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Celery Teeth

Basketball remains

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TUESDAY NOVEMBER 19, 2019

135th YEAR ISSUE 22

THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIVERSITY SINCE 1884

Starkville looks to expand retail options BAYLEE HILL STAFF WRITER

SATURDAY GOES SOUTH FOR THE DAWGS Read more about Mississippi State’s matchup with the University of Alabama on page 6.

Mary Georgia Hamilton | The Reflector

MVC, students plarn with a purpose BEN MACKIN STAFF WRITER

Mississippi State University’s Maroon Volunteer Center starts their Mondays from 4-5 p.m. and ends their Fridays from 2-4 p.m. with their Popcorn and Plarn service project held in Moseley Hall, room 407B. Popcorn and Plarn allows students to gain service hours by creating plastic yarn, or plarn. Graduate student and primary project organizer, Jaycee Smith, said the plarn is given to St. Joseph Catholic Church whose members crochet it together to make a bed mats for the homeless.

“The belief behind it is that they’re plastic so they are easy to wash off if you need to,” Smith said.

PLARN, 2

Small town Starkville, Mississippi is working to expand its retail options.

With several vacant store spaces in Starkville, the city is catching the interest of retailers and is predicted to gain new stores in the future, with possibilities including T.J. Maxx and Aldi.

Starkville Mayor Lynn Spruill said there is a letter of intent for a T.J. Maxx and an Aldi to bring their stores to Starkville. A letter of intent is not binding, but it means that a retailer is officially interested in coming to the city. Mark Castleberry of Castle Properties is a private developer in Columbus and has an agreement of interest with these stores.

Spruill said adding retail options to Starkville would have several positive effects on the community.

“We want to have as many choices for our residents as possible, so having additional retail is a very good and positive thing,” Spruill said. “If we have options, that is a good thing for all of our

visitors and will hopefully bring people in from out of town.”

Retail Strategies, a national retail consulting firm located in Birmingham, Alabama, is contracted

by Starkville and helps businesses look at Starkville as a potential new location.

They work with national retailers, allowing them to be aware of small towns.

Retail Strategies’ Portfolio Director William Turnley said there are several retailers interested in the Starkville area. However, due to confidentiality, he could not reveal locations or names. Turnley also said adding new retailers to the area is beneficial for multiple reasons.

“Every time we chip away at something and land something new in Starkville, that improves the quality of life for the citizens and the university students. Every time we land a retailer, that brings tax revenue to the city that they can spend on new projects and developments,” Turnley said.

According to Turnley, these retail developments could help improve visuals of the community, helping the city look the RETAIL, 2

Bethany Crane | The Reflector

Carter Griffin | The Reflector

Sophomore Mallory Smith participates in the Maroon Volunteer Centerʼs semi-weekly Popcorn and Plarn service event held in Moseley Hall.

An Aldi grocery store will occupy the current Garan Manufacturing building on Highway 12.

Shackouls Honors College offers high school seniors advanced classes

DANIEL DYE

have faculty and staff with students in the publicschool system and we think it’s great to give as much aid Mississippi State and assistance and advice to University’s Judy and Bobby make it the best it can be,” Shackouls Honors College Snyder said. “We also really instituted a dualbelieve in our credit program curriculum on campus for and we We have faculty and staff with local high school wanted our seniors this fall. students in the public-school system and high school The Early Honors students to Academy program we think it’s great to give as much aid and have a chance was conceived as to be in a a collaborative assistance and advice to make it the best it smaller class effort between the e nv i r o n m e n t can be.

Honors College where they can Christopher Snyder have and the Starkville intense Shackouls Honors College Dean discussions in Oktibbeha School District to provide a seminar.” high-performing high Starkville community and The program seeks school students with its students. to provide an experience advanced educational “To be a good partner similar to that of opportunities. with the public school the Honors College Christopher Snyder, district is something that undergraduate HONORS, 2 dean of the Shackouls is important for us. We program.

STAFF WRITER

Honors College, professor of history and one of the main proponents for the program, said he believes the collaboration between the school district and MSU is vital for the

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Fifteen Starkville High School seniors were chosen to participate in the new MSU Early Honors program that was started this semester.

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Additionally, they could allow the city to spend money on things like infrastructure, industrial projects and housing developments.

Turnley said the firm’s goal is to help the city recruit retail and help with new developments. He said it is fulfilling to see the growth occurring in places like Starkville.

Students are excited about the possibility of new retail developments in Starkville. Katie Nguyen, a junior from Moss Point, Mississippi, majoring in communication with a concentration in public relations, said she would like to see a wider variety of retail options.

Nguyen said she would like more restaurants, but she would love to see more stores, specifically a Target. She said many students regularly drive over an hour just to go to Target in Tuscaloosa, and it would be great to have one easily accessible for Starkville residents.

According to Nguyen, sometimes it is hard to agree on something to do because people like to eat or shop at different places.

Nguyen said it is a great thing for students to have lots of options because it would be easier to find a place that everyone wants to go to.

“I think it would help Starkville and potentially

PLARN

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“They don’t collect bugs and gross germs. Why we are saying it counts as service hours is because we’re doing the leg-work behind making the bed mats.”

The process to create plarn is simple. Students receive plastic bags that they fold over two times before cutting off the ends. The folded plastic is cut into four pieces. This creates four loops of plastic which are tied together to create the plarn.

Herbert Wise III, a senior criminology major from Orlando, Florida, said he originally attended Popcorn and Plarn in collaboration with the Black Student Association and the Maroon Volunteer Center. Wise said that not only is this project centered around community service, but it brings a community of people together.

“I come here almost every week, honestly,” Wise said. “I like community

service, I like helping the community. I have friends I make in there (Popcorn and Plarn). You come in so many times, you meet new people every time. I like meeting people, so why not?”

Popcorn and Plarn is part of a larger effort led by Bags to Beds, a nonprofit organization founded in Salt Lake City, Utah. The bed mats are made entirely out of plastic bags. The finished product is a mosaic of bags from stores such as Wal-Mart and Kroger.

Quan Taylor, a student worker and junior communications major from Batesville, Mississippi, helps organize the event. Taylor provides the popcorn and manages the clean-up of hundreds of scraps of plastic. He also has influence over the music selection, which is essentially any song queued by a Popcorn and Plarn participant.

“It’s fun,” Taylor said. “I

get to meet new faces every now and then. People don’t know what plarn is, so I get to explain it to them. When I tell them they are creating a bed for a homeless person, their heart is like ‘Aww, wow. This is so nice.’ That’s fun, and just showing them the mat, showing them what it looks like, they’re even more excited because it’s so fascinating how bags can turn into beds.”

Popcorn and Plarn will be held for the remainder of the semester. As for next semester, dates and times have not been set yet.

Smith said service work is easy and a great opportunity for groups or organizations to serve the community together.

“We welcome all groups, all student organizations if they need service hours together,” Smith said. “They can come. I have found that it is mindless work. Once you get into it, you can turn on some music, hang out and have fun.”

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After applying and being selected, students within the program will attend class on campus Monday through Thursday.

The small size of the classes provides a focused environment for discussion and produces an authentic honors experience.

The Early Honors Academy offers six credit hours taught by honors faculty: Quest I and the Most Influential Scientists of the 20th Century. Quest I is a transdisciplinary study

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of art and literature taught

by Eric Vivier and is similar to the Quest courses offered for university students. The Most Influential Scientists of the 20th Century course was created specifically for the program and is a study of over 60 different scientists and how their discoveries have impacted the modern-day.

Angela Farmer, an assistant clinical professor in the Honors College, instructor of the Influential Scientists course and a

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Freshman Katherine Towery and Trovanda Johnson make plarn, or plastic yarn, that will be turned into bed mats for the homeless.

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HONORS

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new students because there could be that one store or restaurant new students could all talk about because Starkville has it, and that makes them more likely to come here,” Nguyen said.

Spruill said she thinks options are a good thing for visitors and hopefully retail developments can bring in people from outside communities.

“I look forward to anyone who wants to dip their toe into Starkville business. I think that is good for all of us,” Spruill said. “I always enjoy talking to people who see Starkville as a great place to be, to do business, to work, to live and to learn.”

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proponent for the program, said she recognizes the value of education and the creativity of young people.

Farmer believes this program will help instill a lifelong appreciation of learning in these students.

“It is important for us to realize that education is a lifelong pursuit and not something that we can encapsulate,” Farmer said.

“It is important for these students to realize that it is passed on from generation to generation. We have to acknowledge the great deal of intellectual knowledge that these students bring to the conversation and make sure that we do not disrespect the value that those ideas and creative concepts bring to the table.”

This semester, 15 students from Starkville High School participated in the program. According to Snyder, the feedback has been excellent, and they hope to make this program into a regular part of the Honors College.

According to Eddie Peasant, superintendent of SOCSD, one of the main objectives of the program is to develop students’ thinking skills and further prepare them for college education and Peasant believes the program is doing just that.

“The main goal is for them to have experiences that will stretch their creative thinking and problem-solving skills,” Peasant said. “I hope it will allow them to think even more critically than they have had the opportunity to do at the high school level, and also to hopefully transition them into their next level, into college, before even getting there.

We believe it is going to pay off for them and their college careers moving forward.”

Reflector 11/19/19 Sudoku

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THE REFLECTOR TUESDAY NOVEMBER 19, 2019 @REFLECTORONLINE

BULLETIN BOARD

To solve the Sudoku puzzle, each row, column and PuzzleJunction.com box must contain the numbers 1 to 9.

tor 11/19/19 Crossword

SUDOKU

An In-Class Distraction

Across

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15 14 1 Ridicules 6 Chinese cooking 17 18 utensils 20 21 10 Craft 14 Acid in proteins 23 24 25 15 Peak near Taormina 26 27 28 29 16 Medal recipient 37 38 33 34 35 36 17 Surgery tool 18 Six-stringed 40 41 39 instrument 19 Early writer on 45 43 44 algebra 48 49 47 20 Crosses 22 Milieu for 50 51 52 Lemieux 23 Speck in the 56 57 58 59 60 61 ocean 64 65 24 Diplomat’s asset 63 26 Southpaw 67 68 66 29 Tranquility 33 Celestial bear 70 71 69 37 Prankster’s Copyright ©2019 PuzzleJunction.com projectile 38 Bluegrass 65 Opus 7 Auricular instruments 66 Mystique 8 Pine starter 39 Music genre 67 Canyon sound 9 Lively dance 40 African tribesman 68 Chordophones 10 Abbreviated 42 O.K. Corral 11 Prefix with 69 Render speechless lawman sphere 70 Swedish shag rugs 43 Ice cream parlor 12 Ayatollah’s land 71 Tuckered out order 13 Type of chops 45 Furnace fuel 21 Treeless plain Down 46 Heavy cart 25 Balancing pro 47 Hem again 27 Elfin 1 French Sudan, 48 Film company 28 Append today 50 Wasn’t colorfast 30 Not fully shut 2 Muscat resident 52 Kind of spray 31 “The Last of the 3 Cinerary urns 56 Pond dweller Mohicans” girl 4 Prepare to 59 Blue point, for 32 Glimpse propose one 33 Cold war initials 5 Oxalis plant 63 Frown 34 Libertine 6 “___ Only Just 64 Lomé locale Begun” 35 Goes for a tan

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36 Brightest star in Taurus 38 Reporter’s hope 41 Central 44 Leatherworker’s tool 48 Goofball’s forte 49 Stands for things 51 Glyceride, e.g.

53 Frame job 54 Critical 55 Weighed down 56 “Woe is me!”

57 Boor 58 Maven 60 Turkish official 61 Farm sounds 62 Midterm, e.g.

November 15 Puzzle Solutions

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OPINION

Be respectful of pedestrians’ time on the Drill Field PAYTON BROWN STAFF WRITER

As Queen once said, “Don’t Stop Me Now.” Every day a student passes through Mississippi State University’s infamous Drill Field and is surrounded by student organizations or outside associations.

They each have the goal of getting the student’s attention and support.

While this may be beneficial for the organizations or associations, it can be quite bothersome for a student who is in a rush to accomplish more important daily tasks.

As reported by Elissa Nadworthy of NPR, almost half of the 17 million American undergraduate students are financially independent from their parents. This means they are also typically employed full time. A lot of students rush from their class to their place of employment, and, as a result, many of those students have no

time to spare.

Although students know they run the risk of being stopped by people at booths, they still cross through the Drill Field because it is the quickest way to their destination. Within 100 feet of the Colvard Student Union, students are stopped and asked to support an organization.

This pause in the daily rush could cause a student to be late to their job. If this scenario is repeated, that student could risk possible termination.

The stop in daily traffic causes a ripple effect across the university. If a student loses a job that pays his or her tuition due to being late, he or she might also have to quit school. This affects the population size of the university. Other time commitments make it nearly impossible for a student to check out the organizations that advertise on the drill field.

Another problem comes into play when students are asked to stop and approach

MSU would benefit from installing school supply vending machines

Rosalind Hutton

the organization. Being approached and asked to support something, rather than making the conscious decision to stop for yourself, could cause some students to feel uncomfortable.

According to Nicole

J. LeBlanc and Luana Marques of Harvard Health Publishing, 63% of students felt overwhelmingly anxious in 2018. Stopping students on the Drill Field can only make this anxiety worse.

This initial anxiety

stems from the transition into a new lifestyle. With the addition of forceful interactions, social anxiety levels are likely to rise. The stress of school is enough for one. Organizations do not help their cause when they force another overworked student to stop and learn about them.

Craig Lambert of Harvard Magazine states the reason why a majority of college students have busy schedules is that they participate in extracurricular activities outside of their academic work.

Students’ participation in extracurricular activities is mostly due to the importance of having it on their resume for future careers and internships.

Lambert’s article explains that students are, in fact, interested in on-campus organizations. It is not a lack of interest that pushes students away from these booths. Rather, it is an over-commitment to other activities.

Gaining student participation and support can be done by a kind smile or a slight wave.

Anyone interested in your organization with a lack of other priorities will be more than willing to stop and listen to your organization’s pitch, eat your organization’s cookies or take even take your organization’s flyer. It is common Mississippian courtesy to interact with another based on kind gestures. There is no need to verbally get another person’s attention.

So, student organizations and other associations, please continue campaigning your causes and displaying colorful, unique tactics to guide people into your space.

Continue to support your cause proudly and continue to pass out snacks and coffee. Just allow me and other students to peacefully avoid you while we struggle to reach our different time commitments punctually.

Trump’s Turkey policy is un-American You pardoned the wrong Turkey, sir.

TYLER DANIEL

MIA RODRIGUEZ

is a graduate student studying political science. Contact him at opinion@ reflector.msstate.edu.

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

For those who are too familiar with sprinting to the Barnes and Noble to grab a last-minute blue book, or those who lose pens and pencils like it is your job, it has probably crossed your mind why there is not a closer location where one can find class essentials.

On many occasions, I have found myself scrambling to purchase a blue book the day of a test for the one class that requires them. This means that I have to run the mile to Barnes and Noble right before class so I can complete my exam as the teacher intended.

Other times, I do not realize I am running out of paper before it is too late. This means that I have to make yet another inconvenient trip to Barnes and Noble.

One would think that our Purchase on Demand Markets would carry such products.

Sadly, you can only find upcharged food items. One way that we can help alleviate this problem is to install vending machines that carry school supplies.

As much as I enjoy perusing the wares at Barnes and Noble, it is not exactly what you would call an ideal or convenient location. The trek from the Drill Field to Barnes and Noble is not for the faint of heart and definitely not for students rushing to get their supplies before a class.

While the walk to Barnes and Noble is a great source of exercise, I know students rushing to grab pens, paper or bluebooks would be relieved if they could save some energy by finding a location closer to heavily used buildings. I know that placing such a vending machine in every building is not realistic, but if one or two could be placed in highly trafficked locations, such as the Union and the Library, it would really help out not only

Rosalind Hutton

students but also professors.

Many schools already have such vending machines in place, including Emory University, the College of Charleston, Texas A&M University, Louisiana State University and the University of Florida to name a few.

According to Avanti Vending Machines, a purveyor of school supply vending machines, their vending machines come equipped with scantrons, blue books, pens, pencils, highlighters, notepads and USB drives—anything a college student or professor may need.

Not only does the variety of items satisfy the needs of those on campus, but the machine itself can also be customized to bear the logo of the business that purchases it. I think that if our local bookstores purchased a few of these types of vending machines, it would not only make them fast cash, but it would also be an opportunity for additional advertising.

However, with all good things comes some exploitation. As one could expect, the installation of these vending machines may result in the items within to be subject to inflation.

According to University of Florida student Ashley Goez, the items in their vending machines are significantly more expensive than other places, as reported by Samantha Shavell of the The Independent Florida Alligator.

As a result, Goez also said she would not frequently purchase school supplies from the vending machines.

While it may not be a good idea to purchase school supplies in bulk at the vending machines, it could save students and professors valuable time and energy.

During the coming weeks, our Thanksgiving turkey should not be the only kind of turkey on our minds.

Last week, President Donald J. Trump welcomed the President of the Republic of Turkey, Recep Erdogan, to the White House to discuss our military strategy in Syria. During the meeting, our president failed to advise against the genocide of our Kurdish allies. Trump allowed himself and his allies believe that the Armenian genocide, once perpetrated by the Turks, never really happened.

The Oval Office has not been immune to visits from so-called allies that fail to stand for the U.S.’s values of freedom. I believe the most recent visit from President Erdogan’s represents that fault.

President Erdogan has been accused of authoritarianism and antiSemitism during his time in office, but he can now add “war criminal” to that list. When President Trump made the decision to pull U.S. troops out of northern Syria and allow Turkey to assert their dominance in the region, it came at a cost to our Kurdish allies.

The Kurds, an ethnic group scattered throughout several Middle Eastern nations, have been loyal to the U.S. and our allies. They have provided invaluable military aid to combat the presence of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria in northern Syria. They have also helped in exterminating the threat that ISIS poses to the Western World. Despite this, Turkey has routinely viewed our Kurdish friends as terrorists and has openly encouraged the genocide of the Kurds.

The U.S. has abandoned

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our allies who face certain genocide from a country driven by a leader. This leader was referred to as a “war criminal” by a former United Nations investigator, as reported by Susan Edelman from the New York Post. Dorian Jones from Voice of America reported that this same leader referred to the U.S. and our allies as supporters of terrorism.

Granted, the Kurds also benefited from fighting against ISIS since the terrorists did not abstain from attacking the Kurds.

However, they still risked their lives to avenge American citizens who were victims of ISIS terrorist attacks in San Bernardino, Orlando, New York City and other American cities. The Kurds gave their lives alongside American and Americanallied forces in an effort to prevent future attacks such as those in American cities.

Our forgetfulness of that does not bode well for our reputation as reliable and trustworthy defenders of freedom across the globe.

Turkey’s reputation of genocide is not limited to the Kurds. Between 1914 and 1923, Turkey’s predecessor state, the Ottoman Empire, committed genocide against more than one million

Armenian citizens. Turkey argues that a genocide did not occur, but many nations, including nearly all of our major allies, refute that claim. After the House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed H.R. 296 in a bipartisan act, the U.S. was set to echo the sentiments of other nations. Trump supporter and South Carolina Senator Lindsay Graham blocked the resolution from being fully adopted. Senator Graham made the decision to block the resolution after meeting with President Erdogan.

Tom Embury-Dennis of The Independent reported Graham did not want senators to “sugar coat history or try to rewrite it.”

I cannot believe how this resolution attempted to do anything except recognize a historical atrocity. The full text of the resolution can be read here.

Vice President of the U.S. Mike Pence has denied any responsibility or support for sanctioning Turkey as a result of its genocidal actions towards our Kurdish allies. This sentiment is also supported by U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. This results in the U.S. staying silent on Turkey’s continued genocide of our Kurdish allies and remaining silent

on Turkey’s genocide of Armenians.

President Trump and his administration have unequivocally failed to represent American values when it comes to our relationship with Turkey.

As Americans, we should all feel ashamed of President Trump’s actions as our chief representative to the world stage. This situation seems to be part of a running theme in the Trump administration.

Not only has he failed to condemn Turkey, but, just last month, President Trump has also denied support for Hong Kong protesters fighting against authoritarian control in their country.

From President Trump’s perspective, President Erdogan’s visit to the U.S. could hardly have been more fruitful. However, from the perspective of an American citizen against the genocide of any people, President Erdogan’s visit could hardly have been more disastrous to our world image.

I am aware the U.S. has sided with unfavorable allies in the past. Take the Soviet Union during World War II for example. That does not mean we cannot strive to do better and take a stance against the past repeating itself. I am ready to make that shift. What about you?

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Rosalind Hutton

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LIFE & ENTERTAINMENT

5

Celery Teeth is a local punk band like no other EMMA KING

STAFF WRITER

Celery Teeth, one of Starkville’s local bands, is well known for its unique combination of punk sounds and light-hearted lyrics.

The group is comprised of four Mississippi State University students: vocalist and guitarist, June Hunt; keyboardist, Joy Cariño; bassist, Trevor Wycoff; and drummer, Vinny Brocato.

Before the band became the MSU staple that it is today, it was simply a pair of high school students, Hunt and Cariño, who had a passion for music.

Hunt and Cariño are alumni of the Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science located in Columbus, Mississippi. They met at a theater camp called Summer Scholars and immediately began playing music together. The following school year, they recruited more band members, and that is how Celery Teeth formed.

Dynamics have shifted since then, including Cariño switching from violin to keyboard. There has also been the addition of two new band members.

June Hunt remembers the first official Celery Teeth show.

“Our first show was just me on guitar and a friend of mine on drums,” Hunt said.

“We played at a skatepark.

Needless to say, things are much different now.”

The band’s most recent performance took place at the Shackouls Honors College Annual Semiformal Friday, Nov. 15 which was hosted in the Colvard Student Union’s Dawg House.

As Celery Teeth took the stage covered in green lighting, the band appeared to fit in well with the dance’s “Raid Area 51” theme.

Hunt’s powerful vocals drew in crowds of people just passing through the Union. The doorway might have been covered in caution tape, but it did little to deter onlookers from finding the source of the unique ambiance set by the band’s sound.

Celery Teeth is certainly an interactive experience with Wycoff hopping on top of speakers and Hunt

Mary Georgia Hamilton| The Reflector

Celery Teeth is a Starkville punk band, comprised ot Mississippi State University students. Pictured from left to right: Vinny Brocato (drummer), June Hunt (vocalist and guitarist), Joy Cariño (keyboardist) and Trevor Wycoff (bassist).

going into the crowd with her microphone in hand, encouraging dancers to sing along.

“You don’t know the lyrics,” Hunt said at one point to the audience, “but neither do we.”

Before ending the almost two-hour performance, the band reminded audience members to drink water and take care of themselves.

Judging by the casual attire seen throughout the room, at least half of the crowd was lured in by the sound of the band rather than the dance itself.

Hunt, a junior English major at MSU, is the group’s songwriter.

Hunt said songwriting is a hobby that she has enjoyed since the age of 12. Hunt credits her lifetime love of music and creative expression as her motivation for picking up songwriting, singing and playing instruments.

Hunt’s favorite part of being a member of Celery Teeth is essential to bands everywhere—playing music together.

“My favorite part is playing music with others, which is pretty inherent to what a band is, but it’s nice to have people to bounce

ideas off of and explore new sounds with,” Hunt said. “Everyone contributes to the songs, and that pushpull between all of our styles is something I love.”

talented, and roll with the punches so easily.”

Cariño described Wycoff, Celery Teeth’s bassist, as “spunky, kind and thoughtful.”

“We’re incredibly loud

sonically, and the songs are honest and in-your-face, which I don’t usually see a lot of around here. But it isn’t on purpose, it’s just who we are.”

Trevor Wycott, Bassist Cariño has played piano since she started taking classical lessons at age eight. However, the keyboard is new to Cariño, as she only began playing the instrument a year ago.

Cariño had nothing but kind words about her fellow band members.

“They’re all amazing and so talented,” Cariño said.

“We all are pretty easygoing too, which makes it easy for us to get along. All of them are hard workers, super

Wycoff is a sophomore music major. He typically keeps himself busy as the graphic designer for The Streetcar and with classical and rock guitar ensembles.

Wycoff has been the bassist of Celery Teeth for the past 10 months, but he has played the guitar for almost seven years. Wycoff is the only member of the band not originally from Starkville, as his hometown is Dothan, Alabama.

Wycoff said his favorite

thing about Celery Teeth is the unintentional, againstthe-grain sound.

“We’re incredibly loud sonically, and the songs are honest and in-your-face, which I don’t usually see a lot of around here,” Wycoff said. “But it isn’t on purpose, it’s just who we are.”

Before Celery Teeth’s latest performance for Shackouls Honors College, they performed on Halloween night at local coffee shop, NineTwentynine Coffee Bar. Milo King, the manager at NineTwentynine, could not think of a better band to perform on the holiday.

“They bring something very new and different to Starkville,” King said. “It was a super loud and fun night. Everyone dressed up and had a great Halloween.”

The band’s newest addition is drummer Vinny Brocato, a junior history major, DJ at WMSV 91.1 and League of Legends player for the MSU Esports Club.

Brocato joined the group in September. He has a background in music, having taken drumming lessons since he was in elementary school.

Brocato said Celery Teeth has given him a musical outlet as well as been a way for him to relieve stress. He says has not been stressed in a long time, and his bandmates definitely help with that.

“I love my bandmates, and I think we are all our own individuals, but that keeps the ideas, conversation, and just time together in general feeling fresh,” Brocato said.

One of the biggest mysteries surrounding the local band is the origin of its name, a detail Hunt fleshed out when describing Celery Teeth’s “lore.”

Hunt came up with the name while building an effects pedal, a circuit that allows guitars to create sounds not otherwise possible for the instrument.

Her effects pedal had a white enclosure, but Hunt wanted to somehow involve the color green. While taking a shower one day, Hunt said she asked herself, “What’s green and white all over?”

The answer, Hunt noted, was obvious: celery.

“The effects pedal never worked, and I quit trying to make it work long ago,” Hunt said. “But the name stuck.”

NPHC Annual Homecoming Step Show is highly anticipated HELEN SINGLETON STAFF WRITER

Rosalind Hutton

Mississippi State University’s National Pan-Hellenic Council will host its 26th annual Homecoming Step Show on Nov. 22 in the NewellGrissom Building. The doors open at 6 p.m., and the event begins at 7 p.m.

The step show performance is a longstanding MSU tradition.

However, this year for the first time, NPHC has collaborated with Music Makers and the Student Association to host a concert following the show.

The featured guest this year is Jacquees, who just recently dropped a new album called “The King of R&B.” Jaquees will perform his new album for the first time at this event.

The step show is a competition between sororities and fraternities that are members of the NPHC. Each sorority and fraternity compile a 10-minute performance that fits within the overall theme of the show. The performances consist of

skits in the form of videos that are also incorporated within their steps.

This year, the overall theme of the show is “Stepping Down Memory Lane.” Eric Lucas, a senior biomedical engineering major and outgoing NPHC president, commented on the overall theme.

“We chose this theme to honor alumni and their accomplishments while also reminiscing on the growth of our council,” Lucas said.

Stepping dates back to the pre-Civil war era and remains important to African American culture as it connects them to their heritage.

“Stepping is a way to congregate and gather a sense of community among African-Americans. This eventually transformed into black letter Greek organizations as a way to celebrate together as a group as brothers and sisters as one,” Lucas said.

A lot of preparation goes into the step show.

Fraternities and sororities practice almost every day up to three months before the event.

According

to Myla Yong, a junior kinesiology major and member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., many students on campus look forward to the event.

“The step show is the highlight of homecoming that everyone looks forward to all year long,” Young said.

Not only do current students gather at the event, but alumni also return to watch the show each year. Last year there were over 2,000 people in attendance. This year, NPHC anticipates a crowd of over 3,500 people.

Lucas is also a member of the Kappa Beta chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha and performed in the show last year. He explained that while some may think all step routines are the same, each organization has its own steps and moves that are unique to them. This ensures that no routine is the same. It also allows each fraternity and sorority to develop their own performance style.

Last year, the first place winner was the Kappa Beta chapter of Alpha

Phi Alpha. This year, it is expected to be a tough competition. There will be two first-place winners, one sorority and one fraternity.

Each winner will receive a $500 check for their organization.

Tickets are on sale for $10 and can be purchased in the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life located on the third floor of the Union, online at events. msstate.edu or at the door on the day of the event.

The concert is included in this ticket price, and the money raised from the event will go back into the NPHC operating budget which will go towards other events hosted throughout the year.

Abby Carberry, a graduate assistant in the Office of Fraternity and Sorority life and former member of Zeta Tau Alpha, said it is a unique and incredible experience for those who have never been to a step show before.

“If you ... have not seen their step shows before, it will blow you away and is truly incredible,” Carberry said.

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THE REFLECTOR TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2019 @SPORTSREFLECTOR

SPORTS

Dawgs continue to be undefeated on the hardwood HUNTER CLOUD

Carrying on a winning streak, the Mississippi State University Men’s Basketball Team maintained momentum in a game against the University of New Orleans Privateers on Sunday afternoon in the Humphrey Coliseum.

The first half was back and forth as both teams were only separated by two points during the opening 12 minutes and 10 seconds. The Bulldogs finally took control of the game in the final eight minutes of the first half.

This carried over into the second half of the game when the Bulldogs scored 44 points and finished out with a 23 point lead over the University of New Orleans Privateers. The Bulldogs went on to secure a win, defeating the Privateers 8259.

The game started out slow with no one scoring within the first two minutes.

This was due to strong defensive efforts from both teams. The first field goal of the night was scored by MSU’s Reggie Perry.

The game was back and

forth during the first half.

After the second timeout, the score was 13-13, but the Bulldogs picked up their energy and pulled ahead for the remainder.

During the first half, the Privateers’ Bryson Robinson scored eight points followed

by Troy Green who scored seven points. The Bulldogs’ key players during the first half were Robert Woodard II, scoring 15 points followed

by Reggie Perry who scored seven points. The Bulldogs ended the first half of the game with a 10 point lead and a score of 38-28.

The Bulldogs came out fighting during the second half, scoring a total of 44 points against the Privateers’ 31 points.

During the first five minutes of the second half, Tyson Carter and Robert Woodard II both scored two points. By the first timeout, MSU increased its lead by 20 points, with the score hitting 52-32.

The defensive sides of both teams seemed to tire out during the second half.

Because of the Bulldogs’ lead over the Privateers, Howland substituted in many players who have not

yet played on the court this season.

During the last few seconds of the game, MSU’s Iverson Molinar scored two points. The Bulldog’s ended the game with a 23 point lead over the UNO Privateers, taking the win 82-59.

The Privateers’ Head Coach Mark Slessinger spoke highly of Howland and MSU. “Coach Howland has done a great job of putting together a roster that plays to their strengths not just their offensive skill set,” Slessinger said. “He is one of the best defensive coaches in the country. I think the roster really fits and plays into that very well.”

Robert Woodard II, a sophomore guard from Columbus, broke many of his own records during this game. He had his first career double-double and his career-high in points and rebounds during this game.

He scored 21 points overall and had 16 rebounds.

“It’s just a matter of playing hard,” Woodard II said.

Howland said it is just the beginning for Woodard II, believing he can continue

to play at such a high level.

“This is just the beginning for him [Woodard II]. He is going to have a lot of big nights in his career as a Bulldog,” Howland said.

“This is just scratching the surface. I think it is great for him. His confidence has to be swelling right now. It is all about how hard he works.”

The reason Woodard plays well is because of the amount of effort he put in on and off the court during the months leading up to the season, Howland said.

“He has paid the price to be this good,” Howland said.

“He worked so hard in the spring, the summer and this fall. He has a tremendous work ethic and I couldn’t be happier for the guy.”

The next game for the Bulldogs will be against Tulane this Thursday at the Myrtle Beach Invitational in Conway, South Carolina. This will be their first time on the road this season. This comes after their four-game stretch at home, which they finished today by being 4-0.

“We expect to win every game we play,” Howland said. “Every night that we step on the floor, we are expecting to win.”

per carry, Stevens easily outshined MSU’s season-long offensive superstar Kylin Hill, a junior running back from Columbus. Hill averaged just 2.2 yards per carry on 16 attempts against the Crimson Tide.

Hill went down with an upper body injury later in the game. Going forward, the injury has him labeled as day-to-day. That opened up room for Nick Gibson, a senior from Birmingham, Alabama, to rack up 56 yards

on nine carries. Head coach Joe Moorhead was quick to confirm that Tommy Stevens is the immediate future of the Mississippi State offense.

Moorhead named him as starting quarterback going forward.

“He’s QB1. Garrett is still getting over the stuff he had health wise,” Moorhead said.

“Tommy had a better week of practice and he ran the ball well. Right now he’s the guy executing the pass game a little bit better…Tommy’s the

guy going forward.”

The Bulldogs will certainly need more from the quarterback position if Hill is not able to play going forward. Despite a seasonhigh rushing game, Stevens was lackluster, completing 12 of 21 pass attempts for 82 yards, coupled with a crucial interception on Mississippi State’s first offensive snap.

The interception gave Alabama fantastic field position for their second drive of the game. They

took advantage of that in just one play, with a 19yard touchdown pass from Tagolaivoa to Najee Harris to go up 14-0. Stevens took full responsibility for the mistake after the game.

“It’s on me. It’s on me. I didn’t go through my postsnap check-list, and it wasn’t where I was supposed to put the ball obviously,” Stevens said. “Completely on me, and you can’t spot them 14 to start the game, especially a team like that.”

SPORTS EDITOR

Adam Sullivan|The Reflector

Robert Woodard II goes up for a layup against UNO. Woodard II had 21 points in the game.

Bulldogs fall to Crimson Tide, Tommy Stevens renamed starter GARRETT SMITH STAFF WRITER

Tommy Stevens is back, but not better than ever as the Mississippi State University football team fell 38-7 to the University of Alabama on Saturday. While the return of Stevens to Davis Wade Stadium was certainly positive for MSU’s offense, the fifth ranked Crimson Tide team was too much for MSU, starting out with a 14-0 lead and never letting up.

Nationally, this game was a tragic ending to Alabama’s starting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa’s season and possibly his career. Locally, it was the return of Tommy Stevens and a somewhat renewed Mississippi State offense.

Despite some struggles in the beginning, the graduate transfer quarterback from Penn State University put impressive numbers in the ground game, accumulating 96 yards on 10 carries. With 9.6 yards