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Bulldogs beat No. 8 Texas

Best Thanksgiving Dish

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The

TUESDAY NOVEMBER 22, 2016

Christmas Traditions

Mashed Potatos:

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131st YEAR ISSUE 25

THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIVERSITY SINCE 1884

MSU seeking a solution for Blackjack Road

by Kristina Norman Staff Writer

Mississippi State University wants its students, faculty, staff and the greater Starkville community to know they are actively seeking a solution to the problems that exist with Blackjack Road.

Sid Salter, MSU’s chief communications officer and director, said the university prioritizes safety and wants its students to feel safe when they walk or bike to class.

“We’ve been wrestling with this problem the last six months,” Salter said.

Despite safety concerns, many students commute daily on foot across Blackjack Road from school to home.

Earlier this month, MSU student Emily Case was struck by a drunk driver crossing the Hardy and Blackjack Road intersection.

Plans for improving safety on Blackjack Road have been on the university’s radar for some time.

Salter said President Mark Keenum began working earlier this year with Governor Phil Bryant, the Mississippi Development Authority and the Oktibbeha County Board of Supervisors

on securing $3 million in funding from the Economic Development Highway fund.

Funds received from the Economic Development Highway fund would then go towards implementing improvements on Hardy Road and Stone Boulevard where they intersect with Blackjack Road.

Improvements to these areas would widen the road, add pedestrian crossing signals and improve overall safety.

Salter said the Oktibbeha County Board of Supervisors reached out to the university because of issues they have had with funding.

Safety improvements for Blackjack Road may seem slow in coming, Salter said, but making the changes require the necessary regulatory approvals, permits, and compliance documents all of which take time in acquiring.

Salter also noted the levels of bureaucracy further complicate things from getting accomplished speedily.

State appropriations are administered through the Mississippi Department of Transportation (MDOT), while state and federal funding are administered through the Mississippi Development Authority.

Orlando Trainer,

BLACKJACK ROAD NEEDS A CROSSWALK

JENN, MCFADDEN, THE REFLECTOR

Oktibbeha County’s District 2 supervisor and board president, said Blackjack Road’s problems have existed for some time, and only continue to grow.

Trainer said the growth in the county is welcome, but the county did not adequately prepare for the rapid growth or the issues which have arisen from it.

Putting a moratorium on apartment construction like the one proposed by a Starkville city alderman, Trainer said, sends the wrong message to developers making them

hesitant to build in the future. “(We) need to take it on ourselves to be more forward thinking,” Trainer said, “and say how can they (developers) make money and it help the county, and (it) not be a burden on the county.”

Trainer said the county could address the base issues of the roadway, but it would do nothing to address safety concerning traffic volume and speed.

“If we want to do something substantial,” Trainer said, “we need to

be looking at what we can do that can have a 20 year impact.”

Past attempts of the county in fixing Blackjack Road were initially met with success.

In July 2014, the Oktibbeha County board of supervisors approved a $4.78 million-maximum tax increment financing (TIF) plan. The plan fell apart when one of the three apartment complexes failed to finalize it.

In April 2015, the board considered a smaller (TIF) from the two confirmed

projects but that idea also fell apart and never made it to a vote.

Trainer said the main issue with repairing roads in the county always comes down to funding.

Additionally, not enough resources exist for the county to adequately address all the problems the county’s roads have.

He said people call him all the time complaining about their road’s condition which puts more pressure on him and the rest of board of supervisors to do something about them.

BLACKJACK, 2

Petition to rename Bully Boulevard

Sterling Archer started a petition on Change.org for changing the name of Bully Boulevard to Dak Prescott Drive.

The petition reads “Dak Prescott has been a shining example of being “True Maroon” on and off the field. From his work with charities in the region and in DFW, Dak continues to be a shining example of how to be a Bulldog. This petition is to change the name of Bully Boulevard on campus to Dak Prescott Drive.”

Prescott has led the Dallas Cowboys to a 9-1 record and 9 consecutive wins. On the season, he has a 67.7 passing percentage with 2.640 yards and 17 touchdowns with two interceptions. He also has 141 rushing yards with 4 touchdowns.

Emmalyne Kwasny, News Editor

REVIEW: play earns success

by Vanessa Gillon Staff Writer

On Sunday night, Mississippi State University’s theater department wrapped up their four-night production of Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest. The actors and actresses were prepared and ready for curtain call. The doors opened to the public at 1:15 p.m. and audience members began to pour into the theater. Student ushers lined the doors, greeting everyone with programs as they began piling in with their tickets in hand.

Lights began to dim and the play began. The actors and actresses did a fantastic job in transforming and getting into character.

The dialogue, dress, and movements all fit into the setting of the play.

If students are not too familiar with the play, it is a comedy following the ins and outs of character, Jack Worthing, who introduces himself as Ernest. The play was received with laughter and applause.

Upon sitting as an audience member, one

could not escape how detailed and intact the set designs were. Cody Stockstill, scenic and lighting design director, designed the set.

“I started designing at the end of our last production, “The Lion, Witch, and The Wardrobe,” Stockstill said.

“It took two months to design the set, and about five weeks to build it into what you see today.”

This was the first MSU theater production for River Shadix, junior communication major, who played Algernon Moncrief.

“Theater has always been a dream job of mine,” Shadix said. “Being a communication major, I have a concentration in broadcast and I have always saw that as being my backup job.”

If there was ever a wonder of how MSU’s theater department differed from others, Sadix cleared things up with his opinion.

“The theater at MSU has way more advantages than any other theater I have performed with, making it less stressful and easier to work with,” Shadix said. “For example, the tech crew are taking classes for what they do,

Vanessa Gillon | The Reflector

The cast of “Importance of Being Earnest” stand before their performance on Sunday night.

and everything runs so smoothly, which makes it an enjoyable atmosphere to work in.”

On his character, Algernon, Shadix said audience can expect to understand him in the show as privileged and not afraid to show it.

“The show is very old and British, it gets your brain working and may seem educational to some just simply trying to understand the old language, nonetheless, it is a comedy and sure to make you laugh,” Shadix said.

Danny Ward, who plays Lane, Algernon’s butler in the play, is a senior majoring in Theater. The Importance of Being Earnest is Ward’s 11th MSU production to be apart of.

“I see myself being a part of the theater when I graduate, only, I want to teach,” Ward said. “I have really enjoyed learning, not only as an actor but also back stage.

On his character, Lane, Ward said he is a very dry British character that just stands there and does not make a peep.

REVIEW, 2

Weather

Reflections

Jessica Faith, Campus Connect Forecast (Department of Geosciences)

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

HI: 66 LO: 49 SKY: Sunny

HI: 63 LO: 45 SKY: Sunny

HI: 65 LO: 46 SKY: Sunny

POP:0%

POP: 50%

POP: 0%

FORECAST: Temperatures will remain cool, with a midweek cold front. The cold front will bring rain into Starkville. Highs will remain in the 60’s, with lows staying in the 40’s.

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NEWS

THE REFLECTOR TUESDAY NOVEMBER 22, 2016

REVIEW Danny Ward shared his thoughts on what he believes is important to a theater production.

“It’s not something anyone can do by themselves, it takes a lot of people putting in a lot of hours, and it’s so much more than the people on stage, we couldn’t function without the people backstage,” Ward said.

Callie Hester, a sophomore double major in art and theater, played the character of Cecily Cardew.

“Thanks to the directors Cody, Tim, and Melanie, I have learned so much here than anywhere else I have been and I have grown so much more as an actor,” Hester said.

Hester is referring to Melanie Harris, who

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makes the lovely costumes for the theater department and Tim Matheny who directed this play.

Hester on her character, Cecily Cardew, said she could possibly be interpreted as a bit of a ditz.

“She makes up a lot of stories in her mind, for example, meeting men and thinking she’s already engaged to them in her head; she’s very gullible,” Hester said.

“The play is a sort of like a sarcastic comedy,” Hester said. “It will put you in the mind of a British Seinfeld.”

Fans of the theater can prepare for the next MSU Theater production coming this February with the showing of “Boeing Boeing.”

BLACKJACK Trainer said people do not understand that there is no easy solution existing to fix problems with roads in the county.

The first step towards a course of action, Trainer said, begins with the county’s board of supervisors looking at comparisons between a TIF plan or general obligation bond (GO). Both have their pros and cons.

TIFs initially begin with developers coming to either a board of aldermen or county board of supervisors.

A board then takes the lead role and pays the bond payments. TIFs do pose risks. Defaulting decreases credit rating and spending is limited to things within their districts. TIFs do have some flexibility: they cannot count against the borrower’s debt ratios.

GOs pose less risk and unlike TIFs can be spent on multiple things in the county across multiple districts. Although GOs do not pose the financial risks of TIFs, borrowers who have reached their debt limit cannot receive them.

Other solutions to fixing Blackjack Road’s problems, Trainer said, will likely require increasing taxes or taking money from another

CONTINUED FROM 1

project the county has planned.

Janelle Gagle, the HELiX property manager, said she is excited about the news that improvements will be made to Blackjack Road.

“We are looking forward to the day that it is completed,” Gagle said, “as we want our residents who attend (and) visit MSU to be able to cross the street with an easier piece of mind, knowing that drivers are more attentive to the fact that pedestrians are crossing the road.”

Gagle advises drivers and pedestrians to be aware at all times while crossing or driving on the road.

Eliminating distractions while driving or walking such as, turning off phones, pausing music or removing ear buds can help increase awareness.

Pedestrians should also check both directions before crossing while drivers should proceed with caution.

“We have great relationships with both the university and the Greater Development Council, Gagle said, “and know that they are both working diligently for this initiative and they have our full support.”

Tuesday November 15, 2016 7:52 p.m. A student reported her tires slashed while parked near Allen Hall.

Thursday November 17, 2016 10:07 a.m. An employee reported recieving a harassing phone call in McCool Hall.

11:03 a.m. An employee reported missing property during an audit at the Early Childhood Development Center.

2:44 p.m. An employee reported missing property during an audit at South Farm.

8:20 p.m. An Aramark employee reported a black male passing counterfeit money at Moes Southwest Grill.

Friday November 18, 2016 8:14 a.m. A student reported his motorcycle vandalized while parked at Rice Hall.

8:59 a.m. An employee reported missing inventory during an audit in Leo Seal Football Complex.

Saturday November 19, 2016 12:59 p.m. A non-resident/visitor reported a missing tent at Newell Grissom Building.

5:57 p.m. A student was arrested in the Junction for public intoxication.

9:38 p.m. A student reported his bicycle stolen from a bike rack at Colvard Student Union.

11:22 p.m. A student reported tailgating items stolen from Dorman Hall parking lot.

Sunday November 20, 2016 1:20 a.m. A non-resident/visitor was arrested on Fraternity Row for disorderly conduct and failure to comply.

2:27 a.m. A non-resident/visitor was arrested in Bost parking lot for DUI.

IMAGINE

THE FUTURE O F A E R O S PA C E .

WE ARE .

When you’re a leader, people watch to see what you’ll do next. Nobody knows that better than Mississippi State University. For years we’ve been leaders in the world of aerospace engineering. MSU now serves as the national lead university for the Federal Aviation Administration’s Center of Excellence of Unmanned Aircraft Systems, putting us on the cutting edge of this new era of research, development and integration into the nation’s airspace. We’re driven to lead the way. Keep watching as we soar to new heights. M S S TAT E . E D U

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THE REFLECTOR TUESDAY NOVEMBER 22, 2016

CLASSIFIEDS The deadline for Tuesday’s paper is 3 p.m. Thursday; the deadline for Friday’s paper is 3 p.m.

Tuesday. Classifieds are $5 per issue.

Student and staff ads are $3 per issue, prepaid. Lost and found: found items can be listed for free; lost items are listed for standard ad cost.

FOR RENT 3 bedroom/1 bath house in Crawford available for $500 a month. Located 20 minutes from MSU campus. Call 662386-3086 for more information.

FOR SALE LIKE NEW women’s Nishiki tubular 7-speed bicycle for sale. Call 662-323-3095.

MISCELLANEOUS Private collectibles sale: Thousands of WWII military items, (no guns) Pez candy dispenser selection, Elvis Presley collectibles and much more. Cash only sale.

By appointment only.

For more information call 901-626-2763.

CLUB INFO The deadline for Tuesday’s paper is 3 p.m. Thursday; deadline for Friday’s paper is 3 p.m.

Tuesday.

MSU student organizations may place free announcements in Club Info.

Information may be submitted by email to club_info@ reflector.msstate. edu with the subject heading “CLUB INFO,” or a form may be completed The Reflector at office in the Student

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A contact name, phone number and requested run dates must be included for club info to appear in The Reflector.

All submissions are subject to exemption according to space availability.

MSU ART DEPARTMENT GALLERIES

An In-Class Distraction

Join us for Starkville’s first Art Crawl & Parent’s Night Out! Evening begins at 6 p.m. on November 4th at 808 University Drive in Starkville.

RELIGIOUS DIVERSITY ORGANIZATION Celebrate being #BetterTogether with openminded students having education discussions on various religious and cultural current events. Meetings will be held in Union 330..

SUDOKU

Get Focused.

MENS CLUB SOCCER Celebrate being #BetterTogether with open-minded students having educational discussion on various religious and cultural events in the Union, room 330, on Tuesdays at 5:30 p.m.

FREETHINEKRS, ATHEISTS AND AGNOSTICS OF MSU

FAAMSU invites all free thinkers to come join our weekly discussions on life without religion. Meetings will be held every Thursday at 6 p.m. in Union room 330.

For November 18 SODOKU and Crossword solutions, visit www.reflectoronline.com

Eye Exams • Eye & Disease Care • Surgery Name Brand Frames & Sunglasses • Contacts

Jim Brown, MD, FACS • Al Lucas, OD www.eyeandlaser.net • 662.320.6555 100 Walker Way • Starkville, MS

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OPINION

THE REFLECTOR TUESDAY NOVEMBER 22, 2016

College should not be required before NBA draft Chris Lowe is a sophomore majoring in business information systems. He can be contacted at opinion@reflector. msstate.edu.

Any sports fan knows that American sports are weird.

There are a lot of rules that make no sense, and many that seem to hinder the players associated with them.

One that stands out to me as being incredibly redundant is the rule in the National Basketball Association (NBA) that prevents a player from entering the NBA draft directly after graduating high school.

According to Draft Site, these are the exact requirements for entering the NBA draft: “Player must be 19 years old during draft calendar year, and at least one season has passed since graduation of high school.”

This prevents any 18 year

old individual from entering the NBA, and creates a wealth of “one-and-done” players that play one season of college basketball, just to immediately leave college and enter the NBA draft. This phenomenon just wastes everyone’s time.

There is already a stacked list of NBA players that entered the league at 18, including Kevin Garnett, Lebron James, Kobe Bryant, and Dwight Howard. Three of these names are surefire Hall of Fame players in the NBA, and the fourth will still have a storied career before all is said and done.

Obviously, the rule currently in place was instated after these players were drafted, and that makes it even harder to understand the reasoning behind it.

According to ESPN, the NBA commissioner at the time of the rule’s installment, David Stern, was apparently of the mindset that many players were blinded by the prospect of instant fame and made the bad decision to enter the NBA without honing their skills further.

However, there have only been 44 players drafted directly out of high school.

It is not as if there was a wave

of people choosing to forgo college in lieu of the NBA in the first place, and even if there were, it is not the NBA’s place to force their players’ hands in their career choices.

What does that one year in college really do for players who are ready to jump into the NBA? Not much. This is evident in the story of one of the most recent draftees

“Why take away a year of earnings from

someone who deserves to make their own career decisions? The logic behind the current system is just inherently flawed.” in the NBA, Philadelphia 76’ers player Ben Simmons.

Simmons was forced to go to Louisiana State University for a year, as per regulation, and according to him, missed out on basketball awards due to a low GPA, missed playing time in games due to bad class attendance, and spent a ridiculous amount of time fending off illegal offers from everyone around him in the form of cars, shoes and money.

According to CBS Sports,

RE F L E C T I O N S Plato

“We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark; the real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light.”

Mashed potatoes are the best Thanksgiving dish

by Jonathan Bain Staff Writer

Thanksgiving is only a few days away and everyone is eagerly anticipating the traditional, gluttonous feast. We all know the scene; it is cold outside, warm inside grandma’s house and the food is waiting for you on the table.

You survey the table and immediately find your favorite foods. Once given the green light, you dig in and never look back; that is until afterwards when you realize you have eaten enough food for a small army.

At any rate, Thanksgiving dinner is a big deal for most families, but what is it that makes this dinner so special? The side dishes, of course.

According to a poll

by FiveThirtyEight, the vast majority of Americans claim their favorite Thanksgiving dish is either ham or turkey. It is classic that the meats get all the attention—it is called “Turkey Day,” after all.

However, if you believe the meats are what make Thanksgiving dinner so delicious, you are wrong. Side dishes are the perfect complimentary touches to the main sources of protein, and they also add terrific variety to a Thanksgiving table. Imagine how bland your dinner would

be if all you could eat was rich ham and possibly dry turkey.

Now that we have established that sides are what keeps the gears of Thanksgiving dinner turning, I want to discuss which sides are the best. According to a Gallup poll and a poll done by the Pioneer Woman, mashed potatoes were the favorite side dish amongst the majority of Americans polled. I complete-

ly agree.

Mashed potatoes are personally my favorite of the sides, and I was pleased to discover that most of those being polled felt the same. Who could deny the gloriousness of potatoes in their mashed form? They are buttery, creamy and they melt in your mouth.

In my opinion, mashed potatoes could be featured in basically any meal, but they are a must have for Thanksgiving.

Some other favorites the polls showed people loved are dressing/stuffing

and macaroni and cheese.

Dressing is usually the perfect pairing with turkey. Turkey tends to be dry, and if you have a moist dressing, it can liven up your plate. Apparently, mac and cheese is the preferred side dish of the south, according to a FiveThirtyEight.

I do not think I have ever met someone who could not appreciate what mac and cheese adds to a meal. It is thick and cheesy, two of the best adjectives there are when it comes to describing food.

To wrap up, I would like to end on a bit more of a serious note; not to say Thanksgiving food is not serious business, however.

It is definitely easy for us all to be short sighted and we usually tend to focus on things that go wrong in our lives.

As college students, we usually always feel stressed out because we are at a crucial point in our lives. This Thanksgiving Day, if you are fortunate enough to have a loving family to go home to, be sure to appreciate your time with them, and the food they prepare for you.

When you are in a rapid frenzy putting food on your plate, remember you heard it first here, side dishes are the MVPs of thanksgiving dinner.

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he ever attended university.

He was selected first overall in the 2016 NBA draft and played considerably well in the NBA preseason before getting injured. I highly doubt one year at LSU that he essentially wasted was the difference in his skill level.

Opponents of this mindset state that one year is not much to ask for from an athlete that gets housing, food, and everything else he needs for free. I disagree, because that is one less year that he is

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able to earn millions of dollars in a sport that he excels in.

Maybe they could go play basketball in Europe for that year if they really wanted to make money, but it just is not the same as the NBA, competitively or salary-wise.

Why take away a year of earnings from someone who deserves to make their own career decisions? The logic behind the current system is just inherently flawed.

If nothing else, the NBA seems to listen to points that benefit them as an organization. So why, would they intentionally take away revenue from themselves by limiting the amount of talent that could enter the league every year?

Lebron James is currently the most popular player in the entirety of the NBA, and he was drafted as an 18 year old kid. He is arguably the most athletic star in NBA history, and his journey brought ESPN cameras to his high school games in Akron, Ohio, when he was not even a man yet.

Kobe Bryant took the league by storm when he joined up with Shaquille O’Neil at 18 on the Los Angeles Lakers. Talent like

that at such a young age brings eyes to the NBA, and the NBA stands to gain quite a lot of money if they capitalize on such a thing.

The former commissioner David Stern was quoted on an article by USA Today as saying: “For our business purposes, the longer we can get to look at young men playing against fi rst-rate competition, that’s a good thing, because draft picks are a very valuable thing.”

Maybe that makes sense, and I will not pretend to know more about business than him, but there are exceptions to that rule that have been proven.

They can certainly outweigh the players who fail to succeed out of high school.

There are holes in both the player skill-based and economic points that could potentially be made in favor of the current ruling.

Regulating adults on their career decisions in such a way is just ludicrous, and when it only requires them to play ball somewhere else for one year, it does nothing but waste their time. No real education is gained, and a whole lot of money is potentially flushed down the drain.

All Americans must accept Trump as their president

actually read any of his policies, and the majority of them are very reasonable.

Contributing Writer According to Trump’s By now I am sure everyone website, “Trump will appoint has heard about the protests a VA Secretary whose sole that have taken place all over purpose will be to serve the country because Donald veterans. Under a Trump Trump was elected President Administration, the needs of of the United States.

D.C. bureaucrats will no lonAccording to a Huffington ger be placed above those of Post article, the foundour veterans.” ing fathers established the He will also, “Repeal and electoral college in the U.S replace Obamacare with Constitution to ensure that Health Savings Accounts the smaller states have just (HSAs), work with Congress as much significance in the to create a patient-centered election process as the larger health care system that prostates. motes choice, quality, and Why can’t affordabi lClinton supity, work porters accept “If Clinton Supporters really believe we with states the fact Trump to estabcan lose the popare stronger together, then we should all lish highular vote but still risk pools stand together and support Trump as our to ensure win the electoral vote? access to President.”

For the past coverage for year Clinton’s ind ividuals campaign slowho have not gan has been “Stronger their belief of entitlement. maintained continuous covTogether” along with, “I’m Trump is not even in office erage, allow people to purwith her.” After Nov. 8, the yet but left wing politicians chase insurance across state motto of “Stronger Together” are already calling for him to lines, in all 50 states, creatwas tarnished. It seems like resign. What kind of message ing a dynamic market and Clinton supporters actual- does that send to other coun- rescind all job-destroying ly only want to be “Stronger tries who admire our privi- Obama executive actions.”

Together” when they win.

Those are just a couple of lege to elect who we want for Over the course of a week, president? policies President Trump has we have seen people riot in Listen up Clinton support- vowed to enforce. Instead of streets, burn American flags ers: Burning the flag that rep- trying to find excuses for and tear down local small resents your freedom will not why Trump should not be businesses. change the result of this elec- president, protesters and We have witnessed college tion. Missing work to protest Clinton supporters need to professors cancel class, and will not change the result of find ways to meet him in the college students across the this election. middle to ensure the safecountry pick up American To college professors in ty and well-being of ALL flags and throw them away, all particular—coddling the Americans. because Clinton did not win students you are teaching by Trump is this country’s the presidential election. allowing them to miss class 45th president, and we all According to a CNN arti- will not change the result of need to stand firm in our cle, “Some of the roughly this election. beliefs, values, and morals 1,000 protesters in Oakland We as a nation need to stand as Americans. This country broke store windows, left graf- together and give Trump the can be what we all want it to fiti on buildings and threw opportunity to be our lead- be. Let us all commit to makM-80 firecrackers, Molotov er. Many people have yet to ing America great again.

by Hannah Ferguson

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Life Editor/Alexandra Hendon

325-7905 editor@reflector.msstate.edu

Sports Editor/Dalton Middleton

Simmons said, “I’m here because I have to be here (at LSU). ... I can’t get a degree in two semesters, so it’s kind of pointless. I feel like I’m wasting time.” The fact is, he was right.

Simmons, despite being currently injured and having played no regular season games in the NBA yet, was almost undeniably ready to compete in the NBA before

Letters to the editor should be sent to the Meyer Student Media Center or mailed to The Reflector, PO Box 5407, Mississippi State, MS. Letters may also be emailed to editor@reflector.msstate.edu.

Letters must include name and telephone number for verification purposes. The editor reserves the right to edit or refuse to publish a letter.

The

cocktails and bottles at police officers, authorities said.”

Clinton supporters have been calling a large percentage of the U.S. population racist, bigoted, homophobic and xenophobic just because they voted Trump, and quite frankly it is heartbreaking.

If Clinton Supporters really believe we are stronger together, then we should all stand together and support Trump as our president.

Supporting these protests proves that the Clinton supporters do not care about peace and unity in this country, but self promotion and

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Content is determined solely by the student editorial staff. The contents of The Reflector have not been approved by Mississippi State University.

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The Reflector staff strives to maintain the integrity of this paper through accurate and honest reporting. If we publish an error we will correct it. To report an error, call 325-7905.

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THE REFLECTOR TUESDAY NOVEMBER 22, 2016

Christmas is in the air: students reflect on traditions

by Will Wells Staff Writer

As the holiday season approaches, many Mississippi State students are looking forward to spending time with their families and taking part in some of their favorite traditions.

As one might expect, many students’ favorite traditions center around Christmas presents, including freshman undeclared student Jaylon Anderson and freshman electrical engineering major Caleb Simpson.

“Opening one present on Christmas Eve is my favorite tradition,” Anderson said.

Simpson had a similar favorite.

“One of my family’s traditions is that we open all of our presents a day early,” Simpson said.

Jonnese Goings, a sophomore majoring in business management is excited by the opportunity to give gifts to others.

“Buying Christmas presents for people is my favorite part of Christmas,” Goings said.

Other MSU students enjoy getting into the Christmas spirit by watching their favorite Christmas movies.

Christopher Bell, a graduate student studying public administration and policy said he looks forward to watching his favorite

Christmas movie over the holidays.

“Watching ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ and drinking eggnog, it just doesn’t get better than that in my opinion,” Bell said.

While freshman mechanical engineering major Jack Rogers’ favorite Christmas tradition is related to movies, it is not related to Christmasspecific movies.

“Two days before Christmas every year I watch every Harry Potter movie in order,” Rogers explained.

Sophomore Emily Hubbard, a pre-nursing student, is more excited for Christmas music than Christmas movies.

“I’ve had my playlist of Christmas music ready since October and I’m very excited for it to be socially acceptable to play it nonstop,” Hubbard said.

While many students are looking forward to having a big Christmas dinner, freshman kinesiology major Conner Cook is looking forward to Christmas breakfast.

“Eating breakfast with my family after opening presents on Christmas morning is my favorite part of Christmas.” Cook said.

CoreyPoliteJr.,afreshman business administration major, said he enjoys spending time with his father during the holiday season; while sophomore civil engineering major Aaron Cornelius said he

enjoys spending time with his brother.

“Hunting with my dad for some of the meal is my favorite part of Christmas,” Polite said.

“I look forward to decorating the house with my little brother,” Cornelius said.

Sophomore animal and dairy science major Kelsey Hofheinz said she enjoys the opportunity to spend time with her mother in the same way they spent time with her grandmother before she passed away.

“Baking cookies with my mom, and my grandma before she passed away, is my favorite Christmas tradition,” Hofheinz said.

Many students are also looking forward to having a few large holiday meals at home.

“Having a big meal, exchanging gifts, and going shopping after are my favorite parts of Christmas,” Andre Brooks, a freshman majoring in broadcast meteorology, said.

Tony Laudadio, a senior double majoring in history

and political science, said his family enjoys a traditional Italian Christmas meal every Christmas Eve. “The night before Christmas we get together with my dad’s sister and have a traditional Italian Christmas meal every year,” Laudadio said.

Freshman architecture major Ashley Casteel said she enjoys some traditional symbols of Christmas.

“Advent calendars and nutcrackers are some of my favorite parts of Christmas,” Casteel said.

Payton Bean, a freshman computer engineering major, said his family has a unique Christmas tradition.

“We adopted my sister around Christmas one year and we are currently in the process of adopting another sibling so I guess if that can be considered a tradition it is my favorite Christmas tradition,” Bean said.

Taylor Howard, a junior elementaryeducationmajor, remembers one tradition from her childhood fondly.

“When we were kids we wrote Christmas letters to Santa and then burned

Christmas Traditions Jenn McFadden, The Reflector

them in the fireplace to send them up to Santa,” Howard said.

Some MSU students, including freshman theatre major Lucilus Stout, enjoy giving back during the holiday season.

“My family volunteers at the local shelter and we reminisce,” Stout said.

Sophomore Aaron Cornelius said giving back

is important during the Christmas season.

“We go to the nursing home or the local stew pot back home every year,” Cornelius said.

MSU’s students celebrate the holiday season in a wide variety of ways. While MSU students chose to celebrate holidays in different ways, these students are all excited for the holiday season.

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SPORTS

THE REFLECTOR TUESDAY NOVEMBER 22, 2016

No. 10 Bulldogs take down No. 8 Texas

by Amber Dodd Staff Writer

It was a triumphant day in The Humphrey Coliseum as 7,764 fans welcomed the No. 10 ranked Mississippi State Bulldogs home to overcome the No. 8 Texas Longhorns in a 79-68 victory Sunday night.

“We were able to do this on national TV: show everyone what Starkvegas and women’s basketball’s all about.” Head coach Vic Schaefer said after the Bulldogs delivered in their victory against Texas.

The Bulldogs started the game with a steady pace and aggressive demeanor, not allowing the Longhorns to establish any tempo. They set a dominant attitude and did not let up, taking a 16-16 lead into the second quarter.

Mississippi State took overwhelming control in the second quarter, getting the Longhorns out of their way. With Texas reaching small depth, the Bulldogs outscored Texas 26-9.

An ear shattering crowd

cheered them on, giving the Bulldogs the energy they needed to keep their successful execution going.

Usual Longhorn stars Brooke McCarty and Ariel Atkins got into a shooting rhythm of their own and scored 37 of Texas’ 68 points.

Schaefer praised McCarty as being the heart and soul of the team, collecting a team high 19 points. He also mentioned his pride in the early test Texas gave individual players.

He brought light to William’s success guarding McCarty, getting her trapped in many transitional parts of the game that could have cost the Bulldogs.

William discussed the experience against one of the nation’s best guards.

“She was a good match up,” William said. “I tried to guard her as much as possible because she’s such a great shooter,” “I had to give my all on my screens against her.”

William rallied up a team high 23 points, 13 of which came from free throws. In the fourth quarter, she collected 10 from Schaefer’s strategy of getting easy

points during the bonus fouls.

“She’s so good at the line and on the stretch,” Coach Schaefer said “You want to get the ball in her hand during bonus.”

He put his faith into many of his Bulldogs as the bench was checked in to allow usual starters to rest.

In the notable second quarter, he checked in Jazzmun Holmes, Roshunda Johnson and Blair Schaefer for Dominique Dillingham, Morgan William and Victoria Vivians with a comfortable seven point lead.

The bench gave the same dominating performance and extended the lead to 12 before Vivians was called back in. Compared to last season, the bench performed at the same level of intensity, giving Mississippi State an advantage amongst teams.

“Our depth showed today,” Coach Schaefer said. “It’s much easier to coach when you’ve got all of these skilled, young players who want to play ball.”

With so many Bulldogs contributing to the win,

Olivia Zeringue | The Reflector

w

team leader Vivians is now just a viable option.

Though with her usual and irreplaceable performance with 19 points, she feels

more relaxed and in control of how she plays.

“Everyone stepped in and it was a lot different,” Vivians said. “Everyone

can go to the basketball and score, and bigs can score.

It’s not just me. I don’t have to take bad shots or force anything.”

Upoming Sporting Events Women’s Basketball Friday, Nov. 25 @ Oregon

Men’s Basketball Friday, Nov. 25 vs. Lehigh

Football Saturday, Nov. 26 @ Ole Miss

Mississippi State University 2016 Fall Commencement Ceremony December 9, 2016 at 7:00 p.m.

Processional begins at 6:30 p.m.

Doors open at 5:00 p.m.

Humphrey Coliseum *ALL BAGS ARE SUBJECT TO SEARCH*

The University Registrar announces detailed graduation information regarding regalia, invitations, photographs, and marching instructions. This information is available at www.registrar.msstate.edu, under students/graduation for you to view and/or print.

Order regalia at the following:

https://gradsupply.com/mississippi-state-university/

Congratulations to all of Our Graduates! *Graduates and their guests are expected to remain in their seats until the conclustion of the ceremony.*