MTSU
SIDELINES
4// 30// 2014 E D I T O R I A L LY INDEPENDENT
Who students want to see for “546” Pg. 3 Alternative festivals to spend your money toward Pgs. 8 A final farewell from the editor Pg. 14 Blue Raider golf finish 3rd in C-USA Pg. 15
Inside the Lifeblood of Music City Pgs. 9-11
S T N E T N CO
3 NEWS 8 A&E 9 COVER 12 Features 14 OPINIONS 15 SPORTS S T A F F
Emily West >> Editor-in-chief John Coulston >> Assistant A&E Editor
Amanda Gambill >> Managing editor Sam Brown >> Sports Editor
Quint Qualls >> News Editor Connor Grott >> Assistant Sports Editor
Daniel Jansouzian >> Assistant News Editor Robert Allen >> Opinions Editor Taylor Davis >> Assistant News Editor Laurel O’Neill >> Designer
Bailey Robbins >> Features Editor Cat Murphy >> Photo Editor
Claire Osburn >> A&E Editor
Noel Heath >> Assistant A&E and Features Editor
2 SIDELINES | April 30, 2014 | www.mtsusidelines.com
Maranda Faris >> Copy Editor Leon Alligood >> Adviser
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Cover designed by Matt Masters. John Bragg Mass Communication Building Center for Innovation in Media 1301 East Main Street P.O. Box 8, Murfreesboro, Tenn. 37132 Editorial: 615-904-7648 mtsusidelines.com Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter and Instagram @mtsusidelines. Tune in Friday to Sidelines FM on 88.3 from 6-8 p.m.
NEWS Students share their thoughts on 546 By John Connor Coulston // Assistant A&E Editor With the SGA’s “546” plan raising student activities fees to help fund a “Signature Events” concert series passing by 73 percent , the question of how exactly the funds will be used still remains unknown. The fee increase will not go into effect until the Tennessee Board of Regents approves MTSU’s tuition for 2014-2015. “We have not been given the exact time of whether or not they will approve of 546,” said James Lee, SGA president. The fees will give an increased allotment to student organizations, sports clubs, student programming and distinguished lectures. But as TBR begins approval process of the bill, students are wondering what plans the SGA has for the concert series. Lee could not elaborate on what students should expect. Caroline Patton, freshman Music Business major: THOUGHTS ON 546: “I am very excited about it. I think as the funding is properly placed and the right people are in charge of the big project that they are wanting to start, it will be really positive for MTSU.” ARTISTS SHE WOULD LIKE TO SEE: “If I was thinking about this based off of who would bring the biggest crowd and the most hype about the event. I would say someone super mainstream but not the most popular artist. Artists like a Wiz Khalifa or maybe a Florida Georgia Line. But if I was planning it based off of what I think would be best for the student body at large, I would pick artists like Young the Giant or A$AP Rocky. Artists who have had a couple radio plays but aren’t the top of the food chain. I feel those kinds of artists would appeal to every type of student at MTSU.” Jordan Rickabaugh, freshman, Psychology major: THOUGHTS ON 546: “I think it’s great that it passed because it will not only allow more concerts to come to MTSU, but it will also give MTSU an opportunity to host a festival-type concert series comparable to Rites of Spring at [Vanderbilt University].” ARTISTS HE WOULD LIKE TO SEE: Coldplay, Lana Del Rey, Band of Horses, MGMT Madison Utley, freshman Music Business major: THOUGHTS ON 546: “I believe that it will get more students involved in entertainment, and it’s not a lot of money to be added.” ARTISTS SHE WOULD LIKE TO SEE: Luke Bryan, Lil Jon Josh Ciminnisi, junior RIM major: THOUGHTS ON 546: “I think it will be interesting to see how it plays out. It seems like a cool idea in theory but in the referendum they didn’t go into much detail on how the process will work. Who will decide which artists come to campus? Will I be able to see some of these signature events before I graduate? What exactly [are] considered ‘signature events?’ Is it just live performances or will it go to other aspects of student life? I guess all we can do is wait and see.” ARTISTS HE WOULD LIKE TO SEE The Head and the Heart, Bon Iver, Phoenix , Arctic Monkeys Phillip Ray, freshman Electronic Media Journalism major: THOUGHTS ON 546: “I’m pretty excited about it. I think this can really be something that can get students more involved. If more money is being put towards student activities, then I think students will feel like they are getting more out of their money. I feel it is definitely a great step in furthering student life and putting MTSU’s name out there.” ARTISTS HE WOULD LIKE TO SEE: Luke Bryan, Keith Urban Dylan Aycock contributed to this report. To contact the news editor, email Quint Qualls at news@mtsusidelines.com. Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter and Instagram @sidelines_news and @mtsusidelines. SIDELINES | April 30, 2014 | www.mtsusidelines.com 3
NEWS MTSU campus undergoing overhaul of construction and restoration By Daniel Jansouzian // Assistant News Editor With the completion of the new Science Building slated for January 2015, other ventures such as departmental moves, campus renovations and transportation projects have spread across the university over the past few months. The $147 million science building project began in May 2012. When completed, MTSU will boast a 257,000-square-foot building that will house 37 biology and chemistry class labs, two open labs, 13 research labs, six classrooms, faculty offices and numerous spaces for informal student learning and presentation areas. The new classrooms and labs will provide approximately 1,500 new student stations, according to a report by Jimmy Hart, the university’s director of news and media relations. Move-in and set-up for labs will happen in July and August for the university to meet its January deadline. While classes will be held in the building during the fall semester, some preparation will continue. “For a building of that size and magnitude, it’s a complex process, so we’ve included preparation time for equipment move-in,” said Patti Miller, assistant vice president for campus planning, in the report.
Davis Science and Wiser-Patten Science buildings Renovations are slated to begin on the older science buildings in January, and upon completion of the restoration project, the physics and geosciences departments will move into them, according to Watson Harris, director of academic planning and projects. “We’re happy to have funds to redesign DavisWiser,” Watson Harris said. “We have had a space need for a while. We’re finally going to get a little bit of release.” 4 SIDELINES | April 30, 2014 | www.mtsusidelines.com
The building is due to have a design ready in the spring. When the design is finished, the forensics department will move into the basement.
The Photography and McFarland buildings The current location of the Photography Building is in front of the new Science Building where a “quad area” will eventually be placed, according to John Cothern, senior vice president. As a result, the building is slated for demolition during the spring 2015. The McFarland Building is empty now because all previous office holders occupy the new Student Services and Admissions Center. A $2 million renovation project will be completed on the building to prepare it for the move in during winter break, and photography classes will begin in the new building in the spring, according to Hart’s report.
Cope Administration Building The SSAC also left some space in the Cope Administration Building for new offices to expand and move in. As a result, a $3 million
renovation project began inside Cope after fall break. One of the changes is the relocation of the president’s office from the first floor to the second floor on the northeast side. The provost’s office will be taking the president’s old office, giving the members of that office much needed space, according to Cothern. The business office will occupy both sides of the first floor following the renovations, which includes the restrooms, hallways, lighting and signage. The Information Technology Division will move out of the basement and occupy the old financial aid office, Cothern said. According to Hart, the project is set to be finished within the year.
Murphy Center The Murphy Center is currently undergoing a $12.64 million renovation project expected to be completed this September. The project includes renovations to its restrooms, lighting and acoustics. The center will
also receive a new roof and HVAC equipment. According to Hart, although the university’s spring and summer commencement ceremonies will not be affected by the renovations, Rutherford County high schools were previously notified to seek alternative locations for their ceremonies. Other campus activities and outside group and organizations will also be asked to find other locations for their events.
Road and parking projects Although inclement weather affected the $8.36 million street improvement project which began in spring 2013, completion is expected for this fall, according to Hart. The project will include the new roundabout at the intersection of Lightning and Champion Ways, and the widening of both roads, the new turning lane at Greenland Drive and improved pedestrian walkways, crosswalks and lighting.
NEWS
The roundabout is already open as construction continues. Campus planning hopes that the projects will improve shuttle bus efficiency and traffic flow, as well as provide new bike lanes on campus. Included in the project is the construction of a new parking lot east of the new garage and SSAC. The lot is expected to add a total of 679 parking spaces including 16 ADA spaces.
Other miscellaneous campus project Last spring the university purchased the Bell Street Building, previously owned by Middle Tennessee Medical Center. Since then, a $6 million construction project has been approved for renovations to offices to be completed by next summer. The building will hold graduate business studies, the University College, the Office
of Institutional Effectiveness, Planning and Research, the Tennessee STEM Education Center, the Aquatic Therapy Center, the Center for Counseling and Psychology Services and general classroom and training space. A design was recently approved to install a $700,000 flight simulator building at the Murfreesboro Airport at a tentative date. Earlier this semester construction began in Learning Resource Center 101 to complete a new Professional Development Center for the College of Education. This center is designed to train up to 150 K-12 student and professional teachers from the community in various workshops and seminars. To contact the news editor, email Quint Qualls at news@mtsusidelines.com. Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter and Instagram @sidelines_news and @mtsusidelines.
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NEWS Many campus interior parking lots to be reserved for on-campus residents By Mychal Wilson // Staff Writer Changes in parking arrangements on campus will create more spaces and improve convenience for students living on campus, according to Ron Malone, assistant vice president of events and transportation. Beginning fall 2014, students living off campus will no longer be allowed to park their vehicles in dormitory parking lots, allowing more spaces for on-campus residents. Several dorm adjacent lots will become red parking zones restricted to dorm residents, including the lots along Alma Mater Drive, the Judd Sims lot and the lot directly across Alumni Drive, Malone said.
the cold and watch exactly when the bus is coming.” In addition to the implementation of resident-only parking occurring next fall, the small lot outside of the Student Union Building has already been transformed to a white zone, but the larger adjoining lot will remain green. President Sidney McPhee explained in a Town Hall meeting April 16 that the creation of the new SUB white lot will improve and streamline
“I think it’s a good idea,” said Ryan Montgomery, a red parking registered senior living on campus. “I kind of think they should have done it a long time ago.” Many commuter students will likely have to park in perimeter lots as a result of the changes. Malone encourages students without red parking passes to use the campus buses. “The [bus] system is designed so that it will take no more than eight minutes to from the bus stop to their destination,” Malone said. The eight-minute trip is calculated from a very low attendance day, according to Malone. More buses run when more students are on campus, which may reduce the time it takes a student to reach his or her destination to as low as four minutes, Malone said. The university currently owns 15 buses. Commuter students can also take advantage of the new MTSU bus tracking app on their mobile devices to better coordinate their trips to campus, according to Malone. “[The bus system] is effective, and I am happy that they do it,” said Steven Saksa, a freshman basic and applied sciences major. “But at night, especially from 7:00 to 8:00 p.m., the red bus takes a very long time to get where I am and a very long time to get me where I need to be. I wish they would do a few more buses at night, because I’ve waited 15 to 20 minutes out in the cold in December and January for the bus.” To access the bus tracking app, students must select “MapIt” in their MT Mobile Apps and then touch the pin icon at the top of the screen to access the colored bus routes, which show the location of buses in real time on all four routes. “If it is raining or if it is cold outside, students don’t have to wait at the bus stops,” Malone said. “They can wait inside of the buildings out of 6 SIDELINES | April 30, 2014| www.mtsusidelines.com
the admissions and registration processes for students. Another parking garage located at the corner of Greenland Boulevard and North Highland Avenue is in the works, according to Malone; although the garage will remain vacant until damage done by vandals over the past few years is repaired. “We are very excited about implementing this plan,” Malone said. To contact the news editor, email Quint Qualls at news@mtsusidelines. com. Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter and Instagram @ sidelines_news and @mtsusidelines.
NEWS Crime briefs THEFT Campus Recreation Center April 23, 7:51 p.m. A complainant reported that his belongings were stolen from locker that wasn’t locked. DISORDERLY CONDUCT Campus Recreation Center April 23, 6:03 p.m. Authorities arrested Dewitt Marsh, 19, on charges of disorderly conduct and resisting police. VAGRANCY Cope Administration Building April 22, 11:47 p.m. Authorities obtained a trespass arrest warrant after a complainant reported that an individual who had been previously removed from campus for trespassing came to her office. ASSAULT Scarlett Commons Apartment 7 April 22, 8:20 p.m. Authorities arrested Victoria E. Jones, 23, on charges of domestic assault. ASSAULT James E. Walker Library April 22, 7:05 a.m. A complainant reported that someone bumped into her in a way that made her feel threatened. ARREST Old Main Circle April 21, 9:43 p.m. Authorities arrested Neyland Hopkins, 21, on an outstanding warrant. EVADING ARREST Keathley University Center April 18, 6:28 p.m. Authorities arrested Quavonne M. Henderson, 24, on charges of resisting police, evading arrest and criminal trespass. WEAPON Orchard Lot April 18, 11:37 a.m. Authorities referred an individual to Judicial Affairs for having a weapon on campus.
TRAFFIC Tennessee Livestock Center Lot April 17, 12:06 p.m. A complainant reported that his vehicle had been struck while parked. TRAFFIC Alumni Drive April 17, 11:25 a.m. Authorities arrested Garren D. Taylor, 20, on charges of driving on a suspended license, criminal impersonation and an active warrant out of Shelby County. VANDALISM Boutwell Dramatic Arts Building April 17, 7:19 a.m. A complainant reported that photos on a bulletin board in the BDA building had been vandalized.
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A&E
Unique summer music festivals By John Connor Coulston and Patty Greer // Assistant A&E Editor and Staff Writer
Let’s cut to the chase, Bonnaroo is expensive. While we all know and love the huge Manchester festival, sometimes, we just want a different festival experience. Here’s a list of summer festivals that you might want to hard-earned money toward:
Beale Street Music Festival (May 2 – May 4) Wakarusa (June 5 – 8) When discussing the native music genres of Memphis, country, blues, rock-and-roll and hip-hop all come to mind. The Beale Street Music Festival aims to exemplify that diversity the first weekend of May each year. The $105 riverfront festival hosts five stages including three main stages, a blues tent and the Blues Shack, which hosts a handful of intimate shows with blues legends. When you aren’t enjoying the music, you can enjoy some of the best food in the South from local vendors or carry the party over to Beale Street itself. This year’s headliners include Alabama Shakes, Kid Rock, Snoop Lion and Pretty Lights. - JCC
Shaky Knees (May 9 – 11)
Held in Atlanta, the Shaky Knees Festival features three days of the best in alternative/indie rock. In its second year, this midtown festival is still growing, but is sure not to disappoint. A $169 pass will give the ability to see more than 65 artists including Alabama Shakes, Bright Eyes’ Conor Oberst, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes, Modest Mouse and The National. – JCC
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Wakarusa is a festival named after the Native American word that actually translates into “knee deep,” if that gives you any indication about this festival. Now on its 11th year, this Arkansas festival has proved its spot in the festival circuit. Wakarusa also has a variety of art installments that seem to go with a bigger and better theme. Massive puppets, paintings and sculptures can be found all over the festival. The main names taking the four stages this year are Bassnectar, The Flaming Lips, STS9 and The String Cheese Incident. - PG
ROMP (June 25 – June 28)
The ROMP Bluegrass Roots and Branches Festival is the perfect alternative for festivalgoers looking for a different kind of line up than is usually present at most festival shows. Instead of the buzzworthy artists that fill the line-ups of Bonnaroo, Coachella and Lollapalooza, ROMP features 27 bluegrass, country and folk artists from all ranges of popularity. Held in Owensboro, Ky., this budding festival will include performances by Old Crow Medicine Show, Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder and Pokey LaFarge. - JCC
Forecastle (July 18 – 20)
Forecastle is a beautiful riverfront festival held in the middle of downtown Louisville, Ky. Founded in 2002, it has raised the bar each year for what festivalgoers can expect. To separate Forecastle from the influx of festivals that show up on the map each year, they offer unique activities. The Kentucky Bourbon Lounge is right in the middle of the festival with dozens of liquors and souvenirs for those 21-and-up attendees. For the night owls, after parties are held on a steamboat docked right next to the festival grounds, the Belle of Louisville. Headliners this year include Beck, Jack White and OutKast. - PG
Pitchfork (July 18 – 20)
When you think of a music festival in Chicago, most music fans think about Lollapalooza. But scratch that basic fest off your list and give Pitchfork a try. Put on by the revered music blog Pitchfork, the festival has provided countless entertainment from the most buzzed-about artists since 2006. Pitchfork is also one of the most reasonable festivals on the market, as a weekend pass will only cost you $120. That’s a beautiful price for any college student to get the chance to see acts like Beck, Kendrick Lamar and Neutral Milk Hotel. - PG
An inside look at the lifeblood of
Mu sic C i ty By Claire Osburn // A&E Editor
While most people are familiar with the state capital’s famous moniker, relatively few realize what being “Music City” actually means for Nashville. The city reigns as one of the top three locations for the music industry in the country, as it cuts records and creates cash flow.
According to a study by the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce Research Center, Nashville’s music industry brings almost $10 billion in annual revenue from Nashville’s metropolitan statistical area, which spans 14 counties. The industry has also generated more than 56,000 jobs, ranging from artists to record labels to marketing and promotions to manufacturing and distribution. One hundred and ninety recording studios, 130 music publishers, 80 record labels, 124 performance venues and about 5,000 working musicians call Nashville home, as reported in the same study. The musically gifted have flocked to Nashville in the form of artists, audio engineers, producers and businessmen to be a part of this ever-growing hub of music and culture. The status ensures that local venues — ranging from renowned former church The Ryman, to native favorites like The Mercy Lounge — book artists ranging from indie acts to heavy hitters, so music lovers have every opportunity to see their favorite bands play. The total outreach of the music industry is immeasurable, as it is constantly evolving with new technology, tastes and revenue streams. In today’s technology driven world, anyone with the right equipment can create and upload music from the comfort of a couch, seemingly rendering the music industry useless. So, how does the lifeblood of Nashville stay relevant and profitable? Look no further than to MTSU’s notorious recording
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industry program where many former and current students have already found success in the local music industry. Katie McCartney, a 2008 MTSU grad, currently works as the director of marketing and artist development for Universal Music Group Nashville, the country component of one of the biggest record labels in the country.
“Its our [department’s] job to communicate with management for our artist roster, to make sure we’re communicating with all the departments,” McCartney said. “We’re pretty much like the glue.” The label boasts some of country’s biggest artists, including Lady Antebellum, Luke Bryan and Keith Urban. While larger labels’ success exists more in the mainstream, it’s impossible to ignore the momentum independent labels are gaining. Joey Luscinski started interning at folk label Dualtone Records — home to acts such as The Lumineers — while he was still a student at the university. Ten years later, he’s still working at his “dream job” as the director of art and production. “We’re a really small company, so we wear a lot of hats so probably the best way to put it would be general manager,” Luscinski said of his job. In actuality, he deals with all facets of production, album artwork, manufacturing and both physical and digital distribution. Though the majors are more vocal about their successes, every type of label has their strengths. “The business is ever changing,” McCartney said. “The way I look at it, from my personal perspective, is what a major label can offer that you can’t necessarily go find independently is critical mass.” According to Luscinski, while majors may put out as many as 30 albums a year, indies put out about five. This, in turn offers their artists a more intimate album release experience. “We’re contingent on an album breaking even and then some,” Luscinski said. “The way that we’re able to do that is because of the fact that every release that we put out is a key release for that year, so we’re all hands on deck for every single release that we put out. Every release we put out is a priority.”
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More and more individuals are opting to skip the middleman all together in favor of putting out their own music and maintaining creative control.
Though McCartney, Luscinski and Belt operate on different levels of the music industry, there’s one thing they agree on — the importance of today’s most effective marketing tool: social media.
James Belt, otherwise known as “Jayme Be,” an MTSU senior majoring in music business, is one such individual.
“[Social media] is a huge part of today’s marketing, it is, dare I say, half of it?” McCartney laughed.
After moving to Tennessee from Virginia, the Kid Cudi-influenced, hiphop artist decided to establish his own label, Green Lite Rhythm, which includes a crew of fellow artists, producers and entrepreneurs.
“It’s really a one-on-one kind of relationship when it comes to marketing,” Luscinski agreed. “Social media is a huge part of all that nowadays, so its basically about growing their [the artists’] fan base over socials, be it Twitter or Facebook or Instagram, or what have you.”
“When I started learning about the way they [bigger record labels] can kind of hold you back in terms of the contracts and the way they can gain your money, they way they handle business, I was just like its just not right, especially this day and age,” Belt said. “Why would you need any of that? An indie label is just as successful, if not more successful than a major label and even if I went to a major label there’s a risk of changing my sound, changing what I do and that wouldn’t carry over.”
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Belt and his team utilize these sites to create buzz surrounding single releases and communicate with fans, stating the importance of creating an online “congregation,” rather than allowing the Internet to “isolate” them. Tactics like event promotion, partnerships with sites like Vevo and good relationships with blogs also help maintain Universal’s success, while
Dualtone has signed artists such as The Lumineers. The only sign around five artists per year, which differs froms bigger labels. Photo by Matt Masters.
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Dualtone relies on the power of live performances and Green Lite on word of mouth. “I’d rather have one out of 50 people love what I do, than 49 people say it’s okay,� Belt said. “At least odds are that one person is gonna be more than likely to tell one of his 10 friends or siblings or whatever and maybe one of their 10 friends will like it. That’s all I need is just one, and then one of them will tell someone else, so we’re looking for that niche market.�
For now that means continuing to release their Logic-recorded tracks on sites like SoundCloud and TuneCore, and playing small shows to build a following. “There’s so many things that could happen that could make this fall apart,� Belt said of his endeavors. “And yet, we stick together as friends and as coworkers, and we just roll that dice, and we’ll take what we get, and the more we put in the more we get back.� As far as the future of Universal is concerned, the powerhouse is thinking more about the big picture. “We don’t ignore anything,� McCartney said. “That’s why we have a dedicated digital department, and why we have a dedicated publicity department, and why we have people like me who are making sure new and different ideas are happening all the time and partnerships with brands.� Meanwhile indie darling Dualtone is concerned with longevity and ultimately, their relationship with their artists. “It’s something we come to the table and say, ‘Obviously, you have a great thing going, we have a great thing going, let’s put them both together, and see if we can’t make it better on both ends,’ and that’s worked out really well for us,� Luscinski said. “I can see that logic trickling up towards bigger entities as time goes on to where it’s not so much about ownership of content, but more about building careers, and hopefully that’s what we’re still doing in five or 10 years.� To contact the A&E editor, email Claire Osburn at ae@mtsusidelines.com. Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter and Instagram @sidelines_ae and @mtsusidelines. Green Lite is a newer indepedent label created by James Belt, an MTSU senior majoring in music business. Photo by Matt Masters.
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FEATURES By Jonathon Austin // Staff Writer Global Studies professor Derek Frisby and a group of six students ventured to Vietnam in March to locate the positions where nine alumni, soldiers, Marines and seamen, died during the war. “As a student I cannot imagine making the sacrifice that these nine gentlemen did. It really puts into perspective all that our veterans have done for us,” said Erica Bettross, a member of Frisby’s group and public history Graduate student. On July 19, 1968, Cpl. Prentice Bennett lost his life on a small rise during a mortar attack. Prentice, from Hohenwald, attended the university. About 20 minutes out of Dong Ha in South Vietnam, Hill 70 lies within the demilitarized zone (DMZ), and is now covered in pine trees that have been transplanted by the locals to harvest for the sap and timber. Forty-five years ago the area had a much different look as war had left the hills barren and blemished with bomb craters. On a humid rainy day, Frisby’s group drove far off Highway One on a narrow dirt road until the road turned to a path. The group walked about a mile on foot through heavily forested hills before reaching the pine-populated hillside where the grid coordinates had led them. Though the area was now more vegetated than it was the day of Bennett’s death, there was still an eerie sense that war had raged through the area sometime ago. A few craters about 15 feet in diameter still remained under moss and shade form pine tree. Willie Zavala Jr. is a Marine who served in the Vietnam War who later recalled his experiences of war in the book “Childhood Lost: A Marines Experience in Vietnam.” Zavala also trudged through the hills with Prentice Bennett and remembered the scenery as it was years
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was Camp Evans where I met up with Bravo Company.” According to Zavala, he and Bennett shared stories of home, fishing and family during the days of the war.
A continuation in a series:
Students see the
scars of war
ago. “We were walking across a barren area of hills, which are now described as heavily planted with pine trees,” he said. “All around us were different size bomb craters. Some measuring about 20 to 25 feet in diameter.” During the war, Bennett became good friends with Zavala. “[He] was actually the first one to greet me in Vietnam in November of 1967,” he said. “It
“We got to be very close, which is not uncommon in a tense situation like the one we were in,” Zavala said. Being best friends in war has its benefits, but Zavala found it makes death all the more painful. On July 17, 1968, Bennett and Zavala’s regiment came under machine gun fire on Hill 70. According to Zavala, many soldiers took cover in bomb craters when the enemy began to launch mortar rounds. Within minutes, bodies were being carried out of the craters in ponchos. Bennett, Zavala and five other men jumped into a crater together. Zavala described that moment as wanting to “melt into the dirt.” Soon after positioning in the crater, a mortar round landed in the middle of the hole. “It probably would never happen again in one hundred tries, but a rocket round landed right in the middle of the bomb crater,” he said. “All I remember was smoke, smell and a ringing in my ears. As I looked to my left, Gary Tice was dead. I then looked to my right and [Bennett] had a piece of shrapnel go through his temple.” Zavala was the only Marine to survive the mortar round that day. He originally thought that others had survived the event, but he was told years later that no one had made it out alive. “The situation is so vivid and hard to forget,”
FEATURES he said. “I guess I will never be able to forget it.� The place where Bennett drew his last breath was one of seven locations that Frisby’s group matched with the death of a MTSU alumni. Others include John Fuqua, James Howard, Kenneth Kirkes, James Luscinski Jerry Lovell and Ned Brown. The Veterans Memorial outside Tom H. Jackson Building remembers the alumni of MTSU, but the stories of some of these veterans will go untold. Presently, the country of Vietnam is very peaceful. Some evidence of war has been left behind as a reminder; however, it is mostly overgrown with plants or has been replaced with museums or statues. Frisby’s class immersed themselves within Vietnamese society in order to gain an understanding of how the war has affected the people. The students gathered different aspects of Vietnamese culture, while also studying the history of the Vietnamese War. “Before the trip I understood the war had a major impact on everyone involved, but until I arrived in Vietnam, I did not realize how much the war is still impacting the Vietnamese citizens today,� said Erica Betross. To contact the features editor, email Bailey Robbins at features@mtsusidelines.com. Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter and Instagram @mtsusidelines.
This marked tree is just one example of the destruction left by the Vietnam War more than 40 years ago. Photo by Bailey Robbins.
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SIDELINES | April 30, 2014 | www.mtsusidelines.com 13
OPINIONS A final farewell from our editor: a look back on a year at the newspaper By E.R. West // Editor-in-chief Three years ago in May, I sat on an old stool in my high school newspaper office. I did not know what life held past my days as the editor-inchief of The Edge. Little did I know that it would mean three years later I would be in the same position, leaving another newspaper after my time as editor. While at Sidelines, I watched this paper evolve and experience changes, some bad, some good. The number of copies distributed on campus has decreased each year. We changed the top of the masthead every year I have been on staff. We partnered with The Daily News Journal to help host our website and help with advertising. But none of those changes alarm me as much as watching none of you pick up a newspaper in the printed form. Chances are, even now you are reading my words off the web, either on your phone or computer. Probably because of a Tweet or a Facebook posting. You won’t pick it up. I see Sidelines stuffed on a rack on Wednesday, only to later tossed into a giant blue bin for recycling. It makes me a little disappointed, but I know you read us on the web. I read the metrics every month, sometimes daily. Last fall the Public Relations campaigns class, the capstone course in the PR program, took on Sidelines as a client. They interviewed about 200 students during the semester, and what we learned was sobering. Their analysis told us that our two biggest threats were producing a print product that “lacked appreciation,” and that students are more willing to consume media through a digital format. Of the students polled, most received their news from Facebook and Twitter. A small percentage found their news among the words on broadsheet or tabloid newspaper. Their suggestion? Go digital. And go digital only. Campus media serves a purpose. There are just some stories only the campus newspaper can produce. We cover your lives and how it intertwines with MTSU every day. That’s not something The Daily News Journal or The Tennessean can do for you. This semester, Sidelines and its staff devoted a lot of its time for you to know the important aspects of what was going on our campus and to tell the stories of everyday students. In February, we revealed resident complaints at the Aspen Heights town house complex. We told how the students were coping with high utility bills and cold apartments. Consequently, the complex reacted to your complaints. 14 SIDELINES | April 30, 2014 | www.mtsusidelines.com
We told readers of David “Ritt” Chitwood, a recording industry major who was tragically killed by a dump truck. We wrote profiles of other fallen students. We let you know when a student was murdered in his apartment complex. We were the first on the scene with MT10 News. We covered the SGA almost during all of its meetings, so you would know what’s going on. This semester we told you of a student who lives out of his van, the girl who chooses extreme sports to relax, the musical talent that flows out of this school straight to Nashville, the players and coaches who make a difference on and off the field. This past academic year we have had more than 65 people who have contributed stories, graphics, photos and videos to Sidelines. We tried to cover all the aspects of the facets of campus because its our job, but we are not doing a good job if we are continuing to produce a product in a form you will not read. We want to focus on our digital presentation because we know that what we intersect with our biggest audience. We want to create an app that’s with you all the time. You will not have to go looking for us. We will come straight to you. That’s on our wish list for the future. Sidelines cares about this campus, and the 15 members on the editorial staff are committed to the student body. We want to continue our success into the future and avoid failure, even if that means we change. Change does not always mean something has to die; it could be the very element that enhances student media at MTSU. Want to write an opinion? Email Robert Allen at opinion@mtsusidelines.com. Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter and Instagram @mtsusidelines.
SPORTS Blue Raiders cap season off with third place finish at C-USA Championship By Connor Grott // Assistant Sports Editor
The Middle Tennessee women’s golf team played in their first C-USA championship this season, resulting in a third place finish for the Blue Raiders at The Peninsula Golf and Racquet Club course in Gulf Shores, Ala., on April 23. Tulane finished in first place, shooting 856 (281-291-284) to bring home the C-USA title for the sixth time in school history and fourth time out of the last six years. The Green Wave’s Gemma Dryburgh and Emily Penttila finished second and third with scores of 211 and 213. UTSA earned second place honors with a score of 866 (286-292-288). The Roadrunner’s Fabiola Arriaga finished in first place in the 65-player field, posting a score of 207 (6869-70). The Old Dominion Monarchs (297-291-293) and FIU (295-295-291) tied for fourth, with each squad shooting 881 for the tournament. The Blue Raiders’ third place finish is the highest in program history in a threeround tournament. Middle Tennessee posted a threeround tournament score of 879 (294-297-288), surpassing the previous mark of 880 set in the 2011 Sun Belt Conference Championship. Along with setting a new school record for a score in a three-round tournament, the Blue Raiders set a new milestone with their third round score of 288, the lowest total for Middle Tennessee in a third round, while also ranking third on MT’s all-time best round list. “We played pretty solid today and had it going early,” said MT head coach Chris Adams in a statement to the MT Athletic Communications Department. “We gave a few back on the back nine, but finished pretty good with a couple of other birdies. We made a lot of birdies that got us some momentum, but we just couldn’t catch the leaders. It was a pretty good showing for our first go around in Conference USA, and I am
proud of this team for putting together three of the best rounds ever.” MT was led by sophomore Avery George and junior Allie Knight, with both shooting 71 for one-under par in the third round. George paced the Blue Raiders, finishing the tournament with a score of 218 (75-72-71) for a team-best tie for ninth place in the field. Knight tallied a score of 219 (73-75-71), finishing in a tie for 12th place. Her third-round score of 71 sets a new career-high, and marks a season-high third round score for Knight. Emily Miller shot 220 (73-74-73) and finished in a tie for 16th place in the field, posting a careerbest score of 73 in the first and third rounds. Maddie Denton logged a final score of 224 (73-78-73) for a share of 25th place, while also posting career-bests with her score of 73 in the first and third rounds. MT’s Emily Williams rounded out the Blue Raiders, tying for 31st place with a score of 226 (7676-74). Williams proved to continue the Blue Raiders’ common theme of success in the third round, tallying her lowest round of the tournament with thirdround score of 74. With the conclusion of the C-USA Championship, the offseason has arrived for the MT women’s golf team. MT will only lose one member of the team in all probability, with senior Natalie Chrisopulos being the lone player to graduate. Middle Tennessee will retain juniors Haley Cothran and Knight for the next season. Sophomores George, Denton, Miller and Williams will return as well, along with freshmen Samantha Gotcher and Lacie York. To contact the sports editor, email Sam Brown at sports@mtsusidelines. com. Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter and Instagram at @sideline_sport and @mtsusidelines. SIDELINES | April 30, 2014 | www.mtsusidelines.com 15
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