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FRIDAY APRIL 20, 2018
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132nd YEAR ISSUE 47
THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIVERSITY SINCE 1884
Starkville mayoral race questioned after ballot issues DYLAN BUFKIN STAFF WRITER
The week of April 8 saw the main court proceedings of the ongoing contention of ballots in the previous Democratic run-off primary for the position of Starkville mayor. Johnny Moore, represented by attorney William Starks, is contesting eight affidavit ballots and one absentee ballot which were not counted in the previous vote. Mayor Lynn Spruill’s team, consisting of Jim Mozingo and Lydia Quarles, is contesting one absentee ballot. With Spruill winning 1,872 to 1,866 votes, the 10 contested ballots could lead to new action taken to rectify the results of the election, whether it be a new election or a new decided winner. Affidavits and absentee ballots are special types of
ballots which are filled in specific voting scenarios. Affidavits are ballots cast when a voter is not on the voter list of their given polling location, therefore, their information is not provided for them. The voter fills in the requested information, and this information must be verified, according to legal requirements. Absentee ballots, on the other hand, are filled when a voter is unable to visit their specified voting location for extraneous and unalterable reasons. They are mailed in envelopes required to be signed across the flap by the voter, to prove the ballot was not tampered with after mailing. Moore’s team believes their contested ballots were unjustly considered void, as Starks explains. One affidavit was miscounted for the address not being a
Rosalind Hutton
residential address, which Starks found to be untrue. Another was miscounted for the address being written as Highway 182 West, rather than Martin Luther King
Drive. The presiding judge over the case, First District Circuit Judge Barry Ford, has accepted the latter mentioned ballot as wrongly disqualified, for the provided
street is synonymous with Martin Luther King Drive. Starks said Moore’s team simply wants every voting voice to count and not be disqualified for asinine reasons. “I grew up in Starkville, and I knew a good number of the names that were on the ballots,” Starks said. “Some of them were poll workers. Some of them were poll managers at Wards. Some of them were heavily involved in elections and voted by absentee for various reasons, and we just felt like, to the extent possible, we want every vote that was a legal vote to count.” Mozingo argues some of the discrepancies in the contested ballots simply do not allow them to be counted. “There’s no argument of wrong-doing here. It’s just that different people disagree about whether
certain votes ought to be counted and whether or not people did everything they were supposed to do for particular kinds of ballots,” Mozingo said. “In that sense, it’s an issue.” Mozingo explained this hearing is based more on case law than statute law, meaning the proceeding is decided more on previous legal rulings than any law on the books. Therefore, this case is murkier than something dictated by clear and precise legal definition. Pete Perry, a polling and elections expert witness called to the stand by Starks, testified several of the contested ballots would have been accepted if he was processing them. Additionally, Perry said Spruill should have won by three votes by his examination, rather than the certified six.
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New Starkville MSU Director of Bands elected to housing project American Bandmasters Association introduced to Aldermen JORDAN DARENSBOURG AND KATIE POE STAFF WRITER AND NEWS EDITOR
City discusses establishing EMS ambulance district TAYLOR RAYBURN STAFF WRITER
It was not something on the set agenda that stole the show at the Starkville Board of Aldermen Tuesday night, but an idea brought to them by Johnny Moore in citizen comments which became the primary topic of discussion. During citizen comments, Moore brought forth an idea in honor of April being Fair Housing month. Moore’s idea used up all three of the allotted minutes, but the board gave him extra time to explain things. The plan is to build a 70,000-squarefoot replica of Pecan Acres in Ward 7, which is approved by the Fair Housing Authority. Because Pecan Acres is currently in Ward 7, it would not affect voting districts. Then, according to a tweet by Lisa Wynn, who helped Moore come up with the project, there will be a $250 million economic development project in the old Pecan Acres location. Many at the meeting branded it as a win-win for everyone involved. “We came up with a strategy to get new housing in Starkville without it being a significant expense to the city of Starkville,” Moore said. Moore contacted the Fair Housing Authority in Atlanta, as well as the
FRIDAY
Housing Authority in Jackson. The Fair Housing Authority was so enthused they sent their director to Starkville to view the project. “They said it was the best idea they have ever heard in 30 years,” Moore said. Moore brought this topic before the board Tuesday because he has to put publication notices in local newspapers, and he did not want the board to see these without knowledge beforehand. The board hopes to expand on the idea in a work session, and Moore plans to return with more information. “It is going to be the single largest dual project ever done in the city of Starkville,” Moore said. Establishing a city Emergency Medical Services abulance district which will come from Starkville Fire Department stations became another issue to rise to prominence Tuesday. The proposal named Pafford EMS as the private company to take the contract. Concerned citizen and Mississippi State University Professor Andrew Stevens came to the board with his concerns after reading about the proposal in local newspapers. He was concerned the proposal would award the contract to Pafford EMS without consulting other options.
SATURDAY
HI: 68 LO: 46 SKY: Sunny
HI: 72 LO: 56 SKY: Partly cloudy
POP: 0%
POP: 10%
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THURSDAY HI: 66 LO: 58 SKY: T-storms POP: 80%
Elva Kaye Lance, director of bands at Mississippi State University, was recently one of 13 band directors elected to the prestigious American Bandmasters Association. Founded in 1929, ABA represents some 300 conductors and composers throughout the U.S. and Canada, along with 80 associate members from music-related businesses and corporations which support performing units and the publication of music they perform. Lance said she loves interacting with past, present and future members of the Maroon Band. “My favorite part of my work with the Maroon Band is getting to know and work with the outstanding student members of our band program,” Lance said. “Additionally, my job affords me an unusual opportunity to visit with alumni, work with students who are presently enrolled at MSU and meet with prospective students, sometimes all in the span of a few hours.”
Lance does not attribute her success to just herself, however. “The success that one has in their career is not just an individual thing,” Lance said. “As a teacher, I have had great students who have worked hard and have made performing well a priority. I am also very fortunate to have great colleagues and staff, and a very supportive administrative leadership. All of these individuals share in any successes that I have had.” An intense vetting process is required for ABA admission. Those tapped for membership must have achieved the highest levels of excellence over a sustained career. Clifton Taylor, a senior marketing major and member of the Famous Maroon Band, said Lance deserves this prestigious recognition. “She has done so much for the band program and the university in general,” Clifton Taylor said. “To see her get recognition on the national level is wonderful. It’s such an honor in the band world and it reflects on her efforts.”
Courtesy Photo | Elva Lance
Director of Bands Elva Kaye Lance was elected to the American Bandmasters Association.
2003, not long after she was named director. He said he was proud and “very happy” for Lance and her election is “well-deserved.”
MSU Associate Director of Bands Craig Aarhus echoed Clifton Taylor’s sentiment. Aarhus said he started working with Lance in
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Program aims to reduce prison return rates
MSU partners with MDOC to prepare inmates for reintegration KHELSEA ZIESMER
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
According to the Bureau of Justice, the likelihood of a previous convict returning back to prison is over 70 percent. In an attempt to fix this issue, Mississippi State University and Mississippi Department of Corrections created Thinking for a Change program. While MDOC already
had a community service project implemented to fix the problem, it wanted more. MDOC Director of Electronic Monitoring Tina Ladner reached out to MSU-Meridian Criminology Professor Amanda Cook and MSU Criminology Professor David May for a possible solution. By coming together to implement the Thinking for a Change curriculum
FORECAST: It’s an exciting weekend ahead with Super Bulldog Weekend, and for the first two days it doesn’t look bad at all! Temperatures will be very nice, and although clouds will start to build in Saturday, the rain should hold off until Sunday for all the fun activities this weekend. Courtesy of Forecaster Craig Ceecee, Campus Connect
have spoken during the Thinking for a Change program, and they enjoy doing so. “We’ve had career services talk about resume building, and people from social work talk about anger management,” May said. “I talk about being a father, interviewing, getting a job when you’re a felon, social intelligence and communication skills.”
from the national institute for corrections, MSU and MDOC help to keep the recidivism rate low and morale high for the inmates. After many meetings, planning and brainstorming, Cook and May both knew they wanted to be involved with the program to better inmates’ lives. Every Monday, Cook and May travel to Macon to participate in the program. Both Cook and May
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THE REFLECTOR FRIDAY, APRIL 20, 2018
BALLOTS When cross-examined by Mozingo, Perry also testified 52 absentee ballots presented by Spruill’s team had several deficiencies, including a lack of the voter’s signature across the envelope’s flap. Starks was surprised by the Spruill team’s presentation of the 52 ballots. “All the way up until trial, they had denied that there was any problems with those ballots, and at trial, they came in and said, ‘Well, we want to amend our answer and say that yeah there are problems with those ballots,’” Starks said. “That was a surprise and, I guess, a change in strategy on their part.” However, Mozingo believes Sparks’s surprise is somewhat hypocritical. “You know, as the case went along, they were continually pushing that issue,” Mozingo said. “I think it’s disingenuous for the Moore campaign to suggest, ‘Oh, they couldn’t
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believe we wanted to suggest this,’ when, until they actually sat down and quit putting on evidence, they had been doing nothing but pressing about these 52 absentee ballots.” Mozingo said the Spruill team put up the ballots because they agree the ballots were unfit to count, and they were going to both candidates. Both attorneys agreed the proceedings were otherwise straightforward. Spruill herself is patient for the ruling, which should come within the next month. “I am just waiting like everyone else to allow the process to go forward and continue to do the things that I think are necessary for the best interest of the city, and so, I will keep acting in that role until I’m told otherwise,” Spruill said. Moore was contacted, but he did not comment on the situation.
By the numbers n In the Democratic primary last year, Spruill won 1,872 to 1,866. n There
Thursday, April 12, 2018 12:00 a.m. Student arrested in Starkville for two counts of controlled substance. Friday, April 13, 2018 10:38 p.m. Student arrested in Starkville for DUI. 12:00 a.m. Two students were arrested in Starkville for possession of controlled substance and marijuana. Monday, April 16, 2018 7:39 a.m. Student reported her tires slashed while parking in Hathorn parking lot. 12:55 p.m. Student reported losing her keys outside
Moseley Hall, the keys were later recovered.
from Moseley Hall for medical assistance.
1:17 p.m. Student was transported to OCH from McCain Hall for medical assistance.
Notable Traffic Citations:
5:15 p.m. Employee reported being harassed by his estranged wife. 6:15 p.m. Student reported damages to his vehicle while parked in McKee hall parking lot. Wednesday, April 18, 2018 Student reported damages to his windshield while parked in Hull Hall parking lot. Student transported to OCH
13 MSU citations were issued for speeding, the most notable of which was 49/20 on College View Street. Justice Court citations issued for no driver’s license or insurance on Stone Blvd. MSU citation issued for disregard of traffic device on Bailey Howell. Justice Court citation issued for speeding 60/35 on Lee Blvd. Justice Court citation issued for expired tag on Blackjack Road.
are 10 contested ballots.
n 52 absentee ballots presented by Spruill’s team had several deficiencies.
Pete Perry said Spruill should have won by three votes rather than the certified six. n
BAD DAWGS
BANDMASTER Aarhus also said the recognition is a good thing for the band’s program, and there is “no higher honor” in the band community. As far as Lance’s personality, Aarhus said she is empathetic toward students and coworkers. “She’s an exceptional leader and a wonderful person to work with,” Aarhus said. “She really cares about her students.” Cliff Taylor, also an MSU associate director of bands, said he has
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personally known Lance for 13 years. However, he knew her name long before then. “I knew her by reputation and knew who she was because of attending the state convention and things like that,” Cliff Taylor said. “In our state, she’s a very well-known and respected director.” Cliff Taylor said not many make it into the ABA, and it is like an exclusive club. “Only the very best
of the best get invited to be a member of the Bandmasters Association,” Cliff Taylor said. “So, I’m very proud of [Lance] and very proud to be associated with her.” Cliff Taylor said Lance gives her attention not only to the university, but also has a desire to spread her knowledge of band directing. She appears at the state convention every year, in addition to appearing as a judicator and guest conductor around
the country. Locally, Cliff Taylor said Lance helps high school and middle school band directors. “She’s wonderful to work with,” Cliff Taylor said. “She is the kind of person who shares her knowledge freely with other people. She’s the kind of person who shares the credit of the success of the band with other people who work around her and works very well with other people. And she’s very encouraging.”
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THE REFLECTOR FRIDAY, APRIL 20, 2018
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PROGRAM
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Initially, the program started with just professors going to the Noxubee County Transition Center and speaking on a variety of topics, but since then it has grown. Since the start of the program, MSU has involved criminology and sociology students. They join Cook and May in traveling to the Noxubee County Transition Center, and participate actively in the program. The students are assigned a group of inmates and get to know them. They talk about personal life and the topic of the day which was previously discussed. “They try to give them life advice, with the idea that they’re giving them individual attention that they don’t really get anywhere else,” May said. While the program is too early in its stages to tell, Cook said she feels it is working. “I joke that they are a better audience than your typical classroom full of college students,” Cook said. “They are attentive, asking questions
ALDERMEN He was also worried a new EMS service would “cannibalize the revenue stream for (Oktibbeha County Hospital) ambulances,” and there was “insufficient engagement with OCH” about the proposal. He also feared the costs may be more than anticipated, along with liability issues. “I believe the city should take additional steps before making a decision about establishing an EMS district in the city limits,” Stevens said. “In the end, a public-private partnership with Pafford EMS may indeed be the best course of action. However, I do not believe the city had provided the
and participate in the discussions.” One of the major focuses of the program is encouragement. “I constantly tell the offenders that we don’t want them here, that we prefer they were out taking care of their families doing what is right,” Commander
face significant challenges, but they are better equipped to handle those challenges after completing the program than they would have been without it.” With the MDOC partnership, the inmates have the tools to live a normal life again, according to MDOC Commissioner
“I joke that they are a better audience than your typical classroom full of college students. They are attentive, asking questions and participate in the discussions.” -Amanda Cook, MSU-Meridian criminology professor Frank Stockett said in a release from MSU Public Affairs. Over 80 inmates have gotten the chance to go through the program and graduate; the most recent class graduated April 12. “You can see the hope in their eyes when they are handed a copy of their resumes to take with them,” Cook said. “Yes, they will
Pelicia E. Hall. “We can no longer afford to supervise offenders with a ‘gotcha’ mentality,” Hall said in the Public Affairs release. “We must offer meaningful rehabilitation, using all available resources. The partnership with Mississippi State University is beneficial for both the department and the university.”
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necessary evidence to make that conclusion at this time.” The goal of the new EMS service is to save lives. The board mainly commended Fire Chief Charles Yarbrough on the idea. Yarbrough noted the strain on the current ambulances at OCH, as they currently only have two operating ambulances. The extra ambulances would help reduce response time, and get to citizens in need quicker. It would also reduce the wear and tear put on SFD fire trucks as they currently go out to these medical calls, which could potentially save Starkville money down the road.
“These trucks are not designed to be driven everyday, all day long, going back and forth to medical calls,” Yarbrough said. The board agreed to hear bidding by multiple companies for the EMS contract at the Starkville Board of Alderman meeting on May 1. The board also passed a request to accept a National Recreation and Parks Association and Walmart Foundation of Rural Communities healthy out-of-school time grant of $35,000. The grant will go toward a summer feeding program. In addition, the city of Starkville will adopt
a uniform policy for the Department of Sanitation, Street Department and the Starkville Water Department. Sandra Sistrunk, Alderman of Ward 2, helped put together the proposal. “We are moving from a rental arrangement to actually providing uniforms to the employees, that is the significance of the change,” Sistrunk said. The board also received the annual Municipal Court report for Starkville in 2017. In 2017, there were 7,940 new cases, 6,698 traffic citations, 259 DUIs, 1657 misdemeanors and 185 felonies.
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THE REFLECTOR FRIDAY, APRIL 20 2018 @REFLECTORONLINE
OPINION
The end of professionalism 99 problems but a hitch ain’t one: how to make the idea in politics is approaching us of living in Mississippi appealing to college graduates GRACE GILMAN
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
As college students, we have all experienced applying for a job, which, in the end, requires a certain amount of experience to apply. It is frustrating, and quite frankly, seems unfair considering we are just now leaving 12 years of school. However, in recent years, the assumed requirement of political experience has become obsolete. In an article by the New York Post, John Podhoretz explains there is voter revolt. This voter revolt is not a revolt against bad policies, it is “a revolt against the very idea of the politician as a professional who has to master his trade like any other professional,” Podhoretz said. Why should we, as college students, be required to have years of experience when our own president is not required to have any? This question of inexperience in politics has been brought up once more with Cynthia Nixon, one of the stars of “Sex and the City,” running for governor of New York. She has received a lot of backlash, especially from The New York Times, with one of the articles titled, “Cynthia Nixon and the Age of Inexperience.” In this article, writer Frank Bruni criticizes her decision. “Missing from those two slickly produced minutes [of Nixon’s announcement video] was even a syllable about her experience, and that’s no accident. Little on her résumé is directly relevant to the big, difficult job that she nonetheless wants,” Bruni stated. In fields such as finances, psychology, pharmacy and teaching, training can take weeks, and lots of information is provided to the trainees to memorize and comprehend in order to begin working for their respective companies. Going through this painstaking training is a sign
of professionalism and helps coworkers develop trust. Most doctor offices have framed documentation of the place they graduated and received fellowships from, as a sign to patients they are trained experts in their field, and you can trust them. Politics should require the same amount of expertise and experience as any other job. After her speech during the Oscars, there was a rumor on how Oprah should run for president. Again, like Nixon, she received a lot of backlash. AOL reported in an interview appearance on Good Morning Britain, Sean Spicer implied Oprah’s running may not be a good idea because she lacks political experience. “She has no political infrastructure. And we have seen this before in our history — where people who have tried to pop in that are not in politics, and have had a difficult time adjusting,” Spicer argued. Sean Spicer, former press secretary, had no right to say this because the current president has zero experience. As long as the president is not required to have experience in his field, there is no standard to say otherwise. Inexperience may seem appealing because it has a quality of being the underdog. The trend has become more and more apparent, and it needs to stop. Soon, being an expert and running for political office will make you the underdog in the race. The standard needs to be set so if you run for political office, you should have a certain amount of experience. Being in office is not a joke, people’s livelihoods are at stake. It seems ridiculous undergraduates must have experience in their fields to apply to jobs after graduation, when the president of the U.S. does not need any. The standard needs to change.
STEVEN WEIRICH
is a senior majoring in economics. Contact him at opinion@reflector.msstate.edu.
Since this will be one of the last columns I write for The Reflector, I wanted to cover a topic I have thought a lot about for a couple of years now. I believe it was in January of 2017 when I was sitting in a meeting with state officials and other Mississippi State University students at the capitol building in Jackson when I first heard a major official mention of the topic. A gentleman spoke for a few minutes about how he and other state leaders were alarmed with the number of recent college graduates from Mississippi universities who left the state after graduation. As I said, I had been thinking about this for a while, since I already knew many students choose to leave the state post-graduation. As I am now joining this group of graduates set to depart from Mississippi, I wanted to offer some of my thoughts on how this trend might be reversed. The claim of Mississippi losing its college graduates is not spurious. Data does back up the idea. According to Gabriel Austin with Mississippi Today, between the years of 2010 and 2016, Mississippi’s millennial population decreased by 3.9 percent. This brought the total number of millennials in the state down to roughly 801,799. Although this may not seem like a drastic drop, it was actually one of the greatest decreases among all the states in the category. Even if not all of these people are college
Rosalind Hutton
graduates, it is likely many possess a university degree. Nikki Graf of the Pew Research Center explains how around 40 percent of millennial workers possessed at least a bachelor’s degree, which equated to a higher percentage than any other generational group. There are a few ways I think Mississippi could improve its current predicament. The biggest problem, in my opinion, is Mississippi’s lack of attractiveness, especially when compared to other states. I know this is not the most groundbreaking observation, but let me provide more statistics to back up the claim. According to a CDC report which came out in January, Mississippi had the highest infant mortality rate of any state in America from 2013-2015. The official numbers were 9.08 deaths per every 1,000 live births. For comparison, the U.S. average was 5.89. This problem is due to a variety of factors, including the lack of rural health care options for many people living in rural towns across the state. Combining this fact with young peoples’ affinity for living in more urban or metropolitan areas, moving to bigger cities seem a good idea for some.
Unfortunately, big cities are not in a great supply in Mississippi. So, what are our state leaders to do? First and foremost, we can no longer simply rely on our lowliving costs as a reason for people to live here. The actions have to be more aggressive than this one metric. A good model to think about how state and local leaders could turn this trend around lies in the story of Pittsburgh. In his piece, Alan Greenblatt of Governing Magazine lays out how Pittsburgh managed to turn its story from one of demise, to one of prosperity. Around 30 or so years ago, Pittsburgh was suffering from high unemployment and a falling population. People simply did not want to live in the steel city. However, in the subsequent decades, they started moving public resources and tackling problems which made their city a more attractive place for people to live. The city pushed their university and hospital systems, which resulted in a greater number of highly-educated individuals wanting to live in Pittsburgh. This move also spurred innovation across many sectors of their economy. City leaders also made
strides in getting more children access to pre-K education, and they invested in public goods like improved parks and sewer systems. Finally, city officials made substantial efforts to make their government more efficient, and mandated more openness and transparency across the government as well. Basically, Pittsburgh took steps to make sure they can retain people with higher education, where they can enjoy an environmentally friendly city with access to top-notch health care and improved education options for their kids. Not too shabby. I know I am cheating a little bit by comparing a city to a state, but the lessons are still clear. If the leaders of this state want young people to stay or move here, they have to work on creating a place where we will actually want to live and work. It would be wonderful if southern hospitality and low living costs were all it took, but this is not looking to be the case. Right now, people are leaving the state because there is nothing here to make them stay. State and local leaders need to be aggressive in turning this trend around, or Mississippi will continue to suffer for it.
Sensationalist journalism blurs the truth and distracts from the real issues Why are you erasing all of the facts??
Iʼm not erasing them, Iʼm just blurring the truth.
CHRIS LOWE
is a junior majoring in business information systems. Contact him at opinion@reflector.msstate.edu.
Sensationalism, echo chambers and smokescreens define American media today. In the so-called “Information Age,” citizens of this country are finding it harder each day to get the facts they need. Whether it involves political coverage or just day-to-day news, anchors on TV and traditional journalists representing a huge percentage of relevant newspapers seem to do everything in their power to keep the masses from getting the information which matters; it fosters frustration, which breeds apathy. I for one am beyond the point of annoyance at this new-age yellow journalism, especially considering I
Rosalind Hutton
fancy myself a journalist as well. I am tired of seeing things like anthem kneeling taking up the primetime spots, instead of events actually impacting the state of the country. I am tired of seeing the folks at FOX and CNN so blatantly
favor Republicans and Democrats, respectively. To put it succinctly, it is time for a change. But, to know what to change, we must outline where we are going wrong in the first place. Justin Schuster of The
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news outlets will simply bombard and confuse you with nonstop coverage of the same story. Economic policy, foreign affairs and the more technical aspects of our domestic social policy are swept aside in favor of more, as they say, digestible pieces. I will say this, and I am quite astonished I have to: the news is not supposed to be entertaining. The news exists for the sole purpose of relaying topical, meaningful information and whether a certain topic is digestible enough is irrelevant to its importance. Entertainment is great, but at risk of sounding like a conspiracy theorist, it is turning us into a mindless populace. Some of the shadier practices employed today even border on outright propaganda. Catherine Rampell, a columnist from the Washington Post, summed up the predicament last year. “Welcome to 2017, the ouroboros of distractions, where every terrible thing is a head-fake for a ruse for a diversion for a misdirection from something else much,
much worse,” Rampell stated. This is not a conservative or liberal issue, and it is not a racial issue either. It exists universally, and everyone falls victim to it. Everyone, if they care enough about accuracy, should fact-check every article they read and follow a breadcrumb trail of sources. Those same people must also face the maddening stream of obviously misleading or utterly false stories their friends and family share on social media. For those who do not care to give news the time of day, these shares make up their entire information diet, and I would venture to say millions of Americans live their lives in a half-fake world. The problem is not inconsequential, either. It has the power to swing elections, create rifts between different demographics and again, breed apathy. Even if you do not share my love for journalism, it still impacts you in a huge way. For this reason, it is time for it to end. The first yellow press period did, and this iteration deserves no lesser fate.
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Politic explains a huge factor for the current landscape. “As a consequence of increased competition in the digital battleground, journalism has shifted towards provocative and controversial thought pieces. In order to combat a hemorrhaging audience, mainstream media has turned towards opinion journalism as the new frontier,” Schuster explains. So essentially, at least part of the reason why the media has become what it has is due to finances. Think about this for a second: something as important as the news is distorted because the big wigs in charge are not getting enough money. They are selling out, point blank. I do not claim to have some master plan in place to fix this, but the news is sacred. Information is sacred. There is absolutely no excuse for this being compromised, even if it is seemingly what America at large craves. If being entertained with wacky “catch me outside” fiascos and other non-issues are not enough to quench your thirst, many
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THE REFLECTOR FRIDAY, APRIL 20 2018 @REFLECTORONLINE
OPINION
Dress codes are too strict and limit the individuality of students Donʼt you think that outfit is a little questionable?
MIA RODRIGUEZ
is a sophmore majoring in English. Contact her at opinion@reflector.msstate. edu
If you were lucky enough to experience a strict high school dress code like I was, you might remember the institution being paraded as a way to force students to look more professional. In actuality, this was a one-sided policy which seemed to target female students, while simultaneously attempting to squelch overall student body individuality. You may read this and think, “Hey, both sexes were equally targeted.” However, if I remember correctly (and I know I do), girls were constantly hounded for showing too much skin. I went to a small Catholic high school, and on our so-called “free dress days,” girls were forbidden to wear shorts while boys were more than welcome to showcase their new pattern of chubbies, which we all know show a considerable amount of leg. But girls in
Rian, this is gym. Iʼm literally wearing the same thing as you.
Rosalind Hutton
shorts? Never. The practice of females wearing shorts was limited to gym class and homecoming week if one was lucky. God forbid you reveal your legs, or even worse, shoulders! It seems the right to show a little bit of shoulder or leg is promiscuous unless it concerns a male student. Unless a student is gallivanting around school in their birthday suit, I do not see an issue in showing
a moderate amount of skin. Although this does not concern me now so to speak, I worry for my future children and how they will be subjected to a school system which makes them feel their bodies are something to be ashamed of, or hide for fear because they dress a certain way they will be considered a distraction to their peers of the opposite sex. The problematic
Trivia Time! 1. If you were painting with tempera, what would you be using to bind together color pigments? 2. Who was Henry VIII’s first wife? 3. In publishing, what does POD mean? 4. What is allspice alternatively known as? Source: hobbylark.com
nature of dress codes even extends to undergarments. According to Hayley Krischer of The New York Times, one girl who decided to go braless to avoid friction on her sunburn was forced to put on an undershirt and place BandAids over her nipples, even though the shirt she wore was baggy and her nipples were not visible. Some girls even held a “silent protest” following
the incident “Despite threats of disciplinary action, about 30 female students opted not to wear bras, and a number of students decorated their backpacks with Band-Aids in the shape of an X. One student wore a shirt that read, ‘Do my ni**ples offend you?’ (The asterisks were hers,)” Krischer explained. How a set of nipples attached to a woman can be any different than those attached to a man beats me. The “offensive” appendages are used to one day act as a medium to feed children, which seems to be quite the opposite of harmful to me. So why are these features, which were not even visible to begin with as she was wearing a baggy shirt, deemed harmful? Additionally, dress codes are not only sexist, but they limit the individuality of students. There is no imminent danger associated with a clothing style or hairstyle, and if anything, telling a student their style or body is a distraction is itself a distraction to the student affected. As long as there are no harmful objects or slogans adorning clothing, I see no real issue clothing choices
can pose. According to Susanna Heller of Insider Magazine, some schools, one of which being Evanston Township High School in Illinois, are pushing to make dress codes more inclusive to students. “While some districts across the country still cling to the notion that certain styles are too “distracting” for a classroom, ETHS debunks that notion. The high school’s new dress code doesn’t prohibit specific styles or fits of clothing — nor does it shame students for expressing themselves through clothing,” Heller stated. More schools should aim to do what ETHS did to make their students feel welcomed and accepted in an already tumultuous period for adolescents. High school is a time for students to worry about grades and ACT scores, not whether they will be reprimanded for expressing themselves. Dress codes should exist for the sole purpose of preventing harmful or offensive clothing from being on school premises. As long as a style does not harm others, students should be able to express their individuality without repercussions.
REFLECTIONS Friedrich Nietzche
“At bottom every man knows well enough that he is a unique being, only once on this earth; and by no extraordinary chance will such a marvelously picturesque piece of diversity in unity as he is, ever be put together a second time.”
Answer:1. Egg yolk 2. Catherine of Aragon 3. Print on Demand 4. Pimento
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THE REFLECTOR FRIDAY, APRIL 20, 2018 @REFLECTORONLINE
BULLETIN BOARD
An In-Class Distraction
ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY...
... in 1841, Edgar Allen Poe’s “The Murders in the Rue Morgue” first appeared in “Graham’s Lady’s and Gentleman’s Magazine.” The tale is generally considered to be the first detective story. The story focuses on Monsieur C. Auguste Dupin using his “analytical powers” to solve a series of murders in Paris. The tale is narrated by the detective’s roommate, much like “Sherlock Holmes.” Following the story’s publication, detective stories began to grow into novels and the genre became very popular. history.com
April 17 puzzle solutions
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1 bathroom. $575/ month. 34 Dobby Lane Cottages. Available for May-July sublet. For more information, contact Bulldog Bluff, LLC at 601-927-1304, or langston. rentals@gmail.com 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 Tuesday’s paper is 3 p.m. Thursday. The deadline
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LIFE & ENTERTAINMENT
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Review: ‘Truth or Dare’ embodies every horror cliche
EMMA DRAY BRASWELL STAFF WRITER
SPOILER ALERT: Everybody dies. Yes, it is definitely an over-dramatic exaggeration, but the movie is full of those. I am not saying this horror film was not scary in the slightest. There were a few decent jump-scares snuck, but it definitely felt like I was watching a soap opera rather than a horror film. This would not be a bad thing if it was not supposed to be scary. I understand horror films may need a touch of drama to keep the storyline afloat, but this film was more of a drama with some cheesy scares mixed in. I walked into the movie not expecting much. I knew it would be cheesy, I knew it would be predictable, but I had no idea to what extent. There was a definite lack of detailed plot all horror films seem to include, but most horror movies include at least something original. This movie, instead of going for originality or a decent plot, went for every horror movie cliche in existence. In all honesty, the acting was not horrible. It was, however, pretty much the only decent aspect of the movie.
TR
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Lucy Hale did a decent job with her role, even though it was probably the most cliche role in the movie. Still, I enjoyed at least some of the acting in this movie. I must give credit where credit is due because the producers did not hire terrible actors. This makes it all the more unfortunate that despite the actors, the scriptwriters wrote a subpar script. I think pretty much anyone else in Hollywood would have
written a better script. Again, while the script writing was downright depressing, it amazes me all the more how the actors actually managed to make it bearable. Violett Beane, the actress playing the main character, Markie Cameron, was without a doubt the most impressive actress in the whole movie. Unfortunately, this is because her role was cliche beyond all repair. Despite her horribly written character, I
could actually picture Beane being in other movies and having an actual acting career not revolving around movies like “Truth or Dare,” which is wildly impressive. Maybe the movie would have been better if there was a decent, memorable soundtrack. Sadly, I am writing this review and cannot remember if there even was music, or if it was just suspense. To be fair, I cannot say I am a general fan of Jeff
Wadlow, the director. He has not directed much else, and what he has directed I have not seen and am not about to see. To give him credit, I have heard of a couple of his movies, so he is fairly known, or at least one or two of his movies are. This being said, if you find yourself enjoying the other cheesy-looking films he directed, you may enjoy this one. However, if you like
horror films which actually manage to frighten you, I would recommend skipping out on “Truth or Dare” and try, maybe, any other horror. I will admit the idea behind the story could have been interesting, but there were an incredible number of factors which made the movie bad. From the beginning, when the group of friends on their last spring break of college follow a stranger into an abandoned mission in a foreign country, to the end, when they were choosing when to die, the movie gave the audience one cliche after another. I doubt I was surprised by any happenings in the movie. Watching the trailer is just like watching the movie, but with less time wasted. None of this is to say the audience cannot enjoy this movie. If you find yourself itching to go see a predictable horror/soap opera film, do not hesitate to buy tickets. If you have to see everything this director makes, if you must watch all films these actors are in, then, by all means, be my guest. However, if you are looking to be scared rather than to laugh, I cannot say I suggest wasting the money and time to see this.
Taste of Starkville brings food and community together KHELSEA ZIESMER
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Each year, thousands of families flock to Starkville for Super Bulldog Weekend. For 33 years, fans eager to spend their weekend watching sports fill Dudy Noble Field, Nusz Park and Davis Wade. While sports are the main event of Super Bulldog Weekend, there are other activities throughout campus and Starkville. From a pig cooking contest to a women’s basketball celebration, there is something for everyone
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during Super Bulldog Weekend. However, one of the activities enticing people’s return each year is the Cotton District Arts Festival and the Taste of Starkville. This Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., the Cotton District will host the annual Taste of Starkville, an event supporting over 15 local food vendors. The best of Starkville’s restaurants will attend, including four new restaurants making their debut. Taste of Starkville showcases various local businesses and gives the community the chance to
connect one another in a creative environment. The Cotton District Arts Festival and the Taste of Starkville combine to create one of the top festivals in Mississippi. The Cotton District Arts Festival offers hundreds of vendors showcasing local art, amazing food and live music, serving as a contrast to the high-paced, intense sports-based action of the weekend. People of all ages are welcome to come to the Cotton District and relax. Thomas La Fou, co-chair of Taste of Starkville, said the sense of community created by this event was
their main draw to the Taste of Starkville. “It brings the town together,” La Fou said. “I think people from all walks of life and ages, whether they are students or just grew up here or are retiring here, all ranges of people will find something at this event. It promotes town unity, which I think is important.” La Fou said King’s Butcher Shop and Café, Dan’s Delicious Dogs and Jo’s Café are a few of the new restaurants debuting at Taste of Starkville. “It’s a mix of local favorites and new venues,”
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said La Fou. “It’s a good way to broaden your horizons and see what all Starkville has to offer.” Christy Cater, co-chair of Taste of Starkville, said she also felt this event connected the community in a unique way, especially since all vendors are locals. “It’s all local, it’s all Starkville restaurants and food vendors,” Cater said. Cater said the festival is geared with the typical student budget in mind, so the food will be both delicious and reasonably priced. “Food vendors will be serving everything from
smoked wings, to shrimp, to snowballs; there’s just a huge variety,” said Cater. “You could easily get a really good variety for 10 dollars or less.” Dave Hood of Dave’s Dark Horse Tavern, one of the returning vendors to Taste of Starkville, said he enjoys getting the opportunity to participate in Taste of Starkville. “It’s our town’s street party,” Hood said. “Taste of Starkville is a once-ayear opportunity to bring out the whole family for an inexpensive way to sample Starkville’s best fare. Come see us, and Hail State.”
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THE REFLECTOR FRIDAY APRIL 20, 2018 @REFLECTORONLINE
SPORTS
Keytaon Thompson growing as team heads into spring game HUNTER CLOUD SPORTS EDITOR
Three days after former football head coach Dan Mullen left Mississippi State University and six days after the final regular season game, Joe Moorhead took over a football program with two dual-threat quarterbacks. One of those quarterbacks was Keytaon Thompson, a sophomore from New Orleans, who saw extended action in games against the University of Mississippi and Louisville University. Moorhead said he is impressed by what Thompson shows in the pocket and huddle from what he has observed so far. “The thing I have been most impressed with K.T. (Thompson) is his approach and maturity,” Moorhead said. “For being a young guy, he’s got a calmness and a poise and a presence about him. He doesn’t get rattled and that is what you want out of the quarterback position. Never too high when it’s going well, and never too low when it is going bad. So he has a nice steady
approach and that’s not even mentioning his talent and skills set. His approach has been one that has been very impressive.” Thompson has gotten more work in with his approach as Nick Fitzgerald is recovering from ankle surgery. Thompson has taken practice reps with first and second team offenses, which he said has helped him get more comfortable. “It helps a lot with all of those extra reps, you know,” Thompson said. “With each rep, I feel like I’m getting better and better. I am learning the system even more, and just getting more comfortable with this system. I think all of these reps with first and second team have helped a lot.” The reps have helped Thompson with reading the defenses and the many different looks they throw at him, as he said he has worked hard to improve all areas of his game going into this season. “As far as recognizing defenses and certain looks, to even down to accuracy and mechanical things,”
Noah Siano | The Reflector
Thompson, sophomore quarterback from New Orleans, Louisiana, escapes his own end zone in the waning minutes of the 2017 Egg Bowl.
Thompson said, “I have just been working all the way around them just trying to get better.” Any new offense will bring challenges as a new system is implemented, but this is something Thompson
said he had gone through in the previous season as a freshman coming into the college game, so the changes are not too much to handle. “Not any changes that would not come with any new systems,” Thompson
said. “It is just learning it, and trying to get the fine details down, that comes with any new system. Same problems I faced last year, coming in and learning a new offense coming into college as a freshman, but
other than that no issue.” Thompson hopes to show his improvement, as well as the new system Moorhead has brought in Saturday’s Maroon and White spring game. He said he knows a lot of fans are anxious to see this team and what they can do. “I’m very excited for this spring game,” Thompson said. “We are going to have a lot of fans show up to see this team with the new system for the first time. I am just looking forward to putting on a show.” Thompson said he is also excited about the talent coming in with the three four-star wide receivers who will join the team for this upcoming season. He also said the offense should be explosive. “I’m very excited, we have great receivers out there, and great tight ends, and we have a very talented backfield,” Thompson said. “I have a lot of great players around me, and that gives me even more confident, and I think we are going to have a nice, explosive offense this year.”
Men’s golf fights to finish fourth in final round of tournament HUNTER CLOUD SPORTS EDITOR
At the Old Waverly Collegiate Championships in West Point, an older gentleman waves at you from the gate while you enter the golf course and drive toward the clubhouse. Early in the morning, the Mississippi State University men’s golf team set to tee off at 8:50 a.m. with a chance to finish in the top three as they were three shots behind the University of South Florida at 10 under.
This was the picture going into the round, but the front nine was difficult for the team as they shot four over, and for one moment, they were tied for sixth. Head coach Dusty Smith said they did not get off to a good start. “We did not get off to the start that we needed to,” Smith said. “I guess Cameron, our freshman, was three under early, but everybody else was right around one over, two over par. Really on the easiest stretch of holes.” With the team seemingly
out of the picture, it was going to take guys like Taylor Bibbs, a senior from San Diego, California, to start shooting below par on the back nine. Bibbs missed a birdie putt on the ninth hole, and sat at one over going into the back nine. Bibbs said he just wanted to shoot better as he went into the last nine holes of the final round. “Kind of just felt like I just needed to make some birdies because I had not done that yet,” Bibbs said. “I knew it was playing easier
than it was yesterday, so I knew I had to try to make some birdies coming back.” One of the reasons he and many other golfers had trouble with scoring below par was the placement of the pins, as well as the greens having some tricky ridges in the areas around the holes. Bibbs said this is why it was so important to make the putts you have. “They tucked some of the pins today, they did not make it easy today,” Bibbs said. Read more at reflectoronline.com
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Mississippi State University 2018 Spring Commencement Ceremonies May 3rd at 3:30 p.m. Processional begins at 3:00 p.m. Doors open at 2:00 p.m.
May 4th at 9:30 a.m. Processional begins at 9:00 a.m. Doors open at 8:00 a.m.
May 4th at 3:30 p.m. Processional begins at 3:00 p.m. Doors open at 2:00 p.m.
Humphrey Coliseum ALLOW ADDITIONAL TIME FOR SECURITY SCREENING
ALL BAGS ARE SUBJECT TO SEARCH The information regarding regalia, invitations, photographs, and marching instructions may be found at www.registrar.msstate.edu, under students/ graduation for you to view and/or print.
Congratulations to all of Our Graduates!
GRADUATES AND THEIR GUESTS ARE EXPECTED TO REMAIN IN THEIR SEATS UNTIL THE CONCLUSION OF THE CEREMONY.