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TUESDAY APRIL 10, 2018

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133rd YEAR ISSUE 44

THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIVERSITY SINCE 1884

MSU professor chosen as Fulbright Scholar

JORDAN DARENSBOURG

STAFF WRITER

A distinguished faculty member in MSU’s Bagley College of Engineering was named as a Fulbright Scholar advancing her research in Australia during the 20182019 academic year.

Cindy Bethel, an associate professor in MSU’s Department of Computer Science and Engineering, will continue her research on therapeutic robots at the University of Technology in Sydney.

Sponsored by the U.S. State Department’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, the Fulbright program is the U.S. government’s flagship international exchange program.

It is designed to increase mutual understanding between Americans and the international community.

Through the Fulbright program and other international initiatives, MSU regularly sends faculty members around the globe to foster the institution’s landgrant missions of learning, research and service.

Bethel said she was humbled to receive the award.

KATIE POE

STAFF WRITER

The National Strategic Planning and Analysis Research Center, or NSPARC, opensa new data center April 20, which hosts an opening ceremony available to the public. The event is tailgate-themed, due to it being held the Friday of Super Bulldog Weekend.

The ceremony itself— short speeches and a ribbon cutting—is at 1:30 p.m. Food and drinks are available following the ribbon cutting, as well as music from the Mississippi State University Jazz Ensemble and tours of the facility.

Significantly larger than their current offices at The Mill in Starkville, the new data center is 3,300 square feet, with 2,000 dedicated solely to IT processing and data storage. The building contains 20 servers and 60 CPUs running 567 virtual servers, and the data center can store 400 terabytes of data, which equates to about 570,000 full length movies.

Laura McPhail, NSPARC’s Communications Manager, describes the organization’s need for the new data center, following NSPARC’s rapid expansion.

“NSPARC has grown a lot in the last couple of

Noel Collier pulled into the highway. At the time, Lee did not have any flashing lights turned on.

Under the state’s current law, emergency vehicles are not required to have any lights flashing when they respond to emergencies, but if the governor signs the Kaelin Kersh Act this week as planned, this will change.

The new act will “require that any operator of an emergency vehicle authorized to be marked with blinking, rotating or oscillating lights shall use blinking, rotating or oscillating lights when operating the emergency vehicle at a speed in excess of thirty miles per hour over the posted speed limit.”

Getting the bill to the governor’s office was not easy, said Rep. Gary Chism, R-Columbus, who is the bill’s primary author.

After the bill passed unanimously in the House in February, it was sent to the Senate, where it stayed for a couple of weeks.

STAFF WRITER

Cindy Bethel | Courtesy Photo

Cindy Bethel works with tactical robots used in the military. Bethel was recently selected as a Fulbright Scholar for the upcoming academic year.

“It is such a wonderful honor to be selected in such a competitive process,” Bethel said. “It is a prestigious award and I am still having a difficult time realizing I have been selected and will have

NSPARC opens new data center

DYLAN BUFKIN

Kaelin Kersh Act heads to governor

years, and so, the amount of work we are being approached to do, the amount of research and the amount of data that we are handling is also growing,” McPhail said. “To have the data center here and have something that has the capability of expanding with us, that was what was absolutely necessary for us to have.”

As to what NSPARC’s goal is, McPhail describes it concisely.

“NSPARC’s mission is to promote the use of data science to further human progress,” McPhail said. “We work a lot with sociologists on campus and really around the world.

They’re identifying these big problems that are within societies and trying to come up with solutions that are gonna make everyday life better.”

NSPARC goes about this by analyzing data and writing their own software to efficiently solve the customer’s problem. Their biggest project to date is the Mississippi Works system, which is a publicly run job-finding system for the state. According to a fact sheet released by NSPARC, 54.1 terabytes of data goes through the center annually, with 16 terabytes currently being stored by NSPARC at its present location.

this amazing opportunity.”

Bethel also said she was excited about her upcoming trip “down under.” “(I’m excited about) the opportunity to perform research in a new

environment and culture,” Bethel said. “I have always wanted to spend time in Australia, and this is the perfect opportunity for me to explore the area and perform meaningful research.”

A bill honoring the death of Mississippi State University track star and graduate Kaelin Kersh is scheduled to be signed by Gov. Phil Bryant Friday.

The Kaelin Kersh Act, or HB 1202, will force emergency vehicles to use flashing lights when they exceed 30 mph over the speed limit.

The bill was created because of Kersh’s death, which happened almost a year ago. On May 7, a speeding state trooper crashed into the car Kersh was riding in. The accident occurred after Kersh and her friends went to Cowbells Sports Grill to celebrate their recent graduation.

Only one night earlier, Kersh had received a degree in kinesiology.

The Mississippi trooper, Kyle Lee, was reportedly going 100 mph in a 45 mph zone when designated driver

KERSH, 2

FULBRIGHT, 2

Starkville in Motion aims to improve Starkville parks

EMMA MOFFETT STAFF WRITER

Starkville in Motion—an advocacy group for sidewalks, bike lanes and trails—began recruitment in February for their new Adopt-A-Park initiative and gather April 14 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at J.L. King Senior Memorial Park for their first meet up.

The Adopt-A-Park initiative is a program designed to recruit volunteers and assign a leader for each park in Starkville to have regular maintenance days and beautification projects done throughout the year rather than one annual cleanup project.

Chris Ayers, treasurer for Starkville in Motion, said the purpose of this project is not only to better the park system but also to strength the communication between the Starkville Parks and Recreation Department and the community it serves.

“Starkville in Motion really is serving as a mediator between the parks department for the city and local community organizations,” Ayers said. “Organizations can communicate through us the things they would like to see done in the parks. Then, we can tailor that information to the parks department. We hope this process will be beneficial for both sides.”

David Harned, president of Starkville in Motion, said that years ago a master

Emma Moffett | The Reflector

The Adopt-A-Park initiative aims to better maintain existing parks in the city by assigning regular maintenance days and beautification projects.

park survey concluded that the community enjoyed the amount of parks in existence but wanted the parks to be better maintained. However, Harned said, at the time of the survey, the Starkville Parks and Recreation Department did not have enough financial resources to maintain the parks in pristine condition.

“Parks are not part of our mission, but they do play into our same interests because parks encourage physical activities and encourage development of

city infrastructure, such as building and maintaining sidewalks to go to the parks,” Harned said. “We have shifted our focus a bit, but it is still within the realm of our mission.”

The City of Starkville will provide supplies for park maintenance and clean ups. However, beautification projects are individually funded and chosen in accordance with what the volunteers and members of the community want to accomplish in each

specific park.

Harned said they trying to not put barriers on this program in order to have as much involvement as possible. Both organizations and individuals are invited to participate in the Adopt-APark program, and as long as the program is in place, registration will remain open.

“A lot of people have shown interest, but the problem we have faced is not effectively getting the word out since we are a small organization,” Harned said.

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PARKS “We have posted information about the program with Volunteer Starkville and the Maroon Volunteer Center, as well as on our website and social media accounts, but the reach can only go so far. We want to get the word out there so that people can sign up and participate in park clean ups.”

Ayers said Starkville in Motion has been collaborating with both the city parks department and Keep Starkville Beautiful for support and guidance on this project since the beginning of the program’s foundation in September 2017.

“The city park system has been very supportive

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of this project and very helpful,” Ayer said. “We look forward to working with them, and we hope that more groups will decide to take community ownership and responsibility for their local parks.”

While the parks and recreation department of Starkville is not directly involved in the Adopt-A Park initiative, Gerry Logan, interim director of the Starkville Parks and Recreation Department, said they are providing support as needed and are glad Starkville in Motion is creating this initiative.

“We have an aging infrastructure and to do the things we really need to do

FULBRIGHT Bethel holds the Billie J. Ball Endowed Professorship in Engineering, and she is well known in her field for Therabot, the robotic and therapeutic beagle puppy she created.

While Bethel is in Australia, she will collaborate with researchers in the University of Technology Sydney’s Magic Lab for Social Robotics to improve the design and function of Therabot, and test its effectiveness. Bethel and her team are working to develop a robotic therapy support system, which includes providing a small robotic dog, like Therabot, to those undergoing therapy, especially those with posttraumatic stress disorders (PTSD).

While she will be away from MSU for part of the 2018-2019 academic year, Bethel said she has confidence in her graduate assistants to continue their research while she is away.

“I will miss my students and colleagues while I am traveling,” Bethel said. “I have wonderful graduate and undergraduate students

is hard within the confines of our current budget,” Logan said. “We always want a bigger budget, and we will make that argument when it comes time. In the short term, we will continue to make improvements as we can within our current resources.”

Since Logan entered his role last December, beautification projects were completed at each of Starkville’s seven parks.

Logan said a majority of the improvements are at J.L. King Senior Memorial Park with the renovation of the softball field, installation of a new pavilion roof and the building of a new playground.

CONTINUED FROM 1

working with me, and I hope that they will continue to make excellent progress with their projects and I look forward to continuing to advance their research efforts once I return, and also before I leave.”

J. Edward Swan, professor and interim department head of Computer Science and Engineering, said he was not surprised to hear Bethel was chosen as a Fulbright Scholar.

Swan said he has worked with Bethel for about five years and wrote a letter of support for her.

“I’ve analyzed her materials and I had worked on a Fulbright project of my own six or seven years ago,” Swan said. “I thought her story was very good and most likely to succeed.”

Swan said Bethel is an enthusiastic person who works hard.

“She’s always doing something,” Swan said. “She works very hard and is able to communicate excitement about what she’s doing, what her lab is doing, what her students are doing. So, she’s very enthusiastic.”

Swan believes that Bethel’s endeavors in Australia will not only add to her lab, but also to the country.

“Science is a worldwide endeavor and I’m sure that it will help Dr. Bethel and her lab to see what’s going on in robotics in Australia, and it will help them as well,” Swan said. “That’s really the point of the Fulbright program—to foster those sorts of international collaborations.”

Bethel said she was excited to represent MSU halfway around the world.

“I look forward to representing MSU in this international research effort, and I am so thankful for this opportunity,” Bethel said.

At MSU, Bethel is the director of the Social, Therapeutic, and Robotic Systems (STaRS) Lab. She also is a research fellow with the university’s Center for Advanced Vehicular Systems and the Social Science Research Center. More information on Bethel’s research project can be found at stars.msstate.edu or cindybethel.com

Logan said the current budget for the parks department is approximately $1.3 million, including the cost of salaries. With this budget, the parks department has a list of small scale improvements to be completed over the next several months along with larger projects that they also hope to accomplish.

The Starkville Parks and Recreation Department just finished a city-wide initiative -- the state of the parks initiative — which was comprised of six community public input meetings giving the community a chance to discuss ways to improve the current park system.

“We have been very

active and proactive in gathering that input from the community,” Logan said. “We have seen a good response from the community at these meetings with around 60 people in total attendance for the six meetings.”

The City of Starkville also looks to purchase land with the intent to build a sports complex to hold tournaments. Logan said he believes the construction of a sports complex will have a domino effect for the whole community and the parks department, especially since the land will be part of the parks and recreation department. This effect could include a larger budget

KERSH The Senate wanted to change the bill’s speed limit excess requirement from 30 mph to 1 mph. Rep. Chism said it was “too restrictive.”

“The Senate had changed it to 1 mile an hour over the speed limit instead of 30, and we thought that that was really, really going to be cumbersome for emergency vehicles,” Chism said.

Then the Senate rescinded the amendment, and the bill went through a conference report March 27, where it was passed unanimously.

Chism said the atmosphere of the conference report meeting was full of sentiment.

“It was emotional when we took up conference report on the House,” Chism said.

“All the members of the House stood up and looked to the North gallery where they were standing, and that meant the House had passed the conference report and now the Senate had to pass it to make it to the governor. It was an emotional time for them then and for us just to get it on the way to the governor.”

Kaelin Kersh’s mom, Toni Kersh said during the conference report, she wore a necklace with a photo of her and her daughter. In fact, the photo was taken on May 5 after graduation and is the last picture the two took together.

However, Toni Kersh plans to wear a different necklace Friday, a selfie of only Kaelin, which shows her smiling brightly at the camera.

Toni said the governor’s invitation to see the bill signed

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Toni Kersh | Courtesy Photo

Toni Kersh and her daughter Kaelin embrace after Kaelin graduated from MSU last year.

next week means a lot to her family.

“For me and for my family, it just means that from the governor of the state of Mississippi all the way to the legislature, all thought that this bill should be in place,” Toni Kersh said.

In addition, Toni Kersh praised Chism for his diligence in the whole legislative process.

“Representative Chism was the drum major for this the whole time,” Toni Kersh said. “He was educating me as the bill went through the process and he kept me informed. He went beyond my expectations. It was as if Kaelin was working through him. So, he will always be close

NSPARC One of the end-goals of NSPARC is the idea of a “smart city,” or a model of a city that uses data and databased programs to more efficiently run day-to-day procedures. Associate Center Director of IT Hal Bullock explains the smart city in more detail.

For instance, Mississippi’s law enforcement can give NSPARC welfare data, and NSPARC can return with the examples of fraud they’ve found.

Additionally, Bullock described a new system they have been working on with

for the parks department, which would allow for more development of the park system.

Logan said he is hopeful that the combined efforts of the Starkville Parks and Recreation Department and Starkville in Motion will make it possible to renovate and maintain Starkville’s current parks.

“We have an aging park system but also have a dedicated staff and community. We are hoping to make as many improvements as we can with our current resources,” Logan said. “I would like to think people are seeing the impact and will continue to see that impact as time passes.”

to my heart and he became an honorary member of the Kersh family from October when I first talked to him.”

If signed as planned, the new bill will take effect on July 1.

Toni Kersh said the act, while it honors her daughter and is significant legislation, is still tinged with sadness.

“For me, it’s monumental because Kaelin’s legacy will live on,” Toni said. “Everybody thought that what happened to her was senseless and could have been avoided. So, it just makes this law kind of bittersweet. On one hand, this won’t bring her back, but on the other hand, it has the possibility to save thousands of lives.”

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Jones County Junior College.

NSPARC takes job market data and undergraduate data to help JCJC better equip students for majors and programs that will serve them in the workforce.

“It’s helping people make better decisions and actionable decisions on the information that they have,” Bullock said.

“So, you can have all sorts of information, but if you can’t make smart choices based on that information, it’s just a pile of digits in a database someplace.”

McPhail encourages people to attend the ceremony

to celebrate not only the success of NSPARC, but also the impact that the public had in helping NSPARC to realize its new goals.

“It takes a lot of people to support a project like this, and we’re just absolutely, truly grateful that we had so much support from the university, from the city and from the state of Mississippi in getting it done,” McPhail said. “So, we want to have this ribbon cutting as a display of, ‘Look we’ve crossed the finish line.

We’re excited, and we’re really happy to share our success with the public.’”

CORRECTION: Last issue’s article “Sprint for Super Gabe: more than a 5k” contained two errors. Griffin Valentine is a current freshman at MSU. Also, all the proceeds from the event will go to the EB Research Partnership to advance work to find a cure for the illness.

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BAD DAWGS Monday, April 2, 2018 6:49 a.m. Non-Resident/Visitor was arrested in Moseley Hall parking lot for first DUI. Justice Court citation was issued.

7:49 a.m. Service gate at President’s Circle was broken, Parking Services was notified.

1:52 p.m. Employee reported her vehicle burglarized while parked at Hunter Henry Center.

5:28 p.m. Student was issued a post-arrest citation and referral for minor in possession of alcohol in Rice Hall.

Friday, April 6, 2018 8:38 p.m. Student reported he was inappropriately touched by an unknown male near Fresh Foods.

Wednesday, April 4, 2018 9:49 a.m. Bicycle was blocking the handicap ramp at Montgomery Hall. The bicycle was retrieved by an officer, and returned back to the owner.

1:57 p.m. RA found paraphernalia in one of the rooms in Nunnelee Hall.

2:03 p.m. Road sign on Morrill Road damaged. Facilities Management was notified.

3:26 p.m. Toddler was transported to OCH from Child Development Center for medical assistance.

Sunday, April 8, 2018 12:04 a.m. Student transported to OCH from Critz Hall for medical assistance.

1:53 p.m. Student reported her bike stolen from bike rack at Nunnelee Hall.

Saturday, April 7, 2018 1:05 a.m. Two students were issued post-arrest citations and referrals for possession of marijuana in a vehicle on Fraternity Row. 12:09 p.m. Student reported his vehicle was damaged while parked in Health Center Parking lot.

Notable Traffic Citations Five Justice Court citations issued for speeding.

25 MSU citations issued for speeding, the most notable of which was 52/20 on Stone Blvd.

Check reflectoronline.com for more traffic citations!

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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

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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.

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OPINION

Teacher walkouts are about more than a pay increase ALYSSIA SAMPSON CONTRIBUTING WRITER

From the day most kids start school, there is always one mantra tattooed into their little minds which remains with them through their teen years and into adulthood,“School is important. Get your education.”

This idea does not stop with family members spouting the mantra annoyingly whenever they can, but also teachers students meet every step of the way.

If school is important and getting an education is important, should the way we receive our education and the materials we need for it be important, too?

Or is what little funding given to us the best we are going to get for funding our education?

What began as a walkout by teachers in areas all over Oklahoma to fight for more student funding has now turned into a march spanning 116 miles from Tulsa, Oklahoma, to Oklahoma City. The protest of the walkout itself is a debacle for some.

Oklahoma’s own governor Mary Fallin believes all the school administrators want is a pay raise. Just recently, Fallin signed a bill stating a “ballot measure requires a seventyfive-per-cent supermajority in the legislature, or a public vote, to pass any tax increase.”

In addition, according to Andrea DenHoed of The New Yorker, Fallin also stated, “I hope they can come and say ‘thank you’ on Monday and go back to the classrooms.”

However, I believe those who fight against this protest have not seen the troubles many of these schools go through firsthand. I was a resident of Oklahoma for four years and attended four different schools while I was there.

Materials such as books, chairs, tables and buildings, in general, seemed obsolete, and we students accepted the fact it would continue to stay the same and not experience any changes.

I have no hate for the Oklahoma school system.

I did not realize how bad things were while I was in Oklahoma until I moved back home to

textbook and she asked me why I would need a cover for a book.

I also had a U.S. history teacher yell at me for wanting to share a textbook with a classmate who sat next to me during an open book quiz, because I did not ask him for one. He said he would order one and the next day he placed a brand new textbook on my desk.

I suddenly knew why I did not need a book cover, because the binding on this book was intact and the cover was not ripped off.

There were not any missing pages where previous students had written the information from other books onto a notebook paper and placed it where the missing page was. I no longer needed to hide the fact all my books were not in great shape, accepting the fact it was the best I was going to get.

In addition to firsthand experience, few may know Oklahoma cut their spending for students down to 30 percent in the past 10 years.

According to Moriah Balingit of The Washington Post, spending averages about $8,000 per student

Lesson 1: How to fix your broken chair

Rosalind Hutton

Texas, and stood in front of my new high school. I remember being daunted by the colorful and large building, wondering if my mom made a mistake and accidentally dropped me off at a university. There was no way the multitude of kids who walked through the doors all went there.

I remember going to a

computer class and seeing Apple’s Mac desktops throughout the classroom, and gawked at the teacher who also had one on her desk. My parents together could not afford even one desktop, let alone a Mac. I then walked in a trance to my English class, and asked my teacher if I needed to buy a book cover for the

Trivia Time!

where the national average is around $12,000. It is also found that many schools are perfectly fine with being open four days a week, as opposed to the average five almost everywhere else. Raising the teacher’s pay is not going to make a difference, as what little they do make goes back to the classrooms.

The countless teachers I encountered during my schooling in Oklahoma made our education their goal, whether by bringing their own electronics to class like TVs and radios, or buying our supplies when there were kids in need of them. They offered what they could and more, many even bought food for those who could not afford to eat, or gave rides to those who did not have one.

Teachers in general are super heroes, and their fight for kids is not for the money.

They fight for the children who want to be something in the world, and are being told, “School is important.

Get your education.”

School is important, I do not doubt it, but this movement is important, too, and more people need to see this.

REFLECTIONS

1. Who was the legendary Benedictine monk who invented champagne?

2. What is the largest freshwater lake in the world?

3. Which word goes before vest, beans and quartet?

4. Which actress has won the most Oscars?

Malcom X

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Fox news anchor bit off more than she could chew DAVID SIDES

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Make no mistake, if you are a modern political pundit it is either eat or be eaten. Laura Ingraham, a conservative pundit and the namesake of Fox News’ “The Laura Ingraham Show” is this past week’s big loser.

But I want to break down exactly what it was which caused Ingraham to take some time off work. (It should be noted Fox News reports her vacation was pre-planned.)

Over the past few weeks, Ingraham was particularly critical of the “March for Our Lives” movement, led by Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School students Emma González and David Hogg.

These students received considerable support (and air-time) from those on the left, while simultaneously criticized from those on the right. Of course this is a generalization, not to say they have not received some criticism from the left and some support from the right.

Over the past few days, Ingraham received criticism for her recent statements concerning Hogg. In an interview last week, Hogg expressed regret and disappointment about not getting into a number of schools, including UCLA, UC Santa Barbara, UC San Diego and UC Irvine. His reaction

Yeah keep ‘em coming. I’m trying to forget I mocked a teenager on twitter...

Jennifer McFadden, The Reflector

the schools rejecting him was, in my opinion, quite levelheaded and understandable.

He reportedly has a 4.2 GPA, which is in itself commendable, but it is definitely on the low-side for out-of-state student acceptance rates to these schools.

Hogg’s reaction was not, however, an attack on these schools or a demand for acceptance. It was an understanding of his own shortcomings and an expression of regret concerning his own previous academic decisions.

Now with this context, let us return to the current issue.

Let me make this abundantly clear: when you step into the national spotlight, as these

students have, you will be criticized. Just because you are legally a minor does not mean you are immune to well-founded attacks on your positions. So where, you ask, did Laura Ingraham go wrong?

In order to understand why Ingraham is on an extended spring break, we need to look at three different factors.

First, Ingraham’s attacks were personal. This is the biggest no-no in the realm of productive argumentation. If we look at the general theory of argumentation, one of the main points is that stooping to the level of personal attacks destroys your own credibility and discounts the viability of your own argument. Of

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her where it really hurts: in the advertisers.

You see, news networks like Fox News, and on a smaller level specific shows like “The Laura Ingraham Show,” are dependent on ad revenue provided by companies who install their ads during these shows. By reaching out to her advertisers, Hogg took Ingraham out of the game without even having to deal with her directly.

These advertisers are not pulling their commercials because they had an epiphany concerning David Hogg and his campaign for gun control, but rather they have had thousands of people, A.K.A. consumers, calling them in the past few days demanding change. Businesses exist for one thing: to make money.

If someone is standing in the way of this goal, then they will be the first to go.

Since the retaliation began last week, 11 sponsors have pulled their ads from Ingraham’s show according to CBS News. This campaign, led by Hogg, has made Ingraham quite unpopular in the last few days.

In my opinion, Ingraham is not on vacation for fun, she is on vacation to lay low until the heat focuses somewhere else. If she is lucky, she may keep her show time and get a couple of sponsors back. If she is unlucky, then she and Bill O’Reilly may need to start a support group.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Life Editor/Will Wells

Managing Editor/Kristina Domitrovich News Editor/Josh Beck

course, personal attacks have always been, and always will be, a popular way to tear down your opponents. However, with a little bit of critical thinking, you should be able to divorce these attacks from genuine criticism of someone else’s argument.

The second issue is Ingraham’s misrepresentation of Hogg’s statement.

Take the text from Hogg’s interview and contrast it with the statements made by Ingraham.

According to Joseph Curl with The Daily Wire, Hogg stated, “It’s not been too great for me and some of the other members of the movement, like Ryan Deitsch … I am not surprised at all, in all honesty. I think there’s a lot

of amazing people that don’t get to college, not only that do things like I do but because their voices just aren’t heard in the tsunami of people that apply every year to colleges in such an economic impacted school system here which we have here in America where people have to go into massive amounts of debt just to go to college and get an education.”

In contrast, here is what Ingraham tweeted: “David Hogg Rejected By Four Colleges To Which He Applied and whines about it. (Dinged by UCLA with a 4.1 GPA...totally predictable given acceptance rates.)”

There is a clear disconnect here between what Hogg said and how he was presented in Ingraham’s words, not to mention Ingraham incorrectly cites Hogg’s GPA as a 4.1 instead of a 4.2.

We still have not gotten to the reason Ingraham is now following in the footsteps of Bill O’Reilly, and it is because money talks. Ingraham, like Hogg and González, put herself in the spotlight, and therefore opened herself and her opinions up to criticism.

What she miscalculated, or perhaps did not consider at all, was the backlash to her personal attacks on Hogg.

Many supporters of Hogg have taken to personally attacking Ingraham, childishly reflecting Ingraham’s initial shortcomings. But Hogg hit

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THE REFLECTOR TUESDAY, APRIL 10, 2018 @REFLECTORONLINE

LIFE & ENTERTAINMENT

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The Drowsy Chaperone comes to Starkville Community Theatre EMMA MOFFETT STAFF WRITER

The Starkville Community Theater’s performance of “The Drowsy Chaperone,” directed by Paula Mabry, will continue performances today through Saturday, excluding Friday.

“The Drowsy Chaperone” has received five Tony Awards and is a musical comedy that attracts people who both love or hate musicals. The Starkville Community Theater has been rehearsing for “The Drowsy Chaperone” since the beginning of February and includes six Mississippi State University student in the cast and crew.

Director Paula Mabry said the play has been wellreceived by the audience and is something she has been proud to produce.

“It has been a crowd pleaser and the audience has come out saying this is the best show we have ever done,” Mabry said.

Mabry said this play includes multiple technological elements new to the theater, but she believes these new programs will help make the performance more professional and wellrounded.

“We were using a program from music theater international that runs off of a computer and simulates a full orchestra,” Mabry said.

“This gives the play a more

Paula Mabry |Courtesy Photo

The cast from “The Drowsy Chaperone” will perform again April 10 to 12 and April 14 at 7:30 p.m. in the Starkvill Community Theatre. Tickets are $15 for adults and $10 for students with valid

detailed and sophisticated sounds; however, it has been difficult to run exactly with the scenery.”

Rylee Burchfield, MSU sophomore playing the role of gangster one, said she had enjoyed working with Mabry on this performance.

“The hardest part of my role as a gangster is that I am playing a man, which I am not. I am also having to

speak in a Boston accent,” Burchfield said. “I am not usually the best at accents but I have really pushed myself and practiced so I believe that I was be able to really bring my character to life during the performance.”

Luke Manual, MSU senior playing the role of George, said that this play is very unique since its plot line is very different than many

the New Narrative Festival is to introduce the state and the university as a place where new ideas come to light, since there is more to Mississippi than meets the eye.

“For all the challenges the state faces, it has produced more earth-shattering art and artists than all the adjoining states combined,” Dunston said. “With all respect to the literary lights of Faulkner, Eudora Welty and Ellen Douglas, the emergence of the blues and rock music from Mississippi has had perhaps the most profound effect on global culture of any art ever.”

Steve Soltis, former senior director of corporate executive and employee communication for Coca-Cola and MSU communication department advisory board member, said he wanted to help create this event so they can show how Mississippi and MSU can influence the world.

Soltis said while the focus is more oriented toward MSU, it is also generalized to be the entire state since many times people refuse to credit Mississippi for things it has accomplished.

“We were all seeing and sensing a tremendous transformation, not only in communication, but in the people right here in our backyard who were leading

the charge in such innovative and memorable ways,” Soltis said.

Soltis said many influencers have come from Mississippi, and he would like people to understand how strong future influencers from the state can help rebrand the state in a positive way.

“We are going to explore their influence, not only the past, but in shaping the new narrative,” Soltis said. “Their legacy lives on, and we have new creatives today who are building a whole new set of legacies on top of the historical trailblazers.”

Peggy Gardner, an event moderator, said the festival will be a lively event hosting many people who have successfully shaped the world in a number of ways as well as multiple forms of live entertainment.

“It’s a mix of live musical performances as well as a series of discussions about narratives. We have cartoonists, business people, folks in the movie production arena, and of course folks from the state itself talking about Mississippi,” said Gardner, senior director of public relations and social media for UPS in Atlanta, Georgia.

John E. Forde, professor and head of MSU’s Department of Communication, said anyone

other plays he has had the chance to perform in.

“The play is told within a play within a play style. It is about a man who whenever he is sad he puts on a record of his favorite musical and that musical comes to life in his apartment,” said Manual, Starkville resident. “He draws inspiration from those musicals in making his life decisions. This play is really

about this man’s journey that the musical itself.”

Manual said he also feels the humor of the play is something that everyone will enjoyed since it is different than the type of humor usually used in musicals.

“It satirizes musical theatre as a whole so if you are not into musicals you will love it because it makes fun of everything you hate, but if

you love musicals, then you will also love how it pokes fun at musicals,” Manual said.

Jenny Fisher, MSU freshmen playing the role of Kitty, said this play is a stand out performance and it allows her the opportunity to learn from seasoned performers.

“I know of a lot of people at MSU who want to participate at the community theater but have not yet,” Fisher said. “I really encourage every actor to tryout since you get to work with actors who have been working not only in the community but else where.

You get to learn in ways that you aren’t always able to at Theatre MSU.” Madisen McKenzie, MSU sophomore and stage manager for the production, was the assistant stage manager for “A Christmas Carol” and “Crimes of the Heart” for Theatre MSU, but said this performance is one of her favorites so far since the play seamlessly incorporates classic musical tropes with an inventive and comedic approach.

McKenzie said that despite this being her first time working closely with the Starkville Community Theater, she has felt at home and has learned a great deal.

“I have had a wonderful experience working with the Starkville Community Theatre on this play and hope to continue working with them more in the future,” said McKenzie.

The New Narrative Festival showcases communication EMMA DRAY BRASWELL STAFF WRITER

LIFE PODCAST!

ON THE OUR CURRENT

READY PLAYER ONE

We are talking about the movie

The New Narrative Festival is a new event designed to focus on how Mississippi and Mississippi State University fits into communication globally.

The event will take place this Friday and Saturday at the Mill.

Dain Dunston, an event moderator and Austin, Texas-based author and speaker specializing in executive coaching and communications, said members in the Department of Communications created this event to reinforce the idea that anyone can have an impact on the communication in society, no matter their location.

“This isn’t a story-telling festival, although we’ll hear fantastic stories. It isn’t a PR conference, although we’ll hear a lot about how public discourse is changing, for better and for worse, in the age of social media,” Dunston said. “And it isn’t an academic conference, although it’s being hosted at one of the most respected universities in the state. The New Narrative Festival is just what it says: it’s a new narrative about what human beings can create together.”

Dunston said the goal of

is welcome to come to the festival, as it has such a broad outreach with many interests included.

“For students in particular, this is a great opportunity to network and learn from some of the leaders in the world

ticket fee, and $40 for students. Tickets will include three meals, a reception, two concerts and admittance to a variety of speeches.

Forde has worked to create this festival as a way to increase awareness for

and see what they’ve done,” Forde said.

The weekend festival will cost $185 for a general

MSU’s and Mississippi’s impact on the world through communication, and said this festival is the way.

“We need to do a new narrative festival because a lot of people don’t really know all the things MSU’s contributed to society when you consider music, art, athletes, writers and all these different areas,” Forde said.

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THE REFLECTOR TUESDAY, APRIL 10, 2018 @SPORTSREFLECTOR

SPORTS

Baseball gets series win over Ole Miss, hope to kick start season HUNTER CLOUD STAFF WRITER

It was a cold Saturday afternoon when Mississippi State University (17-16, SEC 4-8 )took on No. 3 University of Mississippi (27-6, SEC 7-5) in a double header after the Friday game was postponed due to inclement weather, and the team jumped out to win 13-3.

“We came out in the first, and they hit the tworun homer and it kind of hit us in the face,” said Tanner Allen, a freshman left fielder from Theodore, Alabama.

“But we got back up and hit them, and just kept pouring it on. We came out and played hard, everyone got in on the action and had a team win.”

MSU quickly took an eight-run lead in the bottom of the third after scoring eight runs on five hits. They then went on to hit the ball nine more times, ending the game with 13 runs as the bats for MSU came alive.

“If you watch us, you know we have been struggling the last few games,” Allen said. “With hitting, with runners in scoring position, but the first game we killed the ball with runners in scoring position.”

The bats were not the only thing hot tonight as Connor Pilkington, who started the first game, also threw for seven innings and had seven strikeouts, only giving up two runs and earning a win in the first game of the double header.

MSU was able to finish the game with 14 hits in what could be described as the best offensive showing they have put together this season, and Henderson was very happy with what his team showed in the

Alayna Stevens| The Reflector

Freshman infielder Justin Foscue steps into his swing, Foscue scored a run and a hit in Mississippi State University’s 13-3 rout of Ole Miss in game one of the series on Saturday.

first game.

“It is good to do that, we have not been able to have a lot of big innings this year,” Henderson said.

“So when you are able to do that, and create a bit of momentum and a little bit of excitement, offensively you hope that stuff spread.”

Game two of the afternoon started off with a slight drizzle and a quick uniform change by both teams. MSU hoped to continue the momentum from the first game of the day; however, they struggled to do so, giving up four early runs on eight hits in Ethan Small’s first three innings, and lost the second game 6-1.

“Once again a pretty stark difference between how we approached game one, and game two,” Henderson said. “We need

to approach game three like we did game one today: with that level of intensity and that level of concentration and determination.”

MSU also struggled scoring on base, as they stranded six batters in backto-back innings with the bases loaded. Henderson believes they can change this for game three by having competitive at bats.

“I think it is time for us to win a conference weekend and we got to play well,” Henderson said.

“We can do that by having competitive at bats, fielding the ball well and a starting pitcher who pounds the strike zone.”

Mississippi State had failed to win a single SEC series coming into a rubber match on Sunday against the Ole Miss. They went to the 11th inning in order to

Taylor Rayburn |The Reflector

Freshman Harry Parker and sophomore Greg Eiland work in an offensive line drill, football is two weeks away from the spring game.

Moorhead talks scrimmage TAYLOR RAYBURN SPORTS EDITOR

Mississippi State University football is officially in full swing as they held their first scrimmage Saturday afternoon.

Head coach Joe Moorhead talked about his thoughts on the scrimmage.

“I’m as I always say, ‘pleased but not satisfied,’” Moorhead said. “It was the first opportunity to come out in a live scrimmage situation. And a couple of our goals, we talk about dominating situational football and competing. I thought we did those two things. And then improving every practice. Ultimately, the offensive coordinator wants the offense to do well.

The defensive coordinator wants the defense to do well. The special teams coordinator wants the special teams to do well.

But as the head coach, you want to see a good giveand-take throughout the course of practice. The offense making plays, the defense making plays. And I thought we did that.”

Quarterback Nick Fitzgerald, defensive lineman Jeffrey Simmons and Marquiss Spencer, cornerback Jamal Peters, and receivers Keith Mixon and Stephen Guidry did not play in the scrimmage.

Sophomore Keytaon Thompson, of New Orleans, got the first team and second team quarterback reps. He went 15-28 on the day for 180 yards and two touchdowns.

He ran seven times for 17 yards (number includes yards lost on three sacks). He threw three interceptions.

“He’s getting a ton of reps, and this is incredibly valuable for him,” Moorhead said. “He made a bunch of good plays today, and made some decisions he’d like to have back. But you can see a guy that is very smart. Coach (Andrew) Breiner is doing a good job of teaching the offense. And a live arm, he can make all the throws and certainly can run as well. These are reps that are tremendously valuable in his development.”

Aeris Williams led the team in rushing with nine rushes for 41 yards and touchdown. Austin Williams led the team in receiving with three catches for 56 yards. Jamal Couch also had two catches for 29 yards and a touchdown.

The defense rotated throughout the day. Leading them was Willie Gay Jr. with four tackles, two for loss and a forced fumble.

Chauncey Rivers and Kobe Jones also had a tackle for loss. Rivers had a pass break

up and Jones had three tackles. Gerri Green, Tim Washington and Lee Autry all had a sack. Washington also had an interception he returned for 50 yards. Chris Rayford, Stephen Adegoke and Cameron Miller also had an interception each.

Overall, Moorhead said the defense had a good day getting turnovers in the red zone and keyed in on the battle in the trenches.

“I think it’s a great battle, and I think it’s a microcosm of what we see every day in practice,” Moorhead said.

“I tell our guys if one side is constantly kicking the other side, but throughout the course of practice, you’re in for a long season. You know, we want our practice to be like a 15-round heavyweight bout that goes to the card. And that’s it’s been, it’s either by period or by day these guys have been competing and getting after each other. Ultimately realizing it’s more about the team than it is about one side of the ball or the individual. So like I said, this is just a representation of what we’ve done all spring.”

MSU will have their next scrimmage this Saturday after two more days of practice Tuesday and Friday. The MaroonWhite Spring Game is set for 3 p.m. April 21.

decide the series, but MSU won it 7-5.

The defense played a major part in the win, as MSU did not commit a single error in the game.

“You have to be really pleased with our team defense,” head coach Gary Henderson said.

“Of course with 11 innings, we only had five punchouts. A lot of outs if you do the math, 28 times we had to get an out.”

The team needed their strong defense when Ole Miss almost scored a run, but Jake Mangum, a junior center fielder from Pearl, gunned him down at the plate.

Marshall Gilbert, a junior catcher from Trevor, Wisconsin, received a lot of praise from Mangum, as the catcher helped keep a run from scoring with a

great tag.

“That was awesome,” Mangum said. “Gilbert had a great day yesterday, I think he went like three for four, he has been great behind the plate. We have two catchers who alternate playing time, that have both done a really good job behind the plate.”

MSU’s rally back from a one-run deficit started in the bottom of the seventh with a run scoring on an error from a bunt, and then one scored on a double play and pushed MSU into the lead.

Ole Miss then took a five to four-run lead in the top of the ninth with a pair of sacrifice flies. However, MSU responded with a Jake Mangum single to right field, which would tie the game.

Henderson said he was pleased with how Tanner Poole, a senior outfielder

from Amory, hit the ball, but the most impressive stat line is Mangum’s. He had five hits in five at bats, and scored four times, while also driving in a run. Mangum said the ball essentially had eyes, and found its way to the right spots.

It would not be a series win if Luke Alexander, a junior shortstop from Belmont, had not stepped up to the plate at the right time. With Mangum on base, Alexander smashed a fastball to left field to walk it off in the bottom of the 11th.

Alexander said it was absolutely the biggest hit of his career, as his blast not only won an extra innings SEC rubber match, but it also came against in-state rivals Ole Miss in a hardfought game.

“Growing up as a Mississippi kid, you are always choosing between Mississippi State and Ole Miss,” Alexander said. “I chose Mississippi State, and hit a walk-off against Ole Miss, it is just a surreal moment.”

The team is four wins away from being right back at .500 in SEC play, and a game like this could be the kick-start they needed to turn the corner. MSU is currently in last place, one game behind Auburn and two games behind Ole Miss.

“Coach Henderson was talking about how this point in the year, people can kick start things,” Alexander said. “Start winning ball games, and turn their whole season around. I felt like that is a good way to end the game, and to just keep rolling with it.”

MSU will play Alabama State University on Wednesday, and then Auburn University this weekend at Auburn.