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March 25, 2021 | Vol. 95, No. 21

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NEWS

OPINION

SPORTS

FEATURES

Murray State to Murray Elementary

COVID-19 and Asian racism

Football dominates Tennessee State to remain undefeated

Students gain reporting experience at WKMS

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5 players depart men’s basketball program Gage Johnson Editor-in-Chief gjohnson@murraystate.edu After a season filled with disappointment from coaches, players and fans alike, Murray State men’s basketball is losing a total of five players with two of the five being starters during last season.

The first player to announce his departure from the Racers was junior forward Brion Whitley. Whitley started the season as a key part of the rotation, even earning nine starts out of the 19 games he played.

Along with his infectious energy on the court, Whitley made an impact throughout the community during his time with the Racers.

“From the time I stepped foot on this campus in 2017, this community has shown me nothing but love and support that I’ve never seen before,” Whitley said in the letter he posted on social media. “I poured my all into the Murray State program and truly came to an understanding of what it meant to be a Racer. I hope I showed how much I truly appreciated the opportunity that Murray State gave me by being a star in whatever my roles was, a star teammate, a star ambassador for the program and a star role model for those who are coming after me.”

An o t h e r u p p e rc l a s s m e n s e t to wrap up his final chapter at Murray State is senior for ward De vin Gilmore.

Gilmore became known for his high-flying antics and energy on both sides of the floor, finishing his career as a solid big off the bench.

The forward could’ve returned for one last season because of COVID-19 rules, but he has decided to finish up his education and try his hand at playing professional basketball in the near future.

“I want to take time to thank everyone involved in the Murray State basketball program for helping me on this part of my journey,” Gilmore said in the letter he posted on social media. “I also want to thank my teammates from over the years for having my back no matter what and turning into family. These four years have been amazing and have helped shape me into who I am today… The game of basketball is something that I’ve grown to love and I’m happy to say I will be taking my talents to the professional level.” see SEASON, page 6

Graduation update

Photo courtesy of Stephanie Anderson

Allison Laski awaits her graduation ceremony in 2019 with her cap decorated with an inspirational message.

Multiple in-person ceremonies planned for May Gage Johnson Editor-in-Chief gjohnson@murraystate.edu On Tuesday, Marc h 24, not long after announcing that there were plans in place for an in-person graduation ceremony for the 2020 and 2021 graduating class, Provost Tim Todd gave the full details to faculty, staff and students via email.

According to the email, there will be four separate in-person graduation ceremonies in the CFSB Center for all 2020 and sS pr ing and sS ummer 2021 graduates as long as all safety protocols are followed.

The first of the four cerem o n i e s w i l l b e f o r m a s t e r ’s

and doctoral students only o n Fr i d a y, M a y 7 , a t 7 p. m .

The other three ceremonies are open to all 2020 and 2021 graduates. The three ceremonies all take place on Saturday, May 8, with the first at 8 a.m., the second at 11 a.m., with the third and final ceremony at 2 p.m.

Because of COVID-19 there are plent y of safet y protocols i n p l ac e. Fo r a l l o f t h o s e a t tending commencement, masks must be worn and social distancing will be enforced in order to help protect the health and safety of all in attendance.

T h e re w i l l a l s o b e a l i m i t ed capacit y allowed to attend each approximately 90-minu t e c e re m o n y, w i t h a m a x o f

300 students al lowed to part i c i p a t e i n e a c h c e r e m o n y.

For those students interested in participating it is required that you register online for what you preferred ceremony would be as well as your second choice.

Registration opens at 8 a.m. on Monday, March 29, and closes at 4:30 p.m. on Friday, April 23.

If seats are no longer available for the ceremony of one’s choosing, they will be part of their second choice based on seat availability. If neither option is available, they will be a part of whatever ceremony has room.

Each student will be allowed to have four family/friends be in

see GRADUATION page 3

Racer Room named after first Black student athlete Simon Elfrink Sports Editor selfrink@murraystate.edu On Sunday, March 21, Murray S tate Athletics commemorated the new Racer Room i n D e n n i s J a c k s o n’s h o n o r.

Jackson, the first Black student-athlete in Murray State history, is a 2007 Murray State Hall of Fame inductee, having played for Murray State’s track team and the football team from 1960-64.

“Murray State University: the sweetest name that I k n o w, ” J a c k s o n s a i d . “ Yo u know, it ’s not a surprise to me to see Murray State excel in all kinds of areas. Not onl y athletically, but academically also,

Simon Elfrink/The News Murray State Athletics named the new Racer Room after the Racers’ first Black student-athlete, Dennis Jackson.

because of the people that rep- but also his master’s, as well as a resent Murray State University.” professional certificate for school Jackson took the student aspect of administration, an endorsement being a student-athlete to the extreme, earning not only his bachelor’s degree from Murray State

see JACKSON, page 2

News

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March 25, 2021

Simon Elfrink/The News Dennis Jackson is a 2007 Murray State Racers Hall of Fame Inductee.

JACKSON From Page 1

for secondary school principal for grades 7-12 and an endorsement for school superintendent.

After his time on the track and the football field, Jac kson passed on his knowledge by teaching health and physical edu c a t i o n a t Tr i g g C o u n t y J u n i o r H i g h S c h o o l f o r a ye a r b e f o re t a k i n g h i s e x p e r t i s e t o t h e Pa d u c a h P u b l i c S c h o o l s in 1968, where he taught the same subj e c t s . I n h i s t i m e a s a Pa d u c a h P u b l i c Schools affiliate, Jackson also taught histor y and ser ved as a football, basketball a n d t r a c k c o a c h . Fo r a p e r i o d o f t i m e , Jackson also ser ved as assistant principal.

In light of Jackson’s living legacy, it was with great honor that Murray State Athletics held the ceremony to commemorate the new Racer Room in his honor. President Bob Jac kson led with opening words in the ceremony, explaining to those gathered the importance of Dennis Jackson’s contribution to Murray State over the years. “ This day is overdue,” Jackson said.

“I’m ver y glad that this Board of Regents and this president and this administration is to bestow this honor on Mr. Jackson. Mr. Jackson has dedicated his life to his family, his faith, assisting young people and ser ving public education. I’ve watched him do that for many years.”

Murray State Director of Athletics Ke vin S aal thanked Dennis Jac kson f or being a tr ailblaz er f or student-ath l e t e s . S a a l c re d i t e d h i m f o r p a v i n g t h e way for the many Black student-athletes who have followed in his footsteps. “ Thank you f or the pain and sacr ifice that you endured establishing a pathway for thousands of student athletes who have followed in your footsteps,” Saal said.

President Jackson added his own words of thanks, reminding those gathe r e d t h a t w h i l e a t h l e t i c s a r e n’ t t h e most f oc al point in a universit y ’s c har acteristics, they are the collective “front porc h” f or many future students. “ It p ro v id e s m a ny st ude n ts a n e duc a tion. It ’s a tool to make a diff erence in a student ’s lif e, ” Jac kson said. “ Dennis, thank you for all that you do for this institution. Thank you for all you have done for this institution, [and] thank you for yo u r q u i e t , h u m b l e s e r v a n t l e a d e r s h i p.

Dennis Jac kson gave a lot of credit to his faith for his accolades and legacy on the field, sharing his personal experience in prayer and reliance on God to do

Simon Elfrink/The News The Murray State football team gifted a signed helmet to Jackson in thanks for his legacy.

Simon Elfrink/The News Dennis Jackson prepares to cut the ceremonial ribbon for the new Dennis Jackson Racer Room.

what he needed to in order to make the difference he wanted to see in the world, athletically and academically. He continued to emphasise the importance of faith, leaving his gathered fans with encouraging words to seek God in their own lives.

“If you need some help in whatever you are doing, that ’s what God is for,” Jacks o n s a i d . “ T h i n g s t h a t w e c a n’t s o l v e , t h i n g s w e d o n’t h a v e t h e a n s w e r t o , he ’s r i gh t t h e re f o r u s. H e ’s al w ay s p u t s o m e b o d y i n p l a c e f o r yo u t o t a l k t o. ”

News

March 25, 2021

3

Photo courtesy of Mabel’s Garden’s Facebook page From left to right, students Cassity Mitchell, Mika Hankins, Alyssa Trombetti, Presley Woodrum and assistant professor Alyx Shultz have been teaching about planting seeds and agriculture at Murray Elementary School.

Murray State to Murray Elementary Hutson School of Agriculture students teach lessons at local school Alyssa Trombetti Contributing writer atrombetti@murraystate.edu Students in the Hutson of Agriculture visited Murray Elementary School to teach the children about planting seeds and inspire an interest in agriculture.

Seniors Mika Hankins, Cassity Mitchell and Presley Woodrum and junior Alyssa Trombetti have coordinated over the past several weeks to prepare lesson plans for the elementary school children. For the rest of the semester, they plan to visit the children to look at the progress of the plants and to discuss the importance of agriculture.

Trombetti said the first lesson consisted of various teaching methods that were put together by the students.

“Throughout our lesson plan, we used auditorial, visual and hands-on

GRADUATION From Page 1 the audience via a digital ticketing process. Four virtual tic kets wil l be distr ibut ed through TicketMaster to t h e s t u d e n t ’s e m a i l a c c o u n t .

Students will be able to transfer the tickets electronically to those they wish to be in the audience.

All guests, including infants and small children, must have a ticket to enter the CFSB Center. Walkins will not be permitted on the day of the ceremony in order to help enforce social distancing.

Linsay Henderson, a 2020 graduate with a bachelor ’s degree in agriculture with pre-vet/ vet tech emphasis,is thrilled to be having an in-person ceremony. So thrilled in fact, she immediately called her boss to ask for the day off and will be making a 10-hour drive to attend.

“I never had a high school graduation because I was

learning methods,” Trombetti said “By using these methods, we were able to appeal to all the students and keep them engaged, so we could accomplish our goal with visiting the children.”

Mitchell talked about the goals of teaching the students at Murray Elementary School.

“The goal was to have a positive impact on the students about agriculture,” Mitchell said. “It is crucial to start at a young age and get them engaged and passionate about an amazing opportunity.”

Hankins comes from an agricultural background consisting of tobacco farming and raising beef cattle. Because ever yone does not come from this background, Hankins said there is importance in teaching children about agriculture. homeschooled, so it made me super excited that I was finall y going to get my first graduation,” Henderson said.

M a ny o t h e r 2 0 2 0 g r ad u a t e s voiced their opinions on the in-person graduation on Facebook, like 2020 graduate Damon Oliver who said he is thrilled to get the chance to walk across the stage this May. Others were upset at the short notice and said that they will not be returning to c amp u s f o r a ny o f t h e f o u r c om mencement ceremonies. “ When were they going to let 2020 grads know this, though,” said 2020 graduate Brooke Croel. “Glad I still like this page. I’d love to come back for a ceremony but unfortunately this isn’t before my semester will be over so it isn’t ver y practical for me to come bac k for it, especiall y with not a great heads up.”

Fo r m o re i n f o r m a t i o n o n commencement, visit htt ps:// w w w. m u r r a y s t a t e . e d u / c o m mencement/index.aspx.

“Knowing where your food comes from, how it is grown and the labor of love that goes into it is very important for people to understand,” Hankins said. “It all starts with teaching these children.”

After teaching the first lesson to children on planting seeds, many teachers, faculty and staff complimented the agriculture students on the positive impression that was left with the children.

Mitchell said the students were very enthusiastic about planting seeds and learning about agriculture.

“The students were so excited when we left knowing they could watch their plants,” Mitchell said.

“They were more excited knowing we were coming back to teach them more about the topic of agriculture.”

When asked about their favorite part about teaching the students, Hankins

said she enjoyed the opportunity to teach the children about agriculture.

“I loved teaching the kids at MES because I got to see the excitement in their eyes,” Hankins sai d . “ I t w as some t h i ng sp ecial that most of them had never had a part in and I am glad that we were able to help expose them to it. It was like no other.”

Within a few weeks, the Hutson School of Agriculture students will revisit Murray Elementary School to check on the progress of the plants. The next lesson will be identifying the parts of the plants.

To f o l l o w t h e p r o g r e s s o f the School of Agriculture stud e n t s a n d t h e i r l e s s on s w i t h the Murray Elementary School students, find them on Facebook at @MabelsGardenMKY.

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Opinion

4

March 25, 2021

COVID-19 and Asian racism

The staff editorial is the majority opinion of The Murray State News Editorial Board Gabe Steffen Opinion Editor gsteffen@murraystate.edu On March 16, a series of shootings at massage parlors in Atlanta, Georgia, killed eight women in total. Six of those women were of Asian descent.

These shootings caused an uproar in the Asian-American community, as they are now afraid that they are being targeted because of their race. In similar succession with the Black Lives Matter movement, what can be done to assure the protection of Asian-Americans, immigrants or exchange students from Asian countries and how can we help lower the rate of hate against the aforementioned groups?

Despite the hate that has been seen in the media, many people have not witnessed or heard hate against Asians other than racist jokes told by friends.

While racist jokes are never okay, it’s not the same as actually witnessing racism against a group of people. And while hate crimes against Asians only make up a small fraction of all hate crimes, overall hate crime went down 7% between 2019 and 2020, but hate crimes against Asians went up 149%. According to Stop AAPI (Asian American Pacific Islander) Hate, all reported harassments against Asian-Americans were verbal harassment (66%), shunning (20%) and physical attacks (11%).

Cade Utterback/The News

America is not shy about admitting their past racism against Japanese-Americans back in WWII. Between 1942 and 1945, after President F.D. Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066, which authorized the removal of any “suspected enemies,” anyone who had any Japanese heritage was seized and put into an internment camps. Even after those Japanese-Americans were released, many faced racism because of the mass hysteria caused by Pearl Harbor, and even more weren’t able to return to normalcy because their homes and jobs were taken from them. While

CHEERS....

the American government officially apologized for the trouble and strife it caused the Asian community in 1988, it still doesn’t excuse what was done.

There’s racism against the Asian community for the same reason there’s racism against the Black community and the Hispanic community. The white community has always seen themselves as better than everyone else, and they need to hold power in any way possible.

There’s no doubt that there’s been another rise in hate against the Asian community because of COVID-19, and especially with Former President

CHEERS

JEE

to in-person graduation!

Finally, “some” normalcy!

RS

&

JEERS

Donald Trump spreading hate by calling the virus the “China Virus” and the “Kung Flu.” What can we as a community and a university do to increase education about discimination? A great idea is that the university could mandate discrimination training just like they mandate Title IX training. The university could also increase education and classes on racism and diversity, as well as start initiatives that promote inclusion with students and the community.

While we may never end racism, we can all try our hardest to make the world a better place, one community at a time.

JEERS....

to having one non-instructional day left!

We all need a break!

Got opinions?

We want to hear from you!

Editorial Board

Contact Gabe Steffen at gsteffen@murraystate.edu

Gage Johnson Cady Stribling

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Sports

March 25, 2021

5

Photo courtesy of Dave Winder/Racer Athletics

The Racers emerge from the tunnel to take on Tennessee State University.

Football dominates Tennessee State to remain undefeated Simon Elfrink Sports Editor selfrink@murraystate.edu Murray State football took on Tennessee State University on Sunday, March 21, at Roy Stewart Stadium. After honoring Hall of Fame inductee Dennis Jackson for his contribution to Murray State Athletics, the Racers defeated the Tigers 35-13.

The fourth straight win puts the Racers in an excellent position for the rest of the season, but Head Coach Dean Hood said it is important to stay focused and not get too caught up in records and winning percentages when it comes to producing wins.

“That has nothing to do with next week,” Hood said. “Whether we’re 4-0 or 0-4 has no bearing on what’s going to happen next Sunday. You really gotta just focus on the process and count your blessings. It really is important to focus on the things that really matter to give you an opportunity to be successful in the next one.”

The Racers kicked off to Tennessee State to start the game. A touchback put the Tigers on the 25-yard line. The Tigers’ offense came out with a spring in its step, getting three first downs in a row and working its way up to the Racers’ 24-yard line. The Racers finally stopped the Tigers’ momentum by forcing an incomplete pass. The Tigers tried to kick a field goal, but the Racers’ defense tackled the placekicker, converting a first down opportunity for the Racers.

The Racers’ first drive was fruitless as they gained only a single yard in three down attempts. The Racers punted the ball back to the Tigers.

Tennessee State’s second drive of the half came to a head when they made it to first and two with just over four minutes left in the quarter. They scored a touchdown on the first opportunity, successfully kicking for the extra point to make the

score 7-0 with 4:02 on the clock.

The Racers made quick work of their second drive when redshirt junior quarterback Preston Rice threw a pass to an open senior wide receiver DeQuan Dallas for a 56-yard touchdown. Upon converting the extra point from a kick by redshirt senior kicker Aaron Baum, the Racers and Tigers found themselves tied at seven.

The Tigers and the Racers traded drive efforts with nothing to show for it, as the Tigers intercepted the Racers’ drive for their own first down opportunity. However, the Racers’ defense stayed true, forcing the Tigers to punt on the fourth down.

A call for unsportsmanlike conduct helped the Racers find the 46-yard line with 4:22 left on the clock. Rice took the ball and ran for a first down before finding redshirt sophomore wide receiver Jacob Bell on the next opportunity.

Bell ran all the way to the one-yard line for another Murray State first down. After a failed rushing attempt, Rice muscled the ball one yard forward and into the endzone for another Racer touchdown. After Baum kicked the extra-point field goal, the Racers led 14-7.

After an electrifying 100-yard game from redshirt junior wide receiver LeMartez Brooks against Tennessee Tech University, the Tennessee State defense neutralized him for the most part. However, Bell was adamant in that the Racers have plenty of options on offense, even when one player is locked up by the defense.

“We got a lot of assets when it comes to the offense,” Bell said.

“The offensive line is having their day and doing their job, the running backs [are] always doing their job, P. Rice is always doing his job, so if LeMartez isn’t getting the ball one game then it’s me and we know how we’re going to have our assets set.”

The Tigers’ offense struggled to answer in the first half after the Racers’ run. However, the Ti-

gers caught some life as time ran short, finding the ball at the 33yard line with 17 seconds left. The Tigers kicked a field goal from there, lightening the lead to 14-10.

The second half of the game began with the Tigers kicking off to Murray State. The Racers were two yards short of a first down on their first drive before punting the ball back to Tennessee State, who brought it to their 31-yard line before going down. The Tigers got a quick first down and looked to start the second half as hot as they did the first.

However, the Tigers’ momentum was brought to an abrupt halt after a fumble and a recovery by the Racers for a first down on the 35-yard line.

The Racers converted a pair of first downs to reach the eight-yard line with 7:22 left in the quarter.

The Racers pushed to the five-yard line for their second down before handing the ball off to senior running back Rodney Castille, who ran the short distance for a touchdown.

The extra-point kick was good, making the score 21-10 Racers.

Tennessee State could not find the luck they needed to come back in their next drive, coming 53 yards short of its endzone. The Tigers attempted a field goal from there, but the kick missed right.

The Racers didn’t make much ground on their next drive, electing to kick the ball back to Tennessee State on their fourth down.

A 42-yard rush by redshirt freshman running back Devon Starling and a 15-yard penalty gave Tennessee State the ball at Murray State’s 35-yard line. However, the Murray State defense held the line, and once again the Tigers had no choice but to attempt a field goal. The kick was ruled as good.

With a 21-13 lead at the beginning of the final quarter, the Racers rushed their way up the field to the 37-yard line before Rice made a 15-yard pass to Bell for another first down opportunity.

While 22 yards away from the

endzone, Rice found redshirt senior wide receiver Malik Honeycutt for another Murray State touchdown.

The extra-point kick flew through the goalposts and the scoreboard reflected a 28-13 lead for the Racers with 12:13 left in the game.

The Tigers couldn’t catch a break as the Racers’ defense continued to give the Tigers trouble. Redshirt sophomore inside linebacker Marvin Pierre intercepted a pass and ran 41 yards to return the ball to Murray State’s endzone. Baum’s kick flew through the posts once more and the Tigers faced an overwhelming 35-13 Racers lead.

Hood said the repeated pick sixes from his defense this season are a result of a total team effort on the defensive end.

“It’s huge, and it’s one of those things that kind of feeds off each other,” Hood said. “The D-line are getting pressure and that quarterback can’t step up and make the throw he likes or throw it on time like he would like, and our DB’s know that.They feed off our D-line.”

Each team experienced a fruitless run before the ball found Tennessee State again. The Tigers managed to reach the eightyard line thanks to a 49-yard pass from quarterback Isaiah Green to sophomore wide receiver Dayron Johnson. The Tigers used all four chances to try and convert a touchdown but once again the Racers’ defense proved to be too much, and the Racers gained possession with under five minutes left in the fourth quarter.

The Racers owned the possession for the final minutes of the game, and by the time the last seconds ticked away the scoreboard reflected a 35-13 victory for the Racers.

With the win, the Racers push their undefeated streak to four games to start the 2021 season.

Murray State will appear again on Sunday, March 28 to take on Eastern Illinois University at 2 p.m. at Roy Stewart Stadium.

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Sports

6

March 25, 2021

Photos courtesy of Demond Robinson’s Twitter and Racer Athletics Sophomore forward Demond Robinson, sophomore guard Chico Carter Jr., freshman forward Ja’Queze Kirby, junior forward Brion Whitley elected to transfer and senior forward Devin Gilmore is graduating.

SEASON From Page 1 The next big man entering the transfer portal is sophomore forward Demond Robinson, who has started nearly every game with the Racers since late in his freshman year.

Robinson was extremely efficient in his time with Murray State and turned early struggles around late in the season until an injury kept him from playing the remainder of the season.

The forward took to social media to express his gratitude for the opportunity to be a Racer, but after talking with God and his family, Robinson said it’s time for

him to enter the transfer portal.

“Thank you to family and friends being here for me and also thank you to Racer Nation for giving me this opportunity to be a good student athlete on campus,” Robinson said in the letter he posted on social media. “This was an amazing experience and I am forever grateful.”

Robinson has since announced that he will be joining Kennesaw State University for the upcoming season.

Sophomore guard Chico Carter Jr., the team’s third-leading scorer for the majority of the season, entering the transfer portal marks another big loss in the backcourt for Murray State going into the 2021-22 season.

Carter Jr. was a key player off the bench in his freshman season and worked his way into the starting lineup after continuing to be a major spark in the rotation.

The young guard took to social media to thank his family, friends and many others for the support he received in his time with the Racers.

“I would also like to thank my coaches for providing me with many opportunities and developing me into a great player,” Carter Jr. said in the letter he posted on social media. “This decision has been very difficult as I have grown into the person I am becoming during my two years at Murray State. I want to thank my teammates for pushing me and helping

me become a better player on and off the court. I’m very thankful for the opportunities I have received and I will strive to continue my excellence in the classroom on and off the court.”

The latest player to prepare for his departure from Murray State is freshman forward Ja’Queze Kirby.

Kirby came in as an athletic forward who fought for a rotation spot early on, but didn’t receive many minutes as the season progressed.

It was announced via Verbal Commits on Twitter that Kirby will not return to the Racers for the 2021-22 season.

Murray State finished the season 13-13 overall and was eliminated by Jacksonville State University 68-65 in the OVC Tournament.

Softball sweeps SIUE

Simon Elfrink Sports Editor selfrink@murraystate.edu Murray State softball swept a threegame series against Southern Illinois University Edwardsville on Saturday, March 20, and Sunday, March 21.

Game One The first game was a slow one offensively for both teams, with the Racers only tallying three hits over the seven innings of play. However, those three hits were enough to drive in three runs for the Racers and give them a 3-2 win in the first game of a double header on Saturday, March 20.

All three runs came in the top of the seventh inning when senior outfielder Logan Braundmeier hit an RBI single to drive in sophomore utility player Chloe Jacque, who had walked her way on. The other two RBIs came off the bat of sophomore infielder Lily Fischer when she doubled to right-center field.

While the Cougars out-hit the Racers 7-3, the Racers’ pitching staff was able to minimize the damage done to just two runs. Junior right-hander Hannah James started in the circle, allowing a pair of hits and a run, walking a batter, and striking out two more in the process. Sophomore lefty Jenna Veber earned the official win by throwing the last 3.2 innings of the game, striking out a pair of batters and allowing a single run on five hits.

Game Two Murray State’s bats stole the stage in the second game of the series, helping propel the Racers to a 7-1 win.

However, the Racers weren’t the first team to score, as SIUE snuck a runner across home plate in the bottom of the first inning on an RBI single from redshirt freshman pitcher Lexi King, who also started the game on the rubber for the Cougars.

Down 1-0 in the top of the second inning, the Racers tied the game when freshman designated player Kamryn Carcich hit into a fielder’s choice, trading an out for a run with the Cougars’ defense.

While that was the end of the Racers’ scoring in the second inning, they came right back in the third on a throwing error by King to give them a 2-1 lead.

Braundmeier took the opportunity to push the Murray State lead to 3-1 when she hit a solo home run to left-center field in the top of the fifth for her third of the season.

SIUE remained quiet from the batters’ boxes as Murray State added on in the seventh inning. Braundmeier found herself in the middle of the action once again with a double in the left-center gap, driving in another run. Fischer followed up an atbat later with a triple to the same spot, driving in two more runs and making the score 6-1. Senior infielder Sierra Gilmore came through with a double down the left-field line for another RBI, giving the Racers a 7-1 lead, which they held through the end of the game.

Redshirt senior right-hander Taylor Makowsky started for the Racers and was credited with the win, improving her record to 3-1 on the year. Makowsky threw five innings and gave up four hits, allowing only one run and walking two batters. Makowsky also struck out four Cougars in her time in the circle.

Veber got the save after pitching two in-

Photo courtesy of Piper Cassetto Sophomore infielder Lily Fischer makes a diving stop against SIUE.

nings and allowing only a single hit in the driving in a run with a double to left second game of the series against SIUE. field. Senior outfielder Jensen Striegel followed up with runners at second and Game Three third, hitting into a fielder’s choice but tying the game at three runs. BraundIn the final game of the series on meier advanced to third on the play Sunday, March 21, the Cougars gave and was driven in by Gilmore on a sacthe Racers a run for their money with rifice fly to left field, giving the Racers a a more active performance at the plate. 4-3 lead. An RBI single by Jones gave The Cougars scored first on the Racers another run and a 5-3 lead. an RBI double by redshirt juRedshirt junior outfielder Alana nior infielder Bailey Concatto. Cobb-Adams gave the Cougars some The Racers looked to answer after late-game home in the bottom of the a long line of zeros crept across the seventh inning with an RBI double. scoreboard. With the bases load- However, SIUE didn’t get anything ed and two outs in the top of the else to go in the inning and the fifth, Head Coach Kara Amund- game ended in a 5-4 Racers win. son elected to send sophomore outVeber got the win in the pitchfielder Tyler Shemwell out to pinch ers’ column, pitching only the hit. Shemwell dewalked, allowing last two innings and allowing a running to trot across home plate five hits and three earned runs. and tie the game at one run apiece. James’ start in the circle was a The Cougars put up a crooked huge factor in the Racers’ win, as number in the sixth inning when she went five innings and allowed Concatto hit another RBI double. only a single run on three hits.

Concatto later scored after an infield After the three-game sweep, the single by redshirt sophomore catcher Racers improve to 10-14 overall Amber Storer, making the score 3-1. and 7-2 in conference play. MurWith three outs separating the Rac- ray State softball will look to coners from defeat, they looked to Braund- tinue their winning trend with a meier to once again be the linchpin in pair of games against Austin Peay the scoring effort with runners at first State University at Racer Field on and second. Braundmeier delivered, Wednesday, March 24, at 2 p.m.

March 25, 2021

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WKMS and journalism department partnership Students gain investigative reporting experience through unique collaboration

Dionte Berry Features Editor dberry11@murraystate.edu Gaining experience in their areas of study is important for college students, so the journalism and mass communications department is collaborating with WKMS to give students the opportunity to get experience diving into the world of investigative journalism.

The first time investigative journalism fellowship with Murray State’s NPR Station WKMS chose students to partake in the experience starting in January of the spring 2021 semester. Four students were selected by the journalism faculty for the fellowship: Kati Wyant, sophomore journalism major; Edie Greenberg, senior journalism major; Dustin Wilcox, junior journalism major; and Molly Dowell, senior organized communications major.

Jared Bennett, a reporter from the Kentucky Center of Investigative Reporting, was appointed to guide the students and teach them the ropes of investigative reporting.

Bennett took on the responsibility of the fellowship when WKMS reached out to KYCIR to f ind any reporters interested in helping out with the fellowship at Murray State as a resident journalist.

With the fellowship’s first year underway, Bennett is happy with how it is going so far and is taking advantage of just going with the flow and not maintaining any stringent standards.

“Since it is the first time it is being done we are figuring out what we can do,” Bennett said. “While we were thinking of stories to do there was a lot of adjusting as we go because there is not a set playbook, so we have had the luxury of being able to figure things out.”

For their first investigative story, the fellows have been focusing on the Kentucky legislative session.

“Covering the state legislature is where I first learned how to do accountability and investigative journalism,” Bennett said. “There are a lot of documents and a lot of information that doesn’t always get the attention it should from the news media.”

The fellows started by analyzing lobbying and campaign finance records to find out what is happening in the Kentucky 2021 legislative session.

From the research done this far, the fellows have been developing articles that explain and give insight into the operations behind Kentucky law.

The fellowship highlights the importance of gathering data for investigative reporting as well as the struggles that may come along with it.

Bennett was happy to take on the fellowship within the journalism field because getting early experience can be pivotal in how students learn and apply content.

“Journalism is a hard skill to learn in the classroom, I didn’t have something like this when I was an undergraduate,” Bennett said. “It’s exciting to give students the opportunity to show them what it looks like doing what they learned in class.”

The fellows also have weekly class sessions where they learn skills such as how to track lobbying money, campaign finances, donations and legislation as well as go over interview skills.

Wyant was happy to be selected, especially as a member of the first group to go through the fellowship.

“For a couple of years I have done reporting for class and was a freelance writer for a newspaper, but being here I have learned more skills in interviewing and investigating,” Wyant said. “It has changed my idea of day-to-day reporting, and it is nice to actively apply those skills.”

A big part of the fellowship has been researching and practicing data journalism, which is a branch of

journalism that relies on the gathering of numerical information.

Wyant has spent a lot of time downloading data sheets and putting it into Excel worksheets, tracking bills to see what they are dealing with and creating charts and infographics to make the information more understandable for readers.

Aside from taking in more journalism sk ills, Wyant has also grown more familiar with how the Kentucky government works.

Becoming acquainted with another side of journalism has given Wyant a different outlook on her possible career prospects.

“I have liked broadcast journalism from a distance, such as NPR,” Wyant said. “Now I have a better understanding and appreciation of what the broadcast process is and how these stories are put together to go on air.”

Having a broadened picture of journalism, Wyant sees herself possibly covering local government because she sees it as a space of journalism that is not well covered, but plays a big role in people’s lives so she’d like to highlight it. Wyant wants people to know what their government is doing in order to make an informed public.

Wyant has been thankful for the experiences she has had during the fellowship, and it has motivated her to look into other work experiences.

“I want to start doing other internships over the summer and just keep trying to get more experience at different types of organizations so that I can come away with an idea of what I want to start out with after I graduate,” she said.

Wy a nt h a s b e en g at her i n g data and writing alongside Wilcox. The two have been working on their a r tic le together.

Like Wyant, Wilcox was excited to be notified of his selection.

“I appreciated being selected by the faculty,” Wilcox said. “When I was asked I thought it was one of the best opportunities so I took it.”

However, Wilcox did have slight nerves about taking on the fellowship, because although he had journalism experience, he had never done anything to this extent, and he felt that he was jumping into something bigger than what he had done in class.

Despite the slight apprehension, Wilcox took the opportunity and is now getting experience that is applicable to the real journalism world.

“The fellowship has been very experience based,”Wilcox said. “We spend 10 hours a week calling people, writing and researching. Now that we are a few months in I really enjoy the work.”

A big takeaway Wilcox has had is the prevalence of data and how it can be used to push and create a story. He has been examining data working on an article that has involved him examining campaign funds and lobbying records.

Both Wilcox and Wyant set out on leads concerning lobbying in Kentucky, so they decided to do a collaboration.

“I set out to talk to the top 10 lobbying groups in Kentucky and develop a story from there, and after I talked to those bigger groups I found that Kati had been talking to smaller groups that have had vastly different experiences,” Wilcox said. “We wanted to bring together a story about major lobbying groups and smaller grassroots movements to paint a holistic picture of how political activism has looked in 2021.”

Taking this dive into journalism, it has shown him more about the field and himself as a journalist.

“I know I enjoy doing journalism at least 10 hours a week, so that is a plus,” Wilcox said. “It definitely has shown me that journalism can be a force for good by bringing important information to the light.”

see WKMS page 8

Dionte Berry/The News The WKMS fellows collaborate on their investigative stories.

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WKMS

From Page 7

Before the fellowship and beyond classes, Wilcox has had experience with trade journalism, and he writes about arcade games for a blog and a magazine that covers the arcade industry.

With this newfound perspective of journalism, Wilcox wants to bring aspects of investigative reporting to what he already does.

Dowel l and Greenberg have teamed up to create a story as well.

Out of the bunch, Dowell is the only one that is not a journalism major, but she got into the fellowship through her mass communications minor.

“With my minor in mass communications, I have taken public relations classes and news writing classes,” Dowell said. “Last semester I was in a journalism class, and my professor said she would love for me to be in a fellowship that was being put together.”

Dowell’s class was doing audio pieces and her professor said she had a good voice and thought the fellowship would be a good fit for her.

Although it may not be along her projected career path, Dowell said yes to the offer because she is open to new experiences and obtaining skills that may help her on the career path she decides to take.

Not being a journalism major did make her nervous about taking on the fellowship as well as it being the first year the fellowship was offered.

“Doing something for the first time with all of these journalism majors and people that work in the field

was intimidating, but I have gotten a lot of help from Jared and the other fellows so since I’ve started those nerves have gone away,” Dowell said.

After overcoming the nerves, she has come to learn a lot, and her experience so far has also impacted her career prospects, or at least her plan B. For her capstone organizational communication class Dowell needs to have a plan A and a plan B of what she wants to do after school.

Dowell’s plan A is to go to graduate school for organizational communication. Her plan B is to be a local journalist.

“Before this opportunity I don’t think being a journalist would have been in my radar,” Dowell said.

Overall, Dowell describes the fellowship as a learning process. Going into her story about the Kentucky legislature she did not have much knowledge about the legislative process.

Dowell was able to apply what she had learned in some of her classes, but she saw that it was far from what she did in class.

“I had the rudimentary skills that I had learned in some journalism classes, but really applying those skills is way different than simply submitting an assignment on Canvas,” Dowell said. “I have never had to make phone calls for stories I’ve written in classes. I’ve texted friends or emailed professors, but reaching out to legislators, representatives and senators asks a lot more such as research and knowing that topic that you are asking them about.”

Dowell is also becoming familiar with writing an article with someone else and collaborating.

Greenberg said she was honored and grateful to be selected as a “guinea pig” for the fellowships first year.

March 25, 2021

Dionte Berry/The News The WKMS fellows discuss the news.

As a senior, Greenberg has a wide range of knowledge regarding journalism and the fellowship is giving her an avenue to apply it.

However, investigative and radio journalism is newer to Greenberg.

“Investigative journalism is definitely different from the news and solutions reporting I have done in the past,” Greenberg said. “Compared to the other reporting forms, investigative is about really digging in and finding those details that people might not think to look for at first but that really help push a story.”

Greenberg and Dowell started their story in the beginning of February. They are still working on getting fine details, ensuring accuracy and getting quotes.

Doing all of this work, Greenberg appreciates that she is able to get a glimpse of what investigative journa lism looks like.

“I’ve done a lot of features journalism in the past and a lot of broadcast

journalism, and this fellowship is showing me a part that I don’t know if I would be able to do if I was not taking part in this fellowship,” Greenberg said.

Through the fellowship she has also found out more about herself and her own career plans.

“I am extremely grateful for this opportunity, but I don’t see myself pursuing investigative journalism,” Greenberg said. “It has solidified that I don’t want to go into investigative journalism, but I do have such a strong appreciation for everyone in the field.”

Despite not thinking investigative journalism is a good fit for her, Greenberg does think that anybody interested in the field should look to the fellowship as a way to get experience and test the waters of investigative journalism.

The stories the fellows are working on will be published in text and radio versions that will air on WKMS.

Dionte Berry/The News

Art students showcase work despite COVID-19 Ben Overby Staff writer boverby2@murraystate.edu The Organization of Murray Art Students held their annual juried student show despite diff iculties posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The show, which has the theme of “SURVIVAL” this year, is a diverse collection of visual art submitted by art students. First place went to senior James Inmon’s “Overturned,” second place went to senior Ashley Schell’s “Discourse” and third pl ace went to sen ior Aut u mn Brown’s “Tadpole”. The prizes were $500, $250 and $125 respectively.

The “SURVIVAL” exhibit was on display at the Clara M. Eagle Gallery from March 5 to 24.

Junior River Skipworth, president of OMAS, was instrumental in organizing the show. Skipworth was in charge of organizing the OMAS magazine (OMAG), used to fundraise for the show, f inding a juror, contacting the Clara M. Eagle Gallery for times and publication and getting local businesses and organizations

to sponsor awa rds. Sk ipwor t h also entered a piece into the show.

He assisted with the show last y e a r a s v ic e pre sident , mostly focusing on social media and publ ication. He sa id hav ing this year’s show during a pandemic posed unique challenges.

“Because we had to have the opening online, we had to make a really large slideshow that displayed all the work and the winners,” Skipworth said. “A lot of the fixing we had to do for this year’s show was adjusting to a Zoom opening. This is also the first year we did the OMAG. It was very successful, but also a lot of work.”

The show was judged by Louisv il le ar tist John Brooks.

Brooks said he approached judging the show simila rly to how he would curate an exhibition.

“I’m always looking for work that is distinct, inventive, thoughtful, arresting and memorable,” Brooks said. “No work has to be all of those things, but it must have some ineffable quality. I’m also looking for work that has clearly been made with great intention, and

work that has some kind of relevance to or understanding of what is happening in the world or a relationship with or commentary on conversations happening in the wider world of contemporary art.”

Brooks said mak ing good art goes beyond technical skill. They are brought into existence through a series of informed decisions, and certain works just feel right. Brooks said he found common themes among much of the work, even past the general theme of survival.

“2020 was a year that hit us all hard, and we will be feeling the repercussions of the year for a long time,” Brooks said. “Also present were themes of disaffection, or an awareness of a kind of unraveling of accepted norms or habits. So much is changing. Feelings of disorder and otherness, as well as the beginnings of an understanding of the fragility of ever ything--our lives, our bodies, our nation, our planet--also kept revea l ing themselves.”

Brook s sa id it was wonder f u l to s e e t he concer ns of young people through their

work a nd he w a s honor e d to be the juror of this year’s show.

Inmon said winning best in show was incredibly validating. Inmon has submitted work in the OMAS show for the past four years and has won awards in the last three.

I n m o n ’s s c u l p t u r e “ O v e rturned” is of two identical houses with the bottoms joined together, made with plywood, paint and frosted mylar with a lightbulb inside the houses. Inmon said he found inspiration in his love of architecture and his recent interest in making watercolor paintings of people’s houses.

“One t h ing I not iced pret t y quick ly was that a lot of houses are nearly identical structura l ly,” In mon sa id . “ I t hou ght this was really weird because our homes norma l ly feel l ike such a huge part of our identit y and to think that they all come from the same cookie-cutter foundation is wild. So that realization is kind of what has fueled my work over the past eight months or so.”

To s e e t h e s e w o r k s a n d more, v isit t henews.org.