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March 7, 2019 | Vol. 93, No. 21

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BOB JACKSON

KEVIN SAAL

PRESIDENT

ATHLETIC DIRECTOR

NEWS

SPORTS

FEATURES

OPINION

BOARD OF REGENTS DISCUSSES TUITION INCREASE AND MORE

CANADIAN HOOPER LEADING RACERS

COUPLE GETS ENGAGED AT RACER BASKETBALL GAME

BOB JACKSON STARTS MARCH AS 14TH PRESIDENT

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News

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March 7, 2019

What you need to know from the March Board of Regents meeting dtebib@murraystate.edu

The Board of Regents discussed a variety of topics at their monthly meeting on March 1.

Tuition increase Jackie Dudley, vice president of finance and administrative services, presented the working document for the budget of fiscal year 2020 and discussed a 1- to 3-percent increase in tuition for undergraduate and graduate students.

Revenue is estimated at $610,000 for a 1-percent tuition rate increase and $1,830,000 for a 3-percent tuition rate increase. No proposals for a tuition increase have been made yet.

President Bob Jackson said the board will determine whether or not there will be a tuition increase within the next 4 to 6 weeks.

“Obviously, we have the ability to increase tuition up to the cap of 3 percent that was established by the Council of Postsecondary Education,” Jackson said. “But, we are working feverishly. We had a long meeting today [March 4] and we’ve been meeting for weeks and months actually in regard to the new budget starting in July.”

Deferred maintenance Jackson said deferred maintenance will be enhanced by $1 million in addition to the $5 million that is projected to be spent on various projects.

Chick-fil-A and Starbucks program statement Dudley also presented the program statements for Chick-fil-A and Starbucks.

Construction is expected to begin in May on Chick-fil-A, which will be going in the current Stables Room at the Curris Center. Starbucks, now in its design phase, will also be in the Curris Center across from the University Bookstore.

The estimated cost for Chick-fil-A is between $1.3 million and $1.8 million, and the estimated cost for Starbucks is between $830,000 and $1 million.

Funding to cover these costs will come from the investment dollars from the Sodexo contract, which has $7.5 million of investment funds in it.

Both program statements were approved unanimously by the board.

Property acquisitions The board also unanimously approved property acquisitions of 1604 Miller Ave. and 1606 Miller Ave., which are located behind the Nash House and engineering buildings.

“One piece of property was bought last year,” Jackson said. “Now that we have board approval, the other two will be acquired once we get state approval, and we will make those acquisitions into a green space short term. I want to see us on campus develop more green spaces.”

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The Board of Regents’ next meeting will take place on April 5.

Tune in online The College News The Murray State Minute Mondays & Fridays

9:25AM Marijuana and paraphernalia were found in a room in Hart College. A citation was issued for possession of marijuana and paraphernalia.

8:14AM Criminal mischief was reported on campus after 30 vehicles were egged at 12:57 a.m. Suspects were identified, but the investigation remains open.

12:38PM

A parked vehicle was struck by another vehicle that left the scene in the Waldrop parking lot on Feb. 24.

Position eliminations As part of the budget report, Dudley said the University will not seek to fill 26.5 positions that are currently vacant or will be vacant after retirements at the end of the fiscal year. “...that’s what we are trying to do to fix the budget for the next fiscal year, so it won’t impact people,” Jackson said.

Criminal mischief was reported after a vehicle was damaged at Alpha Sigma Phi on Oct. 10, 2018.

A parked vehicle was struck by a vehicle that left the scene in the Waterfield Library parking lot at 6 p.m. The investigation is still open.

Policy change A law that was passed in 2017 allows the governor to remove board members from public universities.

The law also requires Murray State to implement this into university policies and procedures process. To address this, an addition was made in the Board of Regents Policy Manual Section 1.1 - Bylaws of the Board of Regents.

5:30PM

10:27PM

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News Editor

“We’re looking at all of our buildings, an audit will be done soon,” Jackson said. “The CPE is going to be working with all the universities.

We’re going to be doing audited deferred maintenance needs on every public university’s campus. In the next legislative session, a budget session, which starts in January 2020, we will be making a very formal request of the legislature to appropriate funds to address these deferred maintenance needs.”

The Regents are also considering a CPE facility fee with a max of $10 per credit hour. If this is adopted in fiscal year 2020, the revenue estimate is between $1,500,000 and $1,800,000 for deferred maintenance.

8:04PM Subject was arrested for alcohol intoxication in a public place, theft of bicycle and possession of a fake ID at the Susan E. Bauernfeind Wellness Center.

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Daniella Tebib

2/21 2/19

Beyond the new hires

12:59PM Marijuana was found in a vehicle at the College Courts. A citation was issued for possession of marijuana.

1:49 AM

Marijuana and paraphernalia were found in a room in White College. A citation was issued for possession of marijuana and paraphernalia.

1:10 PM

Assault was reported after subject’s beverage was drugged at Pi Kappa Alpha on March 1.

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T HE MU R R AY STAT E

NEWS

The Police Beat is compiled with material provided by Public Safety and Emergency Management.

Not all dispatched calls are listed.

Colton Colglazier/The News

News

March 7, 2019

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SGA candidates debate hot topics Miranda Carpenter Staff writer mcarpenter4@murraystate.edu

Candidates for the Student Government Association’s Executive Board debated issues important to the University.

On March 4, The News and SGA co-hosted a debate where candidates answered questions from moderators and the crowd. Some answers have been lightly edited for clarity.

Candidates who spoke at the debate included Trey Book, Alicia Hubbard, Kailey Bold, Ernest Kenty and Warren Norman.

Kelsey Calhoun, vice president of administration candidate, did not attend.

Students can vote in the election via MyGate on March 11 and 12.

Presidential candidates: Trey Book and Alicia Hubbard What made you run for this position?

Book: “One thing that is very important to me and many other students is mental health. I want to get to the bottom of this, see why students are more stressed and show students all the resources Murray State offers for mental health. I want to help alleviate some of the pressure and let their voices be heard.”

Hubbard: “I want everyone to feel like they are at home again - for this campus to just not be a place to learn, but to come on campus to see your friends or a familiar face. I want to also see how we can change health services back to how it was, to make it feel more like home than just talking to a virtual doctor when we are sick.”

How do you plan on establishing credibility with other Board of Regents members?

Book: “I have a great working relationship with many people on campus already, really just getting to know them and why they are doing what they are doing at Murray State.”

Hubbard: “I want to get to know the Board of Regents and see why they do what they do and put my emphasis on why I love Murray State and be the voice of our campus.”

What do you see as the top three issues facing students?

Book: “One of the biggest ones is mental health, whether that being financially with tuition increasing, or other issues. Overall, mental health, finances and student retention.”

Hubbard: “Making sure the budget is in line. For example, when we have to cut professors, the students don’t get the correct help they need for classes. Overall, mental health, losing programs and faculty members.”

How do you balance your time between academics and extracurriculars?

Book: “I use my calendar on my phone a lot; I plan each week to make sure I am on task and doing what I need to do. I also prioritize and make a list of what I need to get done. When I have study time that is all I do, I don’t do anything else during that time.”

Hubbard: “I use my planner a lot. At the beginning of the week, I always plan my entire week. Just by being able to have study time, social time where I’m involved in other clubs where I have executive positions, planning where I can focus on each organization equally while making sure school is number one.”

As chair of the Senate, how will you remain fair to all members?

Book: “I will remain fair to all members by listening to everyone’s opinion, listening to everyone’s concerns. I am a big advocate for constructive criticism and feedback.

I want strong communication between myself and all the senators and all the students here by keeping the open line of communication and really getting to know everyone very well.”

Hubbard: “Letting each senator know I am here for you; I don’t want to put them in a position where they can’t talk to me or go to someone else to get their point across.”

What is your demographic priority for appointing vacancies?

Book: “I would look and see what kind of demographic with current members and see what areas on campus that we already have a lot of senators from. Then, I would look at other areas that we don’t have heavy involvement in and make connections and go to them in person and ask them to join SGA.” Hubbard: “I would be looking into the presence on this campus and putting out a search to everyone so that it’s not just specific to a certain group. I want everyone on campus to know that this is for everyone, that everyone has a voice and should use their voice.”

Nick Bohannon/The News

Presidential candidates, Alicia Hubbard and Trey Book, debated their top priorities for Murray State.

Executive Vice President candidates: Kailey Bold and Ernest Kenty What do you see as the most important responsibility for this position?

Bold: “My main responsibility as VP would be campus activities, and with that I want to make sure all 12 positions on the board are filled with the correct people. I think my main priority would be that and working with the president with whatever they might need.”

Kenty: “I feel the most important part of this position is making sure everyone is represented, getting more demographics on the board and making sure everyone’s voice is heard. If your opinion is the minority, that doesn’t mean that it doesn’t matter.

I want to make sure everyone’s voice is heard.”

How do you plan on being a contributing member to the Student Senate?

Bold: “That goes along with communication and a line of transparency. For my role, we have to communicate to know

Nick Bohannon/The News

Executive Vice President candidates, Ernest Kenty and Kailey Bold, discussed how they will handle CAB and Student Senate.

Megan Reynolds/The News

Vice President of Administration candidate Warren Norman explained his plans on keeping student senators accountable. what events are going on and what is going on within the Senate. I want to make sure everyone on the Senate is aware of what events are going on and the students are aware they can come to our meetings at any time; that they are just as important as any of the chair members on the board.”

Kenty: “Make sure everyone is represented. If your opinion is the minority,

that doesn’t mean it doesn’t matter. We have to make sure we go about things with a certain manner, we have to keep implementing new ideas and make sure we take everyone’s opinion into consideration.”

What position on the Campus Activities Board would you like to enhance the most, and why?

Bold: “I would like to enhance innovative acts.They are the ones that put on the events we see on campus.

With that I want to make sure they are meeting the students’ needs as well as fitting in with the budget.”

Kenty: “I want to enhance the finance the most and boost finance on a student level.”

Visit TheNews.org to read more from the debate.

Our View

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Editorial Board Blake Sandlin Interim Editor-in-Chief 270-809-6877 bsandlin1@murraystate.edu Bryce Anglin Production Manager 270-809-5874 zanglin@murraystate.edu Daniella Tebib News Editor 270-809-4468 dtebib@murraystate.edu Sara Howell Features Editor 270-809-5871 showell6@murraystate.edu Gage Johnson Sports Editor 270-809-4481 gjohnson17@murraystate. edu Megan Reynolds Opinion Editor 270-809-5873 mreynolds12@murraystate. edu David Wallace Chief Copy Editor 270-809-5876 dwallace15@murraystate. edu Connor Dame Ad Sales and Circulation Manager 270-809-4478 cdame2@murraystate.edu Brock Kirk Photography Editor 270-809-5878 jkirk11@murraystate.edu Kalea Anderson Chief Videographer 270-809-5878 kanderson29@murraystate. edu 2609 University Station Murray State University Murray, Kentucky 42071-3301 msunews1927@gmail.com Fax: (270) 809-3175

TheNews.org

March 7, 2019

Bob Jackson starts March as 14th president The staff editorial is the majority opinion of The Murray State News Editorial Board The Murray State Board of Regents named the new University president in their meeting on March 1.

Bob Jackson is now the official president of Murray State University, an exciting yet controversial announcement.

While the new president has been a long time coming, many aren’t very happy with the process of his election.

The University’s 14th president, Jackson may be a fresh face to the students, but is most certainly not a fresh face to Murray. He himself is an alumnus of the University, along with quite a few of his family members.

The concept of an “inside” president has been toyed with since the search started, and the Presidential Search Committee knew that it’d probably be best for Murray State.

We as a University have gone through president after president that was just using our school as a means of exaltation.

As much as we thought former President Bob Davies was a friendly face, we were just another step on his greedy climb up the ladder.

Now that we have a president who we know will dedicate himself to

the betterment of this University, we can have hope that our future will be bright.

Despite the excitement and relief this president brings, there’s also the method of his election to deal with.

The Board of Regents and the Presidential Search Committee didn’t bother trying to hide their support of Jackson.

From the beginning, it was clear they were giving the interim president special attention in their search.

Countless letters of support were read in meetings, until the day of the announcement of his position changed the trend.

The letter, written by Murray State Alumni David Franklin, Kerry Harvey, Jay Rayburn and R. Lynn Richard, was read in the very Board of Regents meeting in which Jackson was announced as the official 14th president. It calls out the process for what it was: sketchy and inefficient.

The letter’s authors focus on a few points of concern, but perhaps their most worrisome point was the special circumstances and opportunities given to Jackson.

Out of 32 candidates, none were interviewed.

The 32 were narrowed

Autumn Brown/TheNews down to seven, but those seven were never interviewed, despite being considered top tier.

Jackson bypassed every step of the process; he never had to worry about taking a step back down after his interim term was over. There’s a sense of hubris to it, and, while unfortunate, that’s the truth of the matter.

We do not question if Jackson will truly be loyal to the University.

Campus should have confidence in his drive

to better Murray State.

We simply question the methods by which he gained his position, and whether or not they should have allowed him to be the interim president if he was going to be a candidate in the official search.

It is, however, a welcome change to have such an open president who does not require his public relations staff to mediate every single question anyone wants to ask him.

The past administrations have been a terror to deal with; they seemingly placed a gag order over the entirety of Murray State’s faculty and staff. If any student, let alone news organization, wanted to ask anything remotely inquisitive about the University, you could see the fear enter their eyes.

Jackson welcomes questions with open arms. There are no hoops to jump through with him, and he is excited to show this campus his love for the University.

He wants to tell students his plans.

It’s also extremely refreshing to have a president we can trust is the same person with everyone he meets.

It’s easy to become a beloved, selfie-taking president with students while hiding the fact that your staff knows you as someone who may or may not be hiding devil horns under their fedora (not that we’ve had a president like that or anything).

There is nothing but confidence to be had in Jackson’s character. He will bring this University back to the top, and there is no doubt that staff and students can trust him.

Cheers to a new president!

Jeers to tornadoes.

The Murray State News welcomes Bob Jackson as the University’s 14th president.

Our hearts are with those in Alabama who suffered loss of family and homes after multiple tornadoes hit the area March 3.

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 atraylor@murraystate.edu.

Contributions to The News are the opinion of the author and not that of The Murray State News.

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 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 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.

Opinion

March 7, 2019

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Opinion Editor mreynolds12@murraystate.edu

never intended. Gadot experienced that firsthand.

Society tends to ignore the hope for change. For a world begging for change, and believing that “anyone is capable of change,” it doesn’t seem very ready to accept those who do.

Both Gunn and Neeson say they have changed and plead for forgiveness, but their cries never seem to reach more than a few people.

This is not to say that their actions should be excused or go without punishment. It begs the question, though, can we call ourselves any better than them if we are returning their past hatred with our present hatred?

Being “PC” is a ridiculously prevalent thing in our lives today; our own University has students that have check marks of certification next to their names. They’re under scrutiny and we, whether we know it or not, are right there with them.

It’s time we as a people change our sense of “politically correct”; we need to stop looking for hatred where it doesn’t exist, but work towards being a society that is so accepting there is no need to worry about hatred being a part of our speech.

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fire for past tweets.

While Gunn’s tweets were many years ago, they were significantly more vulgar, enough to get him fired from the “Guardians of the Galaxy” franchise.

Gadot’s tweet was more well-intentioned.

She tweeted, “Rest in peace Dr. Hawking. Now you’re free of any physical constraints. Your brilliance and wisdom will be cherished forever.” While intending to honor the late theoretical physicist, many called her an “ableist” who thought that, simply because someone was handicapped, they could not enjoy life to its fullest.

Gunn’s were not so well intended. Too raunchy to be repeated, the director acknowledges that his taboo, pedophilic and obscene tweets were only for attention.

“In the past, I have apologized for humor of mine that hurt people. I truly felt sorry and meant every single word of my apologies,” Gunn wrote in an apology.

All of these celebrities have been found at the center of scandals for comments deemed “politically incorrect,” but these days, to be correct seems hard to do.

Simple comments are taken out of context and given meaning that was

ED

Past mistakes and social media snafus seem to be celebrities’ biggest downfalls this year as 2018 and 2019 have seen quite a few hit rock bottom.

James Gunn, Gal Gadot, Jake Paul (arguably quite deserving of the fire he’s gotten), Floyd Mayweather and many, many more have all been involved in some sort of scandal over whether or not their comments have been politically correct.

Most recently, though, Liam Neeson has taken the spotlight.

On Feb. 5, in an interview promoting his new film “Cold Pursuit,” a movie in which the main character’s son is murdered, turning him to a path of vengeance, Neeson told the story of the rage that filled him after his close friend had been raped.

The topic came up after he was asked what turns his character in the film onto a violent path.

He told the interviewer that “something primal” takes hold of you when someone close to you becomes a victim of heinous crimes.

“I asked did she know who it was? ‘No.’ What colour were they? She

said it was a black person,” Neeson said in the Good Morning America interview. Robin Roberts used this interview specifically to investigate what had happened all that time ago..

After this, Neeson talks about going to areas he knew had a black population, hoping someone would approach him. He was looking for a reason to react with violence, to get revenge.

Neeson said he did this for around a week, and then it was like he woke up out of a trance.

He asked himself what he was doing, and he felt ashamed. Neeson says he sought help after that.

“I am not a racist,” Neeson said in a later interview. He also wants people to see his story as an example of how people can change and should look for help, rather than a straightforward depiction of who he is today.

Regardless of Neeson’s defenses, society is seemingly refusing to accept his statements.

Many are saying that he must still be racist, after thinking something like that. Some actors have expressed discomfort in being near the actor at award shows, like this year’s Oscars.

Similarly, film director James Gunn and actress Gal Gadot came under

SUBMIT

Megan Reynolds

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To be politically correct or not to be

mreynolds12@murraystate.edu

Savannah Jane Walton/The News

News

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March 7, 2019

All in the family

Jackson appointed 14th president of Murray State Daniella Tebib News Editor dtebib@murraystate.edu

Bob Jackson was voted the 14th president of Murray State at the Board of Regents meeting on March 1.

Jackson, who was previously interim president, was appointed with a 9-2 vote. Lisa Rudolph, presidential search committee chair and vice chair of the board, and Regent Sharon Green voted no.

“I am honored to serve as the 14th president of Murray State University and greatly appreciate the support and confidence of the Board of Regents,” Jackson said. “We have an important duty to this region and state and I look forward to the work ahead. The students and families of this region are counting on us to make a positive difference in their lives and to enhance the economic well-being of this area.”

Susan Guess, chair of the board, opened the discussion with her thoughts on the process to find a new president from the moment Bob Davies resigned.

“Just 30 more days after we began as a team, Bob Davies resigned as our president,” Guess said. “And it was just a 15-hour notice that we received that resignation before Central Michigan named him as their next president.”

Guess said several board members approached her prior to the meeting in hopes of putting the item to appoint Jackson on the agenda.

“Those who requested this action told me that Dr. Jackson is the person that they believe should be our next president,” Guess said. “They also told me that no matter what the search brought, they believe that Dr. Jackson is the person to lead us at this time.”

After Guess concluded her remarks, Student Government Association President and Student Regent J.T. Payne opened the motion to employ Bob Jackson as the 14th president at an annual salary of $325,000 for a term of four years.

Payne said he was reluctant about Jackson at first, but after working closely with him, the student Regent’s opinion changed.

“Today, the time has come to determine a person… who no doubt has an overwhelming amount of community support, a person who has proven he can provide much needed stability of the University in these prevailing times and a person who has the confidence of both the student body as a whole and me as an individual,” Payne said.

Rudolph said she had some concerns with appointing Jackson as president.

“It’s the ‘what,’ not the ‘who,’ as I said in the forums… it’s the process,” Rudolph said. “We have 32 candidates, we have several that have been identified as tier 1 and had been ranked as we wanted to bring them in for interviews.

We find ourselves here, abandoning the process, abandoning the search and voting to hire a president when we have not vetted a single candidate and not interviewed a single candidate. So, I have a little bit of an issue with the credibility of the board process and the hiring process… We’re jumping to the finish line without completing the steps.”

Rudolph was not the only one with these concerns.

Green said she had received many phone calls and a letter from concerned alumni. She then read a letter sent from alumni David Franklin, Kerry Harvey, Jay Rayburn and R. Lynn Richard, who also had problems with the process.

“The integrity of the process itself is as important as the outcome and the candidate selected. While identifying the new president is vitally important, the integrity of the process either advances, or in the worst case, undermines the very ideals upon which MSU rests,” according to the letter.

The alumni who wrote the letter believe the main goal of the search process was to create the most competitive pool of candidates to choose a president from.

“A new president selected from a search seen as fair and rigorous has a far better chance of success than one forever tainted with the suspicion that the process was designed to reach a predetermined result,” according to the letter.

The alumni also took issue with some of the actions the board has taken throughout this process.

“These actions include allowing an interim president to also be a candidate in the search; the decision to forego the use of a reputable executive search firm to identify and recruit high -quality candidates to the final interview stage before the process has truly begun, giving that candidate explicit and well-publicized advantage over every other applicant by creating a separate process that applies to only one candidate,” according to the letter.

However, the board also received numerous letters and resolutions urging them to appoint Jackson.

Stephen Williams, Harry Lee Waterfield II and Alan Stout, former chairs of the board, wrote a letter to recommend Jackson as the next president.

The former chairs also said by

appointing Jackson, the University would save money and time.

“The timeline for an expensive national search with a contracted search firm would likely extend 7-9 months or more from the initiation of a search until the arrival of the selected candidate. Our last search took about 10 months. Then add to that at least 6 to 9 months, more likely a year or more, for the new unfamiliar president to gain knowledge of MSU, the region, and the Commonwealth sufficient to feel comfortable in making difficult policy and financial decisions and recommendations to the BOR. That means MSU would be going 18 months or more without strong, informed presidential leadership. Could the BOR really expect to find someone else from the ‘outside’ who could even come close to having… other attributes that would outweigh all of those attributes above which Dr. Jackson clearly possesses,” according to the letter.

Regent Jerry Rhoads said he spoke in favor of the appointment of Jackson because of the overwhelming support Jackson has received from a variety of organizations.

“It’s amazing to me how many different constituent groups have stepped forward to express their views about Dr. Jackson,” Rhoads said. “Students, staff, faculty, community, legislative leaders, a judicial representative, former supreme court justice, large donors - they’ve just sort of rallied to make their statement to this board that we have the right person at the right time.”

To avoid issues with any future presidential searches, Regent Don Tharpe suggested the board should develop policies to regulate the process.

“I’d like to remind the board that we are a policy board and being a policy board, we need to be drafting policy about how we elect our president,” Tharpe said. “If we had that policy in place, we wouldn’t be where we are now... [We should have] policies in place about how we select a president, if we should select a search firm and how we go about this process.”

Moving forward as president, Jackson hopes to continue the University’s focus on recruitment and retention efforts and deferred maintenance. He also plans to move into Oakhurst soon.

Rosalyn Churchman/The News

March 7, 2019

News

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Sports

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March 7, 2019

Saal introduced as Racers’ new AD Gage Johnson Sports Editor gjohnson17@murraystatew.edu

Six months after Murray State women’s golf Head Coach Velvet Milkman was named the interim athletic director, Kevin Saal was made the ninth athletic director in Murray State history.

Along with this announcement came the decision to make Bob Jackson the University’s new president.

Jackson was in attendance at Salle’s introductory press conference on Friday, May 1, and expressed his delight to have Saal join Murray State.

“We are very excited about Kevin, Jennifer and their sons joining our Racer family,” Jackson said. “Kevin has a wealth of experience, is a seasoned athletics administrator and

has the necessary integrity, vision, passion and enthusiasm to assist us in taking Racer Athletics to a new, higher level.”

Saal is no stranger to collegiate athletics. It began as a student-athlete as a swimmer and diver at the University of Arkansas.

After earning his B.S. and M.S. at Texas Christian University and the University of Kansas, Saal joined the athletic department at UK in 2007.

Saal worked under UK Athletic Director Mitch Barnhart during his 12-year tenure as the Kentucky executive associate athletic director with the Wildcats. Saal is the latest of Barnhart’s assistants to become an athletic director, as others have left for positions at the University of Alabama, University of Florida, Mississippi State

University, University of Oregon and the University of Minnesota.

Barnhart appreciates the work Saal put in at UK, and is thrilled for the great things to come for Saal and the Racers.

“Kevin is an amazing, incredibly talented leader with the capacity to make people around him better everyday,” Barnhart said.

“I’m thankful for what he’s done here and excited that part of our UK family will stay in the Commonwealth of Kentucky as we watch him grow the program at Murray State.”

Saal described Murray State as a special place and is excited to help grow the Racer athletic programs.

“From the first time I met with the committee, I felt an instant connection,” Saal said. “The committee sold me on this job. They’re very

passionate about Murray, and it’s an incredible opportunity at a prominent and successful Division I program.”

The extensive search for a full-time AD stretched out across the country, with hundreds of candidates being interviewed before deciding upon Saal.

“We started the search process around September,” Jackson said. “We went through a number of different interviews and Kevin rose to the top very quickly.

The cause was passion and enthusiasm. This an important job at any university and it’s especially important here.”

Saal has enjoyed countless successes at UK and hopes to translate that to all programs within Murray State Athletics.

“All of our programs, all of our sports, all of our facil-

Photo courtesy of Racer Athletics

Kevin Saal addresses the media as the Racers’ new Athletic Director. ities—that piece is important,” Saal said. “Programs aren’t going to sacrifice for other programs. We’re

going to slowly and methodically build it so we can raise the tide for everyone at the same time.”

Canadian hooper leading Racers Gage Johnson Sports Editor gjohnson17@murraystate.edu

Sophomore guard Janika Griffith-Wallace has helped catapult the Racers to the No. 6 seed in the OVC Tournament, but before coming to Murray State she had to find her way from Canada to the United States.

Griffith-Wallace is from Brampton, Ontario, and she started her athletic career taking on soccer at the age of eight.

She played soccer until the age of 12, but it wasn’t until GriffithWallace recovered from an injury that she sustained playing on a smaller basketball goal that she really jumped into the world of hoops.

In grade six she was spotted playing pickup with some boys by a coach, who then recruited her to play for Toronto Triple Threat, which marked the beginning of Griffith-Wallace’s basketball career.

She played for multiple organizations before joining the Brampton Warriors. Playing her first year of AAU basketball in grade nine, it was there that Griffith-Wallace found out she

had a bright future in basketball.

“I hadn’t really taken basketball serious,” Griffith-Wallace said. “I didn’t know I’d end up in the States. After my first tournament, I ending up coming back home and receiving a lot of letters.”

From there Griffith-Wallace continued to play AAU basketball in the United States, before playing for Tech Academy in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. She led the team with 18.0 ppg, which led to Head Coach Rechelle Turner finding her through the internet.

“We actually first saw her on YouTube,” Turner said.

“Janika’s athleticism and ability to score the basketball caught our attention quickly. Janika possessed basketball qualities that you can’t teach. I had a contact that coached her in AAU, so I contacted him and began recruiting her. We began talking with her and then brought her on a visit.”

Shortly after, Griffith-Wallace made her commitment to Murray State basketball. The next thing that had to be taken care of was her visa. It took a few tries to receive her F1 visa after some confusion, but eventually assis-

tant coach Amber Guffey and Griffith-Wallace were able to get the visa.

“Honestly, it was pretty hard in the beginning,” GriffithWallace said. “I ended up losing like $300 because I went to the wrong website. Coach Guffey had helped me find the correct website and went through it with me.”

Leaving behind six siblings, 10 nieces and nephews and other family in Canada, it’s hard for them to come watch her play.

Despite being away from home, Griffith-Wallace has been able to keep in contact every day.

“I’m really family oriented,” Griffith-Wallace said. “We talk like almost every day. FaceTime is really good. I talked to them before the Austin Peay game because they were all at my mom’s house, which was good because I haven’t seen them in a really long time.”

Thrust into the starting lineup her freshman year after coming to America, there was a large learning curve as she adjusted to the pace of play at the Division I level while gaining experience from upperclassmen.

Going into her sophomore season, Griffith-Wallace was

one of two players on last season’s roster with experience in the OVC Tournament. With that in mind, Turner challenged her to step up as a crucial aspect to the team offensively, as well as a leader.

“She’s answered the challenge,” Turner said. “I sat her on the bench for a few games and said, ‘Hey, we need you, but we need you to be the player you can be.’ I believe the main reason for her improvement has been her willingness to be coached. Her work ethic and attitude has improved tremendously this year.”

Her efforts in practice have translated to the bright lights, as she has scored in double figures in nine of the last 10 games, seven of which were Racer victories. With the consistent support from Turner and meetings with assistant coaches Jauwan Scaife and Guffey, GriffithWallace’s play elevated.

“Coach Turner was on me, letting me know like, ‘Janika you’re one of the oldest on the team, you need to be a leader and these are things you need to do to help us win,’” Griffith-Wallace said.

“We had that conversation and I had spoke to Jauwan and Coach

Courtesy of Racer Athletics

Guffey; since then a switch has literally been flipped.”

It only took her traveling 804 miles away from home and a season and a half of college basketball, but as Turner mentioned in a recent press conference, “Janika has arrived.”

“It’s the six inches between her ears,” Turner said. “She’s just playing with a high rate of confidence right now; kind of playing with a little swag that we need her to play with. She is the one player on our team that if we need a bucket, she can go get one. Right now, if the game is on the line, she’s the one I want with the ball in her hands.”

Sports

March 7, 2019

Page 9

Seniors cherish final home game Keenan Hall Staff writer khall16@murraystate.edu

Murray State basketball seniors were honored in the Racers’ last home game on Saturday, March 2, as they reflected on their careers in the blue and gold.

Three players were honored for the Racers in this year’s senior night on Saturday, March 2. Murray State women’s basketball sent off its lone senior guard Michaela Manley, while Racer men’s basketball senior guard Shaq Buchanan and senior forward Brion Sanchious said their goodbyes to a record-breaking crowd at the CFSB Center.

Manley

In her first start of the season, Manley kicked-off senior night with a bang, scoring the first three points of the game. Her teammates quickly followed her lead as the Racers took care of Austin

Peay to clinch a sixth-seed in the OVC tournament.

The Benton, Kentucky, native hasn’t had a standout career full of accolades and accomplishments, but Manley has embodied the Racer tradition. She is highly respected among her peers and has been a valuable asset to the program. Women’s basketball Head Coach Rachelle Turner called on her to step up in her final game at home, and Manley responded.

“It made my heart happy when she hit that shot to start the game,” Turner said. “Just the look on her face after it went in, and knowing she will have that memory forever.

Also, for us to be able to get that win for her on senior night meant the world to me.”

With foul trouble plaguing the Racers against the Governors, Manley finished the game with 11 meaningful minutes and secured four rebounds. Her efforts on and off the court helped motivate her younger teammates to go into tournament play on a good note.

Gage Johnson/The News

Senior guard Michaela Manley is introduced as a starter on senior night.

“She played a big part in that win,” Turner said.

“Although she didn’t score a whole lot, she kept a lot of possessions alive for us. You want kids like that to succeed.”

Manley’s approach to the game hasn’t changed in her four years, even though the atmosphere around the program did. She had a smile on her face for a majority of the night and she showed it in her play.

“It was an incredible experience. We have worked so hard this season with coach Turner and her staff,” Manley said. “I just want to thank my teammates and my coaches.

They really are the best.”

Turner believes Manley is the kind of athlete she wants to be a part of the Murray State women’s basketball program.

“She’s an amazing ambassador for Murray State, and women’s basketball,” Turner said. “If we can continue to recruit and have those type of players in our program then we will be successful.”

Buchanan and Sanchious Buchanan has been a crucial piece of the puzzle since joining the team in 2017.

Before he signed with the Racers last season, he played two seasons at Northeast Mississippi Junior College.

Buchanan’s high-flying and ball-hawking abilities are one of the main reasons Murray State won back-to-back OVC regular-season titles. He has raised his scoring average from his junior year from 9.9 ppg to 13.3 ppg this season.

Buchanan also grabs 4.1

rpg while shooting 33.6 percent from beyond the arc. He has put together an impressive resume in his two years as a Racer. As his time at Murray State winds down, he doesn’t want to miss his chance to stay in the present.

“It feels Stephanie Anderson/The News like yesterday the Senior forward Brion Sanchious and senior guard Shaq Buchanan share a hug after their last home game. season was He would eventually part of our rebuild process just starting,” Buchanan bounce back to the starting and rebranding the culture said. “Now, here we are in lineup. Sanchious also had of our program. He has been the conference tournament, two big games in his junior terrific to have in the program so I’m just cherishing every year at the OVC Tournament. over these last four years.” moment.”

He helped the Racers achieve McMahon spoke about how Murray State men’s bastheir 16th NCAA tournament his two seniors have left their ketball Head Coach Matt appearance. mark on Murray State men’s McMahon speaks highly of This season, Sanchious basketball.

Buchanan after two seasons has embraced coming off the “They have impacted our learning who he is as a person. bench behind junior forward team on and off the court,” “We can describe all his athDarnell Cowart and freshMcMahon said. “Their success leticism, his defensive ability, man forward KJ Williams. reflects what they mean to and that’s great, but at the He understood his position Murray State basketball in the end of the day he’s a winner,” on the team and found other years they have been here.”

McMahon said. “The guy is a ways to make an impact.

Sanchious has grown up warrior. He has come in and “My role is to come in throughout his career at worked extremely hard from with defensive energy and Murray State. He relished day one.” staying focused on guardin the good times and the Sanchious came into the ing my matchup,” Sanchious bad and enjoyed trusting the Racer family as a freshman said. “Bringing energy and a process. from Northeast High School, defensive mindset is my job.”

“I don’t regret anything in Pompano Beach, Florida.

McMahon believes as a that’s happened in my four He had a promising start coach, there’s more to the years,” Sanchious said. “It’s to his career in the 2015-16 job than winning games. been a long road, and you season. However, in his first “It’s why you become a always think about that last career start, he suffered a knee coach: to have an impact in buzzer. But like Shaq said, injury that sidelined him for your players’ lives,” McMahon we just here to cherish every the remainder of his freshsaid. “Brion has been a big moment. It’s going to be fun.” man season.

Features

Page 10

March 7, 2019

Love is in the air Couple gets engaged at Racer basketball game Claire Smith Staff writer csmith110@murraystate.edu

A couple decked out in Racer colors got engaged at a basketball game on Feb. 7.

Joel Reddick, Murray State graduate from Bradwell, Kentucky proposed to his then-girlfriend Makena Edging.

“I literally planned the proposal that day while eating lunch when she asked me if I wanted to go to the game that night,” Reddick said. “She’s always loved basketball.”

The couple frequently attends Murray State basketball games together.

“I was feeling pretty

nervous even though I was confident she would say yes,” Reddick said. “She had no idea ‘til she saw me down on one knee.”

Reddick had help from the media department to set up the proposal; the department helps with Racer basketball games.

Edging, junior from Bradwell, Kentucky, met her fiancé in high school through mutual friends.

Edging and Reddick have been together for five and a half years. They started dating after Reddick asked her out for the first time when their FFA chapter was at the Kentucky State Fair.

Basketball has been a big part of her life.

“I played basketball in high school, so I have a real passion for it, and he enjoys watching with me,” Edging said.

Abagail Lanier, junior from Carlisle County, Kentucky, went to high school with the couple and is roommates with Edging.

“I have known both of them for as long as I can remember,” Lanier said.

“They have loved each other since 8th grade and I am so excited to see how their love grows for each other in their marriage.”

The night the couple got engaged, Lanier and their other roommate decorated their apartment and invited guests over for a surprise engagement party.

Photo courtesy of Makena Edging

The proposal was displayed on the jumbotron.

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Makena Edging and Joel Reddick got engaged at a basketball game on Feb. 7.

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Features

March 7, 2019

Page 11

Disney internship offers magical experience Alexis Schindler Staff writer aschindler1@murraystate.edu

The Disney College

Program gives Murray State students the opportunity for an internship at “the most magical place on earth.”

Mary Kathryn Curtis, senior from Mayfield, Kentucky, was recently accepted into the program at Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida.

Curtis will be working as an attractions cast member from August to January. The program allows for different terms of study ranging from as long as a seven-month stay to as little as a five-month stay.

“My best friend did the Disney College Program for a whole year,” Curtis said. “She really loved it, and I loved hearing her stories from her time there.”

She said when she heard the applications opened up, she just decided to go for it.

“It never hurts to apply, and if you love Disney, why not?” Curtis said.

The Disney College Program was established in 1981. It is a paid internship that allows current college students and recent graduates from around the world to work and live at either of Disney’s two locations in the U.S., Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida or Disneyland Park in Anaheim, California.

“This truly unique five-to seven-month program allows participants to network with leaders, take part in personal and career development classes, and build transferable skills such as problem-solving, teamwork, guest service and effective communication,” according to the Disney Careers website.

This program allows students to apply for different job positions in the park of their choosing. The job the students are assigned to determines how many hours a week they work and how much they are paid.

Some of the money that students make goes toward house fees. The park the students decide to go to and the apartment complex they

decide to live in throughout their participation in the program determines how high these housing fees will be.

Bridgette McAuliffe, recent Murray State graduate from Shepherdsville, Kentucky, completed an August to January semester at the Orlando location her junior year.

“I got scheduled the bare minimum hours and after rent I had about $200 a week left,” McAuliffe said. “I ended up being able to bring back enough money to Murray State to almost pay my tuition for the next semester.”

The Disney College Program requires its participants to take a course with Disney during their time there. The company works around the schedules of the students to make sure they can attend one of the Exploring Disney classes. It is possible to earn college course credit depending on the class as well.

For students who wish to not only take a required course with Disney but to continue taking online classes through Murray State, Disney has a program called Independence Study Hall, formerly known as Distance Learning.

According to Disney’s website, students who take advantage of the Independence Study Hall have time set aside each week for them to complete their coursework while still working for the Disney College Program.

McAuliffe said she saw this program as a way to pursue her passion of working for Disney and an opportunity to get her foot in the door with the company.

“Growing up, Disney was always my passion, what I loved and what I wanted to do,” McAuliffe said. “The music and movies really helped me get through a lot of difficult times in my life, and I knew that someday, somehow I wanted to work for the company.”

The program does have some enrollment requirements.

Firstly, students have to be enrolled in an accredited institution or program

and meet the requirements of that institution to participate. A college freshman can not participate during their first semester of college but can in their second, and college graduates can participate as long as they apply within a 12-month range of the date of their graduation.

Secondly, the student has to be of the U.S. legal age of 18 years old by the time their program starts.

The amount of time it takes to get accepted into the program may vary.

McAuliffe said she was accepted within four days of her submission, but has a friend that had to wait three months to be accepted into the program.

This program has other advantages, like the participants being able to get into the Disney parks for free any day they wish with the exception of holidays and new-attraction opening days, which typically cause the parks to sell out.

Disney College Program participants also get three free tickets upon arrival to give to the persons of their choosing; they receive another three free tickets once they work 150 hours, another three at 300 hours and another three at 600 hours. There is a max of nine free tickets per calendar year. Participants get a 50 percent off discount at Disney hotels as well.

Disney also offers public transport for its program participants, so the students do not have to waste the extra money it would cost to have a car. There are housing events the students can attend to further connect with other students and Disney corporate members.

McAuliffe said she doesn’t regret taking a semester off because the program was worth it and helped her realize what job she wanted to pursue.

“This is really what is going to shape you into an adult, help you focus on yourself for a bit and figure out what it is you want to do and what you need to do while also allowing you to have fun,” McAuliffe said. “It was probably the best experience of my life and one of the best decisions I made.”

Photo courtesy of Mary Kathryn Curtis

Mary Kathryn Curtis posed in mouse ears at her apartment once she found out she was accepted into the program.

Photo courtesy of Bridgette McAuliffe

Bridgette McAuliffe met Winnie the Pooh and Tigger during her time in the Disney College Program.

March 7, 2019

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