10.02.18 by Reflector Editor

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Political Civility is

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Football team faces adversity

Greek Week

Dying

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together

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TUESDAY OCTOBER 2, 2018

134th YEAR ISSUE 10

THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIVERSITY SINCE 1884

Bulldog Bash 2018

Beth Wynn | Courtesy Photo

Top finalists for the pageant were third runner up Leah A. Boyd (left), second runner up Rachel K. Shumaker, Miss MSU Hannah Oliver and first runner up Sydney E. Slocum.

Hannah Oliver crowned Miss MSU JENNA SCHMIDT

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

When Hannah Oliver, a junior fashion merchandising major from Stuttgart, Arkansas, heard her name called as the 2018 Miss MSU winner, she said it was a dream come true. “I have dreamed of being Miss MSU since my freshman year,” said Oliver, “When they called my name, my dream became a reality. I just felt so joyful and thankful for the opportunity to represent and give back to the university that has given so much to me.” Women across Mississippi State University’s campus compete for the title of Miss MSU for several reasons. One is to move on to compete for the title of Miss Mississippi, and then possibly for Miss America. Unknown to many is the other reason: to promote their personal platform. Oliver’s platform, called

“Multiple Sclerosis: Taking Steps Toward a Cure,” involves creating awareness and advocating for those suffering from Multiple Sclerosis. Her grandfather was diagnosed with MS in 1980, and his journey inspired Oliver to fight for others who have the same diagnosis. To promote her platform and receive her crown, Oliver went through five phases of competition: an interview with the judging panel, the swimsuit round, the evening wear round, the on-stage question and the talent portion. Brad Hill, assistant director for Student Activities and director of the Miss MSU Scholarship Program, gave some insight into what it takes to succeed in each round. The interview, which occurs prior to the pageant itself, is where the competitors sit down with the judges to express themselves and their individual platforms. MISS MSU, 2

Read the full story on Page 3 Lindsay Pace | The Reflector

Tyson Ritter of The All-American Rejects performs a song during Bulldog Bash Saturday evening. The band was this year’s headliner.

NPHC starts mentoring program Pink Dawg Walk at elementary school in Starkville raises awareness KAT BOWMAN STAFF WRITER

The National PanHellenic Council at Mississippi State University created a new mentorship program with Henderson Ward Stewart Elementary School. The Henderson Ward Mentoring Program has 33 third and fourth graders paired with 33 mentors who spend two days per week meeting with the students. Michayla Mack, president of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc., mentors with the program and said the students they assist have math, reading or behavioral issues. “They don’t really have positive role models outside of school,” Mack, a junior psychology major, said. “That’s where we kind of come in to help give them a positive role model. We

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Eric Lucas | Courtesy Photo

Mentors for a new Starkville program strive to be role models for elementary-school students.

help them with some work, have fun, if anything’s going on at home, they can talk to me.” One of the weekly meetings is a one-on-one session with the student

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and mentor, and the other is a group meeting with all of the students and mentors. Eric Lucas, president of NPHC and director and founder of the program,

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spoke on what happens in the group meetings. “If some kids need to make up work, they do,” said Lucas, a junior biomedical engineering major. “But, for the most part, we have fun. We let them let loose a little bit and show them we’re not all sticklers.” Henderson Ward Stewart Elementary School is 75 percent AfricanAmerican, Lucas said. He said it is important the students have role models with whom they can relate. “The reason why NPHC took this initiative first off is because there’s honestly a lack of positive influential African-American role models,” Lucas said. “Henderson Ward reached out to us trying to confront that issue.” Mack echoed this and stressed the importance role models have on a student’s success. NPHC, 2

FORECAST: Our last chance for rain will leave the region Tuesday. A ridge of high pressure will develop during the second half of the week, which will bring us above average temperatures to last through the weekend. Jacob Lawrence, Campus Connect Meteorologist

for breast cancer

anyone can participate in the walk. “This event is a fun way to spread awareness about the prevention and early detection of breast cancer, while we are also celebrating survivors,” Baker said. “It is a great event that people from campus and families from the community can both enjoy.” To Baker, the walk is more than spreading awareness for the disease, it is also a way for her to honor people close to her heart. “Many people know of someone who has had breast cancer, but it becomes very personal when you can put a name of someone you love to it,” Baker said.

KATIE POE

NEWS EDITOR

Mississippi State University will start October, breast cancer awareness month, off with its sixth annual Pink Dawg Walk, where survivors and supporters will walk around Chadwick Lake to recognize the disease and those it affects. The free event kicks off at 4 p.m. Thursday, at the walking track around the lake, which is next to the Sanderson Center. JuLeigh Baker, who manages the event and is a health and wellness educator for University Health Services, said

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BAD DAWGS Wednesday, Sept. 26, 2018 Non-resident/student arrested on a case from 2017 for cyberstalking. Thursday, Sept. 27, 2018 Student reported bicycle stolen from Deavenport Hall, which was later recovered from North Farm bicycle storage. Student reported his clothes missing from the laundry room in McKee Hall. Student hurt his knee playing basketball in the Sanderson Center. Subject was transported to OCH. Non-resident/visitors were arrested in B7 parking lot for disorderly conduct. Friday, Sept. 28, 2018 Employee reported a projector missing from IED Building. Student reported damages to her car window while parked in D22 parking lot. Student reported receiving unwanted advances from an MSU bus driver. Officer reported damage to his patrol vehicle’s tire. Saturday, Sept. 29, 2018 Non-resident/visitor arrested on Fraternity Row for public intoxication. Student issued an arrest citation and referral for possession of marijuana in D5 parking lot. Non-resident/visitor arrested on East Lee Boulevard for possession of paraphernalia and improper equipment. Non-resident/visitor was arrested on East Lee Boulevard on warrant with Starkville Police Department. Student was involved in a fight in the Junction. Subject was transported to OCH via ambulance. Non-resident/visitor transported to OCH from Davis Wade Stadium for medical assistance.

Non-resident/visitor transported to OCH from Davis Wade Stadium for possible heart attack. Non-resident/visitor transported to OCH from Davis Wade Stadium for possible heat exhaustion. Non-resident/visitor was involved in a fight in the Junction. Subject was transported to OCH via ambulance. Non-resident/visitor transported to OCH from Davis Wade Stadium for medical assistance. Non-resident/visitor transported to OCH from Cullis Wade Depot area for medical assistance. Non-residents/visitors arrested in the Junction for disorderly conduct and failure to comply. Non-resident/visitor arrested at Sigma Alpha Epsilon Fraternity House for felony, burglary of a residence and possession of marijuana. Student arrested in A3 parking lot for public intoxication. Student reported car window damaged while parked in Lot 7. Student arrested on Stone Boulevard for public intoxication and resisting arrest. Officer responded to MSU police station for a welfare concern for two children who lost their parent. Sunday, Sept. 30, 2018 Student reported her purse missing from the Junction. Student reported her backpack missing from the Junction. Officer responded to Hull Hall for a possibly suicidal student. Monday, Oct. 1, 2018 Student in Cresswell Hall was having suicidal thoughts. Subject transported to OCH by ambulance. For more Bad Dawgs and notable traffic citations, visit reflectoronline. com

Both the swimsuit and evening wear rounds are about confidence and poise. During the swimsuit round, the judges look for a young woman who knows how to lead a healthy lifestyle, and the evening wear round is about stage presence and how the ladies project themselves to their audience. Then, each young woman answers a question on stage, testing her ability to think on her feet and develop a wellinformed opinion off the cuff. Next, there is the talent portion, where each contestant gets to prove how well she can prepare and deliver her unique talent on stage. Oliver shared how she prepares herself for pageants, which she has been involved with for the last eight years through the Miss America Organization. She said one of the most important parts of pageant prep is keeping a healthy daily routine, eating well and exercising regularly. Oliver’s talent, which is tap dancing, is something she’s been developing and

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practicing since she was three years old. Her tap teacher was a former Miss Arkansas, as was her pageant mentor, both of whom influenced Oliver’s love of competing.

“I have dreamed of being Miss MSU since my freshman year. When they called my name, my dream became a reality.” - Hannah Oliver, Miss MSU Being able to answer her on-stage question and perform well in her interview came with experience from years of competing. Oliver said pageants have taught her much about herself and how to be confident in who she is. Oliver said she could not

WALK “For me it was first my grannie, Faye Robertson, then (my) dear friend Amber Neal and currently my friend and co-worker Carol Childs—all very strong and amazing women.” Baker said the Pink Dawg Walk was successful in the past, with as many as 500 people participating. She said there will be free t-shirts this year for the first 400 to complete the walk, which consists of one loop around the track. She said there will also be snacks. For breast cancer survivors, a special pink shirt was made. The survivors who come out do not have to walk, but will still receive a shirt and can enjoy the event. Leah Pylate, director of University Health Services’ Department of Health Promotion and Wellness, said many people are affected by breast cancer. “Breast cancer affects our friends and family, and it is important to bring awareness to this important

do all of this alone, and by her side through it all was her best friend and roommate, Kylie Tuttle. Tuttle, an MSU junior majoring in public relations, said she loves to support her friend. “At first, I was just there for moral support and friendship,” Tuttle said. After seeing how much fun it was to help Oliver with everything that goes into competing, Tuttle said she adopted the role of a personal assistant. Not only does Tuttle enjoy watching Oliver compete and succeed, but Miss MSU’s best friend gave high praise to Oliver’s tremendous school spirit and love for the university. Both Oliver and Tuttle gave some advice for their fellow students. Tuttle encouraged her fellow Bulldogs to follow their passions and always hold their ground for the things they believe. In agreement with that statement, Oliver said if pageantry has taught her one thing, it’s to never give up on something you really want.

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topic that affects so many people,” Pylate said.

“Breast cancer affects our friends and family, and it is important to bring awareness to this important topic that affects so many people.” - Leah Pylate, director of Health Promotion and Wellness. In 2015, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said there were almost 250,000 cases of breast cancer reported, and more than 40,000 women lost their

NPHC

lives to the disease. Pylate said one method to detect breast cancer early on is undergoing screenings. “Screenings are one of the best ways for early detection,” Pylate said. “As the American Cancer Society relays, some cancers do not present with symptoms, thus screenings and preventive measures are vitally important for early detection and treatment.” Pylate said the Department of Health Promotion and Wellness sponsors initiatives like the Pink Dawg Walk because they empower students and families to achieve lifelong well-being. “The mission of Health Promotion and Wellness is to engage students through initiatives to promote complete mental, physical and social well-being,” Pylate said. “Bringing awareness to breast cancer and prevention of this disease can help students and their families throughout their lives.”

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“It’s more important that they see that people like you are being successful as well,” Mack said. “Sometimes you see people on TV and they might not look like you. It’s important for them to see, ‘Hey, this girl looks like me and she’s being successful in college,

maybe I can go to college, too.’” Jarrius Carter, a mentor with the program and a member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc., said he learns a lot from his mentee. “The biggest thing I’ve learned from these kids is it takes a lot of patience,”

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said Carter, a junior communication major. “You have to be patient with people, they’re not adults.” Mack also said she learns from mentoring. “We don’t always realize that other people are going through things as well, or

that other people don’t have all the privileges that we have,” Mack said. “It makes me appreciate more the background that I had growing up and the support systems I had, because a lot of those kids don’t have that.”

affect their ability to trust. “That’s our challenge going in,” Lucas, who is a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., said. “When you come from a rough background, a lot of students have trouble trusting our mentors.”

“It does my heart good to see their warm faces, and they’re always sad when it’s time for us to go. It’s a win-win for both of us.” - Michayla Mack, president of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. and mentor Lucas also spoke on how a student’s background may

Lucas said the program’s one-on-one mentoring is

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designed to help build trust. “Just the one-on-one interaction with these kids and having a positive message that they’re hearing faces the challenge head-on,” Lucas said. “Just showing your commitment tears down that barrier of not having trust.” Lucas said this program gives the students the attention they deserve. “The overall goal, honestly, is just to change a kid’s life,” Lucas said. Mack said the mentors also benefit from the program. “It does my heart good to see their warm faces, and they’re always sad when it’s time for us to go,” Mack said. “It’s a win-win for both of us.”

THE REFLECTOR TUESDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2018 @REFLECTORONLINE

LIFE & ENTERTAINMENT

The All-American Rejects take Bulldog Bash 2018 TALLY DUKE STAFF WRITER

Bulldog Bash, the largest outdoor concert in Mississippi, took over Starkville last Friday. Starting at 3 p.m., the Maroon Market flooded the streets of downtown Starkville with local, Mississippi-based booths. From food to clothing and even apartment buildings, the Maroon Market had it all. With the weather being overcast, the outdoor market was enjoyable. The main stage was opened with Ole Miss student Bedon, the winner of Battle of the Bands. His alternative style and strong stage presence got everyone ready for the night of great music. Ric Wilson, a Chicago native and talented rapper, was next on the lineup. I had never heard of him before, so I did not know what to expect from him. Instantly, Wilson had the crowd eating out of the palms of his hands. His full set of original songs got the crowd up on their feet and dancing. He even got down in the crowd and danced with everyone, which made everyone hyped and hooked. His set was fun

Lindsay Pace| The Reflector

MSU freshmen Jordan Smith (left) and Sarah Morgan Johnson (right) cheer during a performance from The Mowgli’s at the 2018 Bulldog Bash Saturday.

and upbeat, and surprised everyone there. Wilson definitely gained some Mississippi fans after his performance. Elle Turpin, a Mississippi State University sophomore, said she felt the music and vibes. “I am excited and pumped for a fun night full of good jams and great friends, which will make great memories to last a lifetime,” Turpin said. The Mowgli’s were next to take the main stage at Bulldog Bash. This band also put on a great show with awesome crowd interaction.

They had a great stage presence, and if you did not know their songs beforehand, you left with them stuck in your head. This original set was heart warming, and the entire audience sang along and had a great time. The night ended with a bang as The All-American Rejects commanded the stage the second they walked on it. I did not know what to expect from their set because they have not made music in a while, but I was pleasantly surprised. A strong opening song “Swing Swing” immediately sent everyone

back to their middle school glory days. Kaitlyn Serwack, an MSU senior, said she was excited for The All-American Rejects. “I have loved coming to Bulldog Bash throughout my time at Mississippi State, and I am so glad I got to see The Rejects perform. This is kind of like my last hoorah of the football season,” Serwack said. I was skeptical of the band choice due to them being such a throwback, but once I saw them perform, I was immediately thankful

Lindsay Pace| The Reflector

Katie Earl of alternative rock band The Mowgli’s performs at Bulldog Bash last Saturday evening.

that they were the chosen performers. Walker Jarrell, an MSU student and fan of The AllAmerican Rejects, said he was excited to see one of his all-time favorite bands live and for free. “I love The All-American Rejects and have been listening to them for years, so I am glad I got to see them and have a good time

with my friends,” Jarrell said. The All-American Rejects ended their set with a bang. “Gives You Hell” is a Rejects’ classic, and everyone in the crowd sang along. This was the cherry on top of Bulldog Bash for me and everyone else, because I got to relive my favorite childhood memories while also having a great time with my friends.

Greek Week returns to MSU in spite of weather delays NICOLE RIGSBY

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Last week, all the fraternities and sororities on campus joined together to participate in Greek Week, a former annual event that has not taken place at Mississippi State University since 2016. Greek Week offered fraternity and sorority members the opportunity to bond through different activities highlighting the core values of Greek life: service, unity, academics, diversity and inclusion. The first Greek Week dates back to the 90s. However, this typically annual event was canceled last year because of scheduling conflicts with Limelight, an annual fundraising dance competition between the different campus organizations. Since this year started this tradition again, Seth Male, director of programming for Interfraternal Council, said he believes this week and the following events have been and will be successful. “I think it has gone great. It’s cool to see four worlds with four different kinds of students come together,” Male said. There are four different councils who oversee

Greek Life: the National Pan-Hellenic Council for predominately African American Greek life, the Interfraternal Council for predominately white fraternities, Multicultural Greek Council for predominately Latinos and Panhellenic Council for predominately white sororities. Students got free chicken biscuits and t-shirts by visiting the Greek Life office. The purpose was to promote the office and encourage Greeks to utilize the office. To highlight their charitable values, Greek Life sponsored the Mississippi State University Autism and Developmental Disabilities clinic with an on-campus event by selling Starkvegas Snowballs. All students on campus could purchase this sweet treat, and the profits were donated to the clinic. The event raise $220 to be donated. On Tuesday, the documentary “Haze” was shown in the Bettersworth Auditorium in Lee Hall as a way to increase the understanding and awareness of the serious nature and permanent effects of hazing. “Haze” focused on Gordie Bailey, a student who pledged fraternity Chi Psi and was the victim owf a fatal hazing incident at University of Colorado in 2004. The

film was followed by panel discussion. Eric Lucas, the president of the National Pan-Hellenic Council, said all activities during Greek Week were voluntary, but the “Haze” film had a great turn out. “While we have been blessed at Mississippi State not to have any serious hazing allegations, it is still a great thing to bring awareness to,” Lucas said. Male said the film had a powerful impact, even on members who are typically light-hearted. “That was eye opening to me especially,” Male said. “I have juniors in my fraternity who aren’t the type of person who would be touched by a film like that, but they were like, ‘Dude, that hit.’” Wednesday was Scholar’s Day, a day designed to reinforce importance of academics. A seminar was held to inform students in Greek life on how to develop study skills, as well as the importance of studying. Unfortunately, the events on Thursday and Friday were rescheduled due to the unforeseen bad weather and other scheduling conflicts. Anna McGuire, the director of activities for the Panhellenic Council, said the weather caused a change in scheduling, but they were determined to host the planned activities.

“You expect the week to go flawlessly and then you’re like, ‘Okay, kind of blew up in my face,’ but we’ve gotten it worked out,” McGuire said. “We’re just going to morph it into a Greek Week 2.0 because of the rain.” The Greek Olympics scheduled for last Thursday were rescheduled to Oct. 2. This event will have multiple teams composed of a mixture of the different councils compete in outdoor sporting events. Lucas said the Greek

Olympics is the center of the week, and is designed to build a sense of unity among all members of Greek life. “The point of Greek Week is to build relationships across councils, and that’s what we were really going to focus on during Greek Olympics,” Lucas said. Field Day at Henderson Ward Elementary School, where Greek members will have a massive recess with the school’s students, was originally planned for last Friday but was rescheduled

to Oct. 5 due to standardized testing. McGuire said the unforeseen weather or scheduling conflicts will not stop the MSU Greek life members in completing the Greek Week activities, especially the Greek Week Olympics “It would be so easy to cancel the events,” McGuire said. “Just because it’s not during Greek Week, it doesn’t mean we aren’t trying to promote Greek unity at all times of the year.”

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CLUB INFO

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.

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.

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OPINION

Fad diets are unhealthy Executive orders discredit legislative power

JENNA SCHMIDT

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Ask anyone what they consider healthy eating and you will almost always hear the word “diet” in their answer. But what is a diet really? According to the M e r r i a m - We b s t e r Dictionary, a diet is “a regimen of eating and drinking sparingly so as to reduce one’s weight.” Being healthy is not just about losing weight, so why do we constantly associate healthy eating with dieting? Today’s society has created the norm of being on a constant cycle of what has become known as “fad diets.” We already know what a diet is, and a fad diet is simply one which is currently popular. Some of the most popular examples include the South Beach diet, the ketogenic diet, the Atkins diet and the paleo diet. Generally, these diets require intense portion control and cutting out major food groups like carbs or dairy. They always promise excessively speedy weight loss. Some even go as far as to require taking pills and supplements to quicken the weight loss process. Fad diets are all different, but one thing they all have in common is their temporary nature. You start the diet, commit for about one to two weeks, lose about 10 pounds and then here and there you cheat on your diet. Next thing you know, you have gained back the weight and more because you were setting unattainable expectations for your body. The danger in fad dieting comes from the unrealistic standards many

MICHAEL BOURGEOIS

of these diets require you to meet. Many diets pick three or four “super foods” for you to rotate through, causing you to miss a lot of the vitamins and nutrients your body needs every day, which can then induce a lack of focus and energy needed for day-to-day activities. An example of one of these zero-carb meal plans is the keto diet, which most people believe does not fall into the “fad” category. However, it can pose major health threats to those who partake in it. According to Angria Bharadwaj of The Daily Telegraph, keto diets encourage a high intake of fatty foods and allow for almost no carbs. This increased fat intake can cause build-up of plaque in arteries, which can lead to major complications in heart health. Additionally, most of these fad diets are marketed as a way to lose weight without any exercise. Healthy weight loss, and just healthy living in general, should involve 30 to 60 minutes of physical activity most days of the week, says Taylor Wolfram of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. We have all been told exercising a little bit every day is fundamental to good health since elementary school’s physical education classes, and this still holds true no matter your age. If you are trying to lose weight or trying to lead a healthier lifestyle, do not turn to the latest eating trend in hopes of a permanent solution. The best thing to do is to find an eating and exercise regimen which fits your current way of living, and ease your way into long term good health.

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

The Constitution, and by extension, the very foundation of American democracy, is being undermined by the very people we elected to protect it. The guilty party: the executive branch of the American government; its crime: the executive order. Countless presidents on either side of the aisle have twisted the wording of Article II of the Constitution’s “grant of executive power,” to overstep their own authority and bypass the legislature entirely. According to CNBC’s Mark Koba, “Presidents have used that language, along with their constitutional powers as commander and chief over the nation’s military, to issue executive orders—whether it be to change domestic policy or go to war.” The dangers of this unchecked power could be catastrophic for the country, as all steps of policy making, including creation, enforcement and adjudication would rest with a singular person. The idea of a president with such authority is terrifying, and it is absolute madness how Congress continually avoids posing limitations on this power. The repercussions of allowing the executive power to create laws is far more dangerous, as the president can coerce those below him/her to create the policies he wants. This power mostly resides with federal agencies, but anyone in the executive branch can be granted this authority at the discretion of the president.

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Rosalind Hutton

Take the Environmental Protection Agency, for example. According to the EPA, they are “called a regulatory agency because Congress authorizes us to write regulations which explain the critical details necessary to implement environmental laws. In addition, a number of Presidential Executive Orders (EOs) play a central role in our activities.” In saying Congress authorizes their ability to write regulations, the EPA suggests Congress refuses to overturn presidential executive orders. Meanwhile, Koba said in the aforementioned article, “The legislative body is not required to approve any executive order, nor can it

overturn an order. The best Congress can do if it doesn’t like an executive order is to pass a law to cut funding for the order’s implementation. But even then, the president can veto such a defunding law.” Because Congress must endure such an arduous process to reverse a presidential executive order, the EPA and other government agencies were created from executive orders and now have the power to create regulations and policies to govern the entire country, all because one man allowed it. The crux of this issue is unelected officials and ordinary citizens are capable of creating laws which affect everyone in

the country without the consent of the governed. It is borderline totalitarianism. Despite this abuse of the executive branch’s constitutional power, the president is not the only one to blame for this attack on the American system. We cannot ignore the congressional willingness to routinely punt “tough policy decisions to the White House by giving deference to presidents,” as reported by Neil Siefring of The Hill. It is imperative the American people confront their congressional representatives on this laziness. This misuse of the executive order is degrading the legitimacy of the legislative branch, and should it continue, Congress will become a mere formality to enact the will of the U.S. president, and will become a husk of its former glory. Congress needs to take these powers back from the president and the executive branch’s agencies by limiting both the frequency and the influence of presidential executive orders. The erosion of legislative power and the constant increase in executive authority has belittled Congress and emboldened the president. The legislative branch must find the courage to reclaim the authority the Constitution divided at America’s founding. Should Congress fail to reestablish itself as a force in government, today’s version of the the allpowerful executive branch will horrifyingly embody the very reasons America was founded in the first place.

Political civility is nonexistent, and the real issues are often disregarded No, Pepsi! Uh, guys? I think there’s a bigger problem.

CHRIS LOWE

is a senior majoring in business information systems. Contact him at opinion@reflector.msstate.edu.

Tribalism has ruined American politics. In today’s climate, important issues are repeatedly swept under the rug or overlooked in favor of a petty “us vs. them” mentality, regardless of whether you identify as a liberal or conservative. For many, their political ideology is centered around an unwavering commitment to their party and a stubborn refusal to see an ounce of good in the opposing side. Whether it is Republicans claiming all Democrats are socialism-propagating traitors, or Democrats reducing all Republicans to racist, neo-fascists, we have a serious problem in this country hindering any kind of reasonable political progress. The real issues almost never have the spotlight anymore, and this is alienating the more moderate among us from participating in party politics. Some might ask why it even matters if people

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Rosalind Hutton

participate in party politics. Both parties are full of lying career politicians, right? Sure, this is true, but when voters feel alienated and like no one is speaking to them, it has been proven countless times they will not turn out for an election. I am by no means claiming this single-handedly caused the outcome of the 2016 presidential election, but mobilizing radical beliefs and

sensationalizing everything played a great deal in someone like President Donald Trump actually winning the election. I also believe the 2016 election set the new standard for what politics will be on both sides of the aisle, as Democrats have been just as terrible in their own way since then. For them, the biggest culprit has been their complete over-reliance

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have done, until you realize a large percentage of Republicans stubbornly stick by politicians like Roy Moore and Brett Kavanaugh no matter what. In fact, in a Sept. 26 NPR-PBS-Marist poll, 54 percent of Republicans thought Kavanaugh should be confirmed to the Supreme Court, even if the sexual assault allegations against him were confirmed. For people who like to think for themselves, and who might actually not vote for the same party every election cycle, the state of American politics is both laughable and incredibly sad. These people, who I believe should not be such a minority, are left wondering who is fighting for them. They feel out of place in either major party, and have nothing to do but watch the country potentially hurl its way into one of the worst states it has ever been in. I legitimately fear for the future of America, as we are playing a very dangerous game with this new political landscape. We have to find a way to disagree without engaging in some kind of social warfare with our countrymen, because as we have heard before during the apex of our country’s internal strife, a house divided cannot stand.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Life Editor/Emma Moffett

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on identity politics. The biggest part of their strategy has become pandering to disadvantaged demographics and weaponizing their distrust of other groups, which largely includes Republicans. Helping disenfranchised people sounds noble on paper, but the reality of the way many liberals go about doing this has resulted in groups like Black Lives Matter effectively deeming all white

people the enemy, or sects of communities like the LGBT movement promoting hyperacceptance to the point of being antagonistic to any without the same view. An excerpt from Amy Chua’s “Political tribes,” reported by The Guardian, speaks on this very issue and sums up the mainstream liberal mindset: “Although inclusivity is presumably still the ultimate goal, the contemporary Left is pointedly exclusionary,” Chua explains. Republicans have learned to use identity politics too, but to me, they are less specific in their social division and more focused on broadly generalizing liberals as unAmerican. They use a handful of hotbutton topics to constantly rile the constituency up, and keep their attention on being outraged at the Left. From Colin Kaepernick’s “disrespect of the troops,” to the NRA’s crusade on the liberals “taking away their guns” and many, many other distractions. They have fostered an outrage culture in their party and seem to be more concerned with what Democrats are doing wrong than what they are doing right. They have completely and utterly demonized the Left, which of course is not far from what the Democrats

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SPORTS

Football facing adversity together after two straight conference defeats MEGAN TERRY STAFF WRITER

On Saturday night, Mississippi State University’s football team faced the University of Florida in Starkville. The familiar sounds of cowbells filled the stadium and could be heard in parts of Starkville. Gerri Green, a senior defensive lineman from Greenville, said it was incredible. “It’s amazing, it’s one of the great things about playing in Davis Wade, the environment, how loud it gets,” Green said. “I’m thankful for all the fans who came out, I hope we keep that environment going.” MSU (3-2, 0-2) struggled with pass completion and third down conversion in their game against Florida (4-1, 2-0) losing the game 13-6. Nick Fitzgerald, a senior quarterback from Richmond Hill, Georgia, said the offense has room to improve. “This sucks, obviously, two weeks in a row,” Fitzgerald said. “Last year, we went to Georgia and went to Auburn, and we had our tails handed to us two weeks in a row. We came back and fought back the rest of the season. Obviously, we have the means to do it.” Even with this particularly hard loss, the team offers each other a positive encouragement and a humble understanding of the future improvements they need to implement. “We gotta stay positive, we love this game,” Green said. “It’s rough. No one ever said, ‘It’s going to be easy,’ so we’ve got to keep moving forward.” As a key team leader, the

Courtney Carver | The Reflector

Brian Cole returns a kick for MSU in the game against Florida. MSU’s record is 3-2 and 0-2 in conference play and they will play Auburn Saturday.

Noah Siano | The Reflector

Nick Fitzgerald rolls out of the pocket to throw the ball in the game against the University of Florida. MSU lost the game 13-6 and failed to score a touchdown for the seventh straight quarter.

team’s quarterback appeared to still have a progressive mindset regarding this season. He noted the team has seen this pattern before and they are capable of a comeback. Fitzgerald highlighted these abilities to grow and to continue to succeed on game day. “We can’t get down on ourselves or count ourselves out by any means,” Fitzgerald said. “We’ll look at this film and get better. It is just little execution things. (If we fix) some things here and there, we will be fine.” Another player who shared positive words following the defeat was Jeffery Simmons, a junior defensive lineman from Macon, who offered affirmative, honest feedback after a the game. “This game meant a lot to a lot of people… to the seniors and to the people in the community,” Simmons said. “As bad as we wanted to win this game… it happened. We just have to move forward when adversity strikes.” Head coach Joe Moorhead said the team will review the game’s film to see

where they can improve, and then hopefully implement the necessary changes in practices to get the team where they need to be come game day. “We’re certainly not where we want to be at this point in the season,” Moorhead said. “We’ve got a big game here at home versus Auburn before the bye week, and we got to figure out a way to get this thing right, rally together and get this thing headed in the right direction.” Simmons said the past two losses gave the team adversity, but they will look to fight back and respond in practice. “We just have to move forward when adversity strikes,” Simmons said. “With back-to-back losses, that is a lot of adversity hitting us right now, but with the team I know we have, the guys I know that are on this team, we are going to bounce back from the adversity and respond.” MSU hosts University of Auburn in Starkville at 6:30 p.m. Oct. 6, and ESPN2 will televise the game.

Column: Moor Patience is needed

HUNTER CLOUD

is a sophomore majoring communication. Contact him sports@reflector.msstate.edu

in at

A championship standard requires a championship level of patience from a team’s fans. Mississippi State University is at the same place now as they were last season, and it is only the first year under head coach Joe Moorhead. Moorhead said in the press conference Monday the culture he and his staff brought to MSU is one they seek to be consistent between game days and practices. He also said the fans at MSU are unique because they are not fair-weather fans, they are in it for the long haul. The uniquely loyal fans are perhaps one of the best qualities about MSU. It does not mean fans cannot voice frustration on social media, but fans need to keep in mind it is just two bad games

in the first year with a new head coach. One of the things Nick Fitzgerald, senior quarterback from Richmond Hills, Georgia, said after the Florida game was how the team was in this same position last year with a 3-2 record. This year’s defense has done a better job at keeping the opponents’ scores lower, keeping every opponent’s final score at or below 20 points. So, while the defense has done their job in keeping the score in the realm of possible wins, the offense has not capitalized. The team has gone seven quarters without a touchdown. Dropped passes, poor pass protection and bad field positions all contributed to the offensive struggles. There is not one person to blame, and Moorhead has consistently said he needs to call better plays in order to get the players in the places were they can succeed. As the offense endures growing pains transitioning from Dan Mullen’s style patience is needed. One thing that has not changed though is that the offense is a run-pass option offense,

which is why Fitzgerald has gotten more rushes than Kylin Hill and Aeris Williams the past two games. The upcoming game against Auburn will be a good test to see if Hill and Williams get more touches. They typically average seven yards a carry, but they have only gotten 24 carries combined in comparison to Fitzgerald’s 36 over the past two games, that number can be skewed because Fitzgerald can scramble and it can be counted a rushing attempt. For the MSU family, the past two weeks have been unpleasant, especially for the players. However, as with all good things, there is a level of patience needed to achieve greatness. Jackie Sherrill, who won the most games in MSU football history, went 7-5 his first year as head coach. Moorhead said the team will improve, and he hopes the fans will stick around and go to the games to see this improvement. “The light at the end of the tunnel is an opening, not an on-coming train,” Moorhead said.

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Rhylee DeCrane kicks the ball down the field in game against Florida last Friday. DeCrane earned her seventh shutout of the season in a 0-0 draw.

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FAMILY Goalkeeper, aided by defenders, $ SPECIAL 1 Large Specialty Pizza & tied school record last Friday night 1 Large Up to 2 Toppings GARRETT SMITH

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Friday night, Mississippi State University goalkeeper Rhylee DeCrane, a redshirt senior from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, recorded her seventh shutout of the year, tying the MSU single season record for shutouts. DeCrane and both teams’ defenses were the highlights of the night when MSU (8-2-1) took on the University of Florida (4-6-2). Despite a total of 35 scoring chances created by the two offenses, neither team was able to put the ball into the net, as the game ended in a 0-0 draw. After the game, Courtney Robicheaux, a senior defender from Mandeville, Louisiana, emphasized the importance of the defense’s relationship, as it is something they focus on all the time. “All five of us have a good relationship,” Robicheaux said. “It’s just something that we really work on, on and off the field.” DeCrane has been instrumental to the Bulldogs’ success this

season, and has only allowed six goals in 11 matchups. It has been a long time coming for the fifth-year senior, who started 12 times for the team her freshman year, but has seen limited action since then. In 2015, her sophomore year, DeCrane logged 32 minutes in just two appearances for the squad. After no playing time her junior year and senior year, she was redshirted, allowing her to return for one more season, when she quickly became the breakout star of the Bulldogs’ 2018 team. DeCrane is responsible for 30 saves this season, helping MSU achieve an 8-2-1 record. She is currently third among SEC goalkeepers in shutouts (7), and fifth in average goals against (0.54) and save percentage (.833). Even after all of this season’s success, DeCrane refuses to take full credit, and always gives some of the credit to the defenders on the back line who play in front of her. “It’s all of us, Hailey (Zerbel), Kristen (Malebranche), Miranda

(Carrasco), and Robi (Robicheaux). Those four have definitely been the reason we’ve got those shutouts,” DeCrane said. Those four players have undoubtably been important to the Bulldogs’ success, as the back line has become more involved in the attack this season, an obvious sign of confidence in their keeper. When asked about DeCrane’s impact, head coach Tom Anagnost was quick to the point. “I’m glad she’s on our team. She’s meant a lot,” Anagnost said. During both of her inactive seasons, DeCrane worked hard on and off the field, and was named to the SEC Community Service Team. She says the work she put in during those years has helped her be a successful starter. “It was hard work… it’s just something my family instilled in me,” DeCrane said. DeCrane will look to break the single season shutout record when the Bulldogs return to action on Oct. 4 at Vanderbilt University (10-1).

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THE REFLECTOR TUESDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2018

OPIOIDS: What Can You Do? Tuesday, October 9, 2018 6:30 p.m. McCool Hall Mississippi State University Starkville, MS

Join us for a town hall meeting to discuss the opioid crisis affecting our state and learn what you can do to help!