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THE MUR R AY STATE

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March 11, 2021 | Vol. 95, No. 19

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NEWS

OPINION

SPORTS

FEATURES

Campus community discusses mental health

Accuracy translates to credibility

Football upsets SEMO, starts season 2-0

Alliance celebrates LGBTQ+ Pride in March

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SGA RESULTS Puckett, Logsdon, Krazl named new executive team Cady Stribling News Editor cstribling1@murraystate.edu After a record amount of applicants, the Student Government Association announced the new executive council for the 2021-22 academic year on Wednesday, March 10.

Ian Puckett, a junior from Mayfield, Kentucky, was elected president with 226 votes. Puckett was a former senator at-large and ran for president uncontested. He will be the next student regent on the Board of Regents.

“I am very excited to have the chance to serve all of our students at Murray State,” Puckett said. “I have served in several capacities in my time at MSU. I was a Summer O Counselor my freshman and sophomore years, IFC President as a sophomore and I have been in SGA since January of 2020. Dedicating myself to serving others has always been my mentality and that will not change while I am President.

I can’t wait to work with everyone!”

Puckett is looking forward to helping transition back into normalit y next semester, as well as focusing on mental health.

“Mental health has been a huge priority for me for a long time and I will work tirelessly to revamp ‘Racers Empower’ so we can garner more mental health awareness on campus,” Puckett said.

Puckett also wants to focus on diversity and inclusion, saying that he wants to try to make Murray

State the most inclusive, welcoming and friendly university possible.

Junior Molly Logsdon was elected executive vice president with 231 votes. Logsdon was also elected the executive vice president for the 2020-21 election cycle and ran uncontested for executive vice president.

“I’m honored and excited for the opportunity to continue to represent and serve the students of Murray State,” Logsdon said.

Amy Krazl, junior nursing major, was re-elected vice president of administr ation with 223 votes, running unopposed.

Eight students were elected senators-at-large: Hayden Terry with 9 percent of the vote, Clayton Bobo with 11 percent of the vote, Jacob Watters with 9 percent of the vote, Beau Osborne with 10 percent of the vote, Cole Wells with 11 percent of the vote, Emma Roach with 10 percent of the vote, John Foster with 9 percent of the vote and Will Lovins with 8 percent of the vote.

The academic colleges and residential colleges elected 21 senators. F ind the ful l list of senators at thenews.org.

Warren Norman, outgoing SGA president said this year’s SGA election cycle ran just like every other year with a record number of applicants. Because of COVID-19, the SGA elections were livest r e a m e d o n t h e i r Fa c e b o o k . “ We had 47 applicants, which we feel is a ver y high number

Olivia Underwood/The News From left to right: Molly Logsdon was elected executive vice president, Ian Puckett was elected president and Amy Krazl was elected vice president of administration in the SGA elections.

considering the pandemic,” Norman said. “ We at t r ibut e t h i s to more social media outreach utilizing our great public relations committee more than ever.”

Norman said he was an unbiased resource for the candidates during the election cycle.

Konnor Kirkwood, the election ways and means chair, and Jeanie Morgan, advisor f or SGA, took care of the voting results.

A s No r m a n s p e n d s h i s l a s t f e w m o n t h s a s p re s i d e n t , h e said the position gave him some insight into the inner workings of the University.

“This has been a very rewarding time in my life, and the position gave me the opportunity to make decisions to better Murray State,” Norman said. “I have been blessed to be the voice of the students

and can say that I have given my all to Murray State this year because it has given me so much.

The memories, experiences and great friends that I have kept me going when the job got tough.

Jeanie Morgan and Claudia Burcham hold our office together day in and day out along with Amy Krazl, Molly Logsdon and Hannah Daab supporting SGA in the way that they have this year. These women have shown me so much and pushed me to be the person I am. They are the true backbone of SGA, and I cannot thank them enough for their continuous hard work and dedication.”

Fo r a n y o n e s t i l l i n t e r e s t ed in getting involved with SGA, the vice president of finance position is still open and available to appl y for online.

Murray State receives mental health grant Levi Brandenburg Contributing Writer lbrandenburg1@murraystate.edu Murray State received $70,000 of funding from the Governor’s Emergency Education Relief fund (GEER) that will go towards mental health services on campus.

Angie Tr z epacz, director of counseling ser vices, said the funds will be distributed to all the Kentucky public universities by the Council on Post s e c on d a r y E d u c a t i on ( C P E ) .

Murray State will allocate the funding for three areas. F irst, the state paid for mental health

first aid training for faculty and staff who are interested. S econd, the funding will contribute to accessing Therapy Assistance Online (TAO) for all students, faculty and staff for the next 16 months. The remaining funding will go to mental health services.

“The grant funding will be distributed among several areas, including the Counseling Center, the Psychological Center, Active Minds, Racers Empower and our first-year transitions courses,” Trzepacz said. “Some of the funds will be spent to update computer equipment in the Counseling Center and Psychological

Center and to provide professional training for counselors.”

I n a d d i t i o n , Tr z e p a c z s a i d other funds will be used to help promote mental health services on c ampus and increase student awareness of resources provided to them, which includes counseling and TAO resources. TAO provides online educ ational and self-help resources and interactive tools, which will allow for more behavioral health treatment and education on helpful skills.

Other funding has already been spent to purchase additional Wi-Fi hotspots for students

who need access to mental health resources, Trzepacz said.

Tr z epacz said the Counseling Center is coordinating with trained educators from Mental Health First Aid USA who will provide the 8 hour course offered to faculty and staff. There are currentl y 180 facult y and staff signed up for the Mental Health First Aid training, and Trzepacz said they are waiting to hear from the CPE on whether additional spots are available.

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News

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March 11, 2021

Olivia Underwood/The News Students and professors have had to adjust to both in-person and Zoom classes because of the pandemic.

Community discusses struggles with mental health Edie Greenberg Contributing Writer egreenberg@murraystate.edu S tudents and professors are stressed out and searching for ways to relax, especially with the absence of a spring break.

With only two months left in the spring semester, students continue to have their schedules filled with a mixture of Zoom and in-person classes. Some students and professors are suffering from pre-existing mental health issues and are having a hard time as the strain of the pandemic adds to the challenges of a daily routine.

Many students are working one or more jobs, and some have families to support. Juggling work, school and family can be difficult in the best of circumstances. This strain of juggling challenges is particularly difficult for those who already struggle with their mental health.

Ray Horton, assistant professor of English, has been seeking treatment for anxiety and PTSD for the past few years. He said that he knows he is not the only one who feels like he has run into his own limitations, “like a brick wall,” this past year.

“Anxiety becomes much more difficult to manage when your daily routine reminds you constantly of the continued presence of a deadly virus,” Horton said.

While Horton is enjoying the time with his family and knows that he will miss spending time with his children, three-yearold Emersy n and six-monthold Avery, after school resumes in-person c lasses, he continues to struggle finding balance.

“Trying to balance teaching, research, and university service while working from home and caring for two small children during an unprecedented global health crisis has proven to be the most challenging ‘work-life balance’ situation of my career so far,” Horton said.

Television production instructor Chris Haynes said he is feeling more stress this semester when it comes to giving all of his students the best educational experience he can provide while also trying to be sensitive to their individual needs.

“Technology isn’t a magic fix.

It’s not that there is anything inherently wrong with hybrid and Zoom classes, but there are going to be differences in the way instructors interact with and through those technologies,” Haynes said.

Haynes is using this semester’s experience to try to establish a positive, welcoming environment where his students are free to be themselves and create some interesting media content.

“Creativity and expression are good medicine,” Haynes said. “However, it doesn’t help that some of the processes of television and media production are greatly hindered by

things that we need to do as responsible citizens during a pandemic.”

Gill Welsch, advertising instructor, said that it is harder for him to build relationships with students over Zoom or any other video conferencing technology.

“Interaction is much more limited, so I can’t get to know students as well as I would like,” Welsch said. “ The only way that I can tell when a student may be having problems is when the student tells me. Then I can help the student contact people who can help.”

Peggy Whaley, director of Student Engagement and Success, said that she is trying to be kinder and gentler to herself and others she interacts with this semester.

She says that it’s been a hard year, and we all need to be kind and patient with ourselves and others.

“Get out in the fresh air. Read a book, get a cup of hot chocolate with a friend, go for a walk, talk with someone about how you are feeling. Do something nice for yourself. Be kind to yourself and others and practice self-care,” she said.

Whaley attributes many factors to the stress students are feeling this semester.

“I feel COVID, isolation, Zoom fatigue, concern for their health and their family’s health and financial concerns have all caused a strain on students’ mental health and well-being this year,” Whaley said. senior organizational communications major Mattie Miller, sees the benefits of having Zoom c lasses but has felt Zoom fatigue with prolonged time online.

“Zoom has honestly drained me,“ Miller said. “The increased use of technology is convenient but has resulted in me feeling tired after classes and a lack of motivation.”

Like many students and professors, Miller has felt lonely this semester while taking classes from home.

“This semester has put a particular strain on my mental health in the form of lack of contact with students. I have missed the times in the hallways of my classroom buildings connecting with students and professors,” Miller said.

Assistant professor of art histor y Antje Gamble said working from home is not where she is the happiest or most productive.

“For myself, transitioning all my classes online was a ton of

This will pass, maybe like kidney stones, but you’ve got to adapt so you don’t lose your mind.

- Kati Wyant, sophomore journalism major

Get out in the fresh air. Read a book, get a cup of hot chocolate with a friend, go for a walk, talk with someone about how you are feeling. Do something nice for yourself. Be kind to yourself and others and practice self-care.

- Peggy Whaley, director of student engagement and success work t hat w as hard t o m an age, and the stress of it affected my mental health, ” Gamble said. “I’m fairly extroverted, so losing out on both in-person teaching and losing out on seeing anyone not in my immediate household was particularly difficult.”

Gamble has tried to streamline her assignments and make them really straightforward in terms of expectations so that students who are already stressed don’t have to worry about understanding the instructions on her assignments.

Director of University Counseling Services Angie Trzepacz said the social isolation caused by all of the COVID-19 restrictions has increased many students’ feelings of loneliness and has disrupted their ability to make new friends on campus, resulting in more people feeling like they don’t really fit in and don’t really have the social support they need.

This social isolation and feelings of loneliness have also exacerbated many students’ struggles with anxiety and depression.

“Many people rely on structure and routine to help them organize their time, so working from home and attending class from their bedroom often interferes with people’s productivity levels, their motivation and their time management,” Trzepacz said.

Junior TV production major Joey Reynolds has had issues staying focused with hybrid classes and says that watching a Zoom lecture isn’t as effective as in person.

“It just seems like online classes are more stressful for me,” Rey nolds said. “ I don’t know if it ’s time management problems or what, but they certainl y h a ve n’t h e l p e d m y m i n d . ” Reynolds is not alone in this struggle. Junior nonprofit management major D unc an S andlin said that he has found online classes non-conducive to a healthy learning environment.

“I don’t learn well online,” Sandlin said. “I have a class where in every session the instructor is constantly cutting in and out so much that the class often has to piece together the conversation.”

Sophomore journalism major Kati Wyant can see the benefits of going to therapy to help alleviate stress caused by demanding schedules.

Wyant said that she finds it stressful keeping up with classes that are hybrid, Zoom and in- person and not having spring break. She goes to therapy at least once a month just to vent and refresh and maintain a healthy mindset and personal growth.

“This will pass, maybe like kidney stones, but you’ve got to adapt so you don’t lose your mind,” Wyant said.

Wyant has also started using a meditation app called Insight Timer to force herself to block everything out for at least five minutes a day.

“I try to set times to be done with school. I’ll step away from my laptop and not check emails while I eat or go for a walk. School can take over my life, so lately, I’ve been fighting to make time to just feel human,” Wyant said.

On campus, there are many re s o u rc e s t h a t a re ac c e s s i b l e for students, faculty and staff.

The food bank Racers Helping Racers is an invaluable resource for students experiencing food insecurity during the pandemic and other times as well.

The Counseling Center on campus has tried to provide counseling services to as many students as possible. They have also listed numerous self-help resources on their website, including relaxation techniques and lists of helpful mental health apps.

Racers Empower: Healthy Minds, Healthy Campus is a collaborative effort by students, staff and faculty members of Murray State to promote improved mental health and wellness on campus.

Racers Empower will be hosting a book club in March and April over “The Boy, the Mole, the Fox, and the Horse” by Charlie Mackesy.

Students are also encouraged to utilize the Starfish Student Success Network to “raise their hand” and ask for help if needed.

A new $70,000 grant from the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education and the Office of Student Affairs and Enrollment Management will also use funds to address student mental health.

Don Robertson, vice president of Student Affairs and Enrollment Management, said 185 faculty and staff have registered for an eighthour course that will help them to identify students who might require mental health ser vices and to provide online resources.

“The Mental Health First Aid Training will result in more faculty and staff trained in how to recognize the signs of a student having a mental health issue and the knowledge about resources on campus to help the student,” Robertson said. “The training will enable faculty and staff to be more proactive and helpful to the students.”

March 11, 2021

GRANT From Page 1 “The Mental Health First Aid training will ensure that more of [students’] contacts on campus will be able to recognize when they are struggling and will know how to help them and how to refer them to the resources available on campus,” Trzepacz said.

The training will be held at various times over the next 16 months, Trzepacz said. For now, the course is only available to people over Zoom, but eventually it will be held in person with the trainers traveling to Murray during the training sessions. Future sessions have not yet been confirmed, but all trainings must be completed by June 30, 2022.

Tre z p a c z s a i d TAO w i l l b e helpful as both an instrument

News

to enhance counseling ser vices for students who want to acc e s s c o u n s e l i n g, a s w e l l a s a self-help resource for students w h o a re n o t ye t c o m f o r t a b l e with counseling or may not feel their issues reach the level of needing individual counseling. “ We w o u l d e n c o u r a g e a n y faculty and staff who are interested in the course to contact me,” Trzepacz said. “O ur students would benefit from having as many people on camp u s a s p o s s i b l e w h o a re a b l e t o re c o g n i z e s i g n s o f m e n t a l health concerns and appropriately refer students to the resources available on campus.”

Updated computer equipment and training for counselors in the Counseling and Psychological Centers will help them be more effective and knowledgeable when interacting with students, Trzepacz said.

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“ We hope that the resources available to students in trans i t i on s c l a s s e s w i l l h e l p s t u dents have a smoother transition into college life and have increased awareness of the importance of mental health a n d we l l n e s s a n d s o m e t o o l s to help them achieve that.”

Along with anxiet y and dep r e s s i o n , Tr z e p a c z s a i d s t u dents are struggling with loneliness and social isolation due t o re s t r i c t i on s f rom t h e p a s t year. She said students are also str uggling with online learning because they miss both the classroom and interactions with other students and professors, and virtual classes do not provide the same structure and routine they usually depend on to help organize their time.

Ac c o rd i n g t o t h e K e n t u c k y Department of Education, the G EER f u n d w a s a u t h o r i z e d

under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic S ecur ity (CARES) Act to help combat effects of the pandemic.

Gov. Andy Beshear allotted $30 million to be administered by the Kentuc ky Depar tment of Education and to local education agencies. The intended uses of the funds are to increase higher quality remote learning experiences and to expand remote food ser vices to students.

Anyone interested in getting on the waiting list for the Mental Health First Aid traini n g c a n c o n t a c t A n g i e Tr z e pacz at atrzepacz@murraystate. edu to be put on a waiting list.

The Counseling Center is available at no charge to Murray State students, staff and f a c u l t y, a n d i s c u r r e n t l y o f f e r i n g re m o t e s e r v i c e s . T h e y c a n b e re ac h e d a t m s u . c o u nselingcenter@murraystate.edu.

JavaTalk BARISTA SPOTLIGHT: AUBREY

Hey y’all, meet Aubrey! Aubrey is a Nursing major at Murray State University. She is a Sophomore, and she is from St. Louis, Missouri. She hopes to become a Labor and Delivery Nurse, and hopes to be able to become a Travel Nurse at some point in her career. Her favorite drink at Future Grounds is a Sugar Free Frosted Honeysuckle made with Almond Milk and topped with Whipped Cream and cinnamon powder. Her hobbies include exercising, hiking, and driving with her windows down listening to music. That’s Aubrey!

Opinion

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March 11, 2021

Send a letter to The News at gsteffen@murraystate.edu

To The Murray State News, anymore.” While it is true that Dr. Seuss Enterprises will no I am writing in response to a longer publish these books, the recent opinion article written company has issued no stateabout Dr. Seuss Enterprises’ de- ment indicating that they wish cision to cease publication of to suppress an individual’s abilsix of its titles. While I support ity to read these books or othThe News’ commitment to pub- erwise “ban” them. As the copylishing diverse viewpoints, the right holder for these books, Dr. article contained incorrect and Seuss Enterprises reserves the misleading information regard- right to distribute copies to the ing this decision. Additionally, public by sale, which they have in an era where misinformation decided to no longer exercise. runs rampant, I feel that it was Copies of the books in question, irresponsible for The News to however, are freely able to be publish a large image suggesting sold and circulate under the docthat the widely celebrated books trine of First Sale. This is simThe Lorax and Horton Hears a ilar to Disney’s former practice Who have been “banned,” espe- of placing many of its animated cially since they are not among films on moratorium in order the books in question. As a li- to re-release them years later. brarian who studies intellectual The idea that Dr. Seuss is being freedom issues, I want to take “banned” is quickly making the the opportunity to educate read- rounds, so I think it is importers about what it actually means ant to clarify what a book ban to ban a book and how it dif- actually looks like. The process fers from the current situation. of book banning typically begins The article states that six of with a challenge, an attempt Dr. Seuss’s books “have been to remove or restrict materials banned for racist imagery and based on content, initiated by a will not be printed or published community member. According

to a 2018 study by the Office for Intellectual Freedom, 65% of challenges are initiated by parents or patrons, as opposed to a board (13%), librarians/teachers (10%), political/religious groups (6%), elected officials (3%), or students (3%). A ban refers to the removal of materials based on the challenged content. For those interested in what books are currently being challenged/ banned, or how to report a challenge, I encourage you to check out the ALA’s resources: http:// www.ala.org/advocacy/bbooks.

While banning books typically involves a book being removed from a library, classroom, curriculum, etc., the absence of a book does not necessarily mean it was banned. Libraries continuously add and remove materials in order to provide a collection which meets the needs of their community, while adhering to budgetary and physical space constraints.

This means that books which do not get checked out can be replaced with others that better meet the needs of the commu-

nity. The six books in question are not among Dr. Seuss’s most popular works, so it is entirely possible that libraries removed these books a while ago due to low circulation, or perhaps never acquired them in the first place.

A key indication that a book has been banned is if you are actively prevented from obtaining access to it. Sometimes books, such as those reflecting values of a prior era, are simply moved from a general collection to a special collection but are still readily accessible. Even if a library decides does not to carry a book, patrons can still acquire them through Interlibrary Loan or a similar resource sharing program.

For those curious, Murray State University Libraries holds five of the books in question and are available to be checked out.

caused some confusion, as neither of these books were banned, and I knew that. I was poking fun at those who think people are “canceling” Dr. Seuss.

In last week’s Opinion section, I wrote See, when word broke out about a column titled “Suess or Sus”. It was the company’s decision to stop disbrought to my attention that there was tributing “Horton Hears a Who” and some misinformation included in the “The Lorax” were being banned alongexpanse of the written material. I deeply side “And to Think That I Saw It on apologize for any misinformation that Mulberry Street”; “If I Ran the Zoo”; was spread, as I did not realize I was “McElligot’s Pool”; “On Beyond Zemisinformed. Through a very kind let- bra!”; “Scrambled Eggs Super!” and ter to the editor that you can read above, “The Cat’s Quizzer,” there was a small certain information was cleared up and uproar of people who believed the it is only right that I share the correct- media was “canceling” all of Dr. Seed information, as well as my thought uss’s works, and that is simply not the process while writing and drawing case. Dr. Seuss has not been “canceled” the comic that went with the article. and will likely never be “canceled.”

First, let’s talk about the comic that People make mistakes, and it’s good was attached to said article. The com- that Dr. Seuss Enterprises are attemptic included two characters, the titular ing to correct those mistakes by stopcharacter from the book “The Lorax,” ping the distribution of those books. and Horton, the main character of the By no means was I insinuating that book “Horton Hears a Who.” This “The Lorax” and “Horton Hears a

Who” were among the six books that are ceasing distribution. I now understand that the image itself was confusing and I am deeply apologetic for the confusion that it may have caused.

Now we need to talk about what banning a book truly means. Book banning usually starts with a challenge from a community member to remove or restrict materials from schools or a library due to content found in the material.

This means that someone brought the books to the attention of the Enterprise and asked for them to be reviewed.

In this case, the six books were discontinued because Dr. Seuss Enterprises said the books portray people in ways that are hurtful and wrong.

Now, while the book might be banned, the absence of the book in a library might not be because of the banning.

While certain libraries might take them off shelves because of the discontinue, libraries are constantly circulat-

ing new and old materials in order to keep the needs of the community met.

For example, a quick call to Calloway County Library lets you know that they have removed the six books from the shelves, and they are currently under review, while at Benton Library the books are still on the shelves, and they are planning on getting reviewed via the library’s collection development policy.

Maybe the library will put the books in a special section dedicated to books that represent a different period of time. At this moment in time, we simply do not know the answer.

Now that things have been cleared up, I simply feel the need to apologize again.

It was not my intention to misinform the population and I am so grateful that someone reached out and corrected my mistakes. If you ever notice a huge mistake in one of these articles, I urge you to send a “Letter to the Editor” and let us know! We will do our best to fix it.

~David Sye

Research and Instruction Librarian/Assistant Professor Humanities Liaison

Accuracy translates to credibility

Gabe Steffen Opinion Editor gsteffen@murraystate.edu

Cheers to an in-person graduation

Jeers to a rainy forecast!

It was announced on March 10 via the Murray State Facebook page that an in-person graduation ceremony is being planned.

It seems that rain may put a damper on this weekend, with rain forecasted as early as Friday.

Editorial Board

Gage Johnson Cady Stribling

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pgoodwin1@murraystate.edu msunewsads@gmail.com

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

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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.

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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.

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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.

March 11, 2021

Sports

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Photo courtesy of Dave Winder/Racer Athletics Freshman running back Damonta Witherspoon navigates through the defense on a run against SEMO.

Football upsets SEMO, starts season 2-0 Jakob Milani Staff Writer jmilani@murraystate.edu An outstanding defensive performance helped give the Murray State football team a 2421 victory over the SEMO Redhawks on Sunday, March 7.

Coming into the game, the Redhawks were ranked 11th in the country with a 1-1 record, while the Racers were riding high after their first win under a new coaching staff led by Head Coach Dean Hood.

SEMO received the ball to start the game and started their drive on the 20 yard line. The Redhawks drove down the field, alternating pass and run plays. Junior running back Zion Curtis made his impact known early, rushing for six yards and receiving for 28 yards on the drive, including a five-yard rush for a touchdown, giving the Redhawks a 7-0 lead with 11:44 left in the quarter.

On the Racers’ next drive, freshman running back Demonta Witherspoon took a 35-yard rush up to SEMO’s 29-yard line, setting up a 26-yard touchdown pass from junior quarterback Preston Rice to senior running back Rodney Castille to tie the game at seven.

The Racers struck again on the next drive when senior quarterback Andrew Bunch threw an interception to sophomore cornerback Marcis Floyd, who returned it for a touchdown, giving the Racers a 14-7 lead. Senior kicker Aaron Baum made a field goal on the Racers’ next trip to give the Racers a 17-7 lead over the Redhawks after the first quarter.

In the second quarter, Bunch threw another interception on the Redhawks’ second drive, this time to junior safety Cortez Roberts.

The Redhawks answered when senior cornerback Al Young in-

tercepted a pass from Rice on the next play, taking the ball up to SEMO’s 20-yard line. In the next drive, the Redhawks made their way down field with some help from a Racers’ pass interference call. The Racers’ defense managed to hold the Redhawks to a field goal attempt, but junior kicker Kenny Doak missed the 27-yard attempt, hitting the left upright of the goal post. Neither team managed to score in the quarter, leaving the score going into halftime at 17-7 in favor of the Racers.

The Racers started the second half with the ball and drove all the way down to the Redhawks’ seven-yard line. After three unsuccessful plays, the Racers decided to go for it on the fourth down. Rice dropped back to pass and missed the receiver in the back of the endzone, giving the Redhawks the ball on their own seven-yard line.

The Racers’ defense came up big again, forcing another punt for the Redhawks. Senior wide receiver Malik Honeycutt called for a fair catch on the punt, but the Redhawks hit Honeycutt before he could receive the ball, giving the Redhawks a 15-yard penalty. The boost from the penalty didn’t amount to anything as the Racers ended up punting on the drive. Baum was back to punt but botched the punt, hitting the ball off the side of his foot. The Redhawks returned the ball to the Racers’ 30-yard line, marking the end of the third quarter. Neither team scored in the third quarter and the Racers maintained their 17-7 lead heading into the fourth.

After the botched punt, the Redhawks started with the ball in the fourth quarter and capitalized quickly. Curtis took a threeyard handoff into the endzone, bringing the score to 17-14. The Redhawks weren’t done, as graduate defensive back Shabari Da-

vis intercepted Rice and took it all the way to the endzone, giving the Redhawks a 21-17 lead.

The Racers’ next drive was their most important in the game as they attempted to answer the back-to-back touchdowns by the Redhawks. The Racers made their way down the field, with a 30-yard run from junior wide receiver LaMartez Brooks putting the Racers at the Redhawks’ 19yard line. Later in the drive on a fourth down and six, Rice hit senior wide receiver Dequan Dallas for 12 yards to put the Racers at the Redhawks’ three-yard line. The next play, Rice took it himself for three yards to score the touchdown, giving the Racers a 24-21 lead.

The Redhawks had one more drive to come back with just 22 second left, but on the last play of the game, Bunch threw another interception to Floyd, sealing the win for the Racers. Murray State defeated the No. 11 SEMO by a score of 24-21.

Bunch threw 15-27 in the game for the Redhawks with 112 passing yards and three interceptions. Curtis rushed 14 times for 41 yards and two touchdowns.

Sophomore running back Geno Hess rushed 13 times for 70 yards.

Rice threw 8-20 for the Racers with 79 passing yards, one passing touchdown, two interceptions, 33 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown. Witherspoon rushed 22 times for 108 yards, his first career game with 100 yards.

Castille finished the game with 26 receiving yards, 15 rushing yards and a receiving touchdown. He said the backfield duo of him and Witherspoon has played well so far.

“It’s a lot of fun,” Castille said.

“There are teams where one running back excels more than the other one and with me and Witherspoon, it brings a whole new dynamic to our team. With Witherspoon, you’re

either gonna make the tackle or get run through. He just brings a different aspect to our backfield.”

Floyd finished the game with six total tackles and two interceptions, including the one he returned for a touchdown in the first quarter. He said how well the defense played against SEMO was all part of the coaches’ game plan for the week.

“We just came in and did what we do everyday in practice,” Floyd said. “Coach says everyday that there’s going to be ups and downs in a game. We just kept our head and played hard the whole game knowing it was going to be a dog fight.”

Hood said the team pulling off the win late in the game is all about the team’s will to win.

“That’s it, that’s the game,” Hood said. “When you’re playing somebody of this caliber and you are having the swings of the game going back and forth, you know that they will respond and throw a haymaker at you. You’ve gotta be able to handle that if you want to win the game. Our kids were unbelievable with their resilience after SEMO’s last score.”

Hood said the defense in the game was successful and gave a lot of credit to his coaching staff and how well their scheme works for the team.

“Coach Sanders’ defensive staff does a great job of teaching the fundamentals and teaching the game and keeping it simple,” Hood said. “Our kids believe in it. They believe what the coaches are telling them. When you believe and buy in, you give 100 percent of yourself and you play really fast.

I think that’s a really big part is that everyone is on the same page.”

The Racers improved their record to 2-0 on the season with their impressive win over the Redhawks.The Racers will play at Tennessee Tech University on Sunday, March 14, at 1 p.m. in Cookeville, Tennessee.

Men’s golf places fourth at Benbow Invitational Andrea Jameson Contributing Writer ajameson1@murraystate.edu The Murray State men’s golf team traveled all the way to Jacksonville, Florida, to compete against nine teams in the Benbow Invitational on Monday, March 8, and Tuesday, March 9, at the Jacksonville Beach Golf Club. The team placed fourth overall in the tournament.

The team’s overall scores were 312-308—620. Senior Avery Edwards placed seventh, carding 7874—152 along with sophomore Walker Beck, who placed seventh as a solo player in the tournament

with scores of 79-73—152. His score of 73 in the second round was the lowest overall of the week. Senior Connor Coombs finished with a score of 154, coming in 13th place. Coombs played two rounds, carding a 78 in the first game and a 76 in the second.

Senior Quinn Eaton placed 16th overall with scores of 77-79—158.

Freshman Tyler Powell placed 50th, carding scores of 84-84—168.

The Murray State men’s golf team will compete next against Tennessee Tech University at the Bobby Nichols Collegiate beginning on Sunday, March 14, at Sevierville, Tennessee.

Photo courtesy of Dave Winder/Racer Athletics Sophomore Walker Beck watches his shot soar through the air in the Benbow Invitational.

Sports

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March 11, 2021

Photo courtesy of Dan Hasko/Racer Athletics Senior outfielder/utility player Logan Braundmeier hit her second home run of the year in the second game against UT Martin.

Softball turns things around against UT Martin Racers go 2-1 against the Skyhawks Simon Elfrink Sports Editor selfrink@murraystate.edu Murray State softball opened up conference play with a threegame series against UT Martin, in which the Racers went 2-1 against the Skyhawks.

Game One The first game of the series began on Friday, March 5. The Racers started junior right-handed pitcher Hannah James, who went 2.2 innings on the rubber before handing the ball off to sophomore righthander Jenna Veber. With one out left to get in the bottom of the sixth, Veber surrendered the circle to redshirt senior righty Taylor Makowsky. James and Veber allowed three and seven runs across, respectively, but only two were earned for James and four earned for Veber. James struck out two batters while Veber earned one. None of the Racers’ pitchers walked or hit a batter.

The Skyhawks’ offense was a force to be reckoned with in the first game. Unfortunately for Murray State, the Racers’ bats couldn’t keep up. However, the Racers were the first ones to make a mark on the scoreboard, chalking up a run in the top of the third inning after sophomore utility player Chloe Jacque hit an infield single to the left side. Jacque stole second base an at-bat later, putting a runner in scoring position for senior outfielder Jensen Strie-

gel, who delivered with a single to center field, making the score 1-0.

The lead was short-lived, as a leadoff double from Skyhawks’ freshman infielder Macey Neal gave UT Martin the chance to get an equalizing hit. A base-hit bunt by freshman infielder Kaci Fuller advanced Neal to third, and after Fuller stole second, two runners were apt to score on a base hit.

Sophomore infielder Chelsey Gore put a ball in play with a bunt and a throwing error scored both runners, giving the Skyhawks a 2-1 lead.

UT Martin continued to pour it on in the third. By the time the Racers collected the last out of the inning, the score was 4-1. The Skyhawks tacked on another two in the fourth to make for a five-run deficit for the Racers to overcome.

With six outs separating them from loss, the Racers led off the sixth inning with a single by sophomore infielder Lily Fischer. Senior infielder Sierra Gilmore followed up with a double in the right-center gap, putting runners on second and third for junior utility Lindsey Carroll. Carroll drove Fischer home with a single to left-center, allowing Gilmore to advance to third. A sacrifice grounder to shortstop scored Gilmore, and a single off the bat of freshman catcher Taylor Jackson scored Carroll, making the score 6-4 still in favor of the Skyhawks.

The Racer’s run ended there as the Skyhawks continued to put up another crooked number in the sixth, finishing the game

with a 10-4 win over the Racers. Skyhawks to just three runs, two allowed in the first two innings by Veber and one by James, who came in to Game Two pitch at the start of the third inning.

The Racers’ bats stole the show in Both teams returned to the field on Saturday, March 6, at 1 p.m. for the final game of the weekend. At the second game of the series. The first, scoring came quickly but lightRacers were the first ones on the ly for the Racers as they only manboard again thanks to a solo shot aged to squeeze one run across after off the bat of senior utility player Braundmeier singled to lead off the Logan Braundmeier. Both teams first and was later driven in by Fischer.

UT Martin answered with one had quiet bats for the most part throughout the rest of the game run in the bottom of the second to with neither team putting up an- tie things up 1-1, but the Skyhawks other run until the seventh inning. were not prepared for what the RacIt was Braundmeier who found ers had in store for the third inning.

The top of the third resembled the herself in the midst of the scoring once again by drawing a walk opening inning for the Racers with and advancing to third on a stolen Braundmeier leading off with a single base and a throwing error. Striegel to right field. Striegel followed with a put a ball deep in the air to center single of her own and the bases were field, serving as a sacrifice fly to get loaded after Fischer was hit by a pitch.

Gilmore drove the first run of the Braundmeier home. Back-to-back doubles from Fischer and Gilmore inning in with a single through the provided another run for the Racers, left side, and Carroll followed her who walked away with a 3-0 victory. with a two-RBI single to center field.

Makowsky got the win in the cir- From then on it was one hit and cle for the Racers, pitching through one run after another for the Racthe first 6.1 innings and striking ers, who didn’t give the scoreboard out three batters. Makowsky al- a rest until they scored nine runs in lowed nine hits and a pair of walks the inning to make the score 10-1.

Veber allowed the Skyhawks to in that time, but she and the Racers’ defense got outs when they need- score again on a wild pitch in the ed them. Veber closed out the last third, but the Skyhawks were unable two outs of the game for the Racers. to capitalize and never dug themselves out of the massive deficit.

The game ended in an overwhelmGame Three ing 10-3 victory for the Racers.

The Racers will continue OVC play The Racers finished the threegame series with the second game of with a three-game series against Eastern a double header on Saturday, March Kentucky University on Saturday, 6. The Racers’ pitching staff held the March 14, and Sunday, March 15.

Racers come from behind to win home opener Rachel Essner Staff Writer ressner1@murraystate.edu The Murray State soccer team competed in their home opener on Friday, March 5, against Eastern Kentucky University. After a tough game, the Racers triumphed with a 3-2 victory over the Colonels.

Eastern Kentucky opened the game strong, scoring a goal in the sixth minute. The Racers retaliated in the 26th minute with a goal from freshman forward Chloe Barnthouse off a corner kick from freshman midfielder Hailey Cole to tie the game at 1-1.

The Racers thought they pulled ahead at halftime when senior midfielder Izzy Heckman put the ball in the net on minute 45 of the first half, but the referees ruled that the time on the clock ran out before the ball crossed the goal line.

The Racers entered halftime with an 11-3 shot advantage and 58% of ball possession. However, the Colonels opened the sec-

Photo courtesy of David Eaton Senior forward Rebecca Kubin, freshman midfielder Hailey Cole and freshman forward Chloe Barnthouse celebrate the game-winning goal in the home opener.

ond half with a goal in the 11th minute to gain a 2-1 advantage.

Murray State put pressure on the Colonels, which resulted in a goal from senior forward Rebecca Kubin off a cross from redshirt junior midfielder Symone Cooper in minute 36 of the second half to tie the game at 2-2.

With two minutes left on the clock and overtime seeming inevitable, Kubin shot the ball into the EKU goal where the goalkeeper deflected it.

Cole, however, got a hold of the deflected ball and was able to sink it into the Colonels’ goal, putting the Racers

ahead 3-2 to win the game.

The Racers owned 62% of ball possession during the game, which gave them the chance to outshoot the Colonels 22-5.

Sophomore goalkeeper Jenna Villacres made three saves to keep the Colonels at two goals.

Kubin and Barnthouse now have two goals apiece this season, while Cole scored the first goal of her collegiate career.

Kubin’s goal moved her up on Murray State’s all-time scoring list to sixth, tying with Rebekah Clay (2005-08) at 24 goals. “ We have a complete trust in our players,” said Head Coach Matt Lodge. “From our seniors down to our freshmen, complete trust. We knew what we were getting ourselves into and that we would have to stick up for ourselves, and we did just that.”

The Racers will travel to University of Tennessee Martin to take on the Skyhawks on Tuesday, March 9, and will kick off at 7 p.m.

Features

March 11, 2021

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Alliance celebrates LGBTQ+ Pride in March

Mason Galemore Contributing Writer mgalemore@murraystate.edu

The Murray State University Alliance has planned many special events in which students can participate in celebrating LGBTQ+ pride. Because of Pride Month being in June, when most students are not in class, the MSU Alliance decided to host the events in March.

On Tuesday, March 2, Alliance hosted an LGBTQ+ Trivia Night using Kahoot on Zoom with the Honors College.

The leader of MSU Alliance, senior biology major Kearby Stiles, said trivia night was a fun experience for everyone.

“Sharing the knowledge and playing trivia with both our regular members and new members from the Honors College was a great way to connect and learn about LGBTQ+ facts, history, and flags,” Stiles said.

On Tuesday, March 9, Alliance continued activities with their Trivia Murder Party 2 event. Players took turns answering random trivia questions to advance in the game. If they answered incorrectly, they had to play a minigame for their character to survive and continue playing.

Other players participated as the audience, answering questions and guessing

what characters would not survive the minigames. The first player to reach the end had to answer a final set of trivia questions in order to escape and win.

On Tuesday, March 16, MSU Alliance will be hosting an Art and LGBTQ+ Media Representation event on Zoom. Stiles said they wanted to have an event where participants could relax, create art and have conversations via zoom.

“We will be sending LGBTQ+ pride coloring sheet PDFs to those who register, so people can print them out to color or just draw something of their own,” Stiles said. “While we color and draw, we will be having an open discussion where everyone can share and talk about their favorite media with LGBTQ+ representation.”

Stiles said these events go hand in hand with Women’s History month.

“Women’s history and Pride go together because there are women that are LGBTQ+,” Stiles said. “You cannot fully recognize and celebrate women’s history without including LGBTQ+ women and you cannot recognize and celebrate LGBTQ+ pride without including women.”

Stiles also explained the importance of transgender women and

Photo courtesy of Murray State Alliance Pride events can be found on murraystate.edu by searching “LGBT Programming” in the search bar.

that they are frequently excluded during Women’s History Month.

“It is really important to recognize LGBTQ+ women, especially trans women, in women’s history because they are historically left out and currently excluded by some feminists,” Stiles said.

Even though these events celebrate the LGBTQ+ community, Stiles encourages everyone to participate even if they are unfamiliar or do not identify as LGBTQ+. He explained that everyone is different and there is so much diversity that participating can lead to a better understanding of people.

“For those that are not familiar with the LGBTQ+ community, I would encourage them to be open and learn about other people’s experiences.” Stiles said. “All ia nce is mea nt for LGBTQ+ st udents and a l lies, so anyone wanting to come and show their support is more than welcome.”

More in for mat ion about t he events being hosted to celebrate LGBTQ+ Pride and Women’s History Month can be found at murraystate.edu by searching “LGBT Programming” in the search bar.

Court moves to Zoom mock trial team wins weekend match

Dionte Berry Features Editor dberry11@murraystate.edu With the ongoing pandemic, many in-person activities have been moved to a virtual format. One of those activities is court. The Murray State mock trial team got a taste of virtual court in their most recent tournament.

The mock trial team participated in a tournament of around eight schools and competed against four of them on Feb. 27 and Feb. 28.

Mock trial is an imitation of a court trial. It gives participants a play-by-play of how a court trial moves and operates and participants take on roles such as plaintiff, defendant and attorneys.

For Murray State, mock trial is both a class and a club taught a nd led by A s soc iate Profe ssor of political science Paul Foote.

The team is familiar with Zoom, but unlike their fall tournament, they weren’t all in the same setting. Instead, they were all on Zoom from their own separate spaces.

The mock tria l st udent captain, senior political science major Joshua Sanders, saw that the format change presented challenges in the physicality of the court.

“The major thing about an attorney is how you carry yourself, how you walk, how you use your hands,” Sanders said. “On Zoom, a lot of that just gets thrown away, which is a shame, but it allows us to emphasize the vocal aspects of speaking such as diction, emphasis, speed, tone and passion.”

For this tournament, the mock trial team took on a two-part fictional trial concerning the death of Genesis Petrillo. Petrillo died the day before her wedding from wine that had been poisoned from Peony Estates, which is owned by her future mother-in-law.

Genesis’s estate is suing Peony Estates for her death. The team worked on the trial in the case of negligence of the winery or battery in the case of whether the poisoning was on purpose.

The mock trial team started preparing for the trial in September 2020, where they determined how to approach the case and whichst udents w i l l play what roles.

“We get a case packet, and it’s something like 150 pages. While

that sounds like a lot, much of it is rules, evidence, affidavits and depositions,” Sanders said. “If something is in the trial, it’s in that packet.”

Beyond the help of Foote and fellow political science professor Drew Seib, the team also had the help of practicing attorneys who are Murray State alumni.

“I am thankful for the support of our attorney coaches Adam Holdner and Dominik Mikulcik who are attorneys who have practices, and take time out of their busy schedules to help us learn how to be attorneys,” Sanders said.

Along with establishing court procedures and obtaining a strong understanding of the case, student s h a d to pic k c h a r ac ter s they wished to act as in the trial.

Junior pre-law major Madison Hillberry took on the role of expert witness, and with that role came a lengthy preparation process.

“I was a senior health and safety inspector for the Rapid River County Department of Health and Environmental Services,” Hillberry said. “To prepare for the trial, I read over my affidavit over and over again in order to ensure that I was familiar with every aspect of my inspections at Peony Estates.”

Leading up to the tournament everyone would practice together to ensure the knowledge of their roles.

“We also practiced as a team two to three times a week where one of our attorneys would direct and cross examine me in front of the class, as if it were the real tournament,” Hillberry said.

She would also talk with those acting as attorneys and even made a Quizlet to quiz her knowledge over her role.

For her f irst semester of mock trial, Hillberry was happy with her and her team’s performance.

“I feel that our team did extremely well, especially considering the fact that many of our members had never done this before,” Hillberry said. “It is a whole lot of work, but it is also a whole lot of fun.”

For sophomore political science/prelaw major Case Thomason, this was his second semester on the mock trial team, and he was the attorney on the side of the plaintiff and defense.

Thomason has found mock trials to be a good way to get a grasp

Photo courtesy of the Murray State Political Science Facebook page The mock trial tournament was on Feb. 27 and Feb. 28 via Zoom.

of what real court is by actually acting out the motions and procedures.

“Mock trial is the prelim to actual trial,” Thomason said. “It teaches you the r u les, how to present evidence, how to handle witnesses, how to talk in legal aspects.”

Thomason joined the mock trial team last semester and this was his first time playing an active role. He enjoyed the preparation it gave him.

“Mock trial is great, and I plan on being a part of the team next year and the

year after that.” Thomason said. “If anyone is interested in learning more about law, it’s something they should look into.”

For the Zoom tournament, the Murray State mock trial team did well, winning one out of four matches and freshman from Mayfield, Kentucky Travis Conner was awarded as an outstanding student on the side of plaintiff.

“If people want to get into law school or just learn more about law, mock trials are a great avenue for t hat ,” S a nder s sa id .

8

Features

Photo courtesy of the Springer Franklin Instagram Residents in Franklin attended “Bad Art Night” where they made paintings.

March11, 2021

Photo courtesy of Regina Hudspeth Residents in Regents attended an RA event where they made piñatas.

Residential Colleges adapt to life in a pandemic Olivia Badalamenti Contributing Writer obadalamenti@murraystate.edu Life in the Residential Colleges, like almost all aspects of the college experience, has been changing and adapting since the start of the pandemic. Despite the challenge, those in the Housing Department are trying new and safe ways to create a memorable time for their residents.

Junior biology/ pre-optometry major Ty Allen works as a residential adviser in H.C. Franklin Hall.

As a returning RA, Allen understands the impact COVID-19 has had on the residents in his building.

“Ever yone is get t ing t he COV I D -19 f at i g u e a nd c a b in fever,” A l len said.

Residential colleges have had to adjust their traditional ways of getting their students involved, as well as follow the Racer Safe and Healthy Guidelines. Allen said despite efforts to follow guidelines and maintain involvement via Zoom, virtual programs have not gained as much attendance as in-person events in previous semesters.

Now the residential colleges are focusing on in-person activities and implementing new programming techniques to increase student involvement. Residential colleges will

begin tabling in the common areas of their building using a method called drive-through programming.

“We are employing the new drivethrough programming type idea because that way you can get residents’ attention as they walk through the door and as they go to their room, and they see you right there,” Allen said. “It’s more of an attention grabber as opposed to a poster on the wall.”

This program style allows those who may not have time for an engaging sit-down lecture forum to interact with their RAs. This also benefits those who have a majority of their classes on Zoom and spend less time walking past posters that advertise programs. Residents will also be using QR codes to fill out forms to track attendance and contact-tracing to report to the Housing Department.

Another way RAs are adapting is through intentional interactions.

This past semester, fourth floor RAs in Franklin set up a cooler directly in front of the elevators to pass out ice cream sandwiches to residents.

“It is important to create intentional interactions with your residents,” Allen said. “We want to be seen and we also want them to k now t h at t he y a re s e en.”

Allen has recognized the difficulty in maintaining an identity as a personable resource. The

loss of in-person interactions and implementation of safety guidelines has made R As be seen as the “mask police.” This decrease in staff interactions with residents has changed the perception of R As. “Now we are seeing a lack of cohesion in campus resources because they are not being able to see those people normally like they would or they just feel discouraged,” Allen said. “Being able to put a face to a name really is such an important aspect of an identity and a relationship that no one really understood until we couldn’t see what someone looked like.”

Another form of interaction the Residential Colleges are implementing is spontaneous programming. These programs are unplanned events that easily spark the attention of residents. This could be anything from a movie in the common areas to playing ping-pong.

Programs hosted by Residential Colleges vary, but all follow the same programming criteria. The last program Allen hosted was a diversity program called “A Night of Language and Culture.” Allen, a native Spanish speaker, discussed how to learn conversational Spanish and taught residents about Latin American culture and its effect on society. It was an in-person event that hosted eight people and followed safety guidelines.

Like the programs in Franklin, Regents Hall has implemeted COVID-19 safe programming.

Freshman civil and sustainable engineering major Kenny Rose, president of Regents Residential College Council, has seen R As in Regents come up w ith creative ways to engage residents.

“Regents, like a lot of other colleges, have been working really hard, especially the RAs, to create programs that are fun and that also follow COVID-19 guidelines,” Rose said. “We have had events like painting, and the RAs are very good at making sure everyone is abiding by these guidelines and that everyone has a mask on at all times.”

Housing is still trying to maintain a sense of normalcy and still participates in events like intramurals.

“The intramurals have required everyone to wear a mask and to make sure the equipment is wiped off each time before the next team or game,” Rose said. “At Regents College I know that we try to offer everyone the ability to participate in intramurals like volleyball, dodgeball and even kickball last semester.”

As some COV ID-19 restrict ions beg in to be l if ted Residential Colleges are doing what they can to keep residents safe w h i le s t i l l r e m a i n i n g s o c i a l .