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135th YEAR ISSUE 25
THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIVERSITY SINCE 1884
Bully’s Closet and Pantry celebrates grand opening LYDIA PALMER STAFF WRITER
Regina Hyatt, Mississippi State University Vice President for Student Affairs, cut the ribbon that marked the official opening of Bully’s Closet and Pantry this past Friday at 120 Morgan Avenue. Bully’s Closet and Pantry is a food and clothing pantry for MSU students who encounter financial hardships, whatever the circumstances behind them may be. The ceremony’s opening speech was given by Hyatt in which she discussed the creation process of the pantry and thanked the many donors who gave financially, as well as those who collected food items to help stock the pantry for its opening and the weeks to come. “What started out as an idea for a professional clothing closet for students, due to the leadership of Maya Emerson, who is here today, and the Student Association and Student Body President Jake Manning, who has carried on this goal, has blossomed into this wonderful new
Adam Sullivan | The Reflector
VP for Student Affairs Regina Hyatt, Behavioral Interventions Coordinator Montelleo Hobley, University President Mark Keenum and SA President Jake Manning prepare to cut the ribbon at the grand opening of Bullyʼs Closet and Pantry at 120 Morgan Ave. The Pantry will provide food and clothing to MSU students experiencing food insecurity and financial need.
resource for our students,” Hyatt said. Hyatt spoke highly of those who worked under and alongside her throughout the Pantry’s design process.
“To everyone who has given of their time and energy to make Bully’s Closet and Pantry come to life—thank you,” Hyatt said shortly before cutting
the ribbon. Hyatt specifically commended Montelleo Hobley, who worked under her and did a great deal of planning for the
Parking on campus: an inside look
HANNAH BLANKENSHIP NEWS EDITOR
With the start of a new semester, finding parking spaces on a campus flooded with over 25,000 students, faculty and staff is a primary concern for many students. Within the first several weeks of a new semester, Mississippi State University Parking and Transit Services Director Jeremiah Dumas said he frequently gets phone calls from parents angry their children were late to class because they could not find a parking spot. Dumas said he also monitors accounts like Old Row to see what students are saying about parking, so he is well aware of the hostility often directed at Parking and Transit Services. However, according to Dumas, MSU has some of the best parking statistics in the SEC. “When you look comparatively both from a permit ratio per space and a cost per permit, we’re at the very bottom of the SEC— some significantly higher than us,” Dumas said. Student Association President Jake Manning confirmed Dumas’s claim. “We really do have it very, very good here. At other places it’s absurd. The SEC average on parking decals is around $300,” Manning said. For comparison, MSU’s parking decals currently cost $180. In response to parents
TUESDAY HI: 68 LO: 62 SKY: Cloudy POP: 80
PERMIT TYPE
SPACES
PERMITS SOLD
Commuter East
1,374
2,675
Commuter North
1,443
2,873
Commuter South
644
561
Commuter West
1,139
2,184
Residence North
2,050
2,427
Residence South
1,502
1,562
Any Valid Permit
1,840
705
STAFF WRITER
angry that the university spots on campus (about resulted in the overcrowding North Commuter, oversells permits per 15,000) and allocates a of parking space, Dumas said certain number of permits Dumas said. Now, Parking to each zone. Services has a fixed ratio he replies with a question. However, several years of permits that they sell per “Would you rather your child have the opportunity ago, there was not a cap on commuter space: 1.75. Eli Lawrence, to buy a permit a junior with and pretty much be a Commuter guaranteed a space, East permit, especially when When you look said he hears a things normalize, or would you rather comparatively both from a permit lot of people complaining them not be able to ratio per space and a cost per about parking, have a permit for but as long as he the year and there be does not arrive at open spaces in that permit, we’re at the very bottom the last minute, lot throughout the of the SEC—some significantly he usually does year?” Dumas said. not have trouble B e c a u s e higher than us. finding a spot. commuters are “I’ve never not transient, meaning Jeremiah Dumas been able to find they come and go Director a spot,” Lawrence from campus, it does MSU Parking and Transit Services said. not make sense to For resident sell the same number parking passes, the of permits as there are spaces—a practice that the number of permits sold university prides itself on no one in the industry does, for the North Commuter the policy of “if you have a lot, which used to be an bed, you have a spot,” with Dumas said. Every year, Parking and overflow lot. The number a nearly 1:1 ratio of permits Transit Services evaluates of permits sold per spot sold per resident parking the number of total parking climbed to nearly 2.8 and space. PARKING, 2
HI: 70 LO: 58 SKY: Cloudy POP: 70
PANTRY, 2
Dogs take over Horse Park for annual GTKC Dog Show BAYLEE HILL
Rosalind Hutton
WEDNESDAY
Pantry and setting up for the grand opening. Hobley is a coordinator for the Division of Student Affairs on campus. Hobley said the opening
of this project felt like a sigh of relief after all of the hard work everybody put into it. “I think the biggest thing to remember is that everybody struggles with something, whether they tell you that they are or not,” Hobley said. “So, we want to have resources to help people be successful either way.” University President Mark Keenum also spoke at the opening about the importance of this to students, especially those who have financial need and use most of their finances for school, letting things like food or professional clothes fall behind in importance. “When we think about people who have a need of food, we tend to think about people in far-off distant lands, but we have people in need right here in our own community,” Keenum said. “Yes, right here on our campus here at Mississippi State.” The Pantry is run mainly by student workers. One of the workers, Maddie Blundon, is a second-year graduate student in the Educational Leadership program.
The Golden Triangle Kennel Club of Mississippi hosted its annual American Kennel Club licensed Dog Show Jan. 11 and Jan. 12 at the Mississippi Horse Park. The show started around 8:30 a.m. and ended around 6 p.m. on both days. Around 460 people from various states participated in the show. According to Sheila Connolly, a member of the GTKC, dogs from seven
different groups competed against each other. These groups included hound, terrier, toy, herding, working, non-sporting and sporting. Connolly said several participants could not make it to the show due to the inclement weather that occurred during the weekend. The show also had a 30-minute delay on Saturday due to the weather. The standard poodle, a member of the nonsporting category, won best in show. SHOW, 2
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THURSDAY HI: 64 LO: 55 SKY: Cloudy POP: 50
FORECAST: Expect a wet week ahead! Rain chances are in your forecast for the entire week with roughly 1-2 inches accumulated by Friday. These days will not be a complete washout, but keep the raincoat at the ready all week. Highs get a little warmer into the ‘70s midweek!
Courtesy of Danielle Davis, Campus Connect Meteorologist
Daniel Dye | The Reflector
A contestant shows off her miniature poodle at the 2020 Golden Triangle Kennel Club Dog Show.
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PANTRY
Blundon reached out to Hobley after hearing about his involvement with the Pantry. “There is nothing to be ashamed of when coming to use this resource,” Blundon
said. “It’s here, we are here to help. We want people to use this resource as much as possible.” The pantry will be open and available to students
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on Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays from 1-6 p.m. It can be found at 120 Morgan Ave. close to the old intramural fields behind the Fresh Foods Company.
Daniel Dye | The Reflector
Over 450 dog owners competed in the Golden Triangle Kennel Club Dog Show held Saturday and Sunday at the Mississippi Horse Park.
SHOW
Adam Sullivan | The Reflector
University President Mark Keenum speaks at the grand opening of Bully’s Closet and Pantry on Friday morning at 120 Morgan Ave.
PARKING
CONTINUED FROM 1
CONTINUED FROM 1
Connolly said the dogs and its first name was the dog is a lot of work, Connolly competed against each other Northeast Mississippi Kennel said the purebred sporting community is a close-knit within their group, and a Club. judge picked the four best GTKC member Connolly group that helps each other dogs to place. The winner said the club works to in need. Connolly said she of each individual group promote responsible dog handled several people’s dogs competed in the best in show ownership by informing dog during shows and knows that she can rely on the at the end of the day. community when it Connolly said a comes to caring for judge rated each dog Honestly, the dog show is her dogs. based on the perfect The dog show standard for its breed. really about the handler’s bond included several The standard for traits like muscle tone and with the dogs. It is neat to see that accommodations for guests. body stance varies Admission was free for each breed, so the during the show and notice all of and a concession judge takes that into the work and preparation that goes stand was open consideration. all day. The venue “Honestly, the dog into a show like this. had heaters near show is really about the the stands to keep handler’s bond with the Sheila Connolly guests warm. dogs,” Connolly said. Benjamin “It is neat to see that Member during the show and Golden Triangle Kennel Club Nelson, a junior majoring in notice all of the work mechanical and preparation that goes into a show like this.” owners about important engineering, enjoyed his Cathy Sims, vice president issues as well as offering time at the dog show. He said he liked watching the of the GTKC, said GTKC obedience classes. is interested in the sport “We want purebred toy category on Sunday, of purebred dogs in the dog owners to know about specifically the Yorkshire Columbus, West Point and everything that comes with Terrier and the pug coming Starkville areas. The club owning a dog. It is a great in first place in its category. “It was a great event, and meets on the third Thursday responsibility, and many of every month. people do not realize how I got to see some dog breeds that I had never heard of Sims said the club has hard it is,” Connolly said. been around since 1971, Even though owning a before,” Nelson said.
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Hannah Blankenship | The Reflector
Students park in the North Commuter lot, which previously functioned as an overflow lot. The ratio for permits per spot has been set at 1.75.
Harrison Scott, a resource,” Dumas said. often a cultural one. With freshman living in Nunnelee In addition to the new over 50% of the student Hall on the north side of parking garage that will body coming from incampus, said, aside from be near the Humphrey state, often small, rural football game day weekends, Coliseum, plans are in the towns, students are used to he has always been able to works for a Commuter having hardly any trouble find a parking spot, with the East lot that will be built with parking. In contrast, only downside that they are behind the Fresh Food students from big cities are sometimes in the very back Company. That project, accustomed to having to of the lot and can involve a however, has been on hold pay for parking and walk longer walk. for several years because from their parking spot to After the uncapped it is dependent on the their destination. permit sales issues North Blackjack Road renovation “It’s why, even though Zone parking faced several project—a county project we have one of the best years ago, Manning said the that has been delayed for programs, we get the most Student Association formed three years. Dumas said he vocal heat,” Manning said. a parking and transit task is hopeful the Blackjack Dumas said his best force. After meeting with Road project will be advice for students Dumas and looking at the underway this summer, regarding parking is to be numbers involved familiar with all in the cost of the lots in their building new parking zone. Oftentimes, infrastructure, students having Manning said even finding (Parking Services) is the best. trouble the student task force parking are set That really is the reality and when on parking in a agreed permit prices should be raised. people get mad at me, and I do my certain lot and “ ( P a r k i n g are not aware of Services) is the best,” job and I go and I’m getting feisty other lots in their Manning said. “That and they come back and hit you with zones that would really is the reality not be full, Dumas and when people the numbers- we’re just the best. said. Dumas get mad at me, and I also encouraged do my job and I go students to Jake Manning and I’m getting feisty consider parking Student Association President in a further lot and and they come back and hit you with the using the bus, as it numbers— we’re just can often be faster the best.” allowing the university to than circling closer lots Manning said one thing begin construction on the trying to find spots. many students do not new Commuter East lot in Parking and Transit realize is the immense cost the fall. Services’ purpose is in the that goes into building more While ticketing is at the name: service. They have parking infrastructure. top of the list of student the students’ best interests The cost of building one complaints regarding in mind and are doing their parking spot on campus parking, Dumas said the best to manage very limited is around $3,000. The purpose of issuing tickets resources with a growing north side parking garage is to keep people with the student population, Dumas that is currently under incorrect permit from said. construction will cost taking spots from those “Are we going to fix $16 million. Additional who have the correct every ticket? No. Are difficulties in adding permit. Additionally, we going to hold you parking include traffic parking services does not accountable? Yes. Are you concerns and limitations on handle ticket appeals, that going to be able to not buy land available to be used for is the role of the Dean of a permit? You’re going to parking, Dumas said. Students’ Office. have to buy a permit, but “We’re tasked with Manning also pointed we’re here to help you and managing a very, very out that the parking we’ll do everything we can,” limited and expensive “problem” on campus is Dumas said.
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ctor 1/14/20 Crossword
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SUDOKU
An In-Class Distraction
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...In 2012, the Colvard Student Union updated the arrangement of their office spaces, moving the office of Greek Life to the third floor. Important topics, such as addiction and safe-sex, were the highlights of opinion pieces while Life & Entertainment named the best and worst movies, tv shows and albums of 2011.
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THE REFLECTOR TUESDAY, JANUARY 14, 2020 @REFLECTORONLINE
OPINION
5
Trump’s 2019 foreign policy performance is worth examining N
TYLER DANIEL
is a graduate student studying political science. Contact him at opinion@ reflector.msstate.edu.
2019 has not been a kind year for the Trump Administration. It marked the most defining moment of President Trump’s legacy—his impeachment by the House of Representatives— while his ongoing trial in the Senate continues to loom over every action his administration takes. Foreign policy is at the forefront of his impeachment process as allegations mount against him concerning the appropriateness of his phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. That foreign policy affair is so big that it deserves a separate piece of its own, so I will not focus on that in my review. Rather, here are what I consider President Trump’s biggest foreign policy successes
and blunders of 2019. The ongoing trade war with China still has no clear end in sight. This, however, has not negatively impacted the economy as many economists initially predicted. Stock markets have had highs and lows, but Americans continue to see record-breaking highs. The root cause of this trade war was to rectify the trade deficit the United States owes to China due to China’s aggressive, and sometimes legally questionable trade policies, and I support finding a resolution to that problem. Despite saying they disagree with the trade war, Jen Kirby of Vox reports all of the leading 2020 Democratic presidential candidates have presented similar approaches to addressing the problem as Trump is currently executing. This exemplifies that both parties agree trade with China is an issue, and President Trump’s active solution seeking is not done in vain despite leading Democratic presidential candidates disagreeing with his specific execution. I find myself in agreement with most of the sentiment
regarding the trade war— it is necessary for our economic security, and therefore, I support our ongoing efforts to rectify our trade deficit. The trade war, however, has impacted our political agenda with the Chinese government. I wrote a piece in October 2019 condemning the Trump Administration’s failure to adequately express support for Hong Kong protesters who were advocating for basic civil liberties associated with democracy. Just over a month after that piece was published, President Trump signed a bill passed by Congress imposing sanctions against Chinese and Hong Kongese government officials who were responsible for human rights abuses. I, therefore, must give President Trump credit for addressing this important issue; however, I believe he did not go nearly as far as I would have preferred to advocate for our Hong Kongese allies and other minorities oppressed by the Chinese regime. I also share Naomi Xu Elegant of Fortune’s concern over how this minor measure may impact
U.S. business in Hong Kong. A more direct and egregious abandonment of our allies came when the U.S. withdrew forces from Northern Syria. This withdrawal culminated in Turkey attempting to ethnically cleanse our Kurdish allies who were invaluable in our fight against ISIS. President Trump completely abandoned our allies despite knowing Turkey would perpetrate war crimes against them. Though the Trump Administration condemned Turkey’s actions and issued sanctions, the genocide is still ongoing. After all, Turkey is led by a man who a former United Nations investigator referred to as a “war criminal.� As reported by Susan Edelman with the New York Post, U.S. withdrawal effectively stopped control of the area to the genocidal Syrian government, backed by the Russians, or our so-called North Atlantic Treaty Organization ally Turkey, who commits genocide against native people in their homeland. In my opinion, this was
the worst foreign policy decision made by the Trump Administration and will be remembered as amongst the worst decisions the U.S. has made in Middle Eastern foreign policy. This decision is partnered with a complete failure by the U.S. to recognize the Turks’ genocide of Armenians after President Trump’s Republican supporters in the Senate killed a bill to recognize that atrocity. Unlike his reversal on Hong Kong, President Trump has still failed to provide support to our Armenian and Kurdish allies. Also in the Middle East, the U.S.’s tensions with Iran continue to fluctuate and reach near breakingpoints. I find the Iranian government more at fault for these tensions than I do President Trump, but it is nonetheless a challenge he must strategically and effectively face. The conflict is still ongoing, so it is difficult to make a ruling on his strategy thus far, but I can say that I believe he is leading us mostly in the right direction. I would, however, like to see more diplomatic solutions
explored in the future. Minor successes worthy of mention include President Trump recognizing Juan Guiadó as the democratically elected president of Venezuela, NATO members increasing their budgetary contributions and positive developments in the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement to replace the North American Free Trade Agreement. Minor blunders include President Trump’s advocacy for Russia to resume its G-7 membership, making an embarrassing attempt to purchase Greenland from Denmark and failing to make progress in denuclearizing North Korea despite a state visit. 2019 was a rocky year for the Trump Administration and for us as Americans. Whereas the Trump Administration did experience some successes, it is mired in larger, more poignant blunders that are defining the administration. Let us all hope 2020 ushers more successes than blunders and that many of the aforementioned ongoing conflicts find swift, effective and permanent resolutions.
Be a “boomer� in 2020 Quarterly goals are more realistic JANUARY RILEY STEPHENS
JOHN HAYNES
is a junior majoring in history and classics. Contact him at opinion@reflector.msstate. edu.
is a sophomore majoring in English. Contact her at opinion@reflector.msstate.edu.
Yes, you read that headline correctly. If you seek to prosper this year and this decade, you should consider emulating that maligned generation, the boomers. We, the youth, find it easy to sneer at this wretched age group whose foibles are no secret. To name only a few flaws, boomers can be outmoded, quick to blame others and narcissistic, but every generation is imperfect. Why has this one been mocked relentlessly with “OK boomer,� and why does this John Haynes guy think we should imitate them? Success summarizes my point. According to James Ellis of Magnify Money, boomers, on average, are richer than they were 20 years ago while those who classify as Millennials or Generation X are relatively worse off. Besides money, boomers also have more power. For example, our president is a boomer, as is Jeff Bezos, head of Amazon and Tim Cook, CEO of Apple. Each generation will have a few individuals who stand out, but the boomers have clearly separated themselves from the crowd; therefore, in the next year or decade, consider following in their footsteps. Much of this article’s advice comes from my father who is, himself, a boomer. There are three basic goals he recommends: fitness, finance and flossing. By shooting for these three F’s, you can step into the shoes of a boomer and set yourself up for a life of wealth and disparaging millennials. Fitness is the most straightforward of these three. While many boomers might be unfit now, they grew up in
It has officially been two weeks since we have joyfully swayed to “Auld Lang Syne� whilst gazing at the steady descent of a crystalline ball hanging above Times Square. Already deemed “part two� of the 20th century’s Roaring Twenties, the beginning of a new decade befalls us, and thus, the pressure for an equally momentous New Year’s resolution to kick off the new decade is all that remains once the glitter, fireworks and fizzy drinks are stowed away for next year. Every New Year, people aim to reform their lives, whether it be physically, mentally or spiritually. Unfortunately, the resolutions solemnly avowed at the start of each new year fizzle away before any lives have been truly changed for the better. The dawn of a new decade places more pressure on those seeking life-altering reformations to take on even bigger resolutions. Rather than assuming the annual routine of trying, and eventually deserting, the resolutions sparked by a brief New Year’s high, people should embrace more short-term, quarterly goals in order to achieve their yearly goals. According to the editors of Best Life, data from 2018 labels the second Friday in January as the notorious day many abandon their New Year’s resolutions. The new year energizes people with just enough fervor to inspire the intentions of creating and maintaining resolutions, but most give up these intentions by February. As recorded by Mark Abadi with Business Insider, author and psychotherapist Jonathan Alpert says New Year’s
Rosalind Hutton
an era of clean-cut Hollywood heroes who were all fit and slender. If you have a boomer as a boss, you can present the image of someone who is fit and put-together convince them you are not gunning for their job. Furthermore, by improving your health, you lengthen your lifespan, allowing you to supplant your employer through sheer longevity and set yourself up for a nice, lengthy stay as the boss. As reported by Melissa Stanger of Business Insider, more attractive people earn more money. By going to the gym regularly, you can not only secure a promotion but also add more to your lifespan in the process. What you do with that extra money as a result of the promotion is part of the next “F�: finance. Money makes the world go around, so by taking simple steps, you can accumulate wealth more effectively. One trick is earning money by spending money. By using a rewards card that gives you cash back, even as little as 1%, you can reap in a lot of cash. If you go to a certain restaurant often, you should download their app to ensure you are receiving rewards. Small instances like these might seem like insignificant amounts, but through the magic of compound interest, the future returns will be astronomical. Boring and bland bets like the S&P 500 will not blow you away with their performance, but drab
indexes can surprise you in the long run. According to the United States Department of Labor, dentists make over $150,000 a year with the field set for expansion in the future. Why? The obvious explanation is that Americans do not take care of their teeth enough. While many of us brush our teeth, flossing is less common. On top of that, the money you save from visiting the dentist by flossing can be put into that investment account. According to Steve Sternberg of US News, the CDC found almost one-third of Americans never floss. Dental surgery can run into the thousands of dollars, and I am pessimistic enough, or realistic enough, to suspect universal healthcare is still a distant dream for the United States. Flossing daily can be a chore, but, without the overwhelming costs of oral procedures, you can save you tens of thousands by flossing daily. Flossing, like finance and fitness, is not a quick fix, but rather a lifelong habit which will almost certainly pay off. If you have not been convinced yet, that does not bother me. College is a time to enjoy life and take a walk on the wild side. Flossing, fitness and finance are more abstract and duller than other alternatives you have in front of you; however, for us “zoomers� to rise up and crush the boomers, we must imitate and infiltrate them before instilling ourselves as the hegemon.
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resolutions tend to fail because they are not specific enough and, therefore, too easy to give up. Sometimes, they are framed with negative language which plagues people with the very thing they are trying to avoid. They also reflect what others expect of you rather than what you truly want for yourself. According to Dr. Raj Persaud and Dr. Peter Bruggen with Psychology Today, strongly attempting to do or not do something actually possesses paradoxical effects, increasing the likelihood you perform the opposite, negative habits you want to avoid. For instance, in a Harvard psychological study, participants were instructed not to think of a polar bear but ironically found the image of the polar bear more difficult to suppress than if they had been instructed not to envision the polar bear. This idea of psychological control explains why the majority of New Year’s resolutions fail before January even ends. The more you remind yourself to avoid the desserts, the more you inadvertently think about
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de ha Y th Tw so re dr an gl them, making you more re susceptible to splurging on in that devilish slice of cake. While there are many tips re on how to beat the odds by th maintaining your resolutions lu past the typical sell-by date, co people should consider 19 adopting a more short-term po goal. Lives change every th day, and generalizing one’s w ambitions to cover an entire of year is unreasonable. Recent I studies and trends indicate an quarterly resolutions as the co new, more efficient means m of meeting your goals for ne the new year. Shooting for ga quarterly goals in 90-day ne intervals is more attainable than the impossible standards in one year-round resolution ra in holds. With this shortened goal m interval, the outlook for ou achieving your goals is a less ta daunting task than swearing br off all sweets for the next year. Therefore, instead of purging so your habits in a negatively ci framed bulk of time, consider th breaking up your resolution re into smaller, more manageable si time frames, so your goals “A become more focused and sp th achievable. tr lis ba
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5LIFE -Life& ENTERTAINMENT 5 THE REFLECTOR TUESDAY, JANUARY 14, 2020 @REFLECTORONLINE
New Strange Brew shines bright in Midtown
RANDON GRISHAM
NLINE EDITOR
Starkville natives are amiliar with the Strange Brew Coffeehouse, a opular coffee shop on the orner of Highway 12 and pring Street. The coffee hop opened in 2005, and, ccording to their Facebook age, a second Strange Brew ocation opened in Tupelo, Mississippi in August 2017. Following 18 months of onstruction, Midtown ained the third Strange Brew location Monday, Dec. 0. Its convenient location uts the new Strange Brew ext to Stromboli’s Italian Eatery and the Starkville Public Library. Katelyn Reed, the cowner of Strange Brew, hared details about their ecision for the third ocation. “We initially had another ocation in mind for our hird store, but when this pportunity presented self, we couldn’t turn it own. We’ve always wanted nother Brew in the heart of tarkville. The first Strange Brew will always be our baby nd first love. It’s really fun o have two places that feel ifferent but still have the ame heart,” Reed said. The exterior of the offee shop has a modern, lean appearance with two igns from both angles of he street. There are outdoor ables, including a covered rea. A walk-up ordering window exists for people walking dogs, which is a leasant touch for Midtown esidents. All it takes is one look
Bethany Crane | The Reflector Mississippi State University engineering students Kamryn Clymer, Ashleigh Dunaway and Abby Praytor, start off the spring semester with coffee at the new Strange Brew location in Starkville’s Midtown.
at the logo to see the aesthetic they were going for. There are seven themed chandeliers that give a soft, inviting glow while their artdeco style invokes a 1920s theme, proving to be a fun nod to the 2020s. Everything is either blue, white, black or gold. A star-covered design is featured around the shop and on the labeled cardboard coffee grips. The inside has a clean, modern atmosphere which is reinforced by the exposed white ductwork and the spotless preparation area. The indoor tables are
designed for the small space. Each table can comfortably host about two people, even though there are four chairs placed around the tables. After taking in the atmosphere, you begin to notice the quirks and subtle décor. A central wall has wallpaper that features a dark blue background with gold stars that happens to match the couch pillows as well as the coffee grips. Altogether, these design elements make the entire aesthetic choice seem magical. Other decorative items that add
a nice touch are an antique radio, the door to the toilet and the trash can shaped like a rocket. As for the seating arrangements, there is a small bar that has four chairs facing Main Street, blue velvet chairs and two comfortable couches. Numerous shelves display their merchandise, which consists of mugs, stickers and metal-insulated travel cups. Prepared bags of fresh coffee are also available. Visiting the shop on a Tuesday afternoon, I was met with a small tiled logo
at the front door which brought a smile to my face. For the most part, the lines were around 10 people at the most. It was hardly packed, with plenty of room for customers who stayed to drink their purchases and enjoy the atmosphere. I was pleasantly surprised that it was not overly noisy, with the tall ceilings contributing to the noise deduction. With the light music playing in the background and the noise deducting ceilings, I would certainly consider this to be a decent place to study.
The new location has an expanded menu that features ice cream, pastries and other café items; however, the menu does lack prices. Despite the absence of prices on the menu, my order turned out to be reasonably priced. I was able to order a 16 ounce Toasted Coconut cold-brew coffee for $3.50. As the daily selection goes, it was probably the best coffee I have ever had, and I am not one for hyperbole. It was phenomenal. Compared to Starbucks. The local excellence of Strange Brew coffee makes it no contest. If you are a fan of NineTwentynine Coffee Bar, there is a bit of a challenge. As a cold-brew guy, I must admit that Strange Brew has better options. There were four available choices compared to the singular cold-brew offered by NineTwentynine. Most college students do not have the means to spend over $3 on daily coffee. I am not a big coffee drinker, but I know quality when I see it. As a small indulgence, I have found it to be worth the price. If you are on campus, your main options will be Starbucks or making your own coffee. If you need a large area to study, NineTwentynine Coffee Bar is the more accommodating option. If you want the best tasting coffee in town, along with a wider variety of choices, I recommend you go with Strange-Brew. Regardless of your choice, it is always nice to know there is a great new location in Starkville to suit the needs of coffee fans.
2020 is roaring with these historical trends
ILEY STEPHENS
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s! ‘20
With the turn of the ecade amongst us, many ave dubbed this past New Year’s the second edition of he 20th century’s Roaring Twenties. On New Year’s Eve, ocial media was flooded with enditions of fringed flapper resses, feathered headbands nd elbow-length chiffon loves, all highlighting the ecent monumental turnover n history. The Roaring Twenties eigns in history books as he era of extreme glamor, uxury, decadence and, of ourse, jazz. Clad in proper 920s attire, social media osts indicate this decade as he new Roaring Twenties with a modern twist. In lieu f this new decade unfolding, researched various habits nd trends from the 1920s, ompared them with a modern outtake on this ew Roaring Twenties and athered student opinions on ew trends. In terms of technological nnovations, the commercial adio was taken by storm n the 1920s, connecting more people with the audio utlets for announcements, alk shows and sports roadcasting. Ross McLeod, a ophomore majoring in ivil engineering, believes he popularity of radio has emained fairly consistent ince its first debut. Announcements, news and ports are still a big part of he radio today. As people ravel down the road, they sten to the football game or aseball game,” McLeod said. While the radio remains a entral figure in today’s form f media, McLeod says radio as since expanded into other orms of broadcasting, musiclaying and commercializing. “The radio has a lot of music, but music has started o branch into its own thing n getting away from the adio while also still playing a arge part in the radio. People ave their own iPods they still se to listen to music rather
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than having to listen to the commercials on the radio. Music has come off from the radio and is on services like Spotify and Apple Music,” McLeod said. Dance marathons were also a popular fad of the 1920s as younger generations of people spent more time in nightclubs, hashing out signature moves like the Charleston and the shimmy. Gabby Brown, a sophomore majoring in biochemistry, says dance is still a big deal today as seen in dance-based television programs.
“’World of Dance’ is a new show hosted by celebrities and dancers of this generation like J-Lo, Ne-Yo and Derek Hough. They bring different modern dances and different dance groups to battle for a prize in the end,” Brown said. Brown says music and dance from the 1920s may come back during the 2020s. “1920s dance moves I see coming back would be focused on jazz and different partner dances. Just from what I’ve seen in ‘World of Dance,’ there are a bunch
of different partner dances dealing with jazz,” she noted. Brown also says signature dance trends mark decades. “I feel like people are creating new dance moves every day. Back a few years ago, it was the Dougie— just kind of moving your shoulders—and that became popular. (There are) different dance numbers like the wobble. Now it’s the shoop, whip, nae nae—the classics. I feel like anything could be a dance move now,” she said. Not available in the 1920s, social media affects the popularity of these modern dance moves. Brown says social media plays a big role in getting the word out for different dances. “Fortnite also has dances based off of what is shown on social media. I feel like different outlets like that get (certain dances) out to different parts of the world. The boy who created the floss dance has now gone viral just for a simple move. I think social media plays a big role in uniting the world through dance,” Brown noted.
In terms of attitudes, 1920s women broke away from the oppression of years prior, embracing a newer and freer lifestyle. According to Simple Most, many women of the 1920s used their newfound liberation from men to drain men of their bank accounts as payback for their previous years of modesty and confinement. A modern equivalent reigns today in the frequency of the femme fatale, female heist movies which have come out in the latter half of the previous decade. Recently, movies with men as the main characters, movies such as ‘Ocean’s 8’ and ‘The Hustle,’ have been rewritten to include women as the main characters as they take over the hustling scene. The essence of the girl gang is on the rise, and the rate of female hustler movies indicates a trend similar to the women of the 1920s who shamelessly swiped the hearts and bank accounts of men. Nina Diggs, a senior majoring in finance, says such media remakes and portrayals
of female leads transform the idea of the 1920s flappers into a modern context that promotes female bonds. “’Ocean’s 8’ is the new remake of the other ‘Ocean’s’ series, which was originally all-male. Now this one’s allfemale, and they rob the Met Gala. Not saying we should go around robbing people, but just the fact that women can come together and make it happen while nobody suspected it and they were never caught is really cool,” Diggs said. With all the different factors affecting the lifestyles and cultures of the 21st century, there are still instances where modern practices and technologies attribute their origins to those popularizing them from 100 years ago. With social media and media, in general, affecting the ways in which these lifestyles are executed, they continue to parallel with trends from the 19th century. So, perhaps the statement reigns true—2020 is the new Roaring Twenties, just in a new digital age.
66-Sports SPORTS
THE REFLECTOR TUESDAY, JANUARY 14, 2019 @SPORTSREFLECTOR
Men’s Tennis wins first four matches, looks ahead to remainder of season HANNAH BLANKENSHIP
Although they are backto-back SEC champions, the Mississippi State University Men’s Tennis Team is not letting the success go to their heads. “Having those SEC championships are great for the Mississippi State tennis culture but it’s a whole new slate for these guys—back to work from the beginning of the process,” Head Coach Matt Roberts said. So far, four wins have been marked on the new slate with victories against Tennessee Tech University (x2), Samford University and the University of Alabama at Birmingham this weekend in Starkville. According to Roberts, his team is focusing on what they have always focused on— doing the small things right and just playing every point as hard as they can, win or lose. “It’s all about controlling what you can control with your thoughts, and how you
play your points and not thinking about ‘I should win’ or ‘we should win’ because if we do that it’s going to add pressure,” Roberts said. MSU’s first match of the weekend, played on Saturday in McCarthy Gymnasium due to inclement weather, was against Tennessee Tech and resulted in the Bulldogs’ 24th straight home victory and 16th straight season opener victory. Saturday evening, the Bulldogs increased their home win streak to 25 with a win against Samford. Nicolas Ocana, a freshman from Montreal, Canada, secured both matches by his victories in singles play. Davide Tortora, a freshman from Verona, Italy, had the first dual match victory of his career against Tennessee Tech. Sunday morning, MSU took on Tennessee Tech again, pulling out a win after a two-point comeback by Tech which also happened during Saturday’s match between the
two teams. During their last game of the weekend, there was no comeback on the horizon for UAB as MSU swept the Blazers with a clean 7-0 win. Even with last year’s loss of the “Fantastic Four”— seniors Nuno Borges, Trevor Foshey, Niclas Braun and Strahinja Rakic—Roberts said the team, though lacking experience, is as strong as ever. “We know we have another really good team, we feel very confident in our team, we just don’t have any matches under our belt,” Roberts said. Roberts said the new players have so far been a great fit in many ways for the MSU tennis program. “I’d say we have the pieces of the puzzle just like we had the past few years to continue the special culture here, and everyone’s fitting in great and we haven’t missed a beat with how we are as a team,” Roberts said. Roberts said the new
players will need to learn how to deal with all the situations and distractions thrown at them in collegiate play as well as learn how to master the mental game of tennis. Several younger players had to be pulled from the lineup in the first match, something Roberts said lets them feel the pressure and rise to the challenge. Giovanni Oradini, a senior from Rovereto, Italy, made quick work of his first match with Tennessee Tech, with two 6-2 wins. Although he is now taking over the role of seniority and leadership for the team, Oradini said he will keep doing what he has always done. “Just working on what I’ve been working on and keep doing my things—I know I am the older guy now but we’ll just keep working together like we always do,” Oradini said. Roberts said Oradini, currently ranked 15th in the nation, is having to step up in
has become a bit of a college football legend throughout his lengthy and successful career. His introductory press conference captivated MSU fans as he discussed his past experiences inside of MSU’s visitor locker room, his former class titled “Leadership Lessons in Insurgent Warfare and Football Tactics” and his fresh new suit. He became distracted by movement from Jak, MSU’s live bulldog mascot, addressing the strength of the creature in a moment that made the room erupt in laughter. “They call them bulldogs for a reason,” Leach said. “They’re built for combat.” Regardless of the outcome, the hiring of Leach
will certainly go down as one of the boldest moments in MSU football history. On the field, Leach has had an impact on football itself, pioneering his “Air Raid” offense, a style of play that has spread throughout football throughout all levels of play. Leach’s Air Raid offenses have traditionally been extremely heavy on passing and extremely explosive. Washington State led the nation in passing offense in 2019 and finished seventh in total offense which is typically representative of Leach’s offenses over the years. Leach has previously stated that the Air Raid offense is based on Sun Tzu’s “Art of War.”
“The thought, very simply, is that the more people the defense has to keep track of over a bigger area, the better our chances are,” Leach said. However, many will question whether or not the system can be run well within the SEC—a conference historically known for defensive dominance. The system is also vastly different than the offense traditionally run by Mississippi State teams, but coach Leach seems to be unconcerned about the difficulty of the transition. “We’ve always been able to install it fast,” Leach said. “I don’t think it will be perfect in a week, but we ought to be looking pretty sharp within two weeks.”
Head coach Mike Leach rings a Jolly Roger cowbell on his arrival in Starkville Friday afternoon.
NEWS EDITOR
Rosalind Hutton Georgia Hamilton
many ways. “When he knows he could be one of the best players in the country, that comes with a lot of expectations and responsibilities, so he’s going to have to work hard to get to that because he is one of the best players in the nation,” Roberts said. If all goes well, Saturday will be the last day the tennis team competes in the McCarthy Gymnasium, as a new $8 million indoor tennis pavilion is slated to be completed for next year’s spring tennis season. With six courts, a Daktronics scoreboard system, LED lighting, PlaySight Live video streaming capabilities as well as several other features, the new pavilion will be a welcome relief to McCarthy’s two courts, non-functioning scoreboard and nonfunctioning bathrooms. “Hopefully this will be the last day we’re in here in a competitive environment,” Roberts said.
Captain Mike Leach brings new energy to football program GARRETT SMITH STAFF WRITER
On Jan. 9, John Cohen was the first Mississippi State official to hint at the arrival of former Washington State University head football coach Mike Leach by tweeting out a short video clip featuring images and the theme song of “The Pirates of the Caribbean,” referencing the coach’s fascination with pirates. College football fans nationwide have long been fascinated with the eccentric genius that is Mike Leach. Known for his goofy press conference antics and offtopic comments that are loaded with wisdom, Leach
Mary Georgia Hamilton|The Reflector