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Feb. 25, 2021 | Vol. 95, No. 17

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NEWS

OPINION

SPORTS

FEATURES

The 2021 event brings big changes to fan-favorite event

Black history in education

Baseball drops two in season opener

Public speaker talks about racial inequality

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Hackers and scammers target Murray State Cady Stribling News Editor cstribling1@murraystate.edu After two professors were Zoom hacked and students reported email scamming, the University implemented a Zoom authentication policy, requiring students to sign in before joini n g s c h e d u l e d c l a s s s e s s i on s . “S tudents: starting Monday, Feb. 22, unless other wise instr ucted you wil l be required to authenticate with a Murray State Zoom student acc o u n t , ” a c c o rd i n g t o a M u r r a y S t a t e e m a i l . “ We ’ v e h a d several instances where students are not being allowed t h r o u g h t h e Wa i t i n g R o o m , or courses are being Zoom bombed and meeting links shared, along with passcodes.” M u r r a y S t a t e C h i e f o f Po lice Jef f Ge n t r y sa i d t h e po lice department has seen a recent increase in the amount of students becoming victims to

I wasn’t sure if I should add him or not, but I thought maybe one of my students changed their name, so I let him in. - Kate He, professor of biology

phishing scams, which can be s e n t v i a e m a i l o r c o m e f ro m various social media platforms such as Snapchat. B i o l o g y p ro f e s s o r K a t e H e said she was teaching students to analyze data when an unfamilia r n a me popped int o t he waiting room. W ith 41 students in the c lass, He said it c an be difficult to remember every single student ’s name but k n e w i t d i d n’t l o o k f a m i l i a r. He asked the other stud e n t s i f t h e y re c o g n i z e d t h e unfamiliar name, Kenneth W. , b u t n o o n e w a s c e r t a i n . “I wasn’t sure if I should add him or not, but I thought maybe

one of my students changed their name, so I let him in,” He said. “I was still in the middle of sharing my screen to my class, and I let him in from the waiting room. Then af ter h e c a m e i n , I w a s l o ok i n g a t my screen and I heard someone talking and I heard music.” He stopped screen sharing to check on the c lass and saw that the sound was coming from the person she’d just let in. She muted the box labeled K e n n e t h W. a n d k i c k e d h i m out of the Z oom; af ter wards, she began teaching class again. He said students were working in groups in breakout rooms when someone entered the waiting room again. W hen looking at the name, He said she noticed it matched a student who was already in class then asked the student why she was present both in c lass and in the waiting room. He then realized the hacker was using the student ’s n a m e a n d d i d n’t l e t h i m i n .

The hacker then entered the waiting room for a third time with a different student ’s name and He thought this was genuinely her student, He said. “I remembered [the student], she was my student in c lass, so I just let her in,” He s a i d . “ I d i d n’t t h i n k o f a n y thing, I just let her in. Once she was in class, I asked her which group she belongs to...this time [the student] types ‘five.’” Not two or three minutes later, He said the group asked her to join the breakout room and informed her the intruder was not their c lassmate. Af ter quickly removing the hacker for a third time, He’s students informed her that the hacker only asked some questions about Murray State. He said the third disruption was the last, and she was still able to complete all the work with her class.

see

HACKER, page 2

Faculty and staff one step closer to COVID-19 vaccine staff of the University will be able to receive the vaccine. Within the Murray State community, there will be multiple A plethora of people in the ways that those in group 1C can Murray State community have al- be notified about the possibilready received a COVID-19 vac- ity of receiving a COVID-19 cine at the CFSB Center and more vaccine after signing up online. “ Well first off, they would be are to come in the near future. notified by the health departGov. Andy Beshear recentl y announced that more vac- ment,” Hughes said. “But within c i n e s w i l l b e m a d e a v a i l - Murray State’s community they’ll able for those in the 1C group get that from administration as at regional vaccination sites. well, so they’ll get it most likely Along with essential work- from two directions. In addition ers, those with cer tain high- to the general public, they’ll have r i s k c o n d i t i o n s , t h o s e o v e r the administration inform them.” the age of 60 and faculty and Gage Johnson Editor-in-Chief cstribling1@murraystate.edu

see

VACCINE, page 2

Paige Bold/The News People can receive COVID-19 vaccinations by schedule appointment on March 1 and March 3.

News

Feb. 25, 2021

Photo courtesy of Kate He

After her Zoom class was hacked, the intruder attempted to join professor Kate He’s class again.

HACKER

From Page 1

Despite the harmless interactions, He said the experience was still a little scary since the hacker w a s u s i n g s t u d e n t ’s n a m e s . “I emailed this incident to my colleagues,” He said. “I just wrote them a note about what happened to my class and to be prepared in case somebody does something similar to their classes, and exactly the second morning, the same person with the same name hacked into my other colleague’s class.” He also called the service desk to seek assistance and prevent this instance from happening again. About two days later, He said the University changed the Z o o m a u t h e n t i c a t i o n p o l i c y. He said she wondered what the connection was to Murray S tate and how the hacker

VACCINE From Page 1 This next step in vaccinations comes in accordance with Beshear ’s suggestion to return to some form of in-person learning for schools across the state aft e r a l l s c h o o l p e r s on n e l h a ve had their second vaccination. “ W hat we foresaw is that the safest way to expand in-person opportunities is to vaccinate al l of our sc hool personnel,” Beshear said. “ S i n c e t h e n , t h e U. S . C e n t e r s f o r D i s e a s e C o n t ro l a n d Prevention and others have moved that way and other states have followed our lead.”

got the Zoom information. H e s a i d s h e ’d n e v e r h a d a p ro b l e m l i k e t h i s b e f o re b u t was ver y glad when the University sent the Zoom poli c y c h a n g e q u i c k l y a f t e r. Suman Neupane, assistant professor of botany, said this is his first semester teaching a c lass over Z oom and had not yet had issues until the same hacker came into his class not l o n g a f t e r H e ’s e x p e r i e n c e . Similar to He, Neupane said the same name, Kenneth W., and a few other people entered the waiting room. W ith 62 students in his c lass, Neupane said he let them in, t h i n k i n g t h e y we re s t u d e n t s . “A s I w a s a b o u t t o s t a r t my quiz, I started hearing some disturbances and I said, ‘Did I hear something?’” Neupane said. “ There was a pause for awhile, then I said, ‘O kay, this is question number one.’ Then, I heard some sor t of obscene sound. ”

Neupane said he couldn’t discern where the sounds were coming from but heard obscenities with sexual connotations. Wonder ing what was happening, Neupane said there was a pause before a flood of obscene noises came through. “Somehow one person, or more than one, got a hold of m y s c re e n a n d s t a r t e d d r a w ing obscene words and signs,” Neupane said. “It didn’t last for more than 30 seconds I think. I instinctively knew that we were Zoom bombed and I closed t h a t s e s s i on . T h e n , I c re a t e d a new link and sent the link t o m y s t u d e n t s by e m a i l a n d t h e y c a m e i n . T h e re we re n o more disturbances af ter that.” H ow t h e h ac k e r s we re a b l e to get the Zoom link, Neupane didn’t know but has pondered if the intr uder hac ked into a student ’s computer or if someone distr ibuted the link. Af ter checking the class log, Neupane said three names

were present in the c lass that w e r e n’t h i s s t u d e n t s , o n e o f which was Kenneth W. Neupane sent the names and details of t h e e ve n t s t o t h e U n i ve r s i t y. Neupane said the experience was shocking, especially since he never thought it ’d happen to him. Since the class is on Zoom, Neupane said he makes this time very beneficial for students, but this disturbance pushed the class back by a week. Neupane said he mostly felt bad for the students since it was an early morning course and they didn’t deser ve to be disturbed that way. If you are exper iencing any Zoom or technological difficulties, contact the Murray State Center for Computer and Information Technology. To learn more technology security, visit the campus Information Security website. If you have any questions or concerns, or need to report a scam, contact the Murr a y S t a t e Po l i c e D e p a r t ment at (270) 809 2222.

Chief Medical Officer Bob Hughes said the plan for the CFSB Center is to g i v e m o r e o u t o n M o n d a y, March 1, after early success as a vaccination site. Hughes said a little over 1,000 pe ople have received a COVI D-19 vaccine and he expects that number to rise as the number of vaccines alloc ated to al l the sites is expected to continually increase. Groups 1A and 1B are completely vaccinated and Hughes e s t i m a t e s t h a t 5 0 p e rc e n t o f teachers are also vaccinated in order to return to the classroom. “ W hen you look at that, you have to look at the ones who have opted to be vaccinated,” Hughes said. “ There’s always a certain subset that have

reasons for not being vaccinated, whether they ’re anti-vaxxers against vaccines or they ’re proverbial waiting to see what happens. There’s a certain perc e n t a g e , I c o u l d n’t g i v e y o u a n e x ac t p e rc e n t a ge, b u t I ’ve heard numbers in different places as high as 30 percent.” L t . G o v. C o l e m a n s a i d t h e Kentucky Depar tment of Education has issued a comprehensive, 136-page manual which will help aid in returning to school buildings. “Kentucky continues to be a national leader in vaccinating our sc hool staff and getting our kids back in the classroom safely remains a top priority for ever y Kentuckian – from the Governor to our littlest learners,” Coleman

said. “ W ith this guidance, we hope to make the transition bac k to in-person learning as smooth and safe as possible. ” T h e c u r re n t p o s i t i v i t y r a t e i s t h e c o m m o n w e a l t h’s l o w e s t s i n c e N o v. 4 a n d w i t h more vaccinations coming, Beshear preached patience as the 1C group anxiously awaits their turn. “ Remember, there ’s a lot of people in 1C, so it ’s going to feel like it ’s really hard to get an appointment in the beginning, ” Beshear said. “ But our supply is increasing and we will get to you. Hang in there.” Along with March 1, another scheduled vaccination date for the CFSB Center is set for 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Wednesday, March 3.

For more information on how to schedule an appointment for a COVID-19 vaccination visit http://www.callowayhealth.org/ or https://ky.readyop.com/fs/4jcD/a447

Feb. 25, 2021

News

All Campus Sing The 2021 event brings big changes to fan-favorite event Andrea Jameson Contributing Writer ajameson1@murraystate.edu The 62nd All Campus Sing will take place indoors in the Performing Arts Hall instead of the traditional steps of the Q uad. “The biggest change this year compared to 2019’s All Campus Sing is that instead of basically the entire organization performing, each organization will have a maximum of one solo, one duet and one trio perform,” said Head Chair Emily Allen. Last year, the entire event was canceled because of COVID-19, so this year is going to be directed a little differently but with the same purpose to benefit People-to-People, which is for the Sigma Alpha lota’s philanthropy. “One project that People-to-People takes part in around the Murray area is donating musical instruments to schools in the area that can’t afford them,” Allen said. Another difference this year is groups competing with three people maximum will need to find other arrangements to practice, unlike the past years where they could use Murray State’s facilities. The groups are encouraged to practice in sorority or fraternity houses or another place on campus. The purpose of this change is because of COVID-19 and the regulations that have been implemented. “We expect the number of organizations performing to be less than in years past since this is a new plan and people may feel nervous to sing and perform in a group

Richard Thompson/The News The 2021 All Campus Sing event will take place but without an audience as seen here in 2019.

so much smaller than in previous years,” Allen said. “In addition, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the main reason why we’re having ACS indoors is that we want to keep the public from watching so we can do our part to keep people safe. Therefore, we will not have an in-person audience but hope that our live-streaming audience will be larger than in years past.” The groups that are allowed to perform include residential college students, student organizations, fraternities, sororities and independent organizations. The plan for this year is no different than others with ACS being live-streamed. The only difference this year is the only option

available is to live-stream the event instead of ACS having a live audience gathering by the Lovett steps. “We live-stream ACS every year, so luckily at least that will be something that will stay the same,” Allen said. “However, this is our first year in which we won’t have a live audience, so we expect a much larger audience watching virtually. We are very excited that we will have the option for people to watch the live-stream, so then even though people won’t be able to watch in-person, they can still watch the event as it happens.” Another difference this year is the Change Wars. The event will be hosting a CashApp war. Allen said that the flat-rate cost to participate

will vary depending on how many groups are performing within the organization. Each group, which can include solo, duet or trio, will pay a $15 flat-rate no matter the number of participants in the group. The cost for two groups within an organization to participate is $30. Allen said the difference between past and present is the opportunity to donate through Sigma Alpha Iota’s CashApp instead of donating change face-to-face. “Now with the CashApp Wa r, p e o p l e c a n d o n a t e from anywhere,” Allen said. This year’s event will be taking place in April with no live audience. The event will be available for viewers to live-stream.

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Opinion

Feb. 25, 2021

Black history in education The staff editorial is the majority opinion of The Murray State News Editorial Board

Gabe Steffen Opinion Editor gsteffen@murraystate.edu

America: the land of the free and the home of the brave. It hasn’t always been that way though. Until 1863, African-Americans were kept as slaves and they weren’t treated “equally” until 1964. Even though there are many laws in place that prohibit discrimination, it happens every day, especially in our education system. Aside from the well-known figures, such as Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X, there are so many other people who helped make American the place it is. It really makes you wonder what kind of education other people had pertaining to Black history. When talking about Black history in American education, some have better experiences than others. Some people had teachers that never focused on the color of their skin unless it was pertinent to history, such as learning about the Civil Rights Movement. Even when you talk about those big historical moments in Black American history, it needs to be spoken about in a professional manner. Black people helped build the foundation of the America we

Editorial Board

Cade Utterback/The News

know today, and it’s ignorant that we only focus on well-known Black figures. Sure, King and Malcolm X had a lot to do with the Civil Rights Movement, but what about those lesser known figures such as Onesimus, an enslaved west African man who helped pave the way for vaccination science. We need to stop focusing on the work of the white man and start focusing on the monumental work done by Black Americans. We all know the horror that was slavery. It’s been engrained into our minds that slavery was a horrible act

commited by the early American people., but what most people don’t know is the other horrors that Black people have lived through just because of the color of their skin. Black Americans have gone through lynchings, massacres and experimentation. In a study done on syphilis, white scientists injected the infection into black men and women to study the long-term effects that syphilis has on the body. Because of the unwilling sacrifices of Black men and women, we now know the effects syphilis has on the body and what we can do to

cure it. We need to realize that racism is the bones of our nation and there’s nothing we can do to hide that fact. Black History Month is the month where we celebrate the Black lives that have helped America prosper and flourish. On top of knowing that these lives helped us in such exponential ways, we need to realize that Black history is just as important as any other history, and it needs to be treated as such. Unless we acknowledge the Black bodies that helped build America, we will not move any further as a nation.

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

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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. 25, 2021

Photo courtesy of Racer Athletics Senior outfielder Brock Anderson hit a two-run home run in both games against Lipscomb, accounting for all four of the Racers’ RBIs.

Baseball drops two in season opener

Anderson hits a pair of home runs against Lipscomb Simon Elfrink Sports Editor selfrink@murraystate.edu After a week of unplayable weather, Racer baseball finally got the opportunity to open 2021 with a double header against Lipscomb University. The series was originally set to begin at 3 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 19, with a single game against the Bisons, followed by a single game on Saturday, Feb. 20, and capped off with a double header on Sunday, Feb. 21. After all the inclement weather, two of those games were canceled, and the two teams settled for a pair of games on Monday, Feb. 22. The series resulted in a pair of losses for the Racers. While Head Coach Dan Skirka said losing is never in the budget, he and his team were most excited to finally get the chance to compete. “The number one takeaway was that we got to play,” Skirka said. “That’s the biggest thing this time of year, and with the weather there were a couple schools that didn’t get to play. Just getting out there over the weekend is the best thing for us.” Game One The first game featured quiet offense from both teams ear-

ly on. Racer starter sophomore left-hander Shane Burns got the start on the mound for the Racers, going two innings before allowing a run to cross in the third. The Bisons scored another run in the fourth as well. Burns pitched through the fifth inning, allowing four hits and three walks, striking out one batter. Senior right-hander Jake Jones took over for Burns in the sixth inning, allowing four more hits and a pair of runs on the scoreboard over the next three innings. Scoring came slow for the Racers, and despite stringing together several hits throughout the game to get runners in scoring position, the Racers were unable to put a notch on the scoreboard for eight innings. “We had some opportunities, and it’s hard just looking at box scores,” Skirka said. “We hit some balls right on the screws that they caught. The center-fielder caught one on the warning track with two guys on base, the left fielder made a diving catch, they turned a couple double plays, the second baseman made a diving play. They made some plays when they needed to and we couldn’t get a ball to drop when we needed to.” Down 4-0 in the top of the ninth, senior second baseman Jordan Cozart singled, setting the stage for senior outfielder Brock Anderson to hit a two-run home run

to give the Racers a breath of hope. Seniors catcher Tanner Booth and shortstop Jordan Holly reached on back-to-back walks to make the Bisons sweat, but Anderson’s homer ended the Racers’ scoring, and the game ended in favor of the Bisons 4-2. “Pitchers are always ahead of the hitters this time of year,” Skirka said. “To get the offense going will be our focus going forward. The guys really did hit the ball hard and had some good at-bats, so we’ll build on it.” Holly and Cozart each had a pair of hits in the first game. Holly also stole a pair of bases. Game Two Redshirt sophomore righty Jacob Pennington got the start on the hill for the Racers in the second game, but only for 3.1 innings. He allowed five runs to cross the plate, although only three were earned. Pennington struck out three batters and walked none, allowing three hits in his time on the mound. The Racers had not scored when Pennington came out of the game, and Cozart had the Racers’ only hit. Senior right-hander Alec Whaley came in to pitch the next 2.2 innings, allowing five hits and one earned run. Whaley also struck out a pair of batters. The last two innings were

pitched by junior righty Nathaniel Gorczyca, who allowed a pair of earned runs on two hits and a walk. The Racers’ offense continued to struggle despite a two-out seventh-inning rally which began with redshirt junior infielder Wes Schaad doubling down the third base line. Schaad was then able to advance to third after senior catcher Alex Crump hit a single. A walk from senior infielder David Huddleson loaded the bases, but a flyout to right field ended the Racers’ rally. Cozart, who had hit a single earlier in the game, doubled in the eighth, giving Anderson a chance to salvage the Racers’ offense. Anderson delivered in kind, blasting another two-run homer to right field. Despite Anderson’s hot bat on the day, the Racers still lost by a final score of 8-2 in the second game against Lipscomb. Skirka was pleased to get things underway in 2021. Despite the overwhelming Lipscomb offense, he gave a lot of credit to his pitching staff for battling against a sturdy opponent. Skirka said the team did what they were supposed to do and he was glad to see them compete after not being able to face live batters in scrimmage for nearly two weeks because of the weather. The Racers will get a short time to prepare for a game against Middle Tennessee on Wednesday, Feb. 24, at 3 p.m.

Cross country finishes regular season in Louisville Rachel Essner Contributing Writer ressner1@murraystate.edu The men’s and women’s cross country teams finished out their regular season on Saturday, Feb. 20, at the Kentucky Indoor Collegiate in Louisville, Kentucky, with a last minute switch to an indoor meet because of weather conditions. “We have had to make a lot of adjustments this week because of the weather,” said Coach Jordan Wallace. “The team has done a really great job of staying positive and working hard while also improving through it all.” One Racer Wallace mentioned in particular was junior Emma Creviston, who had a personal record of 18:31.14 and placed second overall. Behind Creviston was fifth-place finisher junior Dani Wright at 18:56.72. To round out the top five finish-

ers for the Racers, freshman Breanna Day (19:56.24) and sophomores Kristin Dent (20:14.88) and Amirr Evans (20:15.09) finished ninth, 10th and 11th, respectively. “We asked Amirr, who is usually a mid-distance runner for us, to step up today and run a 5k for the first time as a part of the cross country team,” Wallace said. “She kept a good face and stayed positive and did a really great job with it.” Junior Sophie Grogan finished 14th overall at 20:39.00 while senior Ashley Zimmerman crossed the line in 16th at 21:48.01. For the men, senior Caleb Kawasaki led the Racers, finishing in sixth place at 16:19.44, just two seconds faster than sophomore Robert Gibson, who finished at 16:21.71. Sophomore Ryan Dent (16:28.22), freshman Nathan Quinn (16:30.92), sophomore Benjamin Hall (16:32.25), junior Jordan Higgins (16:45.56)

Photo courtesy of Racer Athletics Sophomore Robert Gibson placed seventh at the Kentucky Indoor Collegiate.

and junior Christian Slone (16:50.76) claimed places nine through 13, respectively. The 15th and 16th spots were taken by freshman Jarod Willis (17:05.40) and senior Meyer Makemson (17:15.50) while freshman Austin Kirkpatrick rounded up the Racers in 19th at 18:41.99. “With the OVC meet being a little over a week away, we want to

make sure everyone is still in a very positive headspace and is ready for whatever happens,” Wallace said. “I think overall the team is ready physically and mentally so we just have to show up the day of and make sure we’re ready to go.” The Racers will compete next on Monday, March 1, in Clarksville, Tennessee, for the OVC Championship.

Sports

Feb. 25, 2021

Racers volleyball falls twice to SIUE Rachel Essner Contributing Writer ressner1@murraystate.edu The Murray State volleyball team traveled to Edwardsville, Illinois, to take on SIUE on Saturday,Feb.20, and Sunday, Feb. 21. The Racers were not able to come up with a win after the two-game series against the Cougars. Game One The teams competed in a five-set thriller,withtheRacerstakingthetough loss with two set wins and three losses. Murray State used a 6-1 run to pull ahead to 13-11 in the first set. The Racers stayed steady throughout the rest of the set, scoring four straight points to win 25-18. The Cougars opened the second set with a 6-0 run and led 9-2, which paved their way to a 25-9 victory over the Racers. The teams kept the score close in the third set until the Racers used a 5-1 run to make the score 19-13. SIUE was able to come within two points before the Racers took the set 25-22. The Racers and the Cougars went back and forth in the fourth set, tying the score at 19. The Cougars scored three straight points to win 25-23. The Racers took the lead in the fifth set with a score of 3-1 but the Cougars fought back and tied the score at 10. SIUE scored four points in a row to take the lead and win the set 15-13, taking the game. Junior libero Becca Fernandez totaled 49 digs, averaging almost 10 digs per set. “Becca was phenomenal this

Photo courtesy of Racer Athletics Freshman middle blocker Darci Metzger goes up for an attack against SIUE.

weekend,” said Head Coach David Schwepker. “She was digging up crazy stuff and played amazing.” Fernandez now has the fifth most digs overall in Murray State history with 1,736, surpassing Assistant Coach Alison Hrusvosky, who played from 2005-08. Redshirt junior Kolby McClelland led the Racers with 21 kills while freshman Jayla Holcombe followed closely behind with 19 and two blocks. Senior setter Callie Anderton tallied 45 assists in the first game.

(13-25, 20-25, 26-28), causing Murray State to fall to 2-4 in the OVC. Holcombe led the Racers with nine kills, while junior opposite hitter Emily Matson counted eight and McClelland had six. Fernandez led the defense with 21 digs, while Anderton tallied 13 digs and added 19 assists. The Racers dug a hole for themselves early in the first set, allowing the Cougars to come out on top at 25-13. SIUE carried that momentum into the second set, going on an 8-2 run to take the lead at 8-3. The Cougars Game Two continued to score and used a 6-2 run to take a 17-12 lead. The Racers were The Racers took on the Cougars able to fight back to make the score again on Sunday, Feb. 21, where the 22-19 but never caught the CouCougars swept the Racers in three sets gars, who came out on top at 25-20.

After trailing the Cougars 15-8 in the third set, the Racers were able to use a 5-0 run to close the gap and bring the score to 15-13. The teams went back and forth before Murray State went on a 3-0 run to tie the score at 22.The Racers took their first lead of the game at 25-24, but eventually fell 28-26 to the Cougars. “They were a very good team but we made too many mistakes,” Schwepker said. “The first two sets were not very good after coming off of yesterday’s tough loss and we couldn’t get ourselves together. The third set they started playing better, but it was too late to make it all work.” The Racers will return to the Racer Arena to take on UT Martin on Sunday, Feb. 28, at 6 p.m. and Monday, March 1, at 4 p.m.

Racers struggle at South Alabama Tournament

hits in the game, walking five times and striking out 11 times against the Jaguars’ pitching. The Racers did manage to get a run across in the fourth inning when Gilmore hit her first home run of the season, giving the Racers a 1-0 lead. Though they weren’t able to score any more runs, Gilmore’s hit was enough to give the Racers a 1-0 win over the Jaguars, marking their second win of the season.

Jakob Milani Staff Writer jmilani@murraystate.edu After a 1-3 start to the season, the Murray State softball team failed to bounce back in the South Alabama Tournament from Feb. 19-21 where they went 1-4 over the weekend. Game One: Butler The Racers started the weekend against the Butler University Bulldogs and their starting pitcher senior left-hander Alyssa Graves. The Racers struggled against Graves all throughout the game, only getting four hits and walking twice. Their best chance to score came in the sixth inning when the Racers left graduate first baseman Lexi Jones, sophomore third baseman Lily Fischer and junior second baseman Lindsey Carroll all on base, ending the inning scoreless. The Racers had one more chance in the seventh inning to score, but they fell short again, ending the game without scoring. The Bulldogs struggled early on against the Racers’ starting pitcher, junior right-hander Hannah James, who held Butler scoreless through four innings. That scoreless streak ended in the fifth inning when junior second baseman Lauren Fey scored on a wild throw after she stole third, giving the Bulldogs a 1-0 lead. Graduate first baseman Madi Christiansen singled later that inning to bring in senior shortstop Maddie Moore, making the score 2-0 in favor of the Bulldogs. Butler sealed the win in the sixth with two more runs scoring off of a double from junior designated hitter Karli Ricketts, giving the Bulldogs a 4-0 win over the Racers.

Photo courtesy of Dan Hasko/Racer Athletics Senior infielder Sierra Gilmore’s home run powered the Racers to their only victory of the weekend.

managed to hold the Racers scoreless through three innings. The Racers struck in the fourth when senior right fielder Logan Braudmeier singled up the middle to bring in Carroll and senior shortstop Sierra Gilmore to give the Racers a 2-0 lead. The Racers were unsuccessful in their scoring effort afterwards, leaving three runners on base in the last three innings. Sophomore right-hander Jenna Veber started on the mound for the Racers and held the Jaguars scoreless through the first four innings. Trouble struck for Veber in the fifth when sophomore right fielder Victoria Ortiz homered to right center and brought in junior third baseman Meredith Keel and sophomore left infielder Mackenzie Brasher to give the Jaguars a 3-2 lead. The Jaguars scored once more in the sixth when Keel singled up the middle, bringing in freshman center fielder Bailey Welch. The Racers weren’t able to make the comeback and fell to the Jaguars by a score of 4-2. Game Three: Lipscomb

The Racers started day two of the tournament against the Lipscomb University Bisons and their starting pitcher freshman Laine Barefoot. The Game Two: South Alabama Racers struggled against Barefoot The Racers looked to bounce back all game, tallying only three hits, two in their next game against the South of which came in the bottom of the Alabama Jaguars. Freshman right- fourth from Braundmeier and Fischhander Olivia Lackie got the start er. The Racers did not manage a walk on the Mound for the Jaguars and in the game, failing to reach base on

19 of the team’s 22 at-bats. The poor effort at the plate led to a scoreless seven innings for the Racers, leaving three batters on base in the game. Lipscomb faced off against Veber, who got a second-straight start for the Racers. The Bisons struggled early against the right-hander with just one hit through the first three innings. The Bisons finally put it together in the fourth inning when junior third baseman Olivia Ward doubled to left field to bring in junior outfielder Abby Davis, who was in to pinch run at the time, giving the Bisons a 1-0 lead. Lipscomb did the most damage in the fifth inning when the Bisons scored two runs on five hits in the inning, giving them a 4-0 lead. The Racers never got their hitting together and fell to the Bisons by a score of 4-0. Game Four: South Alabama The Racers ended day two looking to get revenge on the Jaguars, starting James for the game. James did her job on the mound, holding the Jaguars to five hits in the game and not allowing a single run in all seven innings. James struck out seven of the 24 batters she faced and walked just one batter. The Jaguars came close to scoring in the first inning when Keel and Brasher each singled to start the game, but James struck out two of the next three batters to get out of the inning. Murray State’s offense had a lackluster performance, getting just four

Game Five: Butler

The Racers played their final game of the weekend on Sunday, Feb. 21, when they looked to split their series against the Bulldogs. Ricketts got the start on the mound for the Bulldogs and despite walking her first batter, she pitched very well with the one walk being the only batter allowed on base in the first three innings. The fourth inning was a different story as the Racers scored their first and only run of the game off a sacrifice fly from Gilmore to bring home Braundmeier from third base. After this, Graves took over for Ricketts and didn’t allow another run by the Racers. James was the starting pitcher for the Racers and pitched one of her best games so far this season up until the sixth inning. With a runner on second base, Moore singled up the middle to bring home junior third baseman Zoe Herdman to tie the game at 1-1. The Bulldogs didn’t stop there, scoring again in the seventh. Graduate catcher Christina Candotti doubled down the right field line to bring home sophomore left fielder Mallory McMahon, then Herdman flied out to center field and brought home freshman center fielder Monique Hoosen, giving the Bulldogs a 3-1 lead. The Racers couldn’t get a run across in the bottom of the seventh, giving the Bulldogs the 3-1 win. The Racers dropped four of their five games over the weekend, giving them an overall record of 2-7 on the season. The Racers will pick back up at the Tiger Invite in Auburn, Alabama, from Friday, Feb. 26, to Sunday, Feb. 28.

Feb. 25, 2021

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In his presentation Bizzell highlighted the beliefs of Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X.

Jill Rush/The News

Public speaker talks about racial inequality Mason Galemore ContributingWriter mgalemore@murraystate.edu Imagine what Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X would think if they were a live today. Think of the pain they would have felt at the news of the deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor. Then envision what they would do. On Mond ay, Feb. 2 2 , g ue st speaker Odell Bizzell II gave a virtual presentation on racial inequa l it y i n A mer ic a . He d isc u s s e d t he te ac h i n g s of c ivi l r ights leaders K ing and Malcolm X. He discussed how they would handle racism today. Bizzell cited King for his pacifist approach during the civil rights era and how he worked within the system of the U.S. government. He then explored Malcolm X and his more militant and radical technique, thus showing the contrast between the two iconic f igures.

“A lthough they had ver y different mea ns, t hey had t he sa me end ,” Biz z el l sa id Bizzell explained how both leaders wanted African-Americans to be treated as human beings and how they also wanted African-Americans to be compensated for slavery. A 1964 interview of King was shown where he explained the ongoing disparity of African-Americans that is rooted in slavery. The inter v iew was held prior to the Civil Rights March on Washington D.C. in 1964. King said when the march would arrive in Washington, African-Americans would “Get their check.” King continued by saying the majority of white Americans were given large amounts of money and support to develop farmland and businesses in middle America. This was a vast amount of government support which African-Americans never received after slavery. “These are the same people that tel l A frican-A mericans to lif t

themselves up by their bootstraps,” King said. “This is what we are faced with and this is the reality.” “Both men wanted to pay reparations for slavery,” Bizzell said. “The ‘I have a dream speech’ is wonderful but there is not a lot of discussion around reparations.” Bizzell talked about the importance of activism and how governments do not care about the wants of an individual, but the organized effort of groups toward a common goal. He also said his plan is to heal the wounds of the past and create a better future. “My solutions are simple,” Bizzell said. “Organize better to move towards giving reparations to African-Americans in the form of money and land, be patient and celebrate progress.” Bizzell said many people would disagree with his plan, but the Civ i l R ights Movement a long w ith other movements thrived to a l le v iate rac ia l inequa l it y. “All skinfolk ain’t kinfolk,” Bizzell said. “Your people aren’t the people

that look like you or think like you, but they are the people that want the same things as you. Before we can change the world we have to understand this and we have to change ourselves. This is the change that takes the most work.” Bizzell ended on a high note and gave advice as to how change can be brought in today’s society. He said we have to learn from our past to move for ward into the future. He said it is important that he teaches the philosophies of K ing and Malcolm X. “It was important for me to bring their philosophies back to light to help college students better frame their activism or lack thereof,” Bizzell said. “In other words, King and Malcolm X were both radical. If you want to make change you must be radical also, just do it your own way.” For more information on how to register for Bizzell’s tour visit odellbizzell.com/mlk-tour. There is also information on celebrating Black History Month at murraystate.edu/oma.

ADVANCE Grant sponsoring a virtual workshop In 2014, Mitchell spoke at the LiOlivia Badalamenti brary of Congress and received a cerContributingWriter obadalamenti@murraystate.edu tificate of Congressional Recognition. She continues to conduct workshops T he A DVA NCE Gra nt w i l l for various types of institutions inbe co-sponsoring a Zoom work- cluding the Ford Foundation, the shop, Ethical Orientations for Col- American Society for Theatre Relegiality, Mentoring and Teaching, search and Vanderbilt University. Maeve McCarthy, mathematics propresented by Koritha Mitchell on March 3, from 2 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. fessor and assistant dean in the Jones The event, also sponsored by the College of Science, Engineering and Murray State Office of Institutional Technology, is the director of ADDiversity, Equity and Access, Black VANCE. The ADVANCE AdaptaFaculty and Staff Association and tion Grant: Leveling the Playing Field, funded by the office of the president, Strategic Equity Initiatives at Murwill be open to all faculty and staff. ray State is a $1 million grant funded Mitchell will be teaching participants by the National Science Foundation how to recognize unearned advantag- to “improve the recruitment and rees and hold oneself to a higher ethical tention of women faculty in science standard as a teacher or staff member. and social science,” McCarthy said. “When Americans aren’t ignor- This program began in 2016 afing inequities altogether, we focus on ter the University saw women faccultivating empathy for other peo- ulty leaving after just a few years. ple’s hardships,” according to Mitch- “We want women faculty to stay ell’s website. “Unfortunately, this ap- and be part of the community of proach only reinforces the status quo.” scholars here at Murray State,” McOften, the majority group as- Carthy said. “That has a huge imsumes they are meeting the ethical pact on students because the availstandards of society; however, these abilit y of good role models for standards are set low. This work- students is crucial to student success.” shop helps participants realize un- This program hosts workshops and earned advantages. This understand- mentoring programs and will launch ing will compel faculty and staff to an interactive theater program in April. “Theater model is to introduce bias in hold themselves to a higher standard certain situations on campus and to ask in the workplace and the classroom. Mitchell is an associate professor faculty how would you address this and of English at Ohio State University. how would you make this a better sitShe is also an award-winning author, uation for everybody,” McCarthy said. cultural critic and professional devel- ADVANCE’s mentoring program opment expert. She has won many has been an ongoing success since 2016. awards for her literary work, includ- By forming peer mentoring circles, facing “Living with Lynching: African ulty can mentor each other through American Lynching Plays, Perfor- discussions on a particular topic. These mance and Citizenship, 1890-1930” mentoring circles have improved their from the American Theatre and Dra- social and professional networks. McCarthy was looking for a new ma Society and from the Society for the workshop to address anti-racism Study of American Women Writers.

Photo courtesy of Koritha Mitchell’s website More information about Mitchell and her work can be found at korithamitchell.com.

and discuss racism’s impact on the workplace and classroom when Mitchell was recommended to her. “She ta l ked a lot about t h is idea that there are objective standards to which we can hold ourselves,” McCarthy said. “It’s not enough to just think ‘I’m a nice person so therefore I’m not racist.’” McCarthy said Mitchell has specifically designed this workshop for Murray State and this will be the first time she is conducting this workshop. “ W hen she and I ta l ked last year about how Murray State is

a predominately white instit ution, we wanted to really open it up to the underrepresented facult y and staff,” McCarthy said. Ty pic a l ly work shops a re focused on facult y members, but the g rant team thought it was important to open it to staff as well; however, they are expecting more facult y to participate. The workshop is expecting 4050 people to participate. Facult y and staff can R SV P by Friday, Feb. 26, at ht t ps://forms. gle /up9H X8y r ug 9W83Bx 5.

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Feb. 25, 2021

‘Snow-pocalypse’ strikes Murray Students return to their childhood days playing in the snow

Jill Rush and Dionte Berry/The News