The Murray State News

M

THE MUR R AY STATE

NEWS

www.TheNews.org

@TheMurrayStateNews

AD YOUR

STAND OUT FROM THE CROWD E R E H

@MurrayStateNews

@TheMurrayStateNews

@MurrayStateNews

CONTACT US (270)-809-4478 msunewsads@gmail.com

October 24, 2019 | Vol. 94, No. 8

Community clinic offers students free health care Breanna Harris Contributing Writer bharris17@murraystate.edu

Addison Watson/The News Narcan is a nasal spray that can help reverse an opioid overdose.

Citizens Police Academy: Detective talks narcotics Addison Watson Contributing Writer awatson25@murraystate.edu

The third night of the Murray Police Department’s Citizens Police Academy on Oct. 21 centered around the drug problems in the Murray area, including on Murray State’s campus.

Narcotics Detective Michael Weatherford, who is also a military police officer in the Kentucky Army National Guard, taught this week’s class.

Marijuana, methamphetamine, cocaine, heroin and prescription drugs are some of the narcotics Weatherford touched on in the class. He fo cused on the effects the drugs have on the community and how he tries to combat them.

“I can arrest minor users all day long,” Weatherford said. “Probably 15 to 20 people a day, but you have

News Opinion Sports Features

page 2 page 5 page 7 page 10

to stop the source to make a difference.”

M a r i j u a na c o n s u m e s the majority of the cases Weatherford works on, but he said methamphetamine and prescription drugs are found in large quantities in the community.

I can arrest minor users all day long. Probably 15 to 20 people a day, but you have to stop the source to make a difference.

- Michael Weatherford, narcotics detective

According to the 2018 Kentucky Overdose Fatality Report, 1,247 people

died from a drug overdose in the commonwealth last year, down from 1,477 the year before. The majority, 786, of those were a result of fentanyl. The synthetic, or man-made, opioid is 50 times more potent than heroin and 100 times more potent than morphine.

Weatherford said while fentanyl is present in Murray, it’s not typically the opioid of choice. He said the most-abused opioids are commonly prescribed pain relievers, Lortab and Oxycodone.

Weatherford showed attendees Narcan, a nasal spray that counteracts the life-threatening effects of opioid overdoses. He said Narcan was only previously offered to police departments through a grant but due to the opioid epidemic, state officials now provide every officer with the life-saving spray.

,

see POLICE page 3

Free health care serv i c e s a re ava i l a b l e t o Murray State students as long as they meet certain financial requirements.

Angels Community Clinic, which serves about 2,000 patients a year, offers free health care services to students who do not have medical insurance or meet low-income requirements. Those who meet the financial eligibility requirements receive examinations, basic diagnostic tests and prescription medications at no cost.

“We have tried to put it out there for the students, on several occasions we have flyers; the patients know that we are here, but we do not have a nurse practitioner or a pharmacist here,” Heather Grisson, medical assistant, said.

According to the Angels Community Clinic website, doctors, nurses, pharmacists and most of the staff members volunteer their time. The Murray-Calloway County Hospital provides basic X-rays and lab services based on income guidelines.

The clinic has been open for nearly 20 years. The Angels Attic Thrift Shop, which opened in 2002, provides financial support to the clinic.

“Private donations provide about 25 percent of the clinic’s funding, and the Angels Attic, a thrift store that sells donated clothing, furniture, and other goods, supplies the other 75 percent of the clinic budget,” according to the website.

If a patient is in need of lab work, the clinic will fill out the necessary paperwork by teaming up with the hospital. It is important to the clinic to have the same requirements as the hospital to ensure that the patient receives the proper care.

For a student to have access to free health care services, he or she must show proof that they meet the financial criteria and do not already have health insurance.

“As students we really don’t have the money to get the health care we need so it’s nice that free health insurance is

,

see HEALTH CARE page 4

Brock Kirk/The News Angels Community Clinic offers free health care services to students.

Deadline for absentee ballots approaches

Superscoretakes over ACT

Racerbasketball inches closer with OVC Media Day

Photo gallery: Racers return for Homecoming

page 2

page 6

page 9

page 10

News

2

2

Contact your county clerk’s office for an absentee ballot.

3

Submit your absentee ballot

by Oct. 29.

10/8 10/6 10/3 10/2

1

Determine if you are eligible for in-person voting or mail-in voting.

12:27AM

10/9

Submit your absentee ballot by Oct. 29.

3:22PM

10/13

Nov. 5?

9:37PM

10/15 10/14

Are you unable to vote at your polling location on

October 24, 2019

3:20PM

Colton Colglazier/The News

Emily Shepherd Contributing Writer eshepherd2@murraystate.edu For voters who do not reside in the Murray area, the deadline to cast absentee ballots in Kentucky is Oct. 29.

Voters who can’t make it to the polls on Nov. 5 can still make their voices heard in the upcoming election by submitting an absentee ballot.

Talia Smith, public relations representative for DoSomething.org, said the 2018 election showed an increase of absentee voters.

“The 2018 election broke the record for the number of absentee and early votes in any midterm election in American history, helping to change election outcomes nationwide,” Smith said. “The trend of early voting continues to grow, and the millions of out-of-state college students, who are often far away from their voting location, prefer voting absentee 2:1.”

To vote with an absentee ballot in Kentucky, voters must follow specific procedures. Two options are available for absentee voters: mail-in voting or in-person voting. However, early voting and unexcused absentee voting are prohibited in Kentucky.

For each option, there are certain requirements voters must meet.

According to the State Board of Elections, to qualify to vote by mail-in absentee ballot, voters must be

advanced in age, disabled or ill; military personnel, dependent or overseas citizen; students who temporarily reside outside the county; voters who temporarily reside outside of Kentucky, but are still eligible to vote in Kentucky; incarcerated, but not yet convicted of a crime; or voters prevented from voting in person on election day or casting an in-person absentee ballot.

Mail-in absentee ballots can only be obtained by contacting the county clerk’s office.

According to the State Board of Elections, requirements for in-person absentee voters are similar. To be an eligible in-person absentee voter, voters must be out of the county on election day; advanced in age, disabled or ill; military personnel, dependent or overseas citizens; students who temporarily reside outside of the county; voters or spouses of voters who have surgery scheduled that will require hospitalization on Election Day; or pregnant women in their third trimester.

Jennifer Morrison, assistant professor of political science, encourages students to vote.

“Don’t think your vote doesn’t count, last year only a quarter of Kentuckians voted,” Morrison said. “Vote regardless of your party or your beliefs. It’s a right that’s been fought for, and we should use it.”

Kelsey Whalen, graduate from Barnhart, Missouri, said

she is an absentee voter because she wants her voice heard.

“The way they have things set up it made voting inconvenient, but it’s something I’m passionate about so I tried to plan ahead,” Whalen said. “I knew I wouldn’t be able to go home to vote… If students want to see change, they need to vote for the candidate that wants to better higher education.”

Whalen participated in the 2016 presidential election using an absentee ballot.

She signed up for a ballot online, received the ballot in the mail and mailed the ballot to her county after filling it out.

“My parents participated in the 2016 election too by absentee voting and they were in Jamaica,” Whalen said.

In the 2016 election, it bothered Whalen that many of her friends didn’t make the effort to vote.

“I didn’t know a single person who was voting absentee,” Whalen said. “They [people who don’t participate in voting] are the same people who complain about the government and our leaders, but at the same time don’t do anything about it.”

Kentucky residents can check their voting status and learn more about the absentee voting process at www.

GoVoteKy.com.

Students who do not reside in Kentucky should contact their local county clerk’s office for more information about absentee voting in their state.

7:14PM

A parked vehicle was struck by a vehicle that left the scene on North 6th Street.

10:15AM

Theft was reported at the Curris Center after cash was stolen from a purse on Oct. 5. The investigation is still open.

7:43PM

Marijuana and drug paraphernalia were found in a vehicle at Roy Stewart Stadium.

A citation was issued.

Wanton endangerment was reported at Carr Health after a subject was cited for throwing a rock into a crowd of people and using someone else’s operator’s license as their own. A citation was issued.

Multiple crimes were reported on Main Street. Marijuana, drug paraphernalia and a legend drug were found during a traffic stop. The subject had no license plate and failed to change their address. A citation was issued.

Theft was reported at Regents College after a bicycle was stolen on Oct. 13. The investigation is still open.

3:17PM

Rape was reported in the Residential Colleges after unwanted sexual contact by an acquaintance occurred on Oct. 14. No criminal complaint was received.

12:38PM

A vehicle was struck by another vehicle that left the scene.

10/17 10/16

Deadline for absentee ballots approaches

Criminal mischief was reported after a ceiling tile was vandalized at Regents College.

The investigation is still open.

8:48PM

Criminal mischief was reported after a flyer was vandalized at White College on Sept. 15.

6:01PM

Marijuana was found at Regents College.

Police Beat is compiled with material from the Murray State Crime and Fire Log. Not all dispatched calls are listed.

Colton Colglazier/The News

News

October 24, 2019

3

City named among nation’s top safest college towns Daniella Tebib News Editor dtebib@murraystate.edu

Addison Watson/The News

Detective Michael Weatherford shows a photo of drug paraphernalia seized in recent busts.

POLICE From Page 1 While Weatherford does not deal directly with Murray State, he said marijuana and Xanax are the top drugs used by college students.

According to the 2018 Murray State Annual Campus Security Report, 35 arrests and six disciplinary referrals were made in 2017 for violations of drug laws. This data shows an increase from 2016 when 23 arrests and three disciplinary referrals were made.

The latest outbreak to sweep the nation is the use of liquid-based Tetrahydrocannabinol, a chemical compound found in marijuana that delivers a high to its users. Younger adults and college students vape the liquid to get high. It’s also easy to obtain a device to vape the liquid through.

Thirty-three people in 24 states, including at least one in Kentucky, have died due to vaping-related illnesses and another 1,479 have been sickened, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“We do know that THC is present in most of the samples tested by FDA to date, and most patients report a history of using

THC-containing products,” a c c o rd i n g t o t h e C D C website.

Weatherford said he is seeing THC-laced vapes in Murray, although no deaths have been reported thus far.

He uses a number of methods to investigate drug cases including confidential informants, audio and video recording equipment, tips, surveillance and knocking on doors.

Not all the instances he observes will result in an arrest, although he said he could do so.

“Sometimes you have to let the smaller things slide to build a bigger case,” Weatherford said. “That way the collective evidence stacks and the charge will stick with the person when it goes to court.”

Sgt. Brant Shutt said the community frequently asks why Murray has such an increased drug problem, but he wants the community to know the department is doing everything it can to combat it.

“We send our guys to training every year, and still can’t keep up with the drug abuse,” Shutt said.

He mentioned the great job Weatherford does when taking a case from a road officer.

“Anytime an officer has a substance he is not sure

about, he will contact the narcotics officer,” Shutt said.

“Also, if it appears to be a large amount and [there’s] the possibility of a search warrant, he will be contacted. This doesn’t mean he has to come out, but can at least advise what to do if necessary and decide to come out if needed.”

In most cases when an officer crosses paths with a small quantity of narcotics, the officer will handle the case themselves.

Weatherford said nearly $60,000 in cash was confiscated in the last two years during drug busts. Some of the money confiscated goes back into the department for law enforcement purchases.

One of those purchases was a 55 gallon drum, called a drug terminator, that is used to incinerate and sterilize confiscated narcotics.

This allows officers to dispose of the drugs and make the waste safe for the landfill.

Crime scene investigation will be the topic of the next Citizens Police Academy on Oct. 28.

Addison Watson is a contributing writer for The Murray State News. As part of his assignment, he is attending the Citizens Police Academy at the Murray Police Department to write this series of stories. You can find all the articles in the series at TheNews.org.

Colton Colglazier/The News

The city of Murray was named one of America’s safest college towns.

To determine which college towns are the safest, SafeWise, a safety-focused consumer research firm, analyzes the violent crime rates in the areas.

According to SafeWise, Murray was ranked 38th with a crime rate of 1.35 crimes per 1000 people. It was also the only Kentucky city in the top 50 and one of five towns in the regional area which includes Illinois, Missouri, Indiana, Kentucky and Tennessee.

President Bob Jackson said he was extremely pleased for Murray to receive this recognition.

“The health, safety and well-being of our students is of utmost importance,” Jackson said. “This recognition, along with our 2019 national rankings for top quality academics and as one of America’s best college values, makes Murray State University one of the most attractive choices for a high-quality, high-value education.”

Mayor Bob Rogers was also pleased with the announcement as safety is Murray’s number one priority.

“The safety and well-being of our citizens is our highest priority and when students come to Murray State, they become our citizens,” Rogers said. “Their safety and well-being is of paramount importance to us. We realize that a lot of students reside off campus and we want to be sure that they’re safe where they live, as well as when they travel to and from campus. Being a parent and grandparent, I fully realize how important it is to families to know that their children are in a safe environment.”

Kiara Jones, sophomore from Elizabethtown, Kentucky, said she always feels safe on campus.

“I walk around on campus at night all the time, whether I’m leaving the library or class,” Jones. “But, I always feel safe. I use the LiveSafe app if I ever feel nervous, but that rarely happens.”

The Murray State Police Department and Center for Adult and Regional Education were also named first in the nation for their campus safety initiatives. Both of the University units received the 2018 Department of the Year award from Safe Campus, according to the press release.

To ensure student safety, emergency call boxes are located throughout campus on the residential and academic sides of campus.

There are two types of emergency call boxes: yellow call boxes and blue light call boxes. Both types of call boxes are direct lines to the Murray State police dispatch.

The blue light emergency call boxes located on campus are the posts with the solar panels, blue light and the word “emergency” written vertically down the pole. Students who feel like they are in danger can press the emergency button on the boxes to be directed to police. Once activated, the blue light will light up and start flashing.

A police officer will then be dispatched to the location of the box.

The yellow call boxes also serve as a direct connection to the Murray State Police, but they are not equipped with a light.

Students can also download the LiveSafe app on their phones to practice safety on campus. According to the website, LiveSafe allows users to share information to keep the campus safe, make sure their friends arrive safely with SafeWalk and get help fast by calling or messaging the Murray State Police.

Kalea Anderson/The News

News

4

Flu season

October 24, 2019

Local pharmacies run out of vaccine Sarah Mead Contributing Writer smead@murraystate.edu October to April is prime flu season, so students and Health Services staff are working to prevent major outbreaks on campus amidst shortage of flu shots.

“I haven’t seen any cases of flu in the [campus] clinic yet,” Scott Curran, physician’s assistant at Health Services, said.

“We have had a few positive flu A’s and flu B’s over at Primary Care’s main clinic.”

In order to keep the occurrence of illnesses low, the Health Services clinic encourages healthy students to get flu shots. Vaccines are available at the campus clinic, the Primary Care Medical Center in Murray, and pharmacies that offer the service.

“I like to administer them while the student is feeling well so that they’re not already sick,” Curran said. “I recommend that everybody get in and get them now.

We’re in October. We’re at the start of the season. The more people we have protected from it, the better.”

Unfortunately, some local pharmacies are not currently offering the flu shot due to a lack of stock.

“It’s a widespread thing.”

Brian More, pharmacy technician at Walgreens, said.

“We give them out pretty quickly. It’s a nationwide back order.”

The Murray Walmart pharmacy has the general flu shot in stock, but is currently out of the higher dosage of flu shot given to older people.

“It’s the high dose flu shot [we’re out of],” Katti Brigit, pharmacy technician at Walmart, said. “We still have flu shots, it’s just the high dose for the elderly. [People] 65 and older get a certain type of flu shot and everybody seems to be out of that right now.

There’s a nationwide shortage of that.”

Pharmacies are attempting to make do with what products they have in stock.

“We do have a stronger dose that we can give to the elderly,” Brigit said. “It’s stronger than the original flu shot that a lot of people are getting. People who are really concerned about getting the flu will take that. As far as the high dose, we just can’t get it right now.”

The pharmacies are anticipating a restock of supplies soon.

“We should be getting some tomorrow [Oct. 24],” More said.

The flu shot plays a large role in preventing the onset of the flu. Handwashing, hand sanitizer, and avoiding contact with infected students are also important ways to prevent spreading the disease. However, even with precautionary measures, students may still get the flu this semester.

“No vaccine is 100 percent perfect.” Curran said.

Stephanie Anderson/The News Customers are greeted with this sign at Walgreens alerting them that the pharmacy does not currently have flu shots.

“Some people may still get the flu, particularly if they missed their guess on what the strains are and that kind of thing this year.”

Symptoms of the flu include sinus and head discomforts such as headaches, sneezing, and coughing. While these can also be signs of the common cold, the accompaniment of fevers and body aches could mean the onset of the flu.

“A true fever is 100.4 [degrees] or greater,” Curran

said. “Usually, they like to sit around 101, 102.”

Even if students don’t have the flu, students should still visit their doctor or the Health Services clinic if they feel unwell.

“Even if you just have a sore throat, strep throat is a reason to come in to the doctor,” Curran said. “That’s something we can test for even on day one of your illness.”

Murray State’s Health Services clinic is located in Wells Hall. The clinic is

HEALTH CARE From Page 1

Photo courtesy of Angels Community Clinic Facebook Angels Community Clinic is located at 1005 Poplar Street.

provided,” Jacqueline Stephenson, senior from St. Louis, Missouri, said.

Students will be asked for verification of income from a recent pay stub or a notarized verification of employment of working family members each visit.

Students must also disclose any additional household income including but not limited to supplemental security income, disability, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and child support.

Proof of full-time enrollment is required for treatment.

Janae Pembrook Ward, junior from St. Louis, Missouri, also said this is an important service students need to be aware about.

“Having a service like this that is offered for free

open Monday through Friday, 8 to 11 a.m. and 2 to 4 p.m.

“I wouldn’t sit and suffer,” Curran said. “We [in Health Services] are able to answer the phones between the normal operating hours.

The Primary Care Medical Center has urgent care hours from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. every day during the work week. If someone is feeling really, really sick, the emergency room is an option.”

is really beneficial because no one plans to get sick or hurt, but everyone, including students, could benefit from a service that covers the cost of health care,” Ward said.

Free medical services are offered at the Angels Community Clinic on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday with a scheduled appointment. The medical services provided include a physical assessment and examination as well as diagnosis and treatment of severe and chronic illnesses.

However, Grisson said at this time the clinic does not offer dental services.

The clinic’s hours are M o n d a y, T u e s d a y a n d Wednesday from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Thursday 8:30 a.m. to noon. The clinic is closed Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Angels Community Clinic is located at 1005 Poplar St. and can be reached at (270) 753-2223.

Opinion

October 24, 2019

5

We would love to hear from you! Send a letter to cstribling1@murraystate.edu

Taking that ice away would cause the earth to become hotter still.

The total global temperature would rise about four degrees.

The difference in the global temperature of now and the past ice age is five degrees. Four degrees is a large jump.

But there’s more. Under some of the ice in the arctic is solid methane, which was produced by rotting animals. If the ice over this melts, this solid methane would be exposed to higher temperatures and sunlight. It would sublimate into methane gas and disperseintotheatmosphere.But methane is an extreme greenhouse gas, 20 times more insulating than CO2. It would warm the atmosphere another 10 degrees.

This would cause the ocean to expand and take upmore volume

and flood over more land. And these two things would cause other effects, which in turn would cause virtually all life on the planet to become extinct. This extinction would be very similar to Earth’s biggest mass extinction, which occurred 250 million years ago.

Scientists and some politicians and a few others have known about the extreme dangers of global warming for 10, 20, 30 or 40 years. Some young people have been taught about it in high school. But nothing has changed, and we are putting more carbon dioxide into the air than ever. If people had acted earlier, this crisis would not be the crisis it is now. But crisis it is.

~John Alsman

ER E H AND

S

C

Recently, 16-year-old Swedish teen Greta Thunberg made national news when she spoke at the U.N. and Congress. She is famous for her concern over global warming. The ice in Greenlandismeltingmuchfaster than scientists thought. And the same is true for ice in the Arctic and Antarctica. If all the ice melts, all coastal cities would become submerged under water. Islands and island nations would cease to exist. Perhaps 1 billion people would lose their homes and their jobs and would be displaced. It would be a catastrophe like no other in human history.

An increase in temperature would also cause the ocean water to expand and cause more flooding. And ice reflects some sunlight and heat back into space.

Cheers to the fall weather!

Jeers to the Spectrum outage!

The fall weather is here and so are sweaters and flannels. It’s time to get cozy, folks.

Many have been left without cable, phone service and internet access after Spectrum had a fiber-optic line damaged.

ER

S

JE

Brooklyn Burnett/ The News

Megan Reynolds Daniella Tebib Claire Smith Gage Johnson Cady Stribling Editor-in-Chief

News Editor Features Editor Sports Editor

Opinion Editor mreynolds12@murraystate.edu dtebib@murraystate.edu csmith110@murraystate.edu gjohnson17@murraystate.edu cstribling1@murraystate.edu

Editorial Board

Bryce Anglin David Wallace Production Manager Chief Copy Editor

zanglin@murraystate.edu dwallace15@murraystate.edu

Kalea Anderson Elizabeth Erwin

Chief Videographer Public Relations Manager kanderson29@murraystate.edu eerwin1@murraystate.edu

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 mreynolds12@murraystate.edu.

Connor Dame Brock Kirk Ad Sales Manager Photo Editor

cdame2@murraystate.edu jkirk11@murraystate.edu

John O’Neill

Dr. Stephanie Anderson Online Manager Faculty Adviser

joneill4@murraystate.edu sanderson37@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.

Contact Us 2609 University Station Murray State University Murray, Kentucky 42071-3301 TheNews.org

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

6

October 24, 2019

Superscore takes over ACT The staff editorial is the majority opinion of The Murray State News Editorial Board.

Students will have the opportunity to retest specific sections of the ACT in order to acquire a Superscore starting with the September 2020 test. A Superscore averages the four best subject scores into the student’s highestpossiblecompositescorefrommany tests. In the 60 years that the test has been administered, this is the first opportunity to do this.

Retestingspecificsectionsallowsstudents to submit their highest scores to universities and colleges. The ACT is an entrance exam for most higher education institutions in Kentucky, and at schools like Murray State, scholarships are dependent on this score.

The higher a student’s GPA and ACT score, the more financial aid they will be awarded through merit-based scholarships.

President Bob Jackson said the University administration has been investigating the ACT change to determine how it will respond.

“We’vebeenlooking at removing the ACT component on certain scholarships,” Jackson said. “Western just did it, but only on certain scholarships... we would not remove it on all scholarships.”

ShawnTouney,director of communication, said the acceptance and scholarship process will be reviewed.

“Murray State University will continue to assess and review our current admissions standards, inclusive of ACT options, as well as scholarship requirements in order to maintain its reputation in providing a highly impactful educational experience for our students that is recognized nationally for both quality and value,” Touney said.

The ability to retest certain sections will be a great opportunity for students. In the midst of the largest college debt crisis in history, there is a lot of pressure on students to obtain money in any way they can. A major way to do this is to get a good score on the ACT in order to earn more scholarship money.

The ACT, designed to assess well-roundedness and readiness, contains four sub-

jects: English, reading, math and science.

Universities continually raise the standard for merit based scholarships, so performing well on the ACT is important. These changes will make it exceedingly easier for students to study for a specific subject area and not worry about studying for the entire test.

Often, students do well in certain subjects, but another area drags their score down significantly. From past experience, it was unfair to need to study for one subject but jeopardize the other three scores in the process. It felt unreasonable for one struggling sub score to ultimately determine how much financial aid a student would receive and the amount of debt they would pay in the long

organization has investigated the Superscore over the last two years and whether the practice would be valid and fair.

“Our findings surprised us: they revealed that Superscores were more predictive of how students would perform in their college courses than other scoring methods,” according to the ACT website.

How the cost of retaking a specific section rather than the whole test will differ is unclear. But hopefully, it will allow students to earn more scholarship money in the end.

Hopefully,thiswilldecreasenationalcollege debt and reward people for getting a higher education rather than making it closer to unobtainable.

For students who tested under the old system, it is frustrating to have missed out on this opportunity to potentially save money. However, older students should try not to be bitter about the changes. It is a toxic sentiment to wish hardships on others when there is a chance to create a better situationforfuturegenerations. It is better to learn from what has been done in the past and use it to constantly evolve and improve.

This is similar to the Autumn Brown/The News debate of making college tuition free. Older generations dislike the idea because they had to pay for college and nerun.

The general anxiety accompanying stan- glect to see the benefits for others. Throughdardized tests can alter a person’s score. out history, people have always strived to Allowing retests eliminates nervousness to improve every aspect of life, and this is both acquire a better score in one area and simply another improvement.

It will be interesting, though, to see the maintain it elsewhere. Focusing on one subject alone will display precise knowledge of course of events after September 2020. Universities could raise their required scores the material.

In this way, students can showcase their for admittance and scholarships due to the changes, thus creating a more competitive knowledge more accurately. In college, students take general education require- atmosphere.

Perhaps it amounts to the same standards ments, but are not tested on them altogether.

Allowing students to retest will better gauge thatpreviousstudentsfacedbutwithinflated levels of intelligence in a more realistic way. numbers At the end of the day, what matters is According to the ACT website, the main students getting their degrees. Other propurpose of these changes is to improve grams, such as KEES, are dependent on ACT the test-taking experience and increase the prospects for college admissions and scores, so seeing how these changes ripple scholarships. It will also increase the trend of outward and affect different things will be students taking the test multiple times. The revealing.

Sports

October 24, 2019

7

Gage Johnson/The News Hester plays its first offensive sequence of the flag football season.

Changes coming to intramural sports Keaton Faughn Contributing writer kfaughn1@murraystate.edu Several changes are coming to

intramural sports as a new director takes the reigns.

Travis Rawe, who came to Murray State from Wake Forest University, knew he wanted the first change to be the elimination of all team registration fees for intramural sports.

“This is a change I wanted to further explore and hopefully accomplish when I first started back in the spring of 2019,” Rawe said. “Any time you are asking a student for money to participate in a program, you are creating a financial barrier to participating in that program. I wanted to eliminate that barrier because all students should have the opportunity to participate in the intramural sports program, free of any financial burden.”

Another change this year is the incorporation of CoRec leagues in all major sports including flag football, basketball, volleyball and soccer.

CoRec softball was also changed from a one-day tournament into a season-long league. Rawe said this was done to provide more opportunities for students to get involved with intramurals.

In years past, athletes were required

to show their student ID in order to participate in the game. Now, a government issued photo ID will be accepted as well as checking in through myGate.

Along with these changes, additional sports have been added this year such as spikeball, cornhole, billiards, eSports, pickleball, 3-point contest and dodgeball, mostly as one-day tournaments.

The intramural sports program has seen a drop in participation over the last five years.

“Not making changes pretty much cements another year of decreased participation from last year,” Rawe said. “While we may not see a large increase this year, the changes that were made this year will not be talked about in 3-4 years, it will just be the new normal.”

Rawe said anytime changes are made there will be pushback from some people.

“However, we are taking them in stride, knowing that we are keeping the big picture in mind, and the big picture is increased participation among the student population.”

Softball ended on Sunday, Oct. 20, and the first football games were played the following day.

For questions regarding intramurals email msu.intramurals@murraystate.edu.

Gage Johnson/The News The White College Sharks A Team took on Hester’s A Team for the first game of the season.

We have special prices on drinks!

(Monday and Wednesday) Small margarita buy one at regular price and get the second one for only 25 cents.

(Tuesday and Thursday) Imported beer 23oz $3.50 12oz $2.50 From 3 p.m. to close.

#murraystate #students #discount All Murray State students get 10% off with student ID.

Come see us!

106 S. 12th Street Murray, KY 270-767-1627

Sports

8

October 24, 2019

A first time for everything

Racers cross country wins inaugural Murray State Open Simon Elfrink Contributing Writer selfrink@murraystate.edu

The Murray State Racers took first place for both the men’s and women’s cross country teams at the inaugural Murray State Open.

Murray State hosted the last race of the regular season on Friday, Oct. 18, at Miller Memorial Golf Course. The Racers have not hosted a competition since the OVC Cross Country Championship back in 2015.

Coach Jordan Wallace was pleased with the results, especially considering the terrain her team competed on.

“It was a new course for everybody,” Wallace said.

“It was one of the hilliest courses any of those athletes competed on in the past.”

Junior Caleb Kawasaki led the way for the Racers on the men’s side. He finished fifth overall, running a time of 26:45.1. Close behind was senior Zach Balleau, running 27:43.1 and placing seventh overall. Junior Meyer Makemson placed 12th overall and ran a time of 28:04.4. Sophomore Christian Slone placed

14th overall, just ten seconds behind Makemson at 28:14.7. Senior Tyler Bradley was the fifth Racer across the line, maintaining a top 20 spot, running 28:43.8 and finishing 17th.

Wallace had nothing but great things to say about Christian Slone’s improvement. Though he’s never been a top finisher for the team, Wallace recognized his impressive finish at the Murray State Open. “[Slone] really stepped up for the team,” Wallace said.

“He had a really good race, getting after it right from the beginning. He’s been working hard in practice.

He’s starting to see the improvements and starting to train with faster guys in front. [This] was a really good day to see some of that hard work pay off.”

The women mirrored the men’s success. They were led by freshman Emma Graf, who finished 4th overall with a time of 19:36.7. Sophomore Dani Wright finished seventh and ran a time of 20:17.7. Senior Katelyn Gilbert picked up eighth place on a time of 20:43.2. Sophomore Morgan Vosler was a mere second behind Gilbert, crossing at 20:44.5 and placing

ninth overall. Senior Hilary McAdam was the last representative for the Racers’ overall score, placing 11th with a time of 21:07.9.

“Collectively, all the girls did very well,” Wallace said. “It was a challenging course, but [their times] were a little bit faster than we anticipated them to be.”

Wallace explained the hills on the course were bound to take a toll on individual performance in regards to time. However, she explained at this point in the season, placement holds a lot more weight than time.

“A lot of the time throughout the course of the season, you’re focusing on times and running your personal best,” Wallace explained.

“When we get to the conference meet it’s all about what place you come in to help the team finish. This was a great opportunity for us to practice that. I think we left off on a good foot going into the conference meet in two weeks.”

The Racers will test their mettle on Saturday, Nov. 2, at the OVC Championship in Edwardsville, Illinois.

Murray State will look to avenge their 2018 performance, in which they finished ninth out of 12 teams.

Photo courtesy of Racer Athletics Caleb Kawasaki sprints in the Murray State Open.

Harlem Globetrotters returning to Murray Jon Dunning Contributing Writer jdunning1@murraystate.edu

The Harlem Globetrotters will return for their seventh performance in Murray, at the CFSB Center on Jan. 15, 2020 as part of the team’s Pushing the Limits Tour.

Previously, the Globetrotters performed in Murray in 2000, 2001, 2003, 2008, 2017 and 2019.

Ryan Smart, CFSB Center operations supervisor, offered his thoughts on how Murray State has managed to bring the Globetrotters back again for another performance after hosting the team so many times over the past two decades.

“One thing that they [the Globetrotters] kept talking about during the process was, you know, our hospitality and how we are welcoming here and that we have a great venue for them,” Smart said. “They definitely love our crowd atmosphere that we provided last year, which I think is a testament of the people in this region.”

Smart also said why he thinks the Globetrotters resonate well with Murray and western Kentucky.

“Kentucky is a very basketball-driven community, and we are very passionate about it,” Smart said.

Moreover, the renowned recognition of the Globetrotter brand and

the family-friendly elements associated with the Globetrotter act are other aspects Smart believes make the Globetrotters so appealing to the region.

Since the Globetrotters provide fun for the whole family, fans of all ages, especially kids, can find something to enjoy at a Globetrotters event.

“One of the coolest things, I think, is to see a kid’s face light up when they see these guys,” Smart said. “They are kind of like superheroes to these kids.”

The Harlem Globetrotters are a flashy group of ballers.

Each performance is loaded with awe-inspiring basketball tricks and dunks, as well

This will be the sixth time that the Globetrotters have played at the CFSB Center.

as comedy and fun entertainment.

The Globetrotters also recently earned five Guinness World Record titles, making the team the holder of 21 world records.

Additionally, each member of the Globetrotters is an inductee of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Over the team’s 90 plusyears,theGlobetrotters have entertained popes, kings, queens and presidents, demonstrating that the team is a world class act.

According to Smart, the Globetrotters always bring fresh and unique experiences to their shows in Murray, giving old and new fans alike something to look for-

ward to seeing. Fans can get a Magic Pass, which provides a hands-on and exclusive Globetrotter pregame experience that allows fans to get access to the team, learn tricks and take pictures. After the game, Magic Pass guests can also get free autographs.

The Globetrotters also recently unveiled a new mobile app that allows fans to play an augmented reality basketball game and get image filters for social media posts.

Ticket sales for the event opened Oct. 16, on ticketmaster.com. Fans can also buy tickets by calling 1-800745-3000 or at the CFSB Center ticket office.

Photo courtesy of the Harlem Globetrotters

Sports

October 24, 2019

9

I t’s that time again: Racer basketball inches closer with OVC Media Day Gage Johnson Sports Editor gjohnson17@murraystate.edu

Murray State basketball season has arrived. With the first steps on the hardwood forcollegebasketballaweek away, media, players and coaches met in Evansville, Indiana, on Tuesday, Oct. 22, for OVC Media Day. Between the morning and afternoon sessions, OVC CommissionerBethDeBauche spoke to those in attendance about multiple topics. One topic was thanking the city for its passion for the OVC, including the gift of a new floor that doesn’t include the OVCdecalsthatcausedmultiple players to slip and fall last postseason.

“When we talk about this city,itcertainlycannotgowithout being stated that there’s beenalevelofcommitment,” DeBauche said. “That’s been demonstrated by the new court behind us. As the court was being updated for the UniversityofEvansville,civic leadersalsosoughttoinclude an OVC logo as part of that structure that can be inserted in.”

After the commissioner’s statement,MurrayStatemen’s basketball Head Coach Matt McMahon and women’s basketballHeadCoachRechelle Turner addressed the media regardingtheupcomingseason.

Men’s basketball Themen’steamiscomingoff ofclaimingitssecond-straight OVCTitle.Theyreturnaslew

Gage Johnson/The News Head Coaches Matt McMahon and Rechelle Turner address the media at OVC Media Day.

of players including starters such as sophomore guard TevinBrown,sophomoreforward KJ Williams and senior forward Darnell Cowart.

Murray State fans will also get to see senior forward Anthony Smith take the floor again, after being sidelined last season with an ankle injury.

McMahon said Smith was ambitious in his efforts to get back to peak physical shape for the upcoming season.

“Credit to him [Anthony Smith], he really attacked the surgery and rehabilitation process the way he attacks every workout and every practice,”McMahonsaid.“He only knows one speed and that’s all out. If you watch him right now you’d have no idea he was ever injured. I think ourteamgreatlybenefitsfrom

[having] his leadership and toughness back for his fifth year.”

WhiletheRacersarereturning over half of their roster from a season ago, they will be without “bounce bros” Ja Morant and Shaq Buchanan.

Luckily for Murray State, its depthateachpositionshould helptakecareoftheoffensive and defensive load the two pros carried in 2018.

“We don’t make it about who do we have to replace, it’s about this is our team and how do we build this group intothebestteamwecanbe,” McMahon said. “I know we lost one of the best players in the world of our team from last year, but we do return about half of our production.

It doesn’t guarantee you anything, but it does show that therearesomepiecesinplace

and if they’ve done what they were supposed in the offseason, then they’ll be ready to step in and make a bigger impact this season.”

Brown and Cowart were bothnamedtothePreaseason All-OVCFirstTeam,whilethe Racers were voted to finish secondintheOVCPreseason Poll behind Belmont University.

Women’s basketball The Racers are coming off a season in which they finished sixth in the OVC and had their season ended in the first round of the postseason

by UT Martin.

MurrayStatewillbewithout Evelyn Adebayo who transferred to UCONN and Janika Griffith-Wallace who transferred to VCU. The two com-

binedfor29.9ppglastseason.

However, they are returning the 2018 Freshman of the Year in sophomore guard MaceyTurley.Sheaveraged 12.0 ppg and 4.4 apg last seasonandhereffortsearnedher a spot on the Preseason AllOVC First Team for the 201920 season.

Onayoungteamwithplenty ofnewcomersandonesenior in forward Cekeya Mack, Turner expects it to be a team effort in terms of leadership.

“We feel that Mack and Macey are people we look to for leadership,” Turner said.

“But we have some other kids thathavesteppedupverbally andsaid‘heythisisn’thowwe do things, this is how we do things.’”

While expectations from the OVC aren’t high, as they were voted to finish eighth in the OVC Preseason Poll, Turner thinks the ceiling for the Racers is very high.

“Ithinkthisteam’sdefinitely not even close to the ceiling that it can be,” Turner said.

“Ifeverybodydoesandleans on their strengths of this basketball team with the effort and attitude, I think we can surprise some people. I tell ourplayersallthetime‘you’re either going to prove people right or prove people wrong everytimeyoutakethecourt.’

Our job is to prove everyone wrong because we have a lot of doubters.”

Racer fans can get their first glimpse of each team when they take the floor for Racer Mania at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 24, at the CFSB Center.

The doors will open at 6:15 p.m.

Racer tennis to host Murray State Invitational Sara Loncarevic Contributing Writer sloncarevic@murraystate.edu

The Murray State women’s tennis team is hosting a tournament at 10 a.m. on Friday, Oct. 25 and Saturday, Oct. 26, at the Bennie Purcell Tennis Courts.

The Racers are hosting the tournament for the second year in a row after last year’s success.

“Our number one goal when we started the fall season was to peak at this home tournament and I think we are on the right track to do that,” Head Coach Jorge Caetano said.

“We have played three tournaments this fall with some very good results and I expect the same from this one. It is always fun to play at home and we are

confident the Racers’ fans will show up and make it a great atmosphere for the players.”

Murray State is expected to see all eight of its players compete in the tournament in doubles and singles. The doubles pairs for this weekend’s event will be Chang/A. Loncarevic, S.Loncarevic/Kreugel, Sharapova/Slezakova and Björk/Muller.

Caetano has introduced new team captains for this upcoming season. The team has voted seniors Anja Loncarevic and Sara Björk to be captains.

“It is important for us to host a home tournament to introduce our sport to the community,” Anja Loncarevic said. “We’ve been working hard to get to our best physical and tennis shape for this last

tournament knowing that we’re going to compete against two schools that are in our conference.”

“I’m really excited to see everyone compete at home,” Björk said. “It is going to be the first fall tournament for our three freshmen and the last for our four seniors, so I am excited for everyone to play and bring out that little extra home fire.”

The schools participating at the tournament along with the Racers are Western Kentucky, Belmont and Eastern Illinois.

The home tournament will conclude the fall season for the Racers.

The team finished the 2019 regular season 12-9-0 and hope to bounce back in the upcoming spring 2020 season.

Richard Thompson/The News Stasya Sharapova follows through her swing during a Murray State practice.

10

Features

October 24, 2019

Racers return for Homecoming Racers took to the streets to celebrate Homecoming in the annual Homecoming Parade. This year’s theme was “Return of the Racers” a play on the classic sci-fi film series “Star Wars.” Returning Racer alumni enjoyed celebrations from the Class of 1969 Golden Reunion to Greek life reunions and various other gatherings.

One of the biggest events was Tent City where Racers gathered to gear up for the Homecoming football game against Eastern Kentucky.

Brock Kirk/The News

Features

October 24, 2019

11

Sorority gives back: AOII spends time with kids at Main Street Youth

Claire Smith Features Editor csmith110@murraystate.edu

Giving back to the community is one of the many great strengths of Greek Life; Alpha Omicron Pi is no exception, volunteering in the community once a month.

Leah Bell, a nursing major from Paris, Tennessee, is the assistant philanthropy chair for AOII and coordinates much of their volunteerism.

“I call or attend the place I am planning to have the community service event at, we arrange for a day and time that fits both of our schedules, and then I inform the chapter about this opportunity to get some community service hours,” Bell said.

On Wednesday, Oct. 23, the sorority visited the Main Street Youth Center in Murray.

The youth center provides

after-school programming and other events for young people between elementary and high school age.

AOII visits at least once a semester but many of the girls go weekly to hang out with the kids they’ve befriended.

“When we visit Main Street Youth Center we play basketball, play on the playground, play board-games, play on the Wii, and we are always willing to help the kids with their homework,” Bell said.

Hanging out at the youth center benefits not only the young people the girls hang out with but the sorority sisters themselves.

“Playing with the kids there brings out the inner kid in all of us, and we all need that fun sometimes to get away from college,” Bell said. “The kids also put a smile on our faces because they look forward to us coming back, and we always do.”

In the past AOII has volunteered at the Murray Ice Cream Festival, Spring Creek Healthcare, Murray Animal Shelter, Hickory Woods and Soup for the Soul.

“We are planning on volunteering in November at the Towing for Toys event on Nov. 9,” Bell said.

Bell enjoys volunteering because she gets to see the impact helping, serving and giving has on people’s lives.

“Volunteering brings you lifelong memories, new friends, and can easily make a positive impact on not just one person but a whole community,” Bell said.

Visiting the youth center is a highlight for the sorority sisters.

“The love AOII has for Main Street Youth Center is undeniable, and the people who run Main Street are selfless and amazing people worth getting to know,” Bell said.

Brock Kirk/The News Sisters of Alpha Omicron Pi spend time with kids on the playground at Main Street Youth Center.

Saturday, Oct. 26: Guest Artist, Gregory Partain Piano Masterclass

@ 4:30 p.m. in Price Doyle Fine Arts Building

Kappa Delta Shamrock Shoot-out @ 10 a.m. in the MSU Expo Center

Sunday, Oct. 27: Guest Artist, Gregory Partain Piano Masterclass

@ 2:00 p.m. in Price Doyle Fine Arts Building

Monday, Oct. 28: Virtual Course Design Challenge

@ 10:30 a.m. in MSU Faculty Development Center

Tuesday, Oct. 29: Tinsel Town Tuesday

@ 7 p.m. in the Curris Center Theatre

Facilitating Different Types of Collaboration in Canvas

@ 11:30 p.m. in MSU Faculty Development Center

Wednesday, Oct. 30: Spanish Conversation Table

@ 3 p.m. in Waterfield Library Gallery

Scholarship Spook-tacular

@ 9 a.m. in Alexander Hall Atrium

Thursday, Oct. 31: Scholarship Spook-tacular

@ 9 a.m. in Alexander Hall Atrium

Monster Mash 2019

@ 10 a.m. Outside of the Old Fine Arts Building

“Rocky Horror Picture Show”

@ 8 p.m. in the Curris Center Ballroom

HALLOWEEN If you would like to see your event featured in the Calendar of Events, email the features editor at csmith110@murraystate.edu.

Colton Colglazier and Brooklyn Burnett /The News

Features

12

October 24, 2019

“Shark Tank” and FUBU founder to speak on campus Grant Dillard Staff Writer gdillard@murraystate.edu

I hope they are inspired to think about what gifts, dreams and ideas they have to offer, and how they can work to turn those gifts, dreams and ideas into reality.

- David Eaton,

interim dean of the College of Business

The campus community will have a chance to hear from a “Shark Tank” investor and the founder, CEO and president of the clothing line FUBU in just a few weeks.

Entrepreneur and businessman Daymond John, whose estimated net worth is $300 million, will present a keynote in Lovett Auditorium in early November.

“Shark Tank,” a hit show on ABC, allows aspiring entrepreneurs the chance to present their idea for a new product to the investors, one of whom is John.

The investors then decide whether they want to invest in the contestant’s product in exchange for stock in their company and profits.

At a young age, John created the urban fashion brand FUBU. Today, he consults through his branding company, The Shark Group and has written several best-selling books; with

“Rise and Grind” being his most recent success.

“Bringing someone of this caliber to Murray to speak is outstanding,” SGA President Trey Book said.

“Outstanding for faculty, staff, the community and most importantly, the students.”

The event is being sponsored by SGA, the Arthur J. Bauernfeind College of Business and BB&T Center for Free Enterprise.

David Eaton, interim dean of the College of Business, said a few years ago the college received funds from BB&T to enhance entrepreneurial education and bring in speakers.

“When SGA contacted us about partnering with them to bring Daymond John to campus, we thought this was an outstanding use of some of those funds,” Eaton said.

Eaton hopes students are inspired by John’s visit to campus. He said John is someone who built his business from the ground up and embodies what it means to be an entrepreneur.

“I hope they recognize that a brand such as FUBU started with very humble origins, and with a lot of work and dedication, grew to what it is today,” Eaton said. “I hope they are inspired to think about what gifts, dreams and ideas they have to offer, and how they can work to turn those gifts, dreams and ideas into reality.”

When deciding which speaker to bring to campus, Book said the organizers looked through a list of potential speakers within a certain price range.

“Out of those individuals myself and quite a few other individuals really analyzed and narrowed down who we thought the rest of the student body would enjoy and would come and listen to,” Book said.

Jeanie Morgan, adviser to SGA and registered student organizations, worked with John’s talent agent to make the lecture possible.

“SGA has an outstanding reputation and agencies contact me daily regarding clients they represent

in regards to coming to Murray State University,” Morgan said.

In his presentation, “Daymond John’s Shark Points: Fundamentals for Success In Business and Life,” the Brooklyn native will share inspirational stories of overcoming obstacles and other details that students, regardless of their major, will undoubtedly be interested in.

Students are already buzzing about John coming to campus.

Amanda Swift, senior from Bloomington, Illinois, first read the news on Instagram, and was quick to share it with her family, who are avid viewers of the “Shark Tank” series.

“I think it’s great to have a celebrity or professional come to campus,” Swift said. “As a University, it is important that we are constantly learning.

Professionals are great people to learn from.”

The event, which will begin at 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 6 in Lovett Auditorium, is free and open to the public.