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Feb. 11, 2021 | Vol. 95, No. 16

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NEWS

OPINION

SPORTS

FEATURES

Students and professors prefer in-person classes

Super Bowl or Super Spreader?

Rifle wins 15th OVC Championship

Political science professor shares research

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The News staff wins 21 awards Jakob Milani Contributing Writer jmilani@murraystate.edu The News took home 21 awards this year in the 2020 Kentucky Press Association contest, including the top award. Gage Johnson, Editor-in-Chief, said a lot of hard work goes into producing the newspaper, website and social media. He won 10 of the 21 awards given to staff. When I got the message from everyone, I almost got choked up because we’ve put in so much work over the past few years. - Gage Johnson, Editor-in-Chief and senior from Marion, Illinois

“I was on cloud nine, I’m not gonna lie to you,” Johnson said. “In such a weird year, it’s been very odd in trying to find the motivation to do work at times, but this was one of those reminders that all that time I have spent that I thought that nobody was reading, nobody was watching, it let me know that all my efforts really did pay off and that I have a future in this. I can take from this and grow. I think that’s what means the most to me about it.” The News also won the award for general excellence in Kentucky newspapers for the second year in a row. Johnson discussed how important it is to him and the entire staff to win this award again. “When I got the message from everyone, I almost got choked up because we’ve put in so much work over the past few years. We’ve won some awards but we have always just fallen a little short, then we finally got there in these last two years.” Stephanie Anderson, faculty adviser said the students deserved all of these awards for their hard work this year. “It is an absolute pleasure to be able to work with this group of talented young journalists,” Anderson said. “The amount of work that these student journalists put in typically goes unnoticed as it is behind the scenes. They work long nights and weekends to keep the campus and community informed on top of their class schedules. I couldn’t be more proud of their hard work, dedication and journalistic abilities.” Visit TheNews.org for a list of the awards.

Paige Bold/The News An ice storm warning was issued by the National Weather Service, causing classes to function remotely.

Ice storm moves classes online Cady Stribling News Editor cstribling1@murraystate.edu Murray State campuses will function remotely this week after the National Weather Service issued an ice storm warning. According to the Kentuc ky Highway Snow & Ice report for District 1 by the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, crews are treating highways in anticipation of another round of freezing drizzle, freezing rain and sleet expected to arrive Thursday, Feb. 11. On Wednesday, Feb. 10, the District 1 Super Tanker sprayed brine enhanced with calcium chloride along I-24 and I-69. Go v. Andy Beshear sent a press release, stating the hazardous winter storm system that impacts communities star ting Wednesday, Feb. 10. B e s h e a r s a i d o n We d n e s day, Feb. 10, road conditions would worsen and r ush hour would be dangerous. He closed al l state offices at 2:30 p.m. “Protecting our Kentucky families is the main mission of my administration,” Beshear said in the press release. “So earlier today, KYEM activated its State Emergency Operations Center (EOC) at 7 a.m. EST at Level 4 operations. We urge all Kentuckians to stay tuned to their local media for information on

weather, visit snowky.ky.gov for snow and ice resources and goky. ky.gov to check road conditions. “ On Tuesday, Feb. 9, the University sent out a weather update, stating all regional campus sites will continue virtually. “Due to the possibility of inclement weather and as a safety precaution, Murray State University, including all regional campus sites at Hopkinsville, Madisonville, Paducah, Henderson and Ft. Campbell, will be operating remotely on February 10, 2021,” according to the update. “In addition, in-person classes at the Paducah Regional Campus are cancelled for tonight (Feb. 9) beginning at 4 p.m.” According to the update, the facilities management staff will do ice removal operations on campus. Because of the storm, there is a chance that power lines could be down, causing power outages. W ith freezing temperatures, Kentucky Emergency Management says to prepare with an alternate source of heat in case there is a loss of power. They have released the following steps: Be aware of the dangers of alternate heat sources and carbon monoxide poisoning. Generators, camp stoves or charcoal grills should always be used outdoors and at least 20 feet away from windows. Never use a gas stovetop or oven to heat your home. Visit

http://www.cdc.gov/co/guidelines.htm for more information. If you experience a downed p owe r l i n e o r p owe r o u t a ge, please contact your local utility company. They will be able to provide you with information on the duration of your outage. Stay away from downed power lines or broken utility lines. T h e K e n t u c k y Tr a n s p o r t a tion Cabinet also said high way snow-fighters were pre paring for a major winter s t o r m p ac k i n g d a m a g i n g i c e ahead of snow and possibly bitter cold that will affect road conditions across the state. Gov. Andy Beshear has asked the people of the commonwealth to be careful on the roads. “ We ask Kentuc kians to be cautious of roadway conditions that will be hazardous in some areas,” Beshear said. “Please stay off roadways unless necessary.” A few Murray State students are prepar ing for the weather in a few different ways. Junior nursing major Emily Davis said she was supposed to be at Jackson Purchase Medical Center Wednesday at 6:30 a.m before her clinicals were canceled because of the ice storm. Instead, Davis will do a make-up assignment to replace the hours she would’ve put into the hospital.

see ICE, page 3

News

Feb. 11, 2021

Students and professors prefer in-person classes Edie Greenberg Contributing Writer egreenberg@murraystate.edu Murray State students and professors say they appreciate the oppor tunities Z oom sessions provide, but a majority share a preference for in-person classes. With another semester of masking and social distancing, students have found their schedules filled with a mixture of Zoom and in-person classes again. According to statistics from the Provost’s office, 41 percent of classes are face-to-face, and 19 percent are Zoom only. Eighteen percent of classes are listed as online, and 14 percent are categorized as “other,” meaning clinicals, directed studies, internships and more. Seven percent of classes are Racer Academy, dual enrollment with high school juniors and seniors. These classes all come with difficulties and challenges of their own, and Murray State students and professors seem to share a strong preference for in-person classes. For some students, focusing on course content and lectures seems to be the most prevalent problem. Maddie Rose, senior organizational communications major, said she prefers attending class in person. “I pay better attention and have more motivation to go to class,” Rose said. “When I Zoom, I feel like it isn’t important for me to listen because I am at home.” Junior biology pre-pharmacy major Kirsten Houst o n e c h o e d R o s e ’s c o n c e r n s . “ Z o o m c l a s s e s a n d p re - re corded lectures allow me to play on my phone during class,” Houston said, citing outside technology as a distraction. Fo r s t u d e n t s l i k e C h a n ler Cole, senior nursing major, it goes beyond the distractions of online learning. Cole said

she misses the in-class interaction with her peers and professors. “I prefer in-person classes because it allows me to focus better and get to see everyone,” Cole said. Students are not alone in their desire to return to all in-class instruction. Professors have found limited student interaction to be a source of frustration since the switch to partially hybrid classes. According to an article by Inside Higher Ed, Zoom usage went up 20-fold since the beginning of COVID-19. The service doesn’t release education-specific numbers, but there has been an obvious higher ed boom there and on similar platforms like Google Hangouts and Microsoft Teams. Chinese studies professor Jie Wu said she teaches in a language that is not her native tongue. She said for some reason she occasionally fumbles words in front of a screen but is often eloquent in front of a real class. She said she thrives off the interaction with her students. “I need this kind of real-time contact with people on a regular basis, especially during the pandemic when most social activities are in hibernation,” Wu said. Daryl Phillipy, associate professor of theatre, said he has had issues with student connectivity to the internet and students dropping in and out of class. Phillipy said he notices that students often get up and go somewhere in the middle of the Zoom, or their attention is on another screen like Facebook or a video game. “I hate that many students stay hidden and mute,” Phillipy said. “It really makes class discussions difficult, and I’d say practically useless.” For Murray State instructors who teach hands-on classes, Zoom limits their ability to see their students’ progress. Brent Webster, who teaches guitar, said he is tired of technical issues and Zoom limitations.

Jilllian Rush/The News Mollie Carter listens in on her Zoom class from her residential college room.

“Everything I teach is skills based and because my classes are music classes we often listen to examples,” Webster said. “If the internet connection is off even a little bit, things can get missed and it is not conducive to learning,” Webster said. Matthew Crider, assistant professor of theater, said he needs to see his students as they move and a tiny Z oom blac k box doesn’t allow him to do so. “I teach movement-based theatre per f or mance c lasses and that creates challenges to onl i n e e d u c a t i on , ” C r i d e r s a i d . “A lot of the work requires me to see an actor ’s full body in frame and moving and Zoom can be limiting in that regard.” Kevin Qualls, associate professor of television production, acknowledges that Zoom has its advantages. He said every student has a frontrow seat and with their names displayed, he can learn to match names and faces easily. However, Qualls sees the disadvantages when it comes to sharing media.

“The difficulties I’ve had with Zoom is regarding use of intellectual property because vide o s a n d i m a ge s t h a t a re f a i r for me to use in a traditional classroom are not fair game for me to publish,” Qualls said. W h i l e m a ny p ro f e s s o r s a re frustrated with technical issues and Zoom limitations, certain professors, like yoga instructor Gayle Rogers, are thankful for the potential Zoom provides. “It is very difficult to practice yoga with a mask,” Rogers said. “Therefore, I am extremely grateful to Murray State for allowing me to teach my 75 students virtually this semester and last semester.” Dance instructor Kevin Loveland said while frustrations exist, everyone has to be prepared for technical issues from both ends, students and teachers. “Sometimes internet issues happen, devices die or something doesn’t work for whatever reason,” Loveland said. “It’s all about going into it with the right mindset.”

Murray State switches from Google Hangouts to Google Chat a conversation af ter it ’s been sent according to a user suppor t page from Google. Chat will also feature an improved M u r r a y S t a t e t r a n s i - search function for past convert i o n e d f r o m u s i n g G o o - sations according to the FAQ. To access chats from a comgle Hangouts to Google pute r, us e rs may need t o upC h a t o n M o n d a y, F e b . 8 . According to a FAQ put out d a t e t h e i r b r o w s e r. A C h a t by Murr ay S tate, Google has a re a w i l l a p p e a r on t h e l e f t been gradually migrating users side menu when using Racerfrom Hangouts to Chat. New m a i l a c c o r d i n g t o t h e FAQ. To ac c e s s c h a t on a p h on e, features in Chat include creatusers have two options. There ing rooms and editing text in Ben Overby Staff Writer boverby2@murraystate.edu

will be new Chat, Rooms and M e e t i c on s a t t h e b o t t om o f the Gmail app to access Chat according to the FAQ. There is also a separate Google Chat a p p. Us e r s w i l l n o l o n g e r b e able to use the Hangouts app for their Murray State accounts according to the FAQ. There are three main functions of Chat. The Chat function is intended for conversations between individual users and small groups while Rooms

are intended for sharing tasks, fi l e s a n d t h re a d e d c o n v e r s a tions amongst larger groups a c c o r d i n g t o t h e FAQ . T h e third function, Meet, is Google ’s video conferencing tool. Google will graduall y transition past Hangouts conversations to Google Chats a c c o rd i n g t o t h e FAQ A full list of tips for switching from Hangouts to Chat is available at support.google. com/a/users/answer/9310166.

News

Feb. 11, 2021

Vaccination site opening postponed Kroger regional vaccination sites will also have to reschedule appointments. “If you have waited a long time to get this appointment, I am really sorry, but I also don’t want to put you out on the roads with thick ice,” Beshear said. “Wear your mask, be careful over this next week and we will get you vaccinated.” Currently, the state has prioritized those individuals in phase 1B as those eligible to receive the vaccine. This group includes persons age 70 and older, and those with serious underlying health conditions. Faculty and staff at Murray State will be listed under essential workers in phase 1C which has prompted some concerns about the sign up process for the vaccine for University employees. The registration website that everyone is encouraged to use does not have a way to indicate whether or not they are a University employee. The University administration addressed this issue in an email to the campus community. “The University is providing employee lists of all faculty/staff to the Calloway County Health Department, per their request as we advance

through different vaccination phases laid out by the Commonwealth,” according to the campus wide email. “This is done in order for them to cross check the names of individuals who sign up for the COVID-19 vaccination via the Calloway County Health Department’s website: www.Callowayhealth.org. This is simply another way in which they can ensure individuals are in the 1C phase who sign-up for the vaccine.” Vaccines will be available by appointment only – no walk-up appointments will be allowed.

“This is to ensure that each vaccination site can administer 90 percent or more of all vaccine doses within seven days of arrival,” according to the statement. Future Regional Vaccination site dates and appointments will be scheduled soon. In order to sign up for the vaccine, visit the Calloway County Health Department’s website at callowayhealth.org. Continue to monitor the website, the University’s website at murraystate. edu/vaccine and The News’ social media pages for future updates and news.

said. “I am not particularly nervous about the ice storm because while it may be bad, we have definiteFrom Page 1 ly seen worse storms and made it through. If worse comes to worse, I Davis said although she has will snuggle up in my bed with lots not done much to prepare for of blankets and study my flashcards.” the ice storm, she has food and Alistair Majors, sophodrinks in her residential col- m o re T ES O L m a j o r, s a i d h e lege room. She also has gas in her doesn’t have a plan about precar in case she needs to go some- p a r i n g f o r t h e i c e s t o r m . where and won’t break down. “I honestly don’t have a plan “I am thankful for the extra time about preparing,” Majors said. to study and catch up on my stud- “ If any thing, I just wait un ies while we have this storm,” Davis til I see how bad it is and adjust

accordingly. I know that’s terrible because one should always prepare for the worst, but I can just never bring myself to worry that much.” Majors said he lives on campus and does not have a drive r ’s l i c e n s e , s o b a d w e a t h er can be an inconvenience. “The only thing I have in mind is that because I eat out quite a bit, I’ll have to resort to eating the food I keep in my dorm,” Majors said. “I’m a little worried about that because I haven’t done groceries in two weeks and I ate the majority

of it already. As I stated before, I can’t really do anything besides see just how much it’ll limit me.” Majors said most of his classes are on Zoom, so the ice storm won’t affect him much. He has a friend who is a pre-vet major and has labs everyday, and these will be affected, Majors said. weather and he noticed many people cover shifts in newer dorms, but not so much at the older ones. Stay tuned with The News on social media, as we will update this story as more information is released.

Gage Johnson Editor-in-Chief gjohnson17@murraystate.edu Murray State’s regional COVID-19 vaccination site was scheduled to open on Wednesday, Feb. 10, but the threat of an ice storm forced state and local health officials to reschedule opening day. Gov. Andy Beshear announced on Thursday, Feb. 4, that the CFSB Center would be a regional vaccination site. Health officials have rescheduled for Wednesday, Feb. 17. Patients who had an appointment for Feb. 10 will be contacted via telephone and will have the appointment rescheduled for the same time on Feb. 17, according to a post on the Calloway County Health Department’s Facebook page.The news of the postponement comes as Beshear announced the federal government increased Kentucky’s vaccine supply by an additional six percent for a total increase of 28 percent. Murray State is not the only regional vaccination site to shutter its doors because of the potential for inclement weather. Beshear said all

ICE

RALPH WOODS

Paige Bold/The News Murray’s regional COVID-19 vaccination site was rescheduled to open on Feb. 17.

JIM BAURER

MEMORIAL AWARD

OUTSTANDING STAFF SERVICE AWARD

Established to honor students who have made an outstanding contribution in service and leadership to the University campus.

For recognition of a staff member who has gone above and beyond the call of prescribed duty and shown exceptional dedication with regard to the students of Murray State University.

Criteria: 1. Must be a December 2020 or May 2021 graduate. 2. Must be a person whose campus activities indicate leadership. 3. Must be a person who promotes change. (Can accomplish goals and is of service to students and faculty.) 4. Grade point average is of no consideration.

PLEASE COMPLETE THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION I,__________________________________________, would like to nominate ____________________________________ for the award. 1. What area does the staff member work in? ________________________________________________ 2. What qualities do you feel this staff person has that would qualify him/her for this award? ________________________________________________ ________________________________________________

(Nominee must have five (5) years full time employment at MSU) Student’s Signature _________________________________ Date_____________

Applications are available in the Student Government Association office. Three letters of recommendation (from peers, instructors or whomever you like) validating the nominee’s leadership capabilities must be submitted by NOON, TUESDAY, MARCH 9, 2021.

Major_______________________________________ Phone______________________

RETURN FORM TO STUDENT GOVERNMENT ASSOCIATION IN THE CENTER FOR STUDENT INVOLVEMENT OFFICE BY NOON, TUESDAY, MARCH 9, 2021 PLEASE USE ADDITIONAL SHEETS IF NECESSARY.

Sponsored by Student Government Association

Opinion

Super Bowl or Super Spreader?

Feb. 11, 2021

The staff editorial is the majority opinion of The Murray State News Editorial Board Gabe Steffen Opinion Editor gsteffen@murraystate.edu The Super Bowl: a true American staple. For decades, American families have gathered around the TV or flocked to stadiums to witness the glory of two famous teams facing off against each other. But what do they do when there’s a pandemic? The 2021 Super Bowl, hosted at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida, held a massive 22,000 people, and while social distancing may have been in place, what does this mean for the rising COVID-19 cases? If you’ve ever been to a football game, you know just how stressful the environment can be. Hundreds of sweating fans screaming and shouting about their team and dissing the opposing team. During these unprecedented times the fear of COVID-19 has made flailing arms at games much less common, but people who have true team spirit will flock to games without a second thought about what could potentially be spread by them or to them, which brings up a point: how did the stadium make sure all of the attendees maintained social distancing and effectively enforce mask regulations? Dealing with thousands of riled up fans definitely could not have been an easy task for the staff of the stadium. We can only hope that they managed to keep everything un-

Cade Utterback/The News

der control in this environment. As seen on TV, there were social distancing measures in place, and in the seats separating each attendee sat a cardboard cutout of an attendee watching from home. Despite looking like the entire thing was socially distanced, what about the attendants entering and exiting the stadium? You would expect there would be an influx of people wanting in and out as quickly as possible. What kind of example does this set for the places across the nation that are getting hit hardest

by this virus? If they see people on TV going out and attending sports games, they may think it’s okay to go attend their own sports games without maintaining proper safety precautions. We cannot eradicate this virus without the cooperation of the majority of the nation, and if national sports games are setting this example for viewers, it ’s only the fault of the station for the potential rise of COVID-19 numbers after the Super Bowl. The Super Bowl will always remain a proud American pastime,

and will always bring people together. In these times we need to be conscious about where we go and how safe we are being. The example set by the Super Bowl seemed alright, but this could lead to a mass of more problems, as the people who watched at home may find themselves compelled to go out and do things without protecting themselves. We need to make sure we all stay safe and healthy, and going to major sports events is not the best way to make sure of that.

Got opinions?

We want to hear from you!

Editorial Board

Contact Gabe Steffen at gsteffen@murraystate.edu

Gage Johnson Cady Stribling Dr. Stephanie Anderson Daniella Tebib Editor-in-Chief News Editor Faculty Adviser Production Manager gjohnson17@murraystate.edu cstribling1@murraystate.edu sanderson37@murraystate.edu dtebib@murraystate.edu Jenna Carnes Breanna Kinder Chief Copy Editor Ad Sales Manager jcarnes2@murraystate.edu msunewsads@gmail.com Kalea Anderson Elizabeth Erwin Chief Videographer Public Relations Manager kanderson29@murraystate.edu eerwin1@murraystate.edu

The News welcomes commentaries and letters to the editor. Sub-

missions 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.

Jillian Rush Gabe Steffen Photo Editor Opinion Editor jrush4@murraystate.edu gsteffen@murraystate.edu John O’Neill Dionte Berry Online Manager Features Editor joneill4@murraystate.edu dberry1@murraystate.edu

Contributions to The News are the opinion of the author and not that of The Murray State News. The News is a designated public forum. Student editors have authority to make all content decisions without censorship or advance approval. The paper offers a hands-on learning environment for students interested in journalism. The campus press should be free from censorship and advance approval of copy and its editors should develop their editorial and news policies.

The News strives to be the University community’s source for information. Our goal is to present that information in a fair and unbiased manner and provide a free and open forum for expression and debate. The News is prepared and edited by students and is an official publication of Murray State University. The first copy is free. Additional copies are available for 25 cents at 111 Wilson Hall.

Sports

Feb. 11, 2021

Photo courtesy of Racer Athletics Muray State rifle took the OVC Championship title for the 15th time in school history.

Rifle wins 15th OVC Championship Simon Elfrink Sports Editor selfrink@murraystate.edu

Murray State rifle took home its 15th OVC Championship title on Sunday, Feb. 7, after defeating host Morehead state 4676-4656. Head Coach Alan Lollar was excited to lead the team to its fifth title in six years. While the composite smallbore score wasn’t as high as he would have liked, Lollar was overall pleased with the results and happy to set the tone for Murray State Athletics in bringing home the first OVC Championship of the spring semester. “I’m proud of them,” Lollar said. “They did a great job (and) Morehead did a great job hosting. We’re just happy we made it through the championships in this crazy COVID year.” In tradition with the OVC

Championship, the event was split up over two days of play, the first day being reserved for smallbore shooting and the second for air rifle. In smallbore, the Racers led the way at 2316 while Morehead State remained just within reach at 2304. Sophomore Matias Kiuru led all shooters in smallbore with a score of 587. Freshman Allison Henry followed suit in third with a 580, while senior Dana Buessler was fourth overall after the smallbore competition at 579. Junior Emily Fitzgerald was the fourth best shooter for the Racers, placing 13th overall in smallbore with 570, while junior Anna Scheer shot 569 and placed 14th. Air rifle yielded similar results, with Kiuru still coming in first at 597. Henry moved up a slot to second place on an air rifle score of 593. Buesseler dropped

back to seventh at 585. Scheer also claimed a 585 in air rifle. Based on the combined aggregate scores, Kiuru placed first overall in the competition with an aggregate score of 1184. Henry trailed Kiuru in second place at 1173. Buesseler’s 1164 aggregate score earned the Racers’ only senior a fourthplace spot in her last conference championship competition. Buesseler said it was great to be able to share her last OVC Championship victory with her younger teammates. “I think our team performed really well,” Buesseler said. “We had really good chemistry over the weekend. I’m just really proud of me and my team for coming together.” Buesseler said her goal going into the big match was to keep her cool and perform at

her best without thinking too much about the circumstances. “It is my senior year, so I had a little bit of extra pressure on me to perform to the best of my abilities, but me and Coach had a lot of talks about doing what I do every day and not really trying to change up anything because that’s when I perform my best, whenever I’m just doing my own thing,” Buesseler said. “I wasn’t a rockstar or anything this weekend, but I did what I was supposed to.” While Buesseler said the victory has the Racers in high spirits, they’re all very aware the season isn’t over yet. With competition ramping up for the NCAA Championship, the Racers have to see the season through if they want to qualify. The Racers will compete next on Sunday, Feb. 14, against Jacksonville State before the NCAA Qualifier on Feb. 20 at the Pat Spurgin Rifle Range.

Racer Room named in Dennis Jackson’s honor ference selection in 1964 and Laci Hawthorne held receiving records for Racer Contributing Writer lhawthorne@murraystate.edu football his senior year. Jackson was also inducted into the MurMurray State commemorates ray State Hall of Fame in 2007. Currently, the Dennis Jackson Dennis Jackson, the first Black student-athlete at the Universi- Racer Room is under renovation ty, by naming the Dennis Jack- to ensure a “first-class” environson Racer Room in his honor. ment to support student-athlete The celebration will take place development as well as host both March 21 at 12:30 p.m. in the game day and community hosnewly dedicated room. The event pitality events. The new room is estimated to finish just before will also serve as an attraction the Racers host Tennessee State for future recruits. It will be at 2 p.m. in Stewart Stadium, equipped with the latest audio/ and will be streamed live for visual equipment and Murray those who are unable to attend. State branding and sport-speMurray State President Bob cific mannequins donning Nike Jackson expressed his ex- gear, resourced via the departcitement for the ceremo- ment-wide apparel deal with ny honoring Dennis Jackson. Nike/BSN. The Dennis Jackson “We are very pleased to hon- Racer Room will also include a or Mr. Dennis Jackson with the nutrition/fueling station for curnaming of the Racer Room,” rent Racer student-athletes and Bob Jackson said. “Dennis is a special area to honor Dennis one of the all-time greats and it Jackson’s life and contributions. Director of Athletics Kevin Saal is only fitting to name this part of the Stewart Stadium in order shared in Bob Jackson’s enthusito recognize his many achieve- asm not only in bringing this adments and lifetime of service ditional resource to Murray State to Murray State University.” student-athletes but also in namThe naming of the room pays ing the room after a Racer legend. “Providing first-class facilihomage to the amazing career that Dennis Jackson had ties, nutrition and hospitality reat Murray State (1961-64). He sources are critical to developing was an All-Ohio Valley Con- our student-athletes, recruiting

Photo courtesy Racer Athletics Dennis Jackson’s accolades continue to pile up as the new Racer Room has been named in his honor.

future Racers and building all of our programs the Racer way,” Saal said. “Dennis Jackson was the model student-athlete, creating a pathway for thousands who have come behind him. He’s dedicated his life to the development of young people through education in the classroom and athletics. He’s served Murray State University as an active alumnus and his community as a model leader and giver of his

time. This naming opportunity continues to further our current and future student-athletes’ education in the many years to come. Through Dennis Jackson’s story, our student-athletes will see daily a defined pathway of tremendous success and impact, which started at Murray State University. We are incredibly blessed and excited to honor Dennis Jackson and tell his story in the years to come.”

Sports

Feb. 11, 2021

Features

Feb. 11, 2021

Professor Brittany Wood held a colloquium regarding her research project.

Jillian Rush/The News

Political science professor shares research in colloquium Dionte Berry Features Editor dberry11@murraystate.edu After months of working on her research project, assistant political science professor Brittany Wood is sharing her work concerning the effects of international travel on people’s perception of democracy. Since graduating with her bachelor’s degree from the University of Louisville, Wood has been interested in studying how travel can influence how one looks at their own nation. Wood was inspired to take this path based on her own experiences. “A f ter I graduated in 2010 I moved to Turkey and I lived in Turkey for about three years and when I was living in Turkey my ideas of politics changed quite significantly because I was able to interact with people from around the world and see Turkish politics,” Wood said. This led her to research t r a v e l i n g r a d u at e s t u d i e s at Wa s h i n g t o n S t a t e Un i v e r s it y. Her dissertation investigated t he i mpac t of inter nat iona l t ravel on pol it ica l behav ior a nd one’s k nowledge, interest a nd pa r t ic ipat ion i n p ol it ic s .

The connection between travel a nd pol it ics has been a focus of Wood ’s st udies and has led her to her project, “The Effect of International Travel on Political Attitudes in Asia,” which she presented on Tuesday, Feb. 9. Another variable that led Wood to this specif ic project was the pandemic. She had already gathered the sur veys from a prev ious study, but was dedicating her time to another study that got put on hold because of COV ID-19. “I actually had one study that came to a halt because the people were supposed to leave and travel and I was going to do my experiments, but they weren’t able to,” Wood said. “I picked up this project in December 2020, but I hadn’t really had the time to analyze it and so because of COV ID-19 I was able to pick the data back up.” Wood collected data from the Asian Barometer and took results from 18,000 participants in 12 Asian countries and analyzed questions concerning their perception of democracy and how they feel about it in their home country. Wo o d t h e n c o m p a r e d h o w people feel about t heir ow n

n at ion’s d emo c r a c y b a s e d on whether they have traveled abroad. Being the first time she is sharing her research with the public, Wood felt excited to finally get feedback from faculty and students. “I am really excited because I started this project in December and I have been working on it at home so I haven’t been able to talk to other people about it,” Wood said. “I want to see what their reactions are, if there are any future directions I can take with it and how I can develop it further.” Wo o d i s a l s o e xc ite d to b e talking about an aspect of political science that is relatively new and hasn’t been ta l ked about. “Travel in general is not a heavily studied topic in political science,” Wood sa id. “ It ’s pret t y new, so I relish in being able to share my ideas and share my research with anyone that will listen.” Wood’s colloquium was attended by many students and faculty members; one student in attendance was senior international studies and Spanish double major Daniel Craig. Craig found Wood ’s research insightf ul as it was something he hadn’t thought about before.

“ I had ne ver t hou ght ab out how traveling might have an affect on how people perceive their ow n gover n ment a nd democrac y,” Cra ig sa id. “ Now when I do travel, it will def initely be something that I think about.” Craig initially heard about the colloquium from his friends and thought it would be something w or t h c he c k i n g o ut . H i s bi g takeaway was the impact of what travel cou ld have on someone. “Not only does traveling create a more versed a nd rou nded person, it ca n a lso c ha nge t he w ay i n w h ic h w e s e e ou r ow n cou nt r y,” Cra ig sa id. “ I can not wait to see what comes n e x t w it h f u r t h e r r e s e a r c h .” Wood was happy with how her work was received and the diverse range of suggestions and questions she received about her work. “Colloquiums offer a great opportunity to learn about what people are doing on campus and see what type of research is happening at Murray State,” Wood said. “Even though it’s not this colloquium, whenever there are others check them out to see what their professors and faculty are doing.”

Valentine’s Day during a pandemic: What couples are doing

Ciara Benham Staff Writer cbenham@murraystate.edu

Olivia Badalamenti ContributingWriter obadalamenti@murraystate.edu

Undoubtedly, Valentine’s Day lo ok s d i f ferent t h is y e a r b e cause of COVID-19, but college sweethearts are f inding ways to keep love alive in the pandemic. Couples at Murray State have come up with unique ways to celebrate their relationship this Feb. 14, while remaining safe and socially distant. Fr om c h i l d ho o d f r ie n d s to highschool sweethearts, sophomore Hannah Lawson and her boy friend, both from Murray, are keeping tradition this year. Lawson met her boyfriend of three and a half years when they were just kids at a country club pool. Later, through their church youth group, the pair began to date and subsequently celebrate Valentine’s Day together. Their tradition began a few years ago when Lawson asked for only one thing for the holiday: a grilled cheese. “My favorite Valentine’s Day memory was him cooking me grilled cheese because that is the only thing I asked

for and now we eat grilled cheese every Valentines Day,” Lawson said. The pandemic isn’t getting in the way of this couple’s cheesy tradition, as they plan to stay inside and eat their sandwiches and watch a movie. Not only for Valentine’s Day but throughout COVID-19 Lawson and her boyfriend have been using food to make quality time for one another. “We have tried to make an effort to always eat dinner together, whether we are cooking or getting take out,” Lawson said. “The time we do get to see each other we try and live in the moment making the time we have together special.” Though Lawson and her boyfriend have been together for years, some couples haven’t known a relationship outside of COVID-19. Ben Austin, sophomore from McKenzie, Tennessee, met his girlfriend last Valentine’s Day, so their entire relationship has been encompassed by the pandemic. “I haven’t really experienced my relationship without COVID-19,” Austin said. “The main thing that COVID-19 has changed is how much we get to go out to eat or go to the movies.” This year, Austin and his girlfriend still plan to go out to eat and get ice cream for Valentine’s Day, but this time

Many couples are staying in because of COVID-19.

keeping with the proper safety precautions the couple has always used. “I guess you could say that having to wear a mask and social distance is altering my day, but those things have become the new normal,” Austin said. Since Austin and his girlfriend have always dealt with COVID-19 in their relationship, they have found creative ways to date. Instead of going out to eat and seeing movies, the couple likes to make pizza and play video games to make their time together special. “Keeping the romance alive isn’t about how much you go out and do fancy things,” Austin said. “It is about

Jillian Rush/The News

spending quality time with your partner and doing things that you both enjoy.” COVID-19 has been a burden on many aspects of life, but Murray State couples have not let it harm their relationships, even for Valentine’s Day. One Murray State student, junior Maci Steele from Metropolis, Illinois, looks at the pandemic as a positive opportunity for love. “COVID-19 has given my relationship the opportunity to grow,” Steele said. “COVID-19 has forced a lot of one-on-one time for many relationships. This is a time to take advantage of with those who you love.”

Features

Feb. 11, 2021

German Coffee Table invites practicing speakers to join Mason Galemore Contributing Writer mgalemore@murraystate.edu

Many people have the desire to learn a new lang uage and to converse f luent ly w it h ot hers. All German speakers at Murray State can do just t hat w it hout the hassle of traveling to Berlin or Frank furt. At Murray State, a f u n c o n v e r s a t i o n i n G e rma n is just a Z oom ca l l away. The German Coffee Table invites all students to jump in and e xerc ise t hei r l ing u ist ic sk i l ls and have a conversation in Germa n. T he e vent d raw s sp ea kers no matter their f luency level a nd helps t hem e x plore t he lang uage in a f un atmosphere. T he Cof fee Table’s d i rec tor, professor Roxanne R iegler, has l e d t h e e v e nt s i nc e f a l l 2 014 when she f i r st st a r te d te ac hi n g at Mu r r ay St ate . She h a s

t au ght Frenc h a nd G er ma n a nd she at tended t he Un iversit y of S a l z bu r g i n G er ma ny. T he Ger ma n Cof fee table is open to a l l st udents, but those who are beginners are highly encouraged to attend for it offers a great opportunit y to practice. Reigler sa id st udents who pa r t icipate a re not requ ired to s p e a k i f t h e y d o not w i s h to do so. Nonetheless, R iegler does t r y to ask t hem simple questions to give them t he op p or t u n it y to c onv e r s e . “ We do tr y to make sure that everyone gets a chance to speak by asking specif ic questions tailored to their current sk ill level,” Reigler sa id. “ T he goa l of a la ng uage table is to encou ra ge st udents to i mprove t hei r spea k ing and l istening sk i l ls.” A lt hou gh st udents a re most of the participants, the event is not e xc lusive to Mu r ray State

The goal of a language table is to encourage students to improve their speaking and listening skills. - Roxanne Riegler, Coffee Table director and professor

students. Anyone who has access to Zoom and an interest in German to some degree is inv ited. Reigler said there are also participants from other colleges and members of the local communit y who at tend t he event. T h is creates a wel l-rounded ex perience where people from different backgrounds can take part. One m ight be con f used or anxious as to where a conversation in a foreign language might go. At t he Cof fee Table, pa rticipants have no need to worr y a b out m a k i n g m i s t a k e s or hav ing to ta lk in an ex tremely

formal setting. Reigler said the conversat ions a re ver y casua l. “ T h e r e a r e n e i t h e r s p e c i fic ac t iv it ie s pl a n ned nor topi c s a d d r e s s e d ,” R e i g l e r s a i d . “ It is ver y muc h sponta neous. I do, however, ask t he pa r t icipa nts at t he beg inn ing about their weekend to get them spea k ing. Even beg inners ca n say somet h ing. Somet imes we spea k about cu r rent events o r d o s o m e s h o w a n d t e l l .” Reigler sa id the ma in goa l o f t h e G e r m a n C o f f e e Ta ble is to help t hose who wa nt to learn German and inspire them to keep practicing. The Zoom link for The G e r m a n C of fe e Ta ble c a n b e fou nd on Mu r ray State’s website u nder t he c a lend a r p a g e . T here w i l l be a meet ing ever y Tue s d ay, t he l a s t one b e i n g h e l d o n M a r c h 9, f r o m 3:30 p.m. u nt i l 4:15 p.m.

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