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January 23, 2020 | Vol. 94, No. 15

Online graduate programs added Addison Watson Staff Writer awatson25@murraystate.edu Levi Brandenburg Contributing Writer lbrandenburg1@murraystate.edu

Photo Courtesy of Orville Herndon The University outsources custodial services and grounds departments.

Universit y outsources custodial services and grounds departments Daniella Tebib News Editor dtebib@murraystate.edu The Board of Regents voted on Dec. 13, 2019, to outsource the custodial services and grounds departments to the company SSC. The University notified the company of the contract on Dec. 18, 2019, which will take effect on April 13. The initial contract will be five and onefourth years, with five optional one-year renewals.

The motion passed with 10 votes in favor and one opposed. The motion included five recommendations presented by Vice President of Finance Jackie Dudley.

To select a suitable company, an evaluation committee was created to review proposals and narrow down the options. Members of the committee include several on-campus faces, from students to facility staff members.

“We’ve tried to compile a really cross-section team to look at these because everybody looks at these services in a different way,” Dudley said in the meeting. “We all have a different view.”

Prior to voting, Dudley said outsourcing the departments

News Opinion Sports Features

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Murray State will launch online graduate programs in five areas of study in fall 2020.

The University has come to an agreement with Academic Partnerships, an online program management company based in Dallas, Texas, that builds and markets online graduate programs for higher education institutions.

Five of Murray State’s online programs being marketed by Academic Partnerships will allow graduate students to enroll from well outside the University’s service region.

Of the five programs, four are based in the Arthur J. Bauernfeind College of Business, and one is in the College of Humanities and Fine Arts. The programs are public relations, business analytics, cybersecurity, information systems and public administration.

The graduate program for cybersecurity will replace the current program for telecommunications management.

All five programs will allow students to earn a master’s degree on either an 18-month track or a two-year track, depending on how the degree tracks are created.

The University agreed to a seven-year contract with Academic Partnerships, with the option to end the contract at any time the University wishes.

Melony Shemberger, faculty regent and associate professor of journalism and mass communication, said she believes that in conjunction with Academic Partnerships, the University will be more competitive and have another steady revenue stream.

Shemberger, who teaches in the public relations graduate program, also said Academic Partnerships is working with campus offices to integrate its services with the University to advance the graduate student enrollment.

Prospective students will not see the face of Academic Partnerships, but rather the face of the University.

The programs will feature eight-week course terms and have multiple entry points throughout the academic year,

is beneficial and necessary for several reasons.

“We need this for the recruitment of students, retention of students, maintenance of our facilities and grounds and the safety on campus is tied to a lot of custodial and ground services that we have,” Dudley said in the meeting.

Dudley also said she believes, based on the review of proposals, that the University will save between $400,000 and $1 million by outsourcing the custodial services and grounds departments.

“This change will save the university several million dollars over the course of the contract due to current pension system rates of 49.47%, proposed to increase to 93.01% on July 1, 2020,” said Shawn Touney, director of communication.

Several surrounding universities have outsourced their custodial work f or years, including Western Kentucky University, Eastern Kentucky University, Morehead State University, University of Kentucky and University of Louisville.

During the meeting, multiple regents spoke in favor of outsourcing.

“Murray State University does not want to continue to be managing trailers, mowers, weedeaters, construction equipment, gas, diesel and trying to keep the latest tech and maintenance equip,” Regent Don Tharpe said in the meeting. “Whereas if you subcontract that out, they’ll have the newest best sub-zero turn mower out there cutting that grass, and you don’t have to worry about it. To me that’s one area where we can save a lot of money.”

Trey Book, student regent and Student Government Association president, spoke on behalf of the student body to thank the committee for ensuring student opportunities would continue to be available.

“I want to say thank you to the committee for making sure these companies are still going to employ students,” Book said in the meeting. “These positions are very important to students as well. And thank you for making sure they not only employ them, but that there’s room for advancement and learning in these trades.”

Family room added to Women’s Center

FAFSA creates draft chaos

Racers look to go 8-0 in OVC play

Former professor writes to help student study

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see OUTSOURCE page 2

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see ONLINE page 3

Lauren Morgan/The News Five online graduate programs will be launched in fall 2020.

News

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January 23, 2020

Family room added to Women’s Center Emily Sheperd Staff Writer esheperd2@murraystate.edu A new family room was added to the Women’s Center for pregnant and parenting students, faculty and staff.

“This room is meant to be a supportive and comfortable space for parents and their children,” said Tanya Romero-Gonzalez, assistant professor of Spanish, global languages coordinator and chair of the campus lactation/parenting room committee.

T h i s ro o m p rov i d e s a space for individuals with lactation needs. To ensure comfort, the Women’s Center has ordered new hospital-grade furniture for the room including armchairs, a table and chairs. The faculty also supplied the room with children’s books and small toys.

Diane Nititham, associate professor of sociology and president of the Women’s Faculty Caucus, organized a book and toy drive to which several items were donated for this space.

Until now, there hasn’t been an on-campus space specifically designed for pregnant or lactating students. This room is a readily available space that can serve different purposes.

“While parents may use it [the multipurpose room] as a lactation space or as a

Lauren Morgan/The News A new family room added to the Women’s Center to help students, faculty and staff.

feeding room, it’s really a multi-purpose room where parents could spend some time with their children on campus as needed,” Romero-Gonzalez said.

This new space is supporting student and faculty parents specifically, so they

know they are welcome on campus.

“Full-time lactating parents who work for the university can ask for accommodations to express milk, but having a designated space promotes a family-friendly atmosphere,” Romero-Gonzalez said.

Lauren Morgan/The News The family room is located in the Women’s Center in Room C102 in the Oakley Applied Science Building.

OUTSOURCE From Page 1 Melony Shemberger, faculty regent and associate professor of journalism and mass communication, was the only member to vote in opposition of the motion.

S h e m b e rg e r vo u c h e d for the benefits of current

employees and shared some of their concerns.

“One of the main questions that employees from the custodial and grounds departments asked each vendor was related to posts e c o n d a r y t u i t i o n wa ivers, a customary benefit that colleges and universities across the country offer to their employees and

families,” Shemberger said.

“Some of these employees use, or had planned to use, the waivers to finance their children’s college education or perhaps their own. That benefit will be lost come April. I know what it’s like to lose a significant benefit such as tuition waivers. It stings.”

During the 2018-19 academic year, the Faculty Senate, the Insurance and Benefits Committee and the Women’s Faculty Caucus discussed the lack of lactation spaces on campus.

“In 2018, the WFC presented an evidence-based petition to the Insurance and Benefits Committee that outlined the benefits of having lactation rooms available: an increase in quality research, student work, retention, to name a few,” Romero-Gonzalez said.

From that discussion, the Women’s Faculty Caucus started the plan to have the new women’s room available beginning in the spring semester of 2020.

Romero-Gonzalez said the Women’s Faculty Caucus has been advocating for the creation of a Lactation Room on campus for several years.

“I decided to approach the Women’s Faculty Caucus for input on a multipurpose space in the Women’s Center to benefit pregnant and parenting students,” said Abigail Cox, Women’s Center coordinator.

Another contr ibutor of the new women’s room was Giavonna Morris, a graduate fellow in the Office of Multicultural Initiatives.

Morris expressed her desire to develop more support for pregnant and parenting students on campus when she was developing a support group.

The next addition to the family room will be a refr igerator with lockable storage.

“This will allow lactating mothers to securely store supplies in the room,” Cox said. “This is an ongoing project. We hope to improve each semester with feedback from our pregnant and parenting campus members.”

The Women’s Center is accepting donations in the form of mini-refrigerators to add to the room.

The new family room is located inside the Women’s Center, Room C102 in the Oakley Applied Science Building. It is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Shemberger also said she is concerned outsourcing will become the first option in the future and no longer be a last-resort alternative.

“I fear that outsourcing will become the be-all, cure-all approach in eliminating other services to tackle the monstrosity that the state pension and other f inancial straits have

p l a c e d o n M u r ray S t a t e University, when it should be a last-ditch effort after other possible solutions have been identified and a s s e s s e d ,” S h e m b e rge r said. “Furthermore, higher education must be regarded highly and funde d we l l i n Ke n t u c k y t o help avoid moves such as outsourcing.”

News

January 23, 2020

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Committee highlights mental health Sarah Mead Staff Writer smead@murraystate.edu A new mental health committee on campus, Racers Empower, will hold a community event on Monday, Jan. 27.

A committee of faculty, staff and students, Racers Empower: Healthy Minds, Healthy Campus is the latest effort by the University to promote mental health and wellness on campus. The committee is a collaborative effort of many different departments across campus, including Student Engagement and Success, Campus Recreation and Wellness, Veteran and Military Student Success, College of Education and Human Services, School of Nursing and Health Professions and the Student Government Association.

“Anxiety and depression are the number one issues facing college students,” said Peggy Whaley, director of student engagement.

“Many student support offices across campus are seeing more and more students with these issues and other issues that are affecting their success. The staff in Student Engagement and Success wanted to start programming this spring to address some of the issues.”

ONLINE From Page 1 allowing graduate students to pursue their degrees at nearly any time they choose.

Anxiety and depression are the main focuses of the program. The Racers Empower committee plans to explain how to reach on-campus resources and support services and encourage students to open a conversation about their experiences.

“Research indicates that mental health related issues are among the top reasons that students give for withdrawing from college before graduating,” said Angie Trzepacz, director of the university counseling center. “We want to improve student retention and increase [students’ success] both in and out of the classroom.”

The program is scheduled to host four events this semester. Each event will last three hours, but students are encouraged to attend or leave as their schedules allow. Snacks will be provided and those who attend will be entered in giveaways, as well as a grand prize for attending all four events.

“Racers Empower events aim to provide students with a safe place to educate themselves on mental illness, take a break from the everyday stressors of life in college or to connect with other students, staff, faculty and resources involved with mental health efforts,” said Hannah Daab, SGA senator for the College of Business.

While the event is designed to encourage individual success, the overall goal of the campaign is to create an inclusive community on campus to reduce the stigma surrounding mental illness and promote a healthy mind and body.

“We want students to focus on self-care and coping skills for their own mental health, but we also want them to know about resources to help others,” Whaley said. “A broad reaching goal is to reduce the stigma surrounding mental health and wellness so that students act quickly when they or others

Robert Pervine, associate provost, is spearheading this effort head-on with optimism that the program will be beneficial to the University in the long run. “ We v i e w t h e m o n ey that will be paid to Academic Partnerships as an

investment in marketing, recruitment, enrollment and student support services that Academic Partnerships will provide to us,” Pervine said.

The negotiation with Academic Partnerships resulted in a revenue-share agreement for the University.

Research indicates that mental health related issues are among the top reasons that students give for withdrawing from college before graduating.

- Angie Trzepacz, director of the university counseling center

Courtesy of Racers Empower

have an issue and receive the support and care they need to be successful.”

Peyton Lutz, resident adviser in White College, is a student concerned with mental health and is excited about the new programs on campus.

“Students should be concerned about their mental health because this is often one of the most stressful times in our lives,” Lutz said.

“For many of us, this is our first time away from home [and] learning how to be

financially stable. It’s important that students take some time to care about their mental health.”

The first event, titled Jump Start January, will be held in the Rocking Chair Lounge in the Curris Center from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

“I would definitely be interested in going to a Racers Empower event and would encourage the people around me to go as well,” Lutz said. “Having awareness is a great start to tackling mental health.”

“For the new students that Academic Partnerships brings to Murray State, they will receive 50 percent of the students’ tuition revenue and we will retain the other 50 percent,” Pervine said.

The graduate programs will be taught by current

faculty, but as more students enroll and progress through their academic timelines, new faculty could be hired to teach the programs. Pervine said the faculty with increased workloads will b e c o m p e n s a t e d i n p ay accordingly.

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Pay will be based on Experience applicants must be at least 21 years of age.

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News

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January 23, 2020

SGA presents resolution of appreciation to mayor

Sarah Mead Staff Writer smead@murraystate.edu The Student Government Association presented the city of Murray with a resolution of appreciation on Wednesday, Jan. 22.

SGA President Trey Book thanked Murray Mayor Bob Rogers and the city of Murray for their support of the University. The city is responsible for providing the speed tables on 16th Street as an attempt to improve student safety on campus.

“We voted and approved a resolution of appreciation to the city of Murray for the new speed tables on 16th street,” Book said. “We would like to formally thank you all and give you this resolution.

Thank you all for the continued support that you all provide to our students.”

Rogers said that the plans to improve student safety on 16th Street have been controversial, but he believed student safety to be the most important factor.

“When I took office last January, I found some plans of things that were discussed for 16th Street many years ago, but nothing ever happened,” Rogers said.

“As I drove up and down 16th Street, I saw a lot of students and staff members crossing 16th. A lot of times, they were looking at [their c e l l p h o n e s ] a n d I wa s afraid that someone was going to get hit and have a serious injury.”

Sarah Mead/The News The Student Government Association drafts and presents a resolution to Mayor Bob Rogers in appreciation of the speed tables.

Rogers also gave credit to Jim Osborne, the city administrator, for having noticed similar speed tables at other college campuses and encouraging their placement in Murray.

Rogers, Osborne and the city council worked with University leadership and the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet to implement the changes. Funding for

the project was sourced from gasoline tax dollars that was repur posed f or city safety.

“In Kentucky, cities get a portion of the gasoline tax money,” Rodgers said.

“They keep ten percent of that tax money for emergency purposes. We wrote our proposal and made our case. We were pleased to

hear that they were funding this project.”

President Bob Jackson also expressed his thanks to Rodgers and the city of Murray for the update.

“The speed tables [are] an important project,” Jackson said. “For the city of Murray and for their good work, thanks again.”

Jackson also offered advice to students to use the

new speed tables properly. He encouraged the students to walk on the speed tables or crosswalks to ensure their safety.

“On top of the speed tables is a crosswalk,” Jackson said. “The speed tables slow traffic down so you can walk across the top.

Try to use the crosswalks on top of the speed table. ”

Occupational therapy program accredited Levi Brandenburg Contributing Writer lbrandenburg1@murraystate.edu After nearly four years of work, the Murray State occupational therapy master’s program has been accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education.

Following the accreditation, the University is now belongs to the list of accredited programs among 180 others worldwide.

According to the American Occupational Therapy Association’s definition, the program “helps people across the lifespan participate in the things they want and need to do through the therapeutic use of everyday activities.”

The program provides a way for people with both physical and mental disabilities to become and stay self-sufficient by teaching them new, useful skills to help them stand out in their careers.

“The accreditation process for the Murray State occupational therapy program began in 2016 when Dr. Robert Davies, Dr. Marcia Hobbs and Dr. Amelia Dodd noted a need for occupational therapy practitioners in the Western Kentucky area,” Sherri Powers, director of the University’s occupational therapy program, said. “An initial application was approved by ACOTE to develop the program and begin accepting the first group

of 24 students during the summer of 2018.”

Since then, two groups of 24 students have been through the program with the first group expected to graduate in May 2020. The University has also been working to meet the standards set forth

by ACOTE. “ACOTE is the accrediting agency for occupational therapy educational programs in the US, and they have set quality standards to assure that the educational program is meeting their standards,” Powers said. “Graduating from an accredited occupational therapy program allows you to sit for the occupational therapy national exam and become licensed in occupational therapy.”

ACOTE is very particular about what schools are allowed to teach occupational therapy techniques. Programs must go through a detailed and in-depth process as well as address the 188 ACOTE standards that cover the ways the school is ran.

“ACOTE completed an onsite visit at the Murray State Paducah Regional Campus in November 2019 to follow up on previous reports that we had submitted,” Powers said. “After reviewing all of the documentation regarding the occupational therapy program, ACOTE recommended to the board that the occupational therapy program at Murray State successfully met the quality standards to be awarded accreditation.”

Powe r s s a i d s t u d e n t s showed patience and professionalism throughout the accreditation process.

“Both of the groups [of students] accepted a seat in the program and showed their commitment to the program by accepting even before becoming fully accredited,” Powers said. “This speaks volumes for the high quality students we accept into our program. This program is meeting a huge need for occupational therapy practitioners not only in our region, but nationally as well and I’m thankful to be a part of this amazing opportunity.”

The occupational therapy program will enroll a third group of students during the summer 2020 semester.

Opinion

January 23, 2020

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FAFSA creates draft chaos The staff editorial is the majority opinion of The Murray State News Editorial Board.

College students descended into a frenzy over the draft after a U.S. airstrike killed a top commander of Iranian forces on Friday, Jan. 3.

Following the airstrike, social media spread fear in the form of misinformation and memes about college students packing their bags for World War III. College students in particular were concerned about a draft, and many fingers pointed to the Free Application for Federal Student Aid for its section that asks if applicants have registered.

Question 22 on the FAFSA states “most male students must register with the Selective Service System to receive federal aid. If you are male, are age 18-25, and have not registered, fill in the circle and we will register you.”

Selective Service System, a government agency that registers men and is responsible for running a fair draft, states on their website that the United States military has been volunteer based since 1973. However, an Act of Congress could reinstate it.

Although there isn’t an active draft, this is an issue that still concerns college students. Primarily, if an eligible male does not sign up for the draft then that student cannot receive federal financial aid for school. Secondly, students cannot opt out of the draft if it were ever to be reinstated. According to Selective Services, a college student can postpone leaving only until the end of their current semester.

A potential active draft or being denied federal financial aid isn’t a concern solely

for male students. Recently, U.S. District Judge Gray Miller ruled it unconstitutional for an all-male military draft. No change would happen in the near future, but it could happen at some point.

If there came a time when Congress issued a draft, women should be part of it.

It seems manipulative that the government would deny needed federal aid if a student would rather not register for an inactive draft.

Further, it isn’t right that a student could be conscripted to fight in a war for causes they disagree with. Younger generations are less likely to politically align with the current administration, and therefore will not stand to back this conflict.

The idea of a future military draft is vastly unpopular, especially among younger generations. It’s

Dustin Wilcox/The News

absurd to think we would risk our lives because of violence committed by a president whose actions don’t seem to suggest he cares for a life other than his own.

After the Jan. 3 airstrike, Twitter trended with hashtags like #NoWarWithIran and #NotOurWar. The idea behind the movement was to rebel against an unwanted fight on behalf of an unsupported president.

Both Americans and Iranians backed these opinions.

In regards to the World War III jokes circulating social media, Americans need to recognize their privilege because we cannot predict the violence that would ensue if a war were to come to fruition.

Drafts are used in wartime when volunteers are needed. The United States Armed Forces currently already has

over a million members, so there is no need to force people into a draft if it were reinstated.

It’s fair to say college students do not know—and shouldn’t be expected to know—each endeavor or function within the government and military. Our present concern is obtaining a degree, but we must prioritize being as informed as possible about the happenings of the government and current events.

Hopefully young people choose to utilize their knowledge to stay informed about their country. Even if our career paths will not directly impact politics, our votes will. If we can use our degrees for anything, let it be to restore the damage that has been done over the past four years.

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 Jenna Carnes Production Manager Chief Copy Editor

zanglin@murraystate.edu jcarnes2@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.

6

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January 23, 2020

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Sports

January 23, 2020

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2020 PRESIDENTIAL LECTURE

welcomes

Admiral William H. McRaven Thursday, February 13, 2020 7:30 p.m. | Lovett Auditorium

We have special prices on drinks!

McRaven is a retired U.S. Navy four-star admiral whose career included combat during Desert Storm and both the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. He commanded the troops that captured Saddam Hussein, rescued Captain Richard Phillips, and is credited with leading the Osama bin Laden mission.

He is the author of the #1 New York Times bestselling book Sea Stories: My Life in Special Operations. McRaven’s father, Colonel Claude ‘Mac’ McRaven, ‘41, was a decorated World War II fighter pilot, a standout football player and track star, and was inducted into the Murray State Athletics Hall of Fame in 1975.

Tuesday & Thursday:

This event is free and open to the public. Attendees are also invited to a dessert reception at Pogue Library immediately following the lecture.

Monday & Wednesday:

Small margarita: Imported beer: buy one at 23oz $3.50 12oz regular price $2.50 From 3 and get the p.m. to close. second one for only 25 cents. #murraystate #students #discount All Murray State students get 10% off with student ID.

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Sports

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January 23, 2020

Photo courtesy of Racer Athletics Head Coach Matt McMahon watches the men’s basketball team take on SEMO in what would become his 100th win.

Racers look to go 8-0 in OVC play

Gage Johnson Sports Editor gjohnson17@murraystate.edu

Riding a seven-game winning streak, Murray State men’s basketball is set to return to the CFSB Center for the first time since Jan. 2 for matchups with Belmont and Tennessee State.

Murray State The Racers are coming off their four-game road swing in which they defeated the likes of Jacksonville State, Tennessee Tech and most recently UT Martin and SEMO. Murray State took on the Skyhawks on Thursday, Jan. 16, and came away with a dominant 84-62 victory, then defeated the Redhawks 96-91 in overtime on Saturday, Jan. 18.

The win over SEMO marked win No. 100 for Head Coach Matt McMahon and he expressed his gratitude to the opportunities former Athletic Director Allen Ward, former Murray State and current Iowa State University Head Coach Steve Prohm and all the players he’s had over the years have given him.

After the win the players were waiting for McMahon to enter the locker room and immediately showered him with a gatorade bucket full of water.

“We always celebrate wins no matter what, but it caught me off guard,” McMahon said. “I didn’t know anyone was counting a total or anything like that, but it was a fun moment.”

While the win was a little rough around the edges having to come back and force overtime after blowing a 17-point lead, McMahon feels as though a game like that can better the team going forward.

“Winning on the road is tough,” McMahon said. “I think there are a lot of lessons you can learn from it.

We can go through the why and study the film as to how we lost our lead and try to work to correct some of those things, but most importantly I was proud of our resolve and our toughness in finding a way to get it done.”

Murray State’s offense has been on a tear over the sixgame stretch of OVC games with sophomore guard Tevin Brown (19.7 ppg), sophomore forward KJ Williams (15.5 ppg), senior forward Anthony Smith (14.0 ppg) and senior guard Jaiveon Eaves (12.3 ppg) providing ample scoring with double-figure averages.

Redshirt freshman guard DaQuan Smith has also become more comfortable in the Racers’ offense, shooting 50% (11-for-22) from beyond the arc.

After missing out on his first year of Murray State basketball entirely due to injury, McMahon knew it would take some time but feels as though DaQuan has worked himself back to where he was prior to injury.

“It’s taken a little time, but [now] he’s shooting 50% from three in conference play,” McMahon said.

“I think he’s an elite level shooter. I think what you’re starting to see is him gain more and more confidence and get more and more comfortable on the floor. I’m proud of how he stuck with it because he did get off to a slow start, but I thought he weathered the storm and he’s worked really hard to get back to the level he’s at now.”

Belmont With Rick Byrd’s era in the books, Belmont has gotten

out to a 14-5 overall record with a 5-1 record in OVC play under new Head Coach Casey Alexander.

The Bruins’ single conference loss came at the hands of SIUE, losing 79-69 on the road in their OVC opener.

Outside of this blemish, their conference slate is squeaky clean with five straight wins coming into their matchup against Murray State. In those five games, Belmont has defeated every opponent by double digits besides its 85-78 victory over UT Martin.

The Racers will be tasked with stopping the second-best offense in the OVC in terms of scoring. The Bruins are led by the 2018-19 OVC Freshman of the Year in sophomore forward Nick Muszynski (17.0 ppg and 9.3 rpg), sophomore guard Adam Kunkel (14.3 ppg), graduate student guard Tyler Scanlon (13.8 ppg) and sophomore guard Grayson Murphy (9.5 ppg).

Muszynski was expected to be the main focus of Belmont’s offense after being named to the All-OVC First Team in his freshman season, but the supporting cast has done more than enough to fill the shoes of former Bruins Dylan Windler and Kevin McClain.

Following a freshman season in which he averaged 2.3 ppg, Kunkel has become an integral part of Belmont’s offense, providing 35% shooting from beyond the arc as well as being more than capable of scoring off the dribble.

Scanlon is a fifth-year graduate transfer from Boston University and has provided the Bruins with another solid scorer who can also light it up from three, shooting 43% percent in conference play.

Murphy has returned to his position at the helm of the

offense under Alexander and has been a stat-sheet stuffer this season.

McMahon knows that the sophomore guard is a player to watch out for, as he is averaging 9.5 ppg, 8.5 rpg and 6.2 apg in conference play.

“What a really good player he is,” McMahon said.

“He’s got some unique stats to his resume. I think [he’s] the leading rebounder at the guard position in college basketball and he’s [got] a four-to-one assist to turnover [ratio]. He’s their leading offensive rebounder at the point guard position and he’s so good out in the open floor in transition and doesn’t make many mistakes.”

The Bruins are also just as proficient on the defensive end, claiming their spot atop the scoring defense category in the OVC by only allowing opponents to score 65.2 ppg on average.

This 2018-19 OVC Championship rematch will be the first of two matchups this season and McMahon knows that the game aired on ESPN 2 will be a big one in the CFSB Center.

“They’re a very good team,” McMahon said. “[They’re] well-coached, don’t make many mistakes and can beat you from outside the [three-point] line and inside the [three-point] line as well.”

Tennessee State The Tigers will head into its matchup with Murray State on Saturday, Jan. 25, after taking on Austin Peay on Thursday, Jan. 23.

Tennessee State enters the week owning a 12-7 overall record, while being tied for fourth place in the OVC with a 4-2 record in conference play.

The Tigers’ two OVC losses were to UT Martin (87-74)

and most recently to EKU (92-88) on Saturday, Jan. 18.

This is the second year under Head Coach Brian “Penny” Collins and so far Tennessee State has made progress after going 9-21 in his first season.

The Tigers currently own the fourth-best scoring offense in the OVC, averaging 77.4 ppg with nearly five players averaging double figures.

They are led in scoring by two transfers from Southwest Tennessee Community College in redshirt sophomore guard Carlos Marshall Jr. (14.7 ppg) and senior guard Michael Littlejohn (18.0 ppg), while graduate student Wesley Harris, junior forward Shakeem Johnson and senior forward Jy’lan Washington follow right behind them in scoring.

Harris made his way to Tennessee State after leaving West Virginia University. He was with the Mountaineers when they defeated the Racers in the 2017-18 NCAA Tournament.

Since joining the Tigers, Harris is the team’s fourth-leading scorer at 10.3 ppg. Johnson is the team’s third-leading scorer at 11.8 ppg while Washington—the former Louisiana Tech University player—averages 9.8 ppg.

The Racers will be tasked with a much different Tennessee State team than the one they faced a year ago when they defeated the Tigers in a 100-62 blowout.

When and where

Murray State will take on Belmont at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 23, and Tennessee State at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 25, with both games being played at the CFSB Center. The matchup with Belmont will be aired on ESPN 2.

Sports

January 23, 2020

9

Murray State football begins new era Racers release first schedule under Hood ly-season poll.

The Racers begin conference play on Oct. 3 at nkendall1@murraystate.edu home against the Tennessee State Tigers. Other Racer football has anhome games this season nounced their first schedinclude homecoming on ule under Head Coach Halloween night versus Dean Hood for the 2020 Eastern Illinois, a rivalry season. matchup against UT Martin The first game of the and a senior night clash season will see Murray with Jacksonville State.

State head down to AtlanConference away games ta, Georgia, to take on the will prove to be a chalPanthers of Georgia State lenge for Murray State.

University, the team that The league-opener starts shocked the nation last with a game with Co-OVC season by upsetting the champs Southeast Missouri University of Tennessee at Knoxville but only finished State on Sept. 26. On Oct. 10 the Racers will look to the season 7-6. snap the two-game losing The following week, streak to Tennessee Tech Hood will showcase his and then on Nov. 7 they’ll new team at Stewart Stahead to Eastern Kentucky, dium when they take on Tarleton State University, a hoping to make up for the close 34-27 loss at home new FCS and NCAA Division I competitor out of the last season.

Murray State will end the Western Athletic Conferseason on the First Finanence. cial Bank Battle of the BorLast year’s money game was a 63-17 loss to the Uni- der game against the other versity of Georgia Bulldogs OVC champ Austin Peay.

The Racers are also look“between the hedges” at Sanford Stadium. This sea- ing to exact their revenge for a 42-7 blowout win for son’s money game seems to be against the Universi- the Governors.

All Racer football action ty of Louisville Cardinals, will be streamed on ESPN+ who won the 2019 Music and aired on Froggy City Bowl and have been 103.7FM. ranked No. 19 in an earNick Kendall Staff Writer

Photo courtesy of Racer Athletics Athletic Director Kevin Saal introduces Dean Hood as the new head coach of Murray State football.

Racer baseball announces 2020 schedule

Simon Elfrink Staff Writer selfrink@murraystate.edu

As the 2020 spring semester begins, anticipation for the upcoming baseball season is answered by Head Coach Dan Skirka, who has officially released the spring baseball schedule.

The Racers will kick off the 55-game season by traveling to Hattiesburg, Mississippi, to play Southern Mississippi University in a three-game series. Southern Mississippi is a well-established program, but the Racers did not meet them on the field last year. The Golden Eagles are looking to make an appearance at the NCAA tournament for the fifth year in a row.

Following the opening series, the Racers will return home for a nine-game homestand, which will begin with a game against Western Kentucky University. The last time the Racers played the Hilltoppers was in late February of last season, when Murray State lost 5-9.

During the long homestand, the Racers will see a series with both Saint Peter’s University and Bowling Green University, as well as a single game versus the Southern

On the road again, the Racers will stop by Southern Illinois University before a three-game matchup against Southeast Missouri State University. The Redhawks are looking to get back at the Racers after losing two of three games in the 2019 series.

Another game against Saint Louis University will preface the three-game series hosting Belmont University. The Racers will stay home to play North Alabama once again before a series against Eastern KenPhoto by Gage Johnson/TheNews tucky University in Richmond, Head Coach Dan Skirka throws BP at a Murray State baseball practice.

Kentucky.

Illinois University Salukis.

Alabama University for the first 24. The Racers’ short history The Racers will look While the Racers did not play time in school history. with the Billikens stands with to keep up their success Saint Peter’s or Bowling Green Three days later, Murray Murray State winning three of against Alabama A&M Unilast season, they did face the State will return home to four games, winning the last versity, which has beaten Salukis for one game on May 1, Reagan Field for a three-game matchup 9-1.

Murray State only once out 2019. The Racers fell short that series against Eastern Illinois Next, the Racers will visit of six games. The Morehead game, losing 3-8.

University. Last March, the Terre Haute, Indiana, to play State Eagles will visit for a On March 4, Murray State Racers beat the Panthers two three games against Indiana three-game series during will head to Lexington, Kengames to one in the series at State University, which has Murray State Alumni Weektucky, to play the University home. beaten Murray State in three of end to open the month of of Kentucky for one game Before getting back on the four games played.

May. before a three-game matchup road, the Racers will play the In April the Racers will The University of Tennesagainst Austin Peay UniversiUniversity of Evansville. The host Middle Tennessee State see at Martin will host the ty in Clarksville, Tennessee.

Racers have been hot against University to tip the 1-1 record Racers for a three-game seThe Racers have proven the Aces recently, winning five history between the Racers ries, after which the Racers themselves successful against of the last six games played. and Blue Raiders. will stay on the road to face Austin Peay in recent history; On March 20, the Racers The Racers will stay at the University of Evansville. they won three of four games will play Jacksonville State Reagan Field for a three-game Finally, the Racers will against the Governors in 2019, University in a three-game series against Tennessee Tech cap off the regular season outscoring them 23-8. series before coming back University, which Murray State against Southern Illinois On March 10, the Racers will home to play the Saint Louis beat two games to one in last University Edwardsville at stay on the road to play North University Billikens on March year’s series.

Reagan Field on May 14.

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January 23, 2020

Racers looking to snap four-game losing streak team with 17.2 ppg and 10.8 rpg.

Turner knows that Belmont is still a very good team.

Murray State women’s bas- “They have a lot of good ketball returns home follow- players and a lot of good ing a four-game road trip pieces,” Turner said. as they take on Belmont on Thursday, Jan. 23 and TenMurray State vs. TSU nessee State on Saturday, Jan. 25.

Murray State will host the first of two matchups against Murray State vs. Belmont Tennessee State on Saturday, Jan. 25. The Racers suffered a The Racers will face off four-point loss to the Tigers against the reigning OVC last season, losing 65-61 at champions for the first time the CFSB Center. this season. A year ago, Mur- Tennessee State comes to ray State lost 65-58 at the Murray with a 2-14 record CFSB Center in their lone and an 0-6 record in confermatchup against Belmont. ence play. The Tigers are The Racers went winless on currently on a seven-game their recent road trip and fell losing streak. to 8-9 overall and 1-5 in OVC Turner said that being back play. Belmont travels to Mur- at the CFSB Center is benefiray on a two-game winning cial to the team’s morale and streak and are 10-7 overall helps the team play better. and 5-1 in conference play.

“Obviously, playing at Head Coach Rechelle Turn- home is great,” Turner said. er said the graduation of the “You have the fans behind Bruins’ leading scorer of last you and the support behind season, Darby Maggard (17 you. You get more of a rouppg), explains why Belmont tine going and I think that’s is not as effective offensive- always helpful.” ly as they have been in past Before this week’s games, seasons.

Turner said the main priority “They’re not scoring the is to focus on themselves and basketball as much,” Turner to improve every day. said. “I don’t care what you “Right now, we’re continusay [but] you cannot replace ing focusing on ourselves a kid like [Maggard] imme- [and] focusing on trying to diately. She was everything get better and grow each and they did, and I think some of every day,” Turner said. their struggles offensively T h e R a c e r s ’ m a t c h u p have shown that.” against Belmont tips off at 3 Despite losing their top p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 23, at scorer, the Bruins have the the CFSB Center. The game preseason OVC Player of the against Tennessee State tips Year in senior forward Ellie off at 5 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. Harmeyer, who leads the 25, at the CFSB Center.

Josh Embry Contributing Writer jembry3@murraystate.edu

Photo courtesy of Racer Athletics Sophomore guard Lex Mayes gets ready to shoot a three against SEMO.

Photo courtesy of Racer Athletics Jessikha Ribeiro sails over the bar in the high jump at the Samford Multi.

Ribeiro and Oren shine in backto-back meets for track and field Jon Dunning Staff Writer jdunning1@murraystate.edu

After a month-long break, Murray State track and field found success in its first two meets in January.

Samford Multi Murray State track and field redshirt junior Jessikha Ribeiro and sophomore Ashlyn Oren are among the top of the OVC leaderboard after competing in the pentathlon at the Samford Multi on Thursday, Jan. 16, in Birmingham, Alabama.

The Racers saw success in a field of fifteen competitors, as Ribeiro placed third with 3,459 points and Oren placed fifth with 3,302 points. Ribeiro’s performance put her at No. 1 on the OVC leaderboard this season, while Oren sits at No. 3.

The two Murray State athletes started the event with the 60m hurdles. Ribeiro placed fourth with a time of 9.27 seconds and Oren finished ninth with a time of 9.47 seconds.

Next, both Ribeiro and Oren competed in the high jump.

The two Racers tied for first in the event by jumping 1.65 meters. Ribeiro’s performance in the high jump helped push her to first place overall going into the third event.

Ribeiro continued to dominate, holding on to the leading spot after she placed second in shot put, throwing 10.44 meters, while Oren placed thirteenth for 8.83 meters.

For the fourth event, Ribeiro and Oren competed in long jump. Oren placed fifth by jumping 5.31 meters, while Ribeiro took sixth with 5.20 meters.

Murray State Head Coach Adam Kiesler was excited for Ribeiro’s performance that put her atop the OVC. “It is actually her personal best while being at Murray State,” Kiesler said. “I think she actually competed well and the numbers kind of showed that.”

Kiesler was impressed by the versatility of the athletes throughout the day.

“That is an event (shot put) where our kids don’t necessarily make up points in the shot, they just don’t want to lose as many points, and I think they did that this past week,” Kiesler said. “Jess’s hurdles is actually in a good spot, and they both high jumped well.”

The Racers continued to perform strong heading into the final event, the 800-meter run.

Ribeiro completed the run in 2:34.43, placing seventh in the event. Oren ran the course in 2:38.07, finishing 11th.

John Craft Invite Following the strong showings of Ribeiro and Oren at the Samford Multi, the Murray State track and field team took second place at the John Craft Invite at Eastern Illinois University in Charleston, Illinois, on Saturday, Jan.18.

The Racers competed against 14 teams at the event and scored 140.5 points to earn second place. Eastern Illinois placed first.

Kiesler believes that Murray State’s placing is a good sign as the Racers head forward into the rest of the season.

“I think that’s (Murray State’s placing) actually a good indicator of where we are now,” Kiesler said. “I think the overall team score was good.”

In the weight throw event, senior Jewel Wagner placed fourth by throwing 16.89 meters, while senior Destiny Carey placed seventh with a throw of 15.67 meters. Sophomore Ashton Crowe took ninth, throwing 14.37 meters.

Carey topped the shot put event, taking first with 13.75 meters. Wagner placed fifth with 12.35 meters.

Murray State dominated the pole vault event, taking four of the top 10 spots. Sophomore Brooke Misukonis placed first with a mark of 3.50 meters.

Sophomore Jessica Kinder took fifth, freshman Jenna Pauly placed sixth and sophomore Shannon Riley placed seventh, each scoring 3.20 meters.

The Racers also performed well in the high jump event.

Freshman Megan Fletcher took second with 1.70 meters, putting her in a tie for first place in the OVC in the high jump. Pauly took fourth with 1.60 meters.

Sophomore Elen Gesler placed fifth in the triple jump event with 10.64 meters.

Three Racers placed in the top six of the 60 meters event.

Junior Jumyia Denning earned second place with a time of 7.72 seconds, while freshman Kenia Seals followed close behind in third with a time of 7.76 seconds. Sophomore Rachel Hagans finished fifth with 7.90 seconds.

Murray State athletes performed well in the 400 meters dash event, with Denning taking fourth with a time of 1:00.53, while freshman LaMiah Campbell took fifth with 1:00.58.

Freshman Lucia Herrero-Yanez placed sixth with a time of 1:01.19, and Hagans ranked eighth at 1:02.39.

Senior D’Myia Thornton led the 600 meters run event with a time of 1:36.40, while senior Norma Abdur-Rafifa took third with 1:41.64. Sophomore JaKayla McSwain got fifth with 1:43.59.

Freshman Kristin Dent placed eighth in the 800 meter run with 2:28.95.

Sophomore Emma Graf placed sixth in the 3000 meter run with 10:35.82, while sophomore Emma Creviston took ninth with 10:45.24.

Murray State placed first in the 4x400 meter relay, with Rafia, Thornton, McSwain and Denning finishing the event in 3:55.21.

Following Murray State’s first full team meet of 2020, Kiesler feels optimistic about his team’s preparations.

“I think with a lot of the events we are where we want to be, so the improvement is not going to be anything major,” Kiesler said. “Technically, we saw a lot of very good things. I think it’s more kind of sticking to the plan for now.”

Murray State track and field will be on the road again next week for the Don Denoon Invite on Friday, Jan. 24, and Saturday, Jan. 25.

Features

January 23, 2020

Friday, Jan. 24: Art Exhibit: Transmogrification featuring Donald Fodness

@ 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. in the Clara M. Eagle Gallery

Monday, Jan. 27: Art Exhibit: Transmogrification featuring Donald Fodness Photo Courtesy of William Koenecke William Koenecke is working on his second book which he descibes has a ‘workbook’ for students.

Former professor writes to help students study Grant Dillard Staff Writer gdillard@murraystate.edu

William Koenecke, former Murray State professor, is still finding ways to help and instruct students on campus after his retirement thanks to the books he has published.

Koenecke first came to Murray State in 2001 and worked as an assistant professor until retiring in 2012.

Even bef ore his time at the University, Koenecke’s career path mainly centered around education, having previously worked a s a c h e m i s t r y t e a c h e r, high school principal and superintendent.

Fo r m a ny ye a r s , Ko e necke has wanted to write and publish at least one book. While Koenecke was a m o re - t h a n - c o m p e t e n t science student, English wasn’t his strongest subject, though he has been an avid reader since he was a child.

“I really didn’t see the need to practice good grammar, punctuation and writing in science,” Koenecke said. “I’ve been a fact person and still am a fact person.”

One of Koenecke’s duties as superintendent was to interview possible candidates for the role of both teacher or principal. Koenecke often noticed that applications consisted of lackluster grammar, incorrect

11

punctuation and poor writing skills.

“T hey didn’t make the cut,” Koenecke said. “So I was interested in why these people were not prepared in these critical skill areas.

Sometimes they appeared to have good credentials in other areas, but they never got the opportunity to tell

I’ve been a fact person and still am a fact person.

- William Koenecke,

former Murry State professor

me.”

Upon becoming a professor, Koenecke found that many of his students had similar problems. Wanting to give his students a fair chance, Koenecke came up with the idea of a cheat sheet to aid them in basic grammar and punctuation.

“It didn’t seem to de crease the er rors,” Koenecke said. “I posted the c h e a t s h e e t o n my p ro f e s s o r web s i t e. H owev er, again, I didn’t see very much improvement.”

In response to this, Koen e c ke d e d i c a t e d s eve n

years to write his first book, “ W r i t e We l l W r i t e N ow : A Guidebook on English Grammar, Punctuation, and Writing.”

Rather than being a normal college textbook, it was a reference book containing several examples, tips and exercises. A reader could simply go to the index, locate a question and be lead to whichever pages their answers would be on.

Koenecke is also currently hard at work on his next book, “Over 77 Ways to Study Smarter and not Work Harder! Improve Your Study Skills in Minutes a Day!” He describes the workin-progress publication as more of a workbook than a textbook, which will go over how to use a course syllabus as a road map of a professor’s expectations, including that of assignments, class policies and types of tests.

“Ben Franklin many years ago said, ‘If you fail to plan, then you are planning to fail,’ Koenecke said. “Longrange planning must begin on the first day of class.

Planning out your semester using your syllabi as road maps will help you reduce confusion and anxiety by exactly defining the demands you will face in each course. It will help you ‘Study Smarter and Not Harder!’ And you will be able to ‘Improve Your Study Skills in Minutes a Day!’”

@ 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. in the Clara M. Eagle Gallery

Tuesday, Jan. 28: Art Exhibit: Transmogrification featuring Donald Fodness

@ 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. in the Clara M. Eagle Gallery

Tinsel Town Tuesday

@ 7 p.m. in Curris Center Theater

Study Business in Emlyon (France) Info @ 10:30 am in Business Building North 404

Wednesday, Jan. 29: Art Exhibit: Transmogrification featuring Donald Fodness

@ 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. in the Clara M. Eagle Gallery

Around the World in One Night @ 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. in Winslow

Thursday, Jan. 30: Art Exhibit: Transmogrification featuring Donald Fodness

@ 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. in the Clara M. Eagle Gallery

City Scapes: New York

@ 11 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. in Winslow

German Coffee Table

@ 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. in Faculty Hall Room 4A

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

Colton Colglazier/The News

Features

12

January 23, 2020

STUDENT GOVERNMENT ASSOCIATION GET INVOLVED Student Government Association applications are available on line www.murraystate.edu/sga or in the Center for Student Involvement office, 111 Curris Center.

Positions:

President - must be Junior by fall semester, 2.7 gpa Executive Vice President - must be Junior by fall semester, 2.7 gpa Vice President of Administration - 2.7 gpa Vice President of Finance - 2.7 gpa Senator At Large – 8 positions, 2.0 gpa College of Business – 3 positions, 2.0 gpa College of Education & Human Services – 3 positions, 2.0 gpa College of Humanities & Fine Arts – 3 positions, 2.0 gpa College of Science, Engineering & Technology – 3 positions, 2.0 gpa Hutson School of Agriculture – 3 positions, 2.0 gpa School of Nursing & Health Professionals – 3 positions, 2.0 gpa RCA President - 2.7 gpa RCA Vice President – 2.7 gpa RCA Secretary/Treasurer, 2.7 gpa

**ALL RCA officers must have lived in residential college 1 year prior to election

Applications due:

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2020 at NOON in the CSI office.

Candidates Meeting:

MANDATORY CANDIDATES MEETING at 4 PM in Curris Center Barkley Room

Elections:

ONLINE VOTING, MONDAY, MARCH 9, 2020 AT 12:01 AM THROUGH TUESDAY, MARCH 10, 2020 AT 11:59 PM

SGA Forum:

MONDAY, MARCH 2, 2020 at 5:00 PM in Alexander Hall Auditorium

Senate Chair:

Elections/Ways & Means – 1 position, 2.0 gpa Publications & Public Relations, 1 position, 2.0 gpa University Affairs – 1 position, 2.0 gpa Government Relations – 1 position, 2.0 gpa Diversity & Inclusion – 1 position, 2.0 gpa Enrollment Management & Student Success – 1 position, 2.0 gpa WEDNESDAY, APRIL 1 at NOON in the CSI office

Applications due: Judicial Board: Applications due:

10 members, must be a Sophomore by fall semester, 2.0 gpa WEDNESDAY, APRIL 1 at NOON in the CSI office

Campus Activities Board: Applications due:

12 chair positions, 2.0 gpa WEDNESDAY, APRIL 1 at NOON in the CSI office