MSU language department sports a power couple

After 15 years of marriage, Keith and Kelly Moser continue to thrive together while both working in Mississippi State University’s Department of Classical and Modern Languages and Literatures (CMLL).

The CMLL department is composed of seven different language sections: Asian Studies, Classics, French, German, Italian, Russian and Spanish. Keith Moser works as the department head of the French section, while Kelly Moser serves as the department’s graduate coordinator and an associate professor of Spanish. In 2002, the couple met at a graduate orientation at the University of Tennessee on Keith Moser’s birthday.

Chicken Salad Chick closes its doors in Starkville

On Jan. 31, Chicken Salad Chick on Highway 12 permanently closed in Starkville.

Dianna and Cameron Parker, owners of the Chicken Salad Chick in Starkville, shared the reasoning behind their decision to close the restaurant.

“Our sales cut almost in half within the past two years,” Cameron Parker said.

The pair said they were using their personal money to keep the store afloat. In hopes of keeping the Starkville store open, they attempted to move it to a smaller location.

Dianna Parker said the size of the store needed to be cut in half. They had plans of moving it to the space in Midtown between Orange Theory and Strange Brew.

However, this plan was not approved by the corporate sector of Chicken Salad Chick. According to Cameron Parker, Chicken Salad Chick disapproved because the space lacked a private parking lot, and there was no space for a drive thru. Without the cooperation from the Chicken Salad Chick corporation, the Parkers decided to close their store.

“Instead of continuing to pay out of pocket, we sold it,” Cameron Parker said.

According to the Parkers, the decision did not come without speculation from members of the community. The pair said they faced many accusations and dealt with rumors that were simply untrue.

“We love Starkville, and we tried. We really did try to keep Chicken Salad Chick here,” Dianna Parker said. This decision shocked many Starkville residents, as there was only a short notice that the store would be closing.

Brayden Flanagan, a sophomore majoring in environmental engineering, was a frequent customer of Chicken Salad Chick. She found out about the news of its closing when a friend called her.

“I was leaving class when my friend called me. We were freaking out,” Flanagan said.

CHICKEN, 2

“I had just started my Ph.D, and she just started her master’s degree. Of course, she couldn’t resist my charisma,”

Keith Moser said. However, Kelly Moser said her initial interest was in the chocolate birthday cake he had brought to the event.

As a couple, she said they got along beautifully and have always been best friends.

“Keith is very calm, will observe everything and will be the last one to speak. I am the opposite,” Kelly Moser said.

The couple agreed that their personality differences were complimentary to one another.

After graduating with his Ph.D in Modern Foreign Languages, Keith Moser was offered a job at MSU and the couple relocated to Starkville, Mississippi.