Monday, Sept. 5 Labor Day University holiday and planned day of closure
Mental Health Highlight:The Women’s Center offers campus resources
Dionte Berry Editor-in-Chief dberry11@murraystate.edu
Bottom: Updated COVID-19 map from Tuesday, Aug. 26, 2022. (Graphic courtesy of kycovid19.ky.gov)
“Everyone should take person al responsibility to receive their COVID-19 vaccine and boosters, stay home if sick and follow all of our additional Racer Safe and Healthy Guidelines,” Touney said. Racer Safe and Healthy Officer Jordan Smith shared that on-cam pus quarantining is not as prevalent as it once was, but is still offered.
Shawn Touney, executive di rector of branding and market ing, said the discontinuation hap pened as a result of not receiving the case numbers from state and local healthcare providers. Case counts are not as reflective as they once were because of the swing toward at-home COVID-19 testing, and Touney cites this as a reason why case counts are not provided anymore.
Faculty Recital Todd French, tuba, and Megan Boutin, trombone, will present a recital with Meeyoun Park, piano. The recital will feature contemporary and classical work. Sept. 22 (11 a.m. - 2 p.m.) Curris Center, second floor Education informationAbroadfair
The Calloway County Health Department will be providing an information and question session regarding Monkeypox, what it looks like and how it can spread.
Volleyball back-to-backwins
Tuesday, Sept. 6 (2 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.)
The Center will now also of fer free LivWell HIV testing and safe sex items once a month. The next LivWell event will be Sept. 21 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m in the Oakley Applied Science Building. The Center’s previous programs will still be offered this semester. One of these services is the Leadership Luncheon Se ries, a partnership between the Women’s Center and the Of fice of Alumni Relations. Lacy dives into heartbreak on new
NEWS/OPINIONalbum page 3 OPINION page 4 SPORTS page 5 LIFESTYLE page 7
Calendar of Events
For the past three academ ic years, the University was forced to adapt to COVID-19 through changes such as mask ing and social distancing, but the fall 2022 semester marks the start to a year of normalcy. Despite masking and social dis tancing not being enforced as pre cautionary measures, COVID-19 is still in Calloway County. According to the Team Kentucky COVID-19 tracker map updated on Friday, Aug. 26, Calloway County is a low transmission country, while near ly half of Kentucky is considered highly transmissible. The surround ing counties are either at the me dium or high level of transmission. During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Rac er Restart tab of murraystate.edu had a chart showing the campus case rate, but that has been discon tinued for the fall 2022 semester.
Recycle Me! see COVID-19, page 2 Dionte Berry/The News
Local physician brings horror play to the public
Jill Smith Staff Writer jsmith194@murraystate.edu To target the increase of stu dents in need, the Women’s Cen ter now offers a wider variety of programs, including resources to support sexual assault survi vors and disadvantaged students. The Center’s mission is to promote gender equi ty and inclusion in their ser vices and programs, according to the Women’s Center website. Abigail Cox, director of the Women’s Center, said it’s im portant for students to feel val ued beyond the classroom. “We recognize that there are needs that we can help meet and that there are services that we can provide that will pre pare students for the future they hope to have,” Cox said. In a partnership with Lotus, a regional sexual assault advo cacy center, the Women’s Cen ter will offer a “Student Sur vivor Space” this semester. “The Student Survivor Space is scheduled to be offered monthly and is an opportunity for survivors to share resources and support that were helpful, while also shar ing with us additional resources that we could add for more sup port,” Cox said. “It’s a collabora tion to see where we can get better and also give survivors an avenue to make a difference on campus.”
Touney en courages campus to continue fol lowing COVID-19 guidelines.
Thursday, Sept. 8 Clara M. Eagle Gallery Alumni Exhibition set to open The Alumni Exhibition is set to recognize the works of Murray State Art and Design graduates and commemorate the University’s Centennial.
Source:programs.murraystate.edu/calendar
Receiving debt relief shouldn’t be a challenge
NEWS TH E MU RR AY STAT E M @TheMurrayStateNews @MurrayStateNews @TheMurrayStateNews @MurrayStateNewswww.TheNews.org Sept. 1, 2022 | Vol. 96, No. 27 Steve
Thursday, Sept. 8 (7 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.) Curris Center Barkley Room InternationalCinema Cinema International will host a showing of British film, “Victoria and Abdul.”
Thursday, Sept. 8 (7 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.) Curris Center Ballroom Reading Series: Silas House Best selling author and native Kentuckian, Silas House will be reading from his work. Sept. 11 (2 p.m. - 3 p.m.) Old Fine Arts 2023
The Women’s Center is located in room C102 in the Oakley Applied Science Building. see WOMEN’S CENTER, page 3
The annual study abroad fair is back. Students can come and learn more about faculty-led abroad
Curris Center Barkley MonkeypoxRoominfosession
Top: Students are able to be on campus without being required to wear mask or social distance. (Dionte Berry/The News)
Racers experience semester start without COVID-19 restraints
The News
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10:51 GilbertA.M.Graves Dr. The operator of a vehicle was arrested by MSUPD during a traffic stop for trafficking marijuana. 7:44 P.M. R. H. White An individual in possession of marijuana was referred to Title IX and the housing office for administrative action.
Accommodations are avail able, but Smith said it is pre ferred for students to quaran tine at home or in their assigned room in their residential college if they do not have a roommate. Unlike the suggested 14-day isolation that was issued at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Centers for Dis ease Control and Prevention now advises for five-day iso lation if one’s test is positive. Both Smith and Touney said even though Calloway Coun ty reports low COVID-19 rates, they are still in contact with local, state and federal health officials regarding public health matters. Beyond monitoring COVID-19 rates, there is a sense of nor malcy that hasn’t been pres ent since the fall 2019 semes ter. A majority of Racers have yet to experience a semester that isn’t hampered by COVID-19. Senior Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languag es major Rose Nelson said the return to normalcy re minds her of her freshman year. “I remember my freshman year coming in, I had one normal se mester, and it feels like that again,” Nelson said. “I’ve missed out on so many events during the pandemic, and some were events that I didn’t know about when I was a freshman, so it’s my first time experiencing them.”
Nelson notes that COVID-19 is still prevalent, but said she trusts that people have devel oped a sense of personal re sponsibility for their health throughout the pandemic. “I feel like people are still taking precautions too,” Nel son said. “There were a cou ple times this summer where I had a cold and thought, ‘I’m going to get tested to be sure.’”
Kidd said she feels as though she still needs to be on guard when she’s at social events, but doesn’t want to miss the chance to enjoy her college years. “You don’t want to jeopardize yourself and your health and se curity,” Kidd said. “But I kind of just want to enjoy all that I can in hopes that history doesn’t re peat itself in the next few years.”
7:48 HesterP.M.College There was a theft of laundry. The case is still open.
An unattended vehicle was struck, causing damage, and there was a failure to notify the owner of the damage.
Not all dispatched calls are listed.
“Limited on-campus accom modations as determined on a case-by-case basis are avail able to students living on cam pus with a confirmed COVID-19 positive test from a med ical provider,” Smith said. If needed, Smith said to con tact Auxiliary Services to re quest special accommodations by calling or texting 270 226-3492.
COVID-19, from page 1 Dionte Berry/The News Guidelines regarding COVID-19 precautions can be found at murraystate.edu/racerrestart.
6:03 P.M. R.H. White Items were reported stolen, but were later found not to have been stolen.
10:17 FranklinP.M.Residential College A person assaulted another person and no physical injuries were sustained. Charges were not pursued.
11:28 P.M. R.H. White A report was made regarding vandalism of a decoration, but the case is pending evidence.
Police Beat is compiled with material from the Murray State Crime and Fire Log.
News2 Sept. 1, 2022
Colton Colglazier/
11:04 EducationP.M. Loop MSUPD and MPD arrested a driver for operating a vehicle under the influence of alcohol.
Similar to Nelson, senior En glish literature major Rachel Kidd said she’s happy with the sense of normalcy again, but can’t help being a little skeptical. “It feels like I’ve been in a weird time loop, and I feel like I still have more time to be here before I graduate, but I don’t,” Kidd said. “I am happy, but it’s a big readjustment, and I can’t help but be a little paranoid be cause obviously COVID-19 has not gone away yet.”
11:47 WaldropA.M.Drive
Updated COVID-19 transmis sion levels for Calloway Coun ty are available at kycovid19. ky.gov. COVID-19 testing and vaccine locations on campus and in Murray can be found at ingraystate.edu/racerrestart/testmurandmurraystate.edu/vaccine.
11:39 ResidentialP.M. College Campus security reported an incident involving stalking and fondling in a residential college. 2:18 RegentsA.M.Lot MSUPD and MPD arrested a driver for operating a vehicle under the influence of alcohol.
12:15 A.M. On campus Residential College Campus Security reported an incident of unwanted sexual contact.
“Buttons” is more of a calm burner where the listener can feel subtle ten sion. Lacy expresses his everlasting love for the person who hurt him; howev er, because of his pride, he knows bet ter than to be misguided by his heart.
With a summery blend of R&B, alternative and rock, Steve Lacy sings about the woes of heart break and joys of love in his sophomore solo album “Gemi ni Rights,” released on July 15. Before pursuing a solo career, Lacy was, and still is, a member of the R&B band The Internet, which formed in 2011. Lacy’s solo sound still has the same groove heard in the collective band; how ever, his vocal range is now prom inently featured, and the songs take on a more personal tone. In his artist statement on Apple Music, Lacy said the biggest lesson he learned while making “Gemini Rights” was not to minimize love. “I want to love unconditional ly now,” Lacy said. “I will make love bigger, not smaller. To me, ‘Gemini Rights’ is a step in the right direction. I’m excited for you to have this album as your own, as it is no longer mine.” “Static” does a great job of set ting off the 10-track album with a somber tone. Beginning with piano, Lacy’s layered vocals and low-mov ing bass, Lacy is in the aftermath of a breakup, questioning where he should go next but knowing what he deserves out of his next partner. Towards the end, a solo gui tar takes over the piano, set ting up the listener for the rest of the album. I love the final lyr ic: “If you had to stunt your shin ing for your lover, dump that f***er.”
Cox said the series provides group opportunities for personal interaction between students and professionals.
Cox said the alumnae share advice with students about what they should take out of their college experience. “Many of them had amazing expe riences on campus that launched them in one direction or the other and they want to create those opportunities for students,” Cox said. “For students, the informal small-group setting gives them the opportunity to ask questions and build relationships with the speakers.”
3Sept. 1, 2022 News/OpiNiON
Photo courtesy of the Women’s Center Facebook The Bra Closet is one of a few donation based services the Women’s Center provides. Students in need can visit the closet, open monday through Friday 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m..
“Helmet” is where we see some of the rock and alternative ele ments shine through. Lacy express es a disdain for the one he once loved, saying that he can’t bend who he is to please someone else. Regarding the lyricism, this is a great continuation of “Static.” Beyond the subject matter, there’s guitar, pia no and the subtle clinging of a tam bourine that feels marinated together.
In this series, students have the opportunity to meet and network with Murray State alumnae who work in the professional world.
Dionte Berry Editor-in-Chief dberry11@murraystate.edu
It is not the end I was expecting. I wouldn’t have minded something with more of a kick, but at the end of the day, this is Lacy’s story to tell. Overall, “Gemini Rights” has Lacy’s amazing groove and R&B jive the listeners know and love him for. Although it is an album about heartbreak, it doesn’t bog down the listener with Lacy’s pain—it’s more so as if he is just telling a story. All of the tracks are well made. I wish more of them had the same bang that “Bad Habit” has, but over all the playfulness and joy from this album is infectious. Because of that “Gemini Rights” deserves an 8 out of 10. Overall, it’s a solid album. In the future, I would love to see Lacy do another mixtape, like his 2020 mixtape “The LoFis,” and maybe experiment more with his sound. With all of the attention it’s getting “Gemini Rights” is a step in the right di rection for Lacy’s solo career.
“Amber” starts with a narra tive of two lovebirds but leads to Lacy expressing how he wish es he never met his former lov er. Compared to the other songs on “Gemini Rights,” “Am ber” feels more balladesque.
“Sunshine” picks up speed with a combination of singing and rap ping. Lacy speaks about how his lover is trying to erase him and make him seem as if Lacy was the villain in the relationship, but Lacy shares how he was good to him.
“Mercury” begins with guitar and bass. Lacy talks about the er rors of falling in love too quickly and the bad things that can follow.
Album cover courtesy of Steve Lacy’s Instagram ‘Gemini Rights,’ Lacy’s second solo album, was released on July 15.
To donate period products and gently-used bras, visit the Wom en’s Center located in C102 of the Oakley Applied Science Building.
Lacy also shows more of his vo cal range, singing in a higher reg ister. In the lyrics, Lacy draws a lot of parallels to astrology men tioning Venus, the planet of love.
Steve Lacy dives into heartbreak on new album
“This is a very casual mentoring opportunity,” Cox said. “I like to describe it as more of a lunch date with friends. Our speakers are pas sionate Murray State alumnae who want to invest in current students.”
In November 2018, the Center opened the Bra Closet, which is open Monday through Friday 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
WOMEN’S CENTER, from page 1
“Sunshine” features R&B art ist Foushee. Her and Lacy’s voic es sound great together. Similar to “Buttons,” as the song ends, Lacy says his love is still present de spite the relationship’s bitter end. “Give You the World” closes the album out on a calm note. Com pared to the previous tracks, “Give You the World” is more stripped back, exploring what Lacy would have done for his former lover.
Any student in need of a bra can visit the Bra Closet during operating hours and receive two free, gently-used bras. Cox said she still works to promote the closet across campus and connect with more students, even though the need for the closet has increased since opening. “COVID interrupted that [need] a bit, but with our newsletter going out to all undergraduate women, we feel pretty confident that we are get ting the word out effectively,” Cox said. “Our [residential] halls also help us spread the resource by hosting us for pop Bra Closets in the halls.” Students in need of period products can also visit the Center for a one-time need or a short-time supply. Residential advisers are also supplied with period products to hand out to students in need.
The song ends with Lacy repeating “about my pride” with a grinding guitar, and I wish as the repetitions went on, they’d become more intense and loud. “Bad Habit” is the star of “Gem ini Rights.” To begin, the song de scribes how Lacy didn’t know some one he was romantically attracted to shared the same feelings. Lacy re flects on how he wished he knew how this person felt about him. Toward the middle of the song, there’s an acoustic transi tion that feels really good, almost like Lacy is enjoying himself, hav ing a jam session with his band. “Cody Freestyle” is less ground ed than “Bad Habit” and feels more ethereal, starting with Lacy singing in a higher regis ter before transitioning lower. Lacy expresses his dislike toward being tied down with someone when he knows that he could find someone better. He knows there are always more fish in the sea.
To keep up with events hosted by the Women’s Center, follow them on Ins tagram at msu.womenscenter or email Abigail Cox at acox33@murraystate. edu to receive a monthly newsletter about the Center and its programs.
4 Sept. 1, 2022OpiniOn Our View:
Emery Wainscott Kate Manley Dr. Carol Terracina-Hartman Chief Copy Editor Ad Sales Manager Faculty Adviser ewainscott@murraystate.edu kmanley2@murraystate.edu
cterracinahartman@murraystate.edu
President Joe Biden intro duced a new student loan forgiveness plan on Aug. 24 to relieve some people from crushing student debt. The plan is restricted to single people making $125,000 or less and married households making $250,000 or less. Most borrowers will gain up to $20,000 in relief for recipients of a Pell Grant and $10,000 for country.directionisstillloans.smallanddoagering,areandtuckiansandThat’slyloans209,400Center“fairness”willthanhelpharm.numberprogram100%debtthem.thannowseemsstudentfaceanddebtbecauseofpeoplethiscompletelyborrowersdebt,aboutmatedofAccordingnon-recipients.totheChronicleHigherEducation,anesti45millionpeoplehold$1.7trillioninstudentmeaningabout20millionwillhavetheirdebtcanceled.Althoughplanislife-changing,somehavenegativeperceptionstheplan.Manypeopleholdtheideathattheyhadtopayofftheiryearsago,currentstudentsgraduateswithdebtshouldfullresponsibilityfortheirdebt.Sure,thisideaharmless,butstudentsfacesignificantlymoredebtthegenerationsbeforeCNBCnotedthatstudentintheU.S.hasgrownbyinthelast10years.AtTheNews,webelievethiswillbenefitagreaterofpeoplethanitwillItmaynotseem“fair”todebtorsatthispointratherearlier,butthisprogrambenefitsomanythatthepalesincomparison.AccordingtotheKentuckyforEconomicpolicy,residentswouldhaveforgivenoutoftherough616,000facingstudentdebt.moreeconomicstabilitybetterlivlihoodsforKensavingforahome,acar,keepingfoodonthetable.Theincreasingloandebtweseeingasstudentsisstagandallwereallyneedissmallamountofreliefsowenotsink.Formanystudentsgraduates,$10,000isonlyadropinthebucketfortheirAlthoughmanypeopleowethousands,thisplancertainlyastepintherightformanyacrossthe
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Editorial Board
Receiving debt shouldn’t be a challenge
Wesley Hammer/The News
We all could have a bit more empathy for people in these situations. When someone is in debt, many people say they should “pull themselves up by their bootstraps” and work for it themselves. While work ethic is important, sometimes it becomes impossible to keep up with financial obligations given the debt-to-income ratio in which more and more people find themselves.WeatThe News also believe this plan sets people up for more success after graduation. Accord ing to a statistic from intrust.org, 1 in 6 Americans has education al debt. Additionally, the current student loan debt in the U.S. is $1.6 trillion. These numbers alone are staggering, but even more so when we are reminded of the people on the other end of them.Inaddition to people finding it more accessible to pay off their debt with this new plan, their quality of life will also increase significantly. Unfortunately, student debt is not the only kind of debt people are working to pay off. Car payments, mortgage payments, credit card bills, med ical bills and other expenses are debts people across our country are working, and struggling, to pay off. The increase in quality of life will come from one less monthly bill most Americans are significantly impacted by. A 2015 Gallup poll found that Americans who graduated from college between 1990 and 2014 and who had borrowed $50,000 or more were less likely to thrive physically, emotionally or finan cially than their debt-free peers. Assistance will not only allow people to stay afloat; it will allow them to have an overall increased quality of life. Telling people to work hard for their money isn’t cutting it anymore. People have continu ally worked far more hours for far less pay. For many people working graduate-level jobs, the pay is not enough and is becom ing worse as the years go on. The ability to pay off student debt is just one issue many face, and in the state of our current economy, receiving a bit of assistance is incredibly beneficial. If we want to see people “pull ing themselves up by their boot straps” they need some income to live on. According to the National Low Income Housing Coalition, there is nowhere in the U.S. where someone working a full-time minimum wage job could afford to live in a two-bed roomDebtapartment.reliefshould not scare people into thinking they “have” to help people seeking an educa tion. Instead, it should be excit ing to help advance someone’s future in ways they had. Students now have to jump through so many more hoops just to attempt to get the same advantages the generations before them had, and it still isn’t enough. This new plan is an opportu nity to help people in need of assistance. Our generation can finally look towards affording a home and living comfortably. Those in opposition need to real ize it is not an attack, it is a way to give younger people a chance to succeed in such a polarized world.
relief
NEWSTHEMurrayState @themurraystatenews The Murray State @MurrayStateNewsNewswww.thenews.org
Student editors have authority to make all content decisions without censorship or advance approval. The paper offers a hands-on learning environment for students interested in journalism. The campus press should be free from censorship and advance approval of copy and its editors should develop their editorial and news policies. The News strives to be the University community’s source for information. Our goal is to present that information in a fair and unbiased manner and provide a free and open forum for expression and debate. The News is an independent weekly student-run newspaper pub lished at Murray State. The content does not reflect the opinions of the Murray State journalism and mass communication department.
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GAME TWO Murray State followed up game one with their second win of the season. The Racers defeat ed the Screaming Eagles 3-1 on Saturday, Aug. 27. This was the second matchup between the two teams over the weekend. On Saturday, Schwepker posed a question to the Racers before their game. He asked them how they would know if they im proved from their game on Friday.. The response he was looking for: “We’re playing the same team, so we will know if we got better.”
GAME ONE Junior outside hitter Jayla Hol combe recorded 25 kills, and junior middle blocker Darci Metzger had 20. They led the Racers in kills in their first game of the season. In the first set, Murray State fell to the Screaming Eagles 25-18.
Photo courtesy of Dave Winder/Racer Athletics
The Racers played a very clean game on Saturday, committing a total of only 17 errors. This is a substantial difference to the 41 errors the Racers committed the day prior. Schwepker said he al ways wants improvement in play.
The Racers were led by fresh men midfielders Mary Hardy and Tori Schrimpf, as each at tempted one of the three total shots on goal from Murray State. The third shot on goal was off of senior midfielder Grace Bod ker’s foot. Unfortunately for the Racers, they were 0/3 shooting.
The Racers recorded 10 kills and six errors in the first set. Then they flipped the script, re cording 18 kills and five errors. The second set was heavily con tested, but the Racers were able to go on a run started by a kill to go up 12-10 by sophomore set ter Bailey DeMier. Holcombe then scored three kills in a row.
The Racers’ dominance contin ued as they won the third set 2517. Points came in bunches as they had three three-point runs early on in the set to put them up 9-6.
The run continued after Metzger recorded a block and kill backto-back. The last score of the run was thanks to a kill from Holcombe. Murray State had 21 kills on 61 total attacks and 11 errors in the strenuous set. Despite a valiant effort, the Rac ers dropped the third set 36-34. Though the Southern In diana won the set and went up 2-1 on the Racers, Mur ray State wasn’t done just yet. The Racers willed their way back to win the fourth set 28-26. Hol combe scored seven kills in the set.
There was quite a bit of time between Cincinnati’s first goal and its next. The Racers put up a good fight but eventually allowed Cincinnati to score once more.
Schwepker commented on Nuccio and Vogel’s perfor mances in game two. He said it was a step up from game one and that they really stood out.
DeMier led the Racers in as sists, recording 43. Nuccio led the team in kills with 18, while Vogel had the second most kills among the Racers with 12. Nuc cio also had a presence on the de fensive side, totaling seven digs. Similar to their first match up against the Screaming Eagles, the Racers lost the first set 25-22.
A second Bearcat shot hit the back of the net in the 45th minute. This one was from junior forward Ellie Flow er, assisted by freshman de fender Maddie Swingle. This cushion allowed the Bearcats to coast to the end for the win.
Murray State opened its 2022 volleyball campaign strong, de feating the University of Southern Indiana in back-to-back games on Friday, Aug. 26 and Saturday, Aug. 27. This places them 2-0 to begin the season. This is the third consecutive year where the Racers have won their first pair of games. Two freshmen outside hitters, Frederica Nuccio and Ella Vo gel, impressed Head Coach Da vid Schwepker over the week end as the two finished with 29 and 13 kills, respectively.
UT Martin travels to Murray to take on the Racers at 1 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 4 on Cutchin Field.
5Sept. 1, 2022 SportS
“Everything we do is just to try to get better everyday, just a little bit,” Schwepker said. “We’re not going to fix everything all at once.”
Freshman midfielder Tori Schrimpf had one of the Racer’s only shot attempts on Sunday, Aug. 28.
As the Racers continue to try and land their first win of the season with their record now at 0-4, Murray State has an old OVC rival on the horizon.
Ronan Summers Contributing Writer rsummers6@murraystate.edu
The Racers were behind, but they were able to go up 22-19 after a run started by a kill from Nuccio. The drive was put to a halt, and the Screaming Eagles capi talized, going on a six point run. Murray State recorded 12 kills and five errors in the only set the team dropped on Saturday. The second set was the begin ning of the end for the Scream ing Eagles. Murray State had a much improved second set, win ning 25-18 after totaling 17 kills, six errors and a game high of 41 total attacks. The second set end ed after a four point run during which Nuccio had two kills.
Murray State’s soccer team traveled to Cincinnati, Ohio, to play the University of Cincinnati Bearcats on Sunday, Aug 28. The Racers fell to the Bearcats 2-0. While their defense couldn’t hold off the Bearcats’ at tack in the first half, a score less second half kept the game a bit more respectable. The first goal of the game came from the Bearcats’ se nior defender Ashley Bar ron in the 11th minute, with an assist from graduate mid fielder Brandi Thomsen.
The Bearcats had six shots on target, but senior goalkeeper Jenna Villacres was able to put a stop to four of them. In total, Cincinnati put up 12 shots com pared to Murray State’s three.
The fourth and final set was the most lopsided, as the Racers won 25-12. They had 11 kills, 30 to tal attacks and only two errors. Three University of Southern Indiana attack errors and a kill by junior outside hitter Morgan Price put Murray State up 4-0 to start the set. Price had the final kill of the match, making the final score 3-1. Miller once again led Murray State in digs, as she ended up with 18. Nuccio ended the match with a total of 18 kills. Vogel close ly followed her, scoring 12 kills. Price led her team in to tal kills with 37, followed by Nuccio with 36. DeMier fin ished the day with 43 assists.
“Both of those two did out standing on that date,” Schwep ker said. “Maybe they’ll settle down a little bit more, and I hope they do. They’re both really good players and will help us a lot this season if they keep going.”
Photo courtesy of Adit Wratsangka/ Racer Athletics Freshman outside hitter Federica Nuccio (#9) recorded 29 kills over the weekend, with 18 coming in game two against Southern Indiana on Saturday, Aug. 27.
A four point run padded their lead and the Racers were able to take the third set. Murray State recorded 17 kills on 33 total attacks in the set.
Ronan Summers Contributing Writer rsummers6@murraystate.edu
The Racers finished the matchup with six corner kicks, one more than the Bearcats’ five. The Racers also com mitted 10 fouls—six less fouls than Cincinnati’s 16.
Volleyball starts season with back-to-back wins
The run was finished off by a kill coming from Nuccio. Mur ray State won the second set 25-18 to even the score to 1-1. The third set was extremely competitive as it went to the 36th point. The Racers were able to get rolling thanks to a service error.
The Racers’ next game will be in Lynchburg, Virginia, at the Liberty Invitational. The Rac ers are set to play their first game at 11 a.m. on Friday, Sept. 2 against Winthrop University.
Murray State recorded 20 kills and 11 errors as a team in the fourth set. The score of the fifth and final set was 16-14 Murray State. The Rac ers were down 14-13, but were able to go on a run to close out the game. Metzger tied the game up to make it 14-14 after a kill and DeMier and Metzger teamed up for a block to put their team up by a point. The final point came after a Screaming Eagle attack er ror to make the score of the fifth and final set 16-14. There were seven Racer kills on 17 to tal attacks and eight errors. DeMier was busy in the win as well. She recorded 51 assists and six points. On the defensive side, junior libero Dahlia Mill er led the team in digs with 34. DeMier and Metzger led the team in blocks, both of them recording three each. Murray State’s first game of the season started off shaky, but the Rac ers were able to gather them selves in the end and pull ahead.
Soccer drops to 0-4 after losing to Bearcats
Murray State announces new athletic director
SportS6 Sept. 1, 2022
The move comes after for mer Athletics Director Kevin Saal accepted a job at Wichita State University in June. Yant ko played as a quarterback at Murray State from 2007-09 and has worked directly un der other athletics directors at the University of Missouri from 2011-17 and Universi ty of Louisiana from 2017-22. President Bob Jackson spoke to Racer Athletics about the move.
”We are extremely happy to have Nico back home,” Jackson said. “He has a wealth of experi ence at the highest level and will provide the leadership to move us forward in every respect as we transition to the MVC and MVFC—academically, athleti cally and otherwise. I state often, our best days are in front of us as we continue expanding on our 100-year legacy of excellence.” Yantko also spoke to Rac er Athletics on the day of his hiring. He said earning this honor is “a dream come true.” “This opportunity is unbe lievably humbling, considering how much this institution and what it stands for means to me and so many others,” Yantko said. “I cannot thank Dr. Jack son and the rest of our Uni versity leadership enough for the chance to return home.”
Photos courtesy of David Eaton President Bob Jackson welcomed Nico Yantko with his very own basketball jersey.
Praising Yantko at an of ficial press conference for his hiring on Aug. 16, Jack son called Yantko “one of the most passionate, hard-working and visionary athletic admin istrators that I have known.” “He will bring that here as we move to the next level and ad vance all of our programs,” Jack son said. “There is not anyone more qualified to do this work and take us to the next level.” Along with this honor, Yant ko was also named to The Athletic’s “40 Under 40” list for the rising stars in college sports. Yantko said how hum bled he was to be recognized by The Athletic in an inter view with Racer Athletics. “I have been extremely for tunate to work with amazing colleagues, coaches and student athletes at a number of out standing institutions,” Yantko said. “This is a direct reflec tion of all of these people, and I cannot wait to continue this amazing journey as the director of athletics at Murray State.” Yantko continued by saying there’s no place he’d rather be and raise his family than in Murray. “Murray State has been built on relationships, and with ev ery special moment we share together, we will continue to build and advance the Racers’ tradition of excellence,” Yantko said. “There is no higher hon or than to serve my alma ma ter in this role, and [my wife] and I cannot think of a bet ter place to raise our family.” With his most recent suc cess at Louisiana with the Ragin’ Cajuns, including fund ing over $89 million for their baseball, football and softball facilities, and plenty of expe rience under his belt, Yantko looks to take Murray State ath letics to the highest it can go. Yantko looks to lead Murray State into its new athletic con ferences starting this season.
Jakob Milani Sports Writer jmilani@murraystate.edu
Photos courtesy of David Eaton Former Murray State quarterback Nico Yantko was welcomed in as Murray State’s new Athletic Director on Tuesday, Aug. 16. He takes over for Kevin Saal, who left in June.
Big changes continue to happen for Murray State’s athletic de partment in 2022 as Nico Yant ko officially took over as Mur ray State’s director of athletics.
“The Yellow Sign,” which is Poor’s first time producing a play, is an in dependent project that aims to strike fear into audiences while exploring the medium of theater.
One of Poor’s biggest influences for “The Yellow Sign” was the writing of American author Robert W. Cham bers.“‘The Yellow Sign’ is based on the book ‘The King in Yellow,’ published in 1895 by Chambers,” Poor said. “It is a series of stories about the effect of a play … on the people who are exposed to it. They are all driven mad, in various ways, and the stories hint at a greater reality that they have been exposed to.”
fter an unusual dream, a 140page script and five years of ed iting, local physician Chris Poor brings his horror play, “The Yellow Sign,” to a live audience.
“The audition itself will involve reading lines from the play,” Poor said. “People will be given the lines and have an opportunity to read through them and prepare for as long as needed. Readings will be done in groups – we want to see actors interacting with each other, not just monologu ing.”Those interested in attending a performance of “The Yellow Sign” can purchase tickets “Thewww.theyellowsignplay.com.atYellowSign”isscheduled to be shown at 7 p.m. on Nov. 1113 at the Playhouse in the Park venue.“My hope is that everyone who attends a performance will discover something of value in themselves that will stay with them—haunt them—for the rest of their lives,” Poor said. “We hope that this will be a mem orable experience, and we are not responsible for any cases of insanity that result from viewing the play.”
The Office’s first lunch was their August Welcome Back Meal, which was sponsored by the Divi sion of Student Affairs. “As you walk in and go get your free meal, there is no obligation to stay,” Cunha said. “You can grab and go if you have class or if you have something else to do. We actually had some kind of hang around, and they got to know each other. A lot of relationships have already been built [into] friendships, which is pretty neat.” All of the students who attend ed the August lunch were able to put their names into a drawing for a Sodexo gift card. The next meal will be provided on Sept. 15 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Cunha also plans to teach on campus about the struggles of military-connected students by offering Green Zone training.
Dionte Berry Editor-in-Chief dberry11@murraystate.edu
“Murray State is among the Top 10 most military-friendly schools in the South,” Cunha said. “That’s a big Theachievement.”VAloungeis open from 7:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Mon day-Friday in Room 444 in the Blackburn Science Building.
Poor has been a resident of Mur ray for 25 years and works in the Emergency Department of the Murray-Calloway County Hospital. Outside of the hospital, however, Poor has dedicated much of his time to the arts.
“A few years ago, I started thinking about how a play could inspire fear in the audience, as compared to a movie or a written story,” Poor said. “The idea took hold, and ‘The Yellow Sign’ is the product. Through a com bination of audience interaction and innovative use of the theater space, I am endeavoring to make the audience feel that I am standing right behind them, whispering in their ears.” The creative process for his play, Poor said, was kickstarted by a dream. “People don’t believe this when I tell them, but it is true,” Poor said. “I woke one morning about five years ago, and I simply had to write. For ty-eight hours later, I had a 140-page firstFollowingdraft.” the completion of his script, he distributed it to friends and competitions. He eventually hosted a live reading for his script at the Play house in the Park.
7LifestyLeSept. 1, 2022 Local physician brings horror play to the public
Poor has been involved with many productions led by the local nonprofit theater group Playhouse in the Park through acting, set construction and costume management.
“We made sure over the summer that we went to every race or orientation, which in the past had not been done, and every tabling event [that] has happened since the semester has started to capture more students who aren’t usingAlongbenefits.”withreaching out to prospective students, the VA Office wants to bring students on campus together by hosting monthly lunches.
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“Green Zone training is a onehour course that I teach,” Cunha said. “The course teaches faculty and staff about the inside of the mind of a veteran and military dependent and learn about things that they go through that others may not have ever been exposed to.”Overall, Cunha said he wants to live up to Murray State’s reputa tion as a military-friendly school.
Lounge opens to serve veterans, dependents
“I love the arts in general and think that this is a great way to contribute to the community,” Poor said. “I love to see what happens in live theater, both the synergy of all of the talent ed people working together to create something more than they realize and the interaction with the audience to produce [the feeling of] community.”
“If a student here is a depen dent, but they’re not using VA benefits, we’re not tracking them because we don’t process any thing for them,” Cunha said.
Raleigh Hightower Lifestyle Editor rhightower@murraystate.edu
Photo courtesy of Chris Poor Tickets for “The Yellow Sign “ are available for purchase at www.theyellowsign.com.
Poor is hosting auditions for “The Yellow Sign” on Monday, Sept. 5, Tuesday, Sept. 6 and Sept. 9 at the Playhouse in the Park Annex. There are three male and two female roles open, in addition to 4-8 roles for background dancers.
Poor said “The Yellow Sign” will fol low the story of a journalist who will be writing a review about “The King in Yellow” play, but his interactions with the director and cast cause him to question reality.
After retiring from the Navy in Oc tober 2021 and taking on the role as the Veteran Affairs coordinator during the spring 2022 semester, AJ Cunha said he wanted to make a space for military veterans and dependents. The News talked with Cunha after he was hired in the spring, and he shared his plans for the space: updating the veterans’ lounge. “What we’re trying to emulate is basically what a USO [United Service Organizations] office is,” Cunha said. “It’s a place in an airport where you can show your ID card, and you walk in and just relax in between flights.” The work toward revamping the lounge started during June and finished at the beginning of the fall 2022 semes ter.“Over the summer, we were able to obtain recliners and couches that offer great seating and good study spaces,” Cunha said. “We ordered four brand new Dell computers, a new printer with free printing for everyone that is service connected [and] a 70-inch [flat] screen TV and commissioned a mural repre senting all branches of service.” A secondary space is also available as a conference room, where students can have privacy if they are doing group work or in Zoom meetings. Plans also include a kitchen area with a microwave and a refrigerator with free snacks and beverages for student veter ans and military dependents. A prisoner of war and MIA table will be set up near the entrance of the lounge to honor missing comrades and prisoners of war. “In the past, the lounge was only for traditional veterans,” Cunha said. “Now it is open to active duty, veterans and military dependents. About 65% of the students that we serve in this department are military dependents so our foot traffic has obviously increased.”Beyondthe lounge, Cunha and his team also are working to make contact with students who are military dependents, but may not be using VA benefits.
Dionte Berry/ The News
The VA lounge is located in Room 444 in Blackburn Science Building and is open 7:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Monday through Friday.
lliance, the social orga nization for LGBTQ students at Murray State, has expanded into professional development with new groups known as oSTEM and Cultivat ingoSTEMChange.is the result of a collaboration between the Pride Center and students, faculty and staff in the College of Science, Engineering and Technology. It is part of a national organization with opportunity for students to network and attend conferences with other LGBTQ students pursuing science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) across the country. The group, which held its first meeting on Thursday, Aug. 25, is advised by faculty members Jessica Moon, assistant pro fessor of wetland ecology, and Reigh Kemp, program coordi nator of the ADVANCE grant for equity in STEM. Abigail Cox, director of the Pride Cen ter, serves as a liaison to provide support from Student Affairs. In future meetings, the group will discuss various issues that LGBTQ people face in STEM, with hopes to empower students to pursue their careers of choice.
13. The Biden-Harris administration announced they will be forgiving up to $20,000 per borrower under this federal
oSTEM President Bec Cahoe said their Zoom meet ings and email correspondence with the national chapter so far have demonstrated the passion for queer representation and opportunities in STEM. “I’m looking forward to intro ducing Murray to that kind of community that I think is easy to forget exists when we don’t have someone to show us,” Cahoe said.Cahoe said they appreciate the opportunity for LGBTQ STEM majors to realize they are not alone, even in a largely heterosexual and cisgender envi ronment.“I’mexcited for LGBTQ STEM majors … getting to hear … professionals share their stories of what navigating their respective fields has been like—the highs and the lows, the reality,” Cahoe said. The mission of the nonprofit organization is to “[empower] LGBTQ people in STEM to succeed personally, academically and professionally by cultivating environments and communities that nurture innovation, leader ship and advocacy,” according to the national oSTEM website. The initiative began in Oc tober 2005, when International Business Machines sponsored the Out for Work conference at the Human Rights Campaign’s headquarters in Washington, D.C. The meeting’s attendees es tablished oSTEM as a national technical organization for LGBTQ students.
oSTEM is a national organization dedicated to LGBTQ students within the field of STEM.
Alliance has also expanded profes sional development through Cultivating Change, a group dedicated to LGBTQ students in the field of agriculture. Cultivating Change Secretary Oliv ia Martin said the group was founded because of a lack of acknowledgement of the LGBTQ community in the field. “[There are] not very many individ uals who felt comfortable [enough] for others to know that they were affiliated,” MartinMartinsaid.said her group’s goals are to provide a safe, inclusive network for all of those who wish to discuss LGBTQ issues, whether they are part of the com munity or an ally. “We focus on education, community [and] raising awareness and promote inclusion and visibility for LGBTQ individuals in the Hutson School of Ag riculture and Murray State as a whole,” Martin said. “We are a very supportive and inclusive group of individuals who are working toward not only community at Murray State but professional devel opment opportunities as well.” Murray State’s group represents one chapter of the Cultivating Change Col legiate Affiliate Program, which aims “to promote academic and professional ad vancement by empowering Lesbian, Gay, Bi and Transgender (LGBT) collegiate agriculturists,” according to its website. Students interested in oSTEM or Cul tivating Change can sign up by emailing murraystate.ostem@gmail.com or culti vatingchange.msu@gmail.com, respec tively. They can also sign up through the Pride Center. Graphic courtesy of www.ostem.org
8 Sept. 1, 2022LifestyLe
9. History was made when this woman was sworn in as the first black woman to serve on the United States Supreme Court.
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11. Director Baz Luhrmann brought a biographical film about this iconic American musician to theaters.
Shann Riley/ The News
12.program.TheU.S. Supreme Court decision Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization overturned the constitutional right to abortion established by this case.
10. This Billboard “artist of the decade” released his seventh studio album titled “Honestly Nevermind”.
7. This congresswoman took a controversial trip to Taiwan.
14. Following the outbreak of conflict between Ukraine and Russia, Sweden and Finland sought membership to this treaty organization.
3. The fourth season of this original science fiction series was released on Netflix.
1. NASA released the first set of images from this 10 billion dollar telescope.
OStem provides community for LGBTQ students
5. 24 year old R&B artist, Steve Lacy, released his sophomore studio album titled.
Ava Chuppe Staff Writer achuppe@murraystate.edu
2. The Biden-Harris administration declared this viral disease a public health emergency.
SUMMER 2022 RECAP!
2. Starring Steve Carell this film follows a 12 year old’s dream to become the world’s greatest supervillain.
6. This former Destiny’s Child member released her seventh studio album titled “RENAISSANCE”.
4. This Owensboro born actor was awarded a 10 million dollar judgment against his ex-wife in a high profile defamation lawsuit.
8. The second installment of this film series was released 36 years after the original film.
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