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129 th YEAR | ISSUE 39
THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIVERSITY SINCE 1884
Football players involved in various crimes during break by Taylor Bowden Staff Writer
Some of Mississippi State University’s football players were arrested, resulting in a small spotlight on the Bulldog players. Arrests included wide receiver De’Runnya
Cribspot.com provides easy viewing of housing opportunities
Evans Hall shooter pleads guilty
Wilson, and freshman offensive lineman Elgton Jenkins. Wilson was arrested in his home state of Alabama on March 13 for a marijuana possession misdemeanor on his way to a friend’s 21rst birthday party in Andalusia, Alabama. The arrest was made by River Falls police chief Greg Jackson, who pulled over the vehicle Wilson was riding in for going 59 mph in a 45 mph speed zone.
by Emma Crawford Editor-in-chief
Mason Perry Jones, of Jackson, Mississippi, pleaded guilty to murder in Oktibbeha County circuit court Thursday in the March 2012 shooting of John Sanderson, of Madison, Mississippi, according to The Clarion-Ledger.
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Student explores opportunities in ‘Roadtrip Nation’ by Savannah Taggart Contributing Writer
News Editor
A few students at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan launched a website that provides information for all off-campus housing opportunities specific to various universities. Created in 2012 and originally launched for their school specifically, the convenience-seeking website was launched at Mississippi State University a few weeks ago. According to Cribspot. com cofounder Tim Jones, the website has already launched at around 124 locations. “We started Cribspot out of frustration stemming from our own off-campus housing searches at the University of Michigan,” Jones said. “There were no good online resources so we resorted to walking around campus looking for signs on houses. We knew that if we could bring all that rental information into one spot, that students would love it.”
Jones shot and killed Sanderson, a Mississippi State University first-semester transfer student, in MSU residence hall Evans Hall. The Clarion-Ledger reports Jones was charged with capital murder in the case but pleaded guilty to first-degree murder, which sentences Jones to life in prison with the possibility of parole at age 65. Jones is one of three men accused in the case. The other two, Duntae Harvey and Trent Deundra Crump, have not yet been tried.
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by Lacretia Wimbley
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TRAVELS TO DURHAM
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FRIDAY, MARCH 20, 2015
Women’s Basketball
Roadtrip Nation | Courtesy Photos
Jenny Rogers, sophomore at Mississippi State University, may seem like the run-of-the-mill college student, and for the most part she is. What sets her apart, though, are the tremendous odds she has faced and overcome, along with a once in a lifetime opportunity that took her far beyond her hometown of Vancleave, Mississippi. Rogers was chosen to be a part of the “First-Gen Roadtrip.” Roadtrip Nation, a career exploration organization based in Costa Mesa, California, and the College Board, a mission-driven non-profit organization that connects students to college success and opportunity, collaborated to offer four first generation college students a chance to travel around the country in a recreational vehicle and meet with successful professionals. During her childhood, Rogers remembers her mother teaching her to read before she started elementary school. “I think my mom instilled that love of learning in me, and I carried that with me throughout high school,” Rogers told the Columbus Dispatch. In 2005, Rogers’ mother died, leaving nine-year-old Rogers in the care of her father. He struggled with alcoholism and was significantly less involved in Rogers’ life than her mother was. In high school, Rogers took advanced placement classes and graduated with honors. Despite her academic achievements, the loss of her
mother and the slight unavailability of her father, forced Rogers to fend for herself, especially when it came to applying for college. In the end, Rogers applied to Mississippi State as an independent student because she could not access her father’s financial information. Rogers’ problems did not end when she got to college, though. Her freshman year was especially tough. She was trying to juggle her social life and schoolwork, all while figuring out how she would manage to pay for college on her own. Since she was an undeclared major, her adviser put her in classes in which she had no interest. This caused her grades to suffer, and ultimately, she lost a much-needed scholarship due to her low GPA. She also had a hard time applying for financial aid, and she said no one in the financial aid office really knew how to help her. They bounced her around from counselor to counselor so much that Rogers felt like they did not care about her. “I didn’t know how to do any of that, so it was frustrating having to go to the financial aid office and figure out how to fill out those forms and try to work the system,” Rogers told the Columbus Dispatch. Rogers continued to struggle with gaining the confidence to decide on a major. Her adviser recommended that she take a career planning class, in the hopes that the Roadtrip Nation curriculum used in the class would help her decide on a major and career path. Angela Knight, the professor of her career planning class, introduced Rogers to her once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
MSU sophomore Jenny Rogers (top photo middle, bottom photo far right) found inspiration for overcoming obstacles after participating in Roadtrip Nation, a career organization that allowed first-generation college students to travel.
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Starkville employee salary increase approved Tuesday by Jennifer Flinn Staff Writer
Starkville’s Board of Aldermen approved Tuesday to increase the salaries of city employees by three percent effective Oct. 1, 2015 in a 4-3 vote. Aldermen Ben Carver, Lisa Wynn, Roy Perkins and Henry Vaughn, Sr. voted in favor of the pay increase while David Little, Jason Walker and Scott Maynard voted against the proposal. Walker said he wants to focus on salary compression issues before moving forward with the pay increase. “I think we can fi nd a way to improve (the city employee’s) situation and make it better. I do not think that
a three-percent raise across the board is necessarily the answer,” Walker said. The original proposal included raising the board’s salary from $15,000 to $20,000 per year, excluding Mayor Parker Wiseman. This pay raise would not affect current board members and would have taken effect for the next elected officials July 1, 2017. Ward 2 Alderman Wynn said she is passionate about the pay raise for both city employees as well as the Board of Aldermen. Wiseman said he fully supports a pay raise for city employees, but opposed the decision to increase the board’s salary, without including the mayor, with such a substantial difference between the board and the city employees’ salaries. “We have said that our ability to provide anything
above a three percent pay raise for our city employees is nonexistent or unlikely through the end of this term,” Wiseman said. “If that is the case, and it is the case, locking in a 33 percent pay increase for elected officials I believe sets a bad standard.” Ward 3 Alderman Little made a motion to remove the Board of Aldermen pay increase from the proposal which passed in a 6-1 vote, Alderman Walker voting against the motion. Wynn said as a response to Wiseman that she was not satisfied with the behavior of Wiseman as mayor and would not support a pay raise for him. “I cannot, as an Alderman for our city, support a pay increase for a mayor who is clearly disengaged from city-related matters in his role as mayor,” Wynn said. BOA, 2
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Emma Katherine Hutto |The Reflector
Changes for Dining Services?:
MSUʼs Student Association hosted another ʻCampaign For Changeʼ yesterday in front of Perry cafeteria. Students were allowed to provide opinions for changes to MSUʼs Dining Services.
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Wynn cited several occurrences when she said Wiseman was out of his office for extended periods of time during operational hours of the city and a specific occurrence during the month of December when he was out of office for a period of 19 days. Wiseman said during the months of November and December he attended several conferences and speaking engagements, one of which he attended with Alderman Wynn. Wynn said she also believes Wiseman also attended the Orange Bowl where Mississippi State University’s football team played against Georgia Tech in December. Wiseman said as a member of the
ROADTRIP
“She pulled me aside specifically and told me ‘Hey, I think you should apply for Roadtrip Nation, it’d be really good for you,’” Rogers said. “I ended up applying, not even thinking about it, and I got it.” Rogers had not realized how special it was to be the fi rst person from a family to attend college until she was picked to move on to the second round of selection for Roadtrip. “It hit me in that moment. I cried. That was the moment when I really felt like I had accomplished something,” Rogers told the Columbus Dispatch. “Because up until that point, I felt like I was wasting time and money being undeclared.” Through this project, Roadtrip Nation and the College Board aimed to empower and inspire fi rst-generation students to go on to college and pursue a career reflective of their interests by connecting them with fi rst-generation leaders who were able to overcome obstacles and achieve not only college degrees but also successful careers. The First-Gen Roadtrip lasted five weeks, and the students traveled about 4,000 miles. During this time, they conducted 20 interviews with successful professionals, and many of them were also fi rst-generation college students. The students did just that.
official party and a representative of Starkville, he interacted with many dignitaries of the Orange Bowl and the city of Miami. Wynn said she thought Wiseman might be using his city-issued vehicle for non-city related business such as commuting to his part time job at the Mississippi University for Women in Columbus, where Wiseman teaches a class two days a week. Wiseman said he had his personal car serviced when he was offered the job at MUW so that he could drive back and forth without needing to use his city-issued Crown Victoria. “I assure you I know what the law is, and I honor it,” Wiseman said.
Wynn said she had heard him refer to his position as mayor as a part-time job, and said she believed as the mayor was disengaged from his duties to the city of Starkville. Wiseman said these were wild accusations and in response to the allegations against him gave a list of many improvements made during his time as mayor such as a comprehensive transit system, a new conference center and the upcoming groundbreaking for the new industrial park. “These are the things I work on. This is what my life’s work has been for these past six years, and I assure you that it is much more than a 40-hour a week responsibility,” Wiseman said.
Sunday, March 15, 2015 8:26 p.m. A visitor was arrested on Creelman Street for suspended driver’s license. Justice court citations were issued. 10:56 p.m. A student reported a busted pipe in the attic at the Alpha Tau Omega Fraternity House, causing damages. Monday, March 16, 2015 8:42 p.m. A student was arrested on a warrant at Allen Hall for felony possession of schedule II. 10:39 a.m. A student’s wallet was found on the side of the road near Meridian. Wallet was returned to its owner. 1:32 p.m. A student reported losing her tablet computer at an unknown location. 3:59 p.m. A student was transported to OCH from Maddox Trail for medical assistance. 4:25 p.m. A student reported her purse was taken from Hilbun Hall. 9:05 p.m. An employee reported a suspicious male in Lee Hall. 9:54 p.m. An Aramark employee was arrested in Starkville for driving with a suspended driver’s license.
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They interviewed trailblazers such as CEO of AT&T, Randall L. Stephenson; Executive Director of Teach America, David Lopez; Grammy-winning singer/songwriter, John Legend; U.S. Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan and Executive Director of the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanics, Alejandra Ceja.
and her self-confidence was non-existent. The person I am now is super confident,” she said. “The art I’m putting out for my classes, I’m confident in it.” Rogers is also involved in Freshman Navigators, a group that works to improve the grades of freshmen who did poorly in their fi rst semester. MSU’s Career Center hosted an exclusive screen-
“ The person who went into the Roadtrip was scared of declaring a major, and her self-confidence was non-existent. The person I am now is super confident.” -Jenny Rogers,
Student Roadtrip Nation participant After her road trip, Rogers said she fi nally decided on a graphic design major with a concentration in typography. She said she loves her classes now, and her professors support her and encourage her to follow her dreams. Rogers said that FirstGen Roadtrip changed life for the better in more ways than one. “The person who went into the Roadtrip was scared of declaring a major,
GUILTY Both Harvey and Crump are from Rankin County. Harvey, Crump and Jones were all 21 at the time of the shooting. According the The ClarionLedger’s report, Assistant District Attorney Katie Moulds said Sanderson’s family had a part in deciding whether or not to accept the plea. Moulds said in The ClarionLedger that in trials such as this one, they allow the victim’s family to make decisions, and in this case, the family allowed Jones to plead guilty and be sentenced to life in prison.
ing of a one-hour documentary titled “Why Not Us?” The documentary covered the First-Gen Roadtrip. Associate Director of the Career Center, Cassandra Latimer, hopes that other fi rst-generation students who watched the documentary found comfort in it. “Students could really identify with the struggles and fears faced by the four fi rst generation
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In March 2012, Sanderson was shot fatally multiple times in a fi rst floor Evans Hall room. MSU Police arrived on the scene shortly after and found Sanderson with serious injuries. They were initially unable to tell if he was shot or stabbed. The incident was isolated as the perpetrators fled the scene immediately and posed no further risk to MSU’s campus. The motivation for the crime is still unknown, although officials believe it to be drug-related, The ClarionLedger reports.
ARREST
college students featured,” Latimer said. “The tremendous personal growth the roadtrippers experienced during the course of their trip serves as a sense of hope. Students don’t have to know what they’re doing for the rest of their lives. Maybe they just have to know what’s coming next.” Roadtrip Nation representative, Lejon Butcher, said the goal of this documentary is for students to gain new perspective on the meaning of success. “I hope the students that saw the documentary realize that success is not about money. It’s all about following your passion,” Butcher said. “I always try to encourage students to take risks and do what they love.” Rogers said she hopes that MSU realizes how important it is to reach out and help fi rst-generation college students in any way they can, and she hopes to start speaking to classes about her experience on Roadtrip Nation. “I can’t wait for the fi nal Roadtrip piece to come out in the spring,” Rogers said. “Because I want other students who may be doubting themselves to look at it and say, ‘These people were the fi rst people in their families to go to college. Why not me? Why can’t that be me?’” To fi nd out more about Roadtrip Nation, visit www.roadtripnation.com. CONTINUED FROM 1
Jackson said he smelled burnt marijuana in the car. Jenkins was booked and later bailed out of Oktibbeha County Jail March 12 after he was arrested by MSU Police on an assault charge related to a snowball fight on Feb. 25 that allegedly escalated. Grant Harris and Brandon Bryant, who are both also freshmen football players, have both had accusations of assault leveled at them and warrants issued for their arrest, although the warrants have not been
Tuesday, March 17, 2015 8:43 p.m. A student was issued a justice court citation and student referral for minor in possession of alcohol. 8:43 p.m. A visitor was arrested on College View Street for driving with suspended driver’s license and improper equipment. 12:07 p.m. A student was arrested on campus for leaving the scene of an accident, no driver’s license and no insurance. 9:09 p.m. A student was arrested in Starkville for driving with a suspended driver’s license. 11:44 p.m. A student was arrested in Starkville for driving under the influence. Wednesday, March 18, 2015 12:28 a.m. A student reported his laptop stolen from the Mitchell Memorial Library. 12:52 a.m. A student was arrested on Highway 12 for minor in possession of alcohol, running a red light and driving under the influence. 12:47 p.m. A visitor hit a pedestrian walking sign on Stone Blvd., causing damages. 2:10 p.m. a Student reported his text book was damaged due to an air conditioning unit not working in Griffis Hall.
WEBSITE “We worked nights and weekends during the summer leading up to our senior year, and eventually launched the fi rst version of Cribspot in Ann Arbor, Michigan in fall 2012,” Jones said. Upon visitation of the website, a list of numerous off-campus apartments and housing opportunities can be seen, given the choice to be sorted by popularity or price. The website also lists whether each apartment is furnished, leasing or allows animals. After evaluating the website’s true necessity, Jones said students across the country face similar problems finding off-campus housing. “There are no good online resources that have enough listings to be all that useful, and the high-demand properties that students want often times don’t even make it online,” he said. “We’re solving these problems at the universities where we’ve launched.” Sameer Vinayak, student at Rutgers school of Business, said the website
served at this time and neither has been arrested. The assault charges surround an incident that occurred on MSU campus during the first snow day. While many students reveled in the novelty of snow, a snowball fight involving Harris, Bryant, Jenkins and MSU junior James Meyers ended with Meyers having a black eye, broken nose and chipped teeth. Meyers filed assault charges against Harris and Bryant. Meyers’ attorney, Robert Wilkins, said he signed two affidavits with MSUPD against Harris and Bryant for his client. One accused Harris for felony assault, claiming he punched Meyers in the face, and the
other accused Bryant of simple assault for throwing a snowball in Meyers face in an attempt to harm. Rice said MSUPD managed to track down one of the suspects through a vehicle that was reportedly seen at the site of the incident. He said the suspect denied the charges, although Rice said Meyers identified the suspect in a photo lineup. Rice said Jenkins then approached the police and confessed responsibility for the
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was a necessary addition to the college experience. “At least here, if not at other universities, there wasn’t an easy-to-use website to look for off-campus rentals,” Vinayak said. “Some of my friends who have used Cribspot find the ability to sort the listings particularly useful, so they don’t have to scroll through hundreds of Facebook posts and Craigslist ads just to narrow their list down to apartments with the number of rooms they were looking for.” Highlighting Cribspot’s success at the University of Michigan, Vinayak said it makes sense the website has had success at other universities. “The thing that stands out most to me right off the bat is the interface,” Vinayak said. “The site is modern and easy to use, unlike some of the bleak alternatives we have here.” Mississippi State University’s off-campus housing opportunities can be viewed on the website at www.cribspot.com/search/ msstate/rentals. attack, saying the suspect MSUPD brought in had not made the assault. MSUPD then charged Jenkins with simple assault and released the original suspect. Afterwards, Meyers said Jenkins was present for the attack, but did not actually participate, Rice said. “The victim ID’d these two, and this other guy confessed so, what do you do?” Rice said. “All we can do is send it to court and let the judge figure it out.”
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An In-Class Distraction
CLASSIFIEDS POLICY
The deadline for Tuesday’s paper is 3 p.m. Thursday; the deadline for Friday’s paper is 3 p.m. Tuesday. Classifieds are $5 per issue. Student and staff ads are $3 per issue, pre-paid. Lost and found: found items can be listed for free; lost items are listed for standard ad cost. FOR RENT House for rent! Two bedroom, one bathroom. House located in Montpelier, MS. $500.00 per month plus deposit. Great location for students looking to enjoy quiet, country living. If interested, please call 662-295-7362. Uniquie Faculty (student or alumni) Apartments! “Lodge at the Lake.” Fantastic view, 340’ waterfront, dock, boat, fishing. Eleven miles west of campus. One bedroom apartment avilable August. $550 (Or buy all five units $343,000!) Call 662-418-2790. FOR SALE Great investment! Faculty, alumni, parents, fraternity or sorority “extra” housing. “Lodge at the Lake”: Five one bedroom apartments, common room, 340’ waterfront and dock on Oktibehha Count Lake, eleven miles west of campus. $343,000. Call
662-418-2790. CLUB INFO
The deadline for Tuesday’s paper is 3 p.m. Thursday; deadline for Friday’s paper is 3 p.m. Tuesday. MSU student organizations may place free announcements in Club Info. Information may be submitted by email to club_info@ reflector.msstate.edu with the subject heading “CLUB INFO,” or a form may be completed The Reflector at office in the Student Media Center. A contact name, phone number and requested run dates must be included for club info to appear in The Reflector. All submissions are subject to exemption according to space availability.
Moves Club - MSU on Facebook. STUDENTS FOR A SUSTAINABLE CAMPUS
Care about the environment? Love activism? Come join SSC on Thursdays at 6:00 p.m. in McCool 111 to make a difference. Follow on Twitter @MSU_SSC. WESLEY FOUNDATION
Join us for a night of worship with Jenny and Tyler February 3 at 8 PM at the Wesley Foundation. STATE RUGBY
Think you’re tough??? Think again… Join State Rugby. 2014 SEC Division Champions! Practices T, W, R @ 5:30 at Rec Plex. For more info: rugby.org.msstate. edu or rugby-info@org. msstate.edu.
MSU HILLEL
BALLROOM DANCE CLUB
Jews wanted! If you’re Jewish, let us know! Like us on Facebook at Hillel @ Mississippi State University. Join us for meetings. For more questions, contact Joseph Metz at 601-813-7720.
The Ballroom Dance Club is having its 10th Annual Moonlight Ball. It will be $20 for students and $25 for non-students and includes a catered dinner. It will be held April 11 at 7:00 p.m. in the Sanderson Center.
YOGA MOVES CLUB
School or work stressing you out? Get moving into Yoga Moves. Try our moves to get into shape and our relaxation techniques to handle the stress. Yoga Moves meets at the Sanderson Center in Studio C, Thursday evenings from 5:30-7 p.m. Like Yoga
SOCIOLOGICAL STUDENT ASSOCIATION
The Sociological Student Association will meet the last Thursday of every month at 5 p.m. in Bowen Hall room 250. All majors are welcome. For more information, contact Dr. Lane at lane@soc.msstate.edu.
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Nine-twentynine presents comedy night by Kaitlin O’Dougherty Staff Writer
Nine-twentynine Coffee Bar will host Comedy Night from 8-10 p.m. Saturday in the establishment’s lower level basement. The night will be full of comedic performances presented by people from various places. Chad Barasch, Nine-twentynine manager, said this is the coffee shop’s fourth time to host the event. “Comics come from various places, and we have a different group every time. Our fi rst group was from Austin, Texas,” Barasch said. Saturday’s group includes mostly Hattiesburg, Mississippi residents. The list includes
Zach Bragg, Peter Davenport, Sam Lyons, Jason Wirth, Nick Guyton and Narado. Two of the men have participated in the event before. Brandon
fee for those who choose to bring their own wine. Alex Newell, a barista at Nine-twentynine and former attendee, said she suggests getting there early
“ ...made me laugh so hard my sides were hurting.” -Alex Newell, Nine-twentynine barista Strickland will host the event. According to Barasch, the acts will be shorter this time because they have so many participants, and the content of the night is entirely up to the comic and could vary greatly. He also said Nine-twentynine will offer microbrew beer as well as a small corking
due to the fact seats fi ll up quickly. “My favorite act was a guy from Hattiesburg who made me laugh so hard my sides were hurting,” Newell said. Newell said many people invite their parents or high school students to check out the hilarious acts. There are also a variety of
local residents and professors who attend the event. “Many people invite others to show them what Starkville is about,” Newell said. A booth will be set up at the front of the shop to check in or purchase tickets. Attendees can then proceed to the lower level for the show. Attendees will also be offered the chance to grab a drink before heading down to the performance. Jamie Anderson, a barista at the coffee shop, said he has attended the event before. He said tickets are $12 online and $18 at the door. The last show sold out, and it is highly suggested attendees buy their tickets during pre-purchase. Tickets can be purchased at 929coffee. givezooks.com/events/ comedy-night-929.
PRESENTS
COMEDY N I G H T Saturday, March 21st at 8:00pm
tickets are $12 in advance or $18 at the door
Zach Bragg Peter Davenport Sam Lyons Jason Wirth Nick Guyton Narado Host: Brandon Strickland
our last show sold out, so be sure to buy your tickets soon! Chad Barasch| Courtesy Photo
Nine-twentynine will host a comedy night Saturday from 8-10 p.m. Acts will include comedic performances by people from various places in Mississippi.
‘Empire’ season finale leaves audience in awe by Samantha Jones Staff Writer
Fox’s new hit show, “Empire,” premiered its jaw-dropping two-hour season finale Wednesday night. “Empire,” starring Taraji P. Henson and Terrence Howard, tells the story of Lucious Lyon, an infamous CEO of a successful music company that faces challenges such as being diagnosed with a life threatening disease, sons who are in competition to take over the company and personal struggles
with bipolar disorder and homosexuality. Throughout the season, artists like Mary J. Blige and Estelle guest starred performing with the original cast, making the “Empire” album a hit on iTunes. The finale captivated viewers with special performances from the legendary Patty Labelle, Snoop Dogg, Juicy J, Jennifer Hudson and Rita Ora. This daring season finale pushed the envelope with all of its drama. Filled with twists ranging from love, betrayal, revenge and life lessons, fans immediately took to social media with their reactions, putting “Empire” on the list of
trending topics Wednesday night. Spectators tweeted,
raging over the events from the season one finale of “Empire.”
“Everything that happened was completely unexpected.” -Justin Johnson, senior industrial engineering major “‘Empire’ finale was excellent. Kudos to the ‘Empire’ writers for creating a show unlike anything else on TV. An actual phenomenon.” USA Today reports “Empire” is the No. 1 network drama among young adults. On campus, students are
Aloryn Davis, senior industrial engineering major, said she was taken aback by its shock value as she watched in disbelief. “It was full of unexpected surprises that had my eyes glued to the TV,” Davis said. “I couldn’t even change the channel during commercials infearofmissingsomething.”
Other students on campus were also completely drawn into the finale story line because of all of the unexpected plot twists. Justin Johnson, senior industrial engineering major, said he felt the finale left him anticipating next season’s drama. “Everything that happened was completely unexpected,” Johnson said. “The chain of events really kept me on my toes, making for an awesome ending.” Empire is so intriguing that even Tommy Stevenson, chief diversity officer of Mississippi State University, tuned in. “I was sold on the diversity of the show,” Stevenson
said. “It portrays real life adversities such as being homosexual in America, struggling with mental illness and racial stereotypes, all of which are not usually seen on network television, which is what makes it so dynamic.” Even though Empire’s edgy story could be considered too provocative for network television, it has been praised for its unapologetic representation of modern America. With this new TV series already topping its ratings at 14 million viewers, the groundshaking finale definitely left everyone on their toes in anticipation of what is next to come.
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Televangelist’s request for $60 million extravagant by Elliott Terrell Contributing Writer
It is safe to say $60 million is a lot of money. A lot of good, charitable things can be done with a sum of money this large. Creflo Dollar, popular televangelist and pastor of the mega-church World Changers Church International in Atlanta, recently started a donation campaign to purchase a new private jet for that low sum. Dollar is seeking the Gulfstream G650 to replace his old private jet that wrecked after sliding off a runway in London. The G650 is a beautiful private jet. It is heralded as the fastest and overall best private
jet that can be purchased by a civilian. This is the type of aircraft billionaires can afford to buy. Why does a pastor need the most luxurious piece of private aviation that money can buy? A brand new private jet can cost anywhere from $4 million to $10 million. Dollar has essentially wrecked his Hyundai and is now asking for the Lamborghini of jet planes. To pay for his new luxurious ride, he wants 200,000 people to donate at least $300. This does not include church members’ existing tithes and offering. Dollar’s campaign is completely ludicrous. I am not the only one who thinks so; Dollar received immediate backlash and has since removed the donation page
and promotional video from his website. Creflo Dollar is known for prosperity preaching. This type of preaching primarily focuses on the goodness and blessings of God; a deceptive pastor primarily spins these blessings into a monetary value. For example, a pastor may say you need to give $500 to receive a 100 fold blessing. Or, he’ll say you cannot receive blessings until you have given a certain amount to the church. Dollar has been found guilty of this preaching — a theology that makes God seem like a wishing well. Prosperity encompasses more than money; it is family, health, success and overall good fortune. Some pastors take the Bible out
of context and twist the words to convey their own message. Not only is this wrong, but it confuses and misguides new Christians. To obtain anything tangible in life, work and effort must be put forward in conjunction with personal faith and belief. Who is truly benefiting from this prosperity gospel? From the looks of it, dishonest pastors appear to be the ones prospering.
Deceptive prosperity preaching is borderline criminal. It swindles poor people out of their hard earned money, while the pastor gets rich. Dollar owns several multi-million dollar homes, two Rolls Royces and is an estimated net worth of $27 million. He is bold enough to ask his congregation and the world at large to support his lavish lifestyle by asking for a $65 million
jet. There is a distinct difference between giving to the church to further ministry and Dollar’s proposed jet campaign. This is the most obvious misappropriation of clerical donation I have ever seen. Dollar is definitely living up to his last name. The pastor’s jet campaign should have caused his followers to analyze the gospel and look deeper into what is being preached to them.
RE F L E C T I O N S Confucius
“By three methods we may learn wisdom: first, by reflection, which is noblest; second, by imitation, which is easiest; and third, by experience, which is the bitterest.”
Where the Wild Thoughts Are
Events in Ferguson symptom of deeper issues Tucker Fleming is a senior majoring in sociology. He can be contacted at opinion@reflector.msstate.edu.
I am probably one of the least qualified people to write an opinion article on the events which have transpired in Ferguson, Missouri, over the past several months. I am unsure, if anything, I can even begin to speak to the depth of the situation. A town slashed by grisly racial wounds that run deeper than any of us can likely fathom, Ferguson and its occupants, in addition to those who have kept track of the events over the past several months, have been the center of an increasingly
polarizing conversation. Perhaps what is most unfortunate is exactly this polarization. The racial conflict that “post-racial America” is dealing with at this point is a political problem. For many, wrongful deaths require one to have a positive or negative opinion. “Did he deserve to be shot?” Our answer to this transcendent question informs our racial and ethnic worldview. It reduces the lives of men and women to a simple ‘yes’ or ‘no.’ Since when did the lives of people — the lives of human beings — devolve into the conversational equivalent of a budget amendment or foreign policy decision in which people can and should take sides? These issues have roots much deeper than many of us realize. Police officers should never be shot. I think in most cases, the same is true of humans at large. When President Obama says
there is “no excuse for criminal acts,” I echo him with a resounding, “Amen!” However, to stop addressing the issue here would be to treat a mighty oak as a dandelion. Criminal activity — whether it consists of rioting,
it actually exists. It’s been 50 years since the Civil Rights Act of 1964. As a society, we have come quite a long way, and that is to be commended. But we still have a long way to go. Societies entrenched in a culture like
“As always, society must continue to improve and progress. But we must also realize we are society.” shootings or anything like them — is condemnable, and it should be. We should absolutely react in disgust when two police officers are shot and killed, whether intentionally or accidentally. But to see this event as a lone tree instead of as part of the forest in which it exists robs our not-so-post-racial society of the opportunity to start healing itself. For this wound to begin to clot, we must realize that
that of slavery for 300 years do not change so radically in just 50. Change and progress should be applauded, but we must also acknowledge that redlining and gerrymandering have hampered the effectiveness of the advances of the last half century. The Department of Justice report regarding the Ferguson Police Department should be incredibly compelling evidence of this. We must also acknowledge
the limits of our own reasoning, which are influenced by our own experience. I and my friends that look like I do, come from the same background as I do and hold similar opinions to me should be very wary about making general statements with regard to the events and responses of the past several months. I hesitate to speak for anyone else, but never in my life have I been inconspicuously followed through a department store or stared at in a convenience store because the manager thought I might be a thief. The subtle, tacit exhibitions of racism still alive in America are something I have never experienced. The cultural realm of my understanding does not have a response to that because it was never an issue for me. This fact puts a premium on the effort to understand our brothers and sisters and the backgrounds they come from as they process through these events.
I think, perhaps wrongly, the question of justice and justification is important, but is one of effect and not cause. It is an important, even essential, question to answer. It seems to me the cause is at least twofold. There is a great deal of pain, if that is even an appropriate word to use, on one side of this issue. On the other is an attempt to dwarf or dismiss that pain by saying, “It’s been 50 years.” Nevermind how full of subtle discrimination those 50 years were and continue to be. What is the fi rst bandage to rip off? Maybe it is open, honest and respectful dialogue. Maybe it is something else. Whatever it is, it cannot be violent response, but just as equally, it cannot be a total dismissal of a struggle with which many of us are unfamiliar. As always, society must continue to improve and progress. But we must also realize we are society.
A Worthy Cause
Clinton email fiasco carries implications for 2016 “I opted for convenience,” explained Hillary Clinton in a press conference in which she defended her preference for using a private email account for conducting official government business. On March 2, the New York Times broke a story with the headline “Hillary Clinton Used Personal Email Account at State Dept., Possibly Breaking Rules.” The Times article
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reported Hillary Clinton used a private email account exclusively during her four years as Secretary of State, which brings the routinely questionable Clinton modus operandi into the ethically improper spotlight yet again. According to a Washington Post timeline, on Jan. 13, 2009, the day of her confi rmation, the domain Clintonemail.com was registered and allowed
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Clinton to communicate exclusively through private, nongovernmental servers located at her home in Chappaqua, New York. On Oct. 2, 2009, less than a year after Clinton’s term as Secretary of State started, the U.S. Code of federal regulations on handling records was updated to read, “Agencies that allow employees to send and receive official electronic mail messages using
this is utterly untrue. “The State Department on March 13 acknowledged this was not the case. State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki told reporters that not until this February were such e-mails automatically preserved.” Psaki’s own admission makes it cut and dry that Clinton’s emails were not preserved in the manner she describes. It is impossible to deny Clinton’s maleficence.
“If Clinton’s response to the inconvenience of simply carrying two cell phones is to walk right up to the edge of illegality without slipping over the cliff, what type of response is expected to other inconvenient realities faced as president?” a system not operated by the agency must ensure that Federal records sent or received on such systems are preserved in the appropriate agency recordkeeping system” (emphasis added). How Clinton and her team could argue a private server located in her own home would amount to the appropriate agency record-keeping system is beyond me, but to counter the charge that her emails were not routinely being retained, Clinton claimed, “the vast majority of my work e-mails went to government employees at their government addresses, which meant they were captured and preserved immediately on the system at the State Department.” The Washington Post reports
The impropriety continues. According to TIME magazine, “She commissioned a review of the 62,320 messages in her account only after the department — spurred by the congressional investigation — asked her to do so. And this review did not involve opening and reading each email; instead, Clinton’s lawyers created a list of names and keywords related to her work and searched for those. Slightly more than half the total cache — 31,830 emails — did not contain any of the search terms, according to Clinton’s staff, so they were deemed to be ‘private, personal records.’” This is mind-numbing. Her staff made the decision about what was personal and private without
any supervision. This is not about convenience. This is a calculated, deliberate attempt to avoid oversight. Not only is it an ethical breach, there are also unanswered questions about how Clinton’s preference for convenience related to national security. For four years, Clinton’s emails were undoubtedly the target of foreign intelligence services. Who took the time and covered the cost to properly secure these communications? Did they have clearance to deal with the sensitive information that is assuredly found in the Secretary of State’s inbox? Clinton claims there was no classified material in her account. It is difficult for me to accept the idea our top diplomat had not a single shred of classified material in her only form of electronic communication, but even if that were true, there still must have been information in her account that would have exceeded the clearance of whatever non-State Department information security technicians who secured the Chappaqua servers. Let’s suppose for a second you subscribe to the idea that there was no misconduct perpetrated by Clinton and believe her homebrew server system was in fact only for convenience. Even if one takes Clinton at her word, the best-case scenario is that while she was Secretary of State, Clinton thought it too hard to carry two cell phones. This person wants to be the President of the United States. If Clinton’s response to the inconvenience of simply carrying two cell phones is to walk right up to the edge of illegality without slipping over the
Walton Chaney is a senior majoring in history and political science. He can be contacted at opinion@reflector.msstate.edu.
cliff, what type of response is expected to other inconvenient realities faced as president? This latest scandal will not be Clinton’s demise or prevent her from running in 2016. The common denominator in all Clinton scandals is the fact they have weathered them without being relegated to the political doldrums. However, this scandal feeds and bolsters the narrative the Clintons will bend and break any rule at any cost to attain power. This scandal highlights why people are suspicious of Clinton, and it underlines why she could be a weaker candidate than many chalk her up to be. She has occupied offices, sure, but when pushed for the list of Hillary Clinton’s policy achievements, most deliver blank stares. She is far more vocal about who she was than what she will do. Hillary Clinton is a brand not built on a catalog of accomplishments, but on the coattails of a former president. This very brand is stumbling over itself before it even approaches the campaign starting line and is showing it is indeed a long road to November 2016.
Sports
6 THE REFLECTOR FRIDAY, MARCH 20, 2015
Women’s basketball prepares for NCAA tournament by Zach Wagner Staff Writer
Mississippi State University’s women’s basketball team is going dancing for the first time since 2010. The Bulldogs heard their name called during the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament Selection Show Monday night as the No. 5 seed in the Spokane Region. MSU will take on No. 12 seed Tulane University for its first round matchup in Durham, North Carolina The Bulldogs’ seed comes as a bit of a disappointment for many around the program and especially Head Coach Vic Schaefer, as they themselves fell just short of turning Humphrey Coliseum into a host venue for the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament. Monday at the watch party for the selection show, Head Coach Vic Schaefer expressed his disappointment with the NCAA committee’s decision to make MSU a five seed rather than a four seed, but also said the seeding does not need to affect his team going forward. “I am disappointed that the country will not see the Hump with 10,000 Bulldog fans in there,” Schaefer said in a news release. “I think we had earned the right. I think our team is good enough. We finished third in the SEC, all by ourselves. I am disappointed, no question, but you have to turn around and get ready to play. You have to be like that duck on the water and let that water rub off your back and feathers and go on.” The Bulldogs’ attention shifts to Friday’s first round contest against a Tulane
Jacob Follin| The Reflector
Victoria Vivians makes a play against the Ole Miss Rebels. Vivians won the C Spire Gillom Trophy given out to the best female athlete in Mississippi.
squad that has a number of impressive victories on its resume this season. In particular, it was able to defeat a very scrappy LSU team on the road as well as another road victory at Miami (FL) earlier on in the season. The Green Wave finished with a 22-10 overall record for its campaign and went 11-7 in the American Conference. It completed its season by receiving the sixth seed in the American Conference Tournament and proceeded to play it way into the semi-finals before falling to the University of South Florida in what turned out to be a very tightly contested game.
While Tulane may have the No. 12 penciled next to their name on the bracket sheet, in reality it is much more formidable than most people realize. It has a nice combination of youth and experience, similar to that of the Mississippi State, as well as a head coach in Lisa Stockton with plenty of experience with coaching teams in the NCAA Tournament, going all the way back to 1995. On offense, the Green Wave is led by freshman guard Kolby Morgan and her senior backcourt partner Danielle Blagg. Morgan averages 12 points and 4.5 rebounds a game while
Spring practice begins by Blake Morgan
Blagg has put up a 9.4 points per game and 3.4 assists statline for the year. The team as a whole averages only around 65 points a game, which is about nine fewer than MSU’s season average of 74 points per game. One area that Tulane has excelled in for much of its season is on the defensive end of floor, where it has held its opponents to 60 points per game and forced on average almost 19 turnovers a game. Stockton is known for constantly preaching sound defensive principles with her players, and it has certainly shown in its performance during large stretches of the season.
Bulldogs knock off Eastern Illinois, turn eyes toward road test at Kentucky by Anthony McDougle
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The Mississippi State University football team opened up spring practice Tuesday at the Leo Seal Jr. Football Complex. The team participated in a two-and-a-half hour practice with players in helmets and shorts. The practice centered on fundamentals and speed training. “We work hard to come out here and play football, and I think we had a great offseason,” Mullen said in a news release. “A lot of guys have been training and working hard, and now they get to come out and apply it to the game of football. We have a great attitude on this team, great effort and the tempo of practice was good. No one had any pads on, so it was hard to see what was really going on. We have a lot of new faces that are going to have to learn to do and think things really fast.” Manny Diaz ran the MSU defense through drills for the first time since the 2010 season when he was defensive coordinator. Diaz led Louisiana Tech’s defense to the second-best defense in total yards last season and led the county with 40 gained turnovers. Sophomore Jamoral Graham is the first player this spring to see a switch in position from last year. Graham ran through the
With this match-up on Friday, the nation will get to see two teams that, in a lot of ways, resemble each other. Even though their core group of players feature a splash of youth, they still are solidified by the presence of four seniors that help provide leadership and guidance to the youngsters on the team. Both teams also approach the game with a mindset geared toward having their defense be the main catalyst in generating offense, which can become stagnant at times. One concern for the Bulldogs is the hand injury their star freshman Victoria Vivians suffered during
their SEC Tournament loss to Kentucky on March 6. When asked about the status of her right thumb on her shooting hand, Vivians shrugged off the concerns and stated quite clearly that would not be an issue going forward. “It’s great,” Vivians said. “I’m back shooting again. It’s good.” The news should come as a breath of fresh air for Bulldog fans, as Mississippi State has seen its offense on too many occasions this season go cold for long periods of games. Not having Vivians, the SEC’s leading scorer this season, wouldn’t help matters at all. Vivians, as well as Schaefer, were both honored by the Associated Press on Tuesday. Vivians was named second team All-SEC while Schaefer earned SEC Coach of the Year honors. Even with a healthy Vivians back and ready to go for Friday, the player on Mississippi State’s team who may have the best chance of shining in the first round of the NCAA Tournament is senior center Martha Alwal. She has the necessary skills to exploit the low post defense of Tulane, and on the glass Alwal should have a nice height advantage over the Green Wave players. Alwal said she believes hard work in practice has allowed her team to be successful all season long. “We have worked so hard,” Alwal said. “Practices are so tough, but we do it. I think that is what has prepared us, and Coach Schaefer does a great job with us, so I am so excited.” Friday’s contest against Tulane will tip off at 1:30 p.m. at the historic Cameron Indoor Stadium and can be seen on ESPN2.
The Mississippi State University Bulldog baseball team rode a stout pitching performance from senior Lucas Laster to defeat Eastern Illinois 5-2. The victory moves the Bulldogs to 17-6 overall. It also concludes a 23-game stint at home for MSU. Laster took little time to complement his supporting cast after tying his season high seven strikeout performance. “I really believe we have the best fielders in the country,” Laster said. “We always know that if we can get early contact they will make some plays behind us.” Down 1-0 early, the Bulldogs brought in four
runs in the third inning to tilt the score in their favor. With the bases loaded, the dependable senior Wes Rea smacked a three-run double to left center. Rea would later reach home via an RBI double by sophomore Reid Humphreys. The Dogs resumed scoring in the fifth inning after Jacob Robson scored on a balk, stealing two bases in the process. Robson’s score would close out the scoring for MSU. The Bulldogs fi nished the game with seven total hits, with multiple hit efforts from Rea and Robson. “I think it’s important for me to get that big hit that opens things up,” Rea said in reference to his base-clearing double. “But I have to keep doing that and try to make a habit out of it.”
Head Coach John Cohen stressed the importance of clutch hits from the senior as well, saying such plays would be a key component in a successful season for the squad. The Bulldogs leave the comforts of Dudy Noble and home field advantage to face the University of Kentucky Wildcats in Lexington. Kentucky enters the game on the heels of a four-game losing streak and have yet to win a SEC game. UK is led by Ka’ai Tom, who leads the team in batting average. “They lost some folks off their club from last year, but they will be very competitive,” Cohen said. “They will be able to score runs.” The teams will match up Friday at 5:30 p.m., Saturday at 1 p.m. and Sunday at noon, all of which can be viewed on SEC Network.
Courtesy Photo | MSU Media Relations
Dak Prescott makes a pass in MSUʼs first spring practice.
practice with the cornerbacks and changed from No. 81 to No. 9. “He’s a competitor,” Mullen said. “He said, ‘Coach, I want to go wherever, and whatever I need to do to get on the field I can go do it.’ I think he has the skill set, and his quickness, athleticism and physicality will allow him to do either.” The Bulldogs will fi ll three starting positions this upcoming fall on the offensive line. Jamaal Clayborn played the center position at
the first practice of the year. “The issue that we have there is our top three centers from last year graduated,” Mullen said. “We’re going to be experimenting there a bunch. It’s not just about the one. Looking at Jamaal, I think we experimented with that in bowl prep a little bit to give him some opportunities there and see if he was comfortable.” MSU returns to practice at the Seal Complex Friday at 3:20 p.m., and practice is open to the public.
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