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Rematch: Hyde-Smith and Espy battle for Senate seat once again HANNAH BLANKENSHIP MANAGING EDITOR

Come Nov. 3, eligible Starkville voters of all ages and races will be turning out to the polls for the highly anticipated 2020 election.

However, Donald Trump and Joe Biden will not be the only names on their ballots. Mississippi voters will be choosing between Democratic candidate Mike Espy and Republican incumbent candidate Cindy Hyde-Smith to represent Mississippi in the U.S. Senate.

Both candidates grew up in Mississippi, have experience in the legislature, have backgrounds in agriculture and even have a line in Mississippi history books as being the “first” for the state’s representation on the federal level.

Mike Espy, the former secretary of agriculture under Bill Clinton and a former Mississippi congressman, was the first African American elected to serve Mississippi at the federal level since the Reconstruction era. Cindy Hyde-Smith, the former Mississippi commissioner of agriculture and commerce, is the first woman to represent

Mississippi in congress.

However, while each candidate is dedicated to bettering their home state, they differ in their paths to the same goal.

According to his campaign website, Democratic candidate Espy’s main platform points include expanding Medicaid, expanding broadband access across the state, expanding job training and work programs to prevent “brain drain,” working to obtain more federal funding for small businesses and working to obtain more funding to better the public-school system.

According to her campaign website, Republican incumbent Cindy Hyde-Smith supports tax cuts, reducing federal regulations on small businesses and farmers, implementing legislation that allows for the growth of the agriculture industry, repealing the Affordable Care Act, and strengthening enforcement of U.S. immigration laws.

This year’s election is not the first time the two have gone head-to-head. In a 2018 special election after the resignation of former senator Thad Cochran, Espy

and Hyde-Smith ran against each other, with Hyde-Smith winning the senate seat.

While a lot has changed in the U.S. and Mississippi in the last two years, Dallas Breen, director of Mississippi State university’s John C. Stennis Institute of Government and Community Development, said he does not predict much difference in the outcome of the 2020 Senate election. Without a veritable scandal on the hands of the Republican candidate, Breen said the Republican majority in the state will still have enough margin to win even if it is a closer race.

“I think Mike Espy really does have his hands full. It’s not to say he doesn’t stand a chance,” Breen said. “A Democratic challenger in the climate of Mississippi right now stands a very uphill battle to try to unseat a Republican incumbent in the Senate,” Breen said.

Georgie Swan, president of the College Democrats student group on campus and a senior studying political science and psychology, said she recognized the state’s red majority, but even a robust show of support for Espy could begin turning the tide for Democrats in the state.

“I think the Democrats can get a Senate seat. I would love if it would be Espy this time but I think just a higher turnout of Democrats would be good in the long run,” Swan said.

Swan said she thinks Espy is a good representative of the Democratic party’s ideals and she is excited to see the results of his campaign.

“Mike Espy — he’s running a really strong

campaign. He’s been getting some national attention, he’s been supported and endorsed by Barack Obama, so I think he’s run a really good campaign and is a strong Democratic candidate,” Swan said.

Of Republican opponent Cindy Hyde-Smith, Swan said her biggest strength was her experience in agriculture, but that she would not vote for her because she does

not believe Hyde-Smith represents all Mississippians.

“The reason I can never support her as a candidate or a person is her comment about she would be front row at a public hanging, and there’s pictures of her dressed up in Confederate outfits. I think knowing the history of Mississippi and the race relations — that just reflects negatively on the state,” Swan said.

SENATE, 2

MSU campus police officers put smiles on local kids’ faces EMMA KING

STAFF WRITER

Mourning the loss of Dan Camp: the “Mayor of the Cotton District” HEATHER HARRISON STAFF WRITER

“Mayor of the Cotton District” Dan Camp passed away on Oct. 25, 2020, at age 79 due to complications from COVID-19. Camp is credited as the founder of the Cotton District in Starkville and served as mayor of Starkville from 2005 to 2009.

Camp received his undergraduate and master’s degrees in industrial arts from Mississippi State University in the early 1960s. While at MSU, he was a member of the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity, and Camp developed his love of teaching while a part of the brotherhood.

His first job out of college was teaching industrial education classes in the Vicksburg, Mississippi public school

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Camp Family | Courtesy Photo

Former Starkville Mayor Dan Camp was a pioneer for the development of the Cotton District.

district. After a brief stay in Vicksburg, Camp moved back to Starkville and was an associate professor of

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industrial arts at MSU for a couple of years while initially developing the Cotton District.

MAYOR, 2

No two days as a Mississippi State University campus police officer are ever the same, according to Sergeant Wesley Bunch.

Bunch’s days are a mixture of everything one might expect from a police officer — responding to calls, working car crashes, writing tickets and the typical extra duties involved with being a day shift supervisor.

In addition to these tasks, Bunch and his fellow officer Sheyanne Dean have assigned themselves another important job: passing out stuffed animals to every child they see on campus.

They only started this about a month ago. An acquaintance of Bunch’s, whom he met on the job, called him to discuss a problem — specifically, the multitude of stuffed animals taking up useful space in his home.

“He called me, and he’s like, ‘Man, I’ve got like hundreds of stuffed animals, and I have no idea what to do with them,’” Bunch said. “I told him I would take them.”

Before coming to MSU to work on his masters, Bunch was a police officer in Gulfport, MS, where he was in the habit of keeping stuffed animals in the back of his squad car for any incidents involving children.

Bunch explained the toys were useful for distracting kids from the harsh surroundings often experienced on the job.

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Landon Scheel | The Reflector

Campus police officer Wesley Bunch poses with the stuffed animals he gives to children.

“Those were good for when you’re dealing with any kind of incident where kids are involved — if it’s some kind of very bad crash, where maybe the mom or the dad or whoever’s kind of hurt pretty bad, and the kid’s distraught,” Bunch said. “Maybe you can take their attention away from it a little bit with one of those stuffed animals.”

This is a less common

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scenario on a college campus, though, so Bunch and Dean sometimes have to seek children out.

Parents walking with strollers or children playing in the Junction are always a welcome sight to the officers.

As a K9 officer, Bunch occasionally relies on his partner, Bach, as an opening for the stuffed animal giveaways.

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SENATE

College Republicans Chairman Jonathan Bailey, a junior studying public relations and political science, said he also respected the strength of Espy’s campaign and his experience in agriculture, but that at the end of the day his economic policies are not what Mississippi needs to regain a strong economy.

“There’s not a way to fund some of these more liberal programs that they

have kind of talked about in what they might do if they really had a majority without raising taxes, not just on billionaires or millionaires, but on middle class folks and really everybody above the poverty line,” Bailey said.

One of the main contention points between the two candidates is their different stances on expanding Medicaid in Mississippi. Espy is a proponent of expansion

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while Hyde-Smith is not.

Stennis Institute Director Breen said this issue involves the crux of the debate between liberals and conservatives and comes down to a voter’s personal political ideals.

“The expansion of Medicaid to help people will help, could help, thousands and thousands of people but it’s going to come at a cost— and that becomes the debate point amongst people is at

what cost,” Breen said.

Bailey said he believes Hyde-Smith has done a good job in her two years in the Senate and will continue to do so if re-elected.

“I think she’s done a great job in the Senate of maintain the conservative voice which I think Mississippi needs.

We are the most Republican state in the nation by some people’s counts and so I think it’s important that we have a strong conservative

like Cindy representing us in D.C.,” Bailey said.

Breen has met both Espy and Hyde-Smith in person, citing Hyde-Smith’s dedication to talking to MSU students and welcoming them in D.C. Swan said the College Democrats recently hosted Espy as a virtual speaker and she was struck with how “down to earth” he was.

While the Senate election is less flashy than the

MAYOR Respected and revered, Camp was well-known in his community. Many people say Starkville would not be the successful college town it is without Camp’s integration of the Cotton District to unite Starkville and MSU. Even though the District is now a dynamic spot with conveniently located housing and a bustling nightlife, it was once just a dilapidated cotton mill site.

presidential race, Breen said it has an even more direct effect on the daily lives of students, and encouraged students to educate themselves and get out and vote.

“People don’t realize your congressman and woman, senators, they have an impact on the long-term legislation that goes in and impacts you as a student as you go through your student career and as you enter into the workforce,” Breen said.

CONTINUED FROM 1

Camp brought his visions to life beginning in 1969 through the development of the Cotton District. With his ideas and ambitious attitude in his toolbox, Camp transformed a sleepy area of the city into a place where Starkville residents and MSU students alike could reside and enjoy entertainment.

Roy Ruby, retired vice president for student affairs, former dean of the College

Camp Family | Courtesy Photo

Dan Camp pictured with his son, Bonn. His two sons plan to continue his work in Starkville.

of Education and interim president of MSU, was a close friend of Camp’s.

Ruby said he met Camp when they both began working at the university in the 1970s, and the men knew each other for more than 50 years at the time of Camp’s passing. Ruby said Camp had a gift that many people did not understand at times, but it ultimately made him successful.

“He was a visionary.

He could see things that others couldn’t, and his development of the Cotton District had worldwide acclaim. He was his own man. He was pretty hardheaded in a lot of ways, but he was a great leader,” Ruby said. “As all visionaries, he had his own ideas, which were very good, and they were very good for Starkville.”

His colleagues joked Camp had a powerful, robust personality, and he often spent his meetings with others engaging in loud conversation. It was his unique way of conducting business that proved to be fruitful throughout his life and career.

Neil Strickland, a local historian, explained Camp’s strong personality developed due to his mother’s values. Strickland said Camp enforced an open-door policy at the

Cotton District property rental office because his mother raised him to have compassion for those in need. Camp did not tolerate Mississippians who gained wealth or other advances and then thought they deserved special treatment because of it.

Mary Switzer, office manager at Cotton District Apartment Rentals and a close friend of Camp’s, added on to Strickland’s comment and said Camp wanted Starkville to be the best it could be.

“Dan loved Starkville,” Switzer said. “He loved his community. He wanted to see it excel, and he got frustrated at times when people went backward instead of forward. That’s why a lot of people were frustrated with him raising hell, but he spoke his mind.

He did it for a reason because he cares, but he had a pretty good vision of what would make this town better.”

While Camp was only mayor of Starkville for one term, 2005-2009, it was clear to citizens that he was more than the mayor of Starkville; he was uniquely the inaugural and sole “mayor” of the Cotton District.

Starkville Mayor Lynn Spruill praised Camp and claimed he was ahead of his time, most notably because he valued the community’s ideas. When Spruill returned to Starkville in the early 2000s, Camp was running for mayor, and Spruill worked as his chief administrative officer.

“He was very much a forward-thinking person.

He was very supportive of women and progressive ideas — long before others — and certainly in large part before many even now,” Spruill said. “There are lots of folks who still don’t understand the value of the minority communities the way Dan did and did not encourage them in ways Dan did. He was very generous and was very supportive, certainly of me, and most of the people he came in contact with, he felt were deserving of support.”

Similarly, Bonn Camp, Dan Camp’s son, said at the root of his father’s mayoral campaign was his devotion to the city and its people.

“He ran for mayor because they were trying to build city hall and the police station on the bypass, way out in the middle of nowhere past Walmart. And that was going to happen,” Camp said. “Michelle Jones and her husband, my dad and a bunch of others started a petition and went around town and got them to kill the project.”

Camp went on to say his father did not want Starkville City Hall to be out of the way, where it would be hard for citizens to be active in their local government since it would not be accessible for many residents.

Even though Camp lost the mayoral reelection, his colleagues expressed Camp did not need to be mayor to continue his endeavors.

Camp was able to create a legacy in Starkville well before and after his time as

OFFICERS “I’ll usually stop and talk for a minute, and a lot of times my dog barks from the back of my car,” Bunch said. “I’ll just kind of use that as a segue, like, ‘Oh, look, you want a dog? I’ve got a dog for you.’”

Over the last month, the officers have handed out around 30 stuffed animals to kids, averaging three or four a day.

Because there are so many to go through, Bunch has offered some of the animals to his fellow officers, including offcampus cops, and told them how helpful the toys have proven for kids in traumatic situations.

Bunch said this act of service is important to him because of the current issues surrounding law enforcement and their portrayal in the media.

mayor because of the Cotton District’s metamorphosis.

Camp was a man of many accomplishments, but Michelle Jones, a close friend of Camp’s and a retired architectural historian at the Mississippi Department of Archives and History, revealed Camp was quite pleased with the time he spent as president of the Starkville School District.

“And I will say, Dan did a lot of great things; he got a lot of accolades. But he was so proud to have served the school district as president, and he believed that public education was fundamental to the success of the community.

And I think he liked to be recognized for the Cotton District, but he really loved that time where he felt like he had an impact,” Jones said reflectively.

Spruill agreed with Jones and said Dan Camp had a genuine love for his community, and above all, he was a friend to many.

“I think the best thing about Dan was that he was a great friend. I think part of that friendship was all of the opportunities to learn and help others, and so, I am very grateful to have been able to call him a friend,” Spruill said.

Camp’s sons, Robert and Bonn, plan to continue their father’s vision in Starkville. Renovations and new projects will still prevail in the Cotton District, but his family, friends and employees say the town will not be the same without Dan Camp.

CONTINUED FROM 1

“I think everybody can turn on the news right now and see something about law enforcement, and it’s not going to be positive,” Bunch said. “It’s important to me because there’s a lot of positive things we do, but that’s never what you hear about.”

MSU Chief of Police Vance Rice said law enforcement can improve its image by performing outreach, like Sergeant Bunch and Officer Dean have been doing for kids on campus.

“That’s the kind of thing that law enforcement has got to get back to doing on a regular basis, is the outreach,” Rice said.

“Things have not been going well for us. The public opinion has swung far to the negative, and it’s not going to come back on

Rooms for Rent!

its own.”

The connection between police officers and citizens is one of the foundations of communities like Starkville.

Mayor Lynn Spruill said outreach endeavors as easy as this one make a massive difference.

“The relationship between citizens and the police is fundamental to our ability to enjoy a safe and comfortable community,” Spruill said.

“This relationship begins from instilling a trust and faith in the police. This early contact with the police can be fostered by a simple gesture such as handing out stuffed animals. We are grateful for their efforts.”

Bunch said he plans to continue giving away the animals until their excess has finally run out.

According to Rice, working with children is not an opportunity campus police often have, and he is glad to see his officers contributing to the community.

“Doing things like that and working with kids is not something we get to do very often as university officers,” Rice said. “Most of our kids aren’t really kids. I’m very proud of my officers for taking that opportunity.”

The Reflector 11/3/20 Sudoku

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Reflector 11/3/20 Crossword

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OPINION

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C a b t L w issues? Well in terms of g the economy, Espy claims f on his campaign website his “first priority will be to t expand broadband access m a to all Mississippians.”

This promise U demonstrates exactly how i out-of-touch Democrats s are when it comes to dealing I with economic issues. T Government handouts a are not, and have never A been, a sustainable way k of dealing with economic s problems. Our nation is currently enduring the most b detrimental economic crisis e since the Great Depression, c and if elected, then Senator t Espy would first confront c the problem with equal g distribution of the Internet.

In addition, Espy g believes “respecting the I dignity and equality of t every person is not only t the moral thing to do, but f the right thing to do for s our state’s economy.” That is a nonsense statement — something intended to rally supporters without promising any political change to stimulate the economy from the top down and create goodpaying jobs in the state.

Espy just cannot beat H Hyde-Smith on economic M issues. His plan is nonexistent, and his rationale is weak. c Regarding the economy, M Hyde-Smith understands h private enterprise and a businesses create jobs and stimulate economic growth, m not government. Unlike her challenger, she has a lo concrete record already n in place which proves she S understands how to boost s d Mississippi’s economy.

Her campaign website t describes her as a “strong p supporter of free markets w and private property rights,” two fundamental in characteristics of the it American economy the F more radical branch of m the Democratic Party a seeks to destroy. She is a g supporter of rolling back a government regulation, m making it easier for small P businessmen in Mississippi im to work. She is working to f remove government red g tape, as opposed to Espy o who wants to expand it. s Hyde-Smith supported the H Trump tax cuts and the m Jobs Act, putting more p money back into the hands of hard-working Americans o as opposed to politicians. o Cindy Hyde-Smith has it a stronger understanding t of the inner workings of s the American economy than Mike Espy, and she will be far more effective in working with the federal legislature than her challenger when advocating E for our state.

Hyde-Smith shares C the values Mississippians hold dear and respects the individual’s right to D manage their own life ( without government. If the f conservative values which M make our state great are S important to you as a voter, P the choice to send Senator Hyde-Smith back to W Washington is an obvious s one. f o s 5 2 S i m a

FACE-OFF: Which Mississippi candidate should take the title of U.S. Senator?

Mike Espy is what Mississippi needs Send Cindy Hyde-Smith back to the Senate

TAYLAR ANDERSON

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

With the upcoming 2020 election, Republicans and Democrats are feuding over their party’s primary candidates and are constantly trying to tear down their opponent in attempts to promote their candidate. Though our presidential debate is crucial to this country, I want to bring light back to Mississippi as we also vote for Mississippi’s U.S. senator. We are faced again with Mike Espy versus Cindy Hyde-Smith, Mississippi’s current senator who won in 2018 with 53% of the votes over Espy’s groundbreaking 46%. After considering both candidate’s policies, their public responses, their comments and the work they have already done for Mississippi, I argue Mike Espy is what Mississippi needs, not because of my political affiliations but instead for the change, advancement and progression which Mississippi is in desperate need of and which Espy prepares to provide.

Considering their policies and views, Mike Espy’s certainly seems to cater to the well-being of the majority of Mississippians. From education and healthcare to employment and wages, Mississippi has some of the lowest rankings in the country.

According to Matthew Lynch at The Edvocate, Mississippi scored an “‘F’ grade for academic achievement, and a ‘D’ for the chance of success for students.” In addition, Mississippi is short on education funding by $1.5 billion.

On his campaign website and in his public statements, Mike Espy has been very critical of how our lawmakers are mishandling and underfunding our public education system, especially now during this COVID-19 pandemic.

According to Mike Espy’s campaign website, he plans to demand and advocate for support and funding to be put back into our public education system by fighting for increased wages and loan forgiveness among educators.

In doing this, Espy aims to increase employment. Espy also intends to question and fight against policies and legislators within the Department of Education which are hindering our education system’s improvement. Additionally, Espy wants to ensure the decision-making process within our education system is done by those most equipped and qualified to do so, such as the school administrators and educators on the ground here in Mississippi.

On the opposing side, Cindy Hyde-Smith claims she is busy in Washington, D.C. with the pandemic and supporting President Donald

Trump; thus, she has been very vague and elusive when it comes to campaigning and her plans to improve Mississippi.

She even refused to participate in a debate with Mike Espy which would have been a great opportunity to provide her followers and Mississippians with real, specific answers on these important issues.

Even her campaign website is short and lacks details on several issues.

When discussing education specifically, she offers very little information on how she plans to improve our education system. The only thing one can gather is she does not believe the federal government should dictate how we handle education, and “Mississippi does not need Washington telling it how to raise and educate its children.”

Also, when considering Mississippi has ranked the lowest in healthcare for decades, Cindy Hyde-Smith is even worse when it comes to addressing this issue due to how she openly and constantly criticizes the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare. When asked specifically what her plans are to replace the Affordable Care Act, she only repeats, “We obviously want to come up with a good health care plan,” according to Luke Ramseth at the Clarion Ledger.

Mike Espy, however, has been very adamant about his plans to improve healthcare in Mississippi. Such plans include expanding the Affordable Care Act and Medicaid to lower healthcare costs, increasing healthcare access in rural counties, increasing the quality of and access to mental healthcare along with long-term healthcare for senior citizens and dismantling the health disparities among people of color within our state, just as his heroic grandfather did during Mississippi’s Jim Crow era.

Education and health care are only two of the many policies Mike Espy has proved to be very passionate about, and his political history, willingness to learn, compassion for Mississippians and unwavering faith in Mississippi has made him a far superior candidate who is actually for the people.

Similar to her evasive comments, Cindy Hyde-Smith also has not done much for

Mississippi with her current position, and she certainly has not adequately represented us nor moved us forward with the publicly inappropriate and Jim-Crow-era-type comment she made in 2018.

During her 2018 campaign, Cindy Hyde-Smith publicly stated in response to a cattle rancher praising her, “If he invited me to a public hanging, I’d be on the front row.” This comment went viral and sparked national attention and criticism. For her to have made such a comment so openly and casually shows how inconsiderate and outof-touch with the true nature and history of Mississippi she must be.

Considering Mississippi has one of the largest populations of Black people and the highest recorded number of lynchings of Black people in the nation, it is completely unacceptable for a Mississippi politician — let alone a U.S. Senator — to make such a gross, unnecessary and uneducated comment.

Her remark wrongly paints an unprogressive Mississippi behind the times, while also hindering our growth and ability to move forward.

Mississippi’s history is plagued with racial discrimination and racist laws and ideals, and with deeply rooted conservative views and undermining comments, Cindy Hyde-Smith does nothing for Mississippi other than hold us back from becoming a state which can finally move forward and heal from our past.

While Cindy-Hyde Smith has made progress in Mississippi as the first-ever woman senator, that is all she has accomplished to move Mississippi forward since her election in 2018.

Mike Espy has constantly shown us his commitment to Mississippians and how he plans to improve our state for the better while his opponent has failed to do so during both her campaigns and her current term.

When comparing the ideas, compassion and work ethic for Mississippi between the two U.S. Senate candidates for Mississippi, there is only one choice which will benefit, invoke change in and powerfully represent Mississippi, and it is Mike Espy.

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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

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The 2020 Senate election is a pivotal contest which will shape the destiny of the nation for years to come. The upper house of Congress currently maintains a 5347 conservative majority, and maintaining a friendly Senate has surely helped President Donald Trump in passing his agenda during his first term and is critical should he win a second. Equally, a friendly Senate would also benefit Joe Biden should he win the 2020 presidency; Biden would be given the chance to drastically change the country how the Democrats see fit should the Senate flip blue. However, he runs the risk of being cast as an infamous “donothing president” should the Senate remain in Republican control.

Even Mississippi, which, according to Jeffrey Jones of Gallup, is the most conservative state in the union, is in danger of losing one of our precious Senate seats to the Democratic agenda, as Cindy HydeSmith’s lead over her Democratic challenger Mike Espy is well within the margin of error. For the sake of Mississippi, we cannot allow this to happen.

Espy in Congress will shove unpopular policy down our throats, sacrificing the interests of our state to shill for the Democratic Party. Cindy Hyde-Smith is a firm believer in principles which Mississippians hold dear and is a staunch conservative with a tested record who will protect our majority in Congress.

On Nov. 3, send Cindy Hyde-Smith back to Washington, so she can continue to protect the interests of our state as any good senator should.

The primary reason Hyde-Smith should return to the U.S. Senate on behalf

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CONTACT INFORMATION Editor-in-Chief/Dylan Bufkin

MICHAEL BOURGEOIS

is a junior majoring in English. Contact him at opinion@reflector.msstate.edu.

of Mississippi is because her beliefs align with the majority of people who reside in the state. She is pro-gun, pro-life and proAmerica, like the traditional Mississippian. The same cannot be said for her challenger.

Espy wants to expand the bloated structures of government to further control the lives of everyday people. On healthcare, according to Espy’s own campaign website, he vows to expand Medicaid to help those in rural hospitals, and he wants to dramatically funnel in money to Mississippi hospitals from federal coffers. Of course, healthcare is important, but what Espy neglects to mention is the cost passed onto the Mississippi taxpayer in his appeal.

According to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, “Medicaid spending grew 3.0% to $597.4 billion in 2018,” and that does not factor in the enormous amount of government red tape which citizens need to cut through to get access to healthcare.

I hardly think the middle of a pandemic is the time to impose more government in the literal saving of American lives.

Instead, that control should be given back to the people.

Hyde-Smith on her campaign website argues for the repealing and replacing of the Affordable Care Act with “a common-sense patient-centered healthcare plan…without expanding the government’s role in providing healthcare.”

G o v e r n m e n t mismanagement of the healthcare system costs Mississippians’ time and money while consistently providing lackluster care.

It is a no-brainer any reasonable person would want to limit government control of the healthcare system.

But what about the economy, prior to COVID-19?

Donald Trump and his Republican Senate gave Americans one of the most prosperous economies in American history, so how would Espy sway the people of Mississippi away from Hyde-Smith on economic

Circulation/Sierra Pruitt circulation@reflector.msstate.edu

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LIFE & ENTERTAINMENT

5

Ask the wise: life advice from Starkville’s senior citizens

NICOLE LANNELLI

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Due to the high risk of COVID-19, members of assisted living facilities have been isolated from the rest of the community since March.

Loved ones are missing the wisdom they once often gained from their elderly friends and family.

In hopes of receiving the enlightened advice many of us are longing for, anonymous Mississippi State University students wrote in questions for Starkville’s senior citizens through an Instagram poll conducted by The Reflector. The residents at Montgomery Gardens Assisted Living facility were kind enough to offer some socially distanced wisdom.

Edie Thomas, a senior biological sciences major, expressed she especially cherishes connections with the community’s senior citizens after the loss of her grandparents.

“I lost both sets of my grandparents by the time I entered high school, so I take any chance I can get to connect with and learn from the elderly,” Thomas said. “Not having that type

of relationship in my life anymore makes me appreciate the wisdom that the older generations pass down.”

Candy Tranum is the lifestyle coordinator for Montgomery Gardens.

She was given a set of the students’ questions and asked two of her favorite residents for their thoughts.

Phillip Flynn, also known as “Coach”, is a resident at the assisted living facility. He answered two anonymous questions from students,

making sure to sprinkle in some dating advice for Generation Z. When asked what advice took him the longest to learn, his answer was short and simple.

“You can’t trust every woman you meet. When I met one I did trust, I married her! She was a special one,” Flynn said.

He went on to share the best advice he ever received from his own parents.

“If you’re going to do a job, do it well,” Flynn said.

“My dad once told me that if I ever had a job that I thought I may lose, I better find another one.”

Another resident, Katie Kimborough, shared a faith-based approach to the anonymous questions. She shared her thoughts on words to live by.

“Pray, be kind to others and live a godly life,” Kimborough said.

Much like Flynn, Kimborough also was looking to offer a piece of dating

advice. She chose to answer the following question of what qualities to look for in a future partner.

“Choose someone honest, caring, loving, a hardworker and most importantly, godly,” Kimborough said.

The students looking for advice not only hoped to gain answers that may reflect the wisdom of their late grandparents but were also interested in learning from the past. Evan Glass, a senior finance major, mentions

the notion of learning from previous decisions.

“It’s important to connect with senior citizens because making mistakes that have already been made would move us backwards. We want Generation Z to make the world a better place and move forward. In order to do that, we must learn from the older and wiser generations,” Glass said.

Thomas also recognizes it is important for young people to understand different perspectives.

“As college students, we are in a chapter of life where our views are being shaped, and it is important that we expose ourselves to different perspectives. Elderly people have wisdom to pass on that is useful to the forming of our opinions and choices. We can not only learn from their mistakes but also follow in their paths,” Thomas said.

Although the people of Starkville are now more physically separated than ever, the sense of community cannot be broken. From seniors in college to senior citizens, MSU students recognize the importance of learning from community members.

“We can still clap our hands:” Local church adapts to COVID-19 with drive-in service

HANNAH BLANKENSHIP

MANAGING EDITOR

For local Starkville church Christian Faith Missionary Baptist, honking horns have replaced amens at the church’s Sunday morning gatherings.

The small church, ocated on Whitfield Street near Starkville’s Greensboro Street Historic District, has started holding outdoor drive-up services under the trees behind its building to provide members and guests with a safe way to worship.

When COVID-19 nitially hit, the church moved ts services online through Facebook Live. Several months later, after learning about the proper CDC guidelines for gatherings and attending various pastor meetings about the issue, Pastor Demarrio Brown mplemented new measures for a return to in-person gatherings, such as marking off every other pew in the small, traditional sanctuary.

However, only a few members returned to the inperson gathering.

The turnout for the outdoor service, “Worship on the Ground” as they call t, was much greater than the turnout for their indoor service.

“That’s when we

experienced people coming back, especially the older crowd— that was good for them, lot of elderly with underlying conditions,” Brown said.

Alisha Brown, Pastor Brown’s wife, said it warmed her heart to see the members of their congregation returning.

“I miss just congregating together and worshipping together, so I’ll take it any way I can get it, as long as we can meet and worship together,” Alisha Brown said.

Angela Sherman, a first grade teaching assistant at Sudduth Elementary who sings in Christian Faith’s worship band on Sunday mornings, said she was initially not a fan of the outdoor services but has since come to love them.

“I had to put that to the side— my feelings about not being an outside person— because me worshipping God is more important,” Sherman said.

With her rich voice and flamboyant polka-dot flare pants, Sherman’s worship style is far from subdued.

However, she said singing outside is not quite the same as singing inside the sanctuary, as she is worried about bothering the residents of the nearby houses with

her passionate vocals.

“My thing is, being in a neighborhood outside, I’m a little timid, whereas inside I can just let loose the way I want to. It’s hard for me to hold back because that’s what I do; I love it. So it’s different because I can’t just let it out the way I want to,” Sherman said.

So far, no complaints have been made about Sherman’s singing, but Pastor Brown said they would probably need to reign in the chorus of honking horns out of respect for nearby residents.

One challenge Christian Faith has had to overcome to accommodate Worship on the Ground is their current financial situation. Due to having a small congregation with some low-income and retired members, the church relies heavily on donations of technological equipment.

However, Alisha Brown said Christian Faith has no problem with making do with what they have. One Sunday they did not have the proper cord to hook up the keyboard, but that did not hinder their worship.

“We still know how to do it without it. We can still clap our hands, pat our feet and sing unto the glory of God,” Alisha Brown said.

Pastor Brown said one of his favorite things about

Worship on the Ground is that it has drawn some new faces.

“It’s not about race; it’s not about color, denomination. We are all coming together as one.

That’s what I like the most is seeing different people come by— that’s a blessing,” Pastor Brown said.

Alisha Brown said the

outdoor services are a visual representation of the true nature of the church.

“The church is not just inside, but we are the church. We as believers are the church,” Alisha Brown said.

Although members worshipping from their cars in a dirt parking lot under the trees is a far cry from a

traditional Sunday morning gathering, Pastor Brown said he was grateful for the opportunity for his church family to be together again.

“It took some adjusting, especially when you’re used to the witnessing and amens in church, so it was different.

But once you get adjusted to it, it’s just as good,” Pastor Brown said.

Starkville Community Market offers produce and connection

EMMA DOTSON

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

The Greater Starkville Development Partnership (GSDP) is hosting its first fall Starkville Community Market at 8 a.m. on Saturdays in Fire Station Park now through Dec. 12.

Starkville native Paige Watson serves as the special events coordinator for GSDP and is in charge of the market. Watson said it usually gets 200 to 500 customers and 12 to 25 vendors each Saturday.

She elaborated on the importance of farmers’ markets, explaining how it affects the local economy.

“It creates economic development, and of every dime you spend in a local community, 7% goes back to that community. So, it is just all about supporting local and kind of reinforces that,” Watson said.

In pursuit of preserving the health of the Starkville community, the Starkville Community Market has set COVID-19 related guidelines in place to guarantee each customer has a safe experience. The rules include: - Wear a mask. If you do not have a mask, one will be provided.

- Do not touch the produce or products if you are a customer. The vendor will do it for you.

- Use a credit card if possible. If not, small bills are accepted.

- Pre-orders are available for selected vendors.

- Do not loiter. Only 20 customers are allowed in the market at one time.

Another benefit of farmers’ markets is the closeness and relationships formed between the seller and consumer, which vendor Chris Holland

commended. She also said that, with local produce and goods, the buyer can talk directly to the farmer to know what is going in and on their body. Whereas store-bought items tend to have unknown ingredients and origins, local produce provides transparency.

“I feel very strongly that the connection between a farmer and the consumer is so critical,” Holland said.

“It is the idea of ‘Know your farmer, know your food.’”

Ben Tomlinson, a previous market attendee and Starkville resident, smiled fondly as he remembered visiting the farmers’ market when he was young. He also said he believes the market reconnects people.

“I guess if there is anything important about

the farmers’ market, it is reconnecting people to the disconnection that we have all become accustomed to, which is going to the grocery store and getting all our produce,” Tomlinson said.

Sam McLemore, a vendor and co-owner of Bountiful Harvest Farms, said farmers’ markets allow people to test out their businesses, to be able to sell directly to the customers and to build a customer base.

The market has an inventory competitive to one at a grocery store, with a wide variety of fresh vegetables, fruit, flowers, herbs and baked goods. McLemore said that, while they do not have everything, their inventory quality cannot be beaten.

“You cannot get lettuce that was harvested the morning that you purchase

it at Kroger,” McLemore said.

“Whereas, when you come to the farmers’ market, we will even harvest the micro greens right in front of you. You cannot beat our freshness.”

Holland, who is coowner of Covenant Creek farms, was also vocal about their products’ freshness.

Her soap contains goat milk straight from their farm, which she claims is thousands of times better for the skin. She said if you are lucky, you might just see how fresh their inventory is at one of the markets where they bring their baby goat.

The Starkville Community market is sponsored by Starkville Radiology, Wellspire Financial Group and Spruill Property Management. If interested in becoming a vendor or sponsor, see the Partnership’s website for more information.

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Twins win on and off the soccer field HANNAH BLANKENSHIP MANAGING EDITOR

Junior fraternal twin sets Miranda and Lourdes Carrasco and Esmeralda and Araceli Figueroa both grew up with the competitiveness, yet close relationship, of a twin sister that played the same sport as them. Now, one sister from each set of twins plays on the official Mississippi State University school soccer team and one plays on the club soccer team.

The Carrasco sisters started playing soccer at the age of four in their hometown of Houston, Texas, graduated to club at the age of eight and then played throughout high school.

The competitiveness between the two sisters started early.

Lourdes Carrasco has not forgotten the time in elementary school when her team played her sister’s team.

“I still remember the score to this day. We got whooped 4-1, but I scored.

And I played defense so my dad gave me $10 — $5 for scoring and $5 for scoring against my sister,” Lourdes Carrasco said. Her sister just laughed.

In high school, Lourdes Carrasco stopped playing club and just focused on playing for her high school.

Miranda Carrasco played club and varsity high school soccer and graduated a semester early to start playing soccer at MSU. While they are always pushing each other and competing with each other, both sisters complimented the strengths in the other’s playing style.

Lourdes Carrasco said her sister was

quick and adept at beating players one-on-one, and Miranda Carrasco said Lourdes knows the game intellectually very well.

Lourdes and Miranda Carrasco are both studying finance with minors in real estate and said their competitiveness definitely extends into their schoolwork.

“Academically too, of course, we’re very supporting and encouraging of each other. If she makes a good grade, I’m like, ‘Oh my gosh, you’re freaking awesome,’ but I want to make a better grade,” Miranda Carrasco said.

While the two are always pushing each other, they are also always proud of each other and said they know each other better than anyone else in the world.

“We’re very protective of each other. We love each other so insanely much,” Miranda Carrasco said.

Lourdes Carrasco said being separated from her sister at a high school church camp made her realize she wanted to go to college with her sister.

“I just told my parents that I realized I wanted to go to school with Miranda wherever she was going because I missed her so much. She’s like my other half, and I literally can’t imagine life without her,” Lourdes Carrasco said.

Twins Esmeralda and Araceli Figueroa from Laurel, Mississippi, are remarkably similar to Miranda and Lourdes Carrasco, sharing a lifelong love for soccer and for each other.

Esmeralda Figueroa started playing soccer at the age of four or five, and her sister started playing shortly

after. They played for a club team in Jackson, which was about an hour and a half away from Laurel.

Later, they played on their high school team together, and while they were always competing subconsciously against each other, they worked together on the field.

“I always played midfield, and she played forward. So we would basically help each other out. Like I would pass the ball up to her, or if we had a corner kick, I would block the defender on her like it was football. We would help each other out,” Araceli Figueroa said.

Both sisters went to Jones College and played soccer there for two years.

University of Mississippi, her sister’s injury, as a well as the death of a friend, made her realize she did not want to be apart from her sister and best friend.

“When [the friend] passed away, it put everything in perspective, like, ‘Do I want to spend my next two years of life away from the people that I love?’

And MSU just really felt like family when I visited and, of course, my sister being here — that’s why I chose MSU,” Araceli Figueroa said.

After playing at Jones, Araceli Figueroa said she was ready to hang up her cleats.

When she heard about the club team however, it was a happy medium.

“You can’t just play

soccer your whole life and then say goodbye, so I was like, ‘Yea, I miss soccer,’” Araceli said.

Lourdes and Miranda Carrasco and Araceli and Esmeralda Figueroa are all high-achieving, competitive individuals, but their love for the sport of soccer never outdoes their love for their sister. Miranda Carrasco, echoing the sentiments of all four girls, said the cons of having a twin are outweighed by the pro of having a built-in best friend.

“It’s definitely really cool to have a twin. I don’t want her to hear,” Miranda Carrasco said while covering her sister’s ears and laughing, “but I love having a twin.”

Kat Beatty | The Reflector

Miranda Carrasco, a junior defender from Cypress, Texas, plays for the Mississippi State University soccer team during a match against Boston College during the 2019 season.

Mississippi State University Fall 2020 Commencement Ceremonies November 25, 2020 8:00 a.m. Ceremony (Arts & Sciences)

11:00 a.m. Ceremony (Education/Architecture, Art & Design/ University Studies)

2:00 p.m. Ceremony (Business/Agriculture & Life Sciences)

5:00 p.m. Ceremony (Engineering/Forest Resources/ Veterinary Medicine) • • • • •

Esmeralda Figueroa’s dream was to play soccer for an SEC school, but the day before MSU was supposed to come watch her play, she tore her ACL. “I was just thinking, ‘What now? What am I supposed to tell Mississippi State? They can’t even come watch me. My dream is shattered. I’ve always wanted to play SEC,’” Esmeralda Figueroa said.

However, on the day of her surgery, Esmeralda Figueroa received a call from MSU. “It was a blessing from God that they called her and still wanted her,” Araceli Figueroa said.

Although Araceli Figueroa had been considering going to the

Humphrey Coliseum

Doors open one hour prior to each ceremony Total guest capacity limited to 25% of Coliseum Facial coverings required for everyone in attendance Tickets required for guests (4 guests per graduate) Social distancing will be enforced

Please allow additional time for security screening ALL BAGS ARE SUBJECT TO SEARCH Additional information regarding the ceremonies may be found at www.registrar.msstate.edu/students/graduation

CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OF OUR GRADUATES!!

MSU men and women’s basketball prepare for their upcoming seasons AUTUMN ADAMS

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

The Mississippi State University men and women’s basketball teams are hopping back on the court on Nov. 25. The start of the season has been long-awaited since the NCAA set in place health guidelines for the season.

The MSU men’s basketball head coach, Ben Howland, and the new women’s basketball head coach, Nikki McCrayPenson, have been getting their teams prepared for the upcoming season.

Howland said in an interview that he is feeling eager about how his freshmen are stepping up to the court.

“Those guys are all learning,” Howland said.

“All the freshmen. The best thing about a freshman in our situation is that they become sophomores. We’re developing players here.

These guys are all doing a great job working hard.

They’ve all got some real positives.”

Howland said one freshman in particular to be on the lookout for is defender Cameron Matthews.

“Our freshmen are improving and getting better. The guy that has really been coming on and doing a lot of positive things for his team the last couple of weeks has been Cameron Matthews out of Olive Branch. He’s a very good defender and a good rebounder,” Howland said. “He’s ... really strong, handles it well, makes good decisions with the ball, does all the little things and the glue things that help your team win. He’s done a great job, and I’m really excited about his progress.”

Howland seems

confident about the freshmen and how they will improve each year for the team.

The women’s basketball team just got a new head coach this year. Nikki McCray-Penson has been preparing the ladies for the 2020-2021 season.

“I’m excited to begin this season with my team and staff,” McCray-Penson said in a press release. “We have worked hard all off season, both to better our game as well as stay healthy during these times. We have a very talented group this year.”

McCray-Penson seems to be eager for the season to begin, as well as eager to play some of her new players, a press release said.

“Both Caterrion and Charlotte are pieces I believe that fit into the championship puzzle that we are building at

MSU,” McCray-Penson said. “[Caterrion] fills an immediate need with her experience and ability to consistently knock down open shots.”

McCray-Penson has been creating her ideal team to take to the championships. Each and every day she is coaching, McCray-Penson is looking to improve her ladies and do her best to bring them to success.

Both of the Bulldog basketball teams are actively preparing for the season to start. With the little extra time of practice, they will for sure be ready to take on the new season.

McCray-Penson has a lot of excitement for her first season coaching the Lady Bulldogs this year, and Howland is eager to get those Bulldogs back on the court for his seventh season coaching at MSU.

Jordan Smith | The Reflector

The women’s basketball team plays against the University of Tennessee at Martin in 2019.