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TUESDAY NOVEMBER 12, 2019
135th YEAR ISSUE 20
THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIVERSITY SINCE 1884
Holocaust survivor Sami Steigmann shares his story with students DREW GARDNER
was eventually saved by a German woman living on a nearby farm. The woman saw signs of starvation in Steigmann and would give him leftover bread used to feed the camp guards. This woman risked her and her family’s lives
in Jerusalem. Steigmann does not recall any of the experiments performed Holocaust survivor on him as a child, but the Sami Steigmann spoke to pain has stayed with him Mississippi State University throughout his life. Because students about his childhood of this, he originally thought experience in the Holocaust he did not belong as a true Nov. 7 in the Old Holocaust survivor Main Academic and kept his story Center. Organized bottled up for the I have always grown up learning by Hillel, MSU’s following 63 years. Jewish Student about the Holocaust, but to see an actual In 2003, Association, he met with Stiegmann’s talk survivor with my own two eyes was an other Holocaust consisted of his survivors at the honor. experiences in a United States Kelsey Fulghum Holocaust Museum labor camp located in the Ukraine in Washington Junior communication major in the 1940s. D.C., where he met Steigmann was another survivor born in 1939 in Czernowitz, by feeding Steigmann as a from Czernowitz who Bukovina and was deported young boy and he never even was also subjected to Nazi shortly after to the Mogilev- knew her name. However, experimentation at a young Podolsky labor camp. Steigmann was happy to see age. As an infant, Steigmann a tree in remembrance of Steigmann described was experimented on by the nameless allies during this chance encounter as the Nazis, where they the Holocaust at the Garden “bashert,” a Yiddish word performed cruel procedures of the Righteous Among meaning “meant to be.” on him for four years. He the Nations at Yad Vashem SPEAKER, 2 STAFF WRITER
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Lany Wallace | The Reflector
Sami Steigmann spoke to students and faculty on Thursday in Old Main about his life and what it means to be a Holocaust survivor.
STARKVILLE REMEMBERS Local veterans, MSU’s ROTC, the Starkville High JROTC and other community organizations marched in Starkville’s second annual Veterans Day Parade Saturday.
Lany Wallace | The Reflector
MSU students march for climate change
JUNE HUNT
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
The Mississippi State University Climate Reality Project will host a Climate March at 2 p.m. Friday. Participants will meet at Lee Hall before marching to Unity Park. Golden Triangle NAACP chapter President Yulanda Haddix will speak at the march. The Climate Reality Project is a new club that was formed this semester. According to President and co-founder Mayukh Datta, the club began in response to a perceived lack of action on climate change. “There were very few renewable energy projects on campus, and little climate action,” Datta said. “We wanted to put a group of students together to work towards solving that issue.”
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According to Datta, “The march is a physical was quick to add that the the club has two primary show of how students on club plans on implementing goals: educating the student this campus are interested their goals in the long term. body on climate issues and in renewable energy or “We would love to have at advocating for a university- any other kind of climate least 50% of the university’s wide switch to renewable initiatives,” Killgore said. “I energy to be renewable by energy. think it’s important to have the year 2030,” Killgore said. Club Campaign a visible number of people Datta, a junior majoring Coordinator Kristen that are coming out and that in chemical engineering, Killgore said the march care about climate change.” believes students should be is meant to demonstrate Killgore, a junior aware of how climate change student support for those majoring in civil and affects Mississippi. AFFECTS MISSISSIPPI TOOMARCH, 2 goals. CLIMATE CHANGE environmental engineering,
Campus Movie Fest frees students to explore film-making PAYTON BROWN STAFF WRITER
Mississippi State University will host a launch for the Campus Movie Fest competition on Nov. 12 in the Colvard Student Union Dawg House. According to their website, Campus Movie Fest is the world’s largest student film festival and provides students with all the equipment they need to prepare and publish a fiveminute short film over the course of a week. The top 16 film submissions will then be chosen and reviewed the following week at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 20 in Bettersworth Auditorium in Lee Hall. From there, four winners will be chosen to compete in the national competition in Hollywood, California. Luna Ramirez, the promotions manager for Campus Movie Fest, outlined the event while explaining the process for participating students throughout their week of film-making. “Campus Movie Fest is the largest student film
festival. It’s an amateur film festival where we offer students 24-hour tech support to help our students bring their videos to life. They’re not expected to be part of any specific major or have any pre-existing skills set to participate, so it makes it open for every student on campus to try it out and do something fun or something different,” Ramirez said. Ramirez said the small time-frame in which students are required to complete the film is doable because of the short length of the film. “Our videos are five minutes or less and they have a week to make a five minute or less video, so it’s not like they’re making a full feature-length or twohour extravaganza. It’s just an opportunity for them to make something within that length,” Ramirez said. Ramirez also explained how unlimited the creativity within the program is and the several different types of submissions she has seen while working with CMF. “Students can make any kind of videos they want as long as it adheres to campus policy. FILM, 2
Hannah Blankenship | The Reflector
Freshman Edge members Karlee Mott and Robert Lawson promote Campus Movie Fest.
Rosalind Hutton
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Talking with the man encouraged Steigmann to tell his story and since 2008, he has traveled all around the world sharing his story. The first speech Steigmann gave in 2008 was to a group of sixth-graders that he admits was not his best lecture. However, he received a note from one of the students that read, “Your story is overwhelming and I promise I will pass this story on to my children,’’ which has since motivated him to continue traveling the world and speaking to students, even at age 79. Students of all majors and ages came to see Stiegmann speak, including junior communications major, Kelsey Fulghum. “In order to appreciate the present and times we enjoy, you must embrace the past that others have
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endured. I have always grown up learning about the Holocaust, but to see an actual survivor with my own two eyes was an honor. When Mr. Sami Steigmann said we would be the last generation to hear about the survivors’ experiences in person made me grateful to hear his story and share with my kids one day,” Fulghum said. The lecture took place in a nearly full Wingo Auditorium in the Old Main Academic Center. Savannah Munn, a sophomore political science and public relations major and secretary of Hillel, said she was thrilled to have someone like Steigmann come and speak to students. “It’s important students can put a face and name to a tragedy like the Holocaust, otherwise it begins to fade
into history and seem less vital to our life. Forgotten and glazed-over history has a tendency to repeat itself. There’s a lot of hate in the world today, so it’s important to remember what that fear and hatred can become if left unchecked,” Munn said. This is Steigmann’s second visit to MSU, with the first taking place in 2016. Steigmann met the President of Hillel, Tyler Daniel, at a mutual friend’s wedding in Starkville. Earlier this year, Steigmann spoke with Daniel about coming back to Starkville and performing another lecture. Other than Daniel, organizing the visit was a combined effort between several organizations to get Steigmann back to Starkville. “We’ve gotten a huge amount of help from
Ra’Sheda Forbes, who is the assistant VP of Multicultural Affairs, and the Student Association has helped with funding. So, it’s really been a combined effort of several moving parts,” Daniel said. Along with his lecture on the Nov. 7, Steigmann has spoken to students at Starkville High School and Armstrong Middle School, has given guest lectures in MSU classes and has met with university officials from MSU. “Unlike like a lot of people who think this is a doomed generation, from my experience meeting so many young people, I believe in them and I believe that they will make a difference and a better world for themselves, their children and their grandchildren,” Steigmann said.
Lany Wallace | The Reflector
Sami Steigmann shared stories of his experience during the Holocaust with students Thursday.
FILM
Lany Wallace | The Reflector
KMG Creations hosted Starkville’s second annual Veterans Day Parade Saturday morning.
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We’ve gotten horror movies, comedies, documentaries, music videos, animations, travel vlogs, makeup tutorials,” Ramirez said. CMF’s film equipment can also be used for other educational purposes, Ramirez said. “Students can use our equipment for class projects or for anything they might use for their own career portfolios. We’ve helped students come up with digital elements for their portfolios and things like that as well. At the core of it, it’s an educational experience and we’re offering them the equipment and skills,” Ramirez said. Joseph Lupo, the video manager for Campus Movie Fest, explained the judging process for filming and how students can advance to a
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a silver tripod award— you’re in the running to win on a national level. The top five will be in the categories known as golden tripod nominees and then you are in the running to win,” Lupo said. Sarafina Dodson, the tour manager for Campus Movie Fest, emphasized the opportunities the program provides for students who have a lack of experience within the film realm. “Eight percent of students that participate are actually STEM majors, so you don’t even have to know how to hold a camera. We have a video manager, Joey, who is there to help out. We also have tech support days where students can come talk to Joey about things they need help with. It’s definitely a teachable time throughout the week. If you’re a
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higher level after submitting their work. “That is all an anonymous panel of judges. The CMF staff does not vote. We give it to judges which usually consist of students and faculty at our respected school and they score the films. We just get the score in, so we can know the top 16 and top four due to the scores, then I cut together the shows based off of that,” Lupo said. Lupo added that there are opportunities for students to acquire different awards assigned to certain elements of the film. “So basically, there are the superlative categories. So, if your film is exceptional at a school level, you can win best cinematography, best directing, best production design, best sound effects, anything like that and if you won one of these, it’s called
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“Mississippi has some of the worst access to health care, the worst infrastructure. So when we have a huge storm like Katrina, it disproportionately affects our state more than any other,” Datta said. Killgore noted that the current range of environmental education offered at MSU is limited. “We have things like sustainability minors and a few environmental classes offered every semester,” Killgore said, “but I don’t think that’s enough.” In addition to the march, the Climate Reality Project sponsored a climate advocacy training on Nov. 2. The training featured presenters from throughout the Southeast who spoke on topics such as carbon taxes, environmental justice and environmental journalism. Datta said the club consciously chose speakers from throughout the Southeast, not just the university. “Whenever we’ve had climate talks in the past, it’s elevated the voices of professors on campus.
student that hasn’t worked with equipment, you should still participate because it’s an amazing opportunity and we can definitely help you out along the way,” Dodson said. Dodson explained the importance of programs like Campus Movie Fest due to their ability to allow students to creatively express themselves. “To me, Campus Movie Fest is an amazing opportunity for students seeing as though I personally don’t have a film background, I definitely see that outer perspective that students get to have with it,” Dodson said. “It’s just seeing that impact that we have on a lot of students really touches my heart and the fact that some students even change their major to film or we just give them this week to be creative.”
CONTINUED FROM 1
While that’s valuable, Mississippi has some really cool people working on climate change,” Datta said. “Like Mississippi, the Southeast is a vulnerable area. We want to amplify the voices of climate activists from this area.” Campaign committee member Tyler Griffis said the march has taken months of planning. “We had to figure out the legal process of staging a demonstration like this, as well as coordinate with local businesses, find staging areas, ask the police for advice, things like that,” Griffis said. As a Starkville native, Griffis helped the club in discussions with the Board of Aldermen and City Hall. The final destination of Unity Park was chosen, Griffis said, for legal reasons. “We found that if we held the event in a park, then city regulations are much looser,” Griffis said. “We were prepared to submit paperwork to the city asking for permission, but when we talked about meeting in the park, the city
told us no submission was necessary.” Griffis said the club had multiple subcommittees working simultaneously to organize the march. “There’s a group who made all the posters and ephemera associated with promoting this. There’s a group who deals with the university’s administration and another group who comes up with issues to present, and so on,” Griffis said. “It requires a lot of coordination which I think has been handled pretty well so far.” The CRP plans on doing another march in the spring, as well as another round of advocacy training. Killgore said she hopes the Starkville community members will become involved with the march as well. “I want the march to show the community that this is what students care about, but it affects them too,” Killgore said. “You don’t have to be at an institution to be aware of your situation.” Datta hopes the march can make an impact on a larger level as well. “Climate change is not local. It doesn’t just affect MSU, and whatever steps we take won’t mitigate climate change as a whole,” Datta said. “We have to make systematic and statewide changes in our renewable energy policies.” Griffis said he thinks the march has the potential to spark further student activism. “Seeing that a lot of students care about something you care about—that they’re doing something and you can too—I think that’s very energizing,” Griffis said. For more information on the Climate Reality Project, visit their website or their Instagram, @ msstateclimatereality.
Reflector 11/12/19 Sudoku
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12 13 14 15 1 Ceremonial splendor 17 18 16 5 Invitation request 19 20 21 22 9 Churchill’s “so few”: Abbr. 23 24 25 12 Like Darth Vader 13 Chocolate source 26 27 28 29 30 31 14 Old Roman road 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 16 Wise one 17 Eye-opener? 39 40 41 42 43 18 Computer command 44 45 46 47 19 Cur 48 49 50 51 21 Kind of cuisine 23 Youngster 52 53 54 55 56 57 24 Watered down 26 Kind of shot 58 59 60 61 62 29 ___ Appia 63 64 65 66 67 31 Swindle 32 In accord 69 70 68 35 States further 39 Builder’s need 71 72 73 40 Floorboard sound Copyright ©2019 PuzzleJunction.com 42 Voiced 44 Gym site, briefly 72 Limerick language 10 Do penance 41 “Dungeons & 46 Whole bunch 11 Stinky 73 Hard to fathom Dragons” beasts 48 Walker, briefly 13 Arrest forerunner 43 Lease 50 Consume 15 Mythical bird Down 45 Church niche 51 Track action 20 Donate 47 List abbr. 52 Ruffle 1 Game piece 22 Yellowfin, e.g. 49 Forever, poetically 56 Starr of song 2 Egg cell 25 Cooling-off period 52 Chumps 58 Big party 3 Catalan surrealist 26 World view 53 Oblivion 59 Stone pillar 27 Hideous 4 ___ down, as a 54 City-like 63 Long pass coin 28 Fat unit 55 Showy flowers 64 Pine exudation 30 Chafe 5 Stethoscope 57 Traffic sign 66 Distinctive flair finding 33 Business letter 58 Biz loan giver 68 Goya’s “Duchess 6 Burn with hot abbr. 60 Wait of ___” water 34 Journey segment 61 Tart plum 69 Required things 36 Follow 7 Dictionary abbr. 62 Curly cabbage 70 Singer Falana 37 Lackluster 8 Big citrus fruit 65 Sonnet ending 71 Prince, to a king 9 “Bingo!” 38 Overfill 67 Time out?
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Student reported his Yeti cooler stolen from his truck while parked in the C4 parking lot. It was last seen on Oct. 26.
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THE REFLECTOR TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2019 @REFLECTORONLINE
OPINION
Freshmen meal plans should not be required Rosalind Hutton
REFLECTIONS Ryan Reynolds
“I don’t personally believe that villains exist. Villains are just a way of saying that somebody has an opposing conviction.”
Trivia Time! 1. “Catcher in the Rye” by J.D. Salinger is a story about the life of what teenage protagonist? 2. Which marine animal is the only known natural predator of the great white shark? 3. A standard seven-inch vinyl single is usually played at what rpm? 4. What is the only bird known to fly backwards? 5. What is the only state that can be typed on one row of keys on a QWERTY keyboard? Hummingbird 5. Alaska Answer: 1. Holden Caulfiled 2. Orca 3. 45 rpm 4.
Source: trivia.fyi
TAYLAR ANDERSON
is a sophomore majoring in English. Contact her at opinion@reflector.msstate.edu.
First-year freshmen often come to college not knowing what to expect, as it is usually a new town, a new experience and their first real taste of independence. Most colleges tend to assume because it is a new experience, most freshmen are not prepared for it, and they insist they have a meal plan as well as stay on campus to make the transition easier. However, although it may be useful, I argue freshmen should not be required to have a meal plan, so they may learn to properly feed themselves, avoid financial struggle and learn to make their own decisions. For the traditional 18 or 19-year-old student, it is often their first time being in a situation where they are fully responsible for feeding themselves and deciding how and what they are going to eat. With this newfound freedom, freshmen should be able to explore what kinds of meals they want to eat and what they want to put into their bodies. Therefore, when a student is required to have a meal plan, it removes the option to decide what eating habits you want to create early on, especially if that particular college does not offer various eating alternatives included in their meal plans. Also, learning how to cook and feed yourself is one of the most important aspects of growing up, regardless of what route you take. Although having a meal plan could be useful, it also takes away responsibility at a time in life where we are most expected
to be responsible and prepare to enter the real world. In addition, these mandatory meal plans nationwide are also extremely costly, and colleges, as well as dining services, are using their meal plan requirement for freshmen to make college even more unaffordable. According to Tara García Mathewson of The Hechinger Report, the average college and university charge around $18.75 per day, for a three-meal-a-day dining contract, compared to the less than $11 a day a single person spends for food. Regardless of the fact many people do not even eat three full meals a day, this shows freshmen are being forced to pay an extra $2,000-$4,000 a semester for a meal plan they might not even want or fully use, and colleges are using this requirement to overcharge students for financial gain. Numbers like these impose financial struggles on many college students, and it also discourages many high school students and families from going to college, due to the steadily increasing cost of higher education. According to Mississippi
College students have a right to the their opinions
BEN MACKIN
is a senior majoring in sociology. Contact him at opinion@reflector.msstate.edu.
I like my coffee strong— rattle your bones and jumpstart your heart strong. The steady drip of the coffee hitting the pot in the morning is my heartbeat as I stand by the coffee-maker, waiting for the moment when I know enough has filtered for a cup. I can only take so many drips. The way national issues affect us is like the drip of a coffeemaker. At first, we hear the drips, but we know even if we wanted a cup of coffee, it would lack the substance we need. A single tweet from Donald Trump, who according to Mike McIntire and Nicholas Confessore with the New York Times has tweeted over 11,000 times, is hardly worth speaking out against. As the stories, or drips, add up, they begin to filter into our consciousness. Eventually, we grab a cup and speak up. The developments under the Trump administration would be akin to doubleshot espresso spurting from a roadside fire hydrant.
Of course, there is any number of national issues that affect us at a local level like climate change, the opioid crisis and criminal justice system reform. I am writing in response to some feedback to a pair of “faceoff ” Reflector stories that engaged the on-going story of the Trump impeachment. These articles, in which the writers took opposing sides of the debate, received a tremendous amount of comments on social media by Reflector standards. Many commenters blasted the paper for publishing an article that was either too liberal or too conservative, not realizing the paper had published two articles. However, some commenters suggested students should not voice their opinion on national issues, with one comment which said the Reflector should “stick to campus news.” Firstly, read our newspaper—it is almost entirely focused on Mississippi State University and the Starkville community. Secondly, national issues affect students, and in this way, they become “campus news.” For example, the increasingly aggressive rhetoric and policy surrounding immigration has had a real impact on my life. I became a United States citizen a little over a year ago out of fear of deportation. My family and I felt safe as
permanent residents before the Trump administration. We began to hear stories from across the country of permanent residents being detained, such as the June 10 raids by ICE when, according to Brittny Mejia with the LA Times, 15 lawful permanent residents were detained. The process for becoming a citizen is time-consuming and costly, and if not for a recent policy change, my family and I would have been required to surrender our other nationalities. The recent hostility towards immigrants has affected other people on campus as well. Immigrants on student visas may fret over the status of their residency after graduation, and the university may struggle to hire from other countries. To suggest students are not qualified to speak up on national issues or, as one commenter said, that students do not have enough “historical knowledge of the US government” to have an opinion, is a blatant rejection of our participation in a democracy. Despite what social media boomers may believe about us, we, too, are active members of the US democratic process with opinions and agency. We, too, pay taxes, vote in elections and produce newspapers. We, too, have the right to free speech, and we, too, have a duty to
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the option of trying to save money because they cannot choose if they want a meal plan. Lastly, freshmen should be able to decide what is best for them whether that is eating habits or what they can and cannot afford. These types of decisions not only help prepare students for the real world by giving them responsibility, but it also encourages living and learning in their own way, an opportunity for selfexploration. It makes the transition from teenager to adult much smoother, for it builds in a sense of comfort in knowing students will learn to care for themselves. While I am all for meal plans and accessible food oncampus, I do not believe they should be required and forced on freshmen, especially those who may have specific diets, have existing financial limitations or simply do not need much food. Meal plans could easily be one of the ways we begin to work on decreasing the astronomical cost of college and encourage both healthier eating habits and higher education for our nation’s citizens.
MORNING
speak up for national issues which frequently trouble us as students. Back to the coffee analogy—if students do not address national issues, we are essentially allowing the coffee pot to overflow and have coffee spill throughout our dorm rooms and shared apartments. As active consumers of social media, we are perhaps more connected to national issues than any other generation. Despite my best intentions, I receive much of my news from social media. Our president uses Twitter to make announcements ranging from international diplomacy to MAGA rap competitions. We have seen local elections, such as the 2018 congressional elections and the recent gubernatorial elections, become referendums on national politics. President Trump recently held a rally an hour away just days before the Mississippi elections for state office. We are the generation who will see the effects of climate change in our lifetime and have held school walkouts to send messages for change to our government. Perhaps, the sentiment of comments to “stick to campus news” is one based in fear. As reported by Ronald Brownstein with CNN, millennials are set to pass baby boomers as the largest voting bloc. OK, Boomer.
MAZE
Source: mazegenerator.net
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Life Editor/Mary Madeline LaMastus
Opinion Editor/Dylan Bufkin Sports Editor/Hunter Cloud
State University Dining Services, all freshmen living in on-campus Residence Halls will automatically be enrolled in the Ultimate Meal Plan when they sign up with Housing and Residence Life on campus, and meal plans are a two-semester commitment meaning when they sign up for a meal plan they are agreeing to pay the shown price twice, once in the fall and once in the spring. For the 2019-20 school year, The Ultimate Meal Plan costs $2,019 a semester with a freshman’s only other options are the Gold and Silver Meal Plans which are only $194 cheaper per semester at $1,875. In addition to paying for a meal plan, freshmen also have to remember they are also required to pay for oncampus housing—where they also cannot choose where they stay—with their cheapest option being $2,344 and their most expensive option being $3,854 per semester as well, according to Housing and Residence Life at Mississippi State University. These required prices can add up to more than the cost of tuition alone for in-state students, and students do not even have
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Letters to the editor should be sent to the Meyer Student Media Center or mailed to The Reflector, PO Box 5407, Mississippi State, MS. Letters may also be emailed to editor@reflector. msstate.edu. Letters must include name and telephone number for verification purposes. The editor reserves the right to edit or refuse to publish a letter.
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The Reflector is the official student newspaper of Mississippi State University. Content is determined solely by the student editorial staff. The contents of The Reflector have not been approved by Mississippi State University.
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5LIFE -Life& ENTERTAINMENT 5 THE REFLECTOR TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2019 @REFLECTORONLINE
Jonette Shurden is invested in the community
SARAH MORGAN JOHNSON STAFF WRITER
Jonette Shurden did not expect to find herself back in Starkville after graduating from Mississippi State University, yet Shurden is grateful to live in the Starkville community. Even at an 8 a.m. interview, her excitement for life spilled over her steaming cup of coffee and penetrated the early morning grogginess. Somewhat of a Starkville icon, her cheery personality can be found in various places around Starkville. From behind the counter at Nine Twentynine Coffee Bar, to dance classes at Academy of Competitive Performing Arts (ACPA) and barre classes at The Studio Barre and Wellness, to the stage of Starkville Community Theatre shows, Shurden wears many hats. Recently, she has even started teaching a dance and movement class at MSU.
“It was surreal
to come back and see what was different. Yet, at the same time, I still knew the names of the roads, I still knew people I had met and I still worked at the dance studio.”
Jonette Shurden
Shurden is originally from Pascagoula, Mississippi, but moved to Huntsville, Alabama when she was four years old. From an early age, Jonette has loved bringing joy to others through theatre. “Encouraging people had been so important to me
ever since I was little. Making people laugh is my favorite thing to do in life, even when I was little. That’s huge to me. I think that’s why I love comedy so much, and why I relate to it so much. There’s a lot of truth in comedy,” Shurden said. Shurden began her time at MSU as undeclared in her major, though she would soon declare a theatre major with a minor in French. It was her academic advisor who connected her to the owner of ACPA Dance Studio, where she started teaching dance classes freshman year. She also participated in MSU’s improv comedy group, Lab Rats, and in as many MSU shows as she could. She began building her resume, spending summers away working at the Children’s Theatre of Charlotte, Stagedoor Manor in New York City and Summer Scholars on Stage—a theatre program at MSU. She also began to work as an independent contractor for choreography. She choreographed her first show for Starkville Academy in 2006. After graduating from MSU in May of 2009, she moved to Atlanta where she was accepted into the Horizon Theatre Apprentice Company. Her time at Horizon Theatre was very special to her, as she made many lifelong friends and worked under the guidance of mentors she greatly respected. She found new confidence in performing during this time. “I had always really loved theatre before, but that was the first time I had ever felt confident because I was really seeing myself grow in that art form,” Shurden said. During this time Shurden was also working in the synthetic turf division Shaw industries as project coordinator for east coast projects for two and a half years. She was also participating in an improv group in Atlanta. In 2012, Shurden moved back to Starkville to get a master of arts in secondary
Jordan Smith| The Reflector
Jonette Shurden is the manager of Nine-Twentynine Coffee Bar, part owner of The Studio Barre and Wellness and a dance instructor and choreographer.
education. After realizing secondary education was not for her, she stopped the program after two semesters. Shurden spoke about her experience of moving back to Starkville. “Every job that I have has infiltrated into how I see Starkville. Coming back here, I was in a different, better place mentally than when I left. It was surreal to come back and see what was different. Yet, at the same time, I still knew the names of the roads, I still knew people I had met and I still worked at the dance studio,” Shurden said. Shurden said what made the transition back to Starkville easier was her job at ACPA. “That has been my longest standing job. I’ve worked there for 15 years. Even when I was in Atlanta, I would come back on the weekends. In that way, I was never fully detached from Starkville,” Shurden said. Shurden has a deep founded appreciation for ACPA, and it has kept her grounded during many seasons of life. “The dance studio is what has stayed a constant for me. After I teach my class, I am usually the last one to leave.
For years I have turned the lights off in studio B, and as I am walking back to studio A, I hold onto the barre. As I slide my hand down the barre it hits me, how many times have I done this exact thing? So many versions of Jonnete have done this. Every week that I do it I sink into myself for a moment and reflect on how much the studio has been a part of me. Even when I think I need to leave Starkville and go to a bigger city with more options, that studio will always be special to me,” Shurden said. Shurden was introduced to her husband by the director of ACPA. He was working as head of the gym program, and now, just like Shurden, wears many hats including head of the competitive gymnastics and recreational program at ACPA and the director of the Mississippi Talent Opportunities Program for young gymnasts. Shurden brought developed The Studio Barre and Wellness in June of 2018 and is now a partial owner, along with Heather Warren and Bell Moody. “We have a very special dynamic with the three of us. We all bring so much to the
table in such different ways. I believe that things happen for a reason, and I know that God put these women in my life,” Shurden said. Sara Blaske, a sophomore majoring in animal and dairy sciences, is a client of The Studio Barre and Wellness, and Jonette is one of her favorite instructors. “I have only known Jonette for a couple of months, but I could go on and on about her. She is a ray of sunshine that lights up the room when she walks in. Jonette is encouraging to everyone around her, whether it be during or outside of barre class. I admire the positivity she radiates every time I see her,” Blaske said. Heather Warren is a partial owner of The Studio Barre and Wellness and has known Shurden since college, although they became close friends years later. “Jonette is one of the most sincere people I know. She pours everything she is into everything that she does. She is wildly creative and a dedicated hard worker with a passionate heart. I’m constantly in awe of her many talents, and I’m proud to call her my friend and business
partner,” Warren said. Shurden expressed gratitude for all the people who surround her in her various jobs. “I try to give people grace, and so I am thankful when people give me grace,” Shurden said. Shurden feels she has reached a ceiling of sorts when it comes to performing arts here. “I’m always wanting to find ways to bring theatre into my life. All this time I’ve been creating new pieces and putting them on people and seeking to inspire young humans. I love doing that, I really do. But at the same time I wish I would’ve allowed myself the chance to perform a little bit more myself,” Shurden said. Shurden said, looking back at her time at MSU, she would advise her college-aged self to take more risks. “I would say ‘stop being scared.’ As much as I am a big proponent of change, I was afraid of making a big jump and taking that chance. I didn’t feel like I deserved to have the success that may come with that jump,” Shurden said. “At the same time, there’s always that fear of failure. Sometimes you procrastinate because you’re either afraid to succeed or you’re afraid to fail.” Shurden does desire to give herself the chance to reach her full potential in performing arts, and it will most likely take her out of Starkville one day in the future. However, she is incredibly grateful for her time in Starkville. “I appreciate how good Starkville has been to me. I’ve met a lot of people in this town, and a lot of them have moved away,” Shurden said. “This is a very transient town, but I am thankful for those deep connections with people I still talk to. It’s also allowed me to have the jobs I’ve had.” Shurden lives her life in a way that is centered around people and community, and while the list of her achievements and talents is lengthy, this is what makes her life so noteworthy.
Starkville shoppers can find fall fashion at secondhand stores DEVIN BYRD STAFF WRITER
As an avid thrifter, I was super excited to read Mary Madeline LaMastus’ article about the thrifting options in Starkville. The article was a really helpful overview of ways to shop secondhand and find bargains in Starkville, and I wanted to use the information for my closet. Thrifting is a big part of my life, and I have to admit I have never really given Starkville a chance. This past week, I went to three of the places mentioned in the article to see if I could actually find trendy, in-style clothes for all my fall fashion needs. To begin any thrifting adventure, I always do a little bit of research to prepare for the trip. I decided to get in touch with the President of the Mississippi State University Fashion Board, Emilia Kell Armond, to get an expert answer on what is trending this fall. “I’ve been seeing a lot of fanny pack and small coin purses attached to bigger bags or belts. I have also seen a lot of girlfriend tops. Fashion is becoming very gender-neutral which is awesome,” Armond said. So with this in mind, I began my hunt for fall trends. The first stop was the Salvation Army of Starkville. Before I even went in, I already knew what to expect. I frequent the Salvation Army but not necessarily for fashionable clothing pieces. I have bought around five furniture pieces from there, but I never have much luck in the
Gracie Bell| The Reflector
Devin Byrd, senior chemical engineering major, searches through the racks of the local Palmer Home Thrift Store for current fall trends.
first walked in, it was a little bit underwhelming since it was sparsely populated with merchandise. There were only about 10 racks of clothes for both men and women and they were not even full. I spent around 20 minutes looking through the aisles but the clothes seemed very dated. I was not able to find anything but low-rise, bootcut jeans or religious branded t-shirts. The shoes looked like they had been sitting in someone’s closet for 15 years, and they were very worn. The shoe racks were littered with old tennis shoes and strappy formal heels. As for purses, there were more reusable canvas grocery bags than purses. I was unable to find any kind of belt bag or fanny pack. They normally have a decent furniture selection, but even that was small. All in all, the Salvation Army is a bust for fall trends, or any trends at all.
Up next, I decided to visit the Palmer Home Thrift Store.They have rows and rows of men’s and women’s clothes as well as furniture and trinkets. Because I was a bit overwhelmed, I needed some helpful tips on how to go through such a big store. I met with Mackinzie Riley, owner of an Instagrambased thrift shop, Refined Rewind Thrift. She gave some helpful advice on how to thrift. “You have to be really patient, that’s number one. Don’t look at certain brands just because they’re certain brands, because you never know, there might be a random brand that you’ve never heard of and it might be the best piece you’ve ever seen,” Riley said. With this in mind, I began to dig through the racks. I started in the women’s pants, and I already had found some patterned suit pants which gave off an
androgynous vibe. Looking through the women’s jeans, there were a lot of options for skinny jeans and a decent bit of those ‘90s style “mom jeans.” I did not find much of anything in the dress section, but there was a great selection of tops. There were a lot of retro print sweaters and long sleeve tops with bold patterns. I also looked through the men’s section and found some great corduroy pants and boyfriend jeans in many different sizes. They had a nice selection of suit jackets which, as a woman, gives off a gender-neutral look. All in all, I had a great experience at Palmer Home Thrift store and look forward to going back for my trendy fashion needs. Last but not least, I decided to take a different approach to second-hand shopping. The next place I visited was Revolution
store. Consignment is a bit different than thrifting because when consignors consign their clothing pieces, they get a percentage of the sale. Due to a recent location change, Revolution has been able to grow and hold many more clothes and accessories. The shop seems to focus less on trends and more on timeless pieces. There were not a lot of pants or dresses, but the coat racks were full. There were a lot of utility jackets, faux fur lined jackets and cardigans. There was a great boot selection for the colder weather as well. If shoppers are coming to find something very trendy like “mom jeans” and retro t-shirts, this is not the place, but if they want some reliable and functional pieces from brands like Adidas, Patagonia and The North Face, this is a great option. Revolution is a great way to get started in the secondhand world since it is more curated and organized than most thrift stores. In conclusion, trendy
pieces are available in Starkville’s second-hand stores; it just takes grit and a lot of patience. As much fun as thrifting can be, it is also important to give back. The Salvation Army of Starkville accepts donations throughout the week until one-hour prior to closing. The Palmer Home Thrift Store also accepts donations throughout the week, and donors can even schedule a pick up if they have a large amount to donate. Store manager of Revolution Jessica Taylor spoke about pieces the store is most interested in taking off of people’s hands. “We need anything that will sell, and what sells is anything in new condition. Lululemon is something we always need, it sells the second we put it out. We always need rain jackets because of the climate in Mississippi, and we also need rain boots. Any outerwear that’s Patagonia, The North Face or True Grit all sell really well,” Taylor said.
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THE REFLECTOR TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2019 @SPORTSREFLECTOR
SPORTS
USM is no match for Bulldogs’ defensive effort HUNTER CLOUD SPORTS EDITOR
A much improved defensive effort contributed to Mississippi State University’s 91-58 win over the University of Southern Mississippi Saturday afternoon. In total, the team forced 16 steals and 28 turnovers. Vic Schaefer said he was pleased with his team, however, he was frustrated with the number of turnovers his team had. “I have to be patient with them. They are trying, and I have to remind myself they’re trying,” Schaefer said. “They’re compliant, they’re trying to do the right thing, but sometimes they get caught up in the moment and their decision making is not
really good. I think, for me, I’m going to have to be really patient, I think for a while.” Defensive effort is one of the most important aspects of Schaefer’s team and his offense revolves around forcing turnovers. Chole Bibby, a junior forward from Warracknabeal, Australia, said the team still has a lot to learn but they are playing hard. “We were hustling and playing hard,” Bibby said. “We got a couple steals and really just ran with it. We still have a lot to learn on offense with execution and things, but it all comes from our defense.” It took a little over 14 minutes for Promise Taylor, a redshirted sophomore center from Issaquah, Washington, to make an impact on the
game as Schaefer said he was pleased with how she played. Taylor went through a sixmonth stretch where she was immobile as she had surgery to fix a foot issue. “That’s a long time to do nothing, so you’re talking about a lot of rust build-up,” Schaefer said. “It’ll be baby steps with her, but I thought she made some progress tonight. The fact that she can get up and down the floor for 14 and a half minutes is pretty good.” USM’s head coach Joye Lee-McNelis thanked everyone involved at MSU for their efforts to grow the game. Lee-McNelis said she remembered when she could count on her hands and feet the number of people in attendance when she played at USM. The crowd for the
game was 7,591. “I just want to say thank you to your fans, the administration and your people for supporting women’s basketball,” LeeMcNellis said. “You have transformed the culture of basketball in the state of Mississippi.” The team plays for their fans every single time they step onto the court. Schaefer said the fans make the team special. “We owe it to them to give them the best product we can give them—our best effort every night,” Schaefer said. “No matter who we’re playing against. We’ve got a brand that we’re proud to be a part of, and at the same time, we’ve got a brand in women’s basketball that we have to uphold.”
Adam Sullivan| The Reflector
Jessika Carter goes to sit on the bench. Carter had two blocks and a steal for MSU against USM.
Bulldog Volleyball shows improvement despite losses PHIL EVANS STAFF WRITER
After a promising showing against two bottomhalf teams in the SEC last weekend, Mississippi State University faced two top-half teams—the University of South Carolina and the No. 12 University of Florida. It was an opportunity to build on the win and five-set nailbiter the weekend before and prove that the road to getting better would be visible against better opponents. On Friday, the team lost in straight sets to South Carolina but was able to score more than 20 in every single set. In a press release from the MSU Athletic Department, Darty said the blocking performance by the team was uncharacteristic but was happy with how this did not prevent them from doing a
good job playing defense. “For them to out-block us 6-2, I don’t think that is characteristic of us and what we pride ourselves on,” Darty said. “We are going to have to block more balls and get more positive touches to really hang with people. We out-dug them, and that’s a positive, but our blockers really have to take care of their job before it gets to our back-court defenders.” Standout performances still ensued from Alleah Stematis, a senior setter from Lexington, Kentucky, who achieved her 11th doubledouble as well as sophomores Gabby Waden and Deja Robinson, who racked up double-digit kills while hitting above .300. Julie Darty was proud of these three top performers, acknowledging their ability to perform well against a good opponent.
Jordan Smith | The Reflector
Gabby Wadden and Deja Robinson fist bump each other in a game. Both are sophomores.
“Alleah had a great night. I thought they were targeting her, picking on her a little bit there in the beginning, and she was bought in and really stuck to it and was digging balls left and right,” Darty said. “Waden had a good night. She was pretty efficient up there with only a couple of errors. Getting her 27 swings and for her to lead us in attempts means that we did pass the ball at a pretty
decent level.” Sadly, these performances were not good enough to overcome the Gamecocks in any of the sets, even after MSU led 21-20 in set two. On Sunday, the Bulldogs faced perennial national power and the SECleading Florida Gators. With NFL Quarterback Gardner Minshew watching his freshman sister Callie Minshew, a freshman outside
hitter from Brandon, play volleyball for the first time since her freshman year of high school, he served a ceremonial first serve to begin the game against Florida. Sadly, even with the Gators not playing at their usual level, with the Florida senior libero having three serve-receive errors, the Bulldogs were still simply unable to overcome the power of Thayer Hall, Paige Hammons and Lauren Dooley, who each notched double-digit kills. The Gators hit .402 as a team, leaving little chance for the Bulldogs to squeak by with an upset. Even with the clear beating the Bulldogs received, there were many upsides the Bulldog team can bring into the gym when they practice again. Darty noted the things she was excited about even in defeat. “Credit to our blockers,”
Darty said. “I think it’s huge that we out-blocked Florida, from the service line we did a fantastic job getting them into a little bit of trouble.” Surprisingly, in the third set, the Bulldogs fought hard and even had a lead of 19-18. However, the Gators’ ability to trust their big hitters and some timely dumps by setter Marlie Monserez allowed for the Gators to pull ahead and complete the sweep. Darty was excited that her team was able to fight so hard in the third set but pointed out the flaw in only playing hard and believing in yourself sometimes. “We found it a little late in the third set, but I really feel like we have to be the same team when we start matches and when we finish,” Darty said. “I want to challenge our team to execute every part of the game plan.”