMahon said.

“I think that says a lot about our players and this year’s team. I thought our guys were very deserving, and I was pleased to see our players get that kind of respect.”

McMahon is no stranger to Big-12 basketball.

Having worked as an assistant under Iowa State University Head Coach Steve Prohm for four years at Murray State, McMahon keeps tabs on the Mountaineers’ conference.

“I’ve seen them quite a bit this season, just from the standpoint that I’m a huge Iowa State fan,” McMahon said. I’m very familiar with what Coach Huggins has done for that program.

They’re second in the country in forced turnovers, and they have one of the nation’s leading shot blockers in Konate [Sagaba]. Jevon Carter was the Defensive Player of the Year for all of college basketball last season. On top of that you see all the credit they get in ‘Press Virginia,’ along with being one of the top-20 offenses in the nation.”

West Virginia is not unbeatable, despite being nationally ranked at 18. The Mountaineers have

Bryan Edwards/The News

Freshman Ja Morant celebrates after seeing Murray State’s placement in the NCAA Tournament. been ranked as high as No. 1 in the country, but fell due to their inability to hold on to a lead at times. One prime example was the Big 12 championship game. West Virginia led the University of Kansas by 12 with 10 minutes left to go and failed to come up with the win, losing 77-69. This was the second time they blew a lead to Kansas this season, to go along with blown leads against Kentucky and Texas Tech.

This unexpected seeding in the tournament is nothing to overlook. Since the expansion of the tournament field of teams in 1985, the 5-seed has

been upset 48 times. Over the past five seasons, 10 of those upsets have occurred, whereas there have only been 26 upsets in a 4-seed versus a 13-seed matchup since 1985.

If Murray State can pull off the underdog win, this will be the third straight NCAA tournament appearance where the Racers have won at least one game. Isaiah Canaan and company defeated Colorado State University in 2012, while Murray State also upset the 3-seed Vanderbilt on the back of the Danero Thomas shot in 2010 which is notable to Racer fans everywhere.

For senior guard Jonathan Stark, the tournament serves as a chance to make some noise on the nation’s biggest stage.

“It’s very exciting to get a 12 over a 13-seed,” Stark said. “I love the matchup. It’s going to be a hard-fought game. They’re very tough defensively, but I think we have pretty good guard play and we’ll be able to get the job done.”

While the time has yet to be announced, Murray State will take on West Virginia on Friday, March 16, in San Diego, California.

Murray State bench fuels What does the NCAA team throughout season tournament mean to you?

Gage Johnson || Staff writer gjohnson17@murraystate.edu

Bryan Edwards/The News

The Murray State bench celebrates during the 2018 OVC Championship game.

Zach Scott || Staff writer zscott1@murraystate.edu

If you’ve followed Racer basketball this season, you know all the big names: Jonathan Stark, Terrell Miller and Ja Morant. What you don’t know, however, is the glue that holds the team together.

Players like freshman guards Zach Hopewell and Brion Whitley have seen the court on rare occasions this year, but that has not stopped them from contributing to the team.

The two young guards embody the college basketball tradition of the “bench mob.”

The role of a bench mob is to hype up the fans whenever they can and by any means necessary.

“We try to do our best to bring energy to the fans and the players on the court,” Whitley said.

Hopewell and Whitley are not the only ones contributing to the sideline entertainment though; anyone who is currently not in the game is willing and able to take part.

“Devin [Gilmore] does the craziest dances I’ve ever seen, and Zach is just the token white kid, so nothing against him, but seeing him celebrate is hilarious,” Whitley said.

The players occupying the Racer bench have already begun thinking of what they can do on the big stage as well.

“Me, Jachai [Taylor], and Devin are all going to try to think of some creative things to do,” Whitley said. “Zach’s a smart guy; he’ll probably think of something clever.”

Hopewell said the guys like to have fun and joke around, yet they are fully aware of what this team is capable of.

“It’s really a dream come true to be a part of a team that is this well-rounded,” Hopewell said.

Whitley believes that the Racers are ready to roll, and the unity of the team might be the foundation of that confidence.

“We’re all close and it’s going to be an unbelievable experience,” Whitley added. “We’re not a Cinderella team; we know we can go in there and win a couple games.”

Team chemistry is one of the most important things that a team can have going into a tournament of this magnitude, and this Racer squad believes that lacking team chemistry will not be a problem.

“All the guys on the trips – the managers, the assistant coaches, the players – everyone is close,” Hopewell said. “We’re all laughing and joking with each other. It’s always good to have that team chemistry.”

Jonathan Stark “It means a lot to me. I know these fans have been waiting on this for a few years. They’re used to winning, and I’m glad we’re able to bring the tradition back.”

Terrell Miller “I feel like when we go to the tournament, we’re going to play and to compete. No matter what team we go up against, we’re going to come out and play for the win.”

Shaq Buchanan “It just shows that we put all of our work in and that that hard work paid off.”

Ja Morant “It’s good because it’s saying that we got Murray State back to where it’s been in the past years.

I’m proud of our team.”

Anthony Smith “We are finally here and we have to make some noise.”

Zach Hopewell “It’s unbelievable considering we’re just freshman, me and Whitley. It’s really just a dream come true to be a part of a team that’s this well rounded and

close.”

Brion Whitley “It’s been a dream of mine since I was a freshman in high school to play in the NCAA tournament.

Watching March Madness and knowing that one day that I can be a part of that. To be able to do that in my first year as a freshman, I’m blessed.”

Jachai Taylor “It just shows how hard we worked. We stayed together and stayed strong through it all.”

Byron Hawkins “Everything. It’s what you’ve been dreaming of your whole life.”

Jalen Dupree “It’s just basketball really. It’s just another basketball game for me.”

Brion Sanchious “It means a lot. It’s going to be my first time there. I’m ready to experience the joy and the feeling of the great Big Dance.”

Devin Gilmore “The tournament is really a dream come true. As a basketball player coming out of high school, that’s a real big thing for us to be on winning team. To play for something of that magnitude seems like it’s unreal.”

Tevin Brown “It’s obviously a dream, because that’s what every basketball player wants to do.

But for me, it probably means a lot more because my years of high school I never even went to the championship. So it meant a lot to win the OVC championship and to go to the tournament.”

Matt McMahon “That’s the standard of excellence that is set here. That you go the NCAA tournament and you win championships. The winning and championships and all of that will hopefully be a byproduct of the way we conduct our program on a daily basis. I guess I’m most proud for our players and our entire coaching staff for the job they’ve done. I’m really excited for our fans, especially the ones who hung in there with me while we battled through some tough times to get our roster and our culture back to the way it needed to be. To have the great experience with our 2012 team as an assistant coach, and now to get to go as a head coach is a dream come true for me individually.”

Bryan Edwards/The News

Senior Terrell Miller Jr. prepares to cut down the net after the Racers won the OVC Championship

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March 15, 2018

From Tulane to tourney Blake Sandlin

Assistant Sports Editor bsandlin1@murraystate.edu

It took five years. Five trying, tumultuous years defined by transition, patience and faith.

But in his final collegiate season, Jonathan Stark’s NCAA tournament dreams finally materialized.

The 22-year-old senior guard will be headed to his first ever NCAA tournament this weekend after a lengthy roller coaster of a career.

Graduating from Munford High School in Munford, Tennessee in 2013, Stark played the first two years of his college career at Tulane University. He averaged 12.7 PPG and 4.3 APG in two seasons and compiled a 32-33 record with the Green Wave.

From his 2013-14 freshman season to his sophomore season in 2014-15, Stark saw his minutes drop from 37.2 MPG to 31.8 MPG. It was after that season that Stark made the decision to transfer out of the program.

“I just didn’t agree with some of the things the coach was doing at the program,” Stark said of his decision. “I felt like I wasn’t being used to the best of my ability, and I felt like I had to go somewhere where I had more of an opportunity to prove myself to the world.”

Insert Murray State. In the summer of 2015, Stark committed to the Racers under then Head Coach Steve Prohm. Per NCAA transfer rules, he was required to undergo a year of ineligibility for the 2015-16 season.

Stark watched from the sidelines as Murray State struggled through a rocky year that ended 17-14.

Following the 2015 season, after a one-year hiatus from the game, Stark made up for lost time and took the OVC by storm. He averaged 21.9 PPG to lead the OVC in scoring in his coming-out party with Murray State. Stark willed his team to the OVC tournament semifinals, scoring a combined 78 points in two games.

However, the Racers ultimately ran out of gas in the semifinals, and suffered their first losing season in 29 years with a 16-17 record.

Stark said the team’s lack of leadership proved costly in that infamous season.

“I felt like last year we had inconsistent leadership on the team and I just felt like we needed leaders to just be consistent every day and to have someone for the young guys to look up to or someone to talk to if they have any questions,” Stark said.

And as Stark and senior forward Terrell Miller entered into their final year with the Racer program, they became those voices. Their leadership has proved instrumental in this season’s spectacular 26-5 campaign that culminated in Murray State’s first NCAA tournament berth since 2012.

Stark came away as the OVC Player of the Year and the OVC tournament MVP and has transformed a sub-.500 team loaded with newcomers into a conference power-house poised to force an upset in the Big Dance.

Being the quiet, reserved player that he is, it was challenging for Stark to embrace the role of a vocal floor general, but he realized stepping out of his comfort zone was imperative to the growth of the team.

“For me, that was one of the biggest things I took away from last year,” Stark said. “I’ve never been a big talker and I’m still not a big talker.

I’m still working on being a better talker and communicating with my team, but I’ve done a lot better job communicating with my team and leading my team not only by action, but by talking as well. I think that’s helped the younger guys.”

While this Racer team continues to garner notoriety on a national scale, Stark isn’t quick to forget the struggle. He believes the valleys he has endured – three seasons finishing at or below .500 and a grueling transfer process – has prepared him to appreciate the mountaintop even more.

“I appreciate everything that has happened,” Stark said. “I feel like everything happens for a reason. I think it was probably meant for us to lose last year just so the players coming back would be even more hungry. They didn’t want to have that same taste and feeling that we had last year, so I knew we were going to come in

Blake Sandlin/The News

Racer Head Coach Matt McMahon embraces Jonathan Stark after Murray State won the OVC Championship. and work hard. The hard work paid off.”

As Stark’s college playing career begins to wind down, he will have one final chance to do what he has done his whole career: overcome.

“We’ve got a chance to shock the world,” Stark said. “I know we’re a small school, but I think we have the talent and the team to beat anybody in the tournament, so I’m blessed to have the opportunity.”

And when that final buzzer sounds on Friday night in San Diego, California, win or lose, Stark said he’ll always cherish the moments he got to

spend as a Racer.

“I think what I’ll miss most about the basketball part is obviously my teammates and coaches first, but mostly this fanbase,” Stark said. “This fanbase is amazing; I never really experienced that at Tulane. It was a big transition for me with the fan support and even the community just supporting the basketball program. It’s a lot different. It’s like a family. It was a great experience for me; one of the best experiences of my life and I’m just happy I made the right decision to come to Murray State.”

Racer fans pack Evansville Keith Jaco

Contributing writer rjaco@murraystate.edu

The OVC tournament has been held in Nashville, Tennessee for 23 of the past 24 years.

This season ushered in a new era for the Ohio Valley Conference, as the conference tournament was held in Evansville, Indiana for the first time.

Just one year ago the Murray State men’s basketball team was on the outside looking in on the NCAA Tournament, posting a sub .500 record and losing to UT Martin in the semifinals of the OVC tournament.

Fast forward a year later and the Murray State Racers are the OVC regular season champions and playing for an OVC championship in front of a crowd of 4,280 fans – 3,000 more than the previous year in Nashville.

As was the case on Friday night, Racer fans came out in droves to support the OVC regular season champs. Murray State drew a diverse crowd with support from students, faculty and alumni who created a sea of

blue and gold across more than half of the Ford Center.

Head Coach Matt McMahon expressed extreme satisfaction with playing in Evansville this year.

“This is what a first class conference tournament looks like,” McMahon said. “The arena, the facilities, the locker rooms, the video boards, the stat boards, the overall experience for the student athletes and the fans.”

McMahon was happy to see “Racer Nation” make the trip as well.

“Our fan base has really bought into it,” said McMahon.

“Obviously they [have supported] Murray State basketball through and through for hundreds of years now, but they showed up in large numbers and I thought our guys really fed off the energy and the enthusiasm that was in the arena.

It was electric in there.”

Murray State senior Zach Samuelson said the raucous crowd at the Ford Center created a phenomenal atmosphere for the fans.

“I could barely hear the

buzzer going off from all the cheering of the packed stadium,” Samuelson said. “But most of what I was thinking was, ‘We’re going to the NCAA tournament’ over and over in my head. I was so happy we had won.”

Murray State fans seemed to enjoy the venue change more than their opponent’s fans, as the venue was vastly dominated

by Racer fans.

Murray State graduate Storm Santos was pleased with his time spent at the Ford Center over the weekend.

“Overall, I thought the venue was a great change-up from Nashville,” Santos said. “In terms of the two teams in the finals, the court seemed to be fairly neutral in terms of travel time. It seemed to be a little pricey in terms of food, but any decent venue will be.”

Murray State fans can look forward to enjoying the next two OVC tournaments at the Ford Center in Evansville as the dates for the next two tournaments are set for March 6, 2019 and March 4, 2020.

Bryan Edwards/The News

Murray State fans packed the Ford Center for the OVC tournament.

Players embrace McMahon’s love for wrestling Adam Redfern Contributing writer aredfern@murraystate.edu

Bryan Edwards/The News

Head Coach Matt McMahon holds up his championship belt after the Racers won the OVC title.

Ric Flair will always be a stylin’, profilin’, limousine riding, jet flying, kiss-stealing, wheelin’ n’ dealin’ son of a gun – but Murray State Head Coach Matt McMahon is certainly giving him a run for his money.

Over his three seasons of coaching at Murray State, McMahon has been known to let out wrestling superstar Ric Flair’s renowned “Woo!” from time to time. Whether it’s at the conclusion of the Racers’ OVC championship win over Belmont or on Jim Rome’s radio show, McMahon hasn’t been shy about voicing his fanaticism with wrestling.

Shortly after Murray State claimed the OVC title, fans and the players of Racer Nation stormed the court to celebrate. One player stood out amongst the rest. It was junior forward Shaq Buchanan, who was hoisting a WWE champi-

onship belt with Ric Flair on it in the air.

McMahon’s affinity for wrestling is well-known amongst Racer fans and especially his players, such as senior forward Terrell Miller.

“He’s a big wrestling fan,” Miller said. “He had a championship belt at the arena. I said ‘Man, who does that?’ They said it was Matt’s, I was like ‘Wow.’” Miller, having played two years under McMahon, is accustomed to McMahon’s passion for wrestling. However, for newcomers like freshman guard Ja Morant and junior guard Shaq Buchanan, it was a playful surprise how he integrates wrestling in the in-game huddles.

“He’s always doing the Ric Flair ‘Woo’ all the time and he does the chest slap,” Morant said. “Some of our players play around with him and then he’d do the RKO or something like that. It’s just fun.”

McMahon has always been a fan of wrestling, dating back to

his childhood. During McMahon’s playing career at Appalachian State, he and his team loved discussing wrestling during their downtime. McMahon enjoys doing the same with his players now.

“I’ve always been a fan of wrestling,” McMahon said.

“I remember watching it in the backroom of my grandmother’s house, and she didn’t understand it was real. It’s real.”

Out of the many wrestlers McMahon has witnessed over his lifetime, one rises above the rest. That man, of course, is, “The Nature Boy” Ric Flair. “[Ric Flair] is just the greatest,” McMahon said. “He’s one of the best speakers to ever pick up a microphone. He is just the best.”

The Racers head to San Diego with the championship belt in hopes they can advance past West Virginia University in the first round of the NCAA tournament on Friday, March 16th.

Page 6

Page 7

MARCH MANIA

Hang Me up!

2018 NCAA DIVISION I MEN’S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP BRACKET First Round

Second Round

Regional Semifinals

Regional Finals

National Semifinals

MARCH 15-16

MARCH 17-18

MARCH 22-23

MARCH 24-25

MARCH 31

1 16 8

UMBC (24-10)

5

Kentucky (24-10)

12

Davidson (21-11)

6

Follow us on social media to stay up to date on the NCAA tournament. @TheMurrayStateNews @MSUSportsNews

First Round

MARCH 31

MARCH 24-25

MARCH 22-23

MARCH 17-18

MARCH 15-17

Charlotte

Wright St. (25-9)

7

Nevada (27-7)

10

Texas (19-14)

2

Cincinnati (30-4) Georgia St. (24-10

Virginia Tech (21-11)

8

Alabama (19-15)

9

West Virginia (24-10

5

Murray State (26-5)

12

Wichita State (25-7)

4

Marshall (24-10)

13

Florida (20-12)

6

St. Bonaventure/UCLA

11

Texas Tech (24-9)

3

S.F. Austin (28-6)

14

Arkansas (23-11)

7

Butler (20-13)

10

Purdue (28-6)

2

CSU Fullerton (20-11)

15

March 15

Boise

San Diego

March 17

March 18

March 15

March 16

South ATLANTA

Tennessee (25-8)

16

March 16

Miami (Fla.) (22-9)

14

March 23

March 15

3

March 24

East March 31

March 31

BOSTON March 25

Dallas

Dallas

March 17

March 17

March 22

March 15

NC Central/Texas So.

March 23

March 15

March 16

March 16

Nashville

Detroit

March 18

March 18

March 16

March 16

8

Missouri (20-12)

9

Florida St. (20-11)

5

Ohio St. (24-8)

12

S. Dakota St. (28-6)

4

Gonzaga (30-4)

13

UNCG (27-7)

6

Houston (26-7)

11

San Diego St. (22-10)

3

Michigan (28-7)

14

Montana (26-7)

7

Texas A&M (20-12) Providence (21-13)

Kansas (27-7) March 16

March 15

Nashville March 22

March 16

March 23

SAN ANTONIO April 2

Boise

San Diego

March 17

March 18

NC State (21-11)

9

Clemson (23-9)

5

New Mexico St. (28-5)

12

Auburn (25-7)

4

Charleston (26-7)

13

TCU (21-11)

6

Arizona St./Syracuse

11

Michigan St. (29-4)

3

Bucknell (25-9)

14

Rhode Island (25-7))

7

Oklahoma (18-13)

10

Duke (26-7)

2

Iona (20-13)

15

Midwest OMAHA

March 24

March 15

March 25

March 16

Wichita

Detroit

March 17

March 18

March 22

March 15

March 16

Charlotte March 16

8

March 16

WEST

Lipscomb (23-9)

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March 16

LOS ANGELES

15

Seton Hall (21-11) March 15

March 15

North Carolina (25-10)

16

March 17

March 15

2

PADUCAH, KENTUCKY

1

Penn (24-8)

Wichita

National Championship

March 18

ACE PAWN SHOP

March 15

Xavier (28-5)

16

1

LIU Brooklyn/Radford

March 17

March 22

March 16

Arizona (27-7) Buffalo (26-8)

Pittsburgh

March 18

Loyola-Chicago (28-5)

10

Second Round

Villanove (30-4)

11

1

Regional Semifinals

March 15

March 15

15

Regional Finals

March 16

Creighton (21-11) Kansas St. (22-11)

13

National Semifinals

Virginia (31-2)

9

4

Final Four MARCH 31 & APRIL 2

March 18

March 23

#ShoesUp

March 16

March 15

Pittsburgh March 17 March 15

GOOD LUCK RACERS! M

THE MUR R AY STATE

NEWS

The News

Page 8

March 15, 2018

Sports

Sports Editor: Bryan Edwards Assistant Sports Editor: Blake Sandlin Page Designer: Rosalyn Churchman Phone: 270-809-4481 Twitter: MSUSportsNews

Rifle finishes fourth at NCAA Zach Scott || Staff writer zscott1@murraystate.edu

DAY ONE

Murray State’s rifle team finished fourth in the smallbore section of the NCAA championship this weekend in Charleston, Virginia.

The Racers finished with 2324 points, just edged out by the Kentucky Wildcats (2345), the West Virginia Mountaineers (2327) and the TCU Horned Frogs (2326).

Mackenzie Martin, junior from Fairhaven, Massachusetts, shot a 585, which was good enough for a tie at fourth place. Barbara Schläpfer, a junior from Gais, Switzerland tied with several others for seventh place with 582 points.

Ivan Roe, senior from Manhattan, Montana, shot a 579. Ben Estes, senior from Ozark, Missouri was able to haul in a 558, placing him 11th in the event. Robert Broadstreet, senior from Ozark, Missouri completed the event with 575 points.

The Racers have yet to compete in the air-rifle portion of the event. They resume play on Saturday, March 10 for the air rifle section.

DAY TWO

The Murray State rifle team placed fourth in the NCAA championships with their air rifle performance on Saturday, March 10.

The Racers scored an aggregate of 4684, which was good enough for a fourth-place finish in the 2018 NCAA rifle championships.

The Wildcats from Lexington took home the championship, as the University of Kentucky scored an aggregate 4717. West Virginia University, which placed first last season, and Texas Christian University scored aggregates of 4708 and 4701, respectively.

Ben Estes, senior from Ozark, Missouri, had

Brock Kirk/The News

Murray State posted a fourth place finish at the 2018 NCAA championship. the best air rifle score for the Racers, shooting a 591. Ivan Roe, senior from Manhattan, Montana, tied Estes with a score of 591.

Mackenzie Martin, junior from Fairhaven, Massachusetts, followed up her 585 score in the smallbore event with a 589 score in the

air rifle.

Barbara Schläpfer, junior from Gais, Switzerland, tacked on another 589 in the air rifle section for Murray State. Robert Broadstreet, senior from Ozark, Missouri, capped it off for the Racers with a 588 performance.

The Racers finished one spot behind where they finished last year, when they had a third-place finish in the 2017 NCAA rifle championships. The Murray State rifle team came into this year’s tournament ranked fourth nationally.

Baseball walks off twice against SIUE Gage Johnson || Staff writer gjohnson17@murraystate.edu

RACERS SPLIT CONFERENCE OPENING DOUBLEHEADER

The Racers baseball team lost the first of a doubleheader in extras to SIUE 10-7 on Friday, March 9.

Murray State bounced back in the second game with a 6-5 walk-off win.

Junior pitcher Blake Clynes started out on the hill in the second game for the Racers. Clynes’ performance this season has him at the top of the rotation, owning a 1-0 record in three starts and a total of four appearances.

Murray State hit the books first in the bottom of the second. A leadoff walk and a hit-by-pitch put runners on first and second for the Racers. Freshman second baseman Grant Wood advanced to third base, and sophomore catcher Bryan Chilton drove him in to take a 1-0 Racer lead.

A double and a single to start the second inning gave the Cougars an early opportunity to score some runs. They took advantage of the opportunity, tying the game with a sacrifice fly. A bunt single then led to an RBI single from junior catcher Brock Weimer, giving SIUE a 2-1 lead.

The Cougars padded their lead in the top of the fourth. After hitting the second batter of the inning, two singles and a walk led to a bases-loaded chance for SIUE with two outs in the inning.

Back-to-back wild pitches from Clynes brought in two and made it a 4-1 deficit going into the bottom half of the inning.

Although Murray State also scored on a wild pitch in the fourth, it was not until the sixth inning that either team had put together another big inning. Hicks entered the game as a pinch hitter with

two runners on. Hicks put his first game pitching woes behind him and tied the game for the Racers with an RBI double to make it 4-4.

Junior catcher Mike Farnell, who had struggled in the first game, came up big as a pinch hitter in the later innings of the second game. After going 0-4 in the first game of the doubleheader, Farnell answered in the clutch with a 2-out RBI single to give Murray State a 5-4 lead going into the ninth inning.

The mental fortitude of his team to keep their heads up despite struggles early in the day is something Head Coach Kevin Moulder was proud to see.

“Caleb Hicks was the guy on the mound at the end of game one and things didn’t go his way,” Moulder said.

“But he came back and delivered a huge hit. That’s mental toughness.”

SIUE was not done yet, despite being down going into the ninth inning of the game. With runners on first and third, an RBI single from junior catcher Chris Monasmith made it a 5-5 ballgame.

With a full count and two outs in the ninth inning, Ramsey Scott hit a towering shot over the right field to claim the 6-5 victory for the Racers.

PERSISTENCE PAYS AGAIN

After splitting the first two games of the series in a doubleheader on Friday, Murray State played the final game of the series against SIUE on Saturday and claimed another walk-off win at 9-8.

Sophomore Trevor McMurray got the starting nod for Murray State for the fourth time this season.

SIUE came out swinging with an early 3-0 lead over the Racers.

McMurray’s day ended quickly as freshman pitcher Braydon Cook replaced him after giving up a leadoff dou-

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

ble. SIUE applied the pressure to Cook right out of the bullpen. After a 2-out single for the Cougars, Cordova-Smith doubled down the left field line, extending their lead to 5-1.

Both teams went back and forth over the next few innings, making it 6-3 going into the seventh inning. The Cougars’ offense did not stop as two singles and a double stretched their lead to 8-3. Murray State knocked one off of the deficit by scoring in the bottom of the seventh, making it an 8-4 ballgame.

After having the bases loaded two innings in a row and only coming away with one run, it seemed as though the Cougars had all the momentum. Murray State did not bow down, though, loading the bases again early in the bottom of the ninth. A single from Robinson made it an 8-5 ballgame and kept the bases loaded, forcing a pitching change for SIUE. Freshman pitcher Colin Baumgartner entered the game and struck out Guntzler following another single that made it an 8-6 deficit for the Racers with the bases loaded. With Murray State down to its final strike, Sims came through with a 2-RBI single tying the game at 8.

Scott then singled as well, giving him his second walk-off hit in a row and claiming the 9-8 victory for the Racers.

After losing the first game of the series, Murray State escaped with two come-from-behind wins in a row to win the series.

“Everyone was involved in that,” Scott said.

“I didn’t think I was going to get up. I thought we were going to win it before

Kalea Anderson/The News

Murray State baseball won two of its three games over the weekend. that. I mean, I was eighth up in the inning. Everybody had their part. Davis Sims had two strikes on him and got two RBI’s right there with a big hit. Yesterday, Hicks came in to pinch hit and got those two RBI’s on a big double, and Jake Jones came in and shut the door, keeping us in it. We have a good bullpen; they’re going to keep us in games, and we have a good offense. It keeps us

in games and we’ll always have a chance to come back and win.”

After going 2-1 in their first conference series of the season, Murray State will now hit the road to take on the sixth-ranked University of Kentucky.

They will take the field against the Austin Peay Governors in a three-game series, starting at 6 p.m. on Friday, March 16 in Clarksville, Tennessee.

The News

Page 9

March 15, 2018

Opinion

Opinion Editor: Tyler Anderson Page Designer: Tori Wood Phone: 270-809-5873

Our View

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

Ashley Traylor Interim Editor-in-Chief • 270-809-6877 atraylor@murraystate.edu

Austin Gordon Production Manager • 270-809-5877 agordon4@murraystate.edu

Lindsey Coleman News Editor • 270-809-4468 lcoleman7@murraystate.edu

Tyler Anderson Opinion Editor • 270-809-5873 janderson49@murraystate.edu

Emily Williams Features Editor • 270-809-5871 ewilliams15@murraystate.edu

Bryan Edwards Sports Editor • 270-809-4481 bedwards16@murraystate.edu

Ginni Sisemore Chief Copy Editor • 270-809-5876 vsisemore@murraystate.edu

Chandler Cochran Ad Sales and Circulation Manager • 270-809-4478 ccochran3@murraystate.edu

Rhiannon Branch Photography Editor • 270-809-5878 rbranch@murraystate.edu

Rebecca Mosella Chief Videographer • 270-809-5878 rmosella@murraystate.edu

When was the last time you voted, not counting presidential elections? If you answered never, you are most definitely not alone.

But this isn’t solely a modern-day issue brought on by self-centered millennials. Voter turnout for midterm elections has historically skewed towards the older demographic. Even though this constant is finally beginning to change, students have a long way to go to match the votership of their parents.

Why exactly is there a smaller turnout for midterm elections, though? There is typically less advertising during these elections, but this is the age of the internet. We have the entirety of the world’s knowledge in our pockets.

If we want to know who’s running for mayor or where our local voting station is, we are one Google search away from the answer.

Despite this, turnout remains dismally low.

During the 2014 midterm elections, only 16 percent of eligible voters aged 18-29 voted, according to a report from ElectProject.org.

Eligible voters aged 60 and older flocked to the polls in comparison at 55 percent.

So where’s the disconnect? Why, in an age of near-infinite knowledge, are we not actively changing the political landscape which so often works against us? Are we simply too engrossed in our day-to-day lives to fit anything else into our busy schedules? Perhaps.

There are only so many hours in the day, and for college students, those hours are filled with classes, multiple jobs, extracurriculars and socializing. There are only so many hours in the day, and most of them are already accounted for.

Or maybe when the grandeur of the presidential dogfighting wears off, we lose interest.

If there aren’t video ads, memes or Facebook debates to remind us of what’s at stake, we’ll find something else to hold our interest. As much as technology helps to facilitate the

Autumn Brown/The News

spread of information, it also distracts us at the most critical times.

Continuing to educate oneself beyond the classroom is how strong and responsible societies are built. Responsible voters are always educating themselves and broadening their

interests and way of life to include what is outside of their social sphere.

And if this is true, then college students are the ideal voters. There may not be another time in our lives when we are surrounded by such a number of people unlike ourselves at one time.

Our peers come from diverse homes and lifestyles. Whether one recognizes it or not, everyday spent at Murray State – or any institution of higher learning – is a lesson on life.

It’s now time for what we’ve learned to be put to good use. Voting is one of the few practical ways to bring about change in the government and our daily lives.

Thankfully, groups across the nation are pulling back the curtain on the intricacies of the voting booth.

Websites such as CampusVoteProject.org take quite a bit of the guesswork out of who can vote where, which can be especially confusing for students studying away from home.

The Fair Elections Legal Network, creator of Campus Vote Project, “developed state-specific guides to help students understand their rights and how to register and cast a ballot in their school or home community” according to the organization’s website. The Brennan Center for Justice provides similar sources which, while not as intuitive as some, are still easy to navigate and utilize.

Student voters bring fresh and new ideas to the political war table each year. What we lack in experience we make up for in our willingness to learn, adapt and take educated risks.

When you don’t vote, you can’t complain when your rights are endangered. And even though the White House isn’t up for grabs this year, there’s still plenty at stake. The big picture is made up of small communities working to change our nation for the better. For this reason, we must focus on local and midterm elections if we wish to see this change come to fruition.

Dr. Stephanie Anderson Adviser • 270-809-3937 sanderson37@murraystate.edu

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

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 janderson49@murraystate.edu. Contributions to The News are the opinion of the author and not that of The Murray State News.

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

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

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

Cheers to ...

Microsoft

News broke on Wednesday that Microsoft engineers have created systems capable of translating Chinese to English as accurately as a real person. This is a language breakthrough that linguists are going to drool over.

CHEERS & JEERS

Jeers to ...

Bad bosses Those working in the current administration have found that the White House isn’t as hospitable as they thought. But imagine being fired via Twitter from a government position. Rex Tillerson found out about his pink slip the hard way.

Looking Forward

Companies lack loyalty Tyler Anderson

Opinion Editor

janderson49@murraystate.edu

Companies are created for one purpose: to make money. I don’t think anyone truly believes large corporations actually care about their employees or customers. Padding their bottom line is the ultimate goal, one which most businesses will achieve at any cost.

So when Barnes & Noble fired nearly all full-time employees at most of its stores, it came as no surprise. In an effort to reverse years of rising debt, the company immediately dropped its most valuable, but expensive, resource. The company expects to save nearly $40 million because of these cuts, among others.

Amazon is the darling of the retail world at the moment, but not even employees of this juggernaut are safe. “Several hundred employees at the online retailer’s Seattle headquarters, along with hundreds more

elsewhere in Amazon’s global operations” are to be let go in February and March, according to a report from The Seattle Times.

When you have become dead weight in the eyes of a corporation, you will be cast aside. If quarterly earnings aren’t hitting their mark, you could be the next one on the chopping block.

These businesses have loyalty to no one besides their shareholders, backers and bank accounts. I have held several part-time and full-time jobs since I entered the workforce.

I have also seen firsthand how cutthroat cost saving dampens morale and keeps hourly workers on edge every day. Cost-cutting measures rarely benefit employees or consumers but almost certainly increase the workload and stress of the position.

And when companies merge in order to maximize profits, you can bet the loyal employees who show up to work everyday are the first of many casualties. The recent partial

acquisition of Rite Aid by Walgreens will lead to the inevitable shuttering of undesirable locations.

As many of us are nearing graduation, now is the time to consider where our loyalty lies. There is no longer a guarantee that devoting one’s life to one employer will be honored once retirement comes knocking. Just because you were a good employee doesn’t mean you won’t be let go for arbitrary reasons just so the employer can avoid shelling out for your retirement.

Thankfully we are living in a time where small, independent businesses are born each day. Technology startups and local eateries are loyal to their product, consumers and employees because the early years are the most crucial.

To draw top talent, these businesses must offer competitive salaries, a positive workplace culture and professional experience. And if they don’t, it’s unlikely their product will see the light of day.

Entrepreneurship is our future.

We have the resources and technological know-how to pave a path which deviates from the pattern of corporate greed. If the establishment insists on paying us bottom dollar for our hard work, we must become our own bosses.

Companies need to stop shortchanging us and focus on providing what we need to be successful.

When payroll continues to shrink, but the workload increases, we will begin to question what we owe these businesses. The “totem pole” pay grade analogy no longer applies to the modern workforce. Just because a position is entry level doesn’t mean employees shouldn’t be paid a fair wage and treated with respect.

We must pave our own way in the corporate world. We are no longer shackled to the professionalism of yesteryear. Our loyalty can most certainly be bought, but if the price isn’t right, we must forge these opportunities ourselves.

The News

Page 10

March 15, 2018

Features Small businesses spring into a brand new season Features Editor: Emily Williams Assistant Features Editor: Nick Erickson Page Designer: Rachel Solomon Phone: 270-809-5871

Bridgette McAuliffe Staff writer

bmcauliffe@murraystate.edu

Locally-owned businesses in Murray celebrated this weekend as the the first ever Spring Open House was set into motion.

The event, which is sponsored by the Murray-Calloway County Chamber of Commerce, encouraged Murray residents to visit various local boutiques, specialty shops and restaurants.

These businesses offered special deals and discounts to promote new spring merchandise.

One of the newer local businesses participating in the open house was Shaffer Coffee Co. Shaffer Coffee is one of the businesses located in the newly-renovated Shaffer Square in downtown Murray. Kellie Harlan, co-founder and co-owner of the coffee shop is excited to bring this kind of atmosphere to Murray residents.

“We go traveling a lot to different cities scoping out coffee shops and we thought Murray needed something like this,” Harlan said.

Harlan said their shop adds to the community by exposing Murray to a different kind of coffee shop atmosphere that is more common in big cities.

Their coffee is fresh-roasted and locally sourced. Harlan and her husband learned to make a “good cup of coffee” from classes at Crema, a coffee shop in Nashville, Tennessee.

“We like to say we’re educating people,” Harlan said.

Harlan said she hopes that new businesses in the Murray area and Shaffer Square will help build up that end of Murray again.

“Years ago, when I was a teenager, this area was built up,” Harlan said.

Harlan said that throughout the open house, they offered deals on their coffees, as well as partnering with Southern Soul boutique to have a food truck in Shaffer Square.

Other businesses that participated in the open house were closer to the center of downtown. New Life Christian Bookstore and 5th & Main Coffee participated by promoting their new spring catalog.

Karen Welch, manager of New Life Christian Bookstore and 5th & Main Coffee, said this is the first time that Murray has done a spring open house.

“We were just brainstorming that a lot of new merchandise comes in in the spring but we don’t have anything to launch that,” Welch said. This is when she said the Chamber of Commerce came up with the idea to add a spring open house.

Welch said the store just celebrated their 30-year anniversary and the coffee bar is almost 13 years old.

“I’ve had customers say ‘This is my place of peace,’” Welch said. “We have folks that walk in and if they are struggling, they know we’ll listen.”

New Life has already released their spring catalog, with deals including $5 off a $25 purchase and $10 off a $50 purchase as well as various deals and coupons on Easter merchandise.

Red Bug Yarn & Gifts is another local business that participated in the spring open house.

Red Bug is an LLC that started as solely a yarn shop on 3rd Street in 2009. It is now located in a house on 6th Street. Susan Williams, co-owner of Red Bug, said the business grew beyond its walls.

“We are always on the lookout for people who don’t know we are here,” Williams said.

“Our hope to is pull people in who would say ‘Well this is a yarn shop, there’s nothing for me there.’”

Williams said the house where the shop is located really suits the atmosphere of their business.

For more information on events like this and local businesses, visit the Murray-Calloway County Chamber of Commerce website.

Nick Bohannon/The News

The first annual Spring Open House was held in downtown Murray this weekend, where local businesses showcased their spring arrivals.

‘It sounded impossible’ Nonprofit students to carry more than just gear on North-South Trail in LBL Bridgette McAuliffe Staff writer

bmcauliffe@murraystate.edu

Murray State students will carry more than just backpacks on the section of the Appalachian Trail at Land Between the Lakes as part of an alternative spring break trip put on by the Nonprofit Leadership Studies Program at Murray State.

Students in the department will be carrying Jacqui Lowman, paraplegic and founder of BEYOND LIMITS: Awaken Your Potential, through part of the Appalachian Trail that runs through Kentucky Lake.

“Last June we did 10 days helping carry her on the Appalachian Trail,” Mike Gowen, lecturer of Nonprofit Leadership Studies at Murray State, said. “It was an MSU student and myself and there was an MSU alumni that she had met that graduated from our therapeutic recreation program in the 1990’s…so it was kind of this Murray State connection.”

Gowen said the Nonprofit Leadership Studies Program then decided to invite Lowman to campus to speak, and that’s when the idea was born.

Jacqui Lowman, or “Dr. J” as she is affectionately known by the students, founded BEYOND LIMITS: Awaken Your Potential, to help others accomplish tasks and adventures that are seemingly impossible.

The organization wants to show that through recreation, team-building and a supportive environment, you can “banish ‘CAN’T.’” “Dr. J took her experiences and turned it into a positive to help so many other people and I believe that’s the base of a solid nonprofit project,” Courtney DeVelvis, junior from Batavia, Ohio said.

“Service is the root of our major. Opportunities like this help many students define what they want to do with their nonprofit degree.”

Students at Murray State are using their spring break to help Dr. J accomplish her dream of hiking the Appalachian Trail.

DeVelvis said she got to meet Lowman while she was on campus and knows many students who are interested in going on this trip. She said she would like to see more opportunities like this in the department.

“It sounded impossible,” Gowen said. “It also encom-

passes everything we teach in adventure leadership. So it kind of worked out that it would be a really good fit.”

Gowen said this is the first time that he knows of that the program has been approached about a trip like this.

Nicola Dragonetti, senior from Manahawkin, New Jersey, is the Murray State student that carried Lowman last June.

“One of her friends made a backpack that carries her so when we put it on, we’re literally carrying her,” Dragonetti said.

Dragonetti has embraced the mission of BEYOND LIMITS as she takes on this spring break challenge.

“You can do it,” Dragonetti said. “Even if you think you can’t, there’s something you can do.”

The students and volunteers will carry Lowman in 10-minute intervals. Dragonetti said there are currently four students signed up to carry Dr. J and their goal is to have six so each student will carry for 10 minutes per hour. For information on how to get involved with this non-profit trip, contact Nicola Dragonetti or Mike Gowen.

The Heart of the Matter

Kitty cats and second chances If you follow me on Instagram, you know that my cat is of critical importance in my life.

If you called me a crazy Emily Williams Features Editor c a t l a d y , you would 100 percent be justified in doing so.

But the thing is, I used to hate cats. After a handful of traumatizing experiences at a very young age with my Mamaw’s cat, Sugar, I was left with a very sour taste in my mouth when it came to felines.

Sugar, who would sit in the darkest corner of my Mamaw’s den at all times, looking like she had just swallowed planet Earth whole, sunk her teeth into my arm one Christmas Eve. I remember it very vividly.

Sugar’s slits of green eyes grew as wide as I’d ever seen them after I’d had the audacity to pet her head. After years of torment from my older brother and cousin, the cat had finally snapped, and it had snapped on me. I remember crying out as Sugar raced under the Christmas tree, after hissing at me one more time.

So no, as you could probably guess, cats were no longer my thing after that day.

So how did I end up with a cat of my own? I was at a yard sale in Calvert City with my fiance when we spotted a cardboard box that had “Free Kittens” sprawled across it in black Sharpie.

Even though I’d sworn off cats for the rest of my life, I knew I could still appreciate something furry and small and cuddly. So I approached the box. Looking down, I immediately locked eyes with a tiny, white and brown, spiral-tailed wiggle worm who let out a small meow at my sight.

I tried to ignore the fact that it was trying to climb up the box toward me and instead remember Sugar’s razor-sharp teeth sinking into my forearm, but you know the rest. I went home with a kitten that day. I gave him a bath to get rid of his fleas and from that moment on, we were the best of friends.

And now, I’m not just a cat person, I’m a crazy cat lady.

So what does that say about drawing conclusions based on limited experiences? How can you apply my cat story to your life? I think it’s as simple as looking at the basics. As silly as it may be, I based my overall opinion of cats on one experience with a grouchy one who just liked to be left alone.

It occurred to me that I do that a lot in my life. I experience something and immediately form an opinion based on that one experience. While I guess that’s just a natural thing to do as humans, think about what we might be missing out on.

Maybe if we stopped and allowed ourselves more than just one experience with the same thing, we’d have a different, maybe even better, perspective of it. ewilliams15@murraystate.edu

Photo contributed by Mike Gowen

Nicola Dragonetti carries Jacqui Lowman on her back on their previous Appalachian Trail trip.

Graphic courtesy of Pixabay

The News

Features

March 15, 2018

Page 11

Great Beginnings leaders encourage others to apply Sara Howell

Contributing Writer showell6@murraystate.edu

Graphic courtesy of Pixabay

Student essentials Five essential oils you need to get through the semester

Sara Howell

Contributing writer showell6@murraystate.edu

We’re to the point in the semester where midterms are here and more tests and assignments are to follow.

With all of this happening at once, students really begin to feel stress and exhaustion. Handle all the obstacles being thrown your way by using any of these essential oils.

It is important to only apply or ingest essential oils that are 100% pure, therapeutic-grade. Oils that are not, are only meant for essential oil diffusers.

LIME This oil is good to use for feelings of anxiety, depression, or exhaustion. Its bright, refreshing aroma helps to clear those feelings for a more productive day. Apply this to your neck or wrists up to three times daily. You can also put a

couple drops in an oil diffuser before you go to sleep and mixing it with lotion can help to revitalize your skin.

and inhale; it is smart to rub the excess oil onto your pillow to help with sleep.

ORANGE

This oil is good to use when dealing with stress and tension. Its warm and woodsy aroma help to create an uplifting and comforting feeling. Apply one to two drops above your eyebrows to help relieve tension. You can also inhale directly from the bottle or from your palms after rubbing it in.

This oil is good to use when you need a pick-me-up on those stressul days with what feels like endless tasks.

Its fresh, citrusy aroma creates the feeling of happiness for its users and is a great mood lifter. Apply this to your chest, just over your heart, or your neck up to three times daily. You can also put a couple drops in an oil diffuser to bask in the aroma throughout the day.

LAVENDER This oil is good to use for relaxation or sleep. Its floral and clean aroma helps to create a feeling of calmness.

Apply this to your feet, temples, or wrists up to three times daily. You can also rub two to three drops of lavender onto your cupped palms

CEDARWOOD

EUCALYPTUS This oil is good to use when you need to refresh and have more energy. Its clean and fresh aroma helps to clear mental exhaustion and fatigue. Apply this to your temples, wrists, or aching muscles when needed.

You can also inhale directly from the bottle to feel refreshed more quickly or add a few drops to your oil diffuser.

The office of Student Engagement and Success, a unit of student affairs, is currently recruiting students to become Great Beginnings Leaders. Past Great Beginnings Leaders shared their experiences to encourage others to hop on board.

Travis Plunkett, graduate student from Smithland, Kentucky, said he became a Great Beginnings Leader because he wanted to help students as they entered their first year at Murray State.

“It’s stressful, it’s overwhelming and it can be scary,” Plunkett said. “I wanted to be someone that could be there for them, help lead them in the right direction, and give them someone to talk to if they needed it.”

Though he only served as a leader for a year, Plunkett was able to do just what he had set out to do.

“There were certain students that I helped who were facing situations like homesickness or depression,” Plunkett said. “Just being able to work with them to find ways to overcome those situations was something I really liked.”

He said that being a Great Beginnings Leader is a great way to get involved on campus, which is important to do.

Carly Middleton, sophomore from Williamstown, Kentucky, said as a freshman Great Beginnings helped her make connections with the campus and other students.

“I still talk to people that were in my Great Beginnings group, so it was a positive experience to me,” Middleton said.

This school year she became a Great Beginnings captain, the head of an assigned residential college, and has

Photo contributed by Joey Wirth

Joey Wirth, former Great Beginnings Leader, built many friendships through the program. been able to lead peers.

“I had one student who was clueless on how to do laundry,” Middleton said through a laugh. “We went to the laundry room and learned how to put detergent in the washer and everything else.

That was one of my favorite experiences.”

She said being involved in Great Beginnings is beneficial because you are able to represent Murray State and share the love you have for it with others.

Joey Wirth, junior from Waterloo, Illinois, said getting to share his experiences through being a student ambassador pushed him to become a Great Beginnings Leader.

“I lived on campus for a while, so I thought I would be able to share ways students could adjust in order to have a good experience on campus

like I did,” Wirth said.

He said he made lasting friendships with people from his group because of the trusting relationship they built throughout Great Beginnings.

“I got to mentor them along the way and show them what it takes to be successful at Murray,” Wirth said.

He said some advice for future Great Beginnings Leaders would be to go into it positively, be prepared to learn a lot of useful information and be as personable as you can, because students will learn from your experiences.

Great Beginnings Leaders also get a free T-shirt and the ability to move in early.

To apply, visit thenews. org. Applications are being accepted until March 31 at 4:30 Central Standard Time.

March 15, 2018

Total Racer

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