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WHAT WE LEARNED IN AUBURN PG 8
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132nd YEAR ISSUE 12
TUESDAY OCTOBER 3, 2017
THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIVERSITY SINCE 1884
MSU ACCESS program: ‘That’s how I got my life started’ NICOLE LEE
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
On a fall day in Brookhaven, high school senior Daniel Mooney walked to his mailbox hoping for the thrill of a college acceptance letter like many of his peers. As he opened the mailbox, a letter from Mississippi State University caught his eye. “Cong ratulations, Daniel! You have been accepted to the ACCESS program at Mississippi State University,” it read. College had been a foreign concept to Mooney, whose disabilities were often considered a limitation. However, one phone call in 2012 changed that. “I was still homeschooling when my parents received a phone call from Mississippi State about the ACCESS
LIindsay Pace | The Reflector
Daniel Mooney, 2015 graduate of Mississippi State University’s ACESSS program, holds a resume and portfolio he made during his final semester in the program. The ACCESS Program empowers students with disabilities to excel in the professional world.
program,” Mooney said. “That’s how I got my life started,” he said. The ACCESS program at MSU is the only
Comprehensive Transition Program in Mississippi offered to students with developmental and intellectual disabilities.
The program focuses on growing its students in their academic, social and life skills. Each student is
immersed in the college experience by living on campus, taking modified college classes and engaging in extracurricular activities. ACCESS students take 12 hours of coursework every semester that focus on self-determination, career development, socialization and independent living. Additionally, students have the option of auditing academic courses that align with their interests and career goals. Outside of the classroom, peer mentors and college coaches reinforce the students’ social and academic integration. Graduate assistant Amanda Cosgriff considers the ACCESS program to be a holistic approach aimed at giving students with disabilities a chance. “We give them everything and anything
that we think that they should need to transition into living independently,” she said. According to Cosgriff, the program is a strategic blend of autonomy and guidance where sympathy is not the goal. Instead, the program equips its students to advocate for their needs. “People outside of the program struggle with remembering that [ACCESS students] are typical students and they’re here for reason,” she said, “If they needed their hand held they wouldn’t be here.” Assistant Dean and Director of Student Support Services Julie Capella says the program’s success continues to attract attention. “In other states I think people are just looking for programs like this,” she said. ACCESS, 2
Noah Siano | The Reflector
The week-long mystery of the MSU Baby is now solved after State DM announced tit was a promotional effort for the annual Dance Marathon. The event will be in February. Alayna Stevens | The Reflector
Mystery solved: StateDM gives birth to giant baby JORDAN DARENSBOURG STAFF WRITER
MSU students, faculty and staff now know why a giant inflatable baby popped up around campus this past week. The giant baby, which has its own Twitter account (@msu_baby), was on the Drill Field and in the Junction as a promotion for the annual Dance Marathon, which will take place Feb. 16, 2018. The Dance Marathon is an eighthour event that raises money for the Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital in Memphis. Matt McCoy, a junior microbiology major from Madison, said they have been putting up the baby all week to
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build hype for the event. “Today we’re having a big registration push.” McCoy said. “We have a goal of signing 170 people today.” However, McCoy also said that dancing isn’t the only thing that goes on at Dance Marathon. “Of course we dance—we’re called Dance Marathon,” McCoy said. “We also play group games.” With Monday being Child Health Day—which relates to Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital—Alex White, a junior finance major from Nashville, Tennessee, said the goal of the baby was to draw attention to Monday’s registration drive. “The idea behind it was to create a buzz on campus,” White said. “To
THURSDAY
Callie Brown, senior biological sciences major, was crowned Miss MSU 2018 on Friday night.
get hype around the baby, develope interest in it, so that we got a lot of followers and a lot of attention so that we could draw attention to [Monday].” Last week, many were confused by the baby’s appearance. Sean Lenes, a senior business information systems from Gulfport, said he wondered about the baby’s purpose all week. “I had no idea why there was just a random inflatable baby moving around campus,” Lenes said. “Because it was in different spots, I saw it all the time. My main reaction was just trying to figure out why.” After finding out the baby was a promotion for the Dance Marathon, Lenes said he is glad to know it was not just random. BABY, 2
FORECAST: There will be a mix of sun and clouds as
Reader’s Guide:
Miss MSU 2018 looks forward to giving back MIA RODRIGUEZ
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Mississippi State University Callie Brown was crowned Miss MSU 2018 on Friday. Brad Hill, assistant director of Student Activities, praised the newly crowned Lucedale native, saying Brown has all of the qualities a Miss MSU needs. “A lot of the features I feel like Miss MSU needs to have are a sense of confidence, a sense of
being a distinguished young woman that can represent this university well,” Hill said. “She has poise and grace, and also is a role model to young ladies her age and to younger girls.” Hill said the winner of Miss MSU largely impacts the Starkville community. “She goes out into elementary schools and middle schools to teach children proper dental hygiene,” Hill said. “She’s able to gain the confidence of young girls and boys.” MISS MSU, 2 Policy: Any person may
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MISS MSU
BAD DAWGS Friday, September 29 1:10 a.m. Student was arrested in Starkville for DUI. 1:12 p.m. Student reported her vehicle burglarized while parked behind Hathorn Hall. 1:33 p.m. Student reported her vehicle burglarized while parked behind Hathorn Hall. Saturday, September 30 3:35 p.m. Employee reported students wrestling inside McComas Hall causing a disturbance.
BABY “My main thing now is going to be looking up more about it,” Lenes said. “I don’t really know anything about the Children’s Miracle Network.” As for whether the baby will reappear at any point between now and Dance Marathon, White said that it’s still up in the air. “That’s to be determined.” White said. “Hopefully, but we will see.” Brody Ross, a freshman
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veterinary systems major from Fairhope, Alabama, said he is hoping to see more of the baby, because he got a kick out of the giant inflatable infant. “I love that baby,” Ross said. “He’s awesome!” On Monday, students could register for the Dance Marathon for $8 by using the promo code ‘MSUBABY’ at the Drill Field registration table. The cost of registration is now $10.
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Brown said she has always loved Starkville because was immersed in all things MSU from a young age. “I grew up coming here (MSU) and being involved in the Alumni association with my dad,” Brown said. “There was never really any school in mind when it came time for me to choose.” Brown said she had an early interest in pageants, watching the televised Miss America Pageants since she was 6. “When I was in first grade, I told my mom I wanted to be in a pageant,” she said. “She entered me in The Cutest Munchkin Pageant. I wore a little denim jumper and my mom did my hair.” Alayna Stevens | The Reflector From there, Brown Pictured with Callie Brown, Miss MSU 2018 from left to right are third runner up Hannah Oliver, second runner up Rachel said she participated in Shumaker and first runner up Alivia Paden Robertds. Callie Brown will compete in Miss Mississippi on June 20-23 in Vicksburg. local pageants and her high school’s Miss Rebel competed in the Miss MSU the importance of dental this,” Brown said. “It gave Pageant. However, she pageant, winning second hygiene in children, through me the opportunity to really her platform “America’s make an impact and make desired a more serious alternate. my mark.” Brown said winning the Tooth Fairy.” pageant atmosphere with Brown is also “It’s a nationwide interviews and a talent Miss MSU pageant this year her next marked a culmination of platform started by the anticipating portion. “I competed in National one of her lifelong dreams. National Children’s Oral pageant, Miss Mississippi, “It’s such an honor, Health Foundation,” where she will compete American Miss Mississippi winners from for my age division, and I such a privilege, and I really Brown said. “The goal of against actually won,” Brown said. look forward to serving America’s Tooth Fairy is to other Mississippi colleges, “Then we ended up going Mississippi State,” Brown end childhood tooth decay.” such as the University of As a senior biological Mississippi, University of to Los Angeles to compete said. “I feel like Mississippi in the national pageant. It State has given me so much science major with a pre- Southern Mississippi and was a great experience that throughout the years and dental concentration and Delta State University. The 2018 Miss really gave me the spark that I look forward to giving a love for working with back.” children, Brown said this Mississippi pageant will I needed to keep going.” be from June 20 to 23 at She will serve the platform is a perfect fit. She went on to win “I saw the need for an the Vicksburg Convention Miss Maroon and White Starkville community by her freshman year and increasing the awareness of educational program like Center.
ACCESS Until last year the cost of tuition fell on the students’ families except for limited scholarships
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provided through the MSU Foundation. However, federal funding through the Mississippi Department of Rehabilitation Services and the Mississippi Department of Human Services now
not previously been able to come - just because of financial reasons - can now come and participate in the program,” she said. For most parents, the federal aid is a relief. “I think there are several
“The word is getting out and it’s making more things possible for the ACCESS program to continue growing and expanding in whatever capacity that we choose.” -Beca Spencer, assistant director of Disability Support Services and ACCESS Program Coordinator provides PELL grants and work-study programs to eligible students. Now in-state and outof-state students have an equal opportunity to receive funding. This changes everything, Capella said. “Somebody who had
students in the program this year that could not have come [without the federal funding],” she said. Assistant Director of Disability Support Services and ACCESS Coordinator Beca Spencer said there has been an abundance
of applications since the program received federal funding. Increased interest has caused families with young children to consider the program for their child’s future. “The word is getting out and it’s making more things possible for the ACCESS program to continue growing and expanding in whatever capacity that we choose,” she said. Spencer said many families were unaware that programs like ACCESS exist. “There are so many students sitting in high school classrooms right now that think college is not an option and it is,” she said. When students with disabilities are given a chance their potential is endless, Spencer said. Students like Daniel Mooney are no exception. Mooney graduated from the ACCESS program in 2015 and now works full time with the Mississippi State Athletic Department. “I learned to live on my own,” Mooney said while smiling.
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An In-Class Distraction
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ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY... ...in 1995, at the end of a sensational trial, former football star O.J. Simpson was acquitted of the brutal 1994 double murder of his estranged wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend, Ronald Goldman. In the epic 252-day trial, Simpson’s “dream team” of lawyers employed creative and controversial methods to convince jurors that Simpson’s guilt had not been proved “beyond a reasonable doubt,” thus surmounting what the prosecution called a “mountain of evidence” implicating him as the murderer.
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THE REFLECTOR TUESDAY OCTOBER 3, 2017
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OPINION
Harvard rescinds Chelsea Manning’s title of fellow
On Sept. 13, the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University announced a new round of Visiting Fellows who would come to their Institute of Politics to talk on a variety of public policy issues. However, just two days later, the Dean of the Kennedy School made the decision to revoke the title of Visiting Fellow from one of those named: Chelsea Manning. According to Hanna Kozlowska at Quartz, the decision was reevaluated after Michael Morrell, a former deputy director at the CIA, resigned his position as Senior Fellow with Harvard. Morrell did this because he felt it was inappropriate for Harvard to give such an honor to a convicted felon. The leaders at the Kennedy School made the correct decision. Back in 2013, Manning
right decisions to revoke Manning’s honorific at the Kennedy School. To be clear, Manning will still speak at Harvard and to take questions from students, but she will lack the title of “Visiting Fellow.” According to the statement released by Kennedy School Dean Douglas Elmendorf, “Hearing a very wide range of views, regardless of what members of our community think about the people offering those views, is fundamental to the learning process at the Kennedy School.” He later said he understands how giving someone an official title may indicate this person is being “honored.” The reason I feel the correct decision was made in this situation is due to both the criminal conviction and the nature of Manning’s crimes. She does not deserve to be honored. Her actions ultimately put many U.S. soldiers in harm’s way after the documents were leaked and she deserved to face the consequences of her decision. Regardless of whether or not you think Manning’s acts
Trump faces information leaks
DYLAN BUFKIN
is a freshman majoring in English. Contact him at opinion@reflector.msstate.edu.
Leaks have always been a part of the modern political game. Watergate, the most well-known American political scandal, was discovered through government leaks and its reveal led to the resignation of former President Richard Nixon. Modern America is intimately familiar with the idea of the press acting as “watchdogs” or “guardians” for the general populous, using leaked information to ensure the government stays in check, but familiarity can lead to a false sense of normalcy. The leaks coming out of the Trump White House are not normal and they need to be plugged. According to a Senate report, leaks are occurring at a rate of about one leak a day. The Trump Administration has suffered seven times the amount of leaks as the previous two administrations in the same span of time. Between Jan. 20, 2017 and May 25, 2017, a total of 125 stories were leaked which could have potentially breached national security. Those numbers are staggering and they do not include “palace intrigue” stories, which are stories about the goings-on in the West Wing that do not relate to policy. In the same Senate report, it stated there were only 18 leaks in Obama’s first 126 days in office and
10 of those were specifically about the torture methods of the Bush administration. The remaining eight were about increased reliance on foreign intel for terrorists, a missile test by Iran and a hack on the U.S. power grid. Even the Bush Administration, loathed by many on the left, only had nine leaks in the same time span. These discussed Iraqi weapon factories, weapons to combat China’s growing military and arms sales to Taiwan. Comparatively, the overwhelming majority of Trump’s 62 leaked stories in the 126 days of office have been about the incompetence of his administration or the Russia probe. These leaks are not without consequence. They have already hurt America’s standing with its allies twice. According to The Guardian, one leak in May revealed the identity of the perpetrator of the Ariana Grande concert bombing in Manchester, which was information the British wanted kept confidential. Similarly, The New York Times covered a leak in May about Trump discussing confidential ISIS information with Russian officials. The Times even revealed the information’s source as Israel. Thomas Sanderson, director of the Transnational Threats Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, summed it up quite succinctly: “The UK and Israel are probably our two biggest sources of intelligence. Now they’re thinking, ‘Is this going to cause us damage every time we share?’ Then you have
to calculate every piece of information.” The same situation is applicable to the leaked phone calls between Trump and other world leaders. In August, The Washington Post leaked phone transcripts between Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull of Australia, President Enrique Nieto and Trump. The foreign heads conducted themselves professionally and no confidential information was shared, but what if it had not been so? Now, foreign diplomats must be careful of what they say when even calling Trump, because it may be leaked. If there is not absolute trust in America’s confidentiality, important information might be left out in fear of it making a New York Times headline. Do not be mistaken, not all leaks are bad. The Russian probe leaks and former FBI Director James Comey’s leaks are important. The former is the reason Michael Flynn was fired as National Security Advisor—because of his obvious ties to Russia and the latter is the reason there is a special counsel investigating the Trump Administration. However, it seems some leakers descend into revealing confidential information simply because it spites Trump. In the end, they have only harmed American interest and added one story to the overwhelming media noise. The media cannot stop weighing consequences of stories just to get revenue or because they hate Trump. Why? Because I do not need a phone transcript to know Trump is not the best president, I saw the evidence on the campaign trail.
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had some positive effects in relation to government transparency, there is no getting around the fact she broke the law and risked the lives of countless Americans in doing so. There is nothing wrong with a college inviting a potentially controversial speaker to visit their campus and I believe it is something that should be done more often.
However, bestowing an honorific upon a person who was convicted for committing multiple and very serious crimes is simply a step too far. Institutes such as the Kennedy School focus on training students who are considering careers in public service. While Manning may be a thought-provoking speaker, she is far from the type of
public servant students should aspire to become. My hope is this will serve as a learning experience for the broader public, as people will come to understand there is a definite line between being willing to listen to the opinions of a controversial speaker and giving honor to a criminal who willingly put Americans and our soldiers in harm’s way.
Trivia Time! 1. In what city did celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay open his first restaurant? 2. In Disney’s “Sleeping Beauty,” what are the names of the three fairies? Source: MSU Media Relations triviaq.fyi
Trump handles Puerto Rico relief HEATH FISACKERLY STAFF WRITER
The Trump Administration is working on rebuilding Florida and Texas after massive hurricanes. The devastation in the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico from subsequent hurricanes have only added to the demanding need for recovery. President Donald Trump will travel to the U.S. territory on Tuesday. The visit will most likely shape up to be an awkward one, due to the back-and-forth spat between Trump and Carmen Yulin Cruz, the mayor of San Juan, Puerto Rico. The mayor of San Juan must understand Trump cannot independently delegate money to the territory. Congress has to approve any spending and with the current deadlock over a possible budget deal, I would not hold my breath. Phil Helsel and Saphora Smith for NBC say Cruz accused the Trump Administration of “killing us with the inefficiency and bureaucracy.” Trump pledged to spare no effort in helping Puerto Ricans recover from Hurricane Maria’s mass destruction.
Puerto Rico’s governor, Ricardo Rossello, said the administration is being responsive to his requests and is working as fast as they can. According to Barbara Starr, Zachary Cohen and Ryan Browne for CNN, this past Tuesday, the U.S. military announced it would be sending more aircraft and ships to increase the speed of daily relief and recovery missions in Puerto Rico. It is going to be important these missions occur rapidly, but getting them there may be difficult at first. General Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the priority is making sure the airfields can operate. The U.S. Navy also deployed the USNS Comfort for medical assistance which will serve as a hospital and treatment area. On Friday, an Army spokesperson said more than 4,900 soldiers and Army Corps of Engineers personnel were in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The National Guards said they expect nearly 1,500 troops to be activated and sent to the territory in the coming days.
FEMA is active and on the ground in Puerto Rico and the Department of Defense is supporting their immediate priorities. These priorities include: debris and route clearance of critical transportation routes, reopening seaports, restoring utilities and implementing a commodities distribution plan. Nearly 2 million liters of water and over 1 million meals have been distributed to citizens throughout the island. FEMA’s work is extremely important at this point because when Congress finally delegates the money, the rebuilding effort will go into effect immediately. Right now, it looks like an atomic bomb was dropped on the territory. There is complete destruction everywhere. There is no electricity, no running water, no fuel, etc. It truly is a state of emergency. However, the money is simply not there and this is what some politicians need to realize. Trump is committed to helping all of the victims of the previous hurricanes. All available resources of the federal government are available to Puerto Rico and things are as they are supposed to be.
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Answer: 1. London, England, 2. Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather
STEVEN WEIRICH
is a senior majoring in economics. Contact him at opinion@reflector.msstate.edu.
was convicted for illegally copying roughly 700,000 pages of U.S. military reports, which she subsequently sent to the website WikiLeaks, who released them on the web. These materials included items like Afghan and Iraq War logs, as well as Guantanamo Bay files and secure diplomatic cables. According to Alexandra Zavis at the Los Angeles Times, Manning was convicted of six violations of the Espionage Act, although she was cleared of the most serious charge. She received a 35-year jail sentence due to the other six violations. Luckily for Manning, she was not forced to serve the entirety of her sentence. In one of his last acts in January, former President Barack Obama commuted her sentencing and Manning was released from prison in May 2017. Per Zavis, Obama felt the sentence was excessive, especially considering it was the longest ever given to a convicted leaker in American history. While the commutation of her sentence is another issue entirely, I want to focus on why it was the
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LIFE & ENTERTAINMENT
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Students take to the air in Starkville with Soaring EMMA DRAY BRASWELL STAFF WRITER
For many Mississippi State University students, flight is a somewhat novel concept. They might ride on a plane occasionally, but few do so on a regular basis, and the number of students who have flown a plane themselves is even smaller. However, for members of the MSU Soaring Club, the opportunity to take flight in a donated plane comes on a nearly weekly basis. Bob Otondo, vice president of soaring and an associate professor in the college of business said the plane was donated by an MSU alumnus. The club is focused on the science behind the flying, so most of the students are either involved in ROTC or are aerospace engineering majors. However, anyone is welcome to join. Since the club is mostly built around lessons about flying, people do not have to know anything about flying going into the club. The first flight is called a demo flight, which introduces the new club member to the
Marco Lopez | The Reflector
Members of the Mississippi State University Soaring Club pose next to a tow plance at the George M. Bryan Airport in Starkville during one of the groupʼs weekly meetings on Saturday. Pictured from left to right are: Eric Henry, Matthew Witt, Shane Ruiz, Josh Mosby, Adam Westenkirchner, Brianna Taylor, Skyler Taggart and Claire King.
idea of flying. Skyler Taggart, a new flyer and transfer student, said despite being up in the air, the instructor was in control of the plane.
Taggart said the flight felt like a simulation because he simply touched the controls. While the club is directed towards students,
it is open to the public. “We’ve got three levels of memberships,” Otondo said. “We’ve got one for students, regular people who live in the Starkville area, as
well as out of town people who maybe live in Jackson or Birmingham, and every once in a while they’ll come for a game and have a flight while they’re here.”
Because the club already reaches such a diverse group of people, it is easy to get involved and only requires a passion for learning how to fly. “It’s something, being up there,” Taggart said. Brittany Corrie, a junior aerospace engineering major, said the feeling of being in the air is exhilarating. “It’s definitely cool, scary and nerve wracking,” Corrie said. “You get a little nauseous, but I want to go again.” The club is unique because it allows people to do this on a weekly basis. The members are invited to fly on every weekend as the weather allows. “You can see everything,” Corrie said. “We went up three thousand feet.” Taggart said he plans to join the club “because I want to be as much into aerospace as possible, and I feel like this is a good way to do that.” While flying lessons do cost money, members said this club is comparatively cheap. There is a $35 fee for going up in the air the first time and people must pay a monthly fee to join the club.
Review: Theatre MSU presents ‘The Little Mermaid’ EMMA MOFFETT STAFF WRITER
Theatre MSU presented their first play of the season last Saturday. Children, adults and Mississippi State University students filled seats in the McComas Hall theater to watch “The Little Mermaid” come to life. When hearing the title “The Little Mermaid” people tend to envision the Disney version of this classic fairytale. However, Theatre MSU chose to perform Linda Daugherty’s adaptation of the original Hans Christian Anderson story. This version contains darker elements and lacks the singing sea creatures Disney incorporated into their animated version. Director Tim Matheny said they were aware people would have preconceived
notions about what “The Little Mermaid” is about because of the Disney movie, but he hoped the play would exceed the audience’s expectations. “One of our goals was to help people realize that this literature comes from somewhere else, and that it didn’t originate from Disney,” Matheny said. “We wanted people to hear more of the original story.” Despite any possible concerns, the audience was very receptive to this version of the “The Little Mermaid.” People of all ages were moved throughout the performance, showing their feelings with gasps, laughter and applause throughout the performance. Pearl, the titular little mermaid, was brought to life by Abbigail Radius. Her performance was overflowing with life and
perfectly captured the youthful spirit associated with “The Little Mermaid.” Radius’s fluid, fish-like mannerisms, giddy laughter and teenage melodramatics carried the play and drew the audience in to this version of the classic story. Prince Stefan, played by freshman theatre major Chris Hillhouse, also caught the audience’s attention with his lively performance. Hillhouse captured the driven and energetic personality of Prince Stefan and acted alongside Radius flawlessly. Overall, Matheny said he was thrilled to see how the actors and actresses performed. “We try to be diverse in our casting,” Matheny said. “There were some students who had never been on stage before and some who were seasoned actors. I was really
pleased how everyone grew and took a step forward.” Along with Radius’ and Hillhouse’s performances, the rest of the cast put on an excellent show which resulted in major applause. Not only was the acting engaging, but the set also brought the story to life before the audience’s eyes. Designing a play where the setting shifts from underwater to land is a challenge. Matheny said he was aware of such problems and felt, in the end, it all came together seamlessly. “It was a very challenging show,” Matheny said. “From costumes to lights to set and props—even the puppets— we were not exactly sure how it was going to work, and we all had to research how to best put it together. I’m very pleased with how each aspect of the play turned out.” In order to transition
and her husband Mike discovered five years ago they knew nothing of living well. Going back-to-basics was their family’s way of scrapping stressful and unhealthy habits. The couple created the Homestead to share their journey of natural living with others. While new problems undoubtedly arise even in the Homestead, Buehler offered some
encouraging advice to curious homesteaders. “It feels like our family is more aligned with our values,” Buehler said. “I think that is a good place to start.” Some Mississippi State University students visit the Homestead looking for a home away from home. Students visit in search of a place outside the classroom to learn about real life, including useful
talents like sewing and cooking. Ultimately, Buehler said the aim of the Homestead is to provide its students lessons for real life. “Making a living and making a life are two very different things,” Buehler said. The Homestead feels, looks and acts as a retreat from busy campus. One former student, Anne Claire Rogers, credited the Homestead for her healthy lifestyle. “I met some of my best friends at the Homestead,” Roger said. “It changed the trajectory of the way I take care of myself now.” Wildlife enthusiasts can eagerly await sights of deer, beavers, cranes, turtles and more on Homestead land. The Homestead also houses a saltwater pool, two teaching gardens, rain catchment, compost systems and a greenhouse, along with its own chickens and bees. The Homestead’s membership program is divided into several categories, ranging from guests to heroes. Membership levels are determined by the amount of tax-deductible donations a person makes to the
from showing underwater life to life above the surface, Theatre MSU built three panels of waves that went all the way across the stage. These waves could be lowered and raised at any point to provide the visual effect of rising to the surface or going underwater. Austin Howeth, MSU senior and communication major who played the role of Timothy, said creating a life-like and functional set was the hardest challenge to overcome. “Building the scenery was the biggest challenge we overcame,” Howeth said. “There was a lot scenery and a lot of moving parts that we had to put together.” The play also incorporated the use of backlights to emphasis when characters were traveling to the depths of the ocean to visit the sea witch.
These black lights illuminated costumes, props and the set. It added another level of visual depth to the entire performance. Using puppeteers to control fish puppets was an interesting way to include sea creatures in the play. At first, it was a little distracting to see a person in all black run across the stage carrying a fish on a stick, but eventually, it became another normal and engaging element of the play. Between the cast and the set design, everyone in the audience left the theater raving about the performance and congratulated the cast on a job well-done. “Theatre MSU always puts on great shows,” Howeth said. “They look amazing, beautiful and the talent blows people away. I really encourage everyone to attend.”
Students learn skills for life at ‘The Homestead’ EMMA KING
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
The Homestead Education Center, cozily called “The Homestead,” is a 5,000 square-foot lodge settled on a lake right off of Highway 12. Creative, culinary and literary minds flock here for a taste of life, simplified. Despite both having doctorate degrees, founder Alison Buehler said she
Jennifer McFadden, The Reflector
On Oct. 1, an online writing course taught by Buehler herself opened. After publishing five books, Buehler said she wishes she had someone walk her through the publishing industry. Over the course of four weeks, she will explain the publication process and how being a writer differs from being an author. One week later, the Homestead invites anyone interested in learning how to make sourdough bread to its test kitchens on Oct. 8.
“Baking your own bread will give you a feeling of accomplishment,” Sansing said. “It fills your home with a wonderful smell.” Sansing said other benefits of learning how to make homemade bread include controlling the ingredients, saving money and having fresh bread. The cost of the course is $15 for guests, and the class is limited to 14 people. Oct. 12 is “Ladies’ Night In” at the Homestead, a chance to relax and learn some helpful homeorganizing tips. Shannon
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BSA’s ‘Sunday’s Best’ takes the Dawg House to church LEAH WORLEY
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
On Sept. 24, Mississippi State University’s Black Student Association hosted its first “Sunday’s Best” competition. “Sunday’s Best” was originally a televised Gospel music competition which aired on Black Entertainment Television from 2007 to 2015. Like the show, the BSA’s version was a gospel singing contest with its own panel of musical judges, ranging from teaching professionals to students. One judge was Alexia Leavy who, while in a meeting with the executive board, eagerly volunteered to be a part of the panel. She gave some insight on what being a judge entailed. “We scored contestants’ tone quality, pitch accuracy, key consistency, interaction with the audience and their overall delivery,” Leavy said. “These points were added up by the president of Black Voices. Those who placed in the competition scored high, either a 4 or 5, in all categories.” As the competition began, the Dawg House sparked with positive and supportive energy fueled from competitors and audience members alike. Everyone swayed and clapped to the rhythms of the songs, with many
singing along. “Everyone was enjoying themselves,” Leavy said. “The audience supported the performers no matter what. It was just a very welcoming and enjoyable event.” The audience showed its support to the singers in many different ways. If a competitor had to pause
“It made me feel energized. It was a very diverse crowd and brought people together” -Marsei Hogan, audience member due to nerves or emotion, the crowd cheered in support just as loudly as they did when a singer hit an incredibly difficult note or made a superb vocal run. Marsei “Sei” Hogan, another audience member at the event, said being in the crowd was a unique experience. “It made me feel
energized,” Hogan said. “It was a very diverse crowd and brought people together.” MC Brandon Horton’s charisma added to the fun and enjoyable atmosphere. He made many a reference to feeling like he was worshipping with the same energy he has in church. Horton also joked the more “hype” songs performed were “going to make him cut up.” “I think he might have given Kirk Franklin, the host of the actual BET show, a run for his money,” Leavy said. From the views of the judges, MC and audience, the event was an absolute hit. While some of the competitors said they were nervous, they were all able to overcome the difficulties of performing on stage. Wallace Bass, who won third place in the competition, said audiences are generally encouraging. “I’m nervous every single time I perform, but I know that when it’s time to hit the stage, you do what you practiced and stay calm because the audience is there to support you, not to bring you down,” Bass said. All singers had their own routines and practices to get ready for the big event, be it certain warm-ups or humming in between classes. Practice is always key to a good performance, and Bass
certainly showed how much he practiced for Sunday. “I practiced a hundred times on my own, but I also asked a few members of Black Voices Gospel Choir, Kristen Ashford, Destinee Ashford and Jadarius Flagg, for a helping hand and they gave helpful tips and techniques for the arrangement of my piece,” Bass said. Even the most rehearsed singers need the support of the crowd to do well, and
fortunately for Bass and the other competitors, the crowd was supportive of all the performers. “For me, Sunday’s Best was so much fun and the energy of the crowd was so loving and positive,” Bass said. Leavy said the event exceeded all expectations. “I would love to see and attend another event like Sunday’s Best,” Leavy said. “If there was anything I would change it would be
to have even more amazing contestants.” Leavy said she hopes people will remember the message behind Sunday’s Best. “1 Peter 4:10 says that as faithful stewards of God’s grace, each of us should use whatever gifts we have received to serve others,” Leavy said. “The message I want Sunday’s Best to convey is that your talent is not without purpose, so be generous with the gift that God has given you.”
Review: Gaga: Five Foot Two SAM GIBSON
MANAGING EDITOR
The Lady Gaga documentary “Gaga: Five Foot Two” came out on Netflix Sept. 22. It revolves around Gaga’s Super Bowl LI Halftime Show and the making of her latest album, “Joanne.” It is a revealing look into Gaga’s life, providing raw insight into everything from her family to her fibromyalgia. There is no interviewinfamous Gaga baby voice and there is a lot of crying. Gaga seems almost like a normal girl—apart from having branding meetings topless by her pool and making Beyoncé uncomfortable with her weed-smoking (something she talks about during the film’s credits). As a longtime Little Monster who’s an even bigger fan of “Joanne”era Gaga, I really enjoyed this film. However, I think anyone interested in the concept of fame would enjoy it. “Five Foot Two” shows Gaga putting in all the
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work that goes into being a pop icon, while also dealing with some very meremortal problems. She has chronic pain from an earlier hip injury and cannot find someone who loves her in face of her mounting success. She is very famous and very lonely. She is very powerful and in a lot of pain. Like Katy Perry in her 2012 documentary, Gaga is almost too good at making herself stop crying. Against all odds in these natural disaster and political turmoil-ridden times, it makes you think “Huh. Pop stars have it rough.” In one of my favorite scenes, Gaga leaves the studio where she is cutting the “Perfect Illusion” music video and walks to her car amid a crowd of fans. As in most of the movie, she’s wearing a white t-shirt and black jean shorts. Her hair is pulled back and she’s only wearing heavy eyeliner. It is a huge contrast from the Gaga of the past, who we see walking through similar crowds in garish outfits that, a lot of times, hide her face. It is clear this film is presenting the real Gaga, literally and figuratively baring it all. In that vein, this scene was also somewhat disturbing. She looks tightmouthed and like she’s trying to survive while pushing through throngs of people yelling and taking flash photos of her. One particularly eager fan keeps calling her “mommy,” which is a) gross and b) super uncomfortable after Gaga states earlier in the film that she is afraid she will not be able to have children. The “mommy” girl follows her all the way to her destination for an autograph, which Gaga, looking like a trapped animal, politely gives her. It
I watched the whole thing somewhat slackjawed, shocked at the glamour and effort that goes into being Gaga. However, I was more shocked in scenes where she is just Stefani Germanotta (her real name). In one, she goes to her niece’s christening and is just one of many family members at a party. In another, she goes to Walmart to buy her own album and no one recognizes her. She asks the manager if they have more copies of her album and he does not care. She tells him she’s Lady Gaga and the mood flips— he asks for a picture to show his wife. A crowd of onlookers develops. Her manager calls it “a madhouse.” Afterwards, on her private plane, wearing glasses and
life is ridiculous, too. At the end of the film, just before her Super Bowl halftime performance, Gaga said she has one note for herself and it is to have fun. It reminds you that while being Gaga looks grueling, Stefani Germanotta loves it, and that is why she plays Gaga again day after day. Overall, the film ends on a triumphant note—it does not show her Super Bowl performance and seems to assume you have already seen it. You are watching the Gaga movie after all. You are obviously a fan, and after being like “poor Gaga” for two hours, you’re backing to thinking, “Oh yeah, duh, her life’s great.” But it is not, ”Five Foot Two” shows us that, like anyone’s life, Gaga’s has its ups and downs— hers just seem bigger in the public eye.
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THE REFLECTOR TUESDAY OCTOBER 3, 2017 @SPORTSREFLECTOR
SPORTS
WBB starts practice, look to improve on last season FORREST BUCK STAFF WRITER
Coming off their most successful run in the program, Mississippi State University women’s basketball officially kicked off the season on Sunday with their first practice of the 2017-18 season. Senior guard Morgan William talked about facing high expectations and continuing to work hard in the midst of the program’s newfound success. “We know where we were last year but we know we have to be better this year,” William said. “With the first practice coming up Sunday we know how much harder we have to work this year. It is on this year’s seniors to be able to live up to the example of last year’s senior class and push everyone.” Head coach Vic Schaefer commented about not becoming complacent with success. “What we have been preaching to our kids is that last year is over. We lost four senior players from last year and they’re not coming back,” Schaefer said. “This senior class will be remembered for what they accomplish this year, not what they did their junior year. This senior class actually has a chance to surpass last year’s senior class and they’re hungry to do that.” The past four seasons were the best run in school history as the Bulldogs
Kelly Price | MSU Communications
Victoria Vivians, of Carthage, averaged 16.2 points and 4.2 assist a game last season.
have accumulated a record of 111-33 during that time period. MSU has won 20 or more games each year in that same stretch, for the first time in program history. Schaefer talked about the program being firmly established at this point and not being solely a product of last season’s tournament run. “We’ve changed the perception of how people see this program yearly, it did not just happen with one game last year,” Schaefer said. “I think now quite frankly, Mississippi State women’s basketball is a household name. We’ve won
111 games in the last four years. I welcome anyone to do some research and tell me how many programs have won 111 games in four years.” The underclassmen are expected to take on a bigger role this season is six-footseven junior center Teaira McCowan, who figures to take over the starting spot vacated by Chinwe Okorie. She played meaningful minutes last season and, despite coming off the bench, she led the team in rebounding, with 7.1 rebounds per game. She also finished third in scoring, with 8.7 points per game.
McCowan spent the summer working on her game and talked about her experience with Team USA. “One of the main things we worked on this summer was footwork and finishing through contact,” McCowan said. “I learned from working with Team USA that I have to be more versatile and be more mobile.” Senior guard Victoria Vivians also participated with Team USA over the summer. She was MSU’s best player last season, leading the Bulldogs in points, with 16.2 per game, and assists, with 4.2 per game. She is also stepping onto a different kind of court, as she is running for homecoming queen. Schaefer said he was impressed with Vivians during USA basketball. “Victoria just had a presence, she looked like she belonged,” Schaefer said. “She seemed to understand defense more than anybody there and she just made shots, and I thought she competed at a real high level which is what I wanted to see. You’re looking out there at 40 of the top 23 and under players in the country, and you’re saying to yourself, that’s my kid and she belongs.” Fans can catch the first glimpse of the men and women’s basketball team during Maroon Madness. Maroon Madness is scheduled to take place on Oct. 13 at 8:30 p.m. at Humprey Coliseum.
Bulldog soccer unable to score in overtime match against Auburn HUNTER CLOUD STAFF WRITER
There is a one-versusone for Mississippi State University (7-1-3, 1-1-2 SEC) soccer as they race on a counter with a chance to win the game in overtime; Gracie East, a MSU forward, takes the shot and puts it over the goal just high. This was one of the 15 shots MSU took on Friday night and senior forward Payton Gruenewald took two shots on goal. None found the back of the net in a double overtime contest with Auburn University (5-3-3, 2-0-2 SEC), which ended in a scoreless tie. “Going into OT, our big thing was trying to be urgent with the ball, get it forward, forward thinking and forward playing,” Gruenewald said. “We were just trying to get as many chances as we could. We gave them everything we had and we wanted it bad, but unfortunately we came out with the tie.” Gruenewald, of Southlake Texas, said the game was frustrating for her and the Bulldogs because they also had a shot rattle off the post in the second half and missed other chances to win the game, but they will look to use that as motivation going into the next game. “All week you’re working on generating these things and generating them in the game, and then we just couldn’t find the back of the net,” Gruenewald said. “They played a great game too so it was hard. We will definitely use this motivation, the anger from the tie, and the want for the win and take it to South Carolina.” Although the game was frustrating, there was also some moral victories about the game for head coach Tom Anagnost, who was pleased with how the team played.
“I liked the effort tonight, I liked the commitment to finishing the game, I liked the urgency we displayed at the end of the game,” Anagnost said. “I thought our character in the second overtime was very good and I’m very proud.” Anagnost saw some improvements to be made from this game when it comes to possession of the ball and decision making, but overall he felt the team created quality chances. “We definitely had the better chances, and you wish you could finish those,” Anagnost said. “We had more of the dangerous chances and we really didn’t give up much.”
“A lot of character moments, just continuing to press them and continuing to work hard for each other.” -MSU forward Payton Gruenewald Gruenewald saw the game as a good character learning experience for the team, even though they were unable to break the deadlock and win the game. “A lot of character moments, just continuing to press them, and continuing to work hard for each other, getting forward for the team and getting back, and recovering for each other so it was a good character development game for us.” Gruenewald said. Anagnost said he believes his team will take this tie as a positive and remain hungry for the win against South Carolina. “We are pleased with what happened, but we are definitely not satisfied,” Anagnost said. “We are always the group that is going to want more.”
Noah Siano | The Reflector
Senior libero Payton Harris, of Houston, Texas, has 1712 career digs after her 15 dig performance against Kentucky. The 1712 digs is now the highest eveer in school history.
Payton Harris breaks career record HUNTER CLOUD STAFF WRITER
Coming into the game against No. 10 University of Kentucky (12-2, 3-0 SEC), Mississippi State University (9-10, 0-4 SEC) volleyball’s senior libero Payton Harris was seven digs shy of the school career record for digs. Halfway through the second set, she broke the record as she finished the game with 15 digs. “I didn’t really pay attention honestly, I think some of my teammates told me, and I tell everyone this that I don’t go out there to break records,” Harris said. “I go out there to help my team win, keeping the balls off of the ground breaks a couple of records and that’s what I can do, but I don’t really think about it,” Head coach David McFatrich said he was extremely proud of Harris, whose role as a senior is vital to a young team. Her experience is important in the conference season as they have 14 more games left including a long road stretch. “I’m so proud of her, she stepped up and is leading the team, she’s doing a good job
he was thankful they both ended up at MSU. “I was really hoping to coach her, and I thought she was going to commit there and she committed to Mississippi State,” McFatrich said. “I got the job here, so I’m grateful to get to coach her for three years. It’s been a blast.” Other than Harris breaking the record, this game was a rough for MSU. Kentucky swept the Bulldogs
“I go out there to help my team win, keeping the balls off of the ground breaks a couple of records and that’s what I can do,” -MSU libero Payton Harris by a score of 21-25, 20-25, 16-25 across the three sets, but McFatrich was able to find some positives in how the team played.
I feel like we took a couple steps forward,” McFatrich said. McFatrich said he felt the team played well enough to win the first set and that they fought hard in the second set. However, we said there are some things that need to be improved. “I feel like we are getting better. It hasn’t resulted in any wins in the conference yet but I do feel like we are getting better and I’m proud of the way they fought today,” McFatrich said. “We’ve got to steady out on our passing. When it’s good we get good swings. We are getting better on our swings, and we are doing better on our setterhitter connections.” Finishing strong, playing consistently and closing out the sets are all things Harris said the team can better and are things they will work on in practice this week as they play LSU on Oct. 8. “Just coming in every day and working the best we can, and we know what we need to do we just got to get out there and execute the things we need to do,” Harris said. “Get back in the gym this week and work on the little things and we will be good.
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THE REFLECTOR TUESDAY OCTOBER 3, 2017 @SPORTSREFLECTOR
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What we have learned since MSU played LSU TAYLOR RAYBURN
is a junior majoring in communications and economics and is the sports editor. Contact him at sports@reflector.msstate. edu.
Let me preface this by saying, anyone who attacks or disrespects a player on Twitter, or even worse in person on campus, really needs to rethink what they have going on in their lives. Now, what is going on with Mississippi State University football? MSU fans and players were on a high after a 37-7 victory over LSU. A rare dominating victory over LSU gave MSU fans hope that this season could be another 2014 type season. Now after backto-back blowout losses to No. 12 Auburn University and the No. 5 University of Georgia, we know that is not the case.
PRESEASON POLLS ARE WORTHLESS
So what does all of this tell us? First off, preseason polls need to go away. Six teams in the preseason top 25, including preseason No. 3 Florida State, have dropped out of the polls. LSU was ranked at No. 13 going into season. With no games being played, it was declared LSU was one of the top 15 teams in the county. LSU is a lot closer to a bottom 15 team than a top 15. LSU is really bad. LSU was blown out by MSU, almost lost to Syracuse and then lost to Troy. Because of LSU’s ranking, MSU quickly
jumped up in the polls after blowing them out. They then fell out of them after two blowout losses. The polls at this point in the season change so much, teams move up and down way too many spots for people to use them reliably. This season is another in a long list of seasons that prove polls before October are a waste of time. The fact is, we have no idea how good any of these teams are until at least five games are played. That is when we begin to see a landscape begin to shape up. The preseason polls are just a complete waste of time and everyone would be better off if we quit hyping teams up before games are played.
MSU NEEDS MYLES AND DEAR TO GET HEALTHY
Coming into the season, the wide receiver position was the biggest question mark on this team. It was a young inexperienced group outside of Gabe Myles and Donald Gray. It also did not help that the third most experienced guy, Malik Dear, was out after tearing his ACL in the spring. Their struggles showed through on Saturday night in Auburn. Quarterback Nick Fitzgerald struggled against Georgia with his accuracy, while against Auburn he was crisp on his passes, even though the stat sheet did not show it. A large part of that was the drops down the field. MSU could not catch the ball. Neither of Fitzgerald’s interceptions are on him, both hit the receiver in the hands and bounced up in the air and were picked. Multiple times on big downs, receivers dropped passes. It is something MSU
times on Saturday night, biting aggressively on routes and run fakes and getting beat over the top by Auburn receivers. It was not a onetime deal, the same thing happened against Georgia on the flee flicker play to start the game. MSU has athleticism at safety in Mark McLaurin, Brandon Bryant and Johnathan Abram, but they lack the discipline. Defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons harped on communication being a problem they need to fix on the whole defense. That could be the issue, but one thing we have learned so far is MSU has problems at the safety spot, they need help there and MSU fans have to hope these mistakes are corrected in the bye week.
Noah Siano | The Reflector
Running back Aeris Williams, of West Point, cuts to the outside in MSU’s 49-10 loss at Auburn on Saturday. MSU fell out of the polls after the loss.
can not just correct in the middle of the season. Drops usually have more to do with inexperience than anything else. Players can not just get older in the middle of the season. The only way for this group to improve is to get senior Gabe Myles and junior Malik Dear back from injury. They both been practiced in the past week and will likely be back after MSU’s bye week and going into BYU. These injuries have also spread to other parts of the team. Starting defensive tackle Cory Thomas and starting linebacker Traver Jung are both out. Starting left tackle Martinas Rankin left early in the Auburn game with a sprained ankle. All five of these players are key parts of the team and MSU needs the bye week to have enough time to get at least some of them back on the field.
It is really the only way the team can drastically improve between now and BYU.
FANS NEED TO BE PATIENT WITH THE OFFENSIVE LINE
MSU has talent on their offensive line. Stewart Reese, Martinas Rankin, Greg Eiland, Darryl Williams, Michael Story and Elgton Jenkins are all talented players. However, two of the players mentioned above are freshmen and two more are sophomores. This is a young group. They can dominate like they did against LSU at home, but they have not handled the noise and pressure of playing on the road well. Against Auburn, the team had seven false starts, four of which are credited to the two freshman. MSU fans are just going to have to bear with the growing pains. Going into the season,
everyone hoped the talent would show on the field and it did at home. However, on the road the young group was clearly shaken. Those were the first SEC road games some of those guys have played in. So before ranting on Twitter about the play of the offensive line, have some patience and let the group grow. Everything is not going to happen all at one time. This offensive line has the talent to be great, just give it some time to grow and develop.
SAFETIES NEED TO PLAY WITH MORE DISCIPLINE
Auburn ran six plays and picked up 331 yards on Saturday night. In their other 50 plays they picked up a mere 180. What does that tell us? The safety play at MSU has not been great. The safeties got burnt four
THE WORLD IS NOT ENDING, IT’LL BE OKAY
How many MSU fans would have been happy winning one of the three against LSU, Georgia and Auburn going into the season? The answer is a lot. The LSU game elevated expectations for this team. Going into the season a lot of people had this team pegged as a middle of the pack SEC team, which is what they are. Plus, if the way football team’s play on the weekend is really ending your world, there is a lot more things you need to get worked out. Overall, 2018 was supposed to be the big season anyway, after LSU, many thought that 2017 could be great as well. It will not be, but there is nothing wrong with that. MSU fans still have a team that goes out and plays hard and students and fans should take pride in that.