09.21.18 by Reflector Editor

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FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 21, 2018

134th YEAR ISSUE 7

THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIVERSITY SINCE 1884

SA Recap: Senate passes two pieces of legislation

Sending a message

DYLAN BUFKIN STAFF WRITER

Clothesline Project strives to raise awareness for those aﬀected by violence C. NICOLE RIGSBY

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Mississippi State University’s Department of Health Promotion and Wellness hosted the annual Clothesline Project Sept. 1820 on the Drill Field. This nation-wide event used colorful t-shirts hung on clotheslines to raise awareness for different types of violence. Any individual who has experienced or knows someone who has experienced violence could anonymously create a

t-shirt. Also, an individual could send a message to the perpetrator or share their experiences through the use of art. Takia Netterville, a senior kinesiology major and intern with the Health Promotion and Wellness organization, described the event. “We have these tables set up with various colors of paint, markers and brushes for (anyone) to design or to put any type of message related to the type of violence,” Netterville said.

Noah Siano | The Reﬂector

Students decorated t-shirts on the Drill Field on Monday for the Clothesline Project. Pictured above is freshman accounting major Shamar Barbie. Pictured below (left) is sophomore special education major Carmen Perkins as she decorates a shirt. Pictured below (right) are junior chemistry major Allie Cooper and sophomore animal and dairy science major Caitlin Wood.

CLOTHESLINE, 2

The Mississippi State University Student Association Senate met Tuesday to discuss two pieces of legislation following last week’s committee discussion meeting. The two pieces of legislation consisted of Bill 2 and Act 2, both of which passed. Bill 2 concerned clerical work on the SA Constitution, in relation to how Homecoming was detailed. The bill mostly changed wording in order to be more consistent with the rest of the constitution, and to be more accurate to the reality of current Homecoming procedures. Act 2 appropriated funds for numerous groups on campus, as there was a signiﬁcant backlog from the summer. Some of the largest appropriations, each of which were $2,000, went to the Black Student Association for its Apollo night, Alpha Phi Alpha for its scheduled events and the Blackfriars Drama Society for its productions. The

total amount spent by the act was $12,965, and in an attempt to conserve for the remainder of the semester, the Senate will adhere to a $2,000 cap for requests. Groups which are denied funds by the Senate are usually turned away for a violation of Senate guidelines within their request. The Senate, as per the campus administration, cannot give funds to groups if their request is for transportation, room and board, or group member-exclusive food and t-shirts. It is also notable the Senate cannot fulﬁll an appropriation request if the required request form is not properly completed. Next Tuesday, the Senate is set to discuss the SA’s annual budget. The SA is allocated funds by the campus administration for use in two distinct manners. The ﬁrst manner in which it allocates funds is to groups on campus, and the second is on what the SA itself will function. Therefore, each act passed is not taking money from the SA’s own budget, but rather, it is taken from an entirely separate amount.

When Starkville gives Lala Land: a monument you limes, you ride to a story of local love BOA votes to expand bikeshare program to city limits COURTNEY CARVER STAFF WRITER

The Starkville Board of Aldermen voted Tuesday to approve a partnership with Lime’s bike-share program, allowing citizens to use bicycle transportation through the city limits. Starkville’s Lime Operations Manager John Usry spoke with the aldermen on Sept. 14 at the board’s work session to propose Lime be expanded into the city. He also spoke at Tuesday night’s meeting. “Aside from bringing bicycles everywhere, we would want to give the City of Starkville and its citizens access to transportation in a greater sense than just cars and walking,” Usry said. Through this partnership, the city will not pay anything

Rosalind Hutton

for this mode of shared transportation. Lime allows students and citizens to easily travel to and from downtown Starkville and Mississippi State University. Starkville Mayor Lynn Spruill said she has already seen students riding these bikes into the city since the debut on campus.

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

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HI: 92 LO: 70 SKY: Partly Cloudy POP: 20

HI: 89 LO: 69 SKY: Cloudy with rain POP: 50

HI: 88 LO: 69 SKY: Cloudy with rain POP: 50

Alderman Ben Carver, of Ward 1, went for a ride on a Limebike over the weekend with his son. “I used it a couple of times this weekend,” Carver said. “I kind of look at all angles and sides, and I don’t see anything really negative of this.” Lime will be solely responsible for the bikes’ maintenance and deployment. According to Usry, there are 22 deployment locations to start off within city limits including Main Street, Russel Street and near Midtown. Spruill said she was eager for the deployment of the bikes following the approval by the board. “Are they going to be dropped tomorrow?” Spruill asked. “Well, let’s go.” Lime has placed around 100 bikes around Starkville. “The mayor’s goal as she communicated to me was to connect the dots between City Hall, the Cotton District, midtown and connecting that to campus,” Usry said. “I know a lot of people go back and forth between there already.” LIME, 2

EMMA MOFFETT

LIFE AND ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR

Nestled in the heart of Starkville is a home-turnedmuseum dedicated to two devoted lovers: Charles “Lala” and Louise Evans. Lala and Louise Evans spent just short of 60 years together in Starkville. As city natives and active members in the community, the pair turned their home into a community epicenter. Every spring, the Evans’ backyard served as the destination for high school graduation celebrations and community gatherings. Tragedy befell the couple when Louise died in 2011. Yet, despite the absence of his soul mate, Lala was determined to preserve her memory. Inspired by her, he turned his yard and back building into a museum of their lives together, a celebration of his Christian faith, and haven for music lovers and anyone ready to dance. Walking into Lala’s umbrella garden known as

FORECAST: Highs will remain above average for the

next few days. For Saturday, the first day of fall, a cold front will stall out to the northwest of Starkville, which will bring showers and storms over the weekend. Lows will hover around 70 throughout the weekend and into the start of next week. Unfortunately, it won’t start to feel like fall for a few more days. Kris Hudson, Campus Connect Meteorologist/Forecaster

Emma Moffett | The Reﬂector

Starkville native Charles “Lala” Evans displays “Lalaʼs and Louiseʼs Place,” which is a tribute to his late wife Louise. Each wall is covered with pictures of their lives together.

Lala Land, every visitor is greeted with tables designed to represent different restaurants that existed in the Starkville community of Needmore, including an old ice-cream shop and Dew Drop Lounge. Lala shares his positivity with all visitors, as well as his life mantra: “It’s all good.”

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Umbrellas faded by the summer sun are spread throughout the yard; a trail of musical trivia traces the borders leading to a bed of roses and crosses symbolic of his Christian faith; and an above-ground swimming pool, painted by visitors from around the world, is in the center of it all. LALA, 2 Policy: Any person may pick up a single copy of The 3 Reflector for free. Additional 3 copies may be obtained 5 from the Henry Meyer Student Media Center for 25 cents per copy.

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CLOTHESLINE

BAD DAWGS Thursday, Sept. 13, 2018 Employee reported vending machine broken into at Giles Hall. 4:36 p.m. Employee reported receiving harassing phone calls and messages. Friday, Sept. 14, 2018 10:29 a.m. Student found a bicycle in Research Park. Officer took possession of the bicycle. 1:05 p.m. Student reported her car door was damaged by another vehicle while parked in F8 parking lot. 2:29 p.m. Non-Resident/ Visitor reported her vehicle was damaged from a rock thrown by MSU Landscape on Hail State Boulevard. 11:08 p.m. Student was passed out at the intersection of George Perry and Bailey Howell. Subject was transported to OCH by ambulance. Saturday, Sept. 15, 2018 Non-resident/visitor arrested in the Junction for public drunkenness. Student arrested in the Junction for disorderly conduct. 12:46 a.m. Student arrested on Blackjack Road for failure to yield right of way, first DUI and no seatbelt. Justice Court citations issued. 4:37 p.m. Student transported to OCH from Colvard Student Union for medical assistance. 6:20 p.m. Student was transported to OCH from the Junction for medical assistance. 6:44 p.m. Student was transported to OCH from Davis Wade Stadium for medical assistance. 7:48 p.m. Student

arrested in Davis Wade Stadium for disorderly conduct, resisting arrest and disturbing the peace. 9:38 p.m. Resident of City/County reported her vehicle was damaged while parking in F20 parking lot. 11:40 p.m. Officer responded to Davis Wade Stadium for a welfare concern for nonresident/visitor. EMTs were called. Sunday, Sept. 16, 2018 1:02 a.m. Student reported his tents stolen from the Junction. 1:51 a.m. Student arrested on Hail State Boulevard for careless driving, first DUI and possession of marijuana in motor vehicle. Justice Court citations were issued. 2:52 a.m. Officer responded for a welfare check on a student in McKee Hall. On-call counselor was called. 1:33 p.m. Student referrals were issued to two students for fighting in Magnolia Hall. 3:02 p.m. Officer assisted OCSO with a warrant on a NonResident/Visitor in Rice Hall parking lot. 6:04 p.m. Non-resident/ visitor reported losing his keys at an unknown location. Monday, Sept. 17, 2018 Student was issued a citation for speeding 41/20 on Collegeview, and for possession of marijuana. Student referral issued. Student was having a seizure at McCain Hall and was transported to OCH.

LIME Carver was questioned by citizens about those taking Lime to their homes, and how Lime would pick up the bikes to re-deploy them each day. “The questions I have received so far are to more of an extent of, ‘What happens if I drive this home?’” Carver said. “Obviously, you all pick them up, the few that may ride outside the hub or downtown.”

Student reported fraudulent transactions on his checking account. Student reported her Facebook account hacked. Student reported being assaulted while in the Junction Saturday afternoon. 1:17 a.m. Officer assisted SPD with a warrant on a non-resident/visitor on Blackjack Road. 2:09 a.m. Officer found a firearm during a vehicle search on Blackjack Road. Tuesday, Sept. 18, 2018 Student report her iPad stolen, last seen in McCool Hall the day prior. K9 unit assisted OCSO with a missing juvenile. Wednesday, Sept. 19, 2018 Student transported to OCH from outside of the Perry Cafeteria. Employee was having anxiety attacks at Lee Hall. EMS were called. Student referrals were issued to three students for smoking marijuana and for possession of paraphernalia in C1 parking lot. Student fell off of his skateboard at the Baptist Student Union. Subject was transported to OCH by ambulance. Thursday, Sept. 20, 2018 Student cut his finger in the bathroom of McKee Hall. Subject was transported to OCH via ambulance. Non-resident/visitor damaged trees between Hunter Henry Center and the Bost Building after a high-speed chase from SPD.

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Usry reassured the aldermen safety and respect are their utmost priorities. “We will never go on someone’s property,” Usry said. “If it is on your front porch, we will come knock on your door and ask permission. We will never cross into your backyard or anything like that.” Both Carver and Spruill said they are excited about this program.

Spruill exhibited particular excitement for the coinciding of S.M.A.R.T. bus routes and Lime stations. “I think the fact that you can get to where the S.M.A.R.T. bus goes and ride the bike home or wherever, I think it is great,” Spruill said. “I just love having that. It is an opportunity to partner with the university and make the city more accessible to everyone.”

There is no limit to what a person can decorate on the shirt, Netterville said. “You can basically put anything you want, any message you want to get out,” Netterville said. “Some people don’t know what to put on the shirt, but you can put something so simple as ‘stop.’” There have been many people involved in this year’s project. On the first day, participants made 151 shirts. On day two, 257 shirts were made. “A lot of people stop by and [say] that they’re glad that we’re even doing this,” Netterville said. Participants did not have to be affected by violence to create a shirt. Anyone and was welcome to rally against violence. Creating a shirt let others know they aren not alone, nor should they feel as if they shouldn’t speak about their experiences. The different colored shirts each represented a different type of violence. Purple represented

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violence associated with sexual orientation; black represented political injustice; blue and green represented incest or child sexual abuse; red, pink and orange represented rape or sexual assault; white represented a loved one lost to violence; grey represented cyber violence; and yellow represented physical violence, such as battery or domestic assault. The decorating tables were set underneath shady trees to provide comfort when painting the shirts. Kristin Tadlock, a senior psychology major, created a yellow shirt to help her express her emotions from her experiences of family violence and childhood bullying. She said painting was “an emotional outlet.” Art can be used as a therapeutic method to release emotions, but this event was more than that, Tadlock said. “This whole thing is to promote awareness for violence, but is also to create

unity in that,” Tadlock said. Lindsey Donald, a graduate assistant studying counselor education, helped coordinate this event and described the idea behind it as a process of airing out dirty laundry. “A lot of people would hang up clothes to dry, and at that point in time, a lot of women were stay-at-home moms. Whenever they would go out and put their clothes out to dry, that was when the women would share their secrets,” Donald said. Donald said not many people want to talk about this issue because of the fear of repercussions, not knowing what to do or the tolerance built due to repeated violence. “A lot of times, these topics are taboo and people don’t want to talk about these things,” Donald said. “It was once a private matter, but now it’s becoming a public matter and it needs to be . . . I think the first step in making a change is bringing awareness.”

LALA

CONTINUED FROM 1

Charles “Lala” Evans | Courtesy Photo

Charles “Lala” Evans poses in front of his umbrella garden, known as Lala Land, where there are umbrellas, a swimming pool and a rose garden.

Lala Land culminates in a back building called Lala and Louise’s Place. Despite its simple exterior, the inside is work of art. Each wall is plastered with photos of their lives together—white spaces on the walls are sparse. The couple’s love and collection of music is featured through records, cassettes and CDs. Mementos of their lives are scattered across the room and include an old shoeshining bench from Lala’s father’s shoe shining shop, where he worked for 25 years. Lala himself was a shoe shiner for 25 years, the first AfricanAmerican mail carrier in Starkville for 30 years, member of the U.S. Army for 40 years and MSU bus driver for 15 years. Yet, first and foremost, Lala was a dedicated husband. Lala said young people always ask him how to have a lasting relationship like his, and he always has the same response. “You put her first. You put each other first,” Lala said. It is through this advice Lala and Louise prevailed. What Louise thought was persistent heartburn, resulted in her death. However, Lala said just before his wife died, she looked into his eyes and said, “I love you.” “Yeah, I still get teary eyes thinking about it, but that was something special,” Lala said. “We had 60 wonderful years

together and for it to end the way it did… That is something I can live with.” The Evans’ home, located off Highway 12 behind Hardee’s, gained national recognition from the Huffington Post, the Ellen Show, Buzzfeed and the Daily Mail UK after being featured in alternative band Mutemath’s music video for their song “Monument.” With over 700,000 views, the Evans’ love and message of positivity became cemented in history. During Mississippi’s first annual New Narrative Festival last spring, Lala shared his story once more and ended the panel discussion by calling the attendees to dance along with him to the song “Monument.” Paul Meaney, lead singer for Mutemath, expressed the band’s fortune in meeting him, and told his story in an interview with Starkville Daily News. “He is the living embodiment of not only our song ‘Monument,’ but everything we aspired to write about for this whole new album. We are so honored that he allowed us the opportunity to share his simple yet profound story of an enduring love through our song’s music video,” Meaney told Starkville Daily News. Sasha Steinburg, news writer for MSU’s office of public affairs and New

Narrative Festival attendee, said she had never heard of the Lala’s and Louise’s story, despite working and living in Starkville for years. “You would never know that he experienced tragedy because of how positive he is,” Steinburg said. “It genuinely makes him happy to make other people happy.” Out of all the presenters at the event, Steinburg said she still has vivid memories of hearing Lala’s story and watching his positivity in action as he danced with attendees around the room and handed out flowers. “He had this tragic moment in his life, losing his wife, but he didn’t let that stop him. Instead, he turned it into something very meaningful to him and other people as well,” Steinburg said. “There may be unfortunate circumstances in life, but it’s the attitude you have and what you choose to do moving forward that really matter.”

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LIFE & ENTERTAINMENT

‘The Hobbit:’ a grand ‘A Simple Favor’ fails quest comes to campus

to murder Emily and her husband for using her in their insurance fraud scheme. This attempted murder turns out to be a ploy to get Emily to confess, and Stephanie gets footage of Emily shooting her husband in the shoulder. The movie ends with Emily thriving in jail, and Stephanie having over a million views on her mommy vlog—all looseends tied up. Killing someone to get insurance money is as cliché as it gets in a thriller. While I do not find this movie’s overall plot to be anything remotely original, the deliveries from Kendrick and Lively are nothing short of amazing. Kendrick adds her trademark quips here-and-there, making this movie as much of a comedy as a thriller. Lively creates a character who is ultrafemme, teaching Kendrick to stop apologizing all the time and to own her sexuality, not hide it. While I do not think either character will be any little girl’s role model, Kendrick and Lively give this movie its high-rating, not the confusing and twisting plot.

CLASSIFIEDS The deadline for Tuesday’s paper is 3 p.m. Thursday. The deadline for Friday’s paper is 3 p.m. Tuesday. Classifieds are listed at $5 per issue. Student and staff ads are listed at $3 per issue, pre-paid. Lost and found items: Found items can be listed for free; lost items are listed at standard ad cost. Part time position available. Certified Pharmacy Tech with experience working in hospital or retail pharmacy

preferred. Call 615-2990 for more information. OCH Regional Medical Center, 400 Hospital Road, PO Drawer 1506, Starkville, MS 39760. CLUB INFO The deadline for Tuesday’s paper is 3 p.m. Thursday. The 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 managing@ reflector.msstate.edu with the subject heading “CLUB INFO,” or a form may be completed at The Reflector 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.

STAFF WRITER

HANNAH BLANKENSHIP CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Theatre MSU’S performance of “The Hobbit” follows the adventures of eccentric hobbit Bilbo Baggins through Middle Earth as he encounters many fantastical situations and characters. Theatre MSU will perform the play at 7 p.m. Sept. 27 and 2 p.m. Sept. 30 in the McComas Theatre. Tickets are $12 for adults, and $7 for children and students. Cody Stockstill, the scenic and lighting designer, said the play takes the audience on a fun-filled and heartfelt journey with Bilbo. “It’s just such a fun story,” Stockstill said. “It’s got a lot of heart in it, too, especially this version of it. It sort of concentrates on the heart of Bilbo.” Many people are familiar with “The Hobbit” book and movies, and Tim Matheney, director of this rendition of “The Hobbit,” said this play is perfect for Tolkien fans. “Doing (‘The Hobbit’) in a theater setting, in a live performance, will give those that love the films and love the book a unique, new experience with the text,” Matheney said. However, Stockstill said performing “The Hobbit” live presents several challenges the movies did not have to face, such as set variety and time constraints. The set construction crew had to figure out how to portray the myriad of different scenes involved in the storyline from just one base set structure, as well as how to portray certain fantastical characters such as Gollum and Smaug. For this, the production team decided

While this comedic thriller starring Anna Kendrick and Blake Lively got an 82 percent review on Rotten Tomatoes, I left the theater confused because of the many unnecessary twists in “A Simple Favor.” The first scene is a shot of Kendrick, supermom Stephanie, explaining to her mommy-vlogging audience how her best friend Emily has disappeared. She goes on to explain the events of the days prior. Emily and Stephanie meet one day at an afterschool pick-up, and of course, as only Blake Lively can, Emily makes a dramatic and very stylish entrance. Emily and Stephanie become friends quickly. A couple days later, Emily tells Stephanie to pick up her child from school and does not return, and Stephanie makes it her mission to find her. This mission becomes side tracked as Stephanie has an affair with Emily’s husband. The whole point of this movie is the question: what happened to Emily?

However, this question is answered about halfway through the movie when Emily calls Stephanie, revealing she faked her death, to confront Stephanie about the affair. This movie lost me when Emily meets up with her husband, who actually thought she was dead, and threatens him to stick to the plan. The whole point of Emily playing dead is to collect insurance money so she and her husband can get out of debt. It is never fully revealed if her husband knew about the whole plan or not, leaving me confused. The movie continues to reveal Emily, whose real name is Faith, had a twin sister. Emily was able to disappear because she killed her twin sister and stole her identity. Unfortunately, this part of the subplot was not very clear since it was crammed in under five minutes. This poorlyexplained back story left me even more confused about Emily’s motives. After everything seems to return back to normal and the movie might finally end, Stephanie tries

GRACE GILMAN

Rosalind Hutton

to work with Bunraku, a Japanese puppetry style which involves several onstage actors controlling a large puppet. Both Matheney and Stockstill said they are very excited to try out these new puppetry techniques to debut to the audience, a technique both have not used before. Another challenge unique to this play was the very short time frame the group had to prepare for the production. Due to changes in the school schedule, the students only had four weeks to memorize all their lines, get into their characters and build the set, a feat Matheney called “incredible.” Jacob Baker, an MSU senior from Cullman, Alabama, playing the lead Bilbo Baggins, said the play is funny, exciting, entertaining and also very heartfelt. “It’s just a really fun time with all these characters, and there are definitely a lot of goofy, comedic parts, and hopefully, the audience will get a lot of good laughs out of it,” Baker said. “There are also some really emotional parts where really sad things happen, which will

hopefully connect with the audience as well.” Baker said his favorite part is that he gets to have fun and joke with the audience, and is especially looking forward to the children’s reactions. “One of my favorite parts about this character, Bilbo, specifically in this version of the play, is that he’s the only character that gets to interact with the audience some. So, I have a lot of asides where I get to make jokes to the audience,” Baker said. Stockstill said all the students involved in the play, both on the stage and behind it, have done a fantastic job. “They really brought their ‘A’ game to this one,” Stockstill said. “They’re really working hard, making sure that we can tell the best story, and the audience has the best story that we can provide them.” Matheney encourages all students to come out and take a break from their daily routine to relax and enjoy the story. “It’s a chance to, as a college student, come in and be a kid for a while, let your mind go from tests, and just enjoy an adventure for about an hour,” Matheney said.

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OPINION

Justice for all? Maybe not for the victims of sexual assault GRACE GILMAN

is a senior majoring in English. Contact her at opinion@reflector.msstate.edu

Yet another sexual assault victim, Christine Blasey Ford, is fighting to have her voice heard and her story believed. Last Sunday, Blasey came forward with a letter claiming she was sexually assaulted by Brett Kavanaugh over three decades ago with the help of a friend, whose name was redacted from the letter. According to CNN, Blasey wrote the following in her letter to the state senator of California, Dianne Feinstein: “Brett Kavanaugh physically and sexually assaulted me during high school in the early 1980’s. […] Kavanaugh was on top of me while laughing with REDACTED, who periodically jumped onto Kavanaugh. They both laughed as Kavanaugh tried to disrobe me in their highly inebriated state. With Kavanaugh’s hand over my mouth I feared he may inadvertently kill me,” CNN’s report of Blasey’s

letter states. As if these horrific events were not enough to suffer through, Blasey is having to jump through the many patriarchal and political hoops sexual assault victims have to go through to prove their sincerity. A pattern seen in the past few years alone, women of sexual assault have to publicly provide hard evidence to prove they are being truthful about their sides of the story. Even with all this evidence, they are still viewed as trying to bring men down. Blasey knows this. She is working within the system to prove her sincerity. She is taking control of her story. Blasey made public her therapist’s notes from 2012. Blasey shared the notes with Emma Brown of The Washington Post. In her article, Brown recounted some stunning excerpts from the notes. “She reported that she was attacked by students ‘from an elitist boys’ school’ who went on to become ‘highly respected and high-ranking members of society in Washington,’” the notes reported by Brown read. Blasey also willingly took a polygraph administered by a former FBI agent. According to Michelle Goldberg of the

Katz, said that her client is willing to appear before Congress,” says Goldberg. After the inevitable backlash and consistent defense of Kavanaugh from President Donald Trump and other senate members, Blasey wrote a letter this Tuesday about how she wants the FBI to investigate her case before the court hearing scheduled for Monday. According to Seung Min Kim, Robert Costa and John Wagner of The Washington Post, her request was the following: “A full investigation by law enforcement officials will ensure that the crucial facts and witnesses in this matter are assessed in a non-partisan manner, and that the committee is fully informed before conducting any hearing or making any decisions.” Blasey is using the guilty-until-proveninnocent culture of sexual assault victims as a strategy. She is using this game to her advantage, to show she knows what she has to do. She knows she is sincere and is willing to play along. The fact she has to do this is horrifying, and if Kavanaugh is still elected a Supreme Court Justice, it proves Washington does not care if they have sexual predators under its roof. Sexual assault does

“I declare myself not guilty!”

Rosalind Hutton

New York Times, “The utility of polygraphs is dubious, but her willingness to take one is evidence of her sincerity.” Furthermore, Blasey is willing to testify, standing

by her word, standing by her innocence. “[…] some Republicans wanted to call on Blasey to testify publicly, assuming she’d decline. But on Monday morning, Blasey’s lawyer, Debra

Trivia Time!

not matter according to them—it is not a deterrent in hiring someone. This same incident happened with the Anita Hill case back in 1991, when she accused Clarence Thomas of sexually assaulting her. Now he is a Supreme Court Justice. I will never understand the culture of guilty until proven innocent, which is so common in highprofile sexual assault cases. It not only facilitates the harassment of victims, but it allows criminals to remain firmly on their pedestals while the victim tries and sometimes fails to expose the evils of a widely admired figure. Even after all the evidence Blasey brought forward, Trump still has the audacity to praise his appointee, saying in a press conference transcribed by Julie Hirschfeld Davis of the New York Times, “I feel so badly for him that he’s going through this.” Possibly, he sees a kindred spirit in Kavanaugh, since Trump has been accused of sexual assault himself. The hearing is scheduled for Monday, Sept. 24, but is likely going to be postponed due to the FBI investigation, which hopefully will bring light to the injustices done to Blasey.

REFLECTIONS

1. Florence Nightingale aided the sick and wounded during which

Madeleine Albright

war? 2. Who was the first performer at the 1969 Woodstock festival?

“It took me quite a long time to develop a voice, and now that I have it, I am not going to be silent.”

3. The penny-farthing was a popular type of what? 4. In 1867, the U.S. purchased Alaska from what country? Source: trivia.fyi

Answer: 1. The Crimean War 2. Richie Havens 3. Bicycle 4. Russia

The issue with the US Open was not sexism, but poor sportsmanship

BREANA NORTON

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

On Sept. 8, Naomi Osaka and Serena Williams played one of the most controversial women’s final matches, which ended with Osaka taking the win 6-4. However, the win was met with some resistance. Due to Williams’ alleged cheating and hostility toward chair umpire Carlos Ramos, she was met with a lost point and, eventually, game. Williams was warranted in her frustration. Of course, she was upset about being penalized. Even though this was her fault, it is understandable she would be frustrated. However, when she screamed and brought up women’s rights, she took things too far. She ultimately took away the glorious moment of Osaka’s first Grand Slam and made the U.S. Open about herself, despite her losing. This victory was Osaka’s first Grand Slam, and she is the first Japanese woman to win this title. However, the booing of the crowd dimmed this astounding accomplishment. Williams continued to overshadow Osaka when she refused to

Rosalind Hutton

shake Carlos Ramos’ hand, and instead commented on the apology she wanted. She didn’t stop her rant with the end of the match. In her post-game interview, Williams continued her gender argument with, “I’m here fighting for women’s rights and for women’s equality and for all kinds of stuff.” While writing this, I began to laugh because of how absurd Williams acted. First of all, according

to Marc Berman of the New York Post, Patrick Mouratoglou admitted he was coaching, something Williams still denies. Every changeover, she had something to say about never cheating and getting coached. For the third violation, Williams even admits she was wrong, yet continues to argue. She has played tennis for a long time, and she knows the rules very well. Verbal abuse is explicitly

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offered she was fighting for women’s rights. However, I believe she did the opposite. She was furious she was not winning, so she took the opportunity to use her gender and new motherhood as a ploy to get her point and game back while simultaneously tainting Osaka’s first win. Christopher Clarey, a sports writer for The New York Times, researched William’s claim, which argued women are

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Life Editor/Emma Moffett

Managing Editor/Kristina Domitrovich News Editor/Katie Poe

not allowed. She never gave Ramos a break. Yes, he is notoriously strict and he follows the rulebook to a tee, but this is what he is supposed to do: follow the rules. If she did not want to get penalized, she probably should not have incessantly defied the rules which she so angrily argued were not broken. When asked why she would not come to terms with her loss, Williams

penalized more than men. He found men are actually punished much more, with 646 racket abuse fines, compared to women’s 99. Men have 62 verbal abuse punishments, with 16 for women. Additionally, even though fines toward women are few compared to their male counterparts, The Associated Press for Sports Illustrated reports Williams was charged a whopping $17,000 for her conduct in the U.S. Open final. Not only did she make something out of nothing, she also used the agitated crowd to her advantage. Every time she would get testy with the chair umpire, the onlookers reacted with boos and yelling. The crowd was still agitated when Osaka accepted her trophy, booing the poor young athlete to tears over their dissatisfaction with Williams’ loss. She made this match about her and her penalties, instead of celebrating the rise of a new Grand Slam star. She used the crowd enamored with her and women’s rights to garner a reaction. Losing is not fun, but neither is ruining a monumental win for a rising athlete.

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SPORTS

MSU looks to block Kentucky on the road in first SEC game MEGAN TERRY STAFF WRITER

Numbers are significant in football, 89 is the number of starts the No. 14-ranked Mississippi State University offensive line have collectively. The bonds of the front five can often determine the outcome of the game. Offensive line coach Marcus Johnson explained he tries to instill consistency in the players both in the classroom and in weekly practices. “Empty the bucket day in and day out, give it everything you’ve got, whether that means in the classroom you staying locked in and focused,” Johnson said. “Whether that means in individual drills you’re working as hard as you can possibly work, from group work to team work, and just carry it throughout the course of practice.” Deion Calhoun, a senior offensive lineman from Pleasant Grove, Alabama, has started on the offensive line in 26 games. He explained the last game went well because of the team’s physicality. “I felt good about it, we played physical, but this is SEC week so we’ve got to amp it up because there’s going to be better talent on the field,” Calhoun said. “I’m looking forward to us playing with physicality because that is what is going to win us this game.” Elgton Jenkins, a senior offensive lineman from Clarksdale, was named the SEC offensive lineman of the week last week and is on the Rimington Trophy watch list. He described the team environment and chemistry

KENTUCKY This is my house now.

BOUNCER

Kelly Donoho | MSU Athletic Communications

Chris Woods, coaching at a meet in 2017, will take over the reins as interim head coach. Former head coach Steve Dudley resigned Thursday.

Head track coach hangs up his spikes HUNTER CLOUD SPORTS EDITOR

Rosalind Hutton

of the team this season. “Playing with the guys behind me, beside me and the players on defense,” Jenkins said. “I see them go out there playing to a championship standard, it helps me go out there, have fun.” Jenkins said he and his teammates keep each other accountable and are look to do the best they can to keep up the good work. The O-line has only given up six sacks in their first three games, two of which were in the most recent game against Louisiana Lafayette. “We pride ourselves on moving people, knocking people off the ball,” Jenkins said. “If I mess up, if one of them mess up, we hold each other to a higher standard.” Johnson said the players work hard and take things one step at a time in order to improve.

“We try to approach each and every day one at a time. The goal is to get better day by day; our guys are working hard to please coaches right now,” Johnson said. Jenkins said the team always plays to the best of their abilities, and they will continue to do this whether the opponent is an SEC team or not. “The three games we did play, we just go out there, play to a championship standard. It doesn’t matter who we play, we just go out there and play as hard as we can,” Jenkins said. “We’re going to do the same thing in SEC play, nothing changes.” MSU (3-0) will play the University of Kentucky (3-0) at Kroger Field in Lexington, Kentucky. Kick off is at 6 p.m. Sept. 22, and ESPN2 will broadcast the Bulldog’s first SEC game of the season.

When the Mississippi State University’s track team takes to the running lanes and infield, they will be without head coach Steve Dudley. Dudley, who has been the head coach at MSU since 2010, coached eight national champions in his 17 years at MSU. At about 8 a.m. Thursday, it was announced he resigned from his head coaching position in a press release sent out by the University. “I have decided to resign for personal reasons,” Dudley said. “I have thoroughly enjoyed my time at Mississippi State. It’s been a great run, and I am proud of what we were able to accomplish as a program. It’s been a privilege to coach so many outstanding student athletes who not only achieved success on the track, but in the classroom and life. I wish the program nothing but the best moving forward.”

Athletic Director John Cohen thanked Dudley for his service to the university, as he was also an alumnus, before becoming a coach.

“We wish coach Dudley well

on his future endeavors, and we appreciate

all of his service to Mississippi State.” - John Cohen, athletic director

“We wish coach Dudley well on his future endeavors, and we appreciate all of his

service to Mississippi State,” Cohen said. “Chris Woods will serve as our interim head coach. Chris has head coaching experience, and he’s done a tremendous job as an assistant coach on our staff the past five years.” Woods, a 2008 graduate and middle distance runner, served as the sprinters and relays coach from 2013-2018 prior to being named interim head coach. “Coach Dudley has meant a lot to me and our program.” Woods said. “He coached me, and it has been a privilege to coach beside him for the last five years. We want to continue our upward trajectory as a program. As I stressed to the team today, we have to create a championship mentality in everything we do. Mississippi State track and field is a proud program with unlimited potential. We have a talented group of studentathletes returning, and we are excited about what this team can accomplish.”

MSU volleyball stays on the THANKS road for first two SEC games FOR MAKING US #

PHIL EVANS STAFF WRITER

Mississippi State University (4-9) will open its SEC conference schedule this week with matches against the University of South Carolina (9-1) and the University of Florida (9-3), after an up and down non-conference schedule that did help with making the team stronger. “I think seeing such a diverse group of teams helped us with making ingame adjustments,” head coach Julie Darty said. “I am pleased with how much we have grown as a group. I know we still have a lot to learn and things to improve upon, but this group is moving in the right direction and totally committed to that process.” The team will travel to Columbia College, South Carolina, in their first SEC game. Columbia is a familiar place for Darty, who was the associate head coach for South Carolina from 2012-2013 before coaching at Jacksonville State University, and then coming to MSU. “I am excited to go back to Columbia. It was a really special time for me when I coached there,” Darty said. “However, this is a really special opportunity for me at Mississippi State. I am excited to go in as the coach of this program and see the Gamecocks from across the net. Starting SEC play is always a fun and exciting time, and I am really looking forward to seeing what the team can do as we get into conference play.” MSU will then take a trip down the coast to Gainesville, Florida, to face the national runnerup, University of Florida. Thayer Hall, a freshman from Spartanburg, South

INDEPENDENTLY OWNED & OPERATED

500 Russell stReet ONLINE CODE: PS24FS Kelly Donoho | MSU Athletic Communications

Alleah Stamatis, a junior from Lexington, Kentucky, sets the ball for a teammate. Stamatis has 109 assists and nine kills this season out of the 13 matches MSU has played.

Carolina, is a standout for the Gators. Hall, who started off her college career in games against Nebraska and Texas with 20 and 21 kills respectively, will be a key player for the Gators when they take on

“I am excited to go back to Columbia. It was a really special time

for me when I coached there.” -Julie Darty, head coach

the MSU squad. “The whole team is excited to play against such a talented player on such a talented team,” Darty said. “To be honest, I don’t think that the freshman that we brought in really have anyone labeled as ‘the best freshman in the

country,’ and I think that’s okay. I think they respect the whole Florida team, and they haven’t really circled one player as the best.” The SEC season will be a tough road for MSU as the preseason poll has them ranked last, after only winning one conference game last year. Darty said the main goals for her first season with MSU should be to focus on the little things. “Finding that consistent level of play, and to improve on our side of the net,” Darty said. “My expectations for this part of our season is all about growth and improvement, and just enjoying the game.” Amarrah Cooks leads the team with 121 kills, Kendall Murr has 205 digs, Morgan Kath has 370 assists and Amarrah Cooks has 38 blocks this season. The team will be on the SEC network 6 p.m. Sept. 21 against South Carolina. The match against Florida is at 12:30 p.m. Sept. 23 on SEC+. The Bulldogs will return home next week against Auburn on Sept. 26. They will also have a camel outside of Newell Grissom for fans to take pictures with when Auburn comes to town.

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