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September 5, 2019 | Vol. 94, No. 2

Funeral plans made for Sam Ratledge INSIDE Megan Reynolds Editor-in-Chief mreynolds12@murraystate.edu

Murray State student Samantha Ratledge, 22, was celebrating her Labor Day weekend with friends Sunday out on Kentucky Lake when she fell overboard around 8 p.m.

Riding on a moving pontoon boat with no life vest, according to the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife, Ratledge fell overboard after crossing the front safety rail. Despite stopping the boat once she fell, the other six people on the boat could not find her.

Kevin Kelly, the chief information officer at the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources, said James T. Nance, 49, of Calloway County was operating the boat.

Nance was taken to the Calloway County Jail and

found the young woman.

After days of searching, Ratledge’s body was recovered Tuesday at noon. Ratledge fell overboard near Paradise Resort around mile marker 48 and was found just south of this area. An autopsy was performed on Wednesday in Madisonville at the Medical Examiner’s Office.

Ratledge, a Scott City, Missouri, native, was pursuing a degree in occupational safety and health.

An athletic young woman, she ran track and field and played softball in high school.

“The University community extends its thoughts Photo Courtesy of G David Ratledge II Facebook page and prayers to Samantha’s family during this very difFuneral services for Samantha Ratledge will be Saturday, Sept. 7. ficult time,” Shawn Touney, charged with boating under reported to the scene and director of communication the influence. searched through Sunday for Murray State, said.

Many agencies, including evening and all of Monday. the Kentucky Department It was the Calloway see page 2 of Fish and Wildlife, County Fire-Rescue who

RATLEDGE,

KYTC engineers find hole in road page 2 Mass shootings increase at an alarming rate page 3 Soccer to take on SEC schools

page 5 Cinema International undergoes changes

page 6 Index News Opinion Sports Features

page 1 page 3 page 4 page 6

Colton Colglazier/The News

Students vocalize concerns about Wi-Fi Daniella Tebib News Editor dtebib@murraystate.edu

Mackenzie O’Donley/TheNews Murray State redshirt sophomore quarterback Preston Rice celebrates with his teammates after a touchdown.

Rice looks to lead by example Nick Kendall Staff Writer nkendall1@murraystate.edu

From high school standout to redshirt freshman to starting quarterback, Murray State’s redshirt sophomore Preston Rice has been ready to compete against fierce collegiate competition for the last three years.

Rice attended Wayne County High School, a small school in Waynesboro, Tennessee, that has just over 300 students enrolled.

While there, Rice received runner up for the class 1A Mr. Tennessee Football

Award his junior year and won the award his senior year.

Rice said he was overlooked in high school despite his success. For most of his senior year, he never received a scholarship offer from any team, he’d watch his teammates get offers one after another.

Rice started to lose hope.

Then, on Dec. 11, 2016, right after an all-star game, Head Coach Mitch Stewart offered him a scholarship at Murray State and Rice accepted right away.

During the summer of 2017, Rice learned he’d been redshirted. It was a move by

Coach Stewart that Rice didn’t understand in the beginning, but he has since learned it was the best thing for him.

“Freshman year was definitely tough,” Rice said.

“Adapting to everything like coming from high school being a superstar, then coming here and being the little guy on the totem pole and the guy that’s never going to play. But it was probably the best thing for me, just being able to find myself and understand what college football’s about, just finding out that you got to get to work.”

,

see RICE page 5

We’re three weeks into the semester, but some students are having issues connecting to the Wi-Fi. Laura Castleberry, assistant director of information systems service management, said students can connect to two different Wi-Fis when on campus. On the residential side, students should connect their devices to ResNetWireless and then register their devices on the registration page which can be found on TheNews. org. On the academic side of campus, students should connect to MSUstudent with their network login information.

Students can have up to five devices registered on

ResNetWireless, but they can connect unlimited devices to MSUstudent.

Despite following these procedures, some students said they have still experienced some issues.

Sarah Yeckering, junior from Owensboro, Kentucky, said every time she tries to log in, her information is incorrect.

“My phone connected to the Wi-Fi instantly using the same login credentials, yet it does not work on my laptop,” Yeckering said. “I know others experiencing the same issue.”

Castleberry said students may be experiencing issues because of their network login. Students might also have issues because network passwords expire after

,

see WI-FI page 2

Autumn Brown/The News

News

2

September 5, 2019

RATLEDGE

WI-FI

To those needing assistance, University Counseling Services can be contacted at 270-809-6851.

Faculty and staff looking for assistance can contact the University’s Employee Assistance Program at 800441-1327.

Ratledge’s visitation will be Saturday, Sept. 7, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The funeral will take place the same day at 3 p.m. Both the visitation and funeral will be held at Kelly High School in Benton, Kentucky. A short graveside service at Unity Baptist Church will follow.

Ratledge’s father, David Ratledge II, made a special request in regards to his daughter’s funeral.

“In lieu of flowers, we would like to request a donation be made to the Calloway County Fire and Rescue in Kentucky,” David said in a Facebook post.

“They are in desperate need of upgraded sonar equipment so that no other family has to wait as long as we did to find our baby girl. They are 100 percent volunteer and work off of donations. Please reference Samantha on your donation.

Thank you.”

For those who want to donate, donations can be sent to the Calloway County Fire-Rescue.

120 days and must be reset.

Network login information can be changed on students’ myGate accounts.

Some students said they had to resort to using their personal hotspot because they weren’t able to connect to the student Wi-Fi. Madison Hillberry, sophomore from Elizabethtown, Kentucky, said she dealt with Wi-Fi complications since she has arrived on campus.

“I couldn’t get the Wi-Fi to work until last week, so I had to use my own hotspot even when I was on campus,” Hillberry said.

However, Hillberry said she was able to fix the Wi-Fi after receiving help from a friend.

“I had to force my computer to forget the network, because it wouldn’t allow me to re-enter my information,” Hillberry said. “But, since then, my Wi-Fi has been working.”

Students that continue to have problems with the Wi-Fi should contact the service desk. The service desk can be reached at 270-809-2346 or msu. servicedesk@murraystate. edu. Students can also stop by their office on the 3rd floor of Applied Science North during regular business hours.

From Page 1

Best pizza? coffee? breakfast? place to cure a hangover? bookstore? student organization at Murray State? place to work on campus? healthcare provider? place to study on campus? place to nap on campus? bar? live music? local band?

From Page 1

Brock Kirk/The News The Kentucky Transportatoin Cabinet found a hole along a frontage road across from Roy Stewart Stadium.

KYTC engineers find hole in road Staff Report The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet and the City of Murray worked with the City of Murray Public Works Department to excavate the site of a sinkhole along a frontage road near U.S. 641 across from Roy Stewart Stadium on Wednesday, Sept. 4.

Over the weekend, someone reported what appeared to a hole the size of a volleyball in the pavement at an entrance to a frontage road off U.S. 641 near Cracker Barrel.

Murray Police responded to the site and determined there was a void beneath the pavement. The entrance was closed by the Public Works

Department for further investigation.

KYTC engineers conducted a detailed investigation on Tuesday, Sept. 3, and found it was not a sinkhole.

Plans from the 1980s indicated there was a large drainage pipe beneath the asphalt.

Engineers learned upon further investigation that there are three large drainage tiles that connect under the roadway at the site, which likely date back to the 1970s.

Engineers believe a small leak at the interesting point eroded soil beneath the pavement over many years, creating a hole that was 22 feet deep and about 40 feet in diameter.

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The materials have been ordered to repair the leak.

A crew will be on site early Thursday, Sept. 5 to complete the repair and start back-filling the excavated area.

A paving crew is expected to start work by Friday, Sept. 6.

Keith Todd, public information officer for the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, said he expects to reopen the entrance to the frontage road by the end of the day on Sept. 6.

Motorists traveling U.S. 641 northbound should be alert for trucks entering and leaving the roadway at U.S. 641 mile point 8.5 just north of Chestnut Street in Murray.

Our View

September 5, 2019

3

Mass shootings increase at an alarming rate The staff editorial is the majority opinion of The Murray State News Editorial Board.

Last month, 53 people died in mass shootings.

It began Aug. 3 with 22 people killed in El Paso.

Less than a day later, nine died in Dayton, Ohio.

August ended with seven people killed in Odessa, Texas.

Mass shootings have become a trend. Some no longer make the news because it is simply another violent day in America.

The Gilroy Garlic Festival shooting on July 28 was overshadowed due to two deadlier mass shootings that occurred less than a week later.

Before the Columbine shooting in 1999, the average amount of time between each mass shooting was roughly six months.

Between the Columbine and Charleston shootings, this decreased to every two and a half months. After the 2015 Charleston shooting, it decreases even more to one almost every six weeks.

People live in fear that

they or their loved ones will be next.

A person’s location no longer matters when it comes to mass shootings.

They now happen in the most mundane of places like the supermarket or highway.

No easy solution exists for stopping mass shootings. The country is constantly divided in solving this issue, but when people cannot come together, the result is inaction. Doing nothing is unacceptable.

This is a problem rooted within people. It’s also a delayed discussion about mental health and gun control. We need to peel back the layers behind shootings that stem from societal issues.

Mass shootings have been the product of hate crimes.

The manifesto of the El Paso shooter is an all-too-familiar tale of targeting victims based on race. The Charleston shooter was a white supremacist target-

ing one of the United States’ oldest black churches.

The political atmosphere is paving the path for racist hate crimes.

Walmart announced on Tuesday that its stores will stop selling handgun ammunition and short-barrel rifle ammunition as a result of the recent mass shootings.

They also requested that their customers stop carrying guns into stores that still allow open carry.

The discontinuation of certain ammunition is a step in the right direction, but this is a Band-Aid to

the heart of the issue. The Dayton shooter purchased his automatic rifle-style pistol online legally, and had it shipped from Texas to Ohio. The Odessa shooter had previously failed a gun background check and did not go through a background check for the gun used Saturday.

Both states do not ban the purchase of military-style rifles. They also allow large-capacity magazines, which allow shooters to fire many rounds before having to reload. Gun regulation, which is not equivalent to

Autumn Brown/The News

confiscation, is the solution.

Further, the country must change how it deals with mental health. People no longer want to talk with one another face-to-face.

Asking for help is much more difficult in a society that is becoming increasingly apathetic.

Historians will look back on America and remember the large number of mass shootings. Future generations will recount how this country continuously allowed them to happen.

Megan Reynolds Daniella Tebib Claire Smith Gage Johnson Cady Stribling Editor-in-Chief

News Editor Features Editor Sports Editor

Opinion Editor mreynolds12@murraystate.edu dtebib@murraystate.edu csmith110@murraystate.edu gjohnson17@murraystate.edu cstribling1@murraystate.edu

Editorial Board

Bryce Anglin David Wallace Production Manager Chief Copy Editor

zanglin@murraystate.edu dwallace15@murraystate.edu

Kalea Anderson Elizabeth Erwin

Chief Videographer Public Relations Manager kanderson29@murraystate.edu eerwin1@murraystate.edu

The News welcomes commentaries and letters to the editor. Submissions should be 600 words or less, and contributors should include phone numbers for verification. Please include hometown, classification and title or relationship to the University. The News reserves the right to edit for style, length and content. No anonymous contributions will be accepted. All contributions should be turned in by noon on Monday of each week via email to mreynolds12@murraystate.edu.

Connor Dame Brock Kirk Ad Sales Manager Photo Editor

cdame2@murraystate.edu jkirk11@murraystate.edu

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Dr. Stephanie Anderson Online Manager Adviser

joneill4@murraystate.edu sanderson37@murraystate.edu

Contributions to The News are the opinion of the author and not that of The Murray State News. The News is a designated public forum. 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.

Contact Us 2609 University Station Murray State University Murray, Kentucky 42071-3301 TheNews.org

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 prepared and edited by students and is an official publication of Murray State University. The first copy is free. Additional copies are available for 25 cents at 111 Wilson Hall.

Sports

4

RICE

From Page 1

“It’s not just about being physically gifted, you have to be there mentally every single day and compete every single day,” Rice said.

“My redshirt year helped me figure that out.”

Rice, for the most part, spent his next year on the sidelines again. He did play in all 11 games, but only after the outcome of the game had been decided.

Rice scored the only Racer touchdown of the game on a 25-yard rush in the Sept.

15, 2018 loss against the University of Kentucky in Lexington.

Now that Rice is the starting quarterback, Stewart expects him to help lead the team and win games for the Racers.

“This offense goes as the QB goes,” Stewart said. “He has to be productive, he has to be smart but he has to be able to take risks and know when those are smart risks and when those are not smart.

He has to be able to throw the ball to the guys with his color jersey on and not the guys with opposite color jerseys on.”

Last Thursday, Rice made his first start as a Racer and picked up 170 passing yards on 21-of-30 attempts and to go along with 50 rushing yards in the 59-20 victory against the University of

Pikeville.

Rice appreciates everything that small Wayne County has done for him.

Every aspect of his hometown helped shape him into the person and player he is today.

“People say Murray’s a small town—Wayne County is a whole different type of small,” Rice said. ”We have one red light in that town.

And then your view, you’re on this pedestal where you’re the guy, you’re the best player, you know, not only in Wayne County, but in the surrounding counties there.

To come here, it’s honestly a humbling experience to see guys that are on the same level as you and understand that you have to raise your game to be better than these guys now. And by doing that, like I said previously, you just have to go to work and compete. That’s all it is. It’s a mindset, really.”

Rice plans to use this new mindset to help the team be the best it can be and lead by example. “(I) just have to be the hardest worker,” Rice said.

“Just go out there and let your teammates see how hard you’re working and let them feed off of you more than anything, you know.

And just continue to motivate those guys and help the guys around you play to their best potential. And by doing that, I have to do the same.”

September 5, 2019

THE MURRAY STATE NEWS ATHLETE OF THE WEEK In his first start for the Racers, Rice completed 21-of-30 passing attempts for 170 passing yards and two touchdowns. He also ran for 50 yards on 11 rushing attempts to help Murray State Football defeat Pikeville 59-20.

Preston Rice

Sophomore Quarterback Football

Gage Johnson/The News

Sports

September 5, 2019

Photo courtesy of Richard Thompson/TheNews Freshman forward Lily Strader takes a shot against the Indiana Hoosiers.

Soccer to take on two SEC schools Gage Johnson Sports Editor gjohnson17@murraystate.edu

After a substantial home win against Indiana University and a tough road loss to Northern Kentucky University, the Racers will take on the University of Missouri and the University of Mississippi in the toughest stretch of their non-conference schedule.

Murray State at Missouri The Missouri Tigers have gotten off to a hot start to their 2019 campaign, going 4-0. The team’s most recent win came against Xavier University with a double-overtime 3-2 victory. The Racers suffered a similar fate, but took a 4-3 loss against Xavier in their season opener in double overtime.

Its impressive start to the season has earned Missouri 23 votes to put them just outside the NCAA Top 25 in women’s soccer.

The Tigers offense averages 2.0 GPG and is led by sophomore forward Julia Cisneros who has four goals on the season.

Head Coach Matt Lodge says the team is going to have to bring its A game because Missouri is going to come right at the Racers’ defense relentlessly.

“They’re very physical and they’re very athletic,” Lodge said.

“They have a forward who can absolutely fly, so we’ve got to control our backline really well. They’re going to smash the ball in behind and they’re going to make us make mistakes, so we’ve got to make sure we clean things up and I think we can really exploit them on the counter-attack.”

5

We have special prices on drinks!

(Monday and Wednesday)

Murray State vs. Ole Miss The matchup with the Rebels will be a familiar one as the two faced off last year when Ole Miss snagged a 3-0 victory at home.

While Lodge said the team’s main focus is its first game with Missouri at the time being, he knows that Ole Miss won’t be an easy game.

“They’re going to be solid,” Lodge said. “They’ve already played SEMO and beat them and beat a good Minnesota team. So they’re going just as good if not better than last year’s team. Both teams this week are receiving votes, so we’re going to have to step it up.”

Murray State will see a familiar face on the Rebels in Murray-native junior forward Channing Foster. Foster was selected to the All-SEC Second Team in 2017 and 2018 respectively.

This also marks the second Power5 school to visit Cutchin Field this season. Lodge said that this is the product of the respected program they’ve become over the years, but also tips his hat to schools willing to leave the comfort of home.

“They could get anyone to go to their place and they’ve stepped out of their comfort zone and come and play us at our place where we’re historically good,” Lodge said. “I think it’s something we’ve built here. Our RPI’s been good enough that even if a team comes here it’s a good win and it’s not a terrible loss.”

When and where: The Racers will hit the road to take on Missouri at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Sep. 5 and then look to secure their second home win of the season against Ole Miss at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Sep. 8 at Cutchin Field.

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Features

6

September 5, 2019

Cinema International undergoes changes Claire Smith Features Editor csmith110@murraystate.edu

Cinema International has been a unique part of Murray State’s culture for over three decades. Hosting the program in the Curris Center Theatre gives students and the community a cinematic experience right on campus.

Thérèse Saint Paul, director of Cinema International and an associate French professor, has been running the program for the last three years.

The program has a long history at Murray State, beginning over 35 years ago, the program is one that is enjoyed not only by students but also the community.

When construction began on the Curris Center the theatre was built with Cinema International in mind.

“Dr. Curris was the one who donated the money to create the Curris Center and in the Curris Center he wanted a cinema, a real cinema; with soundproof equipment,” Saint Paul said.

The theatre also featured a 16 millimeter projector to give audiences a complete cinematic experience.

The program has changed directors several times over the years as faculty members retire and the program changes hands.

Saint Paul has run the program for the last few years. She has made a few changes but also kept several of the traditions.

“I’ve personally made some changes,” Saint Paul said. “I tried to give more visibility to the program because it was really something that some people knew and a lot of people didn’t know about.”

Richard Thompson/The News Cinema International undergoes changes to its schedule.

She began placing colored posters around campus, advertising on WKMS and posting announcements on TV screens throughout campus.

“We’ve always had a tradition of showing 10 movies,” Saint Paul said.

“Sometimes we’ve shown 11 movies.”

The showings run for 10 to 11 weeks each semester on Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. in the Curris Center Theatre.

This semester there have been some changes to the program.

“The Curris Center has made changes to the reservations, as per this semester, and has cut us down by one day,” Saint Paul said.

The first two showings took place on Thursday and Friday and for the rest of the semester they will be hosted on

Office of Institutional Diversity, Equity and Access (IDEA) 103 Wells Hall ! Murray, KY 42071 270.809.3155 ! 270.809.6887 fax ! 270.809.3361 TDD www.murraystate.edu/idea

Murray State University Non-Discrimination Statement Students, parents, employers, and the general public are hereby notified Murray State University endorses the intent of all federal and state laws created to prohibit discrimination. Murray State University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, age, veteran status, or disability in employment or application for employment, admissions, or the provision of services and provides, upon request, reasonable accommodation including auxiliary aids and services necessary to afford individuals with disabilities equal access to participate in all programs and activities.

In particular and without limiting the preceding and pursuant to and consistent with the requirements of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and its regulations 34 CFR 100 et seq.; Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and its regulations 34 CFR 104; Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, 20 USC 1681 et seq., and its regulations 34 CFR 106 et seq; and the Age Discrimination Act of 1975 and its regulations 34 CFR 110, Murray State University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, handicap, or age in its educational programs and activities. This non-discrimination in education programs and activities extends to employment and admissions and to recruitment, financial aid, academic programs, student services, athletics, and housing. Murray State is required by Title IX and 34 CFR part 106 not to discriminate on the basis of sex and the prohibition against sex discrimination specifically includes a prohibition of sexual harassment and sexual violence.

Examples of prohibited sexual harassment and sexual violence can be found in the “Policy Prohibiting Sexual Harassment” which can be accessed via the link referenced in Appendix I. Programs available include: Accounting; Advertising; Agricultural Science; Agricultural Science and Technology; Agriculture; Animal Technology; Applied Physics; Art; Biology; Business Administration; Career and Technical Education; Chemistry; Civil and Sustainability Engineering; Civil Engineering Technology; Clinical Psychology; Communication Disorders; Computer Information Systems; Computer Science; Construction Management and Architecture; Counseling; Creative Writing; Criminal Justice; Culture and Language Studies; Earth and Environmental Sciences; Economic Development; Economics; Education Administration; Electromechanical Engineering Technology; Elementary Education; Engineering Graphics and Design; Engineering Management; Engineering Physics; English; English Pedagogy; Exercise Science; Finance; General Experimental Psychology; General Studies; Global Language; Graphic Communications Media; Health and Physical Education; History; Human Development and Leadership; Human Services; Industrial Technology; Information Systems; Integrated Studies; Interdisciplinary Early Childhood Education; International Studies; Japanese; Journalism; Learning and Behavior Disorders; Liberal Arts; Library Media; Logistics and Supply Chain Management; Management; Manufacturing Engineering Technology; Marketing; Mass Communications; Mathematics; Middle School Education; Music; Music Business; Music Education; Nonprofit Leadership Studies; Nursing; Nursing Practice; Nutrition and Dietetics; Occupational Safety and Health; Occupational Therapy; Organizational Communication; P-20 and Community Leadership; Physics; Political Science; Postsecondary Education Administration; Psychology; Public Administration; Public and Community Health; Public Relations; Reading and Writing; School Counseling; Social Work; Sociology; Spanish; Special Education; Speech-Language Pathology; Sustainability Science; Teacher Education and Professional Development; Teacher Leader; Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages; Telecommunications Systems Management; Television Production; Theatre; Wildlife and Conservation Biology.

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International undergraduate students should have a minimum GPA of a 2.00 on a U.S., 4.00 scale. For international graduate students seeking unconditional admission, students should have a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college, a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.75 on a U.S. 4.00 scale, and a minimum combined GRE score defined by department.

For more information concerning the application of these provisions please contact : 1) the Executive Director of Institutional Diversity, Equity, and Access/ Murray State University Title IX Coordinator, Murray State University, 103 Wells Hall, Murray, KY 42071 Telephone: (270) 809-3155 Fax: (270) 809-6887; TDD: (270) 809-3361; Email: msu.titleix@murraystate.edu. www.murraystate.edu

Murray State University is an equal education and employment opportunity M/F/D, AA employer

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Thursday and Saturday.

In addition to the date changes the Thursday showings have been moved to the Barkley Room in the Curris Center until Sept. 26. Saturday showings will continue to be hosted in the theatre.

“That is a bit of a problem for our public especially the public that has come to be expecting a cinema experience which is unique,” Saint Paul said. “It is unique for Universities to have that kind of cinema free.”

The program has to pay licensing fees for the films shown because it isn’t only for students, it’s for the community as well.

A lot of collaboration goes into the running of Cinema International. Faculty members suggest films based on their curriculum, some film choices are based on a theme and others are collabora-

tions with other departments on campus.

Saint Paul has also began hosting discussions about each film that occur after the show.

“My goal is to increase collaboration with colleagues all over the University and the community,” Saint Paul said.

This semester the program is running a German Film Special that features four films. They have also collaborated with the music department.

Moving locations loses the cinematic experience that makes the program unique. But, Saint Paul is hopeful there can be an open dialogue about the changes.

“I’m sure if we had a good dialogue with the Curris Center and people who want to use the space we could probably come up with some happy medium that would make everybody happy and the public would retain an opportunity for culture,” Saint Paul said.

Robert Fritz, a Spanish professor, has incorporated Cinema International into his courses and lead post-screening discussions.

“Cinema International is a cultural treasure with a history going back decades,” Fritz said.

The Curris Center has “long been a loyal partner” of the program.

“I think that recent scheduling changes reflect a desire on the part of the Curris Center to further its mission to serve our community with a mix of cultural, social and recreational programming,” Fritz said.

Saint Paul is looking forward to collaborating with the Curris Center to continue bringing in visitors.

Student shares lifetime of horse riding Grant Dillard Staff Writer gdillard@murraystate.edu

The Kentucky State Fair held its annual World Champion Horse Show during the first week of the semester. One of the show’s participants, a Murray State student named Svanna Martin shares her story of how she got into horse riding that led to her competing in the show.

Martin hase been involved in horse riding all her life her aspirations for competing came about at the age of five, thanks to her family.

“I got into horse riding because of my grandpa and my dad,” Martin says.

“I started riding horses since before I could walk.”

She started out riding dressage horses and when she turned five she showed her first Tennessee Walking Horse.

Martin has two horses of her own back at home: In a Danger Zone and Fraggle Rock.

Before a show, Martin practices as much as possible at her barn, and also looks to find the right outfit to wear for showing.

Once she gets into the ring, she follows whatever instructions her trainer gives her.

“I got to participate in this particular show because of showing all year long,” Martin said. “Also I had to pay an entry fee in order to participate.

Photo courtesy of Svanna Martin Svanna Martin competes in a horse show.

Also I had to work hard all year long prior to the show to prove myself to the trainer.”

After her most recent performance, Martin’s competing days are far from over, as she hopes to pursue horse riding as a hobby far into her adulthood. Martin also has words of wisdom for those looking to get into horseback competing themselves.

“I would give the advice of never giving up and pick a horse that you love and respect and always remember to keep your head up,” Martin said.

Features

September 5, 2019

7

Alumna finds her dream job at Disney Ciara Benham Staff Writer cbenham@murraystate.edu You may have heard of Murray State alumnus and “Deadwood” actor, Earl Brown; his wife, another Murray State graduate, works behind the screen to make magic happen for The Walt Disney Company.

Carrie Brown graduated from Murray State in 1989 with a Bachelor of Science in Speech Communications and has now become the director of communications for The Walt Disney Company.

A Murray native, Brown attended Calloway County High School where she first discovered her love for communication.

“I had a great speech team coach/teacher in Larry England who taught us so much about the importance of good communications,” Brown said. “He even started a television station at our school – which I loved. Because of this, I enrolled as a Radio/ TV major and hosted a talk show on the MSU television station.”

Although originally a radio and TV major, Brown found herself drawn to the speech communications and organizational communications program led by Jerry Mayes. Brown then changed her major, finding a middle ground that she said “brought together my public speaking experience and my interest

Thursday Sept. 5: German Coffee Table

@ 3:30-4:30 p.m. in Collins Industry and Technology Center (206)

Cinema International

@ 7:30 p.m.: “Westwind” in Barkley Room of Curris

6th Annual Hutson Harvest Gala

@ 5:30 p.m. in Arboretum

Murray State Reading Series featuring Robert Gipe @ 7:30 p.m. in Curris Theatre

Friday Sept. 6: Photo courtesy of Carrie Brown Murray State alumna Carrie Brown became director of communications for The Walt Disney Company.

from Murray State to the happiest place on Earth. Before she was the director of communications, Brown was a PR spokesperson for Oscar Meyer and traveled the country in the Wienermobile.

“Oh, it was a job I relished!” Brown said, “I got to travel around the country in a 23-foot long hot dog and I met some fascinating people along the way. It didn’t matter that I had driven hundreds of

I find myself still drawing from so many of the lessons and great professors I had while at MSU. -Carrie Brown, Director of Communications at The Walt Disney Company

in business.”

Brown commends Murray State and its staff for teaching her important lessons that led to her success.

“I find myself still drawing from so many of the lessons and great professors I had while at MSU,” Brown said. “Dr. Jerry Mayes’ organizational communications courses, Dr. Bob McGaughey’s journalism courses, Bob Valentine’s communication courses, and Dr. Vernon Gantt’s career preparedness course – all of these laid a foundation for a lifelong pursuit of learning; not just about my chosen career but also my own personal growth.”

Brown didn’t jump straight

miles and was ready to check in at the hotel and get some rest. When we showed up in the Wienermobile, people wanted to see it and wanted to ask us all sorts of questions about it. We had to learn to be ‘on,’ to smile and be gracious and warm– no matter how tired we were. That was an invaluable experience.”

Brown has dreamed of working for The Walt Disney Company since college, and she loves the work she gets to do. Her primary focus is on internal communications– from writing employee announcements; to working with her team to roll out a new intranet for their segment; to partnering with senior leaders, communications and human resources

to communicate to employees about organizational goals and initiatives.

Brown advises students to use every opportunity as a learning experience to reach their goals.

“Focus on finding the right position and culture that fits with your values,” Brown said. “I’ve been blessed to work for large, internationally renowned companies as well as smaller, entrepreneurial companies. Both have advantages – and I recommend that you don’t get your heart set on one or the other. Rather, focus on where you have the greatest opportunity to learn and grow.”

Brown also encourages students to research the companies and jobs they are applying for and come in with questions.

Once you’ve gotten the job, Brown suggests to “be open to learning and don’t be afraid to pay your dues.”

“Roll up your sleeves, check your ego at the door, volunteer to take on new projects, be positive, be a problem-solver, build relationships with everyone you work with, work hard, and be open to new opportunities,” Brown said. “Make every job your ‘dream job,’ and one day you might just find yourself doing the job you’ve always wanted to do for the company you’ve always wanted to work for.”

Brown is currently excited about the upcoming launch of Disney’s new streaming service “Disney+” that will come to the U.S. on Nov. 19, 2019, and the rest of the world in the next two years.

Board of Regents Meeting @ 8 a.m. in Pogue Library

Saturday Sept. 7: Cinema International

@ 7:30 p.m. “At Eye Level” in Curris Theatre

Sunday Sept. 8: MSU Esports - LEC Watch Party

@ 10 a.m. in Collins Industry and Technology Center (231)

Tuesday Sept. 10: Tinsel Town Tuesday @ 7 p.m. in Curris Theatre

Tennis Club at Purcell Tennis Courts @ 5:45-7:30 p.m.

Chinese Coffee Table

@ 4:30 p.m. in Faculty Hall 406

Wednesday Sept. 11: Education Abroad Fair @ 11 a.m. in Curris Center

Student Government Association @ 4:30 p.m. in the Barkley Room of Curris

If you would like to see your event featured email the features editor at csmith110@murraystate.edu.

Colton Colglazier/The News

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September 5, 2019