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Parking Woes Replacing Dak Pg. 6 Pg. 3 CHAMP Pg. 5 TUESDAY AUGUST 23, 2016

The

Reflector

131st YEAR ISSUE 2

THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIVERSITY SINCE 1884

New police texting service to help students by Vanessa Gillon Contributing Writer

The Mississippi State University police department has developed a service to appeal to the technically savvy minds of students on campus. Students are now able to text non-emergent situations to the police department’s number and get help within minutes. The aim of this service is to help students feel comfortable enough to contact the campus police if they are not feeling safe but would rather not call the police department directly. The service will allow students to register any device, whether it is a cell phone or a landline phone. After a one-time set up process, students can access the service. MSU Chief of Police, Vance Rice, fostered the idea early on at MSU. After careful brainstorming, the service is now in full effect. “My hope is that because students are much more comfortable in texting than calling, that they will be equally comfortable with sending us important information. Whether the information is letting us know that there is a wreck somewhere or that their car won’t start, we want to know about it,” Rice said.

Rice says there may be a few follow-up questions after they are contacted but only for security and safety purposes. As long as they get the information, either by text or call, to answer those questions, they can be there as quickly as possible. “One caution I want to stress is to not use the text service in place of an emergency situation,” Rice said. “Text does not convey the same emotion that voice does. We can’t hear emotion in a text, so in case of an emergency situation, please call us.” According to Chief Rice, prank texts to the department’s number will get the same repercussions as a prank call would. This action is a misdemeanor, and students are strongly encouraged to treat it as such. Dr. Regina Hyatt, vice president of student affairs, is also behind the new text service. “There are occasions where it is not possible for someone to make an audible call to police,” Hyatt said. “With the new text messaging service, it will allow for someone to reach out for assistance without the possibility of being detected by an intruder as an example.” Dr. Hyatt also said the key is to have as many options as possible to get questions or concerns answered. “Texting is just another

Sarah Dutton | The Reflector

Students can text non-emergent situations to Mississippi State University police department at 662-325-2121. This service has been available since June. avenue to increase the channels of communication between our university community and university police.” Junior and Bully Patrol employee, Torri Mcdonald, said because the current generation is very reliant on texting, having this service available should be a big hit among students. “Working for Bully Patrol, when we encounter

a situation, we have to stand so many feet back and evaluate it so we can communicate with the police department,” Mcdonald said. “Now, with the option of using text messaging, it will be much easier and safer to relay information to the police department without drawing any attention to ourselves.” Mcdonald said as a

SA works to promote culture of health across campus

student and an employee for Bully Patrol, she knows first-hand that not many people know about the safety services MSU offers, and ensuring people know about these services would be very beneficial. “I know people who would like escorts to and from places but would prefer not to call the department directly,” Mcdonald said. “I am confident having this

MSU voted ‘Great College to Work For’

by Taylor Bowden

by Reed Gaddis

Online Editor

Staff Writer

As students returned to Mississippi State University and headed to class, on just about every door into any building they were greeted with a sign stating smoking has been banned on MSU’s campus in an effort to “clear the air.” The ban, which was passed by the MSU Student Association in conjunction with the Office of Student Affairs and the Health and Wellness Education branch of the student health center last spring, deemed MSU a smoke-free campus. The ban went into effect this semester, and according to SA President Roxanne Raven, it has so far been successful. “Overall the majority of the feedback has been positive,” Raven said. “I have only seen a few instances of negative feedback, some comments on social media.” Raven said the purpose of the policy was to create a “healthier cultural mindset” at MSU. JuLeigh Baker, a health and wellness educator for university health services, said a lot of the Health Center’s involvement focuses on providing

In July, The Chronicle of Higher Education termed Mississippi State University a “2016 Great College to Work For” after a survey was conducted using 281 colleges and universities. “Great Colleges to Work For” was acknowledged by just 93 of the foundations who submitted an application for the program. MSU was also placed on The Chronicle’s honor roll. The campus achieved seven categories of honors including confidence in senior leadership, tenure clarity and process, collaborative governance, facilities, workspace and security, professional/ career development programs and job satisfaction. Dr. Thomas Bourgeois, dean of students, elaborated on the honors MSU received. “I’ve been back at Mississippi State almost 18 years, so I’ve been here a long time,” Bourgeois said. “Part of the reason is, not just it’s a great place to work, it’s the kind of students we attract from Mississippi State, it’s the

Sarah Dutton | The Reflector

MSU’s clear the air smoke free campus is part of the university’s initiative to create a healthier mindset in students and faculty. MSU provides support programs for those who wish to quit smoking. support programs for those who wish to quit smoking. “Our office was asked to promote awareness of the ban and to provide the Tobacco Cessation program,” Baker said. Since the ban, some members of MSU’s staff have already decided to quit,

Raven said. “I’m excited about it. Everyone was ready and waiting for it,” Raven said. The biggest hurdle with the smoke-free policy, Raven said, will be enforcing the ban during MSU sporting events. Enforcement will fall onto

the shoulders of the athletic department. Raven said if an Events Operations Group official or an officer sees someone smoking they will first ask them to put out the cigarette, and repeat offenses might end in the offender being escorted out of the stadium or event.

option available will make a lot of people happy and Bully Patrol will be right there in no time to assist.” One important goal of MSU is to ensure the protection and safety of the students here. The MSU police department wants every student to know that this service is out there and readily available to use. The text service can be reached at 662-325-2121.

level of scholarship, it’s the level of engagement that faculty and staff have with students.” Bourgeois said if a student comes to visit campus they have around a 90 percent chance of coming to school here. He said this is impacted not just by academics but also the level of engagement, sense of belonging, people caring about them and making lifelong friends. Bourgeois said by looking around the university it is obvious that many of the faculty have been employed for a long time. He said this is because MSU is a great place to work for. He said there has been a lot of stability and great things happening at MSU. In regard to senior leadership, Bourgeois named several individuals who have been in such positions for many years. He said jobs are made easier due to the strong working relationships developed. He said he has been able to establish relationships with a lot of the other mentors, vice presidents and many deans of the other colleges who are essential to how the university functions and provides services to students.

SMOKING BAN, 2

Weather

Reflections

James Bryant, Campus Connect Forecast (Department of Geosciences)

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

HI: 92 LO: 72 SKY: Cloudy

HI: 94 LO: 74 SKY: Cloudy

HI: 94 LO: 73 SKY: Cloudy

POP:20%

POP: 30%

POP: 30%

FORECAST: The next three days we will be in a very summer like pattern with highs in the lower 90s and a chance of afternoon showers and thunderstorms. Have a great week!

GREAT COLLEGE, 2

Reader’s Guide: Bad Dawgs Bulletin Board Opinion Contact Info

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