Before jumping into the heat of what I have to say, I ask you to read this lengthy column in its entirety. There is a job offer at the end. It’s important.
Thank you.
A show of activism
I would like to say that I am impressed.
Over a week ago, someone or more went into Faculty Hall and stamped over the “this building has been named … ” plaque, a written address, if not a proclamation.
The address was directed toward the Murray State administration, saying their actions are “cowardly and alarming.” Whoever the author or authors of this proud document are, they strike the leaders of this University with the image and accusation that they’ve “chosen to bend the knee to the Trump Administration.” The address challenges the University has done this rather than protect and “stand up for its students.”
The address was also sent to members of the administration, as well as key faculty and staff, and also leaked to The Murray State News.
This show of activism, I must say, is rare nowadays. Even under some anonymity, it is not every day we get a person with some guts to challenge an institution, be it a government, university or some other form with power.
Especially when, and what I find fascinatingly interesting, in this address of condemning the University administration were the words from a Murray State News article. The author(s) attack the University with words from a partial quote said by Abigail Cox, director of Oakley Resource Center and Student Lounge.
“I don’t think the names of these spaces will solely dictate their future effectiveness,” Cox said.
The exact article was about the state of DEI initiatives at Murray State University, and the “facelift” they were doing in response to recent legislation, written by my predecessor, Ania Delaney Boutin, as a senior writer.
I recommend reading this article before continuing.
https://murraystatenews.org/203335/news/dei-programs-undergo-facelift/
The address, because of this, then poses a series of questions to the administration, further highlighting the accused, alleged cowardice. To surmise them, the University is asked how can they be trusted after these actions? How can they expect students to trust them now?
With all of this said, all of this in mind and because of this show of activism—I would like to say I’m impressed.
But because of the blatant mischaracterization of Abigail Cox, as well as the misinformation this address puts out, and its wrongful villainization of Murray State University’s administration, I can only express my disappointment.
Disappointment I share with myself as I believe I am responsible for allowing the opportunity for someone to do this. This article’s first appearance, as well as Cox’s words, were in the last print edition of The News for this academic year. I designed that page as it appears in the physical publication.
The initial fault / mischaracterization of the director
When the story was put on the page, with the picture and proper attributions, there was leftover space at the end. To remedy this, a blown-up size of a quote was made and placed in the middle of the story, filling the space. To be clear, what this does is it takes words already in the print, copies them, and then like I said, literally blows them up in a larger size. It’s called a “pull quote.” Its function is to act as an attention grabber.
However, I did not like the original quote it was first made with, as I felt it would’ve unnecessarily and negatively dramatized the subject of the story. Instead, I took a partial quote of something Cox said. Something I believe was a good summary of the article itself, where the story was, and made that the pull quote.
Note that the pull quote is literally in between the whole of what she said, at the end of the first row and the start of the second.
“I don’t think the names of these spaces will solely dictate their future effectiveness,” Cox said. “I believe the people in those spaces play the most important role in success, and I have the privilege of working with some of the most incredible students on this campus.”
Furthermore, in the article, Cox said everything is relatively unchanged, except the particular honors such as the Lavender Graduation. “Cox said despite recent changes, the Oakley Resource Center and Student Lounge will continue to serve students,” the article said.
I would not have expected that some individual or individuals looked at this blown-up, half a sentence and then acted on it, without reading the actual bulk of the article. This resulted in the mischaracterization of Cox as I mentioned prior. And for which, as I was informed of it the same day as the situation, she received considerable grief over.
Upon hearing this, I emailed her personally to apologize and explained my fault in this as I just have to you. Cox replied that she’s not looking to hold anyone responsible, but for students to know this:
“My only concern is that students know that I am for them and as long as I am on campus, they will have someone here to help them in any way that I can,” Cox said. “I know there are a lot of people hurting and frustrated. I am among them.”
Cox said she believes she serves students best by taking what she has available and making it work for students. Cox said she hopes they will see that and know it is sincere.
The misinformation and villainization
As for the University “bending the knee to the Trump Administration,” this is misinformation. While that connection can be easily made to Donnie and the Red Brigade in the White House, he’s not responsible for this; the Republicans in the Commonwealth of Kentucky are.
The recent legislation in question was House Bill 4. The importance of this fact is that this was the “Anti-DEI” law in the state of Kentucky. With its passing, and Murray State University being a public institution, we are required to comply—unless we get around it.
It’s to my understanding that colleges nationwide are doing what Murray State has done already. Specifically, the renaming or “facelift” of DEI initiatives are the legal go-around of Republican legislatures like HB 4. By doing this, DEI is protected, with considerable loss, at Murray State University.
As annoyed as I am to say it, because any institution or administration should be and must be challenged by its people, Murray State’s administration is not guilty of what they’ve been accused of. That’s the facts.
That being said, I’m afraid I must charge whatever faux–Che Guevara character or characters and their stunt of performative activism, like performative reading as we’ve seen here, of being sensationalist and ill-equipped for calling others to action. After presenting this knowledge, I would be very sorry for anyone this stunt actually did call to action, as they have been misinformed by someone who did not read from what they militarized into their own words and goals. It’ll likely become another example of college student activism that reflects poorly on the better work done by others and their peers.
Note this, we mustn’t dwell on mistakes or regrets forever. Many of our spirits are, in these hard times, either crushed or broken or amputated or even missing. So, if we burden ourselves, then often we kill whatever is left. This is critically important for what I have to say next, as I’m about to give you a job offer.
Moving forward with opportunity
In the TV series, “SAS Rogue Heroes,” Major Paddy Mayne says to his general during World War II, after declaring his unit’s proud, drunken antics, tactics and insubordination, he says something worth remembering. “If I hadn’t made that wee speech to your face when I had the chance, sir, I would have regretted it,” Mayne said. “And, being an impulsive man, I cannot afford regrets.”
Moving forward, I would like to reiterate that, despite these failings, someone did try to make an example and stand up for others against power. That is more than anyone can say, much less, actually do. That example, especially in this nation now, is more valuable than gold and oil.
That takes guts.
But to fight the good fight, there needs to be more than guts—guts have to be applied to something. There needs to be work, acts of serious accountability and a commitment to win. A spotlight has to shine on those who work in the dark, who make those in the light suffer—but the spotlight needs someone to man it.
If that sounds like something you’re interested in, I have a job offer for you. Work for The Murray State News.
You want to cover stories on local, state and national issues and write about the city council, amendment changes and state assembly races? Great, you can do that.
You want to comb through the disrepair or lack of maintenance on campus and inform the wider public? You can do that, too.
You want to look into Murray State lobbying for good law changes in Frankfort to allow a veterinarian school, or even government activities in general? You can also do that.
You want to write the stories of displaced students in freezing weather, barred from entry into their dorms in the middle of the night, by the University during a power outage? Those students need you to do that.
You want to interview the candidates and front runners for the Student Government Association election, then handle the subsequent upsets following that election involving judicial hearings, fabrications of claims, voter disenfranchisement and alleged outside involvement from former advisers and current state representatives?
It is your responsibility to your peers, to the state of democracy in which this system takes place, that you follow this story without fail. It is your purpose that you, whose job is to find the truth, let no person in this story be held without accountability. It is your moral obligation to make the facts known to the public and participants of the following election, so they can make an informed decision.
These stories are highlighted examples of what I’ve had to cover in the short time I’ve been at The News. It’s rewarding, and it’s annoying. Most of it is just sending emails. Sometimes sitting in really long or super short University meetings or sessions you don’t care for. Other times you encounter serious internal corruption, or harsh and damaging weather conditions threatening the total academic ability of campus.
Then, on a random Tuesday, you have to try contacting ICE to know if they actually pulled someone off campus. That’s the norm.
If you can’t write very well, newswriting is designed to be simple, you’ll do fine. If you’re afraid of talking to people, your fear keeps you from doing great things, but emails resolve most of the introversion. If you can’t read whatsoever, I do not know how you made it to college, but I can hardly do that as well so don’t worry.
If you’re someone interested in doing good things and good work, then I expect to see you in the newsroom, 111 Wilson Hall for the first writer’s meeting of the 2025 fall semester. Contacting us is easy as well, just take a glance at TheNews.org, or you can directly email me or Zach Simmons, Editor-in-Chief, for more information.
River Murt, News Editor.
Zach Simmons, Editor-in-Chief.
This is the good fight I have to offer you.
Otherwise, I expect any demonstrations of protest or activism or what have you in the future to be spectacular and effective and well done, if not flawless.
You may hold it in your heart that college is just another playground for you to still grow up in. That might be true for some of you, but many more want to make a difference, for better or worse. I ask regardless that you do better, at least something good.
