2 20 18 full

THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIVERSITY SINCE 1884

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2018

132nd YEAR ISSUE 35

SEC CHAMPIONS

Kelly Price | MSU Communications

“I couldn’t be happier for our players, I know how hard they work. I know the blood, sweat and tears they pour into this, as well as my staff. That is the thing I am thinking about when that happens, finally our kids are not in the locker room listening to somebody else scream on the floor. It is us.”

-Vic Schaefer

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

HI: 74 LO: 64 SKY: Rainy

HI: 76 LO: 62 SKY: Rainy

HI: 77 LO: 62 SKY: Partly Cloudy

POP: 9%

POP: 90%

POP: 60%

FORECAST: Tuesday will be warm and cloudy with a high of 74 and a low of 64. On Wednesday, there will be a 90 percent chance of rain and thunderstorms with a high of 76 and a low of 62. Thursday will have a 60 percent chance of thunderstorms with a high of 77 and a low of 62.

Emily Kaye, Campus Connect Meteorologist

Reader’s Guide: Bad Dawgs Bulletin Board Opinion Contact Info

3 3 4 4

Puzzles Classifieds Life&Entertainment Sports

3 3 4 6

Policy: Any person may pick up a single copy of The Reflector for free. Additional copies may be obtained from the Henry Meyer Student Media Center for 25 cents per copy.

2

THE REFLECTOR TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2018

@REFLECTORONLINE

Women’s basketball secures SEC title Vivians 26, Johnson’s defense carries No. 2 MSU over No. 17 Texas A&M. TAYLOR RAYBURN SPORTS EDITOR

Second place, the two words that have followed Mississippi State University’s Women’s Basketball over the course of head coach Vic Schaefer’s tenure. SEC Champions, the two words now follow that same basketball program.

“Sometimes, you have to go through really hard times, some really disappointing times,” Schaefer said. “I have been really disappointed at times for my kids and my staff, because I know how hard they work. It just wasn’t our time and sometimes the good Lord puts you through those times to get you somewhere bigger and better.”

Schaefer said accomplishing this victory at home in the Humphrey Coliseum just added to the experience.

“It was really special, and to be able to do it in front of our fans,” Schaefer said. “I couldn’t be happier for our players, I know how hard they work. I know the blood, sweat and tears they pour into this, as well as my staff. That is the thing I am thinking about when that happens, finally our kids are not in the locker room listening to somebody else scream on the floor. It is us.”

Victoria Vivians, a senior from Carthage, and Teaira McCowan, a junior from Brenham, Texas, took in the moment by dancing in the streamers as they fell on the team after the game.

“It (streamers) has always been going in our face, but it was not ours,” Vivians said. “So it was finally ours, so we just tried to enjoy the moment.”

Schaefer and his No. 2 Bulldogs (27-0, 14-0 SEC) captured the outright SEC Regular Season Title on Sunday night in their 76-55 win over No. 17 Texas A&M (20-8, 9-5 SEC). The title was not only the first regular season title in women’s

Alayna Stevens| The Reflector

Vic Schaefer holds the net after the No. 2 Mississippi State University women’s basketball team defeats No. 17 Texas A&M University to secure the SEC title outright.

basketball at MSU, but the first in any women’s sport at the school.

“This league is nothing but a grind,” Schaefer said.

“You are going against the best coaches in the country, you are going against the best players in the country night in and night out, and these kids have answered the bell every single night.”

Not afraid of the big moment, MSU came out

scorching hot as they took an 11-0 lead to open up the game, and finished the first quarter at 24-9. Roshunda Johnson, a senior from Little Rock, Arkansas, jump-started MSU to their 11-0 start with two threes, sending the 9,933 in attendance into a frenzy.

“It felt good,” Johnson said.

A&M got within six in the second quarter before MSU stretched the lead back

to 11 at half. MSU ran away with the game in the third quarter, taking a 19-point lead into the final period.

There, they continued to run away with the game. MSU’s largest lead of the night was 23 points.

The usual stars showed up for MSU on Sunday night. Vivians led the team in points with 26 points and registered a double-double by grabbing 12 rebounds.

Keeping true to their form all season, it was a team win for MSU. All five of the starters scored double digits.

Morgan William scored 12 points and picked up seven assists. McCowan scored 11 points, grabbed 11 rebounds and blocked two shots. Blair Schaefer scored 11, going 3-6 from behind the three point arc and was the only player to play all 40 minutes of the game.

Johnson scored 16 points, but her biggest contribution came on the defensive end as she shut down A&M’s Danni Williams, who entered the night averaging 14.9 points a game. Sunday night, she only scored one.

Their next game is Thursday at home against Auburn. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. and the SEC Network will broadcast the game.

In the end, Sunday night was a big win and a big step for this program, but these Bulldogs have two more words they want to follow them by the time the season ends: national champions.

“We’re not done yet,” Vic Schaefer said.

The Reflector wins big at SEJC NEWS EDITOR

A group of 11 members of The Reflector staff won 10 awards this weekend at the 32nd annual Southeast Journalism Conference.

30 universities attended and competed in the threeday conference hosted by Harding University, in Searcy, Arkansas.

The highlight of the conference was the Best of the South contest. This event recognizes the outstanding published work of student journalist between Nov. 15, 2016, through Nov. 14, 2017. The SEJC judges

evaluated 412 entries across 23 individual categories, along with eight school-specific categories.

The Editor-inChief of The Reflector, Emmalyne Kwasny, a junior communication major from Brandon, earned the highest award of SEJC, College Journalist of the Year. This award is given to the journalist who demonstrates the highest level of commitment and professionalism in journalism.

“I was honestly shocked, I was not expecting to win,” Kwasny said. “I am truly blessed and could not have won this award without the support of many people.”

In addition, there were five other ‘Best of the South’ winners: Best OpinionEditorial Writer- 10th place Chris Lowe and fifth place Steven Weirich; Best Sports Writer- sixth place Samuel Taylor Rayburn; Best Special Event Reporter/Editorfourth place Emmalyne Kwasny; Best Multimedia Journalist- third place Josh Beck.

Chris Lowe, a junior majoring in business administration from Bay Springs, said he was thrilled SEJC recognized him.

“As someone that writes simply for pleasure and a desire to have his opinions

heard, getting the kind of recognition associated with the SEJC means that I’ve reached more ears than I could have imagined,” Lowe said. “I’m proud to help show that MSU and its student journalists have a lot to say, and we do so with excellence.”

As a whole, The Reflector won 10th place for their old website design, and third place for best college newspaper., ahead of fourth place University of Mississippi.

Kwasny said it was great to see the team’s hard work and dedication pay off.

“I am very proud of my staff and the work we have put forward over the past year,” Kwasny said. “Winning third place among 30 other distinguished schools is just a small testament to the hard work and dedication of our staff, which I am honored to lead.”

Along with the pre-

Call or Text 601-701-5141

Marlee Crawford |Courtesy Photo

A group of Mississippi State University students smile after the ‘Best of the South’ awards at the SEJC banquet.

submitted work, The Reflector team competed in on-site competitions while at the conference. MSU’s team consisted of 12 students who competed in 12 of 15 journalism, broadcasting and public relations categories available in the competition.

The three awards received

by MSU were: Sports Writing- third place; Hunter Cloud, Design/Page Layoutthird place, Emmalyne Kwasny; and Overall Onsite

Championship- second place The Reflector.

Hunter Cloud, a freshman communication major from Springdale, Arkansas, said he was proud of the work he and the team presented during the onsite competition.

“It meant a lot to place in an on-site competition,” Cloud said. “I feel like we represented MSU well and it’s great to add on to my legacy here at MSU, since my dad is an alumni.”

201 E. MAIN ST. STARKVILLE, MS

FACIALS & MORE Beauty Bar Facial $75 Express Facial $35 24k Gold Facial $70 Vitamin C Facial $70 Clearing Facial $70

Men’s Facial $65 Facial Planing $35 Eyebrow Tint $15 Lash Tint $15 Lash & Eyebrow Tint $25

WAXING Bikini $40 Brazilian $65 Eyebrow $14 Lip $10 Chin $10

Full Legs $65 Half Legs $45 Underarm $25 Full Face $40 Back $65

MAKEUP Makeup Lesson $ 30 Event Makeup In-House $50

Event Makeup On Location $75+ Airbrush makeupe available for events.

NEW CLIENTS RECIEVE 10% OFF THEIR FIRST VISIT

Listen to our Sports Podcast coming out Thursday, as we discuss the Women's Basketball Team's SEC Championship WIN!

JOSH BECK

Follow us on Instagram!

@reflectoronline

THE REFLECTOR TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2018 @REFLECTORONLINE

BULLETIN BOARD

3

An In-Class Distraction

BAD DAWGS Friday, Feb. 16, 2018 8:34 a.m. Employee reported false 911 harassing calls to MSUPD. 10:47 a.m. Employee reported an external hard drive missing from TV center at the Wise Center.

11:11 a.m. Student reported fraudulent use of his checking account via the internet.

1:53 p.m. Student reported being harassed by her ex-boyfriend.

2:47 p.m. Detective assisted SPD with a check fraud case done by MSU student.

3:01 p.m. Student had pain back pain due to the elevator in Ruby Hall falling from the third to first floors. Subject refused medical attention.

3:48 p.m. Employee reported money stolen from her office in Allen Hall.

Saturday, Feb. 17, 2018 12:58 a.m. Student in Deavenport Hall was complaining of having shortness of breath. Subject was transported to OCH by ambulance.

1:03 a.m. Student reported not feeling well after smoking marijuana in Nunnelee Hall. Subject was transported to OCH by ambulance. Referrals were issued to four other students for smoking marijuana in Nunnelee Hall.

4:36 p.m. Student dislocated his shoulder playing basketball in the Sanderson Center. Subject was transported to OCH by ambulance.

11:28 p.m. Student was issued an arrest citation on Blackjack Road for speeding 45/20 and possession of marijuana. A referral was issued.

Sunday, Feb. 18, 2018 5:08 Student reported receiving a threatening text message from a resident of city/county.

Notable traffic violations: Two MSU citations were issued for speeding from Feb. 16-18.

MSU citation issued for disregard of traffic device on Bailey Howell.

Justice Court citation issued for expired tag and no insurance on Tracy Drive.

MSU citation issued for disregard of traffic device on Bost.

MSU citation issued for driving wrong way on Hurst Lane.

SUDOKU

ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY...

... 1974 Reg Murphy, an editor at “The Atlanta Constitution” was kidnapped at gunpoint by a suspect recognized as William Williams. Murphy was known for his anti-Vietnam War stance. Williams lured Murphy by saying he had 300,000 gallons of heating oil to donate to the poor. Williams, claimed to represent a right-wing militia and demanded a ransom of $700,000. After 49 hours of Williams detaining Murphy, managing editor G. James Minter paid the ransom. Williams and his wife were caught in their home with the ransom money. Williams was sentenced to 40 years for kidnapping and extortion, and his wife received three years probation for concealment of the crime. In 1975, Williams was granted a new trial, found guilty again and was sentenced to 50 years in federal prison. After nine years, he was paroled. The motive of this crime is still unknown. history.com

Feb. 16 puzzle solutions

Stay in the know! reflector-online.com Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram @reflectoronline, and check out our new life, sports and opinion podcasts at https://soundcloud.com/user-706502143

SPONSOR OUR PUZZLES! Find out how by calling: 662-325-2374.

CLASSIFIEDS Are you an artist or an aspiring business person?

Are you interested in selling your designs and work? If so, you should check out the Starkvegas Flea Market to rent a booth. Email starkvegasfleamarket@ gmail.com or call Julie at 662-769-6180.

4 BEDROOMS AVAILABLE FOR RENT IN A LARGE HOUSE. sunroom, dining room and a laundry room. 2 Full baths, large living area with fireplace.

hardwood and ceramic tile flooring, garage, fenced in yard, Pet friendly environment for a fee.

Only seven minutes from campus. Affordable room prices range from $325.00 per month to $425.00 per month. If interested call 662-312-5630. For MSU students only.

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

Thursday. The 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 at The Reflector office in the Student Media Center. 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.

Cumulus OnAir Job Fair

Need a job? Need an employee? Check out the Cumulus On-Air Job Fair where you can post a help wanted ad for free to be advertised on air or look through our help wanted ads and apply for a job!

4

THE REFLECTOR TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2018 @REFLECTORONLINE

OPINION

MSU feral cats may be removed from campus

MSU’s feral cats are a joy to the campus and should stay MSU’s feral cats are a nusance and should leave campus MIA RODRIGUEZ

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

It is hard to believe our Mississippi State University felines could face deportation from the campus they call home, especially in a society which often values animals as family. Not only are the campus cats adorable, but they have the potential to offer so much more with their presence.

Although deemed “feral,” MSU’s campus cats are quite friendly and often approach students. They seem happy, and their presence causes no harm to students or the campus, and the may even prompt long-term mental and other campus-wide benefits.

College campuses are a stressful environment. Between stressful, nearly impossible courses, to trying to navigate the tumultuous seas of a social life, not one college student can escape the snares of stress and anxiety. However, cats have the ability to ease some of this anxiety.

According to Dr. Kay Judge and Dr. Maxine Barish-Wreden of The Seattle Times, pet owners faced less stress and dealt with stress more effectively than their petless peers. Cats cannot get rid of all stress by any means, but having even a little stress eased can make all the difference in the world.

Having cats around also has a multitude of other benefits positively impacting human health. Health Fitness Revolution states cats can decrease the risk of stroke and heart attacks, lower blood pressure and boost immunity to allergens. Cats even act as little four-legged therapists, and “trigger the release of oxytocin, the hormone known for inducing feelings of love and trust,” Health Fitness Revolution states. In addition, I cannot help but think cats probably enjoy our presence as much as we enjoy their presence.

It is as if the cats each have thousands of student owners who will stop for a quick pet before class, and give them the attention they desire. They even have free-rein to roam the expansive campus, which they may not have if they were completely domesticated.

Keeping the “feral” cats also has other visible benefits related to campus upkeep.

As said by Alley Cat Rescue, feral cats provide a “pesticide-free solution to rodent control,” and even help boost community involvement through “implementing local

Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) programs.”

According to Hannah Ferrett of The Sun, even the most magical place on earth, Walt Disney World, sees the benefit of using cats, specifically for rodent control.

“Given it’s a kids’ paradise, a lot of food gets dropped on the floor each day.

That should spell a rodent problem, which is where the cats come in. After dark, 200 felines are let loose behind the gates to make sure there are no mice. They’re cared for during the day too - staff feed them and they’re spayed or neutered,” Ferrett said.

There really is little need or benefit from removing the cats from campus.

Furthermore, keeping the cats can actually mean fewer tax expenditures.

“Unlike eradication programs, which are paid for using tax dollars, most TNR programs operate using private money and volunteers.

A study found that TNR programs could cut costs in half. With an estimated 87 million free-roaming, community cats in the United States, it would cost government entities about $16 billion to trap and kill these cats as opposed to about $9 billion to support TNR programs run by rescue organizations and individual volunteers,” Alley Cat Rescue explained.

I truly see no reason to evict these precious creatures, and I am sure many animal-loving student and faculty would agree. Cats supposedly have nine lives, and these felines are willingly choosing to spend

KRISTINA DOMITROVICH

is a junior majoring in communication.

Contact her at opinion@reflector. msstate.edu

Before I get into the details of why I think feral cats should be removed from Mississippi State University’s campus, you should know I hate cats. I am not trying to hide my bias, I think they are the absolute worst.

Cats cannot be trusted, and I kind of think their whole lives are spent plotting revenge against their humans. Ever heard the phrase, “Don’t bite the hand that feeds you?” Yeah, well, cats do not get this, and this is just one reason they are the worst.

More people are allergic to cats than they are to dogs. If people’s bodies are physically rejecting cats, I cannot imagine a more compelling reason to be a dog person.

Because cat allergies are so prevalent of an issue, people really should not be subjected to cats while they are on campus trying to earn an education.

According to the American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology, 10 percent of the population is allergic to cats, which is twice the percentage of dog allergies. This percentage actually increases

Jennifer McFadden, The Reflector

to one in seven people, for those ages six to 19. Oh look, college kids fit into that age range.

Students have enough to worry about; reacting to a fuzzy creature following them to class or hanging out under the Subway pavilion should not be added to the list.

Let us not forget the rabid cat epidemic of August 2015. Therese Apel for the Clarion-Ledger reported in 2015 a rabid bat bit and infected a Starkville cat. As this was the first land animal case of rabies in all of Mississippi since 1961, there was justified terror raging through the streets. I remember this happening my freshman year, and wondering what hell I may have gotten myself into by choosing MSU: the place where rabid feline roam.

There is an approach often taken to reduce feral cats, and this method is called trap, neuter and release, TNR. Not only does this method cost America’s local taxpayers $7 billion annually according to American Veterinary Medical Association, but TNR also ends up subjecting the animals to more harm.

In an interview with AVMA’s Bridget M. Kuehn, DVM David Jessup says TNR increases diseases in feline colonies. He also pointed out feral cats have an 80 percent morbidity rate, most dying from trauma (read: students driving over them).

In addition, many animal activist groups have started saying the TNR program is based on veterinarians’ reckless abandonment of these feral cats after their surgery and release.

Now please do not get me wrong, while I hate cats, I do not think these hairballs should be exterminated to remove them from MSU’s campus. There are a lot of alternatives to having cats rampaging about terrorizing all the students.

We have amazing animal shelters in the area to take in feral cats, and thanks to volunteer foster caretakers, these programs can acclimate them to human interaction before being put up for adoption.

According to Stray Pet Advocacy, while socializing feral cats may take a while, the process is overall straightforward. The main thing is to patiently build trust, and this happens mainly through food. Avoid eye contact and do not pet the cat until it is comfortable around you and watches you curiously. Eventually, petting can begin to occur, and your feral cat is on its way to being sociable.

I say enough is enough in terrorizing us poor students. There are plenty of alternatives out there to avoid the issue of having feral cats.

To the cats on MSU’s campus: “You don’t have to go home, but you can’t stay here.”

MLB collusion with owners should not be a concern

STEVEN WEIRICH

is a senior majoring in economics. Contact him at opinion@reflector.msstate.edu.

With spring training starting this past week for Major League Baseball teams, there was plenty of anticipation in the air in both Arizona and Florida, but there was also a surprise thrown into the mix.

According to Ben Nightengale in USA Today, there will be an extra camp set up in Florida in order to accommodate the roughly 80 free agents who have not yet been signed.

This has sparked claims from agents and some observers of collusion among front offices in order to lock out players until they agree to play for much lower salaries. However, I find these claims to be a bit lacking.

To be clear, baseball fans do have a right to be

concerned. The slow pace of free agent signing the past few months has indeed been historic. According to a Washington Post article by Neil Greenberg, spending this offseason on free agents (as of Feb. 7) has totaled up to only $780 million, whereas about $1.45 billion was spent last winter.

Many of the free agents left are also legitimate stars, not just no-names or veterans looking for a lastminute chance at spending another year in the majors.

Jake Arrieta, Alex Cobb, J.D. Martinez and Mike Moustakas are all wellknown players who remain unsigned. The collusion claims have mostly come from agents who think their clients are being purposefully locked out.

I would argue, though, there are many other factors playing into this sluggish pace of signings.

First of all, there is evidence the talent level of the free agents this offseason may have been lower than in previous winters. According to Neil Payne for FiveThirtyEight, this latest group of free agents has the lowest wins

above replacement of any crop of top-40 players in their previous three seasons since 2006.

To clarify for people who do not geek out over sabermetrics, wins above replacement are basically an approximation of how much value a team would lose if they replaced a certain player. Add this to the fact that many players left unsigned are in the latter half of their careers, and it is easy to see there are valid reasons for front offices to be wary.

Concerns like these are also indicative of the way the game of baseball has changed over the last few decades.

Many teams now employ groups of statisticians and data experts to look over numbers on players such as their wins above replacement or the average fastball velocity of the pitchers.

Years ago, data such as this would have never been collected, much less carefully scrutinized.

However, this sabermetric approach has grown increasingly popular over the past few years.

Although there are some

CONTACT INFORMATION Editor in Chief/Emmalyne Kwasny 325-7905 editor@reflector.msstate.edu

life@reflector.msstate.edu Photography Editor/Lindsay Pace

managing@reflector.msstate.edu news@reflector.msstate.edu

Online Editor/Collin Smith multimedia_editor@reflector.msstate.edu Advertising Sales/Johnson Cooke

Opinion Editor/Jessica Lindsey

325-2374 advertise@reflector.msstate.edu

opinion@reflector.msstate.edu

Graphics Editor/ Jenn McFadden

Sports Editor/Taylor Rayburn sports@reflector.msstate.edu

Jennifer McFadden, The Reflector

Star pitcher Yu Darvish to a six-year contract. This, combined with the fact that free agent Eric Hosmer signed with the San Diego Padres over the weekend, provides further evidence teams are now moving to

pick up the 80-some odd free agents still on the market.

So, do not freak out too much, baseball fans. I think this bump in the road over free agents may be starting to smooth itself out.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Life Editor/Will Wells

Managing Editor/Kristina Domitrovich News Editor/Josh Beck

talking heads who dismiss it, it does appear this is the direction the game is headed for the foreseeable future.

It may just be the case the elevation of hard numbers over reputations or name recognition has caused there to be such a high number of players left without jobs.

Finally, it is not as if some big-market teams have not made any moves this winter. The San Francisco Giants and the New York Yankees both made big trades to acquire Evan Longoria and Giancarlo Stanton, respectively. With big-market teams acquiring players through this option, they have not had as much of a need to go out and make big free agent signings.

Given these factors, I simply remain unconvinced the lethargic pace of free agent signings has been a nefarious collusion plot among the MLB front offices.

There have even been indications this dam might be starting to burst. As reported by Grant Brisbee at SB Nation, the Chicago Cubs recently signed All-

Circulation/Erin Blake circulation@reflector.msstate.edu

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.

EDITORIAL POLICY

The Reflector is the official student newspaper of Mississippi State University.

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

CORRECTIONS

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.

THE REFLECTOR TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2018 @REFLECTORONLINE

LIFE & ENTERTAINMENT

5

MSU shows off the sciences at Night at the Museum Emma dray braswEll staff writEr

Filled to the brim with new learning opportunities, “Night at the Museum” is an annual event held during Darwin Week at Mississippi State University, which is put on to celebrate the phenomenon of science.

The doors to the Lois Dowdle Cobb Museum of Archaeology and the Dunn-Seiler Museum opened to the surrounding community, so everyone could take part.

Anna Osterholtz, an associate professor of anthropology and Middle Eastern studies, led a portion of the event focused on anthropology.

“This is for students,” Osterholtz said. “This is for other faculty on campus.

This is for interested community members. It’s for kids. It’s just to show kind of what anthropology is, and how we do what we do.”

While the event was

Emma Dray Braswell | The Reflector

Community members wait outside of Mississippi State University’s Cobb Institute of Archaeology for MSU’s Night at the Museum event.

intended to appeal to the entire community, the event was specifically designed for students.

“I came to the Night at the Museum because I really enjoy science museums and labs, so I was interested to

see what MSU was doing in those terms,” said Diann Evans, a freshman majoring in microbiology.

The event inspired some students to look further into the topics of interest.

“We’ve already talked

to several students who are looking at changing their majors and getting into one of the branches of anthropology,” said Billy Wildmon, a recent graduate who decided to come back to work some

of the equipment he was knowledgeable about.

The activities and demonstrations at Night at the Museum inspired local children with labs and educational entertainment.

Osterholtz said despite the diverse audience, the goal of the event was to show everyone “what these sciences can really do.”

There were multiple tables set out with activities and displays, including a table where children could identify different types of skulls.

“The Middle Eastern Archaeology lab is open,” Osterholtz said. “The Zooarchaeology lab is open, so you can go down and see what the fossils look like, and that’s just in this building. Geoscience, all of their labs and museums are also open. There’s a lot to see.”

One demonstration which took place at the event was of a portable x-ray fluorescence spectrometer.

“Not a whole lot of

grad schools in the country have one of these, and they’ve taught me how to use it.

It’s good for us to be able to demonstrate that we have this technology and this capability because things like this can attract people,” Wildmon said.

Because MSU has such an abundance of equipment, the graduate programs in these areas have drawn in people worldwide. Night at the Museum gives departments the opportunity to demonstrate the equipment to the community.

“The machines and equipment used in the lab were extremely interesting and impressive,” Evans said.

To learn more about the science of geology, archaeology and anthropology, visit the social media pages of the anthropology club or Lambda Alpha, two of the organizations which helped organize Night at the Museum.

Review: ‘Black Panther’ lives up to high expectations

Collin smith

onlinE Editor

Ryan Coogler has given us one of Marvel’s best films, which, considering his resume thus far, should not be a big surprise.

Because of his track record with “Creed” and “Fruitvale Station,” I had high expectations going into “Black Panther,” and they were all satisfied.

Where Marvel’s latest film really exceeds is in its world-building. Wakanda

feels alive. It feels real.

They take time and effort to establish Wakanda as almost a secondary character, and I think it is well worth it in the end.

The people, the colors and the culture of Wakanda are a breath of fresh air within this universe, and it is refreshing to watch.

The supporting cast is amazing. Lupita Nyong’o as Nakia, Danai Gurrira as Okoye and Letitia Wright as T’Challa’s sister Shuri, are a few of the standouts from an all-star cast.

Everyone is treated with the respect they deserve, and no one gets left by the wayside. Every story arc feels both important and earned. Chadwick Boseman plays T’Challa beautifully, as he struggles to fill his role as the new King of Wakanda.

This brings me to easily the best part of the movie; Michael B. Jordan as the villain, Erik Killmonger.

This is the third time director Ryan Coogler and Michael B. Jordan have worked together on a film,

Review: ‘Seeing Allred’ Emma moffEtt staff writEr

In today’s political climate, with the rise of the Me Too movement, the release of the Netflix original documentary “Seeing Allred” could not have been more relevant.

Gloria Allred, a civil rights attorney who made a name for herself by taking on many high-profile cases on the protection of women’s rights, has often been demonized in the public eye.

Ego-Driven.

Moneyhungry.

Attention-Seeking.

These words, among others, have been used to characterize Allred as a manipulative liar seeking to feed her own agenda. “Seeing Allred” provides an intimate look into Allred’s life and motives, and works to disprove those criticisms while simultaneously shedding light onto the women’s rights movement of the 21st century.

“Seeing Allred” details this woman’s progression into social activism, by providing glimpses into Allred’s childhood, marriages, sexual abuse and her experience with abortion which all shaped her into the woman she is today. Her fire and passion for protecting the abused is undeniable and proven throughout her career.

“I live in a war zone every day. There is a war on women,” Allred said. “It’s real, it can be very ugly. Women depend on me to be strong, to be fearless, to assertively protect their rights.”The lens of this documentary is not focused solely on Allred, but also on highlighting victims of abuse and the struggles women have endured.On many occasions, “Seeing Allred” includes clips of heart-wrenching testimonies from two of Allred’s more recent public cases with Bill Cosby and Donald Trump.

For a woman characterized as self-centered and egodriven, her documentary is primarily focused on women fighting abuse rather than

Seeing

Allred

detailing every minute of her life.

When a woman expresses her opinion and fights back against social norms in a loud and aggressive way, people seem to be shocked and attempt to ostracize her from society. However, when a man conducts himself in a similar manner, he is often seen as powerful, determined and worthy of everyone’s respect.

Allred is fully aware of how the many people view her, but she chooses to continue on her path as a fierce civil rights attorney, refusing to take no for an answer. Throughout the documentary, she says it does not matter how people see her, so long as she is able to make a difference and change how people see the world.

“People say she’s loud, she’s got an ego. She must just love the camera. I just say ‘haven’t you met any men like that?’” said Laurie Levenson, professor of law at Loyola Law School.While the documentary does address many aspects of Allred’s life and career, the film fails to adequately address major controversies surrounding Allred, including the end of

JM, TR

her second marriage and how her own daughter has defended Harvey Weinstein during the midst of the sexual assault allegations against him in 2017.

Yes, Allred has made her name by publicizing the abuse of women. Yes, this is how she makes her living. However, there is nothing wrong with either of these things. Allred has been a major figure in the fight against the sexual and social abuse of women. She has refused to let tragedies die down and forces the world to confront the atrocities often used as a tool for shaming women or pushed under the rug.

To watch “Seeing Allred” is to take a step into the shoes of victimized women and their struggles for equality on every front. This documentary carries the power and voice of Allred herself. “Seeing Allred” inspires women from all backgrounds to refuse accepting abuse, so one day, women no longer have to say #metoo. As Allred says, “the fight has just begun,” and women must be ready more than ever for the battles yet to come.

and their experience with each other really shows.

Jordan brings his A-game and delivers Marvel’s best villain. He’s empathetic, terrifying and so wellrounded as a character.

There were times I got a little misty-eyed while watching Killmonger fight for his life back. It was an absolute pleasure to watch Jordan on screen.

I do believe this movie could have been about 15 to 20 minutes shorter.

There are times it drags a little bit, which I think they

could have condensed.

As far as the superhero genre goes, I think “Black Panther” is easily one of Marvel’s best, but I do not think it transcends the genre in the way films like “The Dark Knight” and “Logan” do.

I cannot talk about Blank Panther without talking about how important this film is for Hollywood.

An almost all-black cast leading a blockbuster like this for the first time is huge. In five days, it made more money than Justice

League did in 13 weeks.

Hollywood should take note. The audience is there. We desperately want amazing films like these.

Lastly, I implore you to go watch Coogler’s other films. Both “Creed” and “Fruitvale Station” are incredible films, well worth your time and money.

Black Panther feels alive, between the world Marvel built and the characters inhabiting it. Marvel has discovered something special here, and I for one cannot wait for more.

6

THE REFLECTOR TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2018 @SPORTSREFLECTOR

SPORTS

Softball kicks off new campaign, finds success in February

BRIANNA WALKER STAFF WRITER

With Mississippi State University softball coming off a season opening with four shutout victories during the Bulldog Kickoff Classic, anticipation to continue the winning streak was high going into their midweek game against the University of Tennessee-Martin and their weekend matchups in the February Freezer.

The Bulldogs (8-1) competed against UT Martin (3-6) Thursday, and the MSU Softball Program unveiled a new campaign called “No One Fights Alone.” The campaign strives to bring awareness to ovarian cancer, a disease which affected one of their own, Alex Wilcox, a freshman outfielder for the Bulldogs.

Wilcox was diagnosed with ovarian cancer her junior of high school. Though she had two surgeries and went through two rounds of chemotherapy, Wilcox did not let this get in the way of her love and desire to play softball. The team will wear special teal uniforms in all of their midweek games for the campaign.

The game was a pitching duel which held MSU scoreless

until the bottom of the fourth inning, which worked in favor for the Bulldogs to go on and defeat UT Martin 3-0. This was the fifth straight shutout victory.

“Really proud of all 4 pitching appearances,” head coach Vann Stuedeman said.

“I think Cassady (Knudsen) has put a little extra pressure on herself, it’s good for her to feel that type of pressure, and I think it will pay off in a long run. Their pitcher (UT Martin’s) was also hitting their spots really well, you can tell they came in here and felt like they had a good shot in winning the game, I was really impressed with their team, and it did take us a minute to get started, but another good day.”

Cassady Knudsen had 10 strikeouts and threw three consecutive scoreless innings.

“I was feeling good, the defense was behind me and telling me I could do it, it gave me so much confidence to have them. We try to play one pitch at a time and when the good things happen then they happen” said Knudsen, a sophomore from Altoona, Iowa.

MSU did not get on the board until the bottom of the fourth inning when Mia Davidson scored on Sarai

Niu’s single down the rightfield line.

“Kat Moore did a great job sparking the offense, and we just followed behind her pretty much. We hit when we needed to, and it was there.

Ricketts told us just to relax, see the ball and hit the ball,” said Davidson.

MSU opened the February Freezer on Friday afternoon by defeating Murray State University 6-1, where they were set to take on three teams over the course of two days, but weather extended the competition into Sunday.

MSU’s defense started off a bit shaky, which led to Murray State’s Brenna Finck to score the first run MSU has given up this season on a walk.

Although MSU came out a bit sluggish, it did not take long for the Bulldogs to respond.

Davidson put the Bulldogs on the board when she advanced to third base on Reggie Harrison’s infield groundout and was then sent home after a few wild pitches to tie the score 1-1.

The Bulldogs quickly began to adapt to the offense and capitalized off a Murray State error in the first inning to take the lead 3-1.

Candace Denis recorded her first save, allowed one hit, one walk and had three

Blake Williams | MSU Communications

MSU softball wore teal as part of their “No One Fights Alone” campaign in honor of MSU freshman outfielder Alex Wilcox. Wilcox had ovarian cancer in high school. Wilcox smiles while on deck before going into her at-bat in MSUʼs 3-0 against UT-Martin on Thursday.

strikeouts as she threw for the final three innings. With Murray State (3-5) failing to match the Bulldog’s offense, Emily Heimberger delivered the final run with a single to the left field.

The final game of Friday was the first game to require extra innings this season, and also the Bulldogs’ first loss of the season.

MSU suffered their first loss to the Drake University (6-3) by a score of 1-0. Drake hit a one-out single in the top of the eighth inning to move the base runner to third, all due to an MSU error. Drake

pushed across the run to score and take home the win.

Day two of the February Freezer held different outcomes than day one, the Bulldogs defeated the University of South Alabama Jaguars (5-4) 6-3, and due to an extensive rain delay play was suspended for the Drake rematch.

Although the Bulldogs trailed the Jaguars 3-2 until the bottom of the sixth inning, MSU had a comeback victory and scored four runs because of two South Alabama errors and a couple of stolen bases from Mia

Davidson and Calyn Adams.

On Sunday against Drake, MSU was looking for revenge.

The Bulldogs only recorded five hits in the rematch, one of which came from Candace Denis. Five hits were all it took for MSU to defeat Drake 1-0.

Denis hit an RBI double in the top of the fifth inning, putting the Bulldogs on the board and leading them to victory.

The Bulldogs will conclude their 10 game home stand at 5:30 p.m. Feb. 20 when they take on Southeastern Louisiana. The SEC Network Alternative Channel will televise the game.

HUNTER CLOUD

this obstacle.

“The thing is that both teams have to wait, so it depends on which team handles it better, and I felt like we handled it well,” Greenan said. “I am not going to say that we handled it better, but it is out of our control. We just had to be patient, just like in between the match.”

gone either way. We need that because we are going to have a lot of tough battles moving forward.”

The matches which could have gone either way were Magda Adaloglou (MSU) who defeated Daniela Ramirez (GSU) 3-6, 6-2, 6-3.

Ariana Taluyenko (GSU) played Anastasia Rentouli (MSU) 7-6 (2), 6-6, 2-3, and as set three was suspended, Sara Lizariturry (MSU) vs Damira Muminovic (GSU) 6-3, 3-6, 4-1. MSU won 4-1 as they played until clinch because of the rain delay, thus suspending the remaining games.

The close games are something Greenan believes can prepare them for the next match, which is a week away against the University of Memphis. This match will be played Feb. 24 at home.

“I think Memphis is going to be a lot like Georgia State, they are going to be a tough challenge,” Greenan said. “We have less time to turn around and get ready for that one, so that will be tricky. I see our girls improving every week and that is encouraging.”

This Memphis team is on a one-game losing skid, and MSU will look to make change it to a two-game losing skid as Greenan said the team is ready to battle the Tigers at home.

“They are all in, and we love to compete, so we are looking forward to that battle on Saturday,” Greenan said.

Men get revenge over Ole Miss Tennis overcomes rain delay to continue their win streak

RENALDO HOPKINS II STAFF WRITER

On Saturday, with a weekend filled with “Black Panther” fever at the box office and the showcase of skills at NBA All-Star Weekend, Starkville shined as the Mississippi State University men’s basketball dominated their rivals, the Ole Miss Rebels (11-16, 4-10), for a well-deserved victory, with the final score being 79-62.

The Bulldogs (19-8, 7-7 SEC) put on a shooting clinic Saturday night, going 33-55 from the field, and 12-23 from behind the arch, making this the best shooting performance from the Bulldogs this season. With four players scoring in double digits, MSU did not want to give an inch of let-up to allow the Rebels a chance to win the game.

Tyson Carter, a sophomore from Starkville, put up 15 points and knocked down four threes in the game.

“My teammates were just finding me open spots,” Carter said.

Quinndary Weatherspoon, a junior from Canton, was the Bulldogs’ top performer, putting up a double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds, as well as having three steals and two assists. He said the team is focusing on a gameto-game basis.

“I mean, we look at as a must win, but we’re just taking it game-by-game,” Weatherspoon said. “We not looking past the next game. We have South Carolina next week, but we got Texas A&M before them. So, we’re just taking it game-by-game. We just going to try to win out.”

Ole Miss head coach Andy Kennedy, who announced earlier this week he is leaving Ole Miss after this season, explained how hard it was to defend the Bulldogs when they were firing on all cylinders.

“It’s difficult to watch, man,” Kennedy said. “I think Ben (Howland) has got them to play really, really well.”

He also pointed out how well they were shooting from deep on Saturday compared to how they have been averaging the whole season.

“One thing they had not been doing over the course of the season is making threes,” Kennedy said. “Now they are making threes.”

STAFF WRITER

Alayna Stevens| The Reflector

Freshman Abdul Ado celebrates during MSUʼs 79-62 victory over Ole Miss on Saturday.

MSU head coach Ben Howland mentioned how astonished he was regarding the play from freshman guard Nick Weatherspoon, who was perfect from the field going seven for seven with 15 points, three rebounds, three assists and a steal.

“Nick Weatherspoon, what can I say,” Howland said. “Seven for seven, and the most amazing thing about Nick, to me, offensively, is that he never turns the ball over.”

He singled out how Nick Weatherspoon did not have a single turnover in Saturday’s match-up.

“I am stunned by his assist and turnovers for a freshman guard,” Howland said. “It’s really spectacular how he never turns the ball over.”

Howland was asked about forward Aric Holman, who left the game in the first half after falling hard onto the court, explaining what Holman told him about the injury.

“You know, he lands on one leg, his right leg, but it’s actually his left, the one that slams down after, is the one that’s hurt,” Howland said. “And if he would’ve told me it was the right knee, I would’ve said, ‘Yeah I can see that.’ It’s not even the knee. So, I’ll be praying nonstop that he’s going to be okay.”

Breein Tyree, who was Ole Miss’ top player in the game with 15 points, 2 assists, a steal and a block, was asked about how differently the Bulldogs looked in this meeting than in the last time the two teams played in Oxford, where Ole Miss took a 64-

58 victory.

“I saw a lot more passion and togetherness in the Mississippi State team,” Tyree said. “The last time they played us at home, they were arguing with each other a lot. But tonight, they played together, and they were moving the ball, and you got to give credit to them.”

The Bulldogs have now won four out of their last six games, and they hope to keep this dynamic play up going into tournament time.

With efficient scoring and great offensive consistency from players such as Carter and the Weatherspoon brothers, as well as the dominant paint presence of Abdul Ado to give them a defensive edge, this Bulldog team might be on track to make an appearance into the NCAA Tournament in March. And not to be forgotten, floor general Lamar Peters and Xavian Stapleton will more than likely be the team’s X-factors by how well Peters can play the floor, as he did by having seven assists on Saturday, and how nicely Stapleton can find shots.

To put it simply, the Lady Bulldogs might not be the only basketball team from MSU going to a national tournament this year.

The Bulldogs’ next game is against Texas A&M at p.m. Tuesday. The SEC Network will broadcast the game.

The next home game for the Bulldogs will be Feb. 24, as the men’s basketball team will host the visiting South Carolina Gamecocks.

Mississippi State University (5-2) came into their match against Georgia State University (5-4) on a four game win-streak Sunday. This included Feb. 12’s two wins on the road and head coach Daryl Greenan was worried the long break might have negated their momentum going into Sunday.

“There was kind of a long break between our last match last Thursday, so there was kind of a long break,” Greenan said. “Which was kind of good, we used it to get ready for this one, that was nice. Now I was a little worried that that long break would negate some of the momentum we had.”

Early on in the match, Greenan thought they competed well and played a very dominant game in doubles. MSU won courts two and three in doubles to go up 1-0 over GSU. “Our girls did look good coming into the match and I thought they competed well,” Greenan said. “There were not any easy outs, we played very well in the doubles and we were pretty dominant in the doubles, so I was happy with that.”

Midway through the game, there was a rain delay, this kept the two teams off of the courts for a while. The effect a rain delay has is based on how well a team handles it, and both teams had to face

“Th ere were not any easy outs, we played very well in the doubles, and we were pretty dominant in the doubles.”

-Head coach Daryl Greenan The team went through a three-hour rain delay before closing out the match, and Greenan thought his team played hard in a game where Georgia State fought hard for every point.

“Definitely appreciate our facilities staff for making it happen out here. It was tough, it was a long day for everybody,” Greenan said.

“Georgia State really battled hard, and I am proud of our girls for coming out on top.

Every other match could have

MSU FACULTY AND STAFF We want to hear from YOU!

If you work at MSU and read The Reflector, we need your help! If you take just 5 minutes to complete a short survey, then you will receive a small gift.

One lucky participant will win a $50 gift card to a local business!

Go to: www.tinyurl.com/MSU-faculty-reads or scan the code with your phone!