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THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIVERSITY SINCE 1884
ON CLOUD 9-0
9 MSU UT MARTIN
128 th YEAR | ISSUE 21
8
45 16
MSU ARKANSAS
MSU became 9-0 for the first time in school history. The Mississippi State University Bulldogs beat the UT Martin Skyhawks 45-16. MSU went into the game with the objective of keeping its starters healthy. Josh Robinson barely played into the second quarter. Dak Prescott stopped playing halfway through the third quarter, and most of the starters were not far behind. The Bulldogs rested against division II competition.
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For the first time during the season the offense did not look as explosive as it had earlier in the season. Dak Prescott was hobbled and Josh Robinson struggled to break into the second level of the Arkansas defense. MSU relied on its veteran defense to keep the Razorbacks at bay, and the defense answered the call. After a close game, the Bulldogs retained their No. 1 position in the AP Poll and CFB Playoff rankings. Jacob Follin | The Refl ector
76 54 MSU KENTUCKY
45 31
For the first time in MSU history, the Bulldogs took the field as the No. 1 team in the country. The Wildcats had to limit Dak Prescott on his explosive plays, and Kentucky did just that. With Prescott struggling to get anything going, Josh Robinson stepped into the offensive void. Robinson had 198 yards on the ground and two touchdowns.
MSU AUBURN
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MSU TEXAS A&M
College GameDay came to Starkville for the first time, and the Bulldogs responded by beating the No. 2 team in the country. Auburn turned the ball over on its first two plays from scrimmage, and by the end of the first quarter the Bulldogs were up 21-0. The next day the Bulldogs became the quickest team to rise from unranked to No. 1 in AP Poll history.
MSU LSU
48 31
Mississippi State jumped out to an early lead and never trailed during the game. The Bulldogs had a goal line stand early in the game and turned LSU away on a season defining fourth down play. Dak Prescott put himself atop of the Heisman race with the strong performance on national television. MSU won in Baton Rouge for the first time since 1991.
Texas A&M scored within the first two minutes of the ball game, but would not get back on the scoreboard until two seconds left in the first half. By then, the Bulldogs had taken a 28-7 lead and would not look back. Dak Prescott played an almost flawless game, scoring five total touchdowns and having only six incompletions.
32 MSU SOUTH ALABAMA
The Bulldogs beat their third straight non-conference opponent of the season. Dak Prescott passed for a touchdown, ran for a touchdown and caught a touchdown pass in the game.
Tuesday
HI LO
73 38
35 3
1
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MSU UAB
MSU SOUTHERN MISS
While MSU gave up 435 yards through the air, the Bulldogs did not panic and stuck to the game plan to put the game away. Josh Robinson and Dak Prescott combined for 235 rushing yards and two touchdowns to carry the Bulldogs to victory.
Wednesday
HI 56 LO 30
Thursday
HI 47 LO 24
34 29
49 0
The Mississippi State Bulldogs controlled the game from the initial kick off. MSU showed off its depth by having six different players run the football and ten different players catch a pass.
Friday
HI 47 LO 24
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THE REFLECTOR TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2014
Armed robbery causes disturbance on campus by Pranaav Jadhav Staff Writer
Around 2 p.m. on Saturday, close to the start of the homecoming football game between Mississippi State University and UT-Martin, an armed robbery was reported on MSU’s campus next to the Clay Lyle building. A black male with a medium complexion, believed to be 25 to 30 years of age and wearing brown faded jeans and a grey hoodie with black stripes, displayed a weapon to a game day contract worker and robbed him of an undetermined amount of cash. Located behind Sorority Row, the Clay Lyle Entomology Complex principally houses the entomology faculty. Within minutes after the robbery was reported to MSU police, a campus-wide
Maroon Alert was sent alerting MSU students, staff and faculty to be aware of their surroundings. Sid Salter, director of public affairs informed The Reflector that no arrests have been made and no injuries were reported. “MSU Police Department Chief Vance Rice reported that a portion of the cash and a money bag were recovered within an hour of the incident. The incident remains under investigation, and until that investigation is complete, the university has no additional comment on the specifics of the incident,” Salter said, “Dr. Keenum was contacted inside Davis Wade Stadium immediately after the incident. In consultation with appropriate university administrative and law enforcement personnel, Dr. Keenum directed that the university deploy MSU PD and Student Affairs personnel to investigate and
secure the scene, move forward with the investigation and monitor the situation for additional developments. None occurred.” The open space next to the Clay Lyle facility is often used by MSU fans to park their vehicles on gamedays. On Monday morning, the MSU police refused to speak to The Reflector. Salter said there is no higher priority than the welfare and safety of our students, faculty and staff. “That concern, of course, extends to our guests and fans on game day. We believe the university administration responded quickly and appropriately to this isolated incident. We encourage everyone to be safety conscious as crowd size continues to increase at MSU sporting events,” he said. If you have any information, please call MSU police at 662-325-2121.
Emma Katherine Hutto | The Reflector
The Cowbell Challenge:
On Nov. 7, teams of engineering students from the Bagley College of Engineering competed in a ʻCowbell Challengeʼ on the Drill Field. Each team created a machine to automatically ring standard MSU cowbells in the most spirited way. The creations were evaluated by a panel of judges.
‘I am me’ pageant celebrates disabled individuals by D.J. Wormley Staff Writer
Melissa Kellum | Courtesy Photo
Rebeccaʼs Rooms will celebrate special needs children and adults through a beauty and beau pageant this Saturday.
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 13 4:30 pm - 6:30 pm
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Rebecca’s Rooms is set to present “I Am Me,” a beauty and beau pageant celebrating special needs children and adults Saturday at 10 a.m. at the New Hope Middle School Auditorium in Columbus, Mississippi. Rebecca’s Rooms is a non-profit organization created by Reid Carter to honor his daughter Rebecca’s memory. Rebecca had a chromosome abnormality called Trisomy 13, which caused her to have multiple disabilities and medical problems. According to a Rebecca’s Rooms fundraising committee press release, the mission of Rebecca’s Rooms is to provide disabled children with a newly remodeled and decorated room that will be customized to his or her personality and needs to establish fun, be stimulating and relaxing when necessary. The event will feature entertainment from Jasmine Murray, the 2014-2015 Miss Mississippi, American Idol Finalist and top 10 contestant at the Miss America Pageant. WCBI anchor and Miss USA 2002 Shauntay Hinton will also be present to emcee the event. Denene Thomason, board member of Rebecca’s Rooms, said the non profit organization was established after the death of Rebecca and holds great meaning.
are scared to care for a child with disabilities,” Carter said. “I wanted to help those children and make a network of support for parents.” Carter said he hopes the pageant and the organization motivates others. “I hope it gives people the kick to do something. We want to get the word out and let people know that children with disabilities are not different,” he said. The pageant is to honor children and show their strengths and talents, according to Carter. “It’s a celebration of each child’s uniqueness and abilities,” he said. Mindy Matherne, accountant at Mississippi State University and board member of Rebecca’s Rooms, said the pageant will allow children a freedom of expression. “We want to recognize children with special needs and let them be free,” Matherne said. Matherne also said the pageant will display great teamwork. “It shows people really coming together and great community involvement,” Matherne said. Registration for the event is free for any special needs child or adult. Individual sponsorships of contestants are $40. To register or sponsor a contestant, visit www.rebeccasrooms.com. Individuals may register or sponsor a contestant up to the day of the pageant.
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“Rebecca passed away at age 8 from Trisomy 13, and her father wanted to do something in her memory, so he started remodeling bedrooms of disabled children and adults for free,” Thomason said. Thomason said the pageant is to recognize children and adults with disabilities. “It’s really a celebration of who they are,” Thomason said. Thomason said she believes the pageant is significant because society often treats people with disabilities differently from others. “We can get caught up being ‘normal’ and exclude people who are not like us. We are trying to get the word out and stop this trend and let families know they’re not alone. We are all created differently, but we all have some similarities,” Thomason said. Thomason also said she believes the pageant impacts the community because all individuals are important. “Every life is important,” she said. Reid Carter, board president of Rebecca’s Rooms and Rebecca’s father, said he created Rebecca’s Rooms to not only honor his daughter’s memory, but to also help children with disabilities and their parents. “We as parents tend to be hermits. We don’t really get to go out a lot because it’s hard to pack up equipment, and it’s hard to get babysitters because the babysitters
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REFLECTOR-ONLINE.COM TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2014
SA invites students to meet Senators by Nia Wilson Staff Writer
Mississippi State University and the Student Association will host their second Meet Your SA Senate Day today. The interactive event will feature senators available for questions in the Colvard Student Union, Allen Hall and McCool Hall from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Brett Harris, SA president, said students should be excited about connecting with the individuals that want to make MSU better. “Senate is the voice of the students. They represent students on campus and make influential decisions that help better the student experience,” Harris
said. “This is an amazing opportunity to be able to express your opinions, ideas and concerns to help better Mississippi State University. Students will be able to meet the people that represent them on campus. Students can express their opinions and concerns with senators on important issues.” Lauren Sledge, SA secretary, said changes were made from last year’s event to better improve the overall success of the event. “This year, we will be having senators set up in Allen, McCool and the Union to meet students and answer questions. Last year, senators were only in the Union on Meet Your Senator Day,” Sledge said. “The goal of the event is for students to meet their senators so
they will be able to voice concerns about student life and campus. By meeting their senators in person, we hope that students will feel more comfortable voicing concerns to their senators during the school year.” There are 30 members in the SA Senate who complete various duties to best represent the members of their respective colleges. Haley Grantham, SA vice president, said this event will give students a chance to have their voices heard. “The Senate does a variety of things. They take both big and small steps to better improve MSU. Any ideas they think are good for the university start in Senate and is then brought to the administration,” Grantham said. “The purpose of this event is that
we want to hear any and all problems and suggestions. To do that, Senate is going to where the students are. The best way to interact with the students is to go to high traffic areas like the Union, Allen Hall and McCool.” Grantham also said this event gives students the opportunity to submit feedback to SA senators, gaining chance to make changes. “What is something every student has in common? They all wish some things about State could be better. Basically, we are trying to get that feedback from students. Meet Your SA Senate Day gives students the chance to get in contact with the people that are representing them,” Grantham said.
Thursday, Nov. 6, 2014 7:54 a.m. A student reported his vehicle unable to come out of park on Hardy Street. 9:49 a.m. An employee reported property shortage while conducting a self-audit at Humphrey Coliseum. 3:08 p.m. A student reported her clothes damaged by her roommate in Magnolia Hall. 5:46 p.m. A student reported her wallet stolen from the Sanderson Center. Friday, Nov. 7, 2014 11:04 a.m. A visitor reported money missing form his wallet at Mosely Hall. 12:20 p.m. A student was arrested in Starkville for no insurance. 6:32 p.m. A student had alcohol in her room at Moseley Hall. 8:11 p.m. A student was transported to OCH from North Hall for medical assistance. 9:11 p.m. A visitor slipped and fell at Lee Hall. The subject was transported to OCH to by personal vehicle. Saturday, Nov. 8, 2014 12:22 a.m. A student was arrested in Starkville for drunkenness in a public place and disorderly conduct. 1:23 a.m. An employee was arrested in Starkville for driving under the influence. 11:35 a.m. An EOG worker reported she was struck by a vehicle driven by an unknown person at the Sanderson Center parking lot. 2:01 p.m. An EOG worker reported she was robbed by an unknown male on Sorority Row. 5:36 p.m. A student was arrested at Davis Wade Stadium for public drunkenness. 6:47 p.m. A visitor reported his trailer stolen from the Rexplex.
Suspects of shooting on Blackjack Road remain unknown by Taylor Bowden Staff Writer
The Oktibbeha County Sheriff’s Department is currently reaching out to the community for information concerning two shootings that occurred on Blackjack Road in recent weeks. The fi rst shooting was reported Oct. 25 at 2 p.m. by a resident at the Pointe at MSU apartments who returned home to fi nd a bullet had entered her second story apartment. According to investigator Brett Watson, the bullet
originated from a wooded area near the apartment complex. The second shooting occurred Oct. 31 when a bullet passed through the rear windshield of an SUV traveling down Blackjack Road. The bullet passed in between occupants, ricocheted off the front windshield and embedded itself into the front dash, according to Watson. Four people were traveling in the SUV at the time, and the incident happened just after midnight. Fortunately, no injuries were reported with either case of incidents.
According to Watson, the bullets from the Oct. 25 incident, as well as fragments of the second were recovered and sent to the crime lab in Jackson. Watson said so far there is nothing obvious to link the two events, and until the results return from the crime lab, there is no way of knowing if the two shots were from the same gun. Only the results can say for certain, but Watson said he believes the fi rst bullet was likely a rifle round in the 30 cal. range. The bullet recovered from the second shooting was too fragmented to be able to identify
MSU first to partner with VA to offer veteran health services by Katrina Smith Staff Writer
MSU is the only university to offer veteran health services in conjunction with the Department of Veterans Affairs in Jackson, Mississippi. The G.V. “Sonny” Montgomery Center for American Veterans and Mississippi State University has partnered to bring VA services on campus. The services stations will be located in the Longest Student Health Center and the T.K. Martin Center. The services that will be provided are polytrauma services which include physical, occupational and speech therapies, along with mental health services.
An announcement was made Wednesday about the new partnership. MSU President Mark Keenum, Jackson VA Medical Center Director Joe Battle, VHA Office of Rural Health Director Gina Capra and U.S. Rep. Gregg Harper from District 3 were some of the keynote speakers in attendance elaborating on the program. Ken McRae, director of the Center for American Veterans, said he feels this program will help students save time and make therapy more accessible. “This service is to assist students to stay in class and not have to waste a class day traveling to Jackson to receive these treatments,” he said. The idea came about from the Center for America’s Veterans. This partnership
is aimed not only at benefitting students, but also at benefitting people in the local community. The VHA office of Rural Health located in Washington D.C., will help fund this endeavor. Interim Vice President Bill Broyles said it continues in the tradition that MSU cares about its VA students. “This program can also be used as a recruiting tool to students that we were once not able to reach. This cuts down on loss on class time, and it just makes more sense to have it on campus.” Broyles said. Further events for the Veterans Center include a Veteran’s Day ceremony today on the Drill Field at 3 p.m. Keenum will be the guest speaker of the ceremony.
without the use of the lab. “At this time, we do not have any suspects,” Watson said. “Only a few leads. In this case we have no incident to link the two events, which gives us pause.” A key element concerning the two events is the times at which the shootings occurred. The fi rst shooting was reported during daylight hours, while the second happened at night. “We are getting close to deer season here, and people do shoot during the day to sight in rifles,” Watson said. “There is a field next to the apartments, so there
is a possibility that it was a misfire. But if you shoot at 12:30 a.m. at night by a busy street like BlackJack… that’s not target practice.” Connie Griffin, property manager for The Pointe at MSU said the Pointe has repaired all the damage to the apartment and has spoken with police in their investigation. Griffin said while the bullet did enter one of their buildings, neither of the shots occurred in one of the buildings or parking lots on Pointe property. Further, according to Griffin the second shot had nothing to do with any
residents of the Pointe. Watson said the police decided to bring this matter to public attention so that citizens can be vigilant. “At this point we are knocking on doors to talk to folks and wait for people to come forward with information,” Watson said. If anyone has information concerning either event, regardless how small, they should call OCSD at 662-323-2421 or Golden Triangle Crime Stoppers at 800-530-7151, or any other police department with whom they are comfortable speaking.
THE REFLECTOR TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2014
White House Hopefuls: 2016 comes into focus Where The Wild Thoughts Are
Uncertainty surrounds Carson’s Republican Party presidential candidacy Just when we thought all the political posturing of the midterm elections were over, Ben Carson reminded us fairly quickly of the never ending buzz that accompanies an upcoming presidential election. Just days after voters across the country cast their ballots in one of the more publicized and pivotal midterm elections of our lifetime, Carson has tentatively declared his attempt at the Republican Party’s presidential nomination. The former pediatric neurosurgeon and current conservative sweetheart released a biographical video called “A Breath of Fresh Air: A New Prescription for America” in 22 states and D.C. this weekend to introduce himself to the nation. While ABC News reports the former neurosurgeon has not formally declared his 2016 bid yet, Carson is fooling nobody by waiting to officially announce his candidacy.
Conservatives have stay, raising taxes on upper Post stated “he has never been shouting for Carson income brackets and corpo- held political office” and to throw his name into rations and improving the said Carson’s position as a the hat for the 2016 nom- Affordable Care Act. The commentator for Fox News ination since his cavalier majority of Americans also is the extent of his political remarks at the National believe gay marriage should experience. In 2008, one of Prayer Breakfast in 2013. be legal – a point which the chief complaints against Carson speaks loud and Carson disagrees with in President Obama was his clear to the broad base of no uncertain terms. Should lack of experience in the legthe Republican Party. An Carson run and win his islative arena; over a decade of political service at opponent of gay marthe state and national riage, the Affordable level was not enough Care Act and politi“Republicans can no longer to warrant a bid for cal correctness with presidency in the a penchant for the force their candidates to be the eyes of many critics. public eye, Carson light of Carson’s is exactly what the the most conservative option, In experience, or lack Republican Party is Obama looks looking for. because those candidates do thereof, like a seasoned veterUnfort u nately an. Carson brings no for conservatives, not win general elections.” political experience Carson is not what to the table. While this nation is looksome new blood in ing for. According to a recent poll in The party’s nomination, these the White House may be Washington Post , over numbers will work against what this country needs, 60 percent of Americans him in the general election this situation opens up the agree with the Democratic of November 2016. Republican Party to accuParty at large on a number Carson also has no polit- sations of inconsistency at of important issues facing ical experience aside from best and hypocrisy at worst. Congress, like raising the giving speeches in politiThe Republican Party minimum wage to $10.10, cal environments. Ashley on a national scale is in letting illegal immigrants Alman of The Huffi ngton dire straits. It has lost the
popular vote in five of the last six presidential elections. More of the same is not the way for conservative Americans to fi x this. Republicans can no longer force their candidates to be the most conservative option, because those candidates do not win general elections. According to Heather Long of The Guardian, moderate republicans like John Huntsman are perhaps the socially relevant republicans of the present time. Long said Huntsman garnered a great deal of social media buzz as people asked, “Who is this guy? He’s making sense.” Carson’s less than savvy remarks comparing the Affordable Care Act to slavery along with several other bold remarks may help him identify with and even energize the broad base of the Republican Party, but they will not help him garner the votes of moderate independents and conservative democrats he will need to
Tucker Fleming is a senior majoring in sociology. He can be contacted at opinion@reflector. msstate.edu.
win a general election in 2016. Carson is an intriguing option to be the next President of the United States of America, especially given his outspoken Christian convictions. A legislative newcomer with the brazenness to speak his mind may be exactly what this country needs. However, his unproven political skills and hard line conservative agenda may keep him out of the Oval Office should he decide to run.
Hillary Clinton’s presidential candidacy grows with support network in place by Frank Bradford Contributing Writer
She is a lawyer, mother, first Lady of Arkansas and the United States, U.S. Senator, United States Secretary of State and grandmother; could she now be President? Hillary Clinton is a polarizing public figure who has broken down many barriers in her lifetime. What is next for her remains a mystery. Hillary Clinton would be the first woman president if she decided to run and was elected. Although historic, it is not the only thing to make her appear the most qualified for the presidency; she brings a great amount of public service experience to the table. She has recently written a memoir titled “Hard Choices” after leaving her post as head of the U.S. Department of State
about her time spent there. After many decades in politics, many see her presidency as an opportunity to keep the White House in the hands of the Democratic Party once President Barrack Obama’s term is complete. Once a member of the Republican Party while growing up, she decided to switch parties because of the different directions the parties were taking in the era of Vietnam and civil rights. Sitting as perhaps the most well-known potential candidate for presidency, Hillary Clinton was viewed by many as the next democratic nominee in the 2016 presidential elections; even before the recent Republican power surge in the U.S. Congress. In the days since the 2014 midterm elections, there has been a spike in articles from major news outlets, such as MSNBC, Huffington Post
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run for president, she would have millions of Americans standing behind her, ready to help her win. What we are building is the type of early, grassroots support that is
“If Hillary Clinton does indeed decide to run, she would have a lot of support.” necessary for a successful presidential effort.” Goff said the organization is ready to mobilize at a moments notice. “To date, our national grassroots network is nearly three million supporters strong, and growing. Those are supporters we can engage the moment
she makes a decision,” Goff said. This past summer I had the opportunity to visit the headquarters of Ready for Hillary outside of Washington D.C. and was astonished by all of the interns and staff members working there. I felt a sense of creativity and innovation in the air while touring the office. Everyone seemed to be from different places and enjoyed working on issues they saw as important to the democratic platform. Ready for Hillary also uses a bus, The Hillary Bus, which travels state to state to different communities and college campuses building more support. Another political organization called American Bridge is led by a group of former Clinton advisers, including Mississippi native Burns Strider. American
Bridge and another organization called Correct the Record, are helping fight for Hillary Clinton and other potential presidential candidates from the Democratic Party by correcting attacks from the right wing media and pundits and conducting opposition research. Each of these groups are taking advantage of the popularity of social media, which has become a growing tool during election season. The world of politics seems to be neverending. After each election, it’s almost time to prepare for the next one. Almost everything candidates say and do is analyzed and looked at as fair game for the opponents waiting for the other to falter. All we can do now is just sit and wait for candidates to start officially preparing and declaring in the coming months.
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and Politico looking ahead at the next election and a possible Clinton White House run. If Hillary Clinton does indeed decide to run, she would have a lot of support in her corner. A super political action committee, called Ready for Hillary, which is already responsible for raising millions of dollars and has only been operating for nearly two years. According to Hans Goff, the organization’s southern regional organizing director, this organization is the kind of grassroots support Clinton would need to win the presidency. “Ready for Hillary is a national grassroots movement encouraging Hillary Clinton to run for president,” Goff said. “From the very beginning of this effort, we’ve sought to show Hillary that if she decides to
EDITORIAL POLICY
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Midterm results hamper Obama’s ongoing work The President of the United States must have dreaded the results more than anyone as Republicans took hold of the Senate and maintained their control of the House of Representatives last week. His fi nal attempt at reviving his presidency and getting things done in Washington seems to be futile. Very few presidents have had a successful second term in office, and Obama is clearly not one of them. His approval ratings have sunk, his own party is rebellious against him and during the election campaign very few democratic candidates used his reference or name in their electoral speeches. Republicans campaigned by declaring a vote for a democrat as a vote for Obama, and there could be no more disastrous seasoning than CNN showing a typo which said “Navy seal killed Obama,” rather than Osama. One thing was clear, the republicans wanted this to be a fight against Obama, and they successfully pitched it that way. The president could face an unprecedented gridlock in execution on domestic issues. Republicans clearly weren’t amused when he said in a press conference that he would go ahead solo on immigration reform and not sign the repealing of the Affordable Care Act. Think about it for a minute, in historic terms, how many times have you seen foreign policy being drawn
in as an election issue for midterm elections? The phenomenon is very rare, but you saw it this time around. Now that the republicans sold the idea of how Obama is a failed president to America, will U.S. foreign policy be affected with a lame duck president in the White House? It will disappoint the republicans to know not much can be changed in
“The republicans have mastered the art of reinvention.” foreign policy with power in both houses. The constitutional design is such that the president is a powerful man who can stick to his commitment overseas even without the support of the Congress. The Republican echo has spread outside the U.S., too. The Indian and Chinese media have called Obama an ineffective president and further stated the U.S. citizens have downgraded him for his dismal performance. In Obama’s defense, the media did construe the politics in America to be bitter and extremely partisan, making it difficult for Obama to carry out his policies. This criticism came only days before his Asia trip, as he is currently at the
Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit. Gordon Adams, columnist for “Foreign Policy Magazine” and professor of international relations at American University, also believes not much will change in foreign policy and international engagements with other countries even when republicans take over. “The bottom line is that this was a foreign policy election in the most fundamental sense. It was about fear and competence, however merited or unjustified. The question today is whether the outcome will have a significant impact on foreign policy and the resources to support that policy. Curiously, the answer is ‘yes, but probably not much,’” Adams said. With active military engagements ongoing, if Obama calls for an increased defense budget, things may not turn out as planned. You should not be surprised if Obama is remembered as a president who charged the American electorate in 2008 with change and did very little once he got there. Is it a result of the bitter standoff between two parties or an inefficiency coup? Looking forward, fighting for the White House in 2016 is still challenging for the republicans. There are very many who may match up with the fight against the likes of Elizabeth Warren and Hillary Clinton. It may be important for the GOP
Pranaav Jadhav is a senior majoring in communication. He can be contacted at opinion@ reflector.msstate.edu.
to address the demographics and play it out as they did in these elections. A surprise figure like South Carolina governor Nikki Haley for Vice President, Chris Christie for President, Marco Rubio or Rand Paul may extend their chances of winning the race to the White House. Like it or not, one thing is clear. The republicans have mastered the art of reinvention. Who thought in 2008 with the charisma Obama possessed and his reelection in 2012 that the republicans would take back the Senate and control both houses come 2014? I like to reflect on this and decide whether this is a successful republican stunt, or do we actually have a president who has been incompetent as the commander-in-chief? In these elections, we certainly have let foreign policy influence our decision, and we may just about have bought the republican argument of a hawkish president acting against American interests.
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PARKING
Selling football parking? Looking for tailgate space for your next road trip (‘Bama maybe?). Checkout GreenDotParking.com; be part of the largest network of private party parking listings. FOR RENT Canterbury Townhouses 2 min from campus. 1 br $540, 3 br 3 full baths $720. Water, sewage, trash included. Price for the whole apartment, not just a bedroom! Get 1 month free with 12 month lease. Call 323-9216. Subleasing a 1 bedroom/ bathroom in a 4 bedroom/ bath apartment at 21 apts. Starting January through July. Other roommates are male. Please contact Wes 601-906-7582. Country Living home located on Highway 389, 16 miles north of Starkville: 3 bedroom, 2 bath. New appliances, large den, living room, 2 car garage, large fencedin backyard and nice storage shed on a two acre lot. If interested, call
CHRISTIANS ON CAMPUS
Christians on Campus will host renowned orthopedic surgeon Dr. James Hughes, MD, on Sunday, Nov. 16, at 4 p.m. in room 227 of the Colvard Student Union. BLACK VOICES GOSPEL CHOIR
Black Voices invites everyone to their fall 2014 concert scheduled for Nov. 15, 2014 at 5 p.m. in Lee Hall. Admission is free. MSU HILLEL
Jews wanted! If you’re Jewish, let us know! Like us on Facebook at Hillel @ Mississippi State University. Join us for meetings. For more information, contact Josph Metz at 601-813-7720. YOGA MOVES CLUB
School or work stressing you out? Get moving
into Yoga Moves. Try our moves to get into shape and our relaxation techniques to handle the stress. Yoga Moves meets at the Sanderson Center in Studio C, Thursday evenings from 5:30-7 p.m. Like Yoga Moves Club on Facebook. THE STREETCAR CREATIVE ARTS JOURNAL
The Streetcar is Mississippi State University’s creative arts journal open to student submissions. Submit your art, poetry, shortstories, nonfiction and more before November 25 online at thestreetcarmsu.com. ASTRONOMY CLUB
The Mississippi State Astronomy Club will host a regular meeting this Friday at 3:00 p.m. in Hilbun 150. Pizza will be provided, and all are invited to attend. SOCIOLOGICAL STUDENT ASSOCIATION
The Sociological Student Association will meet the last Thursday of every month at 5 p.m. in Bowen Hall room 250. All majors are welcome. For more information, contact Dr. Lane at lane@soc.msstate. edu. STUDENTS FOR A SUSTAINABLE CAMPUS
Care about the environment? Love activism? Come join SSC on Thursdays at 6:00 p.m. in McCool 111 to make a difference. Follow on Twitter @MSU_SSC.
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THE REFLECTOR TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2014
No-Shave November raises awareness by Samantha Jones Staff Writer
For many years, men and women have been growing their hair out during the month of November in support of prostate and testicular cancer. Well, it is that time once again. No-Shave November is a web-based, nonprofit organization dedicated to raising cancer awareness and supportive funds that go toward preventing disease, saving lives, funding research, educating and aiding
those fighting in the battle against cancer. Students on the Mississippi State University campus also show their support for cancer awareness by not shaving. John James, senior kinesiology major, said he celebrates No-Shave November to help spread awareness for prostate and testicular cancer and to educate others because he feels these diseases that affect men are often overlooked. “Coming after largely celebrated breast cancer awareness month, No-Shave November does
not get a lot of attention, so I want to do my part and help raise awareness by not shaving,” he said. According to the No-Shave November website, letting it all grow out attracts a lot of attention. “It is our goal to raise awareness, and turning heads is the best way to do so,” the website staes. No-Shave November partners with the American Cancer Society to raise funds. Anyone can support the cause by purchasing No-Shave November apparel. All of the proceeds go to the American Cancer
Society. Other websites like noshember.com have developed their own no-shave rules calendar. This calendar lays out the rules of No-Shave November and the comical stages of hair growth such as the week of itching and the week of looking ridiculous. Back on campus, there are students whose lives have been directly affected by prostate cancer, such as Brooke Ratliff, senior interior design major, who said she has a particular appreciation for everyone participating in No-Shave
November. “My father was diagnosed with prostate cancer, and luckily, he caught it early and doctors were able to remove it before it spread to other parts of his body,” Ratliff said. “Even though beards are nice to see during fall, because of my personal experience with the matter, I feel that it is very important to raise awareness, educate others and encourage men to take their health seriously.” Also encouraging men to refrain from shaving is the Movember Foundation. The Movember Foundation is the leading global
organization devoted to men’s health. “We challenge men to grow moustaches during Movember to spark conversation and raise funds for prostate cancer, testicular cancer and mental health problems,” states the official Movember Foundation website. November seems to be the best time of the year to draw attention to oneself by letting hair grow out. By giving everyone something to talk about, students can indirectly raise awareness for men’s health issues that may not otherwise get the attention of the nation.
NOMAS, Fashion Board present Junk to Funk sale by Noor Mujahid Life Editor
Everyone has a little bit of an inner entrepreneur hidden deep within him or her, and Mississippi State University’s National Organization of Minority Architecture Students (NOMAS) in collaboration with Fashion Board will put on a “Junk to Funk” event where students have the opportunity to showcase and sell custom creations.
All students who create custom products and art pieces are encouraged to participate in the event, which will take place in the Giles Hall Gallery on Wednesday before and after the 7 p.m. NOMAS TRASHIONshow. The Junk to Funk sale will begin at 3 p.m. Wednesday and will continue an hour after the TRASHIONshow concludes Savannah White, Fashion Board vice president and senior communication major, feels the
TRASHIONshow offers students an avenue of creativity that combines design and sustainability. She said Fashion Board and NOMAS’s collaboration yields an innovative event. “MSU’s Fashion Board and NOMAS, two student groups who otherwise have nothing in common, are brought together through the art of a thrilling production which has been quite a lengthy process,” she said. “We shot the poster advertisements for the
show and held model tryouts about five weeks ago.” White said the joint effort by both student organizations will hopefully lead to a final product that is well received by students, and the Junk to Funk sale is an excellent precursor for the fashion show. “NOMAS oufit and set designers have been working hard to have the designs runway-ready by Wednesday. We are anxiously waiting to see all the pieces put together
and are excited to see how these student groups continually blow it out of the water year after year,” she said. The Junk to Funk sale will offer a wide range of items such as handcrafted jewelry, purses, photography and screenprints. The event usually brings in large crowds of between 200 to 300 people, and students that sell their products receive 70 percent of the profit received from their items. The remainder of
the profit will go to the NOMAS organization. Aryn Phillips, senior architecture major, is designing a dress for the TRASHIONshow. She said the sale is important because it allows students to showcase their trade. “The Junk to Funk sale gives students who make custom products an opportunity to showcase and sell their work,” she said. “It allows them to gain exposure for their work, promote and raise awareness about their craft.”
Alluring premise of ‘Interstellar’ MSU homecoming week falls short, lacks true character concludes with festivities by Zach Wagner Staff Writer
Though Christopher Nolan’s new blockbuster “Interstellar” did remarkably well in the box office, I left the theatre Saturday feeling the film had failed to take advantage of a true opportunity to be great. It’s just that there were three key elements of the film that, to me, didn’t hit their mark as sharply as they could have. Before I get to my ultimate problems with the film, I do want to say that maybe one the movie’s greatest strengths, like any Nolan movie, is the tremendous job done on the part of the actors. McConaughey, in particular, is spectacular in the movie and continues the hot streak in which he has found himself over the last yearand-a-half of his career. It also bears mentioning that Anne Hathaway and Michael Caine play their respective roles nicely and help provide the film with a sense of purpose that was lacking throughout the movie. While the acting was good, I think the movie falls short of emotionally connecting with the audience. The movie uses acting as a smokescreen to hide the fact there was little emotional exploration. They just barely nudged the tip of the iceberg, and it seemed that every time one of the characters came across something in their lives that challenged them, the movie didn’t explore those feelings as steadfastly as it should have. Maybe my favorite scene in the movie takes place when the main character, Cooper, gets to watch some old video messages from his children who are now adults. To me, this is one of the only times the film manages to get the emotional element just
right. It’s not just the fact that McConaughey excels in the scene, but the true beauty of that five minute stretch is in the idea of watching the individuals you love most grow up before your very eyes and not even being there to witness it unfold. The scene did a tremendous job at hammering home one of the main points of the movie, which is that love is one of the only emotions that can resist
see an old love interest. This all goes back to tying the theme of love as an all powerful force– it guides us as human beings and the decisions we make, but the extent to which each character held to this perception was a tad over-the-top. The last little nuance that stuck with me during “Interstellar” was the belief that while the humans played their part in destroying the
“At the end of the day, we are left with a movie that tries to use deep underlying ideas revolving around love and the human psyche to take us on a journey through the deepest and darkest depths of space.”
the powers of time and change. If the film had given audiences more of these kind of moments, it would have added a whole new element to the picture, instead of simply laundering in action sequences too much. One of the key themes Nolan presented in the film was the overall lack of empathy each character displayed. This struck me as abnormal, especially considering the way the characters perceived the well-being of the citizens on Earth compared to their loved ones. There were numerous instances in the movie of either McConaughey’s or Hathaway’s character jeopardizing the potential overall success of the mission of finding a new planet to hold the human population because of their ulterior motives for wanting to get back as soon as possible to the planet Earth, or in the case of Hathaway, wanting to risk time to
Earth, they also have the imminent power to save it. While I like the theme as a whole, the movie spent little to no time actually diving into what had caused the Earth to go under. At most, a speech from Caine’s character served to fill the audience in on what caused the impending doom. When you consider the scope of material that Nolan presents, it isn’t nearly enough to justify the lengths they go to to try and solve the problem at hand. At the end of the day, we are left with a movie that tries to use deep underlying ideas revolving around love and the human psyche to take us on a journey through the deepest and darkest depths of space. It comes close to fulfilling the director’s intended vision, but realistically fails to refine the greater points that could have made this film an instant classic.
Jacob Follin and Sarah Story | The Reflector
Mississippi State University’s 2014 homecoming festivities ended with a bang. Friday night’s homecoming parade (bottom) featured this year’s theme, ‘In Maroon We Trust.’ Students took part in the annual event by riding floats and interacting with the crowd. Saturday’s football game against UT Martin, which resulted in yet another Bulldog victory, showcased Mr. and Miss MSU (top) as well as the homecoming court during halftime.
Sports
7 THE REFLECTOR TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2014
From Downtown
SEC sees shake up in week 11 Alwal leads Bulldog defense The SEC West proved to be the toughest division in college football yet again, as the SEC beat up on each other in week 11 of the college football season. The game of the week was the No. 5 ranked University of Alabama Crimson Tide which traveled to Tiger Stadium to face Les Miles and the Louisiana State Tigers. Alabama was one loss away from virtually being eliminated from the first ever college football playoffs. LSU was 46-4 in night games with Les Miles as head coach coming into Saturday night. The game was a defensive battle with the score tied 10-10 until the final minute of the game. With under 1:30 left in the game, Alabama running back T.J. Yeldon fumbled the football, and it was recovered by LSU junior linebacker Lamar Louis at the Alabama six yard line. LSU capitalized with a 39yard field goal by kicker Colby Delahoussaye. This gave LSU a 13-10 lead. It looked like Alabama was finished. The offense had been inconsistent all game, there were no timeouts remaining and only 50 second remained on the game clock. However, LSU place kicker Trent Dominique’s kickoff went out of bounds, which gave the Crimson Tide great field position on their 41-yard line. Alabama quarterback Blake Sims struggled all game, but managed to pass for 50 yards and rush for five in the final drive of regulation to set up a 27-yard Adam Griffith field goal to send the game to overtime. Alabama received the ball first in overtime, and Sims completed a pass to sophomore tight end Brandon Greene all the way to the LSU one yard line. However, due to a personal foul, Alabama was backed up to the 15 yard line. Nevertheless, five plays later Blake Sims completed a six-yard touchdown pass to Andrew White to take a seven-point lead over LSU. LSU quarterback Anthony Jennings threw four straight incomplete passes in the overtime possession to end the game. Les Miles will be questioned for a long time to come for his play calling at the end of the game. LSU’s offense had success throughout the game running the football, and then to throw the ball every down in overtime was odd. Alabama somehow escaped Death Valley with a 20-13 win over the Tigers. Alabama will now prepare for a showdown in Tuscaloosa this Saturday against the No. 1 ranked Mississippi State University Bulldogs. Many fans expected Auburn to dominate Texas A&M in Jordan Hare Stadium, similar to the way
Alabama dominated them on Oct. 18. The Aggies started freshman quarterback Kyle Allen in his first ever SEC game. However, Allen threw two touchdown passes within the first three minutes of the game to give the Aggies a 14-0 lead. Nevertheless, the Tigers bounced back to tie the game at 14 with 2:32 left in the first quarter. Allen threw two more touchdown passes in the second quarter. Down 28-21, Auburn attempted a 40-yard field goal with nine seconds left in the half. Auburn kicker Jay Lambo’s attempt was blocked and returned for a 65-yard touchdown by senior defensive back Deshazor Everett. This gave the Aggies a 35-17 lead going into halftime.
by Zach Wagner Staff Writer
Kevin Simmons Kevin Simmons is a senior majoring in communication. He can be contacted at reflectorsports@gmail.com.
an Auburn turnover, it is usually becuase the defense makes a great play, not because of a bad play by the offense. Ole Miss hosted a division II school this week. To put its back-to-back heartbreaking losses behind, the Rebels defeated Presbyterian College 48-0,
“ The Bulldogs can quiet all the naysayers with a win next week and virtually guarantee a spot in the SEC Championship for the first time since 1998.” Allen could not continue the excellent play in the second half. The Aggies scored 35 points in the first half, but only six points in the second half. With under seven minutes remaining in the game, Auburn quarterback Nick Marshall rushed for a six yard touchdown to make the score 4138 in favor of the Aggies. After forcing the Aggies to punt, Auburn drove 78 yards down the field to the Texas A&M two yard line. The Tigers looked destined to come from behind and defeat their opponent like they had done so many times before. However, disaster struck for the Tigers. The read handoff that Marshall and running back Cameron Artis-Payne run so often was fumbled by Marshall and recovered by Texas A&M. Auburn looked to be doomed, but they got another chance. After using their final two timeouts, Auburn forced the Aggies to punt. Auburn received the ball with 1:28 remaining in the game and great field position on the Aggie 42 yard line, but the unthinkable happened again. On the third play of the drive, Marshall fumbled the snap, and Texas A&M recovered. Texas A&M upset No. 3 ranked Auburn 41-38. The surprising thing about the game was that the loss was the result of their typically sure-handed offensive leaders. Marshall and Artis-Payne have become known for their relatively mistake-free approach to the offense. The duo does not typically make mistakes. If there is ever
and had the void of losing Laquon Treadwell fi lled. Vince Sanders caught two touchdown passes and had 110 yards receiving. Ole Miss will have a bye week to prepare for Arkansas on Nov. 22 No. 20 Georgia bounced back from its disappointing loss to Florida with a 63-31 win at Kentucky. Georgia will play on the road against Auburn this Saturday, and Kentucky will travel to Tennessee. Florida handily defeated Vanderbilt 34-10 and hosts South Carolina this Saturday. Mississippi State remains the only unbeaten team in the SEC, while Alabama is the only team in the conference with one loss. It is almost certain one of these teams will represent the SEC West in the SEC championship game on Dec 6. There is also a great chance the winner of the game next week will represent the SEC in the first ever NCAA playoff. This is a huge game for the Alabama Crimson Tide, but this is unchartered territory for Mississippi State. The Bulldogs can quiet all the naysayers with a win next week and virtually guarantee a spot in the SEC Championship for the first time since 1998. Even with a win over Alabama, MSU would have to win against either Vanderbilt or Ole Miss to clinch the trip to Atlanta. The matchup with Alabama next week may be the biggest game in Mississippi State football history. This is, of course, the first time that MSU will head to Tuscaloosa as the No. 1 team in the country.
It was not too long ago that the Mississippi State women’s basketball program floundered at the bottom of the SEC on a yearly basis. In fact, in the previous two years before current Head Coach Vic Schaefer’s arrival at Mississippi State, the Bulldogs fi nished below .500 and in the bottom three of the conference each year. However, since the hiring of Schaefer, the program has seen a dramatic improvement in its on-the-court performance as well as made great strides in the goal of recruiting some good, young talent to help build for sustained future success. Coach Schaefer’s dubbed nickname “The Secretary of Defense” may be a comical way of describing the tough-nosed coach, but it accurately depicts what he plans to get out of his team on the basketball court. He wants his basketball team to be sound on the defensive end, while at the same time being aggressive in attacking the rim on the offensive end. The defense will be the prohibitive factor in creating the team’s offense, if the team is playing up to its usual standard. Last season’s squad took to Coach Schaefer’s overall message kindly, and the stats back this up as well. They fi nished last season with an opponent field goal percentage of 44 percent and an opponent three point percentage of roughly 34 percent for the season. Along with this, the Bulldogs were able to fi nish with a positive turnover margin and average over 13 assists for the campaign.
Emma Katherine Hutto | The Reflector
Martha Alwalʼs presence will be counted on to led the team this season.
These positive attributes all led to the team gaining nine more wins then it did during Schaefer’s fi rst season in Starkville, and its 22-14 record was good enough to earn it a birth in the 2014 Women’s National Invitational tournament, where they were able to make it to the quarterfi nals. One player in particular that stood out for the Bulldogs last season was Martha Alwal. She fi nished the season averaging 14.9 points, 8.8 rebounds and 2.69 blocks, which was good enough to garner her First Team All-SEC honors. She also fi nished as the conference’s co-defensive player of the year, sharing the award with Texas A&M’s Jordan Jones. Coming into
this season, she has already been named Preseason AllSEC, and if her play continues to trend upward she might even make another leap before the end of the season. This season’s squad is a team that sets up nicely to be competitive this season as well as in the future. This would be because the team has a very good blend of youth and experience, with nine underclassmen and five upperclassmen. Of the nine underclassmen at Schaefer’s dispense, five of them are freshmen, who are part of the 2014 top-20 recruiting class that Schaefer has been pleased with so far in her short time with the program. SEE BASKETBALL, 8
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Sports REFLECTOR-ONLINE.COM TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2014
MSU wins, looks toward Alabama by Cameron Clarke Opinion Editor
At the end of the first quarter the outlook was bleak. Looking for an easy home game and a rest for the starters of the No. 1 college football team in the nation, the Mississippi State University Bulldogs faced the UT Martin Skyhawks, but were not able to pull into the lead in anywhere near as spectacular a fashion as previous games would lead one to expect. The team knew it was not the best performance, but they did enough to win the game by a comfortable margin. “We didn’t execute as clean as we wanted to that first half. We got the job done,” Dak Prescott said. The answer to the Bulldogs’ hiatus came with the Heisman candidate quarterback’s spectacular 48-yard rush touchdown on the very first play of the second quarter that brought the Bulldogs up to 14-3. Not only did that touchdown run change the complexion of the game, but it also broke the Bulldog’s all-time record for total yards in a season -- in the ninth game, no less. This sudden burst of energy from a bootless Prescott helped to rescue the Bulldogs from their languor, set them on track to finish the game 45 - 16 and gave the starters a much-needed rest in the fourth quarter. After the game, Head Coach Dan Mullen commented on what happened and why the Skyhawks posed such a strong threat in the first quarter and his response to the hard-earned victory. “It’s always good to get a win. We played ok... give
BASKETBALL
One of the standouts of the 2014 recruiting class is Victoria Vivians, who out of high school was a five-star recruit and was ranked as the 24th overall best player of the entire 2014 class according to ESPN rankings. She should have a major role on this year’s team, and after Sunday’s exhibition she spoke about how she enjoys having such a magnitude of talent around her. “It’s relieving because now I have players around me that can finish the shot when I pass it, and I don’t have to shoot everything. It’s fun to pass, I like passing the ball. I enjoy college ball a lot more than I do high school ball. It’s easier to dish
Ashton Shumpert receives a hand off from Dak Prescott. Shumpert made the most of his chances in the game, rushing for 82 yards.
[UT Martin] credit, I know their kids are coming in to play hard… they are a very well-coached team,” Mullen said. “We’ve got to do a better job getting off the field on defense. They had more first downs than we did. We’ve got to do a better job on offense. We’ve got to start creating more turn-overs on defense. That’s another game we’ve lost the turnover ratio, and that’s a thing you can not do to win games.” This game saw the rise of several other names on the Bulldog offense, with sophomore running backs Brandon Holloway and Ashton Shumpert both
making big plays, with a touchdown apiece and both running for more yards than the usual spotlight player, Josh Robinson. Mullen commented on the removal of Robinson as well as other key players early, saying it was an effort to keep them healthy, looking forward to next week. “Josh said he was sore. He was cleared to play, but he said he was sore, so he didn’t go back in,” Mullen said. Regarding Jameon Lewis and Justin Malone’s absences, Mullen said they “made the decision at last week’s game… We shut him down for the week. We expect
[Lewis] to be 100 percent when we get to practice this week. Justin Malone has got the sore foot so we did the same thing with him, shut him down all week and gave those guys a full week of rest to get healthy.” Mullen also commented on the new development with the sophomore running backs making such a splash. “Shumpt averaged 20 yards a carry, Holloway, 10. If I was a smart coach I would put them in more. I thought they did [stand up when called]. When a guy’s number is called he is ready to go perform, it doesn’t
Jacob Follin| The Reflector
matter the situation,” he said. Regardless of the occasionally struggling defense or questionably floundering offense during the Bulldogs’ ninth game, they finished out and pulled off a convincing win against the Skyhawks. When it was all said and done Mullen said he was pleased with the win, the late season competition is why he is here. “We’ll take it, we’re 9-0. We will enjoy this win tonight and get ready for a big game to go back into conference play tomorrow. [We have a] big-time game [against Alabama] this week.
This is what you play for, you are going to be in the middle of November competing for first place in the SEC West, which is what it is all about to be competing that late in the season,” Mullen said. When asked about going to play at Alabama in Tuscaloosa next week, the rising star Brandon Holloway showed confidence in the tenacity of the Bulldog team. “It is everything. We are going to have to come prepared to do work, come in every day to practice and try to get better,” Holloway said. “We know we are coming in as the underdog even though we are the No. 1 team. We just embrace it, we don’t take it too much being number one, because anyone could come and beat us.” The Bulldogs learned valuable lessons about themselves as a team and as individual players, growing into a team that can hold the number one ranking with enough self-awareness not to loose it at the first sign of difficulty. This attitude of confidence and humility should serve them well as they look to defeat the Alabama Crimson Tide on their home turf at BryantDenny Stadium next week. The Bulldogs’ game plan will center around stopping Heisman candidate Amari Cooper. The Alabama wide receiver leads the SEC in almost every relevant receiving statistic. Cooper has caught 10 touchdowns and averages 135 receiving yards a game. MSU enters the game last in the SEC in stopping the pass, giving up 301 yards per game. The Bulldogs’ chances Saturday will hinge on the hope of limiting the big plays down the field to Cooper and the other wide receivers for the Crimson Tide. CONTINUED FROM 7
it off to somebody you know is going to finish.” Rounding out the 2014 class are Lakaris Salter, Kayla Nevitt, Morgan William and Blair Schaefer. This class has already come in and impressed the coaching staff, and in the exhibition game on Sunday against Arkansas-Fort Smith, the group combined to score 59 of the team’s 114 points. As the season progresses, don’t be surprised to see each one of the five freshman playing some kind of influential role on the team. One of great things about this year’s group is how deep the squad is from top to bottom. While this may be great for fans of the team,
it could turn out to be a challenge for Coach Schaefer. He said how it may become difficult to keep all of the players happy with the amount of minutes he can divvy up throughout the season. “I think we have more options and our skill set is better. Right now it’s a whole lot easier with 11 players, but when I’ve got 14 sitting over there chomping at the bit, it’s going to be a little bit, of a challenge for the ole head coach to make sure everybody is playing at the right time and with the right people, as well as keeping people happy. At the end of the day, I do think I have a team of givers and there’s
not a lot of “I” people.” One of the factors working in the favor of the Bulldogs is that their non conference schedule appears to be rather weak. This is a good thing because as of right now the team has a couple of injuries to key players, including Alwal and Kendra Grant, who is trying to get over her concussion she suffered earlier in the last month. As for Alwal, Coach Schaefer talked optimistically about when his dominating center would be back on the court. “Martha’s chomping at the bit. When and where I’m not sure yet, but I think she is chomping at the bit because she is a competitor, and it’s her senior year.
Gosh, it’s unfortunate that you’ve got her and Kendra and Savannah over there at the start of their senior years. They can’t enjoy a day like today, and they won’t ever get it back, and that’s unfortuante.” Fortunately for the Bulldogs, their easier schedule during the first half of the season should give them the time they need to get healthy before the start of the super competitive SEC portion of the schedule. One of the players on the team that will need to step up in the absence of Alwal is junior Sherise Williams, who started off her season nicely on Sunday by scoring 19 points, grabbing
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four rebounds and contributing three blocks to the win. After the game, she spoke about the opportunity she may have in fi lling the shoes of her senior teammate, while at the same time talking about Alwal’s greatness. “Whenever my number is called, I’ve just got to be ready. Martha is SEC AllFirst Team, Co-Defensive Player of the Year, and she demands respect and this is her team.” The team’s season offically gets underway on Friday against Mercer, as the game will kick off the Preseason WNIT tournament at Humphrey Coliseum at 8 p.m.