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April 15, 2021 | Vol. 95, No. 24

NEWS

OPINION

SPORTS

FEATURES

Your guide to the Johnson & Johnson vaccine

Gabe’s Take: The Shooting of Daunte Wright

Football drops championship to Jacksonville State

University approaches two full semesters with COVID-19

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Photo courtesy of Murray State This graphic compares Murray State’s gross tuition and fee rates to other Kentucky public universities.

Town Hall talks fall 2021guidelines, tuition and COLA Emery Wainscott Contributing Writer ewainscott@murraystate.edu The annual University Town Hall took place virtually this year on Wednesday, April 14. President Bob Jackson outlined plans for the fall 2021 semester, detailed budget updates and how the Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) will affect Murray State employees.

COVID-19 Restr ictions Jackson said the administration is planning for the fall 2021 semester to resemble the fall 2019 semester.

“After Commencement on May 8, 2021, we will begin transitioning to normal operations while adhering to continued guidance from our state and local health officials, as well as the Centers for Disease Control,” Jackson said in an email to students on March 25.

“We will make all adjustments to operations in a safe and healthy manner.”

Jackson said although the University will offer primarily in-person classes, this doesn’t mean that they will de-emphasize remote, hybrid or online learning for students who wish to participate in these methods. He also urged students and staff to encourage each other to get vaccinated and follow Racer Safe and Healthy protocols.

Jackson said the University will continue to follow CDC and state guidelines on mask mandates, which he expects will last through the summer. In the next couple weeks, however, Jackson said he expects an ease of restrictions placed on Murray State as well as other universities and businesses.

“I learned several months ago during the pandemic not to predict too far out,” Jackson said. “A day

or two at some points in this pandemic was too far to try and predict.”

As far as occupancy restrictions, Jackson said the University will be following state and CDC guidelines. When Kentucky gets to 2.5 million vaccinated persons, Jackson said he plans to follow Gov. Andy Beshear as he lifts the occupancy restrictions placed on events.

“There is light at the end of the tunnel,” Jackson said. “We’re at the beginning of the end and I think we’re even past the beginning of the end as we move to vaccinations, even on this campus.”

At the regional COVID-19 vaccination site in the CFSB Center, Jackson said the Johnson & Johnson vaccine was only given on March 11.

Anyone who received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine on that day are past the time frame of concern for any risks.

Tu i t i o n a n d D i n i n g Fe e s Murray State’s proposed tuition rate for the 2021-22 academic year is $9,468. In comparison to other universities in Kentucky, the University’s tuition is ranked the third least expensive out of eight public universities. Jackson said he wants to maintain this position and the affordability to students and their families.

With this budget, the administration will recommend between a 0-1% increase for tuition rates, a zero percent increase for housing and a 3.35% increase for dining plans. For proposed housing rates, Murray State is fourth out of eight public universities at $2,769. For proposed dining rates, Murray State is also in fourth at $2,165 for the All-Access Premium Plan and $1,889 for the All-Access Plan.

As of this year, there are two dining options for first-time students: an All-Access Premium Plan and an All-Access Plan.

Jackie Dudley, vice president of finance and administrative services, said these plans have differences but primarily there is unlimited access to Winslow Dining Hall.

The University will be offering two new options for the All-Access Plan.

They will continue the 8 Meal Per Week plan for second-year students as well as the Flex-Only Plans. Dudley said the big change with the new plans is the addition of more options for Flex spending.

The other options will remain the same price but have more Flex dollars incorporated for first-year students to access.

Jackson said the dining rate increase Screenshot of the virtual University Town Hall is because of the inflation of food prices Jackson and other faculty met at the annual and planned structural changes in din- University Town Hall virtually. ing operations requested by students. state assets entrusted to us and some of them are approaching 100 years old.”

Budget and Campus Projects Deferred maintenance will be directed to Wrather Hall, the Curris CenJackson said overall, the University is ter, Racer Dining facilities and review$700,000 short of their budget projections, ing and renovating student housing as an amount that can be covered by the one- well as other historic campus buildings. time budget contingency of $2 million. Along with other building renovations, The state budget incorporated sever- Jackson said all parts of the Curris Cenal approved projects. This includes a $12 ter are being examined by an architect million agency bond approval to allow the and any future improvements made in University to catch up on deferred main- the building will have to occur in phases. tenance and asset preservation projects.

In regards to enhancements for Woods “Lovett Auditorium needed work in Park, Dudley said a committee has been the worst way,” Jackson said. “We hope overseeing plans and collaborating with to have [renovations] completed by mid- student groups on campus to utilize the fall or the end of [the] fall semester. It’s a space in the best way possible. The comvery, very important project to our stu- mittee has considered options such as dents, our faculty and staff, teaching and putting in an amphitheater, a pavilion learning, our academic departments.” and hammock stands to save Murray Jackson said his goal is to have a large State’s historic trees, green space and more. end-of-the-year event with Lovett AuAs far as other steps that are being takditorium completely renovated, which en for the budget, Jackson said that as the includes new seating, a new ceiling, a fiscal year begins so will hiring freezes. new HVAC control system and more.

“There are needs we must address,” Jackson said. “We got to take care of the buildings on our campus. They are

TOWN HALL

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News

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April 15, 2021

What to know about the distribution pause of Johnson & Johnson vaccine Staff report The CDC and FDA halted the distribution of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine on Tuesday, April 13, in order to review six reported cases of a rare and severe side effect that has resulted in at least one death.

More than 6.8 million doses of the vaccine have been administered in the United States, according to the CDC. That makes the possibility of suffering from the rare side effect, a blood clot called cerebral venous sinus thrombosis, less than one in one million.

Six women between the ages of 18 and 48 developed symptoms six to 13 days after receiving the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, according to the CDC. “The pause, we are told, is for two major reasons,” Gov. Andy Beshear said. “Number one, to determine how many cases are truly out there.

If there are more than just six, certainly with AstraZeneca more were found at the time of the pause.”

Beshear said the second reason is the importance of educating medical providers on the appropriate treatment for the blood clots because it differs from usual treatments.

Chief Medical Officer Bob Hughes said he is not aware of any local medical providers who would receive such education because an illness as rare and severe as the blood clots that paused the Johnson & Johnson vaccine are handled at large medical centers.

“One treatment is to go up in the brain and remove the blood clot which would be done at a large medical center,” Hughes said.

If such side effects were to oc-

TOWN HALL From Page 1

“That doesn’t mean positions won’t be filled, but it means that at a vice president’s level or a presidential approval level will need to occur,” Jackson said. “For example, if there’s a faculty role that needs to be filled it will go up to the provost.

He and I will make those approvals.”

Jackson said that other changes include overtime being eliminated, temporary employees will not be utilized, travel will be limited, spendages or budget transfers above $2,500 will need approval and all contracts will continue to be reviewed through the Procurement Services Office. All of these have few exceptions but can be approved by the vice president or president.

Jackson said other areas of the University are being reviewed for the budget as well. The final budget is not complete and will be edited during the next couple of weeks until the Board of Regents meeting in June.

Enrollment Jackson said 71% of the budget is driven by enrollment and that recruitment is vitally important more than ever.

At Murray State for the second year in a row, first-time freshman enrollment increased six percent, first-time transfer enrollment increased 23% and firsttime graduate enrollment was up 16%.

Jackson said Murray State’s retention rate is ranked first out of all the Kentucky universities with an 81% retention rate. Jackson said graduation rates are also at the top of the list in Kentucky, and student progression is important to funding and operations.

The community asked whether summer courses would be offered online

cur locally, Hughes said local medical providers would stabilize the patient and then transport them to a hospital that could provide the necessary treatment.

The Johnson & Johnson vaccine supply in Kentucky, particularly in western Kentucky, has been limited because of supply. Therefore, the majority of the vaccines administered locally have been the Moderna vaccine, Hughes said.

The Johnson & Johnson vaccine was administered at the CFSB Center on March 11. However, Hughes said they only received half of the amount of vaccines that were supposed to have arrived for the vaccination clinic.

Shawn Touney, director of communication, said anyone who received the vaccine at the CFSB Center is no longer at risk of the severe blood clots.

“The Calloway County Health Department has confirmed that those at Murray State who received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine on March 11 are out of the window of concern, since it has been greater than three weeks since Johnson & Johnson vaccines were given,” Tourney said.

For those who received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine elsewhere, Hughes said if it were him he would not be overly concerned given the news of the halt.

“I wouldn’t be concerned but at the same time too I would be cognizant of the fact that I did the vaccine and if i developed any symptoms that were serious that concerned me such as a severe headache, vision changes, shortness of breath, any symptom of a blood clot, leg, lung, head, then I would obviously immediately seek medical attention just as if I would if I had not

gotten the vaccine,” Hughes said.

While severe reactions have not happened locally, Hughes said most reactions have been the same regardless of which vaccine was administered.

“Symptoms with the J & J have been similar to those of the other vaccines, muscle aches, 24 hours of typically feeling like flulike symptoms,” Hughes said.

2018 Murray State alumna McKenna Dosier received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine on March 15. She experienced fatigue, body aches and a low grade fever a few hours after the shot, but her symptoms subsided by the next day except for a sore arm. Despite the mild symptoms she endured Dosier said she would still recommend getting the vaccine.

“I know there’s been some claims about the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, but I trust the science and scientists that studied and created the vaccine,” Dosier said. “We’re all ready for this pandemic to end. For live music, no masks and to hug our at risk loved ones. It’s time to trust science.”

One question those who have received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine have asked local medical providers is whether or not they should be concerned about its effectiveness and if they should now get the Moderna or Pfizer vaccine. Hughes said the vaccine is effective and there is no need to get a second vaccination.

Some people were hesitant to receive any of the vaccinations prior to the news of the Johnson & Johnson pause, but Hughes said the the halt shouldn’t deter anyone from getting vaccinated.

“The chance of getting COVID and the chance of having serious complications, because it’s

not just a die or better situation it’s much much greater than the risk of getting the blood clot,” Hughes said. “I would encourage everyone to get vaccinated.”

Beshear announced the 2.5 million challenge on Monday, April 12. If the state of Kentucky can get 2.5 million people fully vaccinated then Beshear is prepared to eliminate capacity requirements at many businesses. Currently, there are more than 1.6 million Kentuckians who have received a vaccination.

Hughes said it is a very good idea to still wear a mask even after being fully vaccinated.

“People still need to be vaccinated but everyone still needs to do the handwashing, social distancing and wearing a mask until we get more people vaccinated,” Hughes said. “Shots in the arm for everybody is the goal.”

Touney echoed Hughes’ statement and said having a low positive case count on campus this semester can be attributed to faculty, staff and students following the University’s guidelines.

“We are glad to see that our case counts have been low this semester and ask that everyone continue to follow all of our Racer Safe and Healthy Guidelines on campus, particularly wearing a face mask and social distancing so that we can finish the spring semester strong,” Tourney said.

“Again, we also encourage anyone who has not received a vaccine to please sign up for one at www.murraykyvaccine.org.”

As of press time, there were over 660 vaccination appointments available at the CFSB Center vaccination site, according to www.murraykyvaccine.org.

or in-person. Provost Tim Todd said there will be a mixture with 46 in-person courses offered, 56 Zoom courses and 334 web courses. Todd said in 2020 there were no in-person classes, 49 Zoom courses and 315 web courses offered. In 2019, there were 237 web courses, 18 Zoom courses and 97 in-person courses offered.

Cost-of-Living Adjustment Jackson said the Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) is 2.15%, the highest the rate has been in seven years.

“The conversation really came up in 2018 that we were now able to implement this structured COLA where the average employee, the average faculty and staff member at Murray State University will receive a 2.15% increase,” Jackson said.

The COLA adjustment is one percent across the board plus a $500 flat increase for all employees hired before April 1, 2021. Jackson said employees below the average salary of $53,350 can earn up to a 3.5% raise. For employees above the average, the raise will be about 1.38%. The ranges of raises will be from 1.2-3.5%.

“You can see there are more individuals that will be receiving a greater than 2% raise than those who are receiving smaller raises,” Jackson said. “So there’s, for example, in the $40,000-$60,000 category, there’s 360 individuals. In the $20,000-$40,000 category, there’s 69.

And the $20,000 category, there’s about 16 from that standpoint. So that will be the largest percentage raise. What we’re trying to do is bringing some equity and balance to this COLA model, this structure. I think it’s worked well and a lot of people are involved in crafting this.”

Jackson said Murray State was in the minority of universities this past year with no furloughs, no layoffs and no pay reductions. For the 2022 fiscal year,

Screenshot of the virtual University Town Hall Jackson provided information regarding future disucssions with a budget calendar.

Jackson said priorities are student ac- If someone is eligible for the TRS plan, cess and affordability and maintain- they have the option of the retirement ing Murray State’s academic quality. plan or this new plan after Jan. 1, 2022.

Jackson said that currently TRS is funded very well by legislation and the Pension payments are projected at $4.8 million.

Jackson said the Budget AdvisoThe University pays about $4 million a year into the Kentucky Employees Re- ry Committee as well as other contirement System (KERS). Because of stituents have met regularly to address House Bill 8, this will double by about the University’s budget in the upcom99% to $8 million. In the 2022 fiscal ing semesters. Jackson said although year starting July 1, the General Assem- they talked about using the reserves bly and state will pick up 100% of that this time last year, the University will cost. In the years following, the Uni- not need general fund reserves to balversity will transition to funding more ance out the budget for this fiscal year.

“That’s good news, very good news,” of that cost in 10% increments, until eventually the cost will be paid 50% Jackson said. “That was not the case by the University and 50% by the state. last March, April and May and esHouse Bill 8 is a 30-year agree- pecially in June when we passed the ment, so the KERS payment will budget that we’re currently in. The facbe consistent for that duration. ulty, staff, and students of this instituThe House Bill 258 for the Teachers tion and the leadership of this instituRetirement System (TRS) is now only tion, deans and chairs and president’s for new hires after Jan. 1, 2022. It is now counsel, has done an excellent job in 50% defined-contribution and 50% managing their budgets, making sure defined-benefit, whereas the previous we stayed on track. We will close out model was a 100% defined-benefit plan. this year with a balanced budget.”

April 15, 2021

News

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Vet center earns national recognition Hopkinsville campus veterinary center designated Level 1 laboratory

The University Breathitt Veter inar y Center (BVC) has been named a L evel One labo r a t o r y, j o i n i n g a n e x c l u s i v e group of 31 other laboratories in the National Animal H e a l t h L a b o r a t o r y Ne t wo rk .

T h e B VC i n H o p k i n s v i l l e , K e n t u c k y, i s o n e o f t w o v e t erinary diagnostic laborat o r i e s i n t h e s t a t e, t h e o t h e r being the Universit y of Ken t u c k y Ve t e r i n a r y D i a g n o s tic Laboratory in Lexington. Both are accredited by t h e Am e r i c a n A s s o c i a t i on o f Ve t e r i n a r y L a b o r a t o r y D i a gnosticians. Howe ver, Breathi t t i s t h e on l y L e ve l O n e l a b in the state recogniz ed by the

s Levi Brandenburg Contributing Writer lbrandenburg1@murraystate.edu

Photo courtesy of Alissa Sanderson

National Animal Health Labo r a t o r y N e t w o r k ( N A H LN ) .

“L evel One labs are those with the most advanced capabilities, and are able to test large numbers of samples,” said Director of the BVC Debbie Reed. “Level One labs are also loc ated in areas with large populations of livestock that could be threatened by disease and have a facility capable of isolating those foreign animal diseases to keep them from spreading.”

The BVC offers impor tant ser vices to veterinarians in the Western Kentucky area. “ The BVC ser ves veter inar ians in Wester n Kentuc ky and other states as a reference labor ator y f or the diag nosis of animal disease and associated products,” Reed said.

Since 2005, the BVC has been c lassified as a L evel Two laborator y, a classification put in place by the National Animal H e a l t h L a b o r a t o r y Ne t wo rk .

Another major part of the NAHLN is that it is collaborates w i t h l a b o r a t o r i e s i n o rd e r t o something something dark side “Laboratories in the network agree to share information, reagents and staff in the event of an outbreak of disease,” Reed said. “ This could mean that we share supplies with a lab in another state, send a technician to help or accept samples from another lab for testing. It is truly a cooperative network with sharing of information at all times.”

The BVC was created in 1968 as the first state veterinar y diagnostic laboratory under the Kentuc ky Depar tment of

Agriculture, Reed said. In 1989, the lab was acquired by Murray S tate, though it remained in Hopkinsville. It moved into a new facility in 2017.

“Maintaining a laboratory with the scope of BVC is costl y, ” Reed said. “ The building we occupy cost $34 million to construct. In 2019-2020, new equipment costs easily exceeded half a million dollars. The Commonwealth of Kentucky and Murray State University are very supportive of our mission and have invested much so that BVC can ser ve the veterinar y community, farmers, pet owners and consumers. In addition, BVC has the best staff you can imagine. I am so ver y thankful for each person who works at BVC and how seriously they take their jobs. It is truly wonderful.”

Opinion

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April 15, 2021

Tailgates and mask mandates

The staff editorial is the majority opinion of The Murray State News Editorial Board Gabe Steffen Opinion Editor gsteffen@murraystate.edu Just about ever y college student knows the wonder of a tailgate; snac ks, dr inks and socializing all before a spor ts game. Even in the midd le of a pandemic, nothing is going to stop college students from having their fun.

But that ’s just it! In the United S tates alone, we have a total of 31.4 million COVID-19 c ases as of press time, which is 77,312 more than yesterday. The statement still stands that we are in the midd le of a pandemic. You’d think students would be more responsible when it comes to being safe and wear ing their masks. Despite the Universit y ’s best effor ts, it seems that students were not being as safe as they could have been.

This means that the Universit y, despite tr ying all that it could, was not at fault and it was instead the student body ’s fault for not being safer dur ing this large e vent.

W hile the Universit y allowed the tailgating with wider restr ictions, as most people are getting their COVI D-19 vaccines or stay ing safe in general, students still decided to go against the mask and social distancing mandates and made this event totall y unsafe.

In fact, following the two tailgating e vents on S unday, April 11, Bob Jac kson,

Editorial Board

Cade Utterback/The News

the Universit y ’s president, sent out an email on Apr il 12 urging students to follow mask mandates and social distancing restr ictions.

These emails seemed ver y urgent in tone, probabl y bec ause they saw that the vast majorit y of those attending the tailgate were not wear ing a mask. It ’s dishear tening to see that, despite effor ts made by the Universit y to keep the e vent safe, those effor ts fell

on the deaf ears of students.

The Universit y was not at fault, and it was instead the student body ’s fault. Even if the Universit y did more to enforce the r ules, the fact of the matter is it is not the Universit y ’s job to hold the student body ’s hand and ensure they are following the r ules all the time. The pandemic has been going on for more than a year now, and it ’s time for students to realiz e that it won’t be go-

ing away any time soon. We all still have to take prec autions to ensure both our safet y and the safet y of others.

As students of Murray S tate Universit y, it is our job to make sure we keep our communit y safe. We here on the Ed Board want to get bac k to normal just as much as the rest of the student body, but we c an’t do that if we aren’t following the Universit y ’s mask and social distance mandates.

Gage Johnson Cady Stribling

Dr. Stephanie Anderson Daniella Tebib Editor-in-Chief News Editor

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Opinion

April 15, 2021

5

Gabe’s Take

The shooting of Daunte Wright Gabe Steffen Opinion Editor gsteffen@murraystate.edu

On Sunday, April 11, Kim Potter, a Minneapolis, Minnesoda police officer, fatally shot 20-year-old Daunte Wright. Less than ten miles away, the trial of Derek Chauvin, a former police officer charged with the murder of George Floyd, is in its third week.

The police chief, Tim Gannon, claimed that Potter didn’t mean to shoot Wright and that she was reaching for her taser, but accidentally drew her gun instead.

How did that happen, and could the officer realistically mistake her pistol for her taser?

At the time of the shooting, Potter was carrying a Glock 17 and a Taser X26P, standard issue for Minneapolis police. These two weapons are vastly different.

A Glock has a sleek black figure andis designed to sit comfortably in the hand. The X26P, on the flip side, is blocky and a bright yellow.

The weapons also differ in weight. According to Glock, Inc. and Self Defence Products Inc., the weight of a standard Glock 17 is around 1.38 pounds (without the magazine,) while the X26P is about 0.45 pounds.

That is a significant weight difference when comparing two significantly different weap-

ons. How could someone mistake the heavier black Glock 17 for the lightweight yellow taser? It just doesn’t add up.

As weapons, both the Glock 17 and a Taser X26P have safety switches that need to be flipped off before using. The safety switches are widely different on both weapons as well. A Glock 17 has three safeties: the trigger safety, the firing pin safety and the drop safety. The trigger safety needs to be depressed in order for the firing pin safety to be disabled, and then the gun fires. The drop safety just ensures the gun will not fire if dropped.

The X26P, on the other hand,

has one safety that needs to be flipped into an upright position in order to arm the weapon and fire. How could a trained officer mistake her pistol for a taser, when there’s no switch on a Glock 17 that would even inherently mimic that of the X26P? The fact of the matter is that another Black man has been killed at the hands of a police officer, thus continuing the cycle of systemic racism. Even if the shooting was an accident, it still doesn’t excuse the fact that another Black man had been killed at the hands of a police officer, and she needs to be tried justly for her crime.

Sports

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April 15, 2021

Football drops championship to Jacksonville State Jakob Milani Staff Writer jmilani@murraystate.edu The 2021 OVC Football Champions were crowned on Sunday, April 11, as the Jacksonville State Gamecocks defeated the Murray State Racers 28-14.

The Racers had trouble offensively throughout the game as the Gamecocks’ defense prevented the Racers from getting the run game going. The Racers almost made their way back later, but fell short after a late interception.

The Racers started the game with the ball but were unable to get anything going in their first two drives in the first quarter. The Gamecocks got the game in motion on their second drive when junior quarterback Zion Webb completed a 39yard pass to senior tight end Trae Barry. That play set up an 11-yard run by Webb for the touchdown, giving the Gamecocks a 7-0 lead with 8:12 left in the quarter. The Racers got the ball moving on the next drive, making their way all the way up to the Gamecocks’ 25-yard line. However, the Racers would settle for a field goal attempt from graduate kicker Aaron Baum, who missed the kick by a few inches.

The missed field goal gave the Gamecocks the ball at their own 25-yard line. From there, the Gamecocks made their way down the field in five plays, including another 39-yard pass to Barry and a one-yard rush from Webb for the Gamecocks second touchdown. The touchdown extended the Gamecocks’ lead to 14-0 with 1:39 left in the quarter. On the Racers’ following drive, junior quarterback Preston Rice completed back-to-back passes for 35 total yards. Those passes set up a 30-yard touchdown pass from Rice to senior wide receiver DeQuan Dallas, making it a 14-7 game at the end of the first quarter.

Dallas said the Racers had to switch up their offense in order to compete with the Gamecocks defense.

“They were just taking the run game away from us,” Dallas said. “So whenever they took away the run game, they just opened up the pass game for us.”

The Gamecocks started the second quarter slowly, making their way down the field with only three of their plays in the first drive going for more than 10 yards. The first of those plays was a pass from Webb to freshman wide receiver Michael Pettman for 13 yards, followed by a

Photo courtesy of Dave Winder/Racer Athletics Redshirt junior quarterback Preston Rice prepares to throw a pass to one of his teammates in the OVC Championship game against Jacksonville State.

pass to sophomore wide receiver Ahmad Edwards for another 13 yards.

Later in the drive, Webb rushed for 16 yards to put the Gamecocks on the Racers’ 4-yard line, setting up a rushing touchdown for Webb three plays later to make the score 21-7 in favor of the Gamecocks.

After the touchdown, neither team was able to beat the other’s defense. The Racers’ first drive of the quarter started with a 22-yard rush from freshman running back Demonta Witherspoon, bringing the ball up to the 50-yard line. The Racers were unable to do anything after the long run and were forced to punt. Later in the quarter, the Racers had another chance to score when Rice found Dallas for a 14yard gain, moving the ball up to the Gamecocks’ 25-yard line. The Racers failed to do anything yet again and were forced to attempt a field goal that was missed again by Baum. The Racers went into halftime down 21-7 to the Gamecocks.

The Gamecocks got the ball to start the third quarter. Despite a 14-yard rush from Webb to start the drive, they were stopped by the Racers’ defense just four plays later. After the Racers took over, the Gamecocks quickly stopped the Racers’ offense from moving up the field and forced them to punt. The Gamecocks took over at their own 19-yard line and swiftly made their way down the field into the Racers’ red zone. On first and 10 from the Racers’ 18-yard line, Webb found Barry in the end zone for the Gamecocks’ fourth touchdown of the game, taking a 28-7 lead over the Racers. Heading into the fourth quarter, the Game-

cocks maintained their 28-7 lead.

The Racers needed a miracle to pull out the win and they immediately got to work in the fourth quarter. In their first drive of the quarter, the Racers made two highlight plays with a 28-yard catch by junior wide receiver LaMartez Brooks and a 13-yard touchdown catch from sophomore wide receiver Jacob Bell to make it a 2814 game with 8:13 left in the game.

After stopping the Gamecocks on the following drive, the Racers had another chance to score. After two plays that didn’t get anywhere, Rice found Bell on back-to-back plays for 27 yards and 20 yards, respectively. The Racers continued to move up the field three plays later with a 21-yard catch from graduate wide receiver Malik Honecutt, moving the Racers up to the Gamecocks’ 9-yard line. However, the Racers were unable to get into the end zone on their next four plays, turning the ball over on downs.

The Racers had one last chance to score with 2:19 left, but Rice threw a deep ball on first-and-10 from the Gamecocks’ 27-yard line that was intercepted by sophomore cornerback Jamias Presley. That was the last time the Racers would touch the ball as Jacksonville State knelt the clock out on the next drive. The Gamecocks defeated the Racers by a score of 28-14, winning their sixth straight OVC Championship.

Webb led the Gamecocks to victory, going 17-28 passing with 239 passing yards and a passing touchdown. Webb also rushed for 65 yards and two touchdowns. Barry finished with 101 receiving yards and a touchdown. Junior running

back Josh Samuel finished with 30 rushing yards and a touchdown.

Rice was 27-47 passing in the game with 347 passing yards, two passing touchdowns and an interception.

Dallas said everyone on the team was ready and prepared for this matchup against the Gamecocks.

“Pre-game, everyone was just excited,” Dallas said. “Excited to play and show off our talent and show that we belong here.”

Head Coach Dean Hood said the team wasn’t panicked when they went down early, but they just weren’t able to pull it together.

“I thought our kids fought hard,” Hood said. “When it was a 21 point game, I didn’t feel any panic in our guys. I felt they were playing as hard as they were on the first possession of the game. Really proud of how they battled. It’s only a 14 point loss but it felt like it was really within reach.”

Hood also said there is a chance the Racers make it into the playoffs with so few teams of similar level left in the field.

“When you look at the teams, there’s not a whole lot of teams out there with five wins,” Hood said. “You can say you lost your last two (games) but whether you lose your first two or your last two, you still have five wins and we lost to two ranked teams…

I think we’ve got a chance and that’s how we’re gonna approach it.”

The Racers finish their regular season with a 5-2 record, placing second in the OVC standings. The Racers will have to wait till the selection show on Sunday, April 18, at 10:30 a.m. to see if they make the playoffs. The first round of the playoffs will be the weekend starting April 24.

Both golf teams find success as season winds down Andrea Jameson Contributing Writer ajameson1@murraystate.edu As the OVC Tournament for both the Murray State men’s and women’s golf teams fast approaches, the Racers landed success over the weekend in the form of a first-place team win and an individual silver trophy.

Women’s The Murray State women’s golf team won their last regular season tournament at the Jan Weaver Invitational on Saturday, April 10. With an overall round score of 299 from the Racers, the home title is their first since 2017.

Strong contributions to the winning team included All-Tournament players sophomore Payton Carter and junior Sarah Forsythe sharing fourth for the Racers’ win. Carter swung a line of 73-71-79—223 while Forsythe made rounds of 78-73-72—223.

Sophomore Ana Garcia Picchi placed 18th, carding scores 78-77-74—229 and senior Raeysha Surendran posted rounds of

76-73-85—234, placing 35th in the tournament. Freshman Briana McMinn placed 38th with a 235 stroke total on rounds of 80-81—74.

As for the Racers individual players in the event, graduate Lucila Puente Rodriguez placed 59th in the tournament carding scores of 79-83-80— 242, and senior Charli Doss shot rounds of 77-85—84 and placed 68th.

The Racers’ next competition will be the OVC Tournament with a time and date to be announced.

Men’s The Murray State men’s golf team participated in the Tennessee State University Big Blue Intercollegiate in Nashville, Tennessee, placing second in the tournament.

The Racers shot an overall score of 288-279-290—857, marking this tournament as the best 54-hole event this spring. Senior Austin Knight won first place with leading scores of 70-69-71—210 with a one-shot win.

Senior Avery Edwards placed 13th on scores of 71-68-76— 215 while sophomore Car-

Photo courtesy of TSU Sports Information Senior Austin Knight won first place at the Jan Weaver Invitational

son Holmes placed 21st with carded scores 75-71-73—219.

Seniors Connor Coombs and Quinn Eaton shared 25th place as Coombs carded 77-73-70—220 and Eaton

posted scores of 72-71-77—220.

The men’s OVC golf tournament will be held in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, on Sunday, April 25, through Tuesday, April 27, at the Shoals Golf Club.

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April 15, 2021

7

Baseball drops two of three games against SEMO Simon Elfrink Sports Editor selfrink@murraystate.edu The Murray State baseball team lost its first three-game series for the first time since March 7, against SEMO over Player’s Weekend.

Head Coach Dan Skirka said the doubleheader on Friday, April 9, was not the Racers’ best effort of the season, but the way they came back the following day for the last game of the series was more like what he wanted to see from his team.

“They’re good; they’re a good team,” Skirka said. “We didn’t play great on Friday, gave them some extra chances. They had a couple breaks go their way. That’s what happens sometimes. I’m proud of the guys coming back and getting game three.”

Game One Murray State did not win the first game on Friday, April 9, but the Racers did start the weekend with a bang after senior second baseman Jordan Cozart hit a two-out solo home run to left field in the bottom of the first inning.

Redshirt sophomore left-handed starting pitcher Shane Burns caught a taste of SEMO’s hitting in the top of the third after a leadoff double from sophomore outfielder Brett Graber paved the way for the Redhawks. The Redhawks scored a pair of runs in the inning off an RBI single from sophomore outfielder Jevon Mason, who was then driven in by junior infielder Tyler Wilber.

The Racers tied the game at two when senior left fielder Ryan Perkins hit a double down the right field line, scoring redshirt junior shortstop Jordan Holly who singled and stole second base earlier in the inning.

The Redhawks pushed another runner across in the top of the fourth when Wilber hit an RBI double down the left-field line to give SEMO a 3-2 lead.

The score remained 3-2 all the way until the bottom of the seventh, when Holly hit a sacrifice fly to tie the game at three.

SEMO put up a crooked number in the top of the eighth inning on a walk, a pair of singles and a sacrifice groundout, giving the Redhawks a 5-3 lead in the top of the eighth.

The Racers never responded, and by the end of the game, the scoreboard reflected an 8-3 Redhawks’ win.

Burns went 5.1 innings on the mound, allowing three earned runs on six hits and three walks. Burns

Photo courtesy of David Eaton Redshirt senior shortstop Jordan Holly celebrates his second home run of the year with senior outfielder Brock Anderson.

struck out four batters in game one, bringing his season strikeout total to 24 over 41 innings pitched.

“It’s tough going in Friday night,” Skirka said. “There’s a lot of pressure on that guy and he does a good job of going in and setting the tone for the weekend, throwing strikes and being aggressive. He pitched good enough to win, and unfortunately, we just lost to them.”

Game Two The Redhawks rode game one’s momentum to a hot start in the second game of the series, putting pressure on Murray State’s pitcher. Freshman right-hander Jack Wenninger, who has been putting together solid starts for the Racers all season, found himself on the wrong end of an offensive explosion after walking the bases loaded to start the game. The Redhawks took the slack Wenninger gave, and he came out of the game after only one out in the first inning.

Despite the tough start for Wenninger, Skirka said he has no doubt the young rookie will turn things around and continue to do great things for the Racers on the rubber.

“That happens,” Skirka said. “Jack’s been awesome for us this year, just phenomenal. For that to happen, [it was] just one of those fluke things.”

The rest of the Racers’ pitchers in game two looked to get past a sixrun first inning from SEMO, but once the momentum got going for the Redhawks they never looked back, scoring 12 runs in the game.

However, the Racers’ defense gave SEMO’s pitchers a scare, scoring eight runs throughout the

game. Redshirt junior center fielder Jake Slunder went 3-5 with an RBI while senior right fielder Brock Anderson had a pair of hits and an RBI. Perkins also had a three-hit game, with his third hit of the day being a two-run home run. Redshirt sophomore Seth Gardner was the designated hitter for the Racers, going 2-5 from the plate and driving in a run off a solo homer.

Game Three The Racers came back with a new intensity on Saturday, April 10, to salvage the third game of the series on Senior Day. Graduate righthander Sam Gardner made a start on the mound for the Racers, coming up with his first win of the season after going 6.2 innings on the mound. Gardner allowed six runs while on the bump, but only two of those were earned. Gardner allowed eight hits but struck out seven batters in the last game against SEMO. While Gardner’s role has primarily been out of the bullpen this season, Skirka was confident in allowing his “sixth-year senior” a start on the hill.

“Sam got back on track last week against Tennessee Tech,” Skirka said. “Threw six scoreless innings in relief so he felt good going in today. We felt good starting him.”

The Racers got off to an early 1-0 lead thanks to another solo homer from Cozart in the bottom of the first inning. SEMO tied the game an out later when redshirt sophomore catcher Wade Stauss led off the second inning with a solo shot of his own. Slunder decided he wanted in on the big fly action and corked one

to center field in the bottom of the third, giving the Racers a 2-1 lead.

Seth Gardner stayed hot with a two-RBI single through the left side in the bottom of the fourth inning, pushing the lead to 4-1.

The Redhawks battled back, and after the Racers sneaked another run across on an RBI double by redshirt junior third baseman Bryson Bloomer, the teams found themselves tied 5-5.

Murray State’s offense found an opportunity to put up a crooked number in the sixth inning after getting the bases loaded on a pair of singles and a walk. Slunder picked up the first RBI of the inning before another runner scored on a passed ball. Anderson hit a sacrifice fly to score the third run of the inning, giving the Racers an 8-5 lead.

The offense never stopped for the Racers, and by the final out of the game, Murray State maintained a commanding 11-6 lead over the Redhawks. After scoring 19 runs over the last two games, Skirka said he’s starting to see some of the consistent offense he’s been looking for all season.

Still, Skirka is confident that his offense is capable of doing much more.

“I’m going to get greedy and want more [from our offense,]” Skirka said.

“We still kind of threw out some atbats and chased some pitches when we don’t need to. But we are finding a little bit of a groove. We got some more guys going, [and] I’m pleased with where we’re going offensively.”

Murray State will look to take a series on the road against Belmont University in a three-game series on Saturday, April 17, and Sunday, April 18, in Nashville, Tennessee.

Soccer to play SEMO in OVC Tournament semifinals Rachel Essner Staff Writer ressner1@murraystate.edu After a season of unprecedented success, the Murray State soccer team looks to prove their rightful place as the No. 1 seed in the OVC Tournament by taking on the SEMO Redhawks in the semifinal game on Thursday, April 15, at 11 a.m. at Cutchin Field.

The Racers have a 9-1 overall record this season, ranking first in the OVC while the Redhawks are ranked fourth with a 6-3-1 overall record.

Murray State will enter the game with a plethora of conference recognition after the 2021 regular season. Freshman forward Chloe Barnthouse earned the OVC Offensive Player of the Week and senior defender Izzy Heckman became the OVC Defensive Player of the Week. In addition, Barnthouse and Heckman have been named to the All-OVC First Team while sophomore defender Saraya Young and sophomore midfielder Lauren Payne have been named to the All-OVC Second Team. Barnt-

house, sophomore defender Audrey Henry and sophomore goalkeeper Jenna Villacres were named to the OVC All-Newcomer Team.

The end of the season awards continued to pile up as Head Coach Matt Lodge was named Coach of the Year and Heckman became OVC Defender of the Year.

SEMO has also produced OVC honors. Junior midfielder Lauren Welker made All-OVC First Team, and freshman midfielder and forward Emma Brune made All-OVC Second Team and OVC All-Newcomer Team.

Murray State previously faced SEMO in Cape Girardeau, Missouri on Friday, April 2, where the Racers defeated the Redhawks 3-1, becoming the OVC Regular Season Champions. Two goals from sophomore forward Lilly Strader and one from senior forward Rebecca Kubin gave the Racers the win over the Redhawks.

Barnthouse has a team-high seven goals in the 2020-21 season, followed by Kubin and Strader with four apiece. Eight different Racers have scored throughout the season.

Photo courtesy of Racer Athletics The Racers pose with thir OVC Regular Season Championship trophy.

Junior forward Abby Jones broke Murray State’s record for all-time assists, collecting 24 total in her career and three in the 2020-21 season.

Villacres has tallied 31 saves during the season while only giving up nine goals and has earned three shutout games this season.

Welker leads the Redhawks with

five goals , followed by junior midfielder Abby Tremain with two.

A total of 10 different Redhawks have scored throughout the season.

The winner of the semifinal game will go on to play the winner of UT Martin versus SIUE for the championship round at 1 p.m. on Saturday, April 17.

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April 15, 2021

Baseball looks to bounce back against Belmont Simon Elfrink Sports Editor selfrink@murraystate.edu After dropping a three-game series to SEMO over Players’ Weekend, Murray State baseball prepares for a three-game conference series against the Belmont Bruins on Saturday, April 17, and Sunday, April 18.

The Racers’ record of 16-14 outweighs the Bruins’ 14-16, but not all wins hold equal weight in regards to a team’s quality. Belmont won a game against Lipscomb University and came within two runs of winning a second, while the Racers dropped both games to the Bisons for their season-opening series. However, Murray State won an OVC series against Jacksonville State University 2-1.

Belmont salvaged only one game in the three-game series against the Gamecocks, contributing to their 7-8 conference record.

The Racers currently sit at their preseason-predicted third place in the conference with a 7-5 record against OVC opponents.

The Racers’ batting average is the third-lowest in the OVC at .257, while Belmont is fourth from the top with an average of .271. However, the Racers have outscored the Bruins this season 199 to 160. The Racers have relied heavily on their long ball, hitting an OVC-high 44 home runs in 2021, dwarfing Belmont’s 19 big flies.

The Racers have relied heavily on their hitting this year, looking to fifth-year seniors like second baseman Jordan Cozart, who currently leads the OVC in home runs with 12 this season. Cozart is also a single run shy of tying for first place in the conference with total bases, having touched 82 this

Photo courtesy of Racer Athletics Senior outfielder Ryan Perkins hit two home runs in a game against Belmont in 2019.

season. Cozart could be argued as the Racers’ most consistent hitter, having maintained a batting average of .300 or higher since March 13, barring a single game against Jacksonville State when he went 0-4, pulling his average down to .286. Cozart is currently hitting .322 and has 33 RBIs to his name, a number second only to Eastern Illinois University’s redshirt sophomore infielder Trey Sweeney’s RBI total of 44. Cozart is also just behind Sweeney atop the conference in slugging percentage. Sweeney is currently slugging .761, a few big swings ahead of Cozart who is in second place at .707.

Another big bat in the Racers’ lineup this season is senior outfielder Brock Anderson, also on the home run billboard for the OVC with nine this season. Anderson has driven in

26 runs for the Racers and sports a batting average of .263.

Redshirt junior center fielder Jake Slunder has been an excellent leadoff hitter for the Racers this season, slashing .271 and driving in 19 runs for the Racers. Slunder has caused some havoc on the basepaths, stealing a conference-leading 14 bases on just 16 attempts this season.

The Bruins have four players hitting over .300 so far this season, with sophomore outfielder John Behrends leading the team with an average of .384. Behrends has also knocked in 26 RBIs and sent five balls over the fences. Behrends boasts a .634 slugging percentage and a total of 41 hits this season.

Junior infielder Logan Jarvis has also provided some big swings for the Bruins, driving in 30 runs so far in 2021. Jarvis sports a .378 batting

average, a .496 on-base percentage and a .653 slugging percentage.

Murray State’s redshirt sophomore left-hander Shane Burns is a likely starter for the series-opening game on Saturday.

Burns’ ERA of 4.83 is a far cry from 2020’s 2.60, but he has put together some impressive starts for the Racers in 2021, such as a seven-inning start against EIU in which he allowed only a pair of runs on four hits, striking out five batters in the process.

The Bruins’ starter may be freshman lefty Andy Bean, who has quickly climbed to arguable ace status in a short time. Bean sports a 3-1 record and a 3.32 ERA and averages 8.19 strikeouts per contest.

The first game of the series between Murray State and Belmont will begin at 1 p.m. on Saturday, April 17, in Nashville, Tennessee.

JavaTalk BARISTA SPOTLIGHT: ELIZA

Eliza is a Sophomore at Murray State University. She is all the way from Winter Garden, FL. Her major is Public Relations, and she hopes to become a publicist in the music industry! Her favorite drink at Future Grounds is an Iced Americano made with Soy Milk, French Vanilla, and Cupcake. Her hobbies include activities with her sorority, making music, and hanging out with her friends. That’s Eliza!

Features

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University community approaches two

s

April 15, 2021

full semesters on campus with COVID-19 Ciara Fuson Staff Writer cbenham@murraystate.edu As the spring semester approaches its end, students and faculty are reflecting on the last year on campus.

Murray State is approaching t wo f u l l semesters on ca mpus since the COV ID-19 pandemic began, and the University’s community is sharing how their lives have been impacted by this year.

When students were sent home in March 2020, they had no idea what the future held for their learning environment. What began as an extension to Spring Break quickly became weeks without an end in sight.

At the time, graduate student Nik ita Patel from Milan, T N, was f inishing her undergraduate degree at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville and felt a brief sense of relief from the break.

“I was almost finished with my final year of undergrad and I finally was going to catch a break for a few weeks, or so I thought,” Patel said. “After realizing the gravity of the situation, my sense of relief soon became grief. I felt like everything I was working for was for nothing. I finished undergrad and got accepted into grad school all while the future was unknown.”

Haley Penrod, a senior political science major from Morgantown, Kentucky, recalls the uncertainty she felt as she waited for updates at home.

“Everything was so unknown,” Penrod said. “We were all trapped in our homes. I remember feeling ver y an xious and uneasy about the whole public health, as well as where my education stood.”

There was a lack of normalcy when students, faculty and staff ret urned to campus in Aug ust 2020. Students had to adjust to new guidelines as well as hybrid, on l i ne a nd i n-p er son c l a s s e s.

“My biggest adjustment must have been having to f igure out [how] to get the most out of onl ine c lasses,” Pen rod sa id. “ It was a lways a fear of mine that I wou ld not get t he educat ion I was paying for. This is still a fear of mine that I am just earning a degree with no back ing.”

The transition to online learning has been difficult for students and faculty alike, with both having to learn the ins and outs of Zoom and other online formats. “ I k ne w s w itc h i ng to Z oom c l a s s e s w a s g oi n g to b e h a rd to adjust to but I didn’t imagine the technica l diff icu lties,” Patel sa id. “A major it y of my professors didn’t k now how to switch to virtual so fast. Some of my professors helped us

but ot hers made t h ing s ha rder assuming we had extra time.”

Teaching on Zoom proved to be just as difficult of a task as learning on it. Professor of English R ay Hor ton sha red how much he had to adjust h is teac h ing techniques for the new semester.

“My teaching style relies heavily on class discussion, and class discussion requires an atmosphere that ’s simu ltaneously comfor table and challenging, relaxed yet r igorous a nd engag ing,” Horton said. “I had very little experience teaching online prior to the pandemic, and all of a sudden, all the small, subtle teaching instincts I’d been honing over the years seemed to evaporate.”

T he on l ine env ironment has er upted many changes in how professors teach and how students lea rn. Hor ton sa id he stopped trying to replicate in-person discussions and instead began to uti l iz e Z oom’s feat u res to enhance his learning environment.

“I try to encourage students to use the chat function a lot when they have something to add to the discussion but are hesitant to speak up,” Horton said. “I do a lot of my teaching through discussion groups in Zoom Breakout Rooms, often using a shared Google Doc or the Canvas discussion board in real time as a way for students to keep track of their discussions.”

Even t hou gh Hor ton g reatly adjusted his expectations for the year and encouraged everyone to just do their best, he has still seen how this year has taken on a tol l on h is st udent s.

“Everyone seems to be exhausted,” Horton said. “ I’m pretty disheartened by the number of emails I get that begin with some version of ‘I know this is not a good excuse, but…’With so many of these messages, I’m tempted to reply: ‘ We’re living through a plague!

I’m just glad you’re stay ing in touch about this assignment and doing your best to complete it.’”

The mental health of the campus communit y has been a strongly voiced concern as students ref lected on their last year on campus. A lthough st udents are physically on campus, they st i l l f ind t hemselves isolated.

“The last t wo semesters have affected my mental health tremendously,” Penrod said. “The lack of social interaction is the big gest st r ug gle. You have to keep to yourself in order to protect the health of others. Additionally, it has affected me and my education, causing burnout.”

W hile the Universit y has announced their transition to normal

Joseph Reynolds/The News For the last two semesters masks have become essential on campus

campus operations for the 2021 fall semester, the community is trying to find out what “normal” means.

Students and faculty are dealing with the effects of the last year, while simultaneously tr ying to figure out what the future holds.

“I wish the Universit y understo o d t he i mpac t of t he pa ndemic on st udents’ menta l hea lth,” Patel sa id. “ The Universit y has been accommodati n g to t r y i n g to k e e p t h i n g s nor ma l , but t he y have to u nder st a nd it ’s h a rd to k e ep up with the same standards as before when things were normal.”

W i t h C OV I D -1 9 v a c c i n e availabilit y increasing a l l over

the countr y, there is a sense of opt i m ism t hat t he end of t he p a nd e m ic c ou ld b e ne a r. A lthough the f ut ure remains unc le a r, t he ef fec t s of t h is y e a r are likely to impact the campus commun it y for yea rs to come. “ I’ d love for t he fa l l to look like all the semesters we had prior to this plague, but I also don’t want to encourage any false optimism that might encourage us to let down our guard prematurely,” Horton said. “Regardless of what happens this fall, though, I hope that we’ ll continue to maintain t he c r uc ia l empha sis we have placed on hea lt h and wel l-being, both physical and mental.”

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April 15, 2021

All Campus Sing is back Dionte Berry Features Editor dberry11@murraystate.edu

Student organizations and residental halls compete in All Campus Sing on Wednesday, April 14, after being cancelled last year as the school shut down because of COVID-19.

As a result of COVID-19, groups were only able to compete with a maximum of three people at a time in the Performing Arts Hall in the Old Fine Arts building from 4 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Teams were judged and scored based on many different standards, such as creativity, choreography, costume as well as how the teams participated in the Cashapp wars and the instrument drive.

April 15, 2021

Features

WINNERS

Grand Champion: Tri Sigma Best Sorority: Tri Sigma Best Fraternity: Sigma Phi Epsilon Best Choreography: Sigma Phi Epsilon Best Costume: Tri Sigma Spirit Award: Tri Sigma Creativity Award: Honors College Director’s Choice: Alpha Sigma Alpha Best Trio: Tri Sigma Best Duo: Honors College Best Solo: Alpha Sigma Alpha Best in the Independent Division: Honors College Best Residential College: Springer Franklin

Photos courtesy of Carly Arant

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Features

April 15, 2021

Graphic courtesty of “MSU2Nite”

Photos courtesy of “MSU2Nite” and Mason Galemore/The News Photos from JMC 358’s April, 13 episode of “MSU2Nite.”

Students produce weekly show, “MSU2Nite” with students who have unique Mason Galemore stories, talents or backgrounds.

Contributing Writer “ It is d i f f ic u lt to produce a mgalemore@murraystate.edu 20-minute episode, so doing inStor y tel l i ng c a n b e done i n ter v iews usua l ly helps leng thmany ways, from the simple to e n a show,” H ay ne s s a id . “ It the extraordinar y. For this sea- also allows the students to pracs on of “ M SU2Nite ,” t he st u- tice their inter v iew ing sk il ls.” dent pro ducer s’ w ay of doi ng Haynes said the remainder of things is anything but ordinary. the episodes are made up of f ill“MSU2Nite,” a show produced er content, where c re w memin the Television Studio Produc- bers can report on whatever they tion course, JMC 358, is now in are interested in. For instance, a its 37th season. “MSU2Nite” in- group of students can report on forms st udents of campus and sports, while another group can community news through its vid- repor t on ne w show s on Neteo-based journalism. Viewers can f li x or a newly released album. stream the show’s episodes v ia Compared to past classes, this YouTube. The course is taught by year’s class has created more eninstructor Christopher Haynes. ter taining and sk it based conHaynes is a Murray State alum- tent than in previous years. One nus who graduated in 2006 with of the students in JMC 358 who his Bachelor’s of Science in elec- has brought tons of c reat iv it y tronic media. Haynes has taught to the show is sophomore jourJ MC 358 si nc e t he s pr i n g of na l ism major D ust i n Wi lcox .

“We have done a lot more than 2012. Haynes said “MSU2Nite” ser ves as a way for st udents to is required of the c lass,” Wi lpractice what they’ve learned in cox said. “ We have done ever ytheir media classes thus far and thing from skits to commercials.” to use that k nowledge to pro- Wilcox said while he likes how duce weekly content for the show. traditional live TV is created, he “The show allows the students and other crew members also ento lea rn ever y pa r t of the st u- joy creating gags that entertain dio and grow acclimated to ev- v iewers whi le del iver ing news e r y p a r t o f T V p r o d u c t i o n ,” and information in one package.

Haynes said. “It gives the class “I love writing for television,” the benef it of assigning content, Wilcox said. “If I were going to conducting idea generating ses- write for television I’d want to do sions a nd meet ing dead l ines.” a scripted series. I love both comeT he c lass meets ever y Tues- dic writing and serious writing.”

Another crew member of day and Thursday night from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. On Thursday the “ M S U 2 N i t e ” i s s o p h o m o r e class brainstorms content and on t e l e v i s i o n p r o d u c t i o n m a j o r Tuesday they start production. Cade Utterback. Utterback exT he episodes themselves a re pla ined how “ MSU2Nite” has spl it into seg ments. T he f i rst b e come more u n ique t h is s esegment of each episode uses an m e s t e r t h a n i n t h e p a s t .

“A block ” format where the crew “ W hat we’ve done t h is yea r reports on general news and en- is t h row e x pec tat ions out t he tertainment. The next segment w indow,” Ut terback sa id. “ Inis usually made up of interviews stead of asking a guest questions

for eight minutes, we might inv ite them to play Hot W heels with us, or we might even forego a regular interview and go to an animal shelter and ask dogs and cats a bunch of questions.”

Wi lcox a nd Ut ter bac k b ot h described the freedom they have when creating content for “MSU2Nite” as “thrilling.” A lt hough “ MSU2Nite” prov ides creative freedom to those who enrol l in the J MC 358 course, it is essent ia l t hat ever y c rew member ca n commu n icate effectively with one another in order to produce qualit y content.

There are many roles involved in creating each episode. In each episode, there are camera operators, sound editors, teleprompter operators and reporters s. Each crew member must understand their role and what they need to do. “ Without communicat io n , w e w o u l d n’t b e a bl e to g e t a n y t h i n g d o n e ,” U t t e rback said. “Ever y little bit has to g o r i ght , s o w e c om mu n icate w ith each other effectively and I’ d say most of us have a prett y good bond as a result.”

That bond has helped “ MSU2Nite” get pa st ma ny c ha l lenge s. At t he b eg i n n i ng o f t h e C OV I D -19 p a n d e m i c , J MC 358 c o u l d n o t m e e t in the st udio because on-campus activ ities were shut dow n.

Hay ne s de s c r ib e d t he cou rage a nd deter minat ion it took for his class to adjust to working during a globa l pandemic.

“The way we pivoted our workf low was rea l ly ha rd,” Hay nes said. “All the learning objectives for the class are based on operating the st udio. The st udents had to use their phones to do reports. It attests to how well they are able to rise up to the task.”

Once st udents f in ish J MC 358 , t he y w i l l h av e mor e e xp e r i e n c e w it h t e l e v i s i o n a n d broadcast news. Many of t he m pl a n to u s e t he k no w ledge and experience gained from the course to pursue their d reams in creating content fo r n e w s a n d e nt e r t a i n m e nt .

Wilcox said he plans to g o i nto a n i m at ion a s w e l l a s w r it e fo r t e l e v i s ion . He s a i d “MSU2Nite” has given him the experience that he needs to be successful while also giving him the opport unit y to be creative.

“Let’s say ‘“MSU2Nite” is the only show I ever get to write or produce, I want to say that I did everything I could to make it the best possible show with the little time I had,” Wilcox said. “The mere act of creating a TV show and packaging it is so thrilling.”

Wilcox said ever y student going into J MC 358 shou ld pu rs ue a l l of t hei r ide a s a nd not be afraid to bring them to life.

“Our goa l this yea r was to subv er t e x p ec t at ions a s muc h as possible,” Wilcox sa id. “ We w a nted to enter ta in. I f someone in the f ut ure wants to change the show and put their s p i n o n i t , t h a t ’s f i n e t o o .”

Ut terback sa id he wou ld l ike to c ont i nue w ork i n g on te le v ision sets. He sa id his d rea m is to work on a n imated show s a s w e l l a s w r ite a nd pro duce , a nd he hopes to t r y voice ac ting and sma l l acting roles. He a lso e x pla ined t hat people a re often impressed by the amount of extra work he and his fellow st udents put into “MSU2Nite.” “ Pe ople m ay wonder ‘ w hy go through a l l the troub l e f o r a c o l l e g e T V n e tw o r k ?,’ ” Ut t e r b a c k s a i d . “ To w h i c h I r e p l y, ‘ w h y n o t ? ’ ”