MTSU
SIDELINES
2// 26// 2014 E D I T O R I A L LY INDEPENDENT
Community calls for no more violence Pg. 4
Student radio disc jockey success Pgs. 6-7
Horse catharsis Pgs. 12-13
Faith and tragedy Pg. 14
LOCAL MUSIC SCENE Pgs. 9-11
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3 6 A&E 9 COVER 12 Features 14 OPINIONS 15 SPORTS NEWS
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 >> Assistant A&E Editor
Noel Heath >> Assistant A&E and Features Editor
2 SIDELINES | Feb. 26, 2014 | www.mtsusidelines.com
Maranda Faris >> Copy Editor Leon Alligood >> Adviser
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NEWS Community rallies to ‘stop the violence’ Story and photo by Daniel Jansouzian // Assistant News Editor A group of students and Murfreesboro community members held a “Stop the Violence” campaign last week in Patterson Park in light of recent violence across the city. “This is just to get the word out about what’s been going on around here and put some ideas together about how to put an end to it,” said Rydell Mayse, a member of Swag Game Alumni, the organization that hosted the event. Swag Game Alumni is a community organization that puts together programs like Stop the Violence to bring communities together and encourage young people to make wise choices. Collegiate Swag is the on-campus organization that does the same thing for MTSU students. Among the audience were members of three families affected by recent violence in the Murfreesboro community. The mothers of Andre Chesterfield and Latre Lillard, the 19-year-old victims of the Old Fort Parkway Wal-Mart homicide, and Zakkiyya Shakir, mother of Mikal “Coogi” Shakir, the 20-year-old MTSU student victim of the Stones Creek shooting Feb. 10. The three held each other in an embrace as James McCarroll, pastor of First Baptist Church, said the closing prayer over the families.
for hope because they are the ones who can bring change.” Kenneth Hall, Swag Game Alumni’s CEO, said that he travels around the country trying to help people get their lives back on track. “We try to bring the fun back,” he said. “Because people do bad things when they’re bored. People have to have something to do.” He said he came up with the organization’s name by just putting the three words together. “I was just freestyling it,” he said. “Swag is how you feel about yourself and alumni because we’re graduating from a child to a man.” Hall also has a youth organization he calls Young Game Swag. He said one thing he wishes for Murfreesboro is for there to be more events to have “the Word” together and inspire each other. “We pray in and out of our meetings,” he said. “We try to keep God in what we do because we can’t do it without him.”
“Not knowing them, but being struck with the same tragedy the same way has brought us together,” said Kesha Chesterfield, Andres’ sister. “It’s a positive thing that’s happening now in the middle of the negative. I hope we have made new friends for life.” McCarroll spoke a message he hoped would remind students their lives are important. He handed each member under the pavilion in the park a green wristband that read “My Life Matters.” He said that he believes young people lack affirmation, and he wants to encourage them to find it in positive things, not in drugs and crime. “We need one person to be the one that chooses to make a positive impact,” he said. “What happens to one of us affects all of us — we all bring seeds of change.” Zakkiyya said that she has chosen not to question God through all of this. She believes her faith has gotten her through the hard times. “I’m not angry. I’m not bitter,” she said. “Just think positive, because what you think is what comes out as an action.” Zakkiyya said that Mikal was a very positive person, and everyone he met was his friend. “I’m hurt very deeply,” she said. “But I always look toward the youth SIDELINES | Feb. 26, 2014 | www.mtsusidelines.com 3
NEWS White House finds on-campus sexual assault to be a particular problem By Quint Qualls // News Editor One in five women has been sexually assaulted while in college, a January 2014 report by the White House Council on Women and Girls found.
course where women are taught defensive techniques and how to spot possible threats.
“The dynamics of college life appear to fuel the problem,” reads the report, “as many survivors are victims of what’s called ‘incapacitated assault:’ they are sexually abused while drunk, under the influence of drugs, passed out or otherwise incapacitated. Perpetrators often prey on incapacitated women, and sometimes surreptitiously provide their victims with drugs or alcohol.”
“We teach in a closed setting to put the ladies attending at ease and also to discourage men from watching the techniques we teach,” Thompson said. “The techniques are a mixture of several martial arts techniques that are simple to learn but highly effective, such as defenses against chokes and grabs as well as how to counter an attack to get away to safety.”
The latest crime statistics by MTSU Public Safety indicate that 25 forcible sex offenses have occurred on campus and in student residences from 2009-2013. On Jan. 23, a victim reported that she was sexually assaulted in Corlew Hall by an acquaintance in the early morning hours of Jan. 20, 2014.
Thompson said that some tips to prevent sexual assault are to avoid low-lit or non-lit areas whenever possible, travelling with as many friends as possible and to avoid certain people or areas that give off an uneasy feeling.
Only 12 percent of student victims report sexual assault to law enforcement, the White House report found. Underreporting results primarily from confusion and embarrassment on the part of the victim. “Often rapes go underreported,” said Barbara Scales, director of the June Anderson Center for Women and Nontraditional Students, “because people are embarrassed, trying to figure it out, in shock or concerned that no one will believe them.”
“That uneasy feeling is probably a basic instinct telling you that something may not be right,” Thompson said. “Last but not least, let someone know where you’re going and when you get there and have local police department numbers programmed in your phone for quick access.” 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.
Campus perpetrators are often serial offenders, according to the White House report. One study found that 7 percent of college men admitted to committing rape or attempted rape, 63 percent of whom admitted to multiple offenses, averaging six rapes each. One way that the issue of on-campus sexual assault is being dealt with at MTSU is the Rape Aggression Defense course, which is taught by Field Training Officers Kyle Thompson and Adam Wortman. It is a 9-12 hour
“
That uneasy feeling is probably a basic instinct telling you that something may not be right. Last but not least, let someone know where you’re going and when you get there and have local police department numbers programmed in your phone for quick access. –Kyle Thompson, Training Officer
4 SIDELINES | Feb. 26, 2014 | www.mtsusidelines.com
“
age at the time 35-44 years old of rape victimization 25-34 years old
NEWS 45 years and older 1.70 percent
10 years and younger
4.50 percent
14.20 percent
11-17 years old 18-24 years old
29.90 percent
37.40 percent
12.30 percent
Data courtesy of the National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survery (2010)
ARREST Greenland Drive Feb. 21, 10:10 a.m. Murfreesboro Police reported to MTSU Public Safety that on Feb. 20 they arrested Charles D. Nixon, 38, for assault, public intoxication, resisting arrest and possession of drug paraphernalia. DRUGS Nicks Hall Feb. 20, 3:35 p.m. Authorities found drug paraphernalia in a dorm room and referred the student to Judicial Affairs for further action. WARRANT Business and Aerospace Building Feb. 20, 9:40 a.m. Authorities arrested Saidov Mokirjon, 26, for an active warrant for violation of a restraining order.
DRUGS Womack Lane Apartment L Feb. 20, 8:16 a.m. Authorities issued Adrian Martin, 28, a state citation for simple possession of a Schedule VI drug and possession of drug paraphernalia.
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DRUGS Womack Lane Apartment A Feb. 20, 12:50 a.m. Authorities confiscated drug paraphernalia from a residence and referred the individual to Judicial Affairs for further disciplinary action. ASSAULT Faulkinberry Drive Feb. 18, 4:26 p.m. Authorities responded to a verbal altercation between two individuals. Although neither party was physically assaulted, they each said that they felt physically threatened.
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A&E
hanging out on The left side of the dial By Noel Heath // Assistant A&E and Assistant Features Editor “The Justin Reed Show,” a country-bluegrass segment broadcasting on 88.3 WMTS, has grown tremendously in popularity since first airing two years ago. The show’s host, electronic media communication management major Justin Reed, was recently nominated for a golden microphone in the “Best Live Music” category of the Intercollegiate Broadcasting System awards to be held in New York. On March 20, TJRS will host a special public broadcast event in the Reading Room of the Center for Popular Music featuring live music by Match Records recording artist Luke Caccetta, songwriter Becky Hobbs and Stephen Wade, author of “The Beautiful Music All Around Us: Field Recordings and the American Experience.”
Beginning in bluegrass Reed began his broadcasting career in the fall of 2011, after coming across a WMTS flyer advertising an informational meeting. He attended and shortly thereafter began an internship with the station. His first season of TJRS aired in the spring of 2012 and has been going strong ever since. Before developing the strong liking for the country and bluegrass genres Reed has today, he typically only heard contemporary pop and country music. Upon gaining an interest, he started listening to country more in-depth and discovered a significant and melodious history. “I realized country music didn’t start in 1991,” Reed said. “There’s so much good stuff. Not that the new stuff isn’t good, because it is, but if you’re just looking at country music from 1991 to now, you’re missing out.” And while he’s still a George Straight and Garth Brooks fan, TJRS is dedicated to sharing the country of the past and features country and bluegrass dating back to the earliest known recordings in 1924.
Tuned In Once TJRS began gaining active listeners and recognition, people began referring alumni and artists the school had relationships with to Reed’s show.
6 SIDELINES | Feb. 26, 2014 | www.mtsusidelines.com
Photo by Matt Masters.
His current list of prominent guests ranges from Country Music Hall-ofFamers to cartoonists. Erin Enderlin, a recent guest, is an MTSU grad that has written songs for popular country artists Lady Antebellum and Alan Jackson. Keith Fisher,
A&E another MTSU grad, is the general manager of the Grand Ole Opry, and has also starred on the show.
Perhaps the first step toward that goal will be when he accepts a golden microphone from the IBS on March 6 in New York.
Reed likes to think that his show could also serve as a launching pad for newer country/bluegrass artists. He’s had several up-and-comers play live music on TJRS that have had listeners tuned in from California to the Netherlands.
“A good friend once told me, ‘Knowledge is power and power corrupts.’ So study hard, be evil and take over the world. Y’all come see us when you can at The Justin Reed Show Thursday mornings from 7 until 10 [on] 88.3 FM, Murfreesboro’s Home for Country Music,� he said.
Murfreesboro’s Mary Grace Williams, for example, made her first radio debut on his show this month.
To contact the A&E editor, email Claire Osburn at ae@mtsusidelines.com. Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter @ Sidelines_AE and Instagram @sidelines_ae.
Reed takes pride in knowing many of his loyal listeners by name, and they call him regularly to request their favorite tunes. “I have some people call me when they’re upset, and they want to hear a Hank Williams song or something along those lines,� he said. “It’s slow and almost painful in a way, but it helps them cope and heal.� Many of his callers simply want Reed to pick his favorite song by their favorite artist. Without caller ID, you can never really know who is on the other line. “It could be somebody that just had someone leave their life, or somebody that just got engaged or someone sitting in traffic that just wants to talk,� Reed said. “I try to pick a song that might go along with what they’re going through.�
Photo by Charles Norwood.
Making music Reed’s personal music collection consists of somewhere between 15,000 and 20,000 songs. Of those, 684 are on CDs and 1,230 are on vinyl records. He prefers using vinyl and CDs on TJRS show versus digital for two reasons. The first is that he prefers the digital artwork and informational background a physical copy can provide. The second is adding to his vast collection of signatures. “It’s a whole lot easier to get an album cover signed than a digital copy,� Reed said, as someone who has collected artists’ autographs for quite some time. Between his two other jobs of making balloon animals and preaching on the weekends, Reed can be seen in the studio cracking jokes or singing songs. As for future plans, he and his fiancee are getting hitched in August, and with show’s success, his future is looking brighter than ever. “I’d like to be an announcer on the Grand Ole opry one day,� he said. With his current success and passion, that’s certainly a possibility. 71
SIDELINES | Feb. 26, 2014 | www.mtsusidelines.com 7
A&E
Latest Todd exhibits display student and regional works
By Dylan Aycock // Staff writer Two exhibitions featuring work from Nashville art galleries and current students are now open in the Todd Art Gallery. The second Nashville Art Gallery Expo opened Feb. 19 and features works from the Arts Company, Cumberland Gallery, Ground Floor Gallery, LeQuire Gallery, Seed Space and Zeitgeist Art Gallery. “We’re trying to showcase the community around this year to [show] students and faculty and other workers on campus that this kind of artwork is available in our community,” said Eric Snyder, gallery director. The expo is returning to MTSU after a successful run in 2011. “It is our second time to do this show,” Snyder said. “It was so successful we decided to do it again on a recurring basis.” Art professor Robert Durham’s “Angle of Repose,” an oil painting of a young woman reading, was a selection from Cumberland Gallery. In addition to the Nashville Expo, the 2014 Spring Juried Student Art Exhibition can be viewed in Todd Art Gallery room 210. The exhibit features selected works by university students. Rocky Horton, Nashville-based artist and educator, was selected as this year’s juror. While a record number of applicants entered this year, only 12 works selected by Horton are displayed. “It’s a student-led, student-run gallery,” Snyder explained. “I work with them, give them options and update them on what we’re doing in the department ... they kind of go through the whole experience of how to put the publicity together, how to hang the show, how to take it down, be ready for the receptions. Those kind of things.” The Spring Juried Student Art Exhibition is open until March 6. The Nashville Art Gallery Expo will be open until March 13. Events are always free and open to the public Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. To contact the A&E editor, email Claire Osburn at ae@mtsusidelines.com. Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter @Sidelines_AE and Instagram @sidelines_ae. 8 SIDELINES | Feb. 26, 2014 | www.mtsusidelines.com
Listen Local: Murfreesboro acts to please your ears
COVER
By John Connor Coulston // Assistant A&E Editor With Nashville a short drive away, Murfreesboro is often overlooked when searching for bands on the rise. However, thanks in part to the university’s renowned RIM and music department programs, the ‘Boro’s reputation for producing up-and-coming artists eager to stake their claim in the music scene continues to grow.Here’s a look at a few head-turning bands either based in Murfreesboro or who got their start here. These interviews are spoken in a collective voice.
Glossary
This five-piece band of university alumni has been churning out projects since forming in 1997. They’ve released seven albums of southern indie rock together with no plans of stopping.
Members:
Bingham Barnes: bass Todd Beene: pedal steel, guitar, vocals Eric Giles: drums Joey Kneiser: vocals, guitar Kelly Kneiser: vocals, percussion
Sounds like: “[We’re] influenced by every type of American music — soul, country, classic rock, indie rock, R&B. Our sound is a reflection of that, so it’s tough for us to identify with a very specific genre. We’re just rock and roll.”
Inspiration: “I’m sure in the beginning it was as simple as being
inspired by specific bands we loved and wanting to create music that made other people feel the same way. Murfreesboro was an inspiration, in our early years as a band — being in a small town, needing to feel something bigger than our surroundings. I think the experience of being in the band in general has inspired us, too, the feeling that we have things to say and music to make, and that we do that best together.”
On performing: “The connection we feel to our audience is the
best part. We have been fortunate to meet amazing people over the years that we’ve toured; fans who have become our friends. Playing a great show with your band mates and knowing the audience is experiencing it with you is amazing.”
Current Focus: “We’ll be recording our eighth album later this
year. Our next tour stop is the South by Southwest festival in Austin, Texas, in March.”
In a year: “[We’ll be] touring in support of that new record. We
toured Europe for the first time last year, and, hopefully, we’ll be back there when our record is out.”
Other local artists to check out: The Acorn People—blues/punk Awake! Awake!—alternative rock Copper Into Steel—bluegrass/folk Jeremy Robertson and the Class Action—indie rock Josephine and the Wildfront—indie rock Little Moses—indie rock Luke Caccetta—country Oh! Grandpa—blues/funk/rock Ryan Kenney—singer-songwriter That’s My Kid—blues/rock Vann—R&B
Where to listen: Bandcamp and glossary.us SIDELINES | Feb. 26, 2014 | www.mtsusidelines.com 9
COVER
Groove Cirquet
As their name implies, Groove Cirquet is a four-man band — three of which are a part of MTSU’s RIM program — full of grooves and funky sounds. After a standout set at Music in the Middle, this group’s ambitions are set on recording an album and spreading their jams across the country.
Members:
Island Wren Often seen in the Quad during the warmer months, Island Wren is a five-piece folk group featuring four senior audio production majors. With a new Kickstarter-funded EP on the way, 2014 looks like a promising year for this local bluegrass outfit.
Members:
Chris Godley: vocals, mandolin, banjo, acoustic guitar Ben Godley: vocals, acoustic, electric guitar Cole Maness: drums, banjo Camille Faulkner: vocals, fiddle Parker Deal: vocals, bass
Sounds like: “[We’re] a group of friends that derive their unique
Jeremy Stinson: vocals, keys Angelo Comella: lead guitar, vocals Mitch Knabe: bass, vocals Chris Duane: drums
Sounds like: “We would describe our sound as a mash up
between the soul-funking jams of the Red Hot Chili Peppers and the aggressiveness of the Foo Fighters’ in-your-face attitude with a touch of our own groove that we find to be unique in its own way.”
Inspiration: “Inspiration comes to us from experiencing moments
together, partying with our friends and having an all around good time. We try not to take life too seriously.”
On performing: “Our favorite part of performing live is the
ability to be 100 percent ourselves onstage. People can see through the bullsh– these days. We are all pretty goofy guys, and we let that show when we are up there.”
sound from combining different styles of music, catchy melodies and engaging vocal harmonies. Rooted in the folk and bluegrass styles of Appalachian music … Island Wren is a one of a kind listening experience.”
Current focus: “We are currently gearing up for several studio
Inspiration: “Our music is created by daily reflections. We write
In a year: “We will be on tour around the states. Living in the van
what we need to hear and believe other people need to hear it, too. We are inspired by the people around us and want our music to show the steps and struggles of living for one another rather than ourselves.”
On performing: “Our favorite part of performing is when we play unplugged on campus and get to meet new people through our music.”
Current focus: “Our current focus is our debut EP release, Foun-
tain, which releases March 4, and the EP release show at Bonhoeffer’s here in town on Thursday, Feb. 27. A large portion of it was funded with the help of many MTSU friends through a Kickstarter campaign.”
In a year: “We hope to see Island Wren playing more shows in
Nashville and expanding throughout the southeast region with the help of our new record.”
Where to listen: Noisetrade 10 SIDELINES | Feb. 26, 2014 | www.mtsusidelines.com
sessions at MTSU over the next month with a couple of their graduate producers/engineers. After that we plan on taking our music to Nashville and the surrounding areas for more people to hear.” no matter how sweaty and smelly it gets, it’s all in the experience.”
Where to listen: Facebook and ReverbNation
Minona
While this alt-rock band consists of only two members, they take their cues from acts like the Smashing Pumpkins and Cage the Elephant instead of The White Stripes and The Black Keys.
Members:
favorite part of performing is the energy it gives us, the reaction of the crowd, and it gives us a chance to express ourselves and have other people express themselves with us.�
Current focus: “Our main
Greg Dowling, is a RIM major at MTSU. He’s a freshman.�
focuses right now are writing new [songs], recording them and eventually start touring, hopefully, by the summer. We’ve been playing venues across Murfreesboro, and now we’re heading into Nashville.�
Sounds like: “Our sound has a
In a year: “We hope to have
Dylan Wilson: vocals, guitar Greg Dowling: drums
Background: “Our drummer,
lot of punk and blues influences, but we consider ourselves alternative rock.�
Inspiration: “Just the good
and bad impacts we’ve had in our lives, and the passion it creates in our hearts.�
COVER
On performing: “Our
our full album successfully released on a relatively wellknown label ‌ and touring the country. Maybe play at some festivals like Music in the Middle, Wakarusa [and] Bonnaroo.�
Where to listen: ReverbNation
Mogli the Iceburg Hip-hop is generally underrepresented in Murfreesboro, but this junior marketing major, Jacob Horenburg, is one of the few MCs working to expand the scene.
Sounds like: “I would
definitely describe my sound as alternative hip-hop; there is a hip-hop root that I always incorporate in some way, but I put a lot of electronic ambience and indie rock into my production as well.�
Inspiration: “Everything
which is proving to be my most ambitious project in every area. The album is very content heavy, with the theme being the difference of perspective of what I always dreamed of/aspired to, and the reality of how I now feel when so many of my dreams are within arm’s reach ‌ The album is mostly finished, but we are working very hard on the business front to make this album as successful as it deserves to be, and aren't hoping to release it until August 2014.
in my life inspires me to make music, and the listener sees that reflected in my lyrics whether it’s my relationships, struggles, conversations with friends or my faith.�
In a year: “Hopefully a year
Current focus: “I am cur-
Where to listen: DatPiff,
rently working on finishing up a new album, DREVMCVTCHR,
from now, I will have the foundation paved for touring this album after my graduation in May 2015. I can get right to my dream career.� iTunes, SoundCloud and YouTube
 �
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SIDELINES | Feb. 26, 2014 | www.mtsusidelines.com 11
FEATURES Trading concrete for pastures By Melinda Lorge // Contributing writer
Steep hills, winding turns and picket fences mark the back roads that take pre-med student Katie MacFarlane to her second home at Old Hillsboro Manor Farm in Franklin. “I don’t live here; I live in Brentwood,” she said contently. “But I spend a lot of time here.” A green sign labeled “Horses Boarded” overlooks a gravel path to a giant field. This is MacFarlane’s safe haven nestled in Williamson County. She pointed to a horse named James, galloping freely in the field. “I’ve had him since he was 5; he’s like a kid to me,” she explained. “I know him like the back of my hand, and he knows me. We get along so well, and he’s my best friend.” MacFarlane started riding at 8-years-old when horses became her main source of stability. She took after her mother, who introduced her to her first lesson. Today she competes across the country in dressage, a competitive equine sport where horse and riders have to perform a series of predetermined movements in the ring. “It only took two lessons and I was like, ‘This is what I’m supposed to do,’” she said. “I had a natural way with them, so it just blossomed from my mom’s love, and now it’s something we get to do together. We really enjoy it.” Love for large creatures became a source of therapy for MacFarlane throughout the years. Riding from urban to rural MacFarlane came to Tennessee in 2001 when her father was relocated after the impact Sept. 11 left on New York. On that day, she remembered being in a fourth grade classroom and can recall the look of panic on her teacher’s face. She and the others were told to sit in the classroom and wait, while faculty members met in the hallways.
12 SIDELINES | Feb. 26, 2014 | www.mtsusidelines.com
“We were dismissed early, and we did not hear from my dad until late into the afternoon,” she explained. “We were left for hours without knowing where he was.” Her father’s job was located just blocks from the towers. Shortly after the attacks, his company decided to move the headquarters elsewhere. “[They] offered my dad [the option of] Trenton, NJ, or Nashville, Tenn.,” MacFarlane started. “Nashville was a better choice for our family.” The transition was difficult for MacFarlane, who had a strong connection to the concrete jungle and her New York adopted horse, Sullivan. Though she wasn’t able to bring the tall buildings and urban sounds to the South, MacFarlane was fortunate enough to bring her horse along. This helped her transition from urban to rural. “Sullivan was my world, and my riding career … is what it is because of him,” MacFarlane said fondly. He was her source of familiarity in new surroundings and her only connection to the city after the attacks. “At first, I didn’t have any new friends, yet I still had Sully,” she smiled. “Horses really helped me through that change in my life … I love and trust them so much because I was able to rely on them when my social world was so rocky.” Competing with passion Victory through ribbons and photos are written on the walls of MacFarlane’s bedroom. She has greatly proven her love and accomplishments from the many awards she has received throughout years of competition.
FEATURES “The first wall is my most valuable ribbons, and the second are some blues from various shows,” she said pointing to the photos. Now, MacFarlane has transitioned her love for horses into a love for dressage competitions. MacFarlane, a third-level rider, learned the basics from Sullivan, but learned how to compete in dressage with Leo, her second horse. She compared dressage to a ballet for horses, which involves graceful, concise movements much like the delicate dancers. In 2008, she won 5th place at a Georgia third-level dressage regional competition. “Competing is like the icing on the cake when you’re equestrian” MacFarlane said.” The highest level of dressage is Grand Prix, which MacFarlane hopes to accomplish in the future. To prepare for Grand Prix, MacFarlane must compete eight to 10 times per year.
Whether it’s competition or compassion, horses have helped MacFarlane transition through some of her most difficult times in her life, and so she plans to someday help them transition through their early years of retirement. “My ultimate goal is to be able to one day have a retirement home to keep old horses,” MacFarlane said. “They are just like old dog’s when they are in their golden years. People will pay the price for a young pretty horse, but not the old ones. The old horses have shining personalities because at that age they are stuck in their ways. I have a way of seeing a horse for what they are and knowing mentally where they are at.” MacFarlane plans to keep riding and learning from the creatures. “I’ve been thrown off in every way possible,” she started. “I’ve been kicked, bitten, bucked — I’ve been all of the above, and it doesn’t stop me at all.” To contact the features editor, email Bailey Robbins at features@ mtsusidelines.com. Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter and Instagram @mtsusidelines.
SIDELINES | Feb. 26, 2014 | www.mtsusidelines.com 13
OPINIONS Faith: the best antidote for tragedy By Daniel Jansouzian // Assistant News Editor In addition to five student deaths this semester, the Daily News Journal reported the number of known homicides in Rutherford County through February of this year already equals all of 2013. This chilling fact has left Murfreesboro residents calling for an end of violence on social media sites, and organizing stop the violence events in local parks. As a journalist, it also affects me because I have an obligation to share the stories of young lives that ended too soon with the public. It’s a delicate balance, being human first and a journalist second when reporting such cases. I will never forget trekking campus to report on Ritt Chitwood’s death last month. Chitwood died in a pedestrians/dump truck accident. I will always remember the gratitude the student’s family expressed because student journalists honored their brother and nephew by telling his story. That alone makes the hours of work, lack of sleep and grief for a fellow student more than worth it. These tragedies raise the question: how do students deal with the loss of a fellow classmate? After all, there seems to be a trend throughout the country, not just at the university. The Tennessean printed Monday, Feb. 17, that police charged Charlie Pittman, a Union University student, guilty of shooting his fiancee, Olivia Greenlee, on Union’s campus Feb. 11.
This strong faith in Jesus Christ has gotten me through personal tragedies and has kept me sane while reporting and learning about five of my peers’ deaths within a month’s time. I believe Jesus is the only one who gives comfort and peace when everything else seems to fall apart.
Other reported deaths include the body of missing Florida State University student, Ryan Uhre, found on the roof of a Tallahassee building and University of Pennsylvania freshman, Madison Holleran, jumping to her death in January.
That’s why I encourage all students to find faith if they haven’t already to give them comfort in a difficult time. Plug into a group that gives each other support in good times and bad.
It seems impossible that students will hear of deaths so close to home and not feel some kind of connection, even if they do not personally know the student involved in the tragedy. Common emotional reactions include anger, sympathy, hurt and depression. They may start to reflect upon their own lives and how fragile time seems. College students in their late teens and early 20s still feel so young; I know I do, and yet our young lives can end so quickly. When emotional stress begins to arise, don’t just brush it aside. Address it and search for answers. Campus has grief counseling services, numerous religious organizations and caring faculty, staff and fellow students to talk to. For me, I always find strength in my faith. Despite being raised in a United Pentecostal Church, I questioned it and tried to turn away on several occasions, but I could not ignore the feeling deep inside that I had something that was grounded and true. 14 SIDELINES | Feb. 26, 2014 | www.mtsusidelines.com
I am not saying the hurt will go away, and I am not supporting blind faith or faith as a crutch. I am only sharing what has helped me. Believing in something bigger than oneself and pursuing that belief until a solid faith is established is important to the well being and personal stability of a person. In addition, a support group is vital for someone going through a tragedy. A victim may not immediately seek out support, but eventually they will need it, and that is the most important duty of a faith community: to be there for those who need love and support. So, in these difficult times, I encourage students to find something to believe in and find others to offer support to make it through. Want to write an opinion? Contact the opinions editor, Robert Allen, at opinions@mtsusidelines.com.
SPORTS “I think [my parents] were more excited than I was,” Rollins laughed. The Thursday before the game, Rollins learned he would be attempting the shot from his father, Kelly. “He called and said ‘Hey, you’re gonna be taking that half-court shot,” Rollins said. “I was like, ‘No I’m not. Don’t lie to me.’” Immediately, he headed to Murphy Center to practice his shots with a friend. Rollins said he tried 10 shots that afternoon. He missed every one. “It’s bad luck if I hit one. If I hit one, I won’t hit one when it counts,” he said, laughing about his afternoon practice. After he sank the shot, Rollins turned to face his mom, dad and sister, Kelli, standing on the court behind him. “I was just overwhelmed that I actually hit the shot,” he said.
From zero to 10,000 at halftime By Maranda Faris // Copy Editor
Within days, videos taken by Kelli were uploaded to her brother’s Facebook page. When Rollins arrived home that night, he said his friends were there waiting. “They were more happy than I was,” Rollins said.
Clad in a gray T-shirt, black jeans and a ball cap, G Broc Rollins faces a basketball goal alone in a crowded stadium. The ball in his hand bounces seamlessly. The announcer to his right calls his name for the audience to hear. “G, best of luck. Here’s your $10,000 shot,” says the announcer to his right. His voice echoes throughout the stadium on Feb. 8 at the Blue Raiders game against Tulane. As Rollins steps up to half-court line, he poises for the shot. The ball leaves his hands, sailing across the court. That is how Rollins won $10,000.
The thought that he might not win the $10,000 never crossed his mind, he said. “I was just thinking about how I was gonna shoot it,” Rollins said. “I don’t expect to not succeed.” The next morning, Rollins said that he was in shock. Rollins plans to use the money to pay for school. To contact the sports editor, email Sam Brown at sports@mtsusidelines.com. Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter and Instagram @mtsusidelines and @sidelines_sport.
‘I dont expect to not succeed’ Two days before the day Rollins life changed, the 19-year-old got a call from his mother, Cindy. “My mom had text me probably a week before to say, ‘Hey, text this number and say ‘hoop’ to enter for a contest to get to shoot a half-court shot for $10,000,’” he said. The marketing major listened to his mother. At halftime that Saturday, he walked onto the court. Within minutes, he was $10,000 richer.
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SIDELINES | Feb. 26, 2014 | www.mtsusidelines.com 15
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