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POETRY READING
TUESDAY JANUARY 31, 2017
The
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Immigration policies
Catherine Pierce
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THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIVERSITY SINCE 1884
Executive orders: MSU’s response by Emmalyne Kwasny News Editor
10 % affected effected effected
Mississippi State University President Mark Keenum reacted to President Donald Trump’s Presidential Executive Orders on Immigration –”protecting the Nation from Foreign Terrorist Entry into the United States”–yesterday. President Keenum addressed the international students, faculty and staff who are affected by the Presidential Executive Orders in his statement that was released. “MSU is taking appropriate steps to support and assist our international students, faculty, staff and researchers as these issues evolve,” Keenum said. “We expect more clarity to come as these issues are more fully considered.” Keenum said MSU administration is
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monitoring the effect of the order to see how the community will be impacted. Regardless of the order, Keenum said MSU’s core values will not change.
“As I have stated on numerous occasions, MSU’s core values of diversity, inclusion, tolerance, and safety for all - regardless their country of origin - do not waver or
change,” Keenum said. Sid Salter, chief communications officer and director of public affairs, said about 10 percent of international students will be affected
by the order. Out of the, approximately, 800 international students at MSU, 80 students are from one of the seven countries specifically referenced in the Presidential Executive Orders - Iraq, Syria, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen. Salter said the university is unsure how the order will specifically affect students and faculty at the moment but are trying to understand the ramifications and impact the order will make. “I think it’s rather early in the process, we’re monitoring the situation through the information available through the State Department and we’re also, like everyone else, watching the challenges to the law that are playing out in the courts,” Salter said. The university will continue to focus on the actions they are able to take in the Starkville community by providing counseling to any of those affected. PRESIDENTIAL ORDER, 3
Dance Marathon supports Le Bohneur by Shelby Poindexter Staff Writer
Mississippi State University’s Dance Marathon sponsored by the Miracle Network will
host its second annual event from 5 p.m. to 12 a.m. on Feb. 3. at the Colvard Student Union. The Dance Marathon supports the Children’s Miracle Network and the money raised will be donated to Le Bohneur
Coaching to promote literacy by Taylor Rayburn Staff Writer
Illiteracy remains a prominent problem in America as over 30 million American adults cannot read. The Mississippi State University’s men’s basketball team and head coach Ben Howland are partnering with Coaching for Literacy to diminish it. In a press release sent out last Wednesday, it was announced MSU would be partnering with Coaching for Literacy for a second year in a row. This year the MSU chapter will attempt to raise money with a raffle. MSU students can make a $5 donation to Coaching for Literacy and be entered into a raffle to win two all-access passes to the MSU versus South Carolina game that will be on Feb. 11. In the release sent out on Wednesday, Howland said he was excited to get students involved.
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Children’s Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee. Celine Brazeal, president of STATEDM at Mississippi State University, said she wanted to attend a school that had this organization. “I had the program
at my high school, I am actually from Indiana, and I wanted to attend a college that held Dance Marathons,” Brazeal said. “Last year was the first year and a couple of friends and I contacted headquarters and said we
wanted to start a dance marathon here.” The dance marathon is a seven-hour event, and participants learn part of a line dance, play fun games, receive t-shirts and participate in other various fundraisers.
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MSU police department to undergo assessment by Alexandrea Keebler Contributing Writer
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“We are excited to involve our student body in raising awareness and financial support this year,” Howland said. “Coaching for Literacy is accomplishing great things in both Starkville and nationwide.” Right now Coaching for Literacy is scheduled to have over 20 Coaching for Literacy Awareness games including the South Carolina versus MSU game. Coaching for Literacy has also partnered with schools like Ole Miss, UCLA, Colorado, Stanford, Memphis, Arizona, Alabama and many other schools across the country.
Mississippi State University will welcome a team of assessors from the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc on Feb. 13. A team leader and a team member, selected by CALEA will assess whether or not the MSU campus Police Department is up to standards in policy and procedures, administration, operations and support services. MSU Police Department Chief Vance Rice, said there are 189 standards for the level that they are being accredited for. “They will look at those 189 standards and they will ensure that one, we have policies that meet
Sarah Dutton | The Reflector
Corporal Emmitt Johnson (middle) comments on the review he is having with officer Alec Vaughn( furthest) and officer Julien Gillis (closest) in the interview room as they prepare for the Law Enforcement Assessment nearing in February.
and address every one of those standards,” Rice said. “Number two, they will be assessing and looking to see
that we are following and doing what the policies say, and can we prove we are doing those 189 policies.”
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Courtesy of The Weather Channel
Bulldogs named to AllAmerican teams by Dalton Middleton Sports Editor
With the Mississippi State baseball season starting in 17 days, the expectations are high for the defending SEC champions. With not only the team expectations to deal with, the duo of sophomore Jake Mangum and junior Brent Rooker have personal expectations they must handle. Both players were named to different Preseason All-American squads. Mangum, the returning SEC Freshman of the Year, has been named to the Baseball America second team. The award is given to him based off his superb freshman season for the Bulldogs. During his freshman year, Mangum hit .408, which was the highest in the league and gave him the SEC batting crown. Not only did he get the SEC batting crown, but he received the C. Spire Ferriss Trophy, which is awarded to the top baseball player in Mississippi. He was named ALL-SEC First Team and was recognized on seven different AllAmerica Lists. In 43 starts and 62 appearances, Mangum recorded a .408 batting average, a .458 on base percentage, .510 slugging percentage, hit one home run, three triples, and 12 doubles. After his outstanding freshman season, Mangum joined the Cape Cod baseball league and was named a 2016 Cape Cod Baseball League All Star. Not only was he named to the Baseball America second team, but he was named to the Preseason All-America second team by Perfect Game. Perfect Game has Mangum rated as No. 25 on their list of Top 100 college sophomores. ALL-AMERICAN, 2
MSU PD, 3
LITERACY, 2
Weather
Kelly Price | Courtesy Photo
MSU baseball player Jake Mangum was named SEC Freshman of the Year in 2016.
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Rooker, the returning home-run and RBI leader for the Bulldogs, was named to the Collegiate Baseball 2017 third team All-American team. After being drafted in the 38th round last season to the Minnesota Twins (1,134rd overall), Rooker elected to return to Starkville for another shot at Omaha. At 6-foot-4 and 220 pounds, Rooker hit .324 with 11 home runs, 54 RBI, 15 doubles, two triples and two stolen bases in 58 total games. In the Starkville Regional, Rooker was named the Most Outstanding Player. Both Bulldogs look to improve on already fantastic 2016 seasons and help lead MSU to Omaha this season. The season opens up on Feb. 17 against Texas Tech, who participated in the 2016 College World Series.
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STATE DM Miracle kids from Le who want to donate can Bonheur, along with their pay with a credit card via families will also attend the donation page or they and share their stories, can send cash or a check. participate in a freestyle The goal this year is dance as well as create to raise $50,000 for Le artwork that will later be Bonheur. Last year over auctioned off. There is a $20 registration fee, “It is a really fun experience which pays for that you really cannot fully dinner, a T-shirt, and the night understand until you go. It itself. Dancers are is wonderful, and last year, encouraged to not only participate when I went, it honestly in this event but fundraise as well. completely changed my life.” When a person registers to dance, an email -Abbey Hugeley, vice is automatically sent to him or president of MSU’s Dance her containing the Marathon information for his or her donor page. This page can be personalized like a social media page. The link $35,000 was raised, making can be sent out via email MSU the university to or posted on social media raise the second highest and is one of the biggest first-year donations. ways to fundraise. Those Brazeal said finding out how much money raised is always exciting. “We fundraise all year long, people donate personally, plus all of the events we host throughout the year,” Brazeal said. “We use big posters to mark how much money we raise, and at midnight at the marathon, we ripple effect our total. No one knows how much money
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we raise until the last hour.” Abbey Hugeley, vice president of Mississippi State University’s STATEDM, said the marathon is an incredible experience. “It is a really fun experience that you really cannot fully understand until you go,” Hugeley said. “It is wonderful, and last year, when I went, it honestly, completely changed my life.” Brazeal said the best part of STATEDM is the connection it has with the Children’s Miracle Network. “The direct cause and the direct impact that you make is the best,” Brazeal said. “When you donate to something, you do not always know where the money goes. Five families come and speak, so you get to see exactly what you are paying for, which I think makes people want to donate even more.” Registration is still open. The check-in time for those who register to participate is 4 p.m.- 6:30 p.m. Feb. 3 at the Student Union. Donations can continue to be made until 6 p.m. Feb. 11.
LITERACY Literacy is not an issue that is far away and can be ignored by Americans, especially for those in Mississippi. According to a 2012 and 2014 U.S. Department of Education study, America is below the international average for literacy, ranking below countries like Sweden, Estonia, the Czech Republic and the United Kingdom. Illiteracy is a problem that is easy to ignore on a college campus – a place where almost everyone has a high school degree. However, it remains a problem in America today. According to the same U.S. Department of Education study, 32 million American adults cannot read, which is 14 percent of the current population. Mississippi ranks on the bottom of almost every list when it comes to literacy and education. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, in 2003, 16 percent of Mississippi adults lack basic prose literacy skills. According to the same source 14 percent of Oktibbeha country adults lack basic prose literacy skills. MSU’s partnership with Coaching for Literacy has helped here in Starkville.
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According to the release sent on Wednesday, MSU’s partnership with Coaching for Literacy provided literacy books for 870 students in the Starkville Oktibbeha Consolidated School District. Dr. Jody Woodrum, assistant superintendent of the SOCSD, said Coaching for Literacy has helped the Oktibbeha school district. “We are very thankful for Coaching for Literacy’s support this past year,” said Woodrum “With our partnership, we hope to increase our students’ love of learning and science.” According to the Coaching for Literacy website, 64 percent of fourth-graders read below grade level and 85 percent of juveniles who become involved with juvenile court can not read. Executive Director Ryan Viner announced in the release that he was excited to partner with MSU. “We are grateful for the partnership of Rhett Hobart, Hannah Smith, Mississippi State athletics and Coach Howland,” Viner said. “They are helping Coaching for Literacy and our supporters use literacy to create a brighter future for children in Oktibbeha County.”
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PRESIDENTIAL ORDER Salter said the university wants to help each person in every way possible. “More than anything else, we want to help and support those in the MSU community who are impacted by this,” Salter said. International students bring in around $65 million to the state of Mississippi through public and private institutes of higher learning, according to the Federal Government. Salter said MSU accounts for over half of the funded research at institutes of higher learning in Mississippi. Salter said although MSU is currently unsure how many faculty are from the seven affected countries, MSU will continue with their core values. “Mississippi State has a commitment to helping everyone here feel valued and safe and to know that they matter,” Salter said. “Of course, we’re going to do everything possible as a university, to reiterate those core values and to help people through what is for many, a situation that causes them a great deal of uncertainty and anxiety. Our values are the same as they were yesterday, last week, last year.” Aside from President Keenum and Salter, MSU students have also reacted to the Presidential Executive Order by initiating a vigil scheduled for Wednesday at 6 p.m. in the Junction on MSU’s campus. The vigil, named “Beacon of Light: Vigil For Refugees, Immigrants and Muslims,” was created by Anna Walker, a secondyear veterinary Medicine This edition of The Reflector is brought to you by:
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Student. The vigil is sponsored by the Religious Diversity Organization. Walker said she thinks it is important to bring light to national issues in the local community as well to show support to those affected. “I think it is pretty easy for people to see the news and imagine that the only people being affected are people in these big cities where they are getting a lot of media coverage but obviously we have a rich community here because of the university,” Walker said. “We have a lot of immigrants and students that are studying here from other countries so I thought it would be a very important message for us to show them that.” Walker said there will be multiple people speaking at the vigil including representatives from Mississippi American Civil Liberties Union, No Lost Generation, Mississippi Institute of Peace and others. Walkers said they are asking participants to bring candles and signs to support those affected by the order. “I hope to show the people affected, from the seven countries as well as muslims and immigrants from other locations, that they are welcome here and that we will fight to ensure that they are welcome in the U.S.,” Walker said. Walker said she is working on calling senators and congressmen to tell them of her disapproval of the presidential order and encourages others to do the same. “We should be speaking up against these things,” Walker said. “They matter in Mississippi just as much as they matter in other cities.”
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This can be anywhere from assuring that the police department is being financially responsible with money to checking if an officer ensures that every person is handcuffed and searched before put in a patrol vehicle. Rice said after this onsite, the 189 standards will change to be around 400. Previously, CALEA came and did the assessments every three years. This has now changed to every four years, starting this year going forward. CALEA will change the way the assessment is done and instead of paper files being required, everything will be electronic. By being computerized, this gives the assessors easier access to online files which they can spot-check at any time. The list of standards CALEA will assess will be made available by the campus police department. The number of assessors will also be cut back with the four-year change. Instead of CALEA sending three assessors, only one will be sent at the four-year mark to check the remaining files. MSU campus Police Department has already purchased the software needed for the new change and has started to install it. The software was initially not required until the next assessment, but campus PD are ahead in that regard. To help with the
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assessment, CALEA is offering a public information session. This allows the public to give their comments or their concerns to the assessors. The session is a chance to see if the community believes that the campus PD is meeting the standards set by CALEA. The public information session will take place at 6 p.m. Feb. 14 in Fowlkes Auditorium in the Colvard Student Union. MSU Police Department Accreditation Manager Kenneth Rogers said, if for some reason, an individual cannot speak at the public information session, then they may give comments by telephone. “There is also an opportunity for people to call in if they can’t make it to the public information session. You can call in on Feb. 14 at 662-325-5503 from 1:30 p.m., to 3:30 p.m.” Rogers said. CALEA is looking for comments addressing the agency’s ability to comply with CALEA’s standards. Telephone comments and appearances at the public information session are limited to a 10-minute time slot. Comments, once written down by the assessors, will be forwarded to the commission.
Wednesday January 25, 2017 9:19 p.m. A student was arrested on East Lee Blvd. in Starkville for possession of parapernalia. Thursday January 26, 2017 9:49 a.m. A student reported his bicycle stolen from a bike rack at Griffis Hall. 3:21 p.m. A student reported his MSU Bully bicycle stolen from a bike rack at Cresswell Hall. 11:03 p.m. A student was arrested on a warrant for speeding Starkville. Friday January 27, 2016 12:39 a.m. A student was arrested in the Cowbells parking lot in Starkville for public intoxication and disorderly conduct. Saturday January 28, 2017 12:52 p.m. A student reported his vehicle burgalrized while parked at Nunnelee Hall. 8:30 p.m. A non-resident/visitor was arrested on Sorority Row for driving the wrong way and for possession of beer in a dry county. Justice Court citation was issued. Sunday January 29, 2017 11:51 p.m. An employee reported two bollards on Lee Blvd. damaged.
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OPINION
THE REFLECTOR TUESDAY JANUARY 31, 2017
Immigration policies need to be enforced by Heath Fisackerly Contributing Writer
After eight years of failed immigration policy and the failure of past administration to enforce federal law, we are finally seeing things get done. This past Friday, President Trump signed an executive order that restricts immigration from seven Muslim countries. He also ordered that refugee admittance be suspended for three months and that the refugees from Syria are barred entry to the United States indefinitely. This is a smart move by President Trump. The CIA and FBI have admitted that they do not have the technology or ability to thoroughly vet these refugees which causes a great threat to the
national security of the United States. Acts of terrorism such as San Bernardino and Orlando give the president great reason to issue these orders. Donald Trump made immigration reform and specific policies a keynote of his campaign for the presidency. According to the Visa-Waiver program, the seven countries that currently have a halt on immigration to the United States were indeed chosen by the Obama administration. According to The Atlantic, “The U.S. allows the citizens of more than 30 countries to visit for a short stay without a visa under this program. However, that visa waiver does not apply if a citizen of an eligible country has visited—with
some exceptions—Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, or Yemen on or after March 1, 2011—under measures put in place by the Obama administration. Those individuals must
During the late hours Saturday night, Judge Donnelly of New York granted an emergency stay for those who had already arrived in America. Media outlets reported
“We do not lock our doors at night because we hate everyone outside, but rather we lock our doors because we love those that are inside.” apply for a visa at a U.S. consulate. These seven countries are listed under section 217(a)(12) of the INA, 8 U.S.C. 1187(a)(12) of the U.S. code, and it is this code that Trump’s executive order cited while banning citizens of those nations.”
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that this was a massive blow to the president’s order. However, the stay does not protect those who are to arrive later. This stay gives people around the world the ability to change plans or routes because if there is another arrival of people
On this day in history...
Helen Keller
...in
“Science may have found a cure for most evils; but it has found no remedy for the worst of them all— the apathy of human beings.”
1990,
the
Soviet
Union’s
first
McDonald’s fast food restaurant opened in Moscow. Throngs of people lined up to pay
Contributing Writer
Have you realized the narrative modern culture likes to spin? There’s an undercurrent to our culture that somehow or other, through science and technology, humans have discovered the deepest truths of reality, have become masters of the universe and now live in a brilliant enlightened age. This would be in comparison to the so-called “dark ages,” wherein humans were not particularly interested in learning and growth; that social systems remained rather fixed and oppressive; that life was on the whole quite miserable. This description also seems to fit the modern ages pretty well. Currently, we call it the “Modern Era,” but I predict that historians of the future will call this era the “Slightly Brighter, but Still Pretty Dark Ages.” Here are a few reasons why modern society, and particularly America, is still mired in darkness: According to Market Watch, we spend twice as much money on entertainment than personal education. According to the Center for Stray Pet Advocacy, we have near-universal support
of a system that treats cattle, poultry and pigs in ways that would be classified as a felony if applied to horses, cats, or dogs. We prefer to let potato chip bags sit in landfills than to put up with the loud noises of
farms. I rarely give to charity. I am not trying to shame anyone either. We are, as we should be, free to make our own choices in life. However, it does not take a scientist to realize that this lifestyle of ours—of endless
America
...still in the dark ages compostable packaging. We maintain continued fixation on social status, as seen in our tendency to keep up (ahem) with celebrities. We will more likely spend $5 on a milkshake than to give towards efforts to supply villages with clean water. I do not mean to put myself on a pedestal here. I drive an SUV. I eat meat from factory
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commuting, smoking cigarettes at bars and watching Netflix alone in bed—does not actually make a human being very happy. I mean, I hardly need to point to the skyrocketing suicide rate that The New York Times recently reported. My purpose with this article is to highlight a fact: our seemingly innocent daily
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Macs, shakes, and french fries.
America: are we still living in the dark ages?
routines and preferences often have long-term consequences and create a lot of suffering in the world. If we become aware of the ramifications of our behaviors, we will naturally tend to want to quit the things that hurt others and that don’t make ourselves happy anyway. At the same time, we want to increase the activities that help others and ourselves. The day-to-day values of most Americans—of comfort, security, social status and entertainment—pale in comparison to the values of a truly enlightened society: truth, beauty, service, creativity and love. We have all experienced these higher values in little doses. But to imagine a society that embodies these on a daily basis—well, on one hand, it’s hard to do. On the other hand, it is ridiculously inspiring. I hope this article rings some bells. I hope you’re looking around and realizing just how destructive the game that society is playing. However, furthermore, that many of your own daily habits are part and parcel of this materialistic mess. Maybe this society could be even better. We can all do something about it. And it starts with us.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Letters to the editor should be sent to the Meyer Student Media Center or mailed to The Reflector, PO Box 5407, Mississippi State, MS. Letters may also be emailed to editor@reflector.msstate.edu. Letters must include name and telephone number for verification purposes. The editor reserves the right to edit or refuse to publish a letter.
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that this is a Muslim ban,” Conway said on Fox News Sunday. “This is a ban on prospective travel from countries, trying to prevent terrorists in this country, from countries that have a recent history of training and exporting and harboring terrorists.” President Trump put together a strong cabinet that is proving they want to go after any threat or possibility of domestic terrorism. Many modern Muslims agree with Trump’s stance on radical Islam. We must work with our pro-reform Muslim allies to crackdown on these threats. We do not lock our doors at night because we hate everyone outside, but rather we lock our doors because we love those that are inside.
St ig ma a round suicide should not prevent us from sharing our experiences
the equivalent of several days’ wages for Big
history.com
by Joseph Garland
from those seven countries, they will be sent back home. The liberal media is making those that support such action look like terrible people. Perhaps there are people here in America that love this nation and want it to be protected. This order from the president can give government agencies enough time to develop plans for extreme vetting once the order is lifted. This is not a complete ban on Muslims, so the media needs to stop referring to it as being such. President Trump’s top aide, Kellyanne Conway disputed that this is a Muslim ban. “These seven countries, what about the 46 majority Muslim countries that are not included. R ight there, it totally undercuts this nonsense
On Feb. 1, 2015, I lost my friend Skye to suicide. As the anniversary of their death rears closer, I cannot help but remember what that time was like. Losing Skye was one of the hardest moments in my life. In all the information that I learned after their passing, I still never really knew why they chose to leave. I never got closure. Although it has been almost two years since Skye died, I do not think I will ever fully be able to move forward from losing them. In fact, moving forward from the loss of Skye was almost impossible during the months that followed their death. Those of us who were aware of their death first were told we should not talk about what happened. We were told it was not appropriate or respectful to talk about how Skye passed away—we should just say a ‘tragedy’ occurred instead. According to CNN, the stigma that surrounds mental health and suicide prevents people from talking about it. The stigma that surrounded Skye’s death was forced upon us who were in mourning. Because of that stigma, we were silenced. Our pain was meant to be dealt with in counseling and counseling only. That silence caused me to have panic attacks, anxiety and nightmares for months—until I realized silence was causing me more pain than necessary. I reached out and got help. I broke my silence in order to break the chains it had around me. More than 1,000 college
students kill themselves every year according to a report by Emory University. Skye was among one of those students. I do not know that anything could have prevented their death, but I do think more could have been done to show there were resources available to help. Universities have to take an active role in helping prevent suicide— that includes reducing the stigma of talking about it. As uncomfortable and hard as it is to talk about suicide, keeping silent about it is worse. Silence will only ever magnify the stigma surrounding this epidemic. Silence will only ever create more walls. Kristina Cowan of The Huffington Post states that because stigma “still exists concerning mental illness, many people who need help do not seek it. Even though there is clear scientific data that indicates irrefutably that a physical connection exists with most mental disorders, many people still stigmatize others because they stupidly hold on to the misguided beliefs of yesteryear that people with mental disorders are weak or just lack will power.” I will continue to work to reduce the stigma surrounding mental illness and suicide because I never want to lose another friend to it. So let us talk about suicide and our experiences with it so that others can know that there is no reason to be ashamed. Struggling from a mental illness is common and there is help always available. We can stomp out the stigma together and save lives in the process. If you or someone you know needs help, call 1-800273-8255 for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.
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