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TUESDAY FEBRUARY 5, 2019
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134th YEAR ISSUE 30
THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIVERSITY SINCE 1884
State Trooper indicted for manslaughter in wreck that killed MSU graduate Lee reportedly topped 99 miles per hour without lights or siren COURTNEY CARVER PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR
Following a fatal vehicle accident in 2017 which left a Mississippi State University athlete dead and two others injured, a state trooper involved in the crash was indicted for manslaughter. An Oktibbeha County grand jury filed a single-count indictment on Kyle M. Lee for manslaughter/culpable negligence on Jan. 10. Around 1:25 a.m. May 7, 2017, MSU track team member Kaelin Kersh and two of her friends, Tanequa Alexander and Noel Collier, were driving near MSU’s campus when Collier’s 2002 Toyota Corolla was crashed into by Lee in his Mississippi Highway Patrol 2016 Ford Explorer. According to the indictment, Lee had been speeding, topping out at 99 miles per hour without his emergency lights or emergency sirens on. According to court documentation, Collier allegedly was getting on Highway 182 after merging off of Highway 12. As Collier entered onto Highway 182, Lee allegedly then crashed into Collier’s Corolla on the driver’s side. Kersh was pronounced dead at the scene, and Alexander and Collier both faced injuries. According to the ruling,
Courtesy Photo | MSU Special Collections
The Old Main Dormitory caught on fire in 1959, leaving behind a crumbling skeleton of bricks. It was located off the Drill Field, and housed thousands of students. Kyle Lee
Lee’s bond was set for $5,000. Lee was released on bond from the Oktibbeha County Jail Thursday. Oktibbeha County Circuit Court Judge Lee Coleman ordered $500,000 should be payed to Kersh’s estate and the survivors from the accident by the Mississippi Department of Public Safety. Alexander filed the complaint that led to this repayment. The complaint states Lee was responsible for the injuries and damages caused during the wreck while Lee was operating his patrol vehicle. Rep. Gary Chism produced a legislative act as a result of the accident to prevent any future accidents involving an emergency vehicle that speeds and does not use emergency lights or sirens. This bill became effective on July 1, 2018.
Sixty years later: remembering the Old Main Dormitory HUNTER CLOUD SPORTS EDITOR
The fire illuminated the sky, a glow visible from Oktoc, leaving behind the smoldering skeleton of the original Old Main Dormitory 60 years ago. At that time, Mississippi State University President Ben Hilbun said in its final moments the dormitory claimed a sacrifice of one of its residents, Henry Williamson. “When it came time for Old Main to go, it made its exit in a spectacle of awesome beauty,” Hilbun stated. “It etched its outline in flame against the night skies and
sat itself down in massive rubble upon its own foundation.” In a letter sent by Malcolm Gray, the director of housing at the time, to Joseph P. Nye of Columbia University, Gray said there was mystery as to how Henry Williamson died in the blaze. There were an estimated 700 students in the building the night of the fire. “We were very fortunate in losing only one student,” Gray wrote in the letter. “He (Williamson) had been out of the building and attempted to return to his room about 40 minutes after the fire started and was trapped in some way, just how we will never know.”
The Old Main housed about 40,000 students in its time as a dormitory from 1881 to 1959. The cause of the fire is still unknown, but many leading theories are that it was caused by a knocked over candelabra or faulty wiring, as Gray mentioned in his letter. According to Gray, the fire started on the third floor and spread to the attic, leaving 250 to 300 students with loss of their personal property. Gray’s estimate for the replacement of the building was $3 million. In the end of the letter, Gray listed five things or lessons he learned from the fire, and here are the two tips, number one and four, he gave that stood out the most.
MAIN, 2
INDICTMENT, 2
New Lime scooters hit the streets of Starkville New bill may assist
MSU official says scooters not permitted on campus co-ops in providing
internet to rural areas
GRACIE BYRNE STAFF WRITER
Noah Siano | The Reflector
Lime-S electric scooters are sprinkled throughout Starkville after the city introduced this new mode of transportation.
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At the beginning of this year, Lime, a transportation company known in the community, introduced a new service: the Lime-S electric scooters are now available for use to the citizens of Starkville. The scooters were introduced in January with a trial test. Lime reached out to the city of Starkville in early January and requested a test project for the scooters. This led to 25 Lime scooters placed in certain areas of the city. “I really appreciate that we have a bike program like that in town,” Starkville Mayor Lynn Spruill said. “It gives multiple ways for people to get around town.”
FORECAST: Wet and dreary weather for the week ahead. Expect a chance to see scattered showers throughout the week, otherwise mostly cloudy skies. Temperatures will be well above average, in the mid to upper 70s for the week until a cold front comes Thursday night to drop temperatures back into the upper 40s.
Campus Connect Meteorologist, Emily Owen
LIME, 2
NICOLE RIGSBY
country, including in all of the states bordering Mississippi. According to those interviewed for this story, big companies like C-Spire and AT&T do not want to go out in the rural parts of the state to provide internet because there are not enough customers in rural communities. Providing internet in those areas would cost too much to install, considering the low profits they would receive. Also, those companies would have to charge higher rates, which would result in homeowners refusing to buy an internet package. Randy Loper, head of the Mississippi State University Extension Center for Technology Outreach, said there is a large part of the residential population with no BILL, 2 internet access.
STAFF WRITER
The MS House legislature has created a bill that gives rural communities the option to obtain high-speed internet. This bill allows electric co-ops to provide broadband internet to houses in the deepest part of the rural community. Almost every member of the state legislature was in agreement, with the Senate passing the bill unanimously. “Current state law prohibits rural electric cooperatives from providing internet service, although no such law exists anywhere else in America,” the Mississippi Public Service Commission stated in a press release. “Currently, 107 rural electric cooperatives are providing internet service across the
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OLD MAIN
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“1. Do not use ancient buildings of this type if there is anyway possible to avoid their use... 4. a building wide warning system should be installed,” Gray wrote. The only building-wide warning system used the night of the fire included two patrolmen firing their revolvers in the air, waking up students who were not already awake for their first days of final exams at 2:30 a.m. The Old Main Dormitory was an icon of the university, almost as old as the university itself, and three years older than this publication. With the building in ruin, Hilbun suggested in the Feb. 3, 1959
INTERNET
of the fire. “We could see the smoke, you could easily smell the smoke,” Curto said. “My mother took me over there to see it after it burned. You could see the remains. My father helped clean up–he had a dozer and he was helping clean up.” A fire escape ladder found in the clean up was kept on their property until it was donated to the Oktibbeha County Heritage Museum in 2014. Curto said the mangled ladder has a bent appearance because the intense heat bent the frame. An article in the Starkville Daily News titled “Survivor:
Tree in the quadrangle” honored one of the last Old Main icons before it was removed from the location where Old Main once stood. The tree once stretched from the current McCool Hall to the Colvard Student Union. It was located in the middle of the dorm’s outdoor square. “That tree too is gone now, the victim of a much needed parking lot,” the article states. While the original Old Main crumbled 60 years ago, it still lives in the spirit of MSU, in the chapel of Memories and the new Old Main Academic Center. CONTINUED FROM 1
“There is a tremendous shortage of broadband availability in the State of Mississippi,” Loper said. Loper described nointernet areas as “broadband deserts.” These areas put Mississippi in a rank of 49 out of 50 states with those that have residential access to internet, Montana being 50th. Thankfully, all Mississippians could now have the option to internet. In today’s fast-pace technological advancements, internet access is a necessity. Not only is internet needed to give people instant access to a multitude of resources, but internet is needed for agricultural equipment. The majority of agricultural equipment companies are inserting artificial intelligence into their machines to maximize efficiency and convenience. To keep the machinery working, updates must occur. Without the option to obtain internet on crop lands, machinery could stop working. Similarly, internet is
LIME
issue of The Reflector that the salvageable leftover bricks from the building should be used to construct a memorial. This is how the Chapel of Memories rose from the ashes of Old Main, and now it sits across the road from the new Old Main Academic Center, which offers a nod to the past as the building was constructed to look like the original. Kathy Curto was nine years old when the fire occurred, and she was living in her grandmother’s old antebellum house near where the Pointe Apartments are today. She said her father helped clean up the aftermath
needed in everyday life for rural Mississippians. Internet can open a world of opportunities. Children could be homeschooled instead of traveling a long distance to the nearest school. Business owners can communicate with customers and obtain online materials, which could help to manage and grow their business. There are many reasons to have residential internet, but consumers and co-ops must make the decision of whether they truly want it. Even though this is a wonderful opportunity to those in rural areas, it is still an idea. John Turner, the manager of Public Relations and Marketing for 4-County Electric Co-op, said getting internet cables to their customers will take a huge amount of time and money. Turner says it will cost around $120 million to fully deploy 6,000 miles of fiber optic cables across all or parts of Clay, Noxubee, Lowndes, Oktibbeha, Choctaw, Chickasaw, Webster and Monroe counties. 4-County
was not pushing this bill for this reason. “Maybe we will get into the business or maybe we won’t,” Turner stated. “We have to figure out how to not go ‘belly-up’ trying to install this. We may not be the solution, but we want to be part of the solution.” Turner says if they do decide to provide internet, it could take anywhere between five to seven years. 4-County wants to provide internet because of the need of this recently-discovered resource. “Broadband is a need and we want to do everything we can to bring high speed internet to our service territory,” Turner said. When all residents have the access to broadband internet, it will positively impact the MSU Extension Office. Loper is for the new legislature. “Anything that can be done to potentially increase the availability of broadband to rural Mississippi is a great thing, and I’m all for it,” Loper said. The MSU Extension
Office provides the community with informational classes on subjects like agriculture and natural resources, and family and consumer sciences based off research the school has conducted. Loper described this as non-formal teaching. “One of the ways that we have to disseminate information is through online learning,” Loper said. “It is very important for us to be able to disseminate educational materials to the people in our state through internet technologies. We need those people to have internet, so we can disseminate that information to them.” Public Service Commissioner Brandon Presley has pushed for this bill to pass. “By passing this legislation, our state has an opportunity to move forward in a real way,” Presley stated. “This will help improve the lives of people across Mississippi in many ways— from education to medicine to economic development and beyond.” CONTINUED FROM 1
The city encouraged users to ride Lime scooters in the bike lanes rather than the sidewalks, due to the safety of pedestrians. Lime scooters are not available to everyone. In order to ride, participants must be 18 or older. Lime has a local team of employees in Starkville who drops off and picks up
the scooters each day. The scooters are put out at the time people begin their day, and then they are picked up at night. The scooters are put out in the downtown and midtown areas. “It’s a great way to get around town,” Lime Operations Manager John Usury said. “It’s an easier way to tailor where we
have vehicles around town. They’re easier to move scooters than bikes. We think they better serve the local community.” Everything is based through the Lime phone application. In order to find a Lime scooter nearby, open the application on a smartphone. A map will appear showing all the available Lime vehicles in the area, as each Lime vehicle has a SIM card built in. To unlock a Lime scooter, scan the attached QR code or manually enter the sixdigit vehicle code under the QR code. The price to unlock a scooter is $1, and $0.15 every minute after to ride. Lime scooters have a maximum range of 20+ miles depending on usage.
No special license is required to operate Lime vehicles, but some states require users to have a driver’s license to operate electric scooters. According to the office of Parking and Transit, scooters of any kind are not permitted on Mississippi State University’s campus. This includes Lime scooters. “Scooters are not allowed on campus, and we currently have no plan to allow them,” MSU Parking and Transit Director Jeremiah Dumas said. Since they have been introduced, the Lime scooters have become popular, especially among the students at MSU. MSU student Eva McCormick, a junior nutrition major, rode one of these scooters and described it as entertaining. “After riding a Lime scooter, I think they would be really fun to have on campus,” McCormick said. “However, after a little while, people may not want to pay for the ride anymore. Regardless, it was an exhilarating experience.”
BAD DAWGS Thursday, Jan. 31, 2019 Student issued a post arrest citation for possession of paraphernalia and Justice Court citation for disregard of traffic device on Barr Avenue. Friday, Feb. 1, 2019 Employee reported a towing chain stolen from his truck while parked on Buckner Lane. Student issued a post arrest citation and referral for possession of marijuana on Bailey Howell. Student issued a referral for possession of a weapon on school property. Justice Court citations issued
INDICTMENT House Bill 1202, or the “Kaelin Kersh Act,” requires “any operator of an emergency vehicle authorized to be marked with blinking, rotating or oscillating lights shall
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for improper equipment and no insurance. Saturday, Feb. 2, 2019 Student arrested in Magnolia Hall for public drunkenness. Student arrested on Hwy 12 under the bridge for public drunkenness and possession of fake ID. Non-resident visitor arrested on Barr Avenue for DUI first degree and disregard of traffic device. Notable Traffic Citations: Four MSU citations were issued for speeding, the worst of which was 52/30 on East Lee Boulevard.
CONTINUED FROM 1
use blinking, rotating or oscillating lights when operating the emergency vehicle at a speed in excess of thirty miles per hour over the posted speed limit; and for related purposes.”
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Roads to nowhere: Boardtown Bikes explains the growing sport of gravel bicycling KRISTINA DOMITROVICH MANAGING EDITOR
On the back roads of Mississippi, a journey awaits those seeking adventure. Matthew Nunes, manager of Boardtown Bikes, is determined to show the way to a perhaps surprising destination: gravel roads. Gravel or adventure riding is an ideal biking form for Mississippians, who have access to endless miles of unpaved back roads. A happy medium between road and mountain biking, it is an awesome way to exercise and explore. “We were in this situation where as a store and as a rider, you’ve got all these people looking for new places to ride. Maybe they’re getting burned out on the few places we had,” Nunes said. “When we started realizing there were all these dirt roads, county roads in our area… It opened up this entire new scene.” Gravel riding requires some specific gear, all available at Boardtown Bikes. Nunes suggests gravel biking with wide, tubeless tires. Lower pressure and a liquid sealant, such as Orange Seal, work together to offer durability, smooth riding and plenty of traction.
“With the right bike, our state becomes a playground for the adventurous,” Nunes said. A gravel bike looks like a typical road bike at first glance, but the geometry is actually a bit different. These bikes have a lower bottom bracket and more slacked-out headtube angle. This provides a lot of stability on loose surfaces. They are also geared for steeper climbs. Boardtown Bikes offers a wide selection of gravel bikes for everyone from beginners to competitive level riders. They just started carrying Salsa., which make some awesome bikes attainable on a college budget. Because this is adventure riding, planning is important. But riders should also expect the unexpected. Before rolling out, it is important bikers gear up with the proper equipment. To plan for break-downs, bikers should carry a flat kit, a spare chain link, and a multi tool while riding. Nunes said the store offers these items to buy, and the workers are more than happy to teach shoppers about these items. Another essential is a GPS. Nunes said it is important to map out rides, or have a way to
Boardtown Bikes| Courtesy Photo
Gravel biking provides the perfect adventurous escape in rural Mississippi. For those interested in gravel biking, Boardtown Bikes has all the necessary gear.
track your turns back to your starting point. Nunes said Boardtown Bikes is working on publishing some gravel routes to the store’s website. Riders may also consider carrying an emergency transponder or messaging device, in case they lose cellphone signal in rural Mississippi and need to contact someone. For individuals who are interested in gravel biking
SUDOKU
but may be apprehensive of going into rural Mississippi alone, Starkville is the perfect area to take up this passion. There are also two cycling clubs in Starkville— the Starkville Cycling Club (found on Facebook) and the MSU Cycling Club. These are great resources for new riders, as they host meetings and go on group rides. “If you’re not
comfortable with taking on some of this stuff, it’s best to find someone or a group of people who have done it before,” Nunes said. There is adventure out there for more experienced riders, too. The Mississippi Gravel Cup, co-sponsored by Boardtown Bikes, is making its way to the Starkville area Feb. 9 with the Rockcrusher Challenge. The race options include
25-, 50- and 100-mile routes. Nunes said about 190 riders came out to the last race. Because this is a sport for all athletic types, it is a very fun community to be involved in. If you are interested in racing or volunteering at the Rockcrusher event, give the store a call and they will point you in the right direction. Boardtown Bikes is a great resource for riders of all levels. Whether someone has been riding for years, or is just now kicking up their kickstand, they have everything to serve the Starkville community. For people who have never done gravel biking before but may be interested, Boardtown Bikes offers rentable bike options to test out. Boardtown Bikes has lots of information on their website, boardtownbikes. com, and even more instore. Check out their social media, @boardtown_bikes on Instagram and Facebook at Boardtown Bikes. Take a lesson from the store’s logo, and Go Play Outside. “Our store–I would like people to consider a resource. We’re more than just a retail establishment: our shop is a meeting place and a place to talk about biking,” Matthew said.
ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY...
...in 1994, Byron De La Beckwith was convicted in the murder of African-American civil rights leader Medgar Evers. The white supremacist was originally prosecuted for the murder in 1964, but two all-white juries refused to convict him. Beckwith was convicted over 30 years after Evers’ death. Evers was gunned down in his driveway in Jackson, Mississippi, on June 12, 1963, at 37 years old. The civil rights leader worked to dismount segregation by leading peaceful rallies, economic boycotts and voter registration drives around Mississippi. history.com
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THE REFLECTOR TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2019 @REFLECTORONLINE
OPINION
What we need is not a Super Bowl, but a ‘Commercial Bowl’ according to Ruth Umoh of CNBC. That is 17 million employees calling in “sick.” But hey, it is worth it to watch George Washington and the Sheep battle it out for that silver football which, by the way, will earn the champion $191,000. This number sure seems a bit small compared to the amount of money lost by employers but, once again, totally worth it. The only depressing thing is very few people care about the game. Does anyone actually remember a single play from the Super Bowl? Probably not. However, if you ask anyone what their favorite advertisement was from the day, they will quote it word for word. People are more interested in the breaks between the game than the game itself. Who can resist those Budweiser puppy commercials, though? And do not even get me started on the E-Trade baby. There is really an astounding amount of work put into these ads. The producers have to work so hard each
I’m so glad we recorded the Super Bowl so that we can skip all of those pesky football interuptions. ROSALIND HUTTON
is a junior majoring in art. Contact her at opinion@reflector.msstate.edu
The Super Bowl is a wonderful event that brings families and friends together to bond over good food and subpar TV. It is so special, in fact, because it is the only time of the year when people specifically get together to watch commercials and skip the actual program. It is a real-life opposite day! Plus, how many people are actually fans of the teams playing anyways? Yet, here we are, coming together to watch two teams we have never heard of, or support, tackle each other for a silver football. That is what I call true fellowship. Of course, it can get a little heated when the team you randomly picked to cast your bets on decides to be incapable of a good play,
Rosalind Hutton
but that is what football is all about—healthy competition and yelling at people. Super Bowl Sunday is just a day full of laughter and happiness, mixed with the sounds of
that one guy in the jersey who keeps yelling nonsense at the TV because he is too into it. People not only take most of the weekend to prepare
for Super Bowl Sunday, but will also have to spend the Monday after recovering. Turns out, this Monday’s absenteeism will cost employers up to $4 billion,
Trivia Time!
and every year to make people want to watch the Super Bowl. Sadly, despite how wonderfully cute and hilarious these commercials are, they are suffering. According to David Bauder of the Associated Press for the Boston Globe, Super Bowl views were down a whole 7 percent last year. There could be a solution to this tragic loss of viewers: get rid of the football part. Most people just want to watch the commercials anyway, why not make them last for the whole four hours instead of interrupting them with the game? This solution could solve so many problems. If there is no game, there is no one to get overly disappointed about losing, and no reason to be depressed the Monday after, making more people actually go to work and thus saving lots of money. Plus, all we need more of Liam Neeson playing “Clash of Clans” in our lives. This solution literally solves everything, so let us make it happen, people. The Commercial Bowl: (hopefully) coming soon.
REFLECTIONS
1. What was the name of Alexander the Great’s horse? 2. What inorganic molecule is produced by lightning? 3. What is the largest country located entirely in Europe? 4. Which bird has eyes that are larger than its brain?
Ayn Rand
“The smallest minority on earth is the individual. Those who deny individual rights cannot claim to be defenders of minorities.”
Answer: 1. Bucephalus 2. Ozone 3. Ukraine 4. Ostrich
Source: trivia.fyi
People need to stop undermining the beliefs of MLK “Black power is, at bottom, a reaction to the reluctance of white power to make the kind of changes necessary to make justice a reality for the (African Americans)... I think that we’ve got to see that a riot is the language of the unheard.”
ZACHERY ABUNEMEH
is a senior majoring in political science. Contact him at opinion@reflector. msstate.edu.
America is at a very contentious crossroads. American society seems to have deteriorated backward as race relations are at their worst in decades. America is divided, and people are scared. When America has been at these stages in the past, we have turned to strong, moral leaders to unify a divided nation. Former presidents George Washington, Abraham Lincoln and Franklin Delano Roosevelt have all been idealized for saving our country in some shape or form, but no leader is mentioned more today when discussing race than Martin Luther King Jr. King represents an angel for America. He is, in the eyes of many, the purest and safest form of resistance imaginable, and therefore, all resistance movements are compared to his. Whenever any protests are held, every single member of the protest group is compared to MLK and his fight for justice, love and compassion. Whenever anything is done or said to ruffle the feathers of white America,
Rosalind Hutton
they are immediately discredited by saying “MLK would not have approved.” This is done intentionally. By comparing everyone to perfection, no one is perfect, and therefore, is illegitimate. There is one problem with this logic: this King they speak of is not the real King. King’s legacy has been washed clean of all of his controversies, blemishes and any rough edges in order to project a “perfect black man.” The idea is that if you cannot be like King, then you should try to be better before any change can take place. As an example of this phenomenon, Barbara Reynolds of the Washington Post wrote she “wants to get behind Black Lives Matter, but the group’s confrontational and divisive tactics make it difficult.” Reynolds, a civil rights activists during the 1960s, claims the movement is “ignoring what our history has taught,” and should move
toward a more living and peaceful approach. While she is entitled to her opinion, and I want to thank her for her work and sacrifice during the 1960s, Reynolds is trying to discredit BLM by comparing them to a false idea of King. King was not this loving and understanding angel many people wish to portray. He was a man who was hated at his time, and if he was alive today, would likely be hated by many of the same people who claim to admire him. In 1966, Gallup found two thirds of Americans had an unfavorable opinion of King, and a third had a positive opinion, according to Beatrice Dupuy of Newsweek. This is largely due to his civil rights efforts losing momentum and his antiVietnam stance stating, “the U.S. had no honorable intentions in Vietnam.” You probably never have
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toward freedom is not the White Citizens Council-er or the Ku Klux Klanner, but the white moderate, who is more devoted to order than to justice.” The real King would not support Pence or President Donald Trump, and they would likely both hate the real King. King’s legacy has been changed by those who wish to use his power and aura to defame those who wish to use King’s methods of resistance. As we move forward trying to heal a divided nation, we must stop trying to invoke the perfect King. The perfect King is a false King. King was a great man. A man who loved, a man who fought for justice and a man who was a true hero in every sense of the word. King was also a man who was anti-war, a man who defended riots and extremists and a man who was angry. King would not want those he views as oppressors
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
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heard of King’s Vietnam quote, but it is far from the only controversial quote from King buried by history. The same King who many claim was the ultimate symbol of peace and love also defended the Black Panthers and the riots that broke out during the civil rights movement. When Reynolds and many others claims BLM leaders are wrong for not condemning violence, she is ignoring when King famously said, “Black power is, at bottom, a reaction to the reluctance of white power to make the kind of changes necessary to make justice a reality for the (African Americans)... I think that we’ve got to see that a riot is the language of the unheard,” as reported by Lily Rothman of Time. When Mike Pence tries to evoke the spirit of King to push for Trump’s border wall, he is ignoring when King said African Americans’ “greatest stumbling block in his stride
to use his words and legacy to continue their hateful leadership, and we should not tolerate it either. We should remember the real King because America needs a true representation of him to help heal this nation, not a false prophet. As I end this article, I would like to place the complete white moderate quote I cited earlier in the text, as reported by DeNeen Brown of The Washington Post. I believe it is King’s most important and relevant lesson today. Thank you, King. “(African Americans’) great stumbling block towards freedom is not the White Citizen’s Council-er or the Ku Klux Klanner, but the white moderate, who is more devoted to order than to justice; who prefers a negative peace which is the absence of tension to a positive peace which is the presence of justice; who constantly says: ‘I agree with you in the goal you seek, but I cannot agree with your methods of direct action’; who paternalistically believes he can set the timetable for another man’s freedom; who lives by a mythical concept of time and who constantly advises the [African Americans] to wait for a ‘more convenient season.’ Shallow understanding from people of good will is more frustrating than absolute misunderstanding from people of ill will. Lukewarm acceptance is much more bewildering than outright rejection.”
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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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LIFE & ENTERTAINMENT
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Lime-E makes commuting E-asier than ever MARY MADELINE LAMASTUS STAFF WRITER
With the typical traffic and parking issues on a college campus, every Mississippi State University student seems to be searching for the most time-efficient and costeffective commuting method. To avoid parking issues and save money on gas, I daily ride the SMART transit system, but it proves unreliable about once a week. Though the bus is pretty consistent in the morning, it is less dependable in the afternoon and evening hours. After missing the bus to my home late one evening, I took the opportunity to test the new Lime-E bikes. I wanted to see if the bikes would be a future option for transportation between campus and my home, located near downtown. Little did I know how user-friendly the Lime-E bikes would be. Bikes were spread all over campus, so finding one was very easy. Just in case a bike is not around, the LimeBike app’s GPS shows all bikes in the area. If you cannot find the bike you are looking for on the GPS, the app even has
Mary Madeline LaMastus| The Reflector
(From left) Mississippi State junior Clay McCann, sophomore Eryn Sanders and junior Sara Beth Pritchard ride the updated Lime-E bikes across campus.
an option to ring the bike’s bell to make the search easier. I had previously downloaded the app, which made beginning the process very simple. Within 60 seconds, I opened the app, scanned the QR code on the bike handle, and the tire unlocked immediately. From there, I adjusted the seat, hopped on the bike and pedaled home.
The bike was very easy to pedal and made for a smooth ride. Since the sun had set, the headlight and taillight shined in order for vehicles on the road to clearly see me. The main feature, the electric motor, is my favorite part about the new Lime-E bikes. The motor helps with the one thing I dread about biking—inclines. During the ride, the motor provides
momentum over small and large slopes. This feature allows riders to expend less energy and get over inclines more rapidly, resulting in a quicker ride home. The motor also gives a little push after a stop at a crossing or red-light, which makes the transition from stagnant position to riding full-speed much easier. The overall ease of the
ride made the experience not only a good one, but a fun one as well. I now find myself constantly looking for excuses to ride a Lime-E bike. John Usury, the local operations manager for Lime, said the Lime-E bikes have overall received great feedback. The pedal bikes have been mostly replaced with the electric bikes, and the company plans to transition to completely Lime-E bikes soon. Usury stated he thought the transition to electric bikes was a “pedal” in the right direction, noting the average ride time has decreased by a couple minutes since the integration of the motorassisted bikes. “My favorite thing about the E-Bike is it’s easy to use. It’s low effort, and it reshapes the way that people think about transportation and moving in general,” Usury said. “Instead of having to pay the fee for a parking pass, maybe someone would be able to reliably take a LimeBike from their neighborhood.” Lastly, Usury expressed his excitement for the addition of the Lime scooters. The adaptability is a prime
selling point of the bike to hectic lives of college-aged students. As the bike can be picked up wherever it was left off, it can also be left anywhere in the Starkville area. No docking stations are necessary. The company’s flexible design shows itself again in the financial aspect of the company. A rider can rent a bike once and never ride with Lime again. Both the electric scooters and the electric bike rides only cost $1 to begin, and 15 cents for every following minute. This is a little bit more expensive than the Lime pedal bike, also starting at $1 with only 5 cents for every minute. Though the price is a bit more for the electric bikes, I consider it worth the overall efficiency. However, Lime also considers the riders who are regular users of their company. For those students who plan to use the service consistently, the company offers a LimePrime student plan for those with a .edu email address. The plan costs $14.95 per month, and includes $100 in ride credits monthly.
Netflix’s Ted Bundy docuseries captivates viewers TALLY DUKE STAFF WRITER
The infamous, conniving and cruel killer Ted Bundy left America in a state of fear long after his death. Bundy was known as the guy you would want your daughter to marry, and the Netflix documentary series “Conversations With a Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes” depicted just that. If you are interested in serial killers, or murders in general, this docuseries is for you. From witness accounts, defense interviews and even recordings of the killer, this series will entice you to binge it in one sitting. With
the four episodes each being over an hour, this series is beyond easy to get through. The first episode gives a glimpse into Bundy’s humble beginnings. Coming from a lower-middle class in Washington, Bundy’s life and lies began. Bundy was unsatisfied with his humble beginnings, so he worked tirelessly to make his appearance match his wealthy neighbors. Learning how to charm women and appear smarter than he is, Bundy found himself pursuing a law degree. The docuseries gives us a glimpse into Bundy’s twisted mind through chilling audio where he
talked about how he wanted to appear. It is baffling how he literally hid in plain sight, and no one suspected a thing. The second episode is where viewers are introduced to the killings, and how sick Bundy actually was. For those interested in true crimes that have already looked into Bundy and his infamous murders, this docuseries will not provide any new information. However, for those genuinely intrigued by this serial killer, the series will still prove fascinating. Something I did not already know is the journalist decided to trick Bundy into
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admitting his murders by getting Bundy to talk about the cases in the third person, which is an interesting strategy. The third episode is where Bundy starts to push the envelope. Bundy was a charmer and too smart for his own good. He used his wit and intelligence to continuously escape the grasp of the judicial system. The Netflix documentary series provides a glimpse into what length Bundy was
willing to go to escape jail time and continue to commit heinous crimes. Multiple sides of the story from people who interacted with Bundy daily are intermingled during the docuseries, which details real accounts of who Bundy actually was. The finale of the documentary series is also the end of Bundy’s infamous journey. Once he was found guilty and sentenced to the death penalty, the entire country celebrated together.
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“Conversations With a Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes” is just that, a conversation with a killer. This docuseries gives us a unique twist to true crime tellings because viewers actually get to hear the voice of the murderer, which is chilling. This is a series I recommend to not only the true crime fanatic, but also to someone who just has a free day and wants to be enthralled.
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SPORTS
Softball on deck with high expectations BRIANNA WALKER STAFF WRITER
Coming off a program shaping season that led Mississippi State University to their sixth NCAA Tournament appearance over the last seven seasons, softball season is officially on deck with expectations of success. The Bulldogs earned preseason praise by clinching a spot in the USA Today/NFCA Top 25 Coaches Poll, as well as coming in at No. 24 in the publication’s preseason poll. MSU also raked in votes in the ESPN.com/USA Softball Collegiate Top 25 Preseason Poll. Following the preseason honors, the 2019 season will be the second time in program history, prior to the 2001 season, that MSU earned a preseason ranking in the USA Today/NFCA Top 25 Coaches Poll. Recapping some of their 2018 campaign successes, the Bulldogs went on to win their first SEC Tournament game since 2005, and making it to the Tucson Regional in the NCAA tournament, the team had success in power as they scored a total of 55 home runs. They also pitched a recorded 19 shutouts in total over the course of the season. MSU would drop a game in the final round of the regional to the Arizona Wildcats with a score of 4-3, ending their season with a record of 38-23. After completing a momentous season, the Bulldogs are expected to make yet another NCAA Tournament run this season. The Bulldogs return with a skilled roster, with
2019 Mississippi State Softball Television Schedule (All Times CT) Saturday, March 16 – Mississippi State at Kentucky (11 a.m. CT – SEC Network) Sunday, March 17 – Mississippi State at Kentucky (11 a.m. CT – SEC Network) Saturday, April 6 – Mississippi State vs. LSU (5 p.m. – ESPNU) Sunday, April 7 – Mississippi State vs. LSU (3 p.m. – ESPNU) Friday, April 19 – Mississippi State vs. Ole Miss (5 p.m. – SEC Network) Saturday, April 27 – Mississippi State vs. Missouri (3 p.m. – SEC Network) Sunday, April 28 – Mississippi State vs. Missouri (12 p.m. – SEC Network) Sunday, May 5 – Mississippi State at Florida (12:30 p.m. – SEC Network Bases Loaded/SEC Network +)
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Mississippi State University traveled north to the University of Mississippi and came back with a huge win, 81-75 according to a press release sent out by the MSU Athletic Department. “Obviously, that was a huge win for us today over a very good team,” head coach Ben Howland said. “This is our best win of the year because this is a team that is (ranked) 32 in the NET (rankings) on their floor. This was really important for us. We’re going into this homestand that’s ‘murder’s row’ coming up this week starting on Wednesday.” Those NET rankings are the NCAA Evaluation Tool, which according to the NCAA website, relies on game results, strength of schedule, game location, scoring margin, net offensive and defensive efficiency, and the quality of wins and losses to rank teams. MSU is currently ranked 26 in the NET Rankings. Howland said his team got off to a very good start on defense, as they held Ole Miss to a four-point lead going into half time, trailing 43-39. “I thought we got off to a great start defensively,” Howland said. You knew they were going to make runs, which they did. We hung in there and remained strong to only be down four at the half.” The Bulldogs bounced back coming back from a seven point deficit, and they would finish out the game on a defensive high not forcing Ole Miss to miss their final seven shots in the final three minutes of the game. “I thought we came out and did a good job to start the second half,”
Tennis aces weekend matches, gets big wins HUNTER CLOUD SPORTS EDITOR
Rosalind Hutton
the addition of a few newcomers that is led by sophomore catcher/third baseman Mia Davidson, who was selected to the 2019 All-SEC Preseason Team. Davidson completed her freshman campaign ranked second in the league with 19 home runs, which would dub her 11th nationally in home runs and total bases. Davidson’s single season record for slugging percentage, total bases and RBIs also landed her within the seventh-highest totals in program history. Entering her sophomore
campaign, Davidson was named a Preseason AllAmerican by Fastpitch News, and she was also honored as one of the eight student-athletes from the Southeastern Conference to be honored as a preseason All-American. Davidson was also added to the watchlist for the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year award, joining 10 sophomores who are on the watchlist. The top 25 finalists list for the USA Softball Collegiate player of the year award will be announced on April 24. The winner
of the award has to be in the top 25 list. The winner will be announced May 28, following a top 10 and top 3 list. Davidson has earned her preseason accolades, as she had 19 home runs this past season and will look to build upon this success this year. The Bulldogs will begin their 2019 campaign by hosting the Bulldog Kickoff Classic from Feb. 8-10 at Nusz Park. The first game of the Classic and of the season is set for 3 p.m. Feb. 8 against Middle Tennessee State University.
Perry excels in hoop’s victory over Ole Miss HUNTER CLOUD
Kelly Donoho |MSU Athletics
Trevor Foshey celebrates in a match against Miami on Friday. MSU would beat Miami 4-1.
Howland said. “They were up seven, I think, at 4841. I was just so proud of our guys for the way we kept our composure. The way we kept our mental toughness.” The game featured a star being born as Reggie Perry, a freshman forward from Thomasville, Georgia, scored 21 points and had 11 rebounds to earn a double double on the road. Howland said he was very pleased with Perry’s performance. “I was really excited, obviously, about Reggie Perry’s game today,” Howland said. “Reggie was phenomenal. This is the type of effort I’d like to see every day in terms of productivity. He had a career high in minutes with 34. He was big for us, he’s shooting 22 percent I Noah Siano| The Reflector believe on the season from Reggie Perry takes a three-point shot against Florida. He made two against Ole Miss on Sunday. the three.” There was a slight change in the lineup as Perry took the starting spot over Aric Holman, a senior forward from Owensboro, Kentucky, as Holman only had nine minutes of playing time in the game. “With Reggie (Perry) in place of Aric (Holman), I think Aric’s been pressing too much,” Howland said. “I want him to relax and not feel any need to press. I’m sure he will respond when we need him big time.” Howland said Perry’s ability to rebound and his performance at Ole Miss has elevated his expectations for Perry going forward. “What I do expect, is if he’s (Perry) playing these kind of minutes, he’s getting 10 rebounds every night,” Howland said. “He has that capability. He’s a glass-clinger. He’s a great rebounder that could average a double-double night in and night out for sure.”
Both Mississippi State University men’s and women’s tennis teams had a successful weekend on the tennis court as they swept their competition. The men got off to a hot start Friday afternoon, upsetting the University of Miami 4-1. Head coach Matt Roberts said in a press release his team performed well, especially in serves and returns which they needed to do to beat Miami. “When we’re ranked where we are and playing talented teams, we’re going to get everybody’s best shot,” Roberts said. “We have to understand that our opponents are going to fight until the very end.” The team continued this momentum Sunday as they defeated the University of South Florida by a score of 6-1. Roberts said he was thrilled by how his team played in singles. “I thought Nuno (Borges) and Strahinja (Rakic) were pushed today on court one and did a great job of bouncing back to put their match in a comfortable position,” Roberts said. “It’s all about controlling our thoughts and our self-talk. Today was another good match for us to commit to that and use that to fuel us.” The win is the fourth in a row to start the season for the Bulldogs. Gregor Ramskogler, a freshman form Reichraming, Austria, said their success plan is not complicated. “We’re just keeping it simple,” Ramskogler said. “We have a simple game plan, and execute it pretty well.” Ramskogler is 4-0 in doubles and earned a cutting for the first time in singles on Sunday. He said he felt he played pretty well in the match.
“My first singles match on the home courts was unbelievable in front of such a good crowd,” Ramskogler said. “I got a little behind in the second set after (Burnette) changed his game plan. I adapted pretty well, responded with a break and served it out well.” Roberts said the team is enjoying the undefeated start to their season, as all they want improve. “We grew as a team in these four home matches,” Roberts said. “The guys said that the more matches they get, the tougher they get. That’s so awesome to hear that they just want more matches.” With this being said, February is shaping up to be a tough one as they play Texas Tech and Tulane on the road and the indoor tennis championships in Chicago. The Bulldogs will return home to play Vanderbilt in March. “This month is going to be amazing for us to really be challenged with a lot of road matches,” Roberts said. “It’s going to be great for the guys to be tested, and we’re excited about that.” Women’s tennis also performed well this weekend, as they swept Alcorn State 7-0 and 4-0 on Saturday. Greenan said in a press release the team was zeroed-in in. “Our team did a good job staying focused today,” Greenan said. “We worked on a couple things in practice this week, which we were able to apply in match situations. It was nice being back at home in front of our fans.” The Lady Bulldogs are at home for the next seven matches, including a doubleheader against Alabama State on Saturday and a game on Sunday against the University of Alabama at Birmingham.