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132nd YEAR ISSUE 42
TUESDAY APRIL 3, 2018
Heartbreaker THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIVERSITY SINCE 1884
Congrats MSU women’s basketball on a great season @PhilBryantMS Mississippi could not be prouder of @HailStateWBK. Coach Schaefer and his team have brought so much joy to our state. Their future is bright. @JohnCohenAD A standard of excellence has been set by @CoachVic_MSU and @HailStateWBK ...so proud of those seniors and so appreciative to @HailState Nation for your love and support of this special group! @lynn_spruill It was an amazing performance by an amazing group of women and 1 incredible man. @CoachVic_MSU @HailStateWBK we are so proud of our DOGS!!! #HailState
@SEC An incredible season for @HailStateWBK. You represented us well and we are so proud of you.
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TUESDAY
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HI: 82 LO: 44 SKY: Partly Cloudy
HI: 61 LO: 35 SKY: Partly Cloudy
HI: 69 LO: 50 SKY: Partly Cloudy
POP: 25%
POP: 5%
POP: 50%
Tuesday will be warm and humid; however, a mid-afternoon front will clear out the warm weather. A Tuesday night thunderstorm will soak the Starkville area and bring milder weather for Wednesday and Thursday with highs in the mid-60s. -Accuweather
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2 Fans watch National Championship game at the Hump THE REFLECTOR TUESDAY, APRIL 3, 2018
JORDAN DARENSBOURG STAFF WRITER
As the Mississippi State University Women’s Basketball team battled Notre Dame for the National Championship Sunday, MSU hosted a watch party at Humphrey Coliseum. Hundreds of Bulldog fans lined up outside the Hump for hours leading up to the event, as the doors opened at 4 p.m. with free admission. As fans filed into Humphrey Coliseum, they prepared for what would potentially be MSU’s first national championship win in a team sport. One of those fans who filed into Humphrey Coliseum was Yasin Simpson, a freshman computer engineering major from Ocean Springs, who said he was entertained
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by the game, despite the outcome. “I’m excited to see how it comes right down to the line, even though we always pull through,” Simpson said. “The three-point shots out of nowhere are also great.” Another student who watched the game inside the Hump was Dante Morr, a sophomore business marketing major from Monterey, California. Morr said she too was excited for the game. “It’s going to be a good one obviously,” Morr said. “It’s going to be a good game because both teams can actually play.” Additionally, Morr said she was fascinated by a certain aspect of the event differing from most events at Humphrey Coliseum. “People brought cowbells to a coliseum,” Morr said. “This is going to be fun.” In addition to the
cowbells and the anticipation for a potential Bulldog win, SEC Now, a television show running daily on the SEC Network, hosted a special edition of the show at Humphrey Coliseum. Peter Burns, the host of SEC Now, said the atmosphere at Humphrey Coliseum was unbelievable. “I can understand why the cowbells are such a home-court advantage and why they don’t allow them in this building, because it’d be too loud for anybody to hear anything,” Burns said. “It’s so cool, and it just feels like history is going to be made today.” Additionally, Burns said he believed it would be time for Vic Schaefer’s team to win the national championship. “They learned from last year, (Schaefer) learned how to prepare the girls,” Burns said. “There are six different girls that can be a difference
maker, and I think they get it done tonight.” Burns also said he appreciates every chance he gets to visit to Starkville and MSU. “Every time I come down to Starkville, whether it’s the food or the people, they make us feel like family,” Burns said. “That’s the coolest thing, that when we get to go to all of these schools, there’s just something special when you come down to Starkville.” As the game started, fans appeared nervous at the beginning as the Lady Dawgs started off the game slow. Then, as the Dawgs climbed back into the game, and eventually into the lead, fans applauded and rang their cowbells in appreciation. Midway through the second quarter, a quarter in which MSU only conceded three points to Notre Dame, fans were sent into
a frenzy as junior center Teaira McCowan blocked a Notre Dame shot, which then deflected off the Notre Dame player and out of bounds. After the second quarter, fans continued to cheer and ring their cowbells as the Dawgs took a 30-17 lead into the break. One of those fans who was happy about the first half was Pam Brinkley, a December 1983 graduate of MSU with a degree in business administration. Brinkley said she loved the atmosphere after the first half. “Definitely (McCowan) knocking that ball out of the Notre Dame player’s hand was the best play of the first half,” Brinkley said. “It’s a great day to be a Bulldog.” However, all the jubilation of the first half seemingly switched off as the fans inside Humphrey Coliseum watched Notre
Dame came back from a 14-point deficit to even things up late in the second half. Then, with three seconds left in the fourth quarter, fans at Humphrey Coliseum seemed stunned when Notre Dame’s Arike Ogunbowale hit a buzzer-beating threepointer to defeat MSU with a final score of 61-58. As fans left Humphrey Coliseum with the knowledge MSU came up short in the title game once again, Leighanne Lubiani, a 2000 graduate of MSU in sociology from Greenwood, said she was proud of the Bulldogs, despite the result. “I was extremely proud to be here to begin with,” Lubiani said. “It was frustrating not making free throws, not getting back defensively when we (the Bulldogs) should, blowing a lead, taking nothing away from Notre Dame, they played a heck of a game.”
MSU works to close gender gap within engineering departments EMILY WRIGHT
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Walking through McCain Engineering Building, observers are likely to see an abundance of predominantly white male students traveling to their next destination. According to Mississippi State University fall 2017 enrollment data, females account for roughly 22 percent of the 3,852 undergraduates in the James Worth Bagley College of Engineering. Although a few departments such as biological, biomedical and industrial engineering have equal representation of males and females, other departments such as computer science, aerospace and mechanical engineering are disproportionate. Robert Green, the MSU undergraduate coordinator for the college of engineering, traced the significant gender gap back to high school teachers, and ultimately societal norms. “The research from National Science Foundation has shown women are making decisions about whether to enter technical fields around sixth grade,” Green said. “A lot of that is determined by their teachers discouraging them to take those tough courses because those are boys’ courses. So, by the time the women get here, there is no option because they are not prepared with the background to even think they can do engineering.”
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Charley Rhea, a mechanical engineering major, said she believes a significant obstacle for many women is figuring out if they want to pursue this field of study. Because Rhea entered an engineering track during high school, she decided early on engineering was for her. “For many people, that is not the case, and they have to figure out something they are not so familiar with,” Rhea said. “You have to have a lot of spatial skills in engineering, but girls do not typically grow up developing those skills because we are given genderspecific toys, such as Barbie dolls instead of Legos and building blocks.” Because math and science-based careers are often associated with males, women do not see themselves in these fields of study. Sarah Lee, MSU Computer Science and Engineering assistant clinical professor and director of undergraduate studies, explained how women role models are key to developing the self-efficacy to encourage more women to enter the field of engineering. “I think there are a lot of messages that girls get through the media,” Lee said. “Also, particularly in Mississippi, there is not a lot of access to female role models in engineering pathways. We have a lot of rural small towns where most of our children are growing up, and they just do not have access to see that.” Dennis Truax, head of
the MSU Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, related the current gender gap in engineering to the movie “Hidden Figures.” By discriminating based on religion, race and gender, NASA immediately eliminated its pool of creativity and chances of beating the Russians into space. “We, as a nation, have still seemed to fail to learn that having everyone included in the team only makes the team more rich and productive,” Truax said. Because there are so many males in the field, a female’s perspective adds diversity to a situation. Brandon Harmon, a mechanical engineering major, explained the importance and benefits of including females in the conversation. “The more diverse your group is, the better your solution could be,” Harmon said. “If you have a group of all men, you are all thinking in the same direction. However, if you have women and all races involved, you are able to get a diverse set of views and ultimately a better solution.” MSU offers various outreaches to improve the gender gap. Lee emphasized the importance of the university’s gender-specific K-12 outreach to introduce opportunities to females and encourage them to pursue the field of study at a young age. JM, TR
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ENGINEERING The college of engineering implemented programs such as “I Am Girl” to targets girls ages 11 to 14 years old. The program seeks to create an interest in engineering-related fields of study and a positive mindset toward technical careers. Several different female societies within the college of engineering were created to provide a support system for female students throughout their college careers. However, Savannah Metz, an aerospace engineering major, said she believes some are not as helpful as others due to the lack of activity within the
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societies. “I think we do a great job of encouraging women to enter into engineering through several different programs such as ‘I Am Girl,’ but I do not think there is enough outreach to encourage women to stick with this field of study throughout the entire four years,” Metz said. “MSU’s societies tailored toward women are there, but they are not huge and prioritized like they should be.” Because women are a minority in the field, they are highly valued and typically receive high-income salaries right out college. Truax
said he believes women are valuable to the field’s success and should consider the number of opportunities to become passionate about in engineering. However, many female students in engineering approach him and voice feelings of inferiority. “I always tell women that they are capable of achieving success in this field, and if they are not convinced, I refer them to a TED Talk by Amy Cuddy that explains faking it until you become it,” Truax said. “It might be hard, but those are just roadblocks to your success.”
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BAD DAWGS Monday, 26 March, 2018 1:06 p.m. Landscaper reported shattering a window to a shuttle bus while edging the sidewalk near Montgomery Hall. 1:38 p.m. Student reported his bike stolen from bike rack at Magnolia Hall. 9:52 p.m. Two students were issued referrals for possession of paraphernalia in Lot E6. 10:43 p.m. Officer responded to Oak Hall for a report of a physical altercation between two roommates. Tuesday, 27 March, 2018 2:18 p.m. Student reported her wallet stolen from Colvard Student Union. 4:09 p.m. Student reported his room in Kappa Sigma Fraternity
CLASSIFIEDS 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 $400.00 per month. If interested call 662-312-5630. For MSU students only. HELP WANTED: Baby sitter for 2 yrs. 10$/hr. 12 minutes to MSU, next to South Montgomery
house had been burglarized. 11:47 p.m. Report of a dumpster fire behind Howell Hall. Thursday, 29 March, 2018 10:26 a.m. Employee reported receiving harassing text messages from an unknown person. Friday, 30 March, 2018 1:05 a.m. Student was transported to OCH from Tri Delta house for medical assistance. 12:54 a.m. Student reported his wallet stolen from an office in Walker Engineering building. Saturday, 31 March, 2018 4:05 p.m. Officer reported damages to the body camera belonging to MSUPD.
Street. Call (571)643-4945 YARD SALE: HUGE Yard Sale – This Weekend! Sat 4/7 7am4pm & Sun 4/8 11am4pm. 28 & 30 Lindberg Blvd in Starkville. Vinyl, CDs, music gear, clothes (men/women), cassettes, household items, books, Elvis memorabilia, and much, much more!! Parking on the street. CLUB INFO #youbelong at INSIGHT Bible Study & Worship Tuesday Nights @ 8 p.m. at Wesley Foundation’s Worship Center. Visit www.statewesley.org for more information. The deadline for
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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.
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OPINION
Housing prices in big cities limit college graduates STEVEN WEIRICH
is a senior majoring in economics. Contact him at opinion@reflector.msstate.edu.
As my fellow seniors and I look forward to graduation this May, many of us plan to move out of the state of Mississippi. Considering the criticism I have heard (or perhaps said myself) about Mississippi, there is no denying this state has cheap housing prices. According to average home listing price data for U.S. states compiled by Trulia. com, Mississippi is 44th out of 50, meaning only six states have an average listing price lower than us. So, it should come as no surprise to most of my peers they can likely expect to pay higher prices for their housing if they are
moving out of Mississippi. However, in recent years, there has been increased commentary on the often ridiculous rise of housing prices in many of America’s largest cities. According to an article by Andrew DePietro for Forbes, rental costs in big cities have taken up an increasingly larger part of household income. In Seattle, when looking at the time span 2010-2016, median rent rose from taking up 36.8 percent of monthly earnings to requiring 42.6 percent. The same was true for Denver, where median rent increased from 36.5 to 45 percent of monthly earnings during the same time period. What is to blame for these price increases? In my eyes, as well as many other commentators, the blame rests on groups known as “NIMBYs.” NIMBY is an acronym for “not in my backyard.” Although they do not formally go by this moniker, it is not hard to find people espousing the core beliefs of NIMBYism at many local political meetings
in large cities. Many of these beliefs can simply be boiled down to “we do not want you to build X or Y in our community or neighborhood.” While NIMBYs were at one point simply standing up for safer neighborhoods or historical monuments, they have evolved into groups which help to impose large amounts of land-use regulations in big cities. These regulations have in turn contributed to raising the costs of housing in cities, because new housing units have become increasingly difficult to build. According to an article by Richard Florida at CityLab, these regulations not only hinder the construction of new houses and apartment complexes, but the regulations can also hold back the development of cities as a whole. As Florida writes, “Schools, sewer lines, electric power grids, and, even more importantly, the transit and subway lines required to move people around get
Jennifer McFadden, The Reflector
much costlier to develop as a place grows bigger.” Basically, the spillover effects of higher housing prices can grow quite rapidly. It is also important to remember these NIMBYs can accrue some economic benefits from these regulations. With the supply of new housing limited, those who already own property in large cities will see the value of their property increase dramatically. This will obviously work in their favor when they look to sell their property. The main concern of the rising housing prices though is many potential
residents are being priced out of our major cities. This could prove to be harmful to young professionals of our generation who may receive job offers in large metropolitan areas. Nevertheless, I am of the persuasion it is well within people’s power to reverse these negative trends. Advocating for the rolling back of zoning laws and land-use regulations would be a huge step forward. If developers are allowed more freedom to build more housing units and apartment complexes, this could easily help mitigate the supply constraint faced by many big cities.
It might also be in the interest of the cities to subsidize construction of housing for low-income residents as they also pursue deregulation. According to Noah Smith at Bloomberg View, a good model for consideration is Tokyo, Japan. In Tokyo, they were able to greatly increase the number of dwellings in the city since the 1980s, which has kept housing prices low in comparison to other major cities across the developed world. They followed the same policy prescriptions I previously laid out, by deregulation and simplifying zoning laws. Smith also notes how Tokyo pushed for building dense housing close to transit hubs, which made it easier for more residents to take advantage of transportation options. So do not fear, fellow graduates. Prices for housing may be high in big cities, but there are clear-cut ways to mediate this. Our bank accounts will thank us down the road.
An honest discussion on gun control in America CHOTEAU KAMMEL CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Fort Hood military base, Sandy Hook Elementary School, Orlando nightclub, Las Vegas concert shooting and now Parkland High School. After each of these tragic events the conversation inevitably finds itself on the subject of firearms, gun rights and the relevance of the Second Amendment. Unfortunately, as with all topics of discussion in this country today, the ensuing conversation devolves not into conducive discourse of civil propositions but rather accusations of bigotry complemented by the usual media ignorance and fear mongering. Ultimately, regardless of what any politician or cable network host may say, the left-of-center notion that all guns and gun owners are bad and the rightof-center notion that more guns and expanded access to them will solve all problems are equally fallacious. There is a sane and rational middle ground to be found. The Parkland, Florida high school shooting has been the most recent mass shooting in America to garner national attention and reignite calls for gun control in the country. These calls have largely been pushed by many of the surviving students themselves. The students have called for increased background checks, assault weapons bans and for public outrage against the National Rifle Association. Sadly, although a discussion has been started through this activism, it has not resulted in civil debate. Many on the rightleaning activists attempted to rebuff the student’s calls for gun control and have been demonized for “attacking victims,” even though civil discourse requires any and all who offer up their voice in public forum to be equally open to criticism. Reliance on pathos as opposed to rational conclusions has ultimately resulted in a gun control conversation that is tainted by a notion that taking a differing opinion is
equivocal to minimizing the horror faced by survivors of the tragedy. As harsh as it may be to say, surviving a mass shooting does not make anyone an expert on firearms, crime statistics or public policy. Emotional experiences should inspire, while facts should inform. What are these facts, and how can legislators effectively serve their constituents based upon them? The answers are not clear. The first issue requires a glimpse at the statistics given by the media regarding guns in America. Extremely high numbers are broadcasted as the thousands of gun homicides every year, but what never is accurately addressed is that as Pew Research found in 2010 nearly two-thirds of all gun deaths are suicides, not homicides. Another inconsistency in the gun control debate is that even as the number of guns in America has increased by roughly 5 million per year as shown by Cleveland State University. In fact, the violent crime rate has in fact continued to plummet. No proportional increases in gun violence have been recorded to coincide with increased firearm ownership. As a start to consensus building, even firearms usage in suicides could be addressed in a multi-faceted approach. Mandatory waiting periods for all gun purchases could help weed out those looking to make hasty decisions and placing more burdens on firearm sellers to require psych-evaluations by customers would also lessen the likelihood of the suicidal obtaining firearms. As a segway into a broader solution, states such as Connecticut and now recently Florida have passed laws allowing for people to petition courts to temporarily confiscate weapons from those who have threatened others or themselves. These confiscations are not initially permanent and due process is allowed for the individual in question to make the case for the weapons being returned. Other states would do well to take note of these policies as they effectively
Rosalind Hutton
address both public safety and constitutionality. One of the most common calls of gun control advocates is to have universal background checks on all purchases. The goal behind this idea is to better fill holes in laws from state-to-state and to make federal and state systems more in-line with one another. States often have different classifications for people eligible for weapons purchases and thus it is inconsistent to say across the country which individuals can buy guns. Proposals similar to universal background checks have generally seen their support percentages across the population hover in the upper 90s and according to Daniel Webster, the director of the John Hopkins Center for Gun Policy and Research, they would be ineffective. Their implementation, however, could be difficult as many of the mass shooters of late have passed background checks. However, this phenomenon represents a failure of government in its duty to effectively enforce law as opposed to a failure of law itself. Another common gun control suggestion is to reinstitute the bans of socalled “assault style” weapons such as the AR-15 rifle. From 1993-2004 a federal ban was in place on these style of weapons but statistics regarding its effectiveness are difficult to interpret. The left claims it to have not been in place long enough for verifiable results and the right claims that its absence of verifiable results disproves the concept as a whole.
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Before concluding with a brief discourse on reasonable policy options regarding guns in America, there are a few reasons why a citizen should be skeptical of calls for gun control and reform by our leaders. The first is just that private American citizens are not the largest perpetrators of violence via weaponry in this country, but rather the State itself is. One must be at least dubious when a government that has been droning children for a decade is now suddenly concerned about the dignity of young life. It is difficult to not be at least suspicious when politicians call on the citizens of one’s country to lay down their arms for safety while they are simultaneously selling advanced weapons systems to terror groups in foreign civil wars. Lastly, with law enforcement in America continuing to kill with impunity, private gun ownership may serve a vital role in targeted communities. Even as violent crime between individuals has plummeted, since 2016 police have managed to shoot three times as many citizens as have been killed in mass shootings in the last four decades, according The Free Thought Project. Perhaps the blue-uniformed enforcers of unjust laws and legally absolved murderers should be the ones targeted for gun control, not private citizens. All in all, as murky and divisive as the gun control debate has become, there are many reasonable policies that should appeal to those on either side of the aisle. As previously said,
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Unfortunately, there is immense confusion around this issue, as no actual definition of an “assault weapon” exists. The AR15 is often classified as such due to its cosmetic appearance even as its function differs significantly from its militarized cousins, which are already illegal for civilian use. Aside from their magazines, AR-15 style rifles are merely “scarier” looking hunting rifles when using base caliber rounds. Perhaps bans on certain ammunition types and barrel suppressors would be a step in the right direction and New York and Colorado have had mixed results in their bans on high capacity magazines. A key point to consider is the vast majority of gun crime in the United States is perpetrated by handguns rather than “assault style” weapons. Banning such firearms may sound effective and appealing in theory, however, it would not make a recognizable dent in the day-to-day gun violence of America. An odd aspect of debate on gun control that is relatively new to this round of conversation post-Parkland has been the fury and rage directed towards the National Rifle Association. Many of this rage is in fact perhaps warranted, as the NRA’s stance on weapon restrictions was actually fairly moderate up until the 1970s. However, there is hypocrisy in singling them out for the evils of buying legislators. Why is it that no one cares when labor unions buy politicians, or when pharmaceutical companies do the same?
mandatory waiting periods would help diminish rash decisions made with guns and universal background checks with standardized prohibiting factors would also help to divert weapons out of the wrong hands. A ban on bump stocks would also be a reasonable move, as any modification that alters a weapons function to more closely resemble illegal firearms should be banned. Another possible remedy would be the Project Exile program used by the state of Virginia, which increased penalties for gun crimes, but once again its effectiveness is not clear. One proposal has not been made recently, but is one that I find rather compelling is the possibility of holding weapon sellers liable for crimes committed with their weapons. Just as corporations must pay fines for externalities related to pollution, gun sellers would be taken to civil court for any damages inflicted with weapons originating from them. A new legal dutyof-care would be created in which a gun seller would have to prove it took all precautions to ensure only healthy and qualified individuals were sold firearms. This would shift the responsibility of background checks, psychevaluations, waiting periods, safety training and secure storage requirements to those who have the most to lose in a lawsuit: the sellers themselves. The FBI has proven itself to be incapable of effectively handling such things, and it may be unwise to ask more of agencies that are already failing in their public mandates. Ultimately, by coming together in mutually respectful disagreement, policies can be implemented in the wake of the Parkland tragedy. However, doing so must also force some soul searching of its own. We must ask ourselves an uncomfortable question: What is it about this country that seems to be driving people to commit heinous acts of evil and for how long has it been lurking beneath the ever-fracturing surface of red, white and blue gilded glory?
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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.
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LIFE & ENTERTAINMENT
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Review: ‘Ready Player One’ takes audiences to The Oasis COLLIN SMITH ONLINE EDITOR
“Ready Player One” is the latest blockbuster from Steven Spielberg. There were a lot of mixed feelings going into this film. Many people were immediately excited, but there was reason to be skeptical. The trailers were not spectacular and the posters were subpar, but the source material is well loved and, come on, it is Steven Spielberg. On the surface, I think it is a beautiful movie, and you will leave the theater having had an amazing time, but I think the movie struggles on some conceptual levels. Let us start with the positives. This movie really is an absolute blast. There are many engaging set pieces. The car race to open the movie, the hotel scene and the final battle are all incredible to watch. Spielberg delivers these incredible action set pieces which are a blast to watch.
The Kubrick sequence was a delight to watch and will probably end up being one of my favorite sequences of the year. Moments like these are some of the reasons why I love going to the theaters. The characters are very engaging. Wade Watts and Artemis, played by Tye Sheridan and Olivia Cooke respectively, have a great chemistry throughout, and their friends are fun to watch as well. The stand-out is Mark Rylance as the inventor of the Oasis, Halliday. There is such subtlety and nuance in his performance and he ended up one of my favorite parts of the movie. The CGI is also stunning. It is not trying to imitate reality, it is a video game and has a certain style to it, meaning the CGI does not have to be perfect. In a way, the setting of the movie actually hides any mistakes in the CGI. It is absolutely beautiful to look at. This leads into what I think this movie gets the most right, The Oasis. This is the virtual
with the questioning who the movie was for. Is it for the older generation who’s going to get the smorgasbord of references scattered about the movie? If so, why does the message of “get off your screens more and be in the real world” seem so child-like? If it is made specifically with kids in mind, why are all the references about things they will not understand? I can almost guarantee you, no one under the age of 16 is going to understand the significance of “The Shinning” sequence. Even some of my friends will not understand it. I hear your outcry, “well why can it not be for both generations?” And you are right, it can and should be, but if this is the case, why does it feel like there are almost two separate movies? Take a film like “The Incredibles” for example. It is an unbelievably entertaining film for kids and adults, and deals with issues within the family dynamic that kids may not pick up on. Look at some of
y d a Re er y a l P One Jennifer McFadden, The Reflector
reality game the whole world is obsessed with. Spielberg has to sell us on the fact everyone wants to participate in this game, and he does so without fault. It is incredibly attractive, and I found times throughout
when I wished I could go play inside The Oasis for a day. However, I walked away from this movie not fully satisfied. I was certainly entertained, but I left
Spielberg’s earlier films like “Jurassic Park.” Entertaining? Absolutely. Deals subtly with issues of parenthood? Yeah, it does. It mostly feels like a film made for an older generation trying to appeal to the younger, instead of the other way around. There is no subtlety in “Ready Player One,” there is no real mixing of these two elements. Add on to the top of this, all I could think through the end of the movie is, “This is just a reskinning of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory,” and what you get is a not fully satisfied customer. If you go see “Ready Player One,” you are going to have a really good time, I can promise you that much. However, try to look past the spectacle of it all. Look past the plethora of characters, the crazy worlds and the epic set pieces. Do not let all the Easter eggs distract you from what is really going on behind the scenes. Engage in the reality in what the movie is trying to get at, because after all, “reality is real.”
The International Fiesta celebrates cultural diversity EMMA DRAY BRASWELL STAFF WRITER
The annual International Fiesta will take place from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday on the Drill Field. Holmes Cultural Diversity Center, Division of Student Affairs and the World Neighbors Association organizes the fiesta. Kei Mamiya, program coordinator for the Holmes
Cultural Diversity Center and vice president of World Neighbors Association, said a wide variety of university organizations, clubs and community groups will have displays this year, and the event allows the community to see and appreciate different cultural aspects of every country. “The event is designed to raise the awareness of the international population at Mississippi State University and Starkville,
provide an opportunity for the university and Starkville communities to meet people from different countries and experience their cultures, and celebrate the international diversity that exists in Starkville,” Mamiya said. Mamiya said various groups will entertain during the event with dancing, musical instrument, singing and a fashion show. There will also be activities specifically for children.
The event is free, but booths will sell culturally significant food and souvenirs. Mukhunth Raghavan, president of the International Student Advisory Board, said about 50 groups will have booths at the event. Every organization with a booth has the creative freedom to represent itself differently, which allows people to celebrate their culture in a way which best reflects each culture.
The event encourages “the international diversity on campus, by giving people the space to represent their country or culture and create an inclusive atmosphere for everyone,” Raghaven said. Shanika Musser, a student volunteering at the booth hosted by Engineers Without Borders, said their goals for the event include raising money and celebrating cultural differences.
Mamiya said the International Fiesta is an exciting chance to embrace cultural exchange. “I love how a number of people including people from different countries, people from the United States, faculty, staff and students of the university, Starkville citizens, and people from other towns come together, build friendships, and experience various cultures around the world,” Mamiya said.
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THE REFLECTOR TUESDAY, APRIL 3, 2018 @SPORTSREFLECTOR
SPORTS
Heartbreaking loss in National Championship game JESSICA LINDSAY OPINION EDITOR
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Mississippi State University’s women’s basketball team (37-2) returned to the National Championship title game for the second year in a row, but came up short to the University of Notre Dame’s Fighting Irish (36-3) with a final score of 61-58. The Bulldogs started slowly in the first quarter, as Notre Dame scored three times before Victoria Vivians sunk a jumper. MSU gained momentum quickly and ended the quarter three points ahead of the Irish. MSU again started the second quarter sluggish on offense, but remained aggressive on defense holding Notre Dame to three points in the quarter. Vivians continued to heat up, scoring eight of MSU’s 13 points in the quarter. The Bulldog’s defense
did not fare as well in the third against the Irish, despite their best efforts to shut down their opposition. By the end of the third quarter, the Bulldogs and Irish were tied 41-41. Blair Schaefer said the Bulldogs could have played better in the third to avoid the tie. “We didn’t get two stops when we needed to get a stop, and they obviously executed on offense and got two good buckets, and the game was tied,” Blair Schaefer, a senior guard from Starkville said. During the fourth quarter, the Bulldogs and Irish kept pace with each other, matching shot for shot. With three seconds left and the game tied, defensive powerhouse Teaira McCowan fouled out. As a result, Notre Dame got the ball and ended the game with a buzzer-beater, dashing MSU’s hopes of bringing a national championship back
to Starkville. “You just got to give Notre Dame credit. They made the ‘one more’ play,” head coach Vic Schaefer said. “We talked about it pre-game. These games come down to one more.” This is Vic Schaefer’s second time in his career he has met Notre Dame in the National Championship, and his second time bringing MSU to the National Championship, losing both years. However, Vic Schaefer does not blame anyone but himself. “It is my job to get them home,” Coach Schaefer said. “I didn’t get them home today, and I will wear that for the rest of my career.” Senior and WNBA hopeful Victoria Vivians expressed her sorrow over losing the championship and not bringing home the title. However, she showed her gratitude toward her teammates and the program. “I’m very proud of
Alayna Stevens|The Reflector
Mississippi State University womenʼs basketball team are the national runner-ups after a 61-58 loss to University of Notre Dame.
them. I’m proud of the whole team as well, for them to come up here and do what they did today and last year,” Vivians said. “It’s never been done at State, and I’m so proud of them,
and I thank them for being my teammates.” During the season and postseason, MSU lost two games, making it MSU women’s basketball’s best season. Regardless of not
winning the championship, the women’s basketball team has forged its legacy in MSU history and will forever be revered by students, alumni, faculty and fans all the same.
national final games across two sports since 2013. Before then, MSU had never made it to a big game. The national title will come, it is a matter of when, not if. Women’s basketball will still probably be the team to do it. Next year will be a down year for this team, but usually when you say this about a MSU team, it means a losing season. Saying it for this team in this sport, means they will probably be a top 10 team and still win the SEC Regular Season crown instead of a top two team. They will return Teaira McCowan on the inside, and fill out the team with Chloe Bibby, Jordan Danberry and Jazzmun Holmes, all players who played a significant amount this season. They also will add Myah Tate, a freshman guard from Olive Branch who redshirted this season. She was a five-star recruit and reportedly played well in practice. MSU also adds
three players in the top 54 of ESPNW’s 2018 HoopGurlz Recruiting Rankings. Two are five-star players in 6’5
The only two five-star recruits who played this season were McCowan and Vivians. Head coach Vic Schaefer is bringing in top-flight talent to replace those he lost. The point is, this was not a once in a lifetime opportunity for MSU. Schaefer has built MSU into a women’s basketball powerhouse program, one that is here to stay for the long haul. He has recruited talent across the board, and while they may not be dominant next season, they will be back to their dominant ways in no time.
COLUMN: MSU women’s basketball here to stay TAYLOR RAYBURN
is a junior majoring in communication and economics. Contact him at sports@ reflector.msstate.edu.
Sunday night was not the end for Mississippi State University’s women’s basketball. The buzzer beater was soul crushing and many MSU fans have chalked the game up as the last chance for MSU to win a national title. This is not true. This team will forever be remembered. They will be seen as the building block which started a run of MSU women’s basketball greatness. For what it is worth, Victoria Vivians is on the Mount Rushmore of MSU with Dak, Ron Polk and Bailey Howell. No one will wear her number again.
Kelly Price| MSU Communications
Head coach Vic Schaefer just finished up his sixth season at Mississippi State University.
This team was the best in the history of the school in any sport. They went undefeated in the regular season and won the SEC regular season crown. They will be a team forever
remembered in the history of MSU athletics. They never received a national title, but this does not diminish anything they accomplished this past season. MSU has played in three
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“They will probably be a top 10 team and still the SEC Regular Season Crown.” Daphane White and 6’3 Jessica Carter, and then there is 6’1 wing Xaria Wiggins, a high four-star recruit.
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