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FRIDAY JANUARY 26, 2018
133rd YEAR ISSUE 28
THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIVERSITY SINCE 1884
New payment plan for MSU students JOSH BECK
NEWS EDITOR
In an attempt to prevent students from incurring large amounts of student debt, Mississippi State University is introducing a new tuition payment policy. These changes will begin the Fall of 2018 semester and the July billing cycle. According to Kevin Edelblute, MSU’s assistant vice president and controller/ treasurer, students will be required to pay their expenses at the start of each semester or set up a monthly payment plan for their tuition, oncampus housing, meal plan and other university-related expenses. In addition, all statement due dates will be moved from the ninth of each month to the first. The first example of this will be in July when students will receive their statement on July 15, and the
expenses will be due August 1. Edelblute said this new time-line of payments allows both the university and its students to realize any possible payment issues before school starts two weeks later. “We can connect with those students to let them know ‘you still have not taken care of paying in advance or getting into a payment plan, you have about two weeks before school starts, take action now,’” Edelblute said. “We thought by compressing the due date, it will give us more time to contact students, and them more time to do what they need to do.” Edelblute explained while change is usually accepted with some difficulty, when students realize this change is being made with their best interests at heart, they will appreciate the new policy. According to statistics provided by the MSU financial aid office, 354 of the
3,624 students in the Fall 2016 freshman cohort (9.8 percent) did not return for Spring 2017. These 354 students collectively owed MSU over one million dollars, with an average account balance of $2,792. In addition, a vast majority of these students’ academic pursuits have stalled (no access to aid or transcripts), or their economic situation has worsened a great deal (debt load, credit reporting). Edelblute said MSU is taking a proactive approach with the new policy to prevent more life-crippling student debt. “They (students) will not be allowed to make that same mistake, and they will not be allowed to incur student debt by coming here, because we won’t allow them to start before they have paid upfront or set up a payment plan,” Edelblute said.
Fall 2016
Freshmen cohort of
average account balance: $2,792
3,624 new students
maximum: $15,750 92 students owe more than
$5,000
354 did not return in Spring 2017
owed over $1,000,000 in total
TUITION, 2 Jenn McFadden, The Reflector
MSU State Debates creates dialogue for political organizations on campus
SA recap: initial meeting of the new semester
JORDAN DARENSBOURG STAFF WRITER
DYLAN BUFKIN
The second annual State Debates forum, put on by the MSU Speech and Debate Team in conjunction with the Student Association, the MSU College Democrats, the MSU College Republicans and the Young Americans for Liberty, took place in the Bettersworth Auditorium in Lee Hall Wednesday night. The debate centered around several different topics, ranging from healthcare and immigration, to public higher education and sexual assault allegations. Before the debate, Starkville Mayor Lynn Spruill served as the keynote speaker. In her speech, Spruill said the students at Mississippi State University were far ahead of where she was when she attended MSU. “In my path to being a mayor, I never anticipated doing it,” Spruill said. “So I ran for things like speech and debate, that was the classic, you had to take it.” As for how the event played out, Spruill said she loved the fact students were engaged. “They are our future leaders,” Spruill said. “They’re putting themselves out there to be a part of what makes us very special in our country, and that’s the constant public dialogue.” The debate consisted of four rounds. In each of the rounds, all three parties had one representative debate the issues. The MSU College Republicans and Young Americans for Liberty had three representatives in the debate, while the MSU
FRIDAY
STAFF WRITER
The Mississippi State University Student Association Senate met for the first time this semester on Jan. 23 after delays due to last week’s inclement weather, but with the Senate in session once again, SA activities are in full swing. Starting off on a light note, the meeting commenced with an examination of the Senate’s remaining funds, which are in abundant supply. The Appropriations Committee in the Senate has plenty of funds to continue their support of student organizations’ events and activities for the remaining school year. However, the availability of funds does not ensure funding, SA must approve the funds to organizations. With this being said, groups are encouraged to continue to try and create student activities for the campus to enjoy. Following in the same vein, Act 11, an Appropriations Committee approval of funds, was passed during the meeting. Several highlights of the funding are the Black Student Association’s “National Drug and Alcohol Fact Day,” the Fashion Board’s Spring 2018 issue of Être Magazine and the thirdyear continuation of the MSU’s Dance Marathon. Appointed Seat Sen. Pennie Frith was up for impeachment, after having three and a half unexcused SA SENATE, 2 absences.
Lindsay Pace| The Reflector
Andrew Word, senior accounting major from Prattville, Alabama, and member of Young Americans for Liberty, discussed the long-term effects of immigration at State Debates on Wednesday.
College Democrats had four. One of the three Young Americans for Liberty representatives was Andrew Word, a senior accounting major from Prattville, Alabama. Word said the parties agreed on most issues. “I think it was pretty good, I think we agreed more with [College Democrats] on the immigration issue,” Word said. “And we had a lot of common ground with Democrats and Republicans, so I think generally both parties came to an agreeance with what we were assigned; and we
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also had disagreements, but that’s going to happen.” One of the representatives for the MSU College Republicans was Stephanie Durr, a junior double majoring in political science and sociology, with a minor in pre-law from Shreveport, Louisiana. Durr said although the Republican way is the “best way,” the topic is always up for discussion. “I think it’s important for students to be educated on how each party kind of views main platform topics,” Durr said. “I think it was really cool to have the forum to do that.”
One of the representatives for the MSU College Democrats was Emily Tingle, a sophomore from Vicksburg double majoring in political science and sociology, and the secretary for College Democrats. Tingle said it was a great event overall. “I think it’s really good for us to just have the debate so we get to hear from a bunch of diverse opinions,” Tingle said. During the debate, each representative had two minutes to formulate their party’s respective views on the issue presented, followed by a rebuttal period
FORECAST: After a week of cold mornings and warm afternoons, the weekend brings more consistent weather. Friday’s highs will almost reach 60 degrees with a low of 47 degrees. Saturday will bring showers throughout the day, with a high of 56 and a low of 41 degrees. The rain will persist into Sunday morning, but will dissipate as the day goes on. The high Sunday will be 61 degrees with a low of 48. -Weather Channel
of roughly five minutes. One of the issues on the table was free college tuition. Connor Savis, a junior communication major and the Republican representative on this issue, said there is a better alternative to free college. “Senators Mike Lee and Marco Rubio introduced legislation encouraging something called, income share agreements,” Savis said. “Basically, what this is potential students would go to private investors to give their pitch about why they deserve to be funded for their college education.” DEBATE, 2
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THE REFLECTOR FRIDAY, JANUARY 26, 2018
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TUITION
BAD DAWGS Monday, Jan. 22, 2018 12:34 p.m. Student reported items missing from backpack while left on the Drill Field. 10:47 p.m. Student reported his watch stolen from bathroom in Critz Hall. Wednesday, Jan. 24, 2018 10:43 a.m. Officer assisted Oktibbeha County Sheriff’s Office on an arrest on Aramark employee in Thad Cochran Research Park who had active warrants. 3:58 p.m. Student was transported to OCH by ambulance for medical assistance. 10:51 p.m. Students were issued referrals for possession of marijuana in McKee Hall. Notable traffic violations: Between Jan. 23 and Jan. 25, 35 MSU citations issued for speedings peeding tickets were given out on the MSU campus. MSU citation issued for seat belt violation on Blackjack Road. MSU citation issued for seat belt violation on Stone Road. MSU citation issued for driving the wrong way on Hurst Lane. Justice Court citation issued for speeding, no insurance and no driver’s license on Blackjack Road. MSU citation issued for disregard traffic device on President’s Circle. MSU citation issued for careless driving on Bailey Howell. Two MSU citations were issued for disregarding of a traffic device on Bailey Howell. Two Justice Court citations issued for expired tags on East Lee Blvd. MSU citation issued for disregard of traffic device on Barr Avenue. Justice Court citation issued for expired tag on Blackjack Road.
SA SENATE However, the SA constitution states the Senate can undo an absence to prevent an impeachment if a successful vote occurs. Frith explained due to health-related concerns and extraneous circumstances, she was regretfully unable to attend some Senate meetings last semester. However, she assured the Senate she would carry out her position dutifully this semester. After Frith stepped down from her committee chairperson position, the Senate voted to remove one and a half absences from Frith’s record, thus allowing her to stay on the Senate. Resolution 45 shows
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student support for a Mississippi Senate bill allowing students to perform their absentee voting at the Office of the Registrar on campus, rather than a campus-separate location. Resolution 46 shows student support for MSU’s eventual switch to Canvas Learning Management System, in place of the Blackboard system currently used on myCampus. Both resolutions passed unanimously. Finally, Bill 33 renames several student organization categories designated by the Center for Student Activities. For example, “Honorary/Other” is now simply referred to as “University.” Similarly, “Faith Based” is now “Faith or Thought Based,” and “Recreational” is now “Competitive Sports/ Recreational Activities.” Though the Senate has renamed the categories, it is up to the Center for Student Activities to designate all clubs to their new places, if at all needed.
Tyler McMurray, MSU Student Association president, said the university used many sets of focus groups in order to generate student feedback on the new policy. One of the main focus groups was comprised of SA senators, elected officials charged with the opportunity and responsibility to represent their constituents on the MSU campus. McMurray also explained no matter how many test groups the policy goes through, students will still be wary of new policies, especially those which will affect their pocketbooks. “It’s a change in money, and everyone cares about
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money, so when they first hear about it there is backlash, but there’s going to be backlash with any change,” McMurray said. “I think when people actually sit down and discuss the changes, they will understand.” This up-front and or payment plan method is used by a majority of universities in the southeastern conference, along with many around the nation. Both Edelblute and McMurray explained this policy is necessary to stay consistent with other institutions. “We spent a lot of time looking at our SEC institutions, as well as 12
peer institutions, and by and large, it is a common practice throughout the country,” Edelblute said. However, McMurray did point out this new policy is a shift in the culture at MSU. She said the new policy might fill prospective students with trepidation as they look at the large sum of money. “We call ourselves the peoples’ university because it’s a land grant school. It is intended for anybody and everybody to attend college,” McMurray said. “There are a lot of students who come from a variety of socioeconomic backgrounds on all aspects of the scale, so for particular people who
DEBATE The Democratic representative on this issue was Georgiana Catherine Swann, double majoring in political science and psychology. Swann said many individuals have to work long hours and perform on sports teams to keep their scholarships. Swann said public higher education should be made
cannot afford college, it will definitely turn them away because it is such a large ‘lump’ sum of money at the beginning of college.” Edelblute said the policy will have growing pains, like any form of change, but he and the university believe their proactive policy will help many students in the long run. “When I have an opportunity to explain why we are doing it, the students overwhelmingly shake their heads and say, ‘you’re right we have to fix that,’” Edelblute said. “If we don’t, we are allowing students to harm themselves and that’s not what we want to see happen.”
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free to help students, our economy and the national image. “According to the center for American Progress, by 2020, 65 percent of jobs will require a bachelor’s or associate’s degree,” Swann said. “U.S. young adults rank 10th in terms of post-secondary education
credentials.” The representative of Young Americans for Liberty for this issue was Sam Miller, a senior industrial engineering major. “What we need to do is get the federal government out of the business of student loans,” Miller said. “This sounds crazy, but
not too long ago we had a housing crisis, which was made possible with the government involvement in loans.” Each of the three organizations featured can be found on OrgSync through students’ MyState account. OrgSync contains the meeting times for the organizations.
Mitchell Memorial Library offers more than books EMMA KING
STAFF WRITER
Most Mississippi State University students use the Mitchell Memorial Library for quiet studying and research; however, the library offers many opportunities for students to grow as students. Throughout the academic year, MSU’s library hosts a series of workshops, both on-campus and online. These programs are open to everyone—students, faculty, and community alike. The event organizers are dedicated to teaching Starkville more than just proper MLA citation. This week alone, Mitchell Memorial offered workshops on writing dissertations, mastering Microsoft Excel, avoiding academic dishonesty and more. Deborah Lee, coordinator of Graduate Student Services, describes her own workshop and how it can help graduate students. “The ‘Demystifying the Dissertation Process’ workshop is part of the Survival Skills for Graduate Students workshop series at the MSU Libraries,” Lee said. “The workshop provides an overview of the thesis or dissertation process, from the proposal stage, through defense, with a goal of providing students with strategies that can help them complete their research and graduate.” Online workshops are popular because of the availability for distance learners and busy workers. Students, can build their resume by learning office staples like Microsoft Word, PowerPoint and Excel through the library’s programs. Individual consultations are also offered, along with
Emma Braswell | The Reflector
The Mitchell Memorial Library offers a vast amount of workshops for students and members of the Starkville community to enjoy.
presentations to entire classrooms. Any student in an English class has likely attended a lecture on plagiarism and research techniques. However, classes in any designation are welcome to visit the library and learn something new. “We have a wide variety of programs we teach,” said Instructional Technology Specialist Stephanie Agnew. “We also customize workshops to meet specific needs.” Other lesser-known library features include a wide-format printer, allowing students to print posters up to 44 inches wide. A 3D printer is also available, along with classes on Sketchup, a program for designing 3D figures to print. The handyman-at-heart can also check out various tools, such as jumper cables, drills and hammers. Also available for borrowing, is
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an array of digital cameras, projectors and projector screens. Tanner Gallik, a freshman poultry science major, said he admires how much the library does for MSU students. “I normally go to the library just to study, but the amount of programs it provides to students is amazing, too,” Gallik said. Another new and notable feature at Michell Memorial Library resides in the Digital Media Center, the CAVS (Center for Advanced Vehicular Systems) Mixed Reality Lab. Library visitors can experience the opportunity to learn, play, create and explore in a unique way. Thanks to a generous donation from CAVS, the Mixed Reality Lab is home to two HTC Vives, three Oculus Rifts and two Hololenses. Vive and Oculus Rift are two popular virtual reality devices,
known for their intense immersion into the virtual worlds and software programs. The Hololens, however, is an amplified reality device which allows users to view through an actual environment, and additional effects created by their chosen software. Patrons can also make their own virtual reality programs with the two computer workstations provided. This lab is open to both individuals and classes. In order to operate one of the high-tech machines, students must attend a group or individual training course and be qualified by a Digital Media Center staff member. After certification, the devices and computers can be reserved for further use by students and faculty of any major or program. As long as the library is open, students are free to explore other worlds or learn more about this one.
THE REFLECTOR FRIDAY, JANUARY 26, 2018 @REFLECTORONLINE
LIFE & ENTERTAINMENT
3
Chew on This: taco bar parties are quick and affordable COURTNEY O’BRIEN STAFF WRITER
I feel at least 90 percent of the parties I have at my own place get about 24 hours or less of planning. A little while ago, one of my dearest friends had a birthday. I knew it was coming up but was planning to take her to brunch or something. The night before her birthday, her husband messaged me about doing something special. At the time, neither of us had any idea what we would do. In the next 10 minutes, I decided to have a taco bar party. In all honesty, this was probably the easiest party I have ever thrown. I chose the taco bar because my friend loves Mexican food, but this idea can easily be adapted if you do not want to have tacos. Here is what I did for the taco bar: crack dip, easy fiesta beans, soft tacos, hard tacos, tortilla scoop chips,
two pounds of ground beef, taco seasoning, two cans of diced tomatoes, one bag of shredded lettuce, one bag of fiesta blend shredded cheese and two cans of Rotel green chilies. A recipe for crack dip can be found in my “Tailgating with a twist” column, and a recipe for easy fiesta beans can be found in the spectacular semester starters article. I put all the ingredients in separate bowls and threw the fiesta beans into a bowl instead of loaf dish, so they could serve as a refried bean dip of sorts. All in all, this whole party cost about $20. The shredded lettuce was the American salad blend from Walmart, $1.49; cheese for about a dollar; tomatoes and chilies roughly 40 cents each; and about $1.50 for 12 soft tacos. I am not including the prices for the meats because they vary depending on brand or type. I am also not including the prices of the dip ingredients because
Jenn McFadden, The Reflector
the recipes were used in previous articles. As mentioned earlier, there are plenty of variants of the “bar” party. Basically, anything you just lay out for others to put together is a bar party. While it is still cold outside, I would highly recommend getting several pots or crockpots full of various hot chocolates: peppermint, regular, gingerbread, etc. You could also make a nacho bar by starting with
a bowl of chips and various dips. If you did this, you could use all of the hard shell tacos not eaten at the taco bar. Then, there is the pasta bar. I made one of these last month and it might be my favorite variation. I made a couple different types of cooked pasta and had folks add sauces, veggies, meat and cheese. Another easy option is to host a make-your-ownpizza pizza bar. Attendees can start with soft tortillas,
mini pizzas like those in Lunchables or homemade cooked pizza doughs. From there, everyone can add their favorite toppings. There are also healthier options, such as fruit bowls, smoothie bars or a DIY parfaits bar. It goes without saying the idea applies to desserts, like the ice cream sundae bar. The most important things with these bar party ideas are keeping it simple for you, and knowing your audience. Keep it simple by using only dishes to be thrown out or dishwasher and microwave safe. I usually buy a 30 pack of cheap paper plates and a 30-count pack of cutlery. Most of the time, there will not be more than 10 people participating. So, you will have extra stuff for next time, and plenty of stuff for people who throw their stuff out or cannot keep track of the stuff they set down somewhere. Those are the
easy things to save time and money. Now, the hard lesson: knowing the audience. This is important, because otherwise, a lot of money might be wasted. To make it easier on yourself, try only inviting people you know well, and center your bar party around what you think your friends will like. Keep in mind, whatever you buy, you will have leftovers. For instance, I am not a fan of sour cream, but still bought it for my taco bar party and sent the remaining sour cream home with one of the guests. Make sure whatever you buy, you will be able to use in other recipes, to eat or have someone else eat. Whatever you do, do it confidently and comfortably. Nothing should be so much trouble you cannot enjoy it while it is happening. Do not go nuts with it. Just take it easy, and enjoy the process and the outcome.
An in-class distraction
Emma Moffett | The Reflector
Student Spotlight: Khalil Markham EMMA MOFFETT
Khalil Markham is a junior studying computer engineering. Despite being from Biloxi, Markham is from a military family and has lived all over the U.S.. Having lived across the county, Markham is well aware of the great educational opportunities available throughout the U.S., but Markham said he knew Mississippi State University was the place for him from the very beginning. “I knew that Mississippi State had something that
was going to push me,” Markham said. “I didn’t know if I would fit in at first, but I knew MSU would help me activate my talents and help me become a well-rounded individual.” Since arriving at MSU, Markham has been active on campus, and is currently a member of the Shackhouls Honors College, the International Advisory Board and the Montgomery Leadership Program. In the future, he hopes to join Engineers without Borders in order to kick-start his dream of making the workplace a better place. Markham said he plans
to combine his degree in computer engineering with environmental studies to help combat environmental degradation, find routes to help improve bio diversity in plant life and animal life, as well as working towards ending poverty. In all things, Markham is ambitious and looks toward the positives in his life and others’. He said he hopes to spread his positivity and compassion with both the student body and the world. “Enjoy every moment, and make a difference in yourself and your community,” Markham said, with a smile.
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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. 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 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.
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OPINION
Celebrities should not dictate which Starkville needs to societal issues are the most important have Raising Cane’s ALYSSIA SAMPSON CONTRIBUTING WRITER
People, in general, enjoy drama. It does not matter whether the drama is related to them or not. Regardless if it is good or bad, drama is exciting to watch and easy to become attached to, as if it has been your story all along. Some drama is irritable to watch after a story becomes heavily centered on a problem for too long, and sometimes it suddenly becomes a trending topic for the sake of famous people’s platforms. The #MeToo movement is a social media campaign in which sexual assault survivors quote in the form of a hashtag to show others who have been sexually assaulted they are not alone, and to show the magnitude of how many people are sexually assaulted. This also has quickly become a topic of interest within the world of the elite celebrities, and made its astounding journey through social media and is now, essentially, everywhere – Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook and more. According to an article from Jonathan Borge at Instyle, the “woman responsible” for this movement is activist Tarana Burke who started it in 2006. However, the movement only gained traction after actress Alyssa Milano’s tweet went viral in 2017. From then, it became a topic which only grew in popularity, and is still large today. The fame of the movement grew as allegations against Harvey Weinstein began to pile up, and as more celebrities voiced their sexual assault stories and threw their
MIA RODRIGUEZ
is a sophomore majoring in English. Contact her at opinion@reflector.msstate. edu.
Jenn McFadden, The Reflector
power behind the #MeToo movement. The movement was quite monumental in the beginning. Many women and men came forward to share their stories and offer support to anyone in need. However, it only recently became something talked about, and for people with huge platforms to decide to speak up about. The prickle of annoyance from the movement is not for the movement itself, but how long it took people to notice, take the time to look around, make the choice to listen, and to act against sexual assault and for the victims. According to the statistics from Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network, an American, man or woman, is sexually assaulted every 98 seconds. Every 98 seconds someone, regardless of their race, religion, sexual orientation
and social class, is sexually assaulted. Tarana Burke raised her voice in 2006, yet hardly anyone remembers hearing her, much less credits her for starting the movement.
“Every 98 seconds someone, regardless of their race, religion, sexual orientation and social class, is sexually assaulted.” While Alyssa Milano did credit Burke, the point is this: listening and taking action should not be saved for those who have the platform, and decide when and how to get the act going. The idea is to listen to those who
speak, regardless of their following. Hollywood is quite glamorous, but the shiny people are not the only ones who have a story to tell. They should not be the only ones able to dictate when an issue becomes popular enough for everyone to take part in. With words from Clarence Page of the Chicago Tribune, “As many wonder what’s next for #MeToo, I say we should look away from the celebrities and toward the far less visible and less fortunate workers. They, too, are saying ‘Me too.’” There is no special line to pass to become a victim of sexual assault or harassment, there is no popularity test for you to voice your strength against the system of sexual assault. However, this seems necessary for you to be heard, and this is annoying.
Starkville is home to many amazing things. We are fortunate to have luxuries such as our Mississippi State Bulldogs sports teams, Insomnia Cookies (which delivers hot cookies until 3 a.m.) and the always entertaining and informative student newspaper, The Reflector. However, Starkville is missing one key element which could make it the best place on the earth. While we may have a fast food chicken place, which is subpar at best, we are missing the always-delectable Raising Cane’s. Sure, some distasteful people may prefer a Zaxby’s chicken finger plate to Cane’s box combo, but let us be honest: those individuals are most likely Ole Miss fans. In addition, Cane’s is comparatively cheaper than its less appealing competition. While the Cane’s box combo is only $6.84, the Zaxby’s chicken finger plate is $7.98. Talk about a rip-off. Consumers receive much more when they opt for a Cane’s box combo. The ratio of chicken to crispy batter is sublime, coleslaw can be exchanged for more fries at no extra charge and the toast has sesame seeds and enough butter to make even Paula Dean blush. Zaxby’s, on the other hand, does not nearly begin to compare to Cane’s. Additionally, Cane’s box combo has a whopping 30 more calories, further solidifying the theory consumers receive more bang for their buck when choosing Cane’s over Zaxby’s.
Cane’s even has a more lovable and appealing company figurehead. While Zaxby’s has the silhouette of a chicken, Cane’s has an adorable yellow lab named “Raising Cane,” after whom the chicken chain was named. Not only is their chicken delicious, but Cane’s is dedicated to serving the community. Cane’s has a tab on their website titled “community” and upon investigation, is full of things they have done and are currently doing to give back to their customers. Where is Zaxby’s tab for community service? Why, it is nonexistent. Moreover, there are no company scandals or slip-ups to be found where Cane’s is concerned. Zaxby’s, however, has been rude to those who seem to have gone to Zaxby’s as a last resort. According to Andrew Blake of The Washington Times, a North Carolina chain of Zaxby’s served inedible food and disrespected customers. “Employees of a Shelby, North Carolina, eatery are being questioned after law enforcement officials said they were taunted and served tainted food while dining in uniform at the restaurant over the weekend,” Blake said. Not only is the chicken better, but the service is as well. It is safe to say Cane’s is simply the most well-rounded restaurant around, and its presence would make the near-perfect city of Starkville, dare I say, perfect. I must say, I do in-fact sometimes eat chicken from Zaxby’s. However, I only eat from Zaxby’s in an attempt to fill the void that can only be filled with the perfection of Cane’s chicken. I implore all who inhabit Starkville, both students and residents alike, we must get a Cane’s so we do not have to drive over an hour to quench the hunger only their chicken can satisfy.
Federal government shutdowns are simply grandstanding
DYLAN BUFKIN
is a freshman majoring in English. Contact him at opinion@reflector.msstate.edu.
The most recent government shutdown lasted only a weekend, but its consequences will reach further politically. First, a quick rundown on the events. According to Sarah Binder and Mark Spindel with The Washington Post, the government has funded itself piecemeal since October 2017, which was the beginning of the 2018 fiscal year. This concept is not new, however. The same article from The Washington Post states it has been 20 years since Congress successfully funded itself on time, and if it cannot fund itself on time, the government shuts down. A shutdown sounds scary, but in reality, it is simply the government cutting off all non-essential functions to continue operating without enough money. What you need to know:
the military still works, taxes are still deducted and Congress is still in session. Usually, Congress just buys more time to fund itself by enacting a “continuing resolution,” which is a resolution temporarily keeping the shutdown at bay by funding in small amounts. This past weekend, however, we saw Democrats in the Senate refuse to fund the government without legislation guaranteeing protection for those affected by President Donald Trump’s elimination of the Deferred Action for Children Arrivals, DACA. However, according to Tara Golshan and Dara Lind with Vox, the White House refused to sign any immigration deal until the government was funded.
“Government shutdowns are a political ploy, plain and simple.” With no budging from Democrats on DACA, no agreement could be reached. Being at a crossroads, the
Jenn McFadden, The Reflector
government shut down. Did it have to shut down? No. Government shutdowns are a political play, plain and simple. According to Amber Phillips at The Washington Post, Republicans are more divided on immigration reform than most other policies. Nine Senate Republicans joined a bipartisan group to call for Sen. Maj. Leader Mitch McConnell to commit to DACA legislation, and over two dozen Republican House members called for
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unscathed. However, hundreds of thousands of Americans will not. Andrew Taylor with PBS News Hour reports a government shutdown causes hundreds of thousands of federal workers to be forced off the job, and those who still work, go without pay until the shutdown is resolved, including members of the military. Economically, Brad McMillan, contributor to Forbes, estimates 0.25
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the same to Speaker Paul Ryan. McConnell and Ryan were simply toeing party lines called for by the president. An issue this divisive in the majority party should not be hard to resolve. President Donald Trump was not at the center of this debate, however. He called for border wall funding to be in the bill, and then, he simply let the Senate debate. In a weird way, this is the most presidential thing I think he has done; and for the most part, Trump will emerge from this shutdown
percent of the GDP is lost per week. While the shutdown did not last long, the government is not correctly funded right now, either. The Senate only passed a stopgap spending bill, one of those continuing resolutions, to stop the shutdown on Jan. 22, which means the problem comes back in several weeks. None of this had to occur, or at least, the government shutdown accomplished nothing. Democrats got nothing from this new continuing resolution they did not already have. According to Binder and Spindel at The Washington Post, Senate Democrats got Mitch McConnell’s promise DACA legislation would hit the Senate floor once the government is funded, but a promise in D.C. is worth as much as a penny: more expensive to make than it is actually worth. If all Democrats needed was a promise, they should not have put millions of Americans’ paychecks in limbo. Republicans may have been bull-headed, but they knew what they wanted and got it, which is more than I can say about the Democratic party.
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One thing on Cannizaro’s mind as baseball starts practice HUNTER CLOUD STAFF WRITER
The Hall of Champions is the reminder of all of No. 12 Mississippi State University’s baseball accomplishments like the All-Americans, MLB draft picks, SEC Championships and College World Series appearances. However, there is one piece missing, and this was on the mind of head coach Andy Cannizaro Wednesday as he greeted the media two days before team practice begins. “Everything that you can do in baseball has been done here at Mississippi State with the exception of one major, massive thing,” Cannizaro said. “And that one major thing is that we have yet to win the very last college baseball game of the season.” MSU has yet to win a national championship in baseball. Their last chance was in 2013 when they lost in the College World Series
Finals to UCLA. As MSU heads into the final month of pre-season, the want to claim a national title is the driving force behind the team. “It is a relentless pursuit of it; relentless work ethic every single day. Whether it’s our current team, whether it’s recruiting--it doesn’t matter,” Cannizaro said. “Everybody is allin on Mississippi State baseball, and myself, our staff, our players are doing everything we possibly can to help them to be able to put that first national championship trophy up.” One of the problems MSU ran into last year was a short pitching staff, and they also had doubledigit injuries, which hurt them going into postseason play. One of the pitchers who survived last season unscathed was Konnor Pilkington, a junior lefthanded pitcher from Hurley. “Anytime you go from
Jessica Lindsey| The Reflector
Junior infielder Jake Mangum sizes up a pitch during MSUʼs series against Arkansas last year. Mangum, from Pearl, hit .324 lase season.
one year where you have six or seven pitchers, to the next year where you have 15 healthy guys who can get innings,” Pilkington said. “It’s exciting that we have people who can go out and compete, and give everything that they’ve got.”
With 12 pitchers returning, some who will be in the process of recovering from major arm surgeries, Pilkington said he does not think his spot is guaranteed, and the competition will help him and the team focus on their goal.
Women’s tennis dominate season opening doubleheader HUNTER CLOUD STAFF WRITER
Mississippi State University women’s tennis (2-0) cruised in their doubleheader sweeping Arkansas State University (04), winning both matches by a score of 5-0 on Monday. The matches were the first of the spring season for the Bulldogs, and Anastasia Rentouli, a junior from Athens, Greece, said the team was excited to get on the court for the first time since the end Alayna Stevens | The Reflector of the fall season. Quinndary Weatherspoon, a junior from Canton, pulls up from deep in MSUʼs 76-68 loss to Auburn. MSU went 5-23 from three in that game. “Today was good because it was the first time after a year that I got to compete next to my best friends and teammates,” Rentouli said. With some new faces on Xavian Stapleton and from the field. the team, like transfer Janina Lamar Peters are perhaps the Holman is averaging biggest culprits. Peters came 11.8 and is the team’s most into the season with a little efficient scorer, shooting over hype as a potential second- 60 percent from the field. round NBA draft pick. This Additionally, he has made hype has dissipated, and was 50 percent of his threes. If honestly a reach to begin with. not for Holman this season, FORREST BUCK Peters struggled all season MSU would have nobody to is a graduate student majoring in kinesiology. Contact him at sports@ to shoot from anywhere. consistently hit threes. reflector.msstate.edu. He has the worst field goal Nick Weatherspoon is not Success might be at an all- percentage on the team shooting the three well, but he time high for the No. 2 ranked of anyone playing over 10 has shown a lot of promise Mississippi State University minutes per game at 33 and played well as a true women’s basketball team, but percent, and the second worst freshman. He can penetrate the same cannot be said for three-point percentage at 21 and get his own shot and has percent. a bright future ahead of him. the men’s team. Stapleton has not fared Right now, if the Bulldogs The Bulldogs fell to 14-6 after a 78-65 loss to Kentucky much better, shooting 37 want to salvage this season, on Tuesday night. After getting percent from the field and they have to commit to off to a misleading 12-1 start 27 percent from three. Tyson changing the approach on by beating mediocre teams Carter was supposed to be offense and play more to their out of conference, MSU has one of the better shooters strengths. MSU shot 29 threes shown their true colors since on the team, yet he is only against Kentucky, and only hit starting conference play, shooting 29 percent from five of them. At some point, downtown. this team must realize they going 2-5 so far. Throw in Nick are not a very good shooting The biggest issue facing the Bulldogs right now is Weatherspoon at 29 percent team, and look to score in offense, specifically shooting. from three, and Quinndary other ways. The Bulldogs have two A combination of awful Weatherspoon shooting 30.7 shot selection and just percent from three, and the quality bigs in Holman and poor shooting when good Bulldogs are stuck with a Abdul Ado, who have proven opportunities arise plague this backcourt lacking a single they can score inside. So, the player hitting a third of their primary focus on offense team. MSU currently ranks shots or better from long needs to be getting those two more touches. The guards 178th in the country in range. Everything is not all bad may not be able to shoot, but points scored, averaging 65.4 per game. Considering this season for the MSU they have proven the ability the Bulldogs play in a major basketball team as there are a to finish inside, which means they have to start attacking conference and have played few positives. Number one is the closeouts when they catch the majority of their games this season against inferior defense. Despite the shooting the ball beyond the arc and schools, the team’s lack of struggles, I am impressed turn down some of the threeat the way head coach Ben point attempts. offense is alarming. MSU has reached the Three-point shooting is a Howland has gotten this team major issue for the Bulldogs to buy in on the defensive point where they do not need to attempt any threes unless right now. There are currently end. A lot of basketball teams, the shot clock is running 351 division one NCAA basketball programs and the especially young ones like out, or players are wide open Bulldogs are currently ranked MSU, typically do not give and in rhythm. This team, 341st in team three-point field great effort on defense when specifically the guards, must goal percentage in the nation. shots are not falling, but this be willing to be patient, look MSU is ranked dead last has not been the case with for the highest percentage in the SEC in this category. this team. They play hard shots and drain the shot clock At 29 percent, MSU is one of every game with a stingy down to the very last second only 13 other schools out of defense. The Bulldogs are if they have to. Before the season started, 351 to shoot under 30 percent currently just outside the from three-point range as a top 30 nationally in points the players and Howland said allowed, giving up just 65.4 they wanted to play fast this team this season. season. However, the fact of Quite frankly, it is points per game. Another positive is the the matter is this: the team is embarrassing the way this play of juniors Quinndary not good enough to play fast. team has shot this season. Another issue, and Weatherspoon and Aric They need to slow it down, perhaps an underlining Holman, who are the milk every possession and cause of the low shooting Bulldog’s best players up to play to the biggest strength of the team, which is defense. numbers, is MSU’s horrid this point. Weatherspoon is leading The Bulldogs will be back shot selection. Throughout this season, multiple players the team in scoring at in action this Saturday at the routinely take shots making 14.7 points per game and Hump to take on Missouri. shooting over 50 percent The game starts at 7:30 p.m. you want to cover your eyes.
While impressive on defense, Bulldog’s three point shooting hampers the offense
“Nothing is ever given, and I’m not guaranteed a spot on the team, nobody really is,” Pilkington said. “Always competing everyday, in and out to really hone in on what the goal is, and try to be the best team player.” As far as the pitching
rotation goes, it looks like Ethan Small, Jacob Billingsley, Cole Gordon, J.P. France and Zach Neff are slated for the weekend spots. Other available spots in the rotation include the 13 midweek games and the pool to draw from is much larger this year. “I feel really good about the guys that are applicants to be able to pitch on the weekends for us. Those questions for us are going to be answered for us in the next three weeks, in terms of who it potentially may be,” Cannizaro said. “It’s going to leave us a tremendous, talented arm for a Tuesday or a Wednesday start, which is certainly going to be a welcome addition to the 2018 version of the Dawgs.” MSU will open practice Friday, as the team is only three weeks away from their season opener in Hattiesburg, against a very strong University of Southern Mississippi team.
Braun and true freshman Magda Adaloglou, head coach Daryl Greenan felt it was a chance for them to get some experience playing college tennis. “We just needed those opportunities to go out and battle early on in the season,” Greenan said. Greenan said she liked how the team made adjustments and played much better in the second match than they did the first. “I liked the way we responded after the first match because we didn’t play so well in doubles,” Greenan said. The team will travel Friday for the Intercollegiate Tennis Association’s kickoff weekend in California, where they will
take on the University of Texas Jan. 26. Greenan said he feels they are now more prepared since they have the two matches out of the way. “We are definitely more prepared having a couple of matches under our belt,” Greenan said. At the ITAs, the Bulldogs will also play UNLV or the University of CaliforniaBerkeley on Jan. 27, a competition Rentouli is really looking forward to when the team travels to Berkeley, California. “I’m looking forward to great competition and giving it my all there. Like comeback to Starkville saying, ‘Hey, we did our best win or lose,’” Rentouli said.
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