MSU

from new play areas for children to pickleball courts.” friendly environment,” Spruill said. “It puts a much better foot forward for our city. It’s part of that first-impression image that we want to convey to our alumni, to our business partners and to our prospective business owners.”

According to Rupp, the park expansions will bring in an influx of new visitors to Starkville and a return on the investment in recreation.

Airport director Rodney Lincoln said that the current airport terminal is about 1,100 square feet. The new terminal will have two floors and extend over 11,000 square feet.

AIRPORT, 2 emphasized the planning of a variety of new Starkville ballparks.

“I am part of Starkville's booming tennis/pickleball community and have been very involved in what the future of those sports looks like in Starkville. I'm even overseeing a team of graduate students doing specific research on pickleball facilities for the city,” Rupp said. “The projects range

“The biggest windfall will be from Cornerstone Park when it's completed in a couple of months. The ball fields will literally bring hundreds of visitors to the city generating quite a bit of economic churn through hotel bookings, restaurants, etc. I believe you'll also see improvements in the quality of life for residents of all ages with the improved facilities,” Rupp said. Rupp said that past developments in biking and walking trails have been successful and that park upgrades are a good use of public funds.

24 students recognized with Spirit of State Awards

Mississippi State University presented 24 students with the Spirit of State Award at a recognition program Friday. The Spirit of State Award recognizes students who have made strong impacts on the MSU campus and surrounding community.

Ann Olivia Radicioni, a previous recipient of the award, began the ceremony with a speech about how she believes this year’s recipients achieved the award.

“You are here because your love gives peace to those who are weary, attention to those that are forgotten, and it releases a weight off of the shoulders of the world. What better good could we do as Mississippi State students, what greater joy could there be than to know for this tiny moment we’ve lessened the burden and cleared the jagged path for someone else,” Radicioni said. “The paramount of who we are is how we love people. You all have loved well.”

During the ceremony, MSU President Mark Keenum said that the recipients personify the spirit of the entire student body.

“All that you have done here, we want you to continue to go out into the world and continue down this wonderful path of serving and helping others, making a difference in this world, that’s what we’re counting on,” Keenum said.

Fashion Board closes active year with sucessful fashion show, magazine

The Mississippi State University Fashion Board held a fashion show Wednesday, April 19, and will be releasing the tenth issue of their magazine, Être, on May 2.

The MSU Fashion Board is a way for students interested in fashion, merchandising, modeling and the arts to get involved in a community of fellow creatives.

It provides many opportunities for students interested in pursuing fashion to work together to produce shows, create content and put together a print publication.

Katie Garcia, an active member, said that the Fashion Board has been busy this year.

“This past year, we have had four shows. We had one around Halloween, our annual fashion show with recycled designs, and a show around Valentine’s Day, and one that concluded the year in a festival-like fashion.”

Their most recent show, “Rumours,” was based off the eleventh studio album of the band Fleetwood Mac. This was their first show to feature live music, as local Starkville band Make It to May played a diverse set of cover songs.

“The show itself was very much an ode to bohemian chic elements found in the seventies,” Boot said. “It was one of the best turnouts we’ve had yet. It was held in the District, so we got tons of foot traffic.”

Garcia said the show was a success.

“We felt great about it! It was the last show of the year, so all of us really devoted our energy towards it," Garcia said.

"We were so proud of it, and it ran so smoothly!”

Aside from “Rumours,” the Fashion Board has also been busy preparing to print their magazine.

While the city government approves of the issuance of these funds, one student pushed back against the idea of putting $15 million towards parks alone. Callie Kimbrell, a sophomore sociology major, said there are other concerns besides the expansion of parks.

“I think there are so many things this city could spend $15 million on, and I don’t know if parks should be the top priority. $15 million could help the livelihood of many community members, plus our roads are not great. There are potholes, missing sidewalks and a lack of city development,” Kimbrell said.

Kimbrell argued that there are other ways to bring in money and visitors to the city while providing for the community.

“We could be bringing in more businesses to stimulate the economy; I don’t think ballparks are going to help the people in this community that

Airport

It will also have more office space for airport staff and more waiting room for travelers, which will be especially useful in the event of inclement weather.

Airport operations manager Rusty Bouchillon said that FAA pilots are required to rest for a period of time between flights. The current terminal has a room for pilots to rest, but it only seats two pilots at a time. The new terminal will have more space for pilots to rest and prepare for their upcoming flights.

Many of MSU's athletic teams fly through George M. Bryan Airport. Bouchillon said that the new terminal will make it easier for charter companies to screen athletes before boarding the plane.

“With a new terminal, it’s gonna come in through the front door, on the street side and then go straight through,” Bouchillon said. “They’ll be checked out as they’re walking out the back door on the runway side and go get on the plane.”

Currently, observers must look through a chain link

Heidi Boot, a senior fashion design and merchandising major and the Content Editor for Être, said she joined Fashion Board with the goal of working on the magazine. She said she has enjoyed her time with the team behind Être and her time on the Fashion Board.

“This group is much more than just a club,” Boot said. “It not only gave me a creative outlet, but

Awards

Keenum said that the purpose of the award is to recognize the recipients’ commitment to community service and their impact on the surrounding community.

"You made a difference on this campus, this university, and in this community. It is better you having been here, you being part of this university community, it is better because of you.”

Keenum said that the recipients represent what MSU hopes for every student.

“This is what we aspire for all of our students, to come here, get a great education, to learn about the importance of service and helping others, and improving upon things that are doing well and making them better,” Keenum said.

Regina Hyatt, Vice President of Student Affairs, said the “spirit of State” has always existed in the MSU community, and that the Spirit of State Award is the top student leadership award.

“You have been taking are in poverty,” Kimbrell said.

Kimbrell said recent years have seen issues for Starkville residents in low-income neighborhoods, such as the mass evictions in north Starkville in August of last year.

“Not long ago, there were mass evictions in a low-income neighborhood in Starkville. These people need help, they need jobs, they need the support of the community and most of those people are not the ones you are going to see playing frisbee golf in the park,” Kimbrell said.

Kimbrell said Starkville is developing quickly but may not be developing in a way to support citizens in need.

“Honestly, there is nothing wrong with a nice park or two, but $15 million could be going towards the health of humanity and developing our broken infrastructure,” Kimbrell said.

“We already have so many local ballparks as it is, let’s prioritize those in need.” fence to view what happens on the runway. The airport will build an observation area on the second floor that will be available for the public to watch aircraft.

Director Lincoln said that the $4.5 million in federal funding will cover over half the cost of the new terminal. The airport plans to apply for additional funding next year.

In addition to the new terminal, the airport will add 1,000 feet of runway space to the southern end of the existing runway, giving pilots more space to land their aircraft.

Lincoln said that the airport currently has a “displaced threshold” on the north side due to buildings near the runway. This has decreased the amount of runway space available to pilots. With the extension, the airport will be able to accommodate larger planes.

Lincoln said that the airport will also be constructing a hangar for local Starkville businesses to store their aircraft. The new hangar will give the businesses a private location also an emotional one. We’ve established a community that consists of varying personalities and perspectives, and it’s filled with love, excitement, and thought-provoking conversations.”

“This whole year, we have focused on getting enough content to fill our printed publication,” Garcia said, referring to Être.

Corinne Ellington said to store their aircraft besides the airport’s community hangar. being a member of the Fashion Board has given her many opportunities.

George M. Bryan Airport is frequently used by businesses, charter companies and pilots of private single-engine planes. MSU's Raspet Flight Research Laboratory and the Circle S Aviation flight school both use the airport's runway.

Lincoln said that the airport renovations will likely increase the number of travelers coming into the airport.

“Once all these corporate pilots find out about this and see it and our charter services and what have you, they will want to come back,” Lincoln said.

Funding for the FAA Airport Terminal Program comes from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal, which Congress passed in 2021. The legislation provides federal funding to improve public transportation, improve infrastructure and make infrastructure more environmentally friendly and resilient in the face of climate change.

“I was the Creative Director and photographer for my first magazine photoshoot,” Ellington said. “Être is my favorite part of Fashion Board. I love the collaborative effort between everybody. We all work really hard to get our jobs done. It’s a community where we all take on different roles and understand the importance of everyone involved.”

Carson Miller, editorin-chief of the magazine, said Être is a great student opportunity that “aims to push boundaries and ideas by expression of style, art, and writing.”

Sadie Ogletree, the president of Fashion Board, recommends students join the Fashion Board and get involved with Être.

“We hold tryouts and auditions in the fall of each school year, usually around September. Announcements regarding our recruitment will be made over the summer and at the beginning of the school year via our social media, so students looking to get involved should stay in touch through that,” Ogletree said. At this time, only members of Fashion Board can join the Être team. After being accepted to Fashion Board, students will have the opportunity to apply to work on Être. For more information about joining Fashion Board or about getting a copy of Être, students can check out Fashion Board’s Instagram or find them on Cowbell Connect. Students can attend any of Fashion Board’s shows, which are free and open to the public. care of what matters here at State, and we know you will do the same at whatever the next thing is for you,” Hyatt said. One recipient, Mia Robertson, a senior in political science and philosophy from Starkville, recognized the character of her fellow recipients.

“I obviously do not know everybody in this class of recipients, but for the ones I do know, and for the ones I do not know, they have had such a selfless commitment to public service from literally every pore,” Robertson said.

Robertson said that faculty mentors in the Shackouls Honors College were invaluable in achieving her goals.

Another recipient,

Alex Gibbs, a biochemistry senior from Flowood, Mississippi, talked about his time as a Roadrunner and how potential students and families saw the spirit of State while on tours.

“But when they see, even though it’s a bigger school, we are still a family and we have a very welcoming atmosphere around campus, it means a lot to them, and I’ve had families remark on that for sure,” Gibbs said. Gibbs said MSU has connected him with friends he will have for a lifetime.

“I can say without a doubt that I have several friends that will be my friends for the rest of my life. They will be at my wedding and will bury me one day. It’s been a very welcoming place to me and a place, I know, I can go back to for the rest of my life as a second home,” Gibbs said.

Keenum spoke more about the spirit of State after the ceremony.

“You can’t be transactional in life. You can’t say what’s in it for me. That’s what service is about. Making things better around you for others,” Keenum said.