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BULLDOGS PREPARE FOR A
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FRIDAY AUGUST 26, 2016
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Reflector
131st YEAR ISSUE 3
THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIVERSITY SINCE 1884
MSU graduate sentenced in ISIS case by Brad Robertson Managing Editor
Former Mississippi State University student, Muhammad Dahklalla, was sentenced to eight years in prison on Wednesday for conspiring with his former fiancée, Jaelyn Young, to travel abroad in hopes of joining the radical Islamic terrorist group ISIS. U.S. District Judge Sharion Aycock gave the sentence. Dahklalla’s sentence length was based on a plea agreement his defense team submitted in March. The pair was arrested in August of last year at the Columbus-Lowndes County Airport. They admitted they were traveling abroad to join ISIS. Dahklalla was raised Muslim while Young, who was raised Baptist, had recently converted to Islam. Throughout the planning process, Young and Dahklalla were in communication with undercover FBI agents, who were posing as ISIS recruiters. Dahklalla’s sentence was four years less than Young’s, who was sentenced to 12 years earlier this month. Prosecutors acknowledged it was Young who did most of the planning through
online messaging with the FBI. Dahklalla referred to Young as his “ex” in his statement on Wednesday. The MSU graduate, who had been accepted into a master’s degree program for psychology, was mostly stoic throughout the sentencing hearing. Dahklalla said his views on ISIS have changed since his arrest this time last year. “I denounce and condemn them and don’t appreciate anything they do,” Dahklalla said. “I do realize now that the FBI saved my life. I was about to do something reckless and stupid. Even if I had been successful in getting over there, I would probably be dead right now. I thank the FBI for taking and arresting me. They truly saved my life, and I’m grateful to them. This was the biggest mistake of my life.” Dahklalla expressed his ambition to educate others through media outlets on the dangers of ISIS, whose actions he described as, “twisted and savage.” During his apology, Dahklalla became emotional to the point of tears when recalling the last conversation he had with his mother, who passed away while he was in custody earlier this year, in which he lied about his
Courtesy Photo | The Reflector
Jaelyn Young and Muhammad Dahklalla were both sentenced to prison for conspiring together to join the radical Islamic terrorist group ISIS. trip being a “vacation.” Both the judge and the prosecution were sympathetic toward Mr. Dahklalla. Aycock cited his outstanding academic success as one of many
factors that made the case, “disappointing.” The prosecution likewise said they had, “no doubt” Dahklalla’s apology was sincere but remained firm in their belief that he
knew what he was doing, in response to Dahklalla’s statement where he assured the court that he was unaware of the violent tendencies displayed by ISIS. Prosecutors insisted
the group was not known for making efforts to hide their terrorist plots and Dahklalla saying he was unaware of their violent record was, “a bit disingenuous.” ISIS, 2
From farmer’s market Election roundup to fashion shows: MSU students create new venues for sweet potatoes and fashion by Reed Gaddis Staff Writer
In order to create a more secure market for domestic cull sweet potatoes, the Mississippi Sweet Potato Challenge was formed at Mississippi State University. This gives MSU students the chance to be included in a project which teaches them about research while also providing sweet potato gardeners with a possible new business forming within the state. Sweet potatoes are grown by about 160 Mississippi farmers and contribute 82 million dollars to the state’s economy according to spchallenge.msucares.com. Dr. Charles Freeman, assistant professor of fashion design and merchandising from the school of human sciences, has helped with the project since its beginning three years ago. Freeman said the cull sweet potatoes cannot be sold for the best market value in comparison with others of larger sizes, so they are trying to find new ways to use these smaller sweet potatoes. Fleshia Gillon and Mikayla James, both fashion design and merchandising
Weather
Reflections
Griffin Hardy, Campus Connect Forecast (Department of Geosciences)
Today’s Fashion hit: Sweet Potatoes!
Facebook | Courtesy Photo
Donald Trump
Hillary Clinton
• Spoke at a rally in Jackson, Mississippi on Wednesday
Bek Yake, The Reflector
majors, are partners who came up with the idea of creating leather from the cull sweet potatoes. They began working together in a class in fall of 2015. Gillon and James create this leather by using sucrose from the potatoes. “Each semester the Sweet Potato Challenge
actually present their findings and their product to a panel to determine if they’re going to continue on as a company to work through the Center for Entrepreneurship and Outreach to start a company, a brand and a product and really launch it,” Freeman said.
Facebook | Courtesy Photo
• Spoke in Reno, Nevada yesterday
• Will speak in Cincinnati, Ohio on • Stopped in Manchester, New Hamp- Aug. 31 shire yesterday • Tweeted “Trump says he wants to • Tweeted “Hillary Clinton’s short ‘make America great again,’ but his real speech is pandering to the worst message remains ‘make America hate instincts in our society. She should be again.’” ashamed of herself!” • Posted on Facebook “Our country • Posted on Facebook “It is being was founded on the idea that we are all reported by virtually everyone, and is created equal. If Trump becomes our a fact, that the media pile on against president, that’s what we have to lose.” me is the worst in American political history! Our MOVEMENT will WIN in November! VOTE!”
POTATOES, 2
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
SUNDAY
HI: 93 LO: 75 SKY: Cloudy
HI: 95 LO: 73 SKY: Sunny
HI: 94 LO: 73 SKY: Cloudy
POP:20%
POP: 10%
POP: 10%
FORECAST: Plenty of summer heat and sunshine for us this weekend with highs in the mid 90s. A little less muggy Sat. and Sun. Rain chances are very slim reaching only 20%.
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