The Murray State News by The Murray State News

THE MUR R AY STATE

NEWS

April 26, 2018 | Vol. 92, No. 27

Budget cuts rock universities near and far Elizabeth Erwin News Editor

eerwin1@murraystate.edu

With the state budget approved for the upcoming academic year, universities across Kentucky are finding ways to cope with the losses in funding. The budget will cut base funding to public universities by 6.25 percent over the next two years but will also allocate $31 million into a performance funding pool. Kentucky’s eight four-year public universities are experiencing shortfalls, and their administrations are identifying actions to balance the holes in their budgets. EKU At the forefront of budget cuts, Eastern Kentucky has taken more public measures compared to other universities to make up for their expected $25 million shortfall. These measures include the suspension of certain employment positions and programs. “Given our new fiscal realities, the University simply could not continue with a businessas-usual

approach,” President Mike Benson said in a letter to the campus community. “After a thorough program review process, 12 degree programs, two certificates, four minors and three concentrations were recommended by the Provost and Deans’ Council for suspension or transition based on enrollment trends, graduation rates, potential for growth and, in one case, changing professional requirements.” University employment will also be reduced as 153 positions will be terminated. “Just as with our academic programs, a reduction in personnel was unavoidable,” Benson said. Despite these cuts, Eastern Kentucky has decided to remain committed to freezing tuition costs for the upcoming academic year. O t h e r notable

cuts by the university include the closing of their regional Danville campus and restructuring the marching band. NKU In Florence, Kentucky the budget plan is expected to offset Northern Kentucky by $3.2 million. To prepare for the shortfall, 78 faculty members received letters of potential non-reappointment on March 30, according to The Northerner, Northern Kentucky’s student newspaper. The faculty members belong to a variety of departments, but 47 were from the College of Arts and Sciences. Despite the letters, there have been no public plans to cut faculty or programs.

MSU Morehead State currently plans to freeze tuition and housing rates for the upcoming academic year, although these plans are still dependent on a vote of approval from the Board of Regents during their June meeting. “Even in difficult times in state budgets, Morehead State University has a commitment to retaining its longheld status as the most affordable university east of Frankfort,”

Morehead State President Jay Morgan told The Morehead News. To keep this commitment, the university has attempted to find faculty members willing to voluntarily separate from the university or reduce their employment status. “We are resilient,” Morgan said. “Morehead State University has been resilient for 130 years now, and will continue to be. We aren’t going anywhere.”

WKU Western Kentucky University is hoping to decrease their current budget by $16 million in order to make up for the loss of state funding. A budget council was able to identify possibilities that would result in a $15 million reduction. WKU President Timothy C. Caboni hopes that recommendations made by deans and division heads will help the university reach the goal of reducing their budget by $16 million.

see BUDGET, page 2

Graphic courtsey of Savnna Hatfield

Engineering geared up after win Ashley Traylor Editor-in-Chief

atraylor@murraystate.edu

A group of engineering students have more money in their pockets and a national award to add to their resumes. The Murray State team won the 2018 National Fluid Power Association’s Vehicle Challenge Competition in Ames, Iowa which was held on April 12 and 13. Students built a 3-wheeled recumbent bike powered by hydraulics for the competition. Joe Irby, senior electromechanical engineering technology major, said Murray State was the only team to have a 3-wheeled bike at the national competition. The team was made up of seven students: Irby, Kevin Mackie, Grant McCuiston, Cooper Lindberg, Evan Kellems, Kyle LeBarron and Joey Caldwell. Lecturer in the Institute of Engineering, Bry-

ant Harrison was the faculty adviser. Harrison said fellow Lecturer Jake Hildebrandt also played a major role in preparing the students. “This is done as part of a senior design project,” Harrison said. The project is broken up into two classes, the fall senior project and the spring senior project. Harrison said the students enrolled in the fall semester are responsible for building the prototype and the students in the spring make the final product and attend the national competition. However, he said students from the fall class also made the trip to Iowa. The contest rules state that the teams must use hydraulics to power their vehicles. Therefore, the students are free to design anything they want with the hydraulic circuit. Irby said he learned about more than just engineering throughout the competition.

“As a team, we learned how to meet deadlines and get things accomplished in a timely manner [by] contacting companies and figuring out what parts we needed and then contacting them and getting the parts and putting them to use,” Irby said. He also said the competition is an excellent networking opportunity for engineering students who are about to graduate. The students spent five days in Iowa for the competition, which was sponsored by Danfoss, a global producer of products and services headquartered in Denmark. Irby said one of the highlights of the competition was getting to show the engineers of Danfoss their design. “Every night we were up there they were hanging out with us and we got to talk to them and learn a lot from them,” Irby said. While this is Murray State’s second time winning in about ten years, Harrison said there

Photo courtesy of Bryant Harrison

Joe Irby competes in the sprint race that Murray State won.

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was one thing that made this team stand out over all of the competitors, past and present. “What was really unique this year, and no team has ever done in the history of this competition, and there have been lots of teams over lots of years, is that they decided to actually power the bike by pumping with their core and their arms,” Harrison said. “The main thing that does for them is that is allows them to have a greater efficiency by using hand pumps. That is a pretty unique design and the judges were absolutely blown away with the thought that went into that because it did make the bike much more efficient.” Other schools that participated included Purdue University, Milwaukee School of Engineering, West Virginia Tech and the University of Cincinnati, among others.

see NFPA, page 2

Photo courtesy of Bryant Harrison

The Murray State team shows off their award-winning design.

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SGA tackles campaign finance Elizabeth Erwin News Editor

eerwin1@murraystate.edu

Moments before the newly elected 82nd Senate of the Student Government Association was sworn in, the former senators of the 81st Senate voted to pass changes to election procedures. The changes include the introduction of campaign spending limits and regulations on candidates running together on a ticket. Now presidential candidates running together with an executive vice president candidate will not be able to spend more than $875 on their campaign. Senators will not be able to spend more than $400. The new procedures will also require candidates to disclose the source of any political donations they receive. Donations will only be able to be received from student organizations or individuals associated with Murray State. “There were no spending caps with the last election,” Connor Moore, former director of the Election Ways and Means Committee said. “Candidates could spend however much money they wanted on their campaigns.” Across the board, members of the 81st SGA voiced concerns for past elections being focused more on exposure than candidate ideas. “The bill will make SGA elections more idea driven rather than money driven now that every candidate is on a level playing field when it comes to finances,” former Chief of Staff and bill author Aaron Sexton said.

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By imposing spending limits, Sexton and Moore believe it will encourage more students to run. “The election process is more level than ever and students should be eager to use this to run for a position in the student senate,” Sexton said. Campaign finance isn’t an unfamiliar topic for university student governments. “This bill helps the Murray State SGA fall more in line with other student governments across the state and the nation as a whole,” Sexton said. “From my research it is very, very rare for an SGA to not have these spending limits in place.” Sexton mentioned the spending policies of several universities during the meeting including Appalachian State University which has a $750 limit for presidential candidates. “This bill will help ensure the integrity of the Murray State SGA and will make elections more fair and more in depth than ever,” Sexton said. With electoral procedures behind them, the 82nd Senate decided to move forward during their first meeting on April 25 by approving a resolution to support the Executive Council Strategic Initiatives. The initiatives outline the priorities for SGA for the upcoming academic year and include emphasis on increasing university enrollment and increasing diversity within SGA. For those interested in getting involved with SGA, the current vacancies are for two Richmond College Senators and one senator for the College of Humanities and Fine Arts.

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The News

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April 26, 2018

News The baccalaureate is back News Editor: Elizabeth Erwin Page Designer: Savanna Hatfield Phone: 270-809-4468 Twitter: MurrayStateNews

James Turner

service at graduating time is an old tradition,” Rose said. “It is a religious service to thank God for the people graduating and to ask his blessings on them in the future. One way or another, it tells the graduates they have two choices in life and it urges them to follow a godly path.” Rose said the event will be similar to a traditional worship, but will be centered around the graduates and their achievements. Todd Broker, director of

the Center of Economic Education, is the president of the local chapter of the Christian Faculty Network. He partnered with Rose to plan the event. “It takes a lot of time and effort to agree upon event details, secure a location, create an event itinerary, invite a speaker, market the event to the appropriate audience, etc.,” Broker said. “Many other preparations have also been made, but they have been mostly done by Dr.

BUDGET

regarding the upcoming academic year have been announced.

From Page 1

U of L The University of Louisville’s Board of Trustees will meet May 8 to finalize budget plans. Joining Eastern Kentucky and Morehead State, Louisville is also planning to freeze tuition rates for the next academic year. Nothing has been released regarding their budget and cuts since the Budget Advisory committee meeting in January.

more effectively and how we seek new areas of growth and opportunity,” UK’s President Eli Capilouto said in a statement to the campus community following the initial passage of the state budget bill. The findings from the initiative were presented to the University Senate on April 23. “These teams were asked to identify various concepts,” Vice President Eric Monday said. “They created over 30 of them that would help us generate $8 to $10 million in net-recurring new university-wide revenues per team, per year.” Pending on the results of the initiative, no academic programs are expected to be cut at this time. Universities like Murray State who are seeking to raise tuition for the upcoming year will have to wait for the Council on Postsecondary Education to vote on the tuition rate cap. The vote will happen during the April 27 meeting of the CPE. Overall, each university’s budget plan is likely to be finalized during the summer meetings of their respective board of regents.

Staff Writer

jturner34@murraystate.edu

The Christian Faculty Network and United Campus Ministries Association will be hosting a nondenominational Christian baccalaureate service in Wrather Auditorium on May 10, from 7-8 p.m. Winfield Rose, professor of political science, is coordinating the event. “Having a baccalaureate

“We will strive to achieve a balanced budget with as little job loss as possible,” Caboni said in a statement to the campus community on April 16. The university plans to have a complete budget reduction plan by the end of the semester. “I know this is a difficult process, but the goal is to create a realistic and stable institutional budget so we can position ourselves for healthy, sustainable growth in future years,” Cobani said. “I am confident we will be a stronger, more focused university going forward.” KSU The Kentucky State University Board of Regents recently appointed Douglas R. Allen II as vice president for finance and administration/ chief financial officer. Allen will be responsible for reviewing all KSU spending and expenditures. He will begin his duties on May 7. No other budget plans

NFPA From Page 1 “It says a lot about our program, about electrical mechanical engineering technology,” Harrison said. “These guys are competing against schools like Purdue that produce some of the best engineers in the world and these guys went up against Purdue and won. They are all excellent engineering schools and these guys are going up there and representing Murray State very well.” Not only did the Murray State students come home as the overall challenge winners, but they also won the sprint race and the efficiency challenge. In the sprint race, which Harrison described as a drag

UK In early spring, the University of Kentucky launched a new initiative called “Our Path Forward.” The initiative called upon members of the campus community to contribute ideas that would generate savings for the university in order to prevent cuts. “Our Path Forward” represents our attempt to take greater control of our financial future, not by cutting programs and reducing payroll, but by methodically and objectively reviewing how we can do our current work

race, the team that came in second behind Murray State took almost double the time to cross the finish line. Irby said it was because they were able to store more power in their vehicle, which Harrison said shows the efficiency of the vehicle Murray State students created. The overall challenge award is $3,000, which will be split among the seven students who worked on the project. The sprint race and the efficiency challenge both come with $1,000 awards. However, NFPA restricts the number of additional competitions a team can receive money for winning, aside from the overall challenge, to one, in an attempt to prevent one team from sweeping the competition. The bike is on display in the Information Technology building.

Rose.” John Dale, retired minister with the Glendale Road Church of Christ and an adjunct professor for the department of organizational communication, was the speaker at the baccalaureate last year and plans to attend this year. Dale said the service was nice last year, and he’s glad that they planned another one. Keith Inman, senior pastor at the First Baptist Church of Murray, will be the speaker

this year. “I was honored to be asked to speak as I spent 28 years connected to the university campus through my previous vocation as campus minister, almost 13 of those here at Murray State,” Inman said. “I have visited campuses in many parts of the country and I am energized by university students.” Inman said he has great respect for those involved with bringing the baccalaureate tradition back.

This will be the first Christian baccalaureate service since 1973. “My hope is that this service will gain traction and receive support and encouragement from the Christian community both on campus and in the Murray community,” Inman said. Everyone is welcome to attend the event, which will celebrate both past and coming graduates. Admission is free, and religious affiliation is not required.

Sample local restaurants at Taste of Murray event

James Turner Staff Writer

jturner34@murraystate.edu

Have you ever wanted to test out a new restaurant but were too scared to try it? Restaurants across Murray are participating in the first Taste of Murray fundraiser benefiting Needline on Sunday, April 29. A total of 24 restaurants will line up inside the Yates Event Center from 11:30 a.m. - 2 p.m. offering a taste of their finest foods. Each restaurant will have two to four of the best items from their menus for people to sample, and Food Giant will be providing beverages. All proceeds from the event will go to Needline, a nonprofit food pantry that helps people going through financial strife to keep food on their table. Kathy Kopperud, owner of Kopperud Realty who helped co-sponsor the event, said feedback from restaurants and community members has been phenomenal. “We’re hoping to make this an

annual event and grow it every year,” Kopperud said. “We’re very pleased that the first one is going as well as it is and plan to continue it.” Kopperud said they’re on track to hit their goal of selling 300 tickets by the weekend. Kopperud said they have a large variety of food from both local and chain restaurants, including Artisan Kitchen, which recently announced a new store opening in Murray. “We’ve been very blessed with having a community that has been very generous and supported Needline for over 40 years,” Kopperud said. Charlisa Smotherman, Calloway County executive director of the USDA Farm Service Agency, is currently serving as president of the Needline board. Smotherman said the board was looking for new types of fundraising projects that Murray hadn’t tapped into yet. She said some of the board members attended the Taste of Graves County event, which had been going on for 5 or 6 years, and got the idea from there.

For the venue, Needline partnered with Darren Yates, owner of The Keg and Yates Events Center. Smotherman said they were able to secure donations to pay for the venue, and Darnell is offering a lot of his services like tables for the restaurants. Smotherman said people who attend will have their tickets entered into a drawing. Prizes will include gift cards and certificates provided by the restaurants. She said August Moon and Tom’s Grille could not participate this year, but they provided gift cards to help support the event. Currently, there is no affiliation with Murray State, but Smotherman is looking forward to possible dealings in the future. “We’re hoping in the future that we can partner even with Murray State to host or join us in this event,” Smotherman said. Tickets are available at Needline, the Chamber of Commerce and Kopperud Realty. Tickets are $15 if purchased in advance, and $20 on the day of at the Yates Event Center.

Photo courtesy of Bryant Harrison

The Murray State team does last minute checks before the National Fluid Power Association’s 2018 Vehicle Challenge competition.

Giﬅs • Decor • Gourmet Coﬀees & Teas Pillows • Willow Tree • Wall Art • Inspirational Jewelry

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The News

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April 26, 2018

Sports Tennis ousted in semis Sports Editor: Blake Sandlin Senior Writer: Gage Johnson Page Designer: Rosalyn Churchman Phone: 270-809-4481 Twitter: MSUSportsNews

Photo courtesy of Dave Winder

Murray State women’s tennis suffered a semifinal loss to Austin Peay last Saturday to end a historic 13-6 (6-2) season. Adam Redfern

Contributing writer aredfern@murraystate.edu

Despite a semifinal exit in this year’s OVC tournament, Murray State women’s tennis team had a season to be remembered. This regular season marked the 10th time that the Racers have finished second overall in the OVC at a (14-8, 8-1) mark. The only regular season loss this year was to the undefeated Eastern Kentucky University, and Murray State was bounced by the Governors in the semifinals of the OVC tournament. With the season over, the Racers collected

some recognition from the OVC. Sophomore Claire Chang from Kaohsiung, Taiwan was named to the All-OVC first team. Chang played as the No. 1 singles player in every game this year, owning a record of 13-6 (6-2). Freshman Aarja Chakraborty from Gautam Budh Nagar, India and freshman Stasya Sharapova from Astana, Kazakhstan were also awarded a spot on the All-OVC second team. Chakraborty saw action in the No. 2 and No. 3 positions. When playing in the No. 2 position, she had a 1-1 record, and in the No. 3 spot she had a 10-6 (7-2). Sharapova played in three different positions on the team, but she saw most of her action in the No. 2 spot where she went

9-10 and recorded an overall record of 12-7 (54). The team was saddened by their early loss in the tournament, but Caetano said he is excited for the future. “It’s very exciting for next year,” Caetano said. “We are still young, we only have two juniors on the team and they are going to be seniors next year. I think for the next two or three years we are going to have a solid foundation, I am looking forward to that. The experience we have this year is going to count a lot next year, the freshmen are going to have more experience and they are playing the top positions for us.” The Racer tennis team is among one of the

younger teams in the OVC with two freshman, four sophomores and two juniors. Caetano was glad to get some tournament experience as a team that was expected to win and hopes this can translate to future success. “We feel like we lacked the tournament experience, going as one of the favorites,” Caetano said. “I think this is going to be huge for us next year. This whole year we were just trying to win matches and get more and more confident as a team, and we were able to accomplish that. I think next year is going to be all about knowing we are good and we can compete for the championship, and handling that pressure of being one of the favorites.”

Hawkins granted Golf season ends after release to transfer 10th place performance Blake Sandlin Sports Editor

bsandlin1@murraystate.edu

Right when Racer fans thought recruiting season had come to a close Thursday with the signing of Hopkinsville guard Jalen Johnson, one more scholarship slot opened up. On Friday, April 20, Murray State Head Coach Matt McMahon announced junior guard Byron Hawkins was transferring from the program to pursue opportunities as a graduate transfer. “We are thankful for his contributions to our program and to our 2018 OVC championship team,” McMahon wrote in a press release. “I respect and support his desire to play the point guard position at his next school and we wish him the very best moving forward. I look forward to congratulating Byron and his family at his May 12 graduation from our great University.” Hawkins played an integral part in last season’s OVC championship team, playing in 25 games this season and starting in two. The junior marksman averaged 7.9 points per game for the Racers, providing a valuable spark off the bench from the 3-point line. Hawkins’ season last year was highlighted by a 28-point

performance in Murray State’s season-opener against Brescia, as well as outings against Middle Tennessee State and Wright State where he poured in 16 and 13 points, respectively. Hawkins said the decision to leave the program was a difficult one, but the school will always hold a special place in his heart. “This was a tough decision,” Hawkins said. “I love it here in Murray. It’s such a special place, but I have to try to do what’s best for my career in my last year. I am forever a Racer and have nothing but love for ‘Racer Nation’ forever.” His departure comes as Murray State prepares to welcome a surplus of guards to its team. The team had commitments from Johnson, Jaiveon Eaves and Daquan Smith, as well as guard returners in freshman Tevin Brown, junior Shaq Buchanan and freshman Ja Morant. Hawkins originally transferred to the Racers from Towson in 2016, and sat out the 16-17 season due to NCAA transfer rules. Now with an additional scholarship at its disposal, Murray State will likely look to bolster its frontcourt presence, after signing a multitude of guards to its roster over the past month.

Byron Hawkins elevates in the lane in Murray State’s NCAA tournament matchup against West Virginia.

Bryan Edwards/The News

Photo courtesy of Dave Winder

Murray State junior Lance Davis takes a shot during the second round of competition in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. Keith Jaco Staff writer rjaco@murraystate.edu Murray State men’s golf team finished in 10th place on Wednesday in the OVC Championship at The Shoals Golf Club in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. Murray State looked to improve steadily throughout the tournament, but failed to do so shooting 314-309-312, and finishing with a threeday total of 935. Jacksonville State held a slim lead of three strokes over Belmont after day one, with Morehead State and Tennessee Tech rounding out the top four. Murray State struggled as a team in round one play, scoring a 314 and earning 10th-place among the field of 11. Three of the Racers five golfers this week got their first look at the Fighting Joe course at The Shoals Golf Club. Sophomore Austin Knight from Hopkinsville, Kentucky is no stranger though, firing a first round 72 and securing a spot in the top 10 at eighth place. On day two, the Racers managed to shave a few shots off their 314 from the previous round, scoring a 309 and remaining in 10th-place ahead of Eastern Illinois. Junior Lance Davis from Mayfield, Kentucky matched his teammate Austin Knight on day two with a second round score of 74. Davis moved into a share of 37th place while Knight secured

a spot in sixth, moving him just six shots off the leader, Jacksonville State freshman Jesus Montenegro. Murray State tee’d off with Eastern Illinois to begin round three play on Wednesday. The Racers were led by Austin Knight again on day three, as he shot a team high 75. Knight would finish the tournament tied for 13th place. Jacksonville State took home first place as a team with Nick Wilkins from Morehead State and Jack Uselton from Belmont sharing first place honors for individuals. In a week that was littered with setbacks, Head Coach Eddie Hunt was disappointed with his team’s overall performance. “The bottom line was we did not play very good,” Hunt said. “We had one player that played really good, Austin Knight, but the rest of the team just did not play well, did not play the course well and we didn’t have anyone else step up.” Murray State men’s golf team will participate individually this summer in various tournaments across the state to prepare for the season this fall. “They’ll play a lot of really good courses and good competition this summer,” Hunt said. “I think the ones coming back will be ready to play again and hope to have a little bit more success than we had this year.” Murray State men’s golf will be back in action this September as they look to shake off this spring and start a new chapter in the fall.

The News

Sports

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April 26, 2018

Huber participates in Murray State takes Madison National Junior Olympics Keith Jaco Staff writer

rjaco@murraystate.edu

An invite to the National Junior Olympics is an honor and privilege that shooters across the nation long for each spring. For Murray State rifleman Shelby Huber, this was a chance to impress and shine on the biggest stage of the year. The National Junior Olympic program offers shooters across the U.S. a chance to partake in competitions year-round. These competitions allow their participants to receive national competitive experience, as well as shoot for a chance to earn an invite to the National Junior Olympic Championships in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Huber went into the National Junior Olympics hoping to place well and maybe even come away with a top three spot. “This was my last Junior Olympics,” Huber said. “Leading up to the competition, the

way I was training I was prepared to be at least top 10. I was definitely shooting for one of those top three spots to get a chance to go to the Junior World Championship in Germany.” The sophomore from Columbus, Georgia had been invited to the National Junior Olympics three times previously before accepting another bid this April. Shelby shot against the best-of thebest in his class of 18-20 year olds, all with their sights set on a chance to participate in the International Shooting Sport Federation Junior World Championship this summer in Suhl, Germany. At the end of day one, Huber held a tight spot in fourth place among 170 other competitors. After scoring a 614.1 on day two, Huber fell into sixth place, missing his shot at the Junior World Championship by just 3.9 points. Head Coach Alan Lollar prepared his team early and often

this year, sticking with the same routine of discipline and diligence in their route to success. “Every day we try to train the way we want to compete on match day,” Lollard said, “We work to build the habits that become automatic on match day. If we build the good habits and work our plan in training, we have the chance to focus on match day and the things we need to in order to shoot in the present moment, this shot, this moment. This allows us to avoid distractions like result, and hoopla surrounding big matches.” With the regular season in the past, Lollar was able to devote all his time preparing Huber and teammate freshman Dana Buesseler from Forest Lake, Minnesota for the Junior Olympics. Coming off a season in which the Racers captured their third-straight OVC title, Shelby will look to contribute heavily in his junior campaign next fall.

Blake Sandlin/The News

Murray State women’s golf team held a watch party on Wednesday at Miller Memorial Golf Course to find out which region they would be placed in for the NCAA Golf Championship. The Racers were placed in the Madison, Wisconsin region, and will kick off first round play on Monday, May 7.

Six new coaches join football coaching staff

Photo courtesy by Ed Marlowe

Head Coach Mitch Stewart and Safety and Special Teams Coach Tate Omli look on as players run drills during their final spring practice. Zach Scott Staff Writer

zscott1@murraystate.edu

Murray State football is welcoming several new faces to its coaching staff this fall. This offseason, with Head Coach Mitch Stewart’s former

coaching staff leaving for new jobs, he brought in six new faces to his coaching staff. Stewart said he realizes change in the coaching staff can be a tough adjustment, but he also realizes the potential is there with the new staff. “Change is always tough, but change is good; it brings new

opportunities, new ideas, new ways to do things,” Stewart said. “It can be tough, but it can also be a good way to get you better.” Most notable among the new hires is Nick Coleman, who will be taking over the offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach duties. Coleman pre-

viously was the quarterbacks coach at Tennessee Tech. Stewart also awarded a number of promotions to coaches inside his coaching staff. Jake Johnson, who spent last season as a special teams coach and linebackers coach, has been promoted to the role of defensive coordinator, succeeding Chris Boone. Brian Hamilton, who served as the offensive line coach last season, has been elevated to the role of assistant head coach. Carson Hunter will be taking over as the recruiting coordinator and running back coach after coaching wide receivers last season. Tate Omli will take over as the safeties coach and become the new special teams coordinator. Omli spent the last three years of his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Angelo State University and Eastern Michigan University. Omli’s younger brother, Toby, played for the Racers from 2015 to 2016. Charles Jones will join the Racer staff as the new cornerbacks coach. Jones was a threeyear starter at the University of Alabama from 2000-2003. He played one year in the NFL for the New York Giants in 2004. Former Canadian Football League cornerback Alex Suber will join Stewart’s staff as the inside wide receivers coach. Suber averaged almost six tackles per game during his time in the CFL. He played at Middle

Tennessee State University during his collegiate career. Walter Vaughn will take over as the defensive line coach for the Racers. Vaughn was a standout defensive tackle at Southeastern Louisiana State, and recently coached at Highland Community College. Josh Hollingsworth caps off the changes in the coaching staff, coming in as a graduate assistant. Hollingsworth, a quarterback from Hamilton, Alabama, had a spectacular high school career at Hamilton High School, where he contributed 7,515 yards in total offense in his career. With the degree of coaching turnover that Murray State has experienced this offseason, Stewart emphasized the importance of cohesiveness within his team. “There’s no secret to it; it’s relationships,” Stewart said. “It doesn’t matter if you’re recruiting, if you’re coaching – if you don’t have a relationship with anything that you’re doing, then you’re not going to be very successful.” Stewart knows that with the new coaching staff coming in, putting names to all of the new faces will be a challenge for the new staff. “Learning their names, and it sounds like a joke, but that’s the biggest thing, we’ve made a huge emphasis on learning their names, not saying ‘hey, 31’, ‘hey,

42’, ‘hey, you,’ because it’s hard to build trust when I don’t even know your name,” Steward said. “Get to know your guys first, from a first name basis, then get to know their parents and then branch out from there.” One change that Stewart has already noticed with his new staff is the way that his coaches are looking at their players and how they are performing throughout the offseason. “They don’t care what these kids did prior, all they care about is what they’re putting on tape and we are going with that mentality and it has been really good for us,” Stewart said. Even though the first few seasons with Stewart as a head coach have been underwhelming, where he has compiled a 10-23 record in his first three years, he knows the importance of going into every season with no memory of what has happened in the past. “It’s always year zero,” Stewart said. “The only way you’re going to get better no matter how good or bad, you have to strip that down. You have to look and evaluate what you’re doing, how you’re recruiting, how you’re coaching. We sat around and really looked at that.” The Racers will look to get back on track when they open the season August 31 against Southern Illinois at Roy Stewart Stadium.

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NEWS

The News

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April 26, 2018

Features Editor: Sara Howell Page Designer: Rachel Solomon Phone: 270-809-5871

Features

The making of ‘She Kills Monsters’

Amy Turner Staff writer

aturner32@murraystate.edu

“She Kills Monsters,” a play centered around the game “Dungeons and Dragons,” ushers viewers into a gaming world of fantasy where players are given the chance to transform into new characters. The play is written by Qui Nguyen and directed by Matthew Crider, an assistant professor of theater and global arts. He has been teaching at Murray State for six years now and has helped produce one play per year since he started. His previous works include “Proof,” “All in the Timing” and “Trojan Women.” “The basic plot is that a young woman had her entire family die in a car crash, including her little sister,” Crider said. “As she is cleaning out the house she finds her younger sisters “Dungeons and Dragons” stuff. To get to

know her sister, she takes it to this local game store and attempts to play this game.” Crider said he was drawn to the play for its ability to bring people together over a game that was traditionally perceived to be for the nerd in the corner. “This play is really connecting us to not just why people love role playing games or fantasy or things like that but showing just how many people connect to this... nerd culture thing,” Crider said. Auditions for the play started at the beginning of this spring semester, where around 12 students were cast into roles for the production. Since then those students have had practice for five to six nights a week for three to four hours a night. The rehearsal process can be challenging and requires a lot of work, but cast members such as Makayla Willett, sophomore from Marshall County, Kentucky, said working with director Crider has made the rehearsal experi-

ence enjoyable despite the challenges. “At every rehearsal Matt starts it with just telling us to have fun and enjoy the play.” Willett said. Marie Norris, senior from Owensboro, Kentucky, said she also appreciated the atmosphere throughout this process. “My favorite part of the rehearsal process has been how much fun all of it is,” Norris said. “The characters in “She Kills Monsters” are larger than life.” She said with a cast that has such strong personality and skill already, it was great going into this adventure. “Learning fight choreography and discussing our own theories behind the meaning of things has made this one of the greatest experiences I’ve ever had at Murray State.” Norris said. For people like Cory Storm, sophomore from Owensboro, Kentucky, the best part about rehearsals has

Murray State University Department of Global Languages and Theatre Arts presents: A Dungeons and Dragons Fable

SHE KILLS MONSTERS By Qui Nguyen April 26 - 28 7:30 p.m. April 29 2:30 p.m. Robert E. Johnson Theatre at Price Doyle Fine Arts

Contains adult language, content and fantasy violence

Information or reservations: 270-809-4421 murraystatetickets.com

Let’s Play

Photo courtesy of Matthew Crider

“She Kills Monsters,” a play influenced by “Dungeons and Dragons,” is presented by the Department of Global Languages and Theatre Art. been watching the cast grow as actors with their characters. “My favorite part of the process has been seeing all my cast members who have

never really had the opportunity to show their talents and abilities and watch them grow,” Storm said. It is being held in the Robert E. Johnson theater, April

26-29. Tickets are free to students with their student ID. Showtimes and ticket prices for others can be found online at Murray State’s event calendar.

‘I’m a maker’ Murray State student hopes to open a ‘Dialogue’ at her art exhibition

Photo courtesy of Kailey Hicks

Students attended Art on the Quad on April 19 for the opportunity to paint, draw and even write poetry. Photo courtesy of Anna Sohl

Fliers can be found posted around campus for Anna Sohl’s BFA Exhibition, “Dialogue.”

Bridgette McAuliffe

Staff writer

bmcauliffe@murraystate.edu

Anna Sohl, senior from Paducah, Kentucky, is hosting her BFA art exhibition April 27 until May 4 in the Clara M. Eagle Upper Gallery in Price Doyle Fine Arts Center. “I pinpoint the start of my art career when I started taking one of my first ceramics classes,” Sohl said. “But it goes even further back than that. I can date it back to elementary school.” Sohl said she was drawn to art because she really enjoyed working with her hands. In high school, she decided she wanted to pursue art as a career. “I fell in love with clay first,” Sohl said. “I loved the feeling of the material and I love that you can do a lot of things with it. Knowing that this material can be sculptural, it can be functional, it can be hanging up on the wall, the wide possibility of the medium, I like 3D media a lot better [than 2D].” Sohl said as a child, she

loved that art allowed her to see things differently. “From what we call a mistake, you can always transform that into something beautiful,” Sohl said. “Anything you do, there’s always another solution. It may not be exactly where you want to go, but you can always manipulate it into something that’s still pleasing.” Sohl said that is one thing she keeps within her thought process when she’s struggling with her art. She said she knows if she makes a mistake, there’s always a different tunnel. Though Sohl specializes in clay and wood, she doesn’t like to classify herself as simply a potter or a woodworker. “I like to call myself a maker,” Sohl said. “Art is not just the object, it’s a higher thinking of visually producing information and engaging with the viewer. I’m making these pieces for people to engage with or interact with or just view in a way that it draws the person in.” Sohl’s exhibit on the seventh floor of Price Doyle

Fine Arts Center is titled, “Dialogue.” She said she is hoping her piece opens a conversation between viewers and allow them to explore difficult topics of conversation. Sohl took a step back from clay to focus on woodworking, and the exhibit will consist of chairs with different designs. “The chairs represent an individual,” Sohl said. “I use the material as the dialogue and the chair as the individual [to show] how these individuals interact with one another.” Sohl said we have dialogues with one another, but there is a lot of misinterpretation of what we say based on the unspoken signals such as tone and interpretation. Her purpose of this body of work is to represent that. “The pieces in my show may not pinpoint directly to those conversations, but I’m hoping that by creating this conversation between the chairs, it can create another dialogue and evoke another conversation in [the viewers],” Sohl said.

Future art educators host Art on the Quad Rhiannon Branch Photography Editor

rbranch@murraystate.edu

Students and community members were welcomed to the quad to learn new art techniques with members of the Murray State chapter of the National Art Education Association (NAEA). The idea for this event, held on Thursday, April 19, was initiated by Kimberly Bell, a post baccalaureate student from Paris, Tennessee, who is the current president of Murray State’s NAEA chapter. She developed the event as part of a community arts internship that she is completing with Rebecca Williams, assistant professor of art education. “Being an art teacher, I like to think about the ways that I can bring art into people’s everyday lives in a fun and engaging way,” Bell said. “I also

believe that the arts are really important, and it is a great time to advocate for the arts at this time when people are questioning its importance.” Students walking through the Quad were able to sit and enjoy the sunshine while participating in activities such as painting, drawing and poetry writing. Jenny Howard, junior social work student, was planning to sit in the Quad when she stumbled upon the event. “I like art, so I decided to join in,” Howard said. She painted pictures of some flowers on her table while other students contributed to an eight foot mural that will be displayed in the Old Fine Arts Building. Bell said this is the first event of this nature held on campus. “A lot of the events that the art department has open to

the public are either indoors in the gallery or fundraising events,” Bell said. “This event is unique in that it is a student-run, outdoor event that is more for the public campus community rather than just for art students.” Roughly 20 participants were at the tables at any given time from 1-4 p.m. A videography class even joined in to capture video of students contributing to the mural. With the NAEA program showing growth in the past few years under the instruction of Williams, similar events in the future look promising. “I would definitely come to events like this if they were held more often,” Howard said. “I think it is a great opportunity to get involved with something outside of your major.”

The News

Features

Page 6

April 26, 2018

‘Rampage’ is a smashing good time Grant Dillard Staff writer

gdillard@murraystate.edu

Not too long after the release of “Tomb Raider,” another video game movie was released. This time, it’s “Rampage,” which is based on the 1986 arcade game of the same name. While it may not be as strong of a film as “Tomb Raider,” it is still a blast to watch, as well as one of the better video game movies out there. Primatologist Davis Okoye (Dwayne Johnson) has a special bond with a rare albino gorilla named George, who has been in his care since birth. A biological weapon ends up transforming George into a larger and more aggressive being, resulting in the ape running amuck and causing destruction wherever he goes. Even worse, the same biological formula also affects a wolf and a crocodile, and they, along with George, wind up in Chicago. Okoye has to team up with scientist Kate Caldwell (Naomi Harris) and government agent Harvey Russell (Jeffery Dean Morgan) to save Chicago, as well as George. It is very important to know going in that “Rampage” is not a film that is meant to be taken seriously, as the tone of the movie is pure tongue-incheek goofy entertainment. Everything from the action, the humor and even some of the dialogue is completely over-the-top silly. But it still manages to have scenes with heart, most notably the ones involving Okoye and George. It is easy and endearing to see the friendship between Okoye and his animal friend when they communicate. Humor can still be found in their interactions, though. Even while having an overthe-top tone overall, “Rampage” still has a few issues with tonal inconsistency. During the climax it shows civilians trying to escape Chicago while it is being destroyed, and it is shot in a way to make the audience feel like what is happening is a horrifying catastrophe. Yet there is also a scene in which the giant crocodile wrecks a ferry, inevitably resulting in the deaths of everyone on it,

Graphic courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Talking ‘Walking Dead’ Graphic courtesy of Wiimedia Commons

and Okoye just spouts out a one-liner about it. The inconsistencies are not present in every scene of the movie, but they still feel out of place when they appear. Dwayne Johnson was absolutely perfect for the lead. Whether it is “San Andreas” or “Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle,” Johnson has a talent of making otherwise ridiculous movies seem more plausible just by being in them, and this film is no exception. Like these other films, he has the right amount of charisma and likability that makes his character all the more endearing. Unfortunately, while Johnson is good enough as the lead, the supporting cast leaves much to be desired. Okoye’s co-workers are absolutely forgettable, with the worst being the character of Nelson (P.J. Byrne) who is only given either exposition dialogue or unfunny comedic banter. Even worse are the villains: Claire (Malin Akerman) and Brett (Jake Lacy) Wyden, who created the formula which affected George, the wolf and the crocodile. Aside from the film just needing a reason for the animals to grow huge and cause destruction in Chicago, the main motivation for the siblings’ plans is money. There is absolutely no remorse, regret or sense of humanity for what they caused whatsoever. There are still a few highlights in the supporting cast. Naomie Harris is really good as Kate Caldwell, a doctor and former employee of the

Grocery shopping hacks Sara Howell

Features Editor showell6@murraystate.edu

Though some people enjoy grocery shopping, it can be a nightmare for others. The latter usually try to get everything needed in as little time possible, but that can get overwhelming. These five shopping tips will help keep that grocery shopping anxiety at bay.

FAMILIARIZE YOURSELF WITH STORE First, find a grocery store that you would not mind going to for your shopping, then try to remember where things are. This is really helpful if you plan to organize your shopping lists. Having a general idea of where items are throughout the store will help to make the shopping experience go by a lot quicker.

company the villains own. She teams up with Okoye to try and cure George and stop the other animals. Joe Manganiello also stars as Burke, a mercenary hired to track down and capture the wolf. Unfortunately, he has around five minutes of screentime to leave an impression. The best actor onscreen is none other than Jeffrey Dean Morgan who absolutely steals the spotlight every time he is on screen. Admittedly, his performance does feel very similar to his portrayal of Negan from “The Walking Dead,” whether it is the way he delivers his lines, or even some of the lines of dialogue given to him in this film. Morgan even does the signature leaning motion often associated with the character of Negan. Really, all that is missing is a barbwire bat to hit people with. With all that said, though, it is still an entertaining performance and makes it hard for anyone to take their eyes off the screen whenever he appears. It is by no means a work of art, but “Rampage” provides entertainment for those looking for a fun and silly monster movie, with the climax alone being worth the price of admission. The film not only proves to be another perfectly serviceable video game film, but another success for Johnson as an action star, even though the monsters partake in more action than he does this time around. Whether full price or matinee, definitely give “Rampage” a watch.

Bread s Apple

Milk e Chees

Salt e Coffe Soda

Ham Cereal

Cups Juice

Grant Dillard Staff writer

gdillard@murraystate.edu

The eighth season of “The Walking Dead” wrapped up, finally concluding the all-out war between Rick Grimes and Negan. Season eight was definitely the most flawed of all the show’s seasons, with the first half suffering from serious pacing issues and an overabundance of filler episodes not progressing the plot any further. Thankfully, the second half of the season picked up the pace more, though it still had a few slow spots every now and then. With the story going in a new direction, as well as a new showrunner being announced, season nine looks to be a good chance for the show to get back on track. Here are a few strategies that “The Walking Dead” should take for the upcoming ninth season.

KEEP THE GROUP IN ONE MAJOR LOCATION In earlier seasons, Rick Grimes and his group would always find a safe location that they would inhabit for a period of time. Whether it was Hershel Greene’s farm, the prison or Alexandria, the group managed to stay together and not live in separate locations. Even in season three, while the community of Woodbury was also introduced, it was mainly the safehouse for the villain of the season: the

Governor. Season six and season seven introduced two new communities for the heroes to live in: The Kingdom and The Hilltop. With one part of the group at The Hilltop, one part in The Kingdom and one part in Alexandria (at least until it was destroyed in the midseason finale of season eight), it was more difficult to keep focus on most of the characters, especially with the roster growing more and more. Since it is the biggest of all the communities, it would be best if everyone moved to The Kingdom and set it up as the main establishment. That way, it will be easier to keep focus on everyone in the group.

LESS NEGAN SCREEN TIME While seasons seven and eight may be considered some of the lesser seasons of the show, Jeffrey Dean Morgan as Negan was one of the best additions from that time period. He was basically the best human antagonist since The Governor back in seasons three and four. Although after two whole seasons of Rick’s group going against Negan and the Saviors, maybe it would be best to give the character a break. Season eight ended with Rick and Michonne telling Negan their plans to stick him in a prison cell for the rest of his life, so it doesn’t look like he will be causing any damage anytime soon. That way, the show can focus more

on whichever new storyline they are going to do. If anything, since he is still incarcerated, they should at least give him a brief appearance every now and then.

DON’T MAKE MAGGIE A FULL-BLOWN VILLAIN

One of the most unexpected twists in the season finale was the reveal of Maggie’s plan to eventually kill Negan with Jesus and Daryl’s help after the damages from the war were rebuilt, despite Rick’s decision to spare him. This is certainly an interesting direction to take the story in, as well as a good source of conflict to keep things somewhat engaging. The only potential downfall with this is that Maggie may be too set on her goal to the point where she ends up trying to kill Rick or Michonne, which would result in her becoming an unlikable character. Granted, her motivations are understandable as Negan has been directly responsible for the deaths of several people, including her husband, Glenn. Though, making Maggie so determined to kill Negan to the point of betraying her friends would just be a step too far for a beloved character. Hopefully this conflict will be more like “Captain America: Civil War,” where each side is completely identifiable in their choices and none of the sides are portrayed as villainous.

Juries and practice and finals, oh my!

y List

r Groce

What needs to happen in season nine

Preparing for finals as a music major s

Napkin

Bridgette McAuliffe Staff writer

Graphics courtesy of Rachel Solomon & Wikimedia Commons

ORGANIZE SHOPPING LIST

easy to remember where you keep your ongoing list.

It is easy enough to begin making a list for shopping, but taking it a step further can be even more helpful. Try categorizing items into groups according to where they are in the store. If cheese and lunch meat can be found in the same area, group those things together! This is useful because you are not having to go to a place in the store you have already been.

Recipes are a good thing to use when you are unsure of what to put on your list. Whether it is something simple or something a little more advanced, being able to have an ingredient list to go by is really helpful. You may even be able to buy common products to use for multiple recipes. This also helps to save time.

LOOK UP RECIPES

WRITE ITEMS DOWN

USE PREVIOUS BUYS

As soon as you run out of a certain product or item, write it on the list so you don’t forget. People often go to the store then come back only to realize they forgot something; this method, however, will prevent this from happening. Put a sheet of paper on the fridge so it is

It is easy to hold onto an old list to look back and see if you would like to repurchase items. This can help you to not forget anything and cut time. It would be a good idea to place your old lists in a ziplock bag to store somewhere for when you need a memory refresher.

bmcauliffe@murraystate.edu

Everyone is stressed and studying hard as finals are fast approaching. Most students spend hours in the library studying and cramming, but what about students who cannot simply cram for an exam? Music majors often practice and prepare over the course of the semester using different techniques to perfect their craft. Regardless of the music degree a student pursues, one of the biggest aspects of that degree is practice and performance which can take a physical and mental toll on a student. Emma Whitt, junior from Knoxville, Tennessee, is studying music performance. “As a singer, the physical preparation is almost more than the mental because singing is such a physically demanding task,” Whitt said. “A lot of people don’t know that.” Music majors take the time

to prepare for finals in their traditional classes as well as a jury or proficiency, which is a final performance in front of their instrumental faculty. “One of the biggest things for music majors is learning how to practice efficiently. You are limited on practice time and one of the skills that we work on is how to best use that time to get the most work done. It is all about balance,” Whitt said. Katie Zheng, freshman from Madisonville, Kentucky, is studying music education. “Practice and diligent discipline is required throughout the entire semester to achieve a high-level performance for a jury or proficiency,” Zheng said. As well as a different type of preparation, a music major may have a heavier workload than what is represented by the credit hours on their schedule. Many courses that meet for more than five hours per week are only considered a one credit hour course.

“The wind ensemble rehearses five hours weekly as an ensemble,” Zheng said. “The course is only worth one credit, not including the outside practice time each musician must put into learning their individual parts.” Nicholas Bushnell, senior from Louisville, Kentucky, is a music business major with a business administration minor, who has taken both performance and traditional style classes. “A regular final consists of quietly and meticulously filling out bubble sheets and possibly short answers and sometimes barely studying, depending on the class,” Bushnell said. Though music majors face heavy workloads, it is important for them to not get too overwhelmed. “Relax, breathe and practice in chunks,” Bushnell said. “Center in on a problematic section and if there is a skill you have trouble with, work on the skill an hour a day.”

The News

Page 7

April 26, 2018

Opinion

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

Our View

Flint is far from fine The staff editorial is the majority opinion of The Murray State News Editorial Board.

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

Savanna Hatfield Production Manager • 270-809-5877 shatfield2@murraystate.edu

Elizabeth Erwin News Editor • 270-809-4468 eerwin1@murraystate.edu

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

Sara Howell Features Editor • 270-809-5871 showell6@murraystate.edu

Blake Sandlin Sports Editor • 270-809-4481 bsandlin1@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

It’s been nearly four years to the day since the Flint, Michigan water supply became compromised. In a cost-cutting measure approved by the Flint City Council and the state treasurer, Flint residents began receiving water from the Flint River. By Oct. 1, 2014, two boil-water advisories had been issued due to detection of fecal bacteria; high levels of lead soon followed. In the past four years, the responsibility for protecting Flint residents has been tossed around like a bomb ready to go off. Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder was accused of inaction despite having been previously informed of the oncoming catastrophe. The Environmental Protection Agency was successfully sued for not better assisting the predominately African-American population. Yet the fight for Flint still rages on, and the city’s residents are still being shortchanged. The most recent development in this seemingly never-ending nightmare hasn’t been in the resident’s favor, either. Nestlé, the world’s largest food company, was granted approval “to pump 576,000 gallons of water each day” from a Michigan freshwater source, according to a report from NPR. This announcement came days before Flint residents were told water bottle and filter distribution would be coming to an end. To drive the knife in their back even deeper, the head spokesperson for Nestlé-Michigan is married to Snyder’s chief of staff. Trust in the state’s leadership was already drying up. New evidence that the state’s leadership is working against the general population is damning. And since the company is only paying about $200 per day, local freshwater is practically being stolen from those that need it most. This breach of trust hasn’t helped to quell fears concerning

Flint’s water, despite EPA testing proving some level of safety. After years of consistent betrayal, one question remains: who is fighting for the health and safety of Flint? For Flint residents, the answer is clear: trust no one but your neighbor. LeeAnne Walters learned this lesson early on. This man-made disaster forced the stay-at-home mom to become an activist. She helped spearhead a movement that inspired Flint residents to do their own water testing. Her infor-

Autumn Brown/The News

mal testing and research highlighted the severity of the pipe corrosion which has caused lead and other metals to leak into the water supply. Walters’ work earned her the Goldman Environmental Prize, an international Nobel Prize-esque award for environmental activism. The community needed someone who could break the silence and make a scene, not for money or publicity but for the health and safety of everyone. Walters rose to the occasion out of necessity and became that someone. It’s worth questioning why, in a community where whites are a minority, the issue became national news only after a white woman demanded change. This observation isn’t made to discredit Walters, but to highlight how flippant authorities were regarding initial complaints about the water. Four years is entirely too long for a war against a largely impoverished community to go on. And make no mistake: this negligence was an intended act of violence. They weren’t taking to the streets with torches and pitchforks, but they ignored the obvious signs of a community slowly being poisoned. “Several Michigan state officials, including some who reported to Gov. Rick Snyder, [were] charged with involuntary manslaughter” in relation to disease outbreaks from contaminated water, according to a CNN report. The Michigan government is responsible for this disaster, and more criminal charges are inevitable. Communities across the nation should pay close attention to Flint. It serves as a warning that public safety is often of secondhand importance when money is concerned. The lives of thousands of people have been changed forever, and we can’t let anyone forget about Flint, Michigan anytime soon.

Cheers to ... ‘Avengers’

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

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

We already know it’s going to be the opener to the blockbuster summer movie season. There’s a death rumored to happen in the first few minutes of the film, so time to start placing your bets.

CHEERS & JEERS

Jeers to ... Kanye West Yeezy has plenty of fans, but they’re feeling some type of way about his recent tweets about Trump. Not to say a man can’t have an opinion, but when your wife has to damage control, you’ve messed up.

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. The News is a designated public forum. Student editors have authority to make all content decisions without censorship or advance approval. The paper offers a hands-on learning environment for students interested in journalism. The campus press should be free from censorship and advance approval of copy and its editors should develop their editorial and news policies. The News is prepared and edited by students and is an official publication of Murray State University. The first copy is free. Additional copies are available for 25 cents at 111 Wilson Hall.

Contributer’s Column

What outweighs the good? Autumn Brown

Contributing Writer abrown93@murraystate.edu

Barbara Bush, the late wife of former President George W. Bush, passed on April 17, and while there are many people celebrating her life, others are rising up to voice their disgust for the former First Lady’s past actions. On Saturday, over 1,000 people came to Texas to mourn the loss of this political figure. At this service, she was given the title “First Lady of the greatest generation” marking how, with remarkable wit and humor, she became a wife and mother to a surge in the Republican Party. While political parties divide people, when choosing who came out on the “good side” of history, you must take into account the impact they alone made. Barbara Bush was no saint, but did great things for America and set a precedent for First Ladies to come.

Influential women from all political walks of life came to honor Barbara’s death. Most were adorned in pearls, Barbara’s signature accessory. Melania Trump, Hillary Clinton and Michelle Obama were all present to honor their predecessor. In her days of political power alongside her husband, Barbara was known as “the enforcer” and stressed the value of humbleness. She was known to scold her family for bragging, and this motherly instinct drove her to make real changes in the world while she had the chance. After the death of Barbara’s daughter, Robin, Barbara campaigned for researching childhood leukemia. When one of her sons, Neil, was diagnosed with dyslexia, she dedicated herself to advocating for family literacy programs across the U.S. It truly seemed that this woman would see a need, and immediately take what power she had to see to it. Barbara famously

said, “Some people give time, some money, some their skills and connections, some literally give their life’s blood. But everyone has something to give,” and she lived by that. Despite all of the love people voiced upon Barbara’s passing, some outspoken users on social media have taken her death as an opportunity to speak their peace concerning their contempt. Most notably, Randa Jarrar, a creative writing professor at California State University Fresno, made her opinion known. She tweeted, “Barbara Bush was a generous and smart and amazing racist who, along with her husband, raised a war criminal,” on the afternoon of Barbara’s death, sending all forms of social media into uproar, debating about whether Barbara was simply “good” or “evil.” Jarrar proceeded to tweet more insults concerning the Bush family and argued with others about the validity of the original tweet.

When Fresno State was asked about their stance on the event, they distanced themself from Jarrar and stated that, although she is tenured, the tweets are “obviously contrary to the core values of our University.” While it’s true that Barbara Bush was the mother to George W. Bush, who declared the Iraq war and started racial tension that is still felt to this day, there are few, if any, explicit instances of her performing racist acts. While some were prepared to agree with Jarrar, Barbara was still widely loved. Others felt distaste for the criticism simply because it is commonly frowned upon to “speak ill of the dead.” This raises the question of what one should deem truly noteworthy of a person’s life after they have passed. The urge to show allegiance to your party should never be an excuse to dehumanize people and dismiss the great progress someone made for the greater good.

The News

News

Page 8

April 26, 2018

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