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134th YEAR ISSUE 43
FRIDAY APRIL 5, 2019
THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIVERSITY SINCE 1884
Phi Beta Kappa chapter officially installed at MSU
STAFF REPORT
Scholars made Mississippi State University history Tuesday night as Phi Beta Kappa installed a new chapter and inducted its inaugural class of 77 selected students into the Gamma of Mississippi chapter. PBK, founded in 1776, is the nation’s most prestigious honors society, with notable members such as 17 U.S.
presidents, 41 Supreme Court Justices and more than 140 Nobel Laureates. The ceremony Tuesday was the culmination of almost 40 years of diligence on the university’s part to shelter a chapter. For the past decade, English professor Robert West, led the application initiative. Tuesday, West was also named the chapter’s president. West said seeing the project come to fruition gave him enough happiness
to counter any anxiety about the induction ceremony. “I’ll put it this way: the sense of satisfaction at that work’s completion went a long way toward soothing my nerves about the ceremony,” West said. “Even with the teamwork of Leilani Salter, Dinah Jenkins (administrative assistant to the provost), Alisa Semmes (administrative assistant to the dean of the College of Arts and Sciences), my fellow chapter officers and many other people, the
fact was that we were about to do something we’d never done before, in front of an audience that included a lot of people we didn’t know, in the presence of the university’s top administrators, and all the while knowing it’s being video-recorded. The happiness at having concluded our 40-year effort was enough to outweigh all that.” West said he believes the induction ceremony was a success. PBK, 2
“What Were You Wearing?”
Logan Kirkland | Courtesy Photo
During the first PBK induction ceremony at MSU, 77 students became lifetime members.
Financial Aid announces it will have year-long Pell Grants GRACIE BYRNE
Paul McKinney said. A major change to the way summer financial aid works is that students no longer have to fill a summer request form to enroll in classes. For a student who has filled out their 2018-2019 FAFSA, all they have to do for summer financial aid is simply enroll in summer classes. A minimum of six credit hours must be taken. “We looked at the process to streamline it for the students,” McKinney said.
STAFF WRITER
Changes are coming to how summer financial aid works at Mississippi State University. Many students enroll in summer classes, but often have trouble paying for them. This may become a thing of the past now that summer financial aid is becoming more available. “We now have yearround Pell Grants,” Director of Financial Aid
Tyler Bell | The Reflector
The Holmes Cultural Diversity Center partnered with the Department of Art to display clothing worn by survivors of sexual violence when they were assaulted.
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Rosalind Hutton
Starkville Habitat opens MSU introduces new Art Outreach Team new ReStore HANNAH BLANKENSHIP
The club, composed of a variety of majors, provides a great creative outlet to students who love art but are not studying it in school, which was one of Provine’s goals in forming the club. Provine said the club has opened members’ eyes to local service opportunities and has inspired them to get involved even more in the community. “At the Boys and Girls Club, one of our members actually became a mentor over there, and now we’re working with the ACCESS students and one of our members is trying to be an ACCESS mentor, so I’d say it opens your eyes to different service organizations or groups of overlooked people in the area, and makes you want to volunteer with them more,” Provine said.
STAFF WRITER
SARAH MORGAN JOHNSON STAFF WRITER
The Starkville Area Habitat for Humanity is opening a new ReStore. The store, located at 206 Jackson St., will host a grand opening event at 11 a.m. April 26. Habitat for Humanity has built 64 homes in the Starkville area over the past 30 years. Joel Downey, the executive director of the Starkville Area Habitat for Humanity, is looking forward to the expanded opportunities the new store will bring. “The vision is to bring in enough money to build three houses a year,”
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Downey said. “We feel like we have the student support and the volunteer backing to do that–we just lack the funds. Hopefully, the store will provide that.” Anne Varieur, the family services coordinator, said she is also looking forward to the economic opportunities the store will provide. “The potential for income is huge,” Varieur said. “No nonprofit can function without income.” Currently, Habitat for Humanity builds two houses a year in Starkville. The first is built in the fall and is called the Maroon Edition, as it is primarily Mississippi State University driven. RESTORE, 2
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The newly-formed Mississippi State University Art Outreach Team blends creativity and service to provide artistic enrichment and socialization for various groups in the community. “The purpose (of the Art Outreach Team) is to get art out into the community by also helping the community, so it’s raising awareness about the importance of art by doing outreach, too,” said Hannah Phillips, a junior club member and MSU English major. Currently, the club has about 10 committed members who prepare art materials, help with the projects and are required to participate in fundraising. One of the main tenets of the club is that the
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Katelyn Provine | Courtesy Photo
The Art Outreach Team made a mural as part of a project with the Boys and Girls Club.
projects are free to the groups the club is helping. The club’s current fundraising efforts include selling donuts on the Drill
FORECAST: Temperatures in Starkville will warm well into the 70s Friday, and will pass the 80-degree mark for the weekend. Periods of isolated showers and thunderstorms are likely for the weekend.
Nikki Pietrus, Campus Connect Meteorologist
Field and the “paint-a-pal” raffle, where supporters can buy $1 raffle tickets for a chance to have a portrait of their pet painted by Provine.
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PBK
“I thought it went well,” West said. “None of us in the chapter leadership had played those roles before, and it turns out that ours was the first chapter installation that Phi Beta Kappa’s still fairly new Secretary and CEO, Frederick Lawrence, had presided over.” When West looked out at the inductees Tuesday, he recognized the familiar faces of some of his students, and said he was happy they received this well-deserved recognition. “As for what it meant to me, it really was wonderful to look out at the students, several of whom I know from classes or advising and have great respect for, and to know that they were getting the recognition they deserved—exactly the same recognition that has long been going to outstanding liberal arts and sciences students at Harvard, Yale, University of Virginia, University of Chicago, UCLA and many other fine colleges and universities across the country,” West said. At the event, charter members were inducted, as well as eight Foundation members, including MSU President Mark Keenum. Other foundation members include MSU alumnus and best-selling author John Grisham, MSU Provost Judy Bonner, MSU Rhodes Scholar Donald “Field” Brown, renowned art director and designer Myrna Colley-Lee, retired physician, philanthropist and MSU alumnus Richard Holmes, College of Arts and Sciences Dean Rick Travis and retired professor Robert Wolverton. Keenum told attendants since his arrival at MSU about 10 years ago, gaining a PBK chapter had been a top priority. “A lot of hard work by my predecessors have gone into this effort in achieving this goal, has been a very high priority for me since I first returned home here to Mississippi State in 2009,” Keenum said. “Earning the honor to shelter a Phi Beta Kappa chapter is truly an affirmation for the quality of academic instruction at our university, and a reflection of our worldclass faculty and the outstanding job they provide in their instruction for our students every single day.” Keenum said last August, when PBK awarded MSU a chapter, it was an emotional day for him in Boston. “Aug. 3, 2018, was a day that I will never forget, just like today. I will never forget this wonderful day in the history of our university,” Keenum said to the attendants. Additionally, Tuesday, Keenum announced the university had received more than $1 million for a permanent PBK endowment in support of the chapter operations, including the annual induction. “We have very much appreciated the generosity of those donors who have
made this wonderful gift possible,” Keenum said. During his speech, Keenum addressed the 77 inductees and told them the university is extremely proud of their academic achievements. “To the inaugural class of Phi Beta Kappa, to all of you outstanding students, I want to say congratulations. This is an outstanding achievement that you have accomplished,” Keenum said. “You represent the very best of the best, and I know how proud your family and your parents must be for you tonight, and let me tell you, your Mississippi State family is very proud of each and every one of you.” New inductees included: Arlington, Tennessee— Grace Smith, Psychology Arlington, Texas—Rylie Simmons, Spanish/Human Development and Family Science Atoka, Tennessee— Jaylan Sears, Biological Sciences Aurora, Illinois—Jared Liebelt, Psychology Biloxi—Denton Hunter, French/Business Administration; and Helen Schwartz, English B i r m i n g h a m , Alabama—Rachel Nix, Spanish/Management; and David Sides, German/ Business Administration Brandon—Stephanie Flynt, Political Science; Lily Hebert, English/ Psychology; and Katelyn Provine, Microbiology Cartersville, Georgia— Juliana Jones, English Centreville, Virginia— Brianna Tibbetts, Psychology Clinton—Claire Hilton, Communication C o l u m b u s — Ashley Imes, French/ Management; and Brian Schmidt, Political Science Decatur, Alabama— Laura Ingouf, Anthropology/History F r a n k l i n , Tennessee—Kali Hicks, Communication/Spanish Gardendale, Alabama— Lauren Lindsey, Biological Sciences Gautier—Brittany Mizell, Communication/ French Griffin, Georgia— Benjamin Hobbs, German/ Finance Gulfport—Sarah Wooden, Asian Studies (FL)/Marketing Ja c k s o n — K a t h e r i n e Carter, Psychology; Robyn Hadden, Spanish/ Biochemistry; and Molly Terry, Spanish/Marketing Lindale, Texas—Rachel Booth, Psychology Los Angeles—Gentry Burkes, English/History Lucedale—Kristen Holifield, Political Science Macon, Georgia— Madison Baima, Biological Sciences Madison—James Given, Spanish/Economics (B.S.); Wilson Lutz, Biological Sciences; and Amye McDonald, Microbiology Mandeville, Louisiana— Avery Ferguson, English Maylene, Alabama— Mackenzie Andrews, Spanish/Management
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The current ReStore is located at 1632 Rockhill Rd., but the new store will host a grand opening April 26 at 206 Jackson St.
The second is built in the spring by college students from across the nation who participate in the Collegiate Challenge, who give up their spring break to come volunteer. This year, students from Rockford University and Oakton Community College served Starkville, and a group from Notre Dame Prep is coming later this month. Habitat for Humanity’s goal is to build houses in order to benefit communities as well as the individuals who become Habitat homeowners. Downey said the Starkville Area Habitat for Humanity strives not only to make a difference to families by providing the homes, but also by stabilizing the area. Downey explained the organization tries to build homes in clusters of three or four, rather than sporadically building in different locations. For example, Habitat has built 20 homes in the Sunset subdivision. This is to provide property value support to the homes they build. Varieur works on enhancing the communities Habitat homes are in, even
after they are finished being built. “The focus is more on community development and working with people who become Habitat homeowners as they transition into the new role of being a homeowner,” Varieur said. Habitat for Humanity’s mission is, “Seeking to put God’s love into action, Habitat for Humanity brings people together to build homes, communities and hope.” Downey and Varieur said they are both anticipating the ways the new ReStore will help them accomplish this goal. The current Habitat ReStore is located on Rockhill Road. Due to its location, many people do not even realize it exists, Downey said. When discussing the opportunities the new store will bring, Downey said he is especially looking for this to open it up to students and to the general public. Varier echoed the desire for the new store to be more prominent in the community. “Even now before opening, people are noticing Habitat,” Varier said. “We are hoping to integrate
more into the community and communicate to the community more of who Habitat is and what Habitat does.” Following the grand opening, the store will be open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Fridays, and 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays. Varier said he encourages everyone, students and community members alike, to take advantage of buying and donating items at the new ReStore. “I hate seeing good things be thrown away when someone else can use it. I just hate it,” Varier said. At the end of the year, Habitat plans to set up points on campus for students to donate used furniture to the store. Items can be donated to the new store now by calling 662324-7008. To get involved with Habitat for Humanity, visit its website at starkvillehabitat.com, or contact the Maroon Volunteer Center for more volunteer opportunities. Students can also get involved with the campus chapter of Habitat by emailing bulldog.habitat@ gmail.com.
to track student’s hours to determine his or her aid. Many changes are coming to MSU due to the Department of Education making changes last summer, which led to the year round pell grant. “We saw a lot of students get aid who couldn’t before,” assistant director Carson Wilkins said. “It’s important not to change hours.” The Department of Financial Aid accepts walkins and does not require an appointment. Students can come in during regular business hours to ask questions or to walk through the process of filling out forms or complete the FAFSA itself. “We are going to be more efficient in processing financial aid,” Wilkins said. “We’re here because of the students.” To give students the best experience, employees of the financial aid office are available to give assistance. “We try to break down as many of the barriers we can for students,” McKinney said. The 2018-2019 FAFSA can still be filled out in order
to be eligible for the summer. Once a student has been awarded financial aid, they must go to their myState account and accept their awards. The Department of Financial Aid is currently sending out emails to students who completed the 2018-2019 FAFSA who are not on the record to graduate to alert them to complete their 2019-2020 FAFSA. The priority date for the FAFSA was April 1. This date guarantees the students their financial aid will be in place for the fall semester. Another way the process has become easier is due to Dawg Documents. Dawg Documents is a secure form submission portal used to submit sensitive documents for financial aid. This service is available on the financial aid website. Once a document is submitted, the student will receive an email once that document has been received. “It’s a more efficient way to get us those documents,” Wilkins said.
GRANTS Students with their FAFSA completed will be eligible to receive aid for the summer on a firstcome, first-serve basis. If a student signs up for summer classes and then changes their hours, a change request form is no longer required. The Department of Financial Aid will be able
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Memphis, Tennessee— Tabitha Campbell, Spanish/Marketing; and John Haynes, Classics/ History Meridian—Emma Moffett, English/ Communication Middletown, Ohio— Grace Robinson, French/ Marketing Mississippi State— Victoria Lightner, Spanish/ Accounting Monticello, Arkansas— Anna Dickson, Microbiology Mount Pleasant, South Carolina—Sarah Doll, Criminology Munford, Tennessee— Meghan Brino, Biological Sciences Murfreesboro, Te n n e s s e e — N i c h o l a s Street, Finance/French New Albany— Thomas Browning, Communication North Augusta, South Carolina—Sara Tyrrell, Biological Sciences/Asian Studies (FL) Ocean Springs— Bryson Krause, Physics/ Mechanical Engineering; and Claire Williams, Spanish/Marketing Olive Branch—Hayden Campbell, Political Science; and Rebecca Poyner, English Owens Cross Roads, Alabama—William Textor, English Oxford—Frances Crawford, English/ German; and Courtney Fleming, Mathematics Panama City Beach, Florida—Laura Herring, Spanish/Management Pass Christian— Kristen Brown, Biological Sciences Pensacola, Florida— Anna Bills, English/ Philosophy Piperton, Tennessee— John Gwin, Chemistry Poplarville— Robert Merrell, Mathematics Raleigh—Lauren Scott, Anthropology Ridgeland—Krishna Desai, Economics (B.A.)/ Political Science Ruston, Louisiana— Hannah Scheaffer, French/ Biochemistry Saint Petersburg, Florida—Abigail Kepto, Criminology Santa Rosa Beach, Florida—Lauren Koury, Chemistry Shalimar, Florida— Kyle Winston, History/ Microbiology Southaven—Katherine Wintermantel, Spanish/ Marketing Starkville—Sherisse Carino, English; David Houston, Spanish/ Marketing; Ryan Jeffries, French/Marketing; Suyeun Kim, Political Science; Marisa Laudadio, Communication/ Political Science; Hayden Manning, Anthropology/ Classics; Katelyn Poe, English; Kathleen Ritter, Communication; Allison Story, Psychology; Kathryn Stringer, English Sturgis—Rebekah Bisson, English/ Philosophy (Religion concentration) Tinley Park, Illinois— Austin Thelen, Spanish/ Finance West Plains, Missouri— Juliette Reid, English
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CLASSIFIEDS FOR SALE: Starkville Area Habitat for Humanity’s ReStore Thrift shop will be open Saturday, April 6, from 8-11 a.m. Located at 1632 Rockhill Road in Starkville. Bargains on furniture, appliances, building materials and more! LIFEGUARD The Memphis Country Club. Must provide a safe environment for members and guests, be current on certifications, professional, courteous, work well with others and possess keen eye for detail and
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good organizational skills. Resumes can be sent by email to bob@memphiscc. org. POOL MANAGER The Memphis Country Club is seeking qualified individuals to oversee pool operations for Summer 2019.Qualifications/ Requirements: Provide a safe environment for members and guests; two-three years in Head Lifeguard/Pool Mgt. with current certifications; some working knowledge of pump room equipment; experienced with keeping pool at proper chemical
level, following Health Department requirements; must be able to manage and schedule a staff of 12-15 individuals; professional, courteous, work well with others; keen eye for detail/ good organizational skills. Resumes can be sent by email to bob@memphiscc. org CLUB INFO The deadline for Tuesday’s paper is 3 p.m. Thursday. The deadline for Friday’s paper is 3 p.m. Tuesday. MSU student organizations may place free announcements in Club Info.
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OPINION
Textbook access codes are an unnecessary expense CHRIS LOWE
is a senior majoring in business information systems. Contact him at opinion@reflector. msstate.edu.
For anyone acquainted with higher education’s trend in the last few decades, it goes without saying that attending a four-year university is an egregiously expensive endeavor. Students are nickeled-anddimed at every turn with overpriced parking passes, ambiguous fees and tuition rates which are rising faster than the rate of inflation, according to Kellie Bancalari with USA Today. Textbooks are, of course, the boldest offenders of all, draining several hundreds of dollars from already poor students’ pockets every semester. On one hand, the rise of the internet has given students ways to save money in this arena through secondhand sales and other, less legal ways. On the other hand, this circumvention of what amounts to a stick-up has not sat well with publishing companies. In their efforts to force students to pay them and them alone, access codes were created. Wallets have cried tears of money
Rosalind Hutton
ever since. For the sake of educating the lucky souls who have yet to encounter access codes, they generally exist as a paywall for online homework. Some are bundled with e-texts, some are not and some have the option for either. Pretty much every class that uses them makes them an essential requirement. Most classes I have encountered count homework as at least 1520% of the overall grade, so not purchasing these access codes automatically disqualifies one from an A”
and even makes achieving a “C” about as difficult as it would have been to achieve an “A” originally. Unlike textbooks, codes cannot be resold after they are used, and most only give access for six months anyway. This means students no longer really have the option to tough it out without spending any extra money; and with tuition rates being through the roof as it is, it truly is an insult to injury to demand students do this. Other than something like a lab fee, I do not think students should ever have to
pay extra money for a class they are taking. A lot of us barely make it by as it is. Ann Carrns for the New York Times in 2016, cited a study done by the Student Public Interest Research Groups, and said, “The average cost of a stand-alone access code, purchased at a campus bookstore, is about $100, the report found … Across the colleges and majors analyzed, about a third of courses included access codes among the required course materials, the report found.” To put this in perspective, for a student
taking the minimum fulltime load of 12 hours, that student is averaging at least one class with an access code per semester. An extra $100 might not seem like a lot, but when you consider it, it is quite literally a fee to do one’s homework, that price does not look so innocent. That is just the average. Some could be spending double this amount per class and have several of these classes each semester, which makes it even worse. There just is not a justifiable reason to charge extra money for something as
basic and necessary for education as homework, and to say access codes were created for any other reason than to offswwwet probable textbook sale losses is, to me, a little optimistic. This is not to say there are not benefits to the utilities access codes provide. Laura McKenna, in a 2018 article for The Atlantic, outlines a few key ones. Freeing up time for professors to meet with students, offering unique and helpful study tools and providing detailed statistics on individual and overall student performance are among the more prominent. While I do not discount those benefits and certainly do recognize the appeal they bring, I do not believe they justify an extra cost. If anything, universities should shoulder the financial burden and purchase licenses for the use; and if students absolutely must be the ones to shell out money, their inclusion should be optional. We pay enough, plain and simple; students deserve better across the board. There are definitely bigger fish to fry in the world of higher education, but access codes are the biggest nobrainer to get rid of. Do it, and do it now, so students everywhere can at least eat something other than ramen for dinner tonight.
Trivia Time! 1. “Kiss Me Kate” and “10 Things I Hate About You” were both
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based on which Shakespeare comedy?
Mark Twain
2. Tenochtitlan, founded in 1324, is now known as what city?
“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrowmindedness.”
3. Which South American country is the world’s largest producer of coffee? Source: trivia.fyi
Answer: 1. “Taming of the Shrew” 2. Mexico City 3. Brazil
For-profit prisons dehumanize criminals
Prison is an unfortunate reality of civilization. As much as I adhere to a sense of idealism, crime is the product of the human condition, and until the end of civilization, crime will continue to occur within the borders of human society. The reasons behind crime are too numerous to count, but at the end of the day, criminals are still human— no matter their crime. With this being said, the function of a government is to make and enforce laws, and the enforcement part of that equation dictates that the government has to provide justice. For the vast majority of crimes, justice is doled out through separation from society. If you do not play by society’s rules, you do not get to play in society. The traditional way of going about this separation is through the arm of the state.
Wagner shows less than 8% of the U.S. prison population is in a purely private prison. However, here is where the ethical concerns come in. Private prisons are forprofit. “Obviously,” one might say, but consider both the product gaining profit for private prisons and the inherent nature of capitalism. Capitalism is predicated on the idea of growth, and there is no end point to the market. The market just is. What private prisons bring to said market is the product of incarceration. They provide the service of detaining people for a determined amount of time, and they are paid for their service, like any other for-profit business. Private prisons are incentivized to grow, as is the purpose of a business. How does a prison grow? They have the options of cutting costs for more profit from their revenue, getting more prisoners to make more revenue, or both. The obvious and disgustingly practical answer is both. Lobbying for policies which create more prisoners is one major way. Dean DeChiaro of RollCall reported GEO Group, a private prison contractor
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which frequently deals with Immigration Control and Enforcement, spent $1.3 million in congressional lobbying from Jan. 1, 2017, through Sept. 30 of the same year. Coincidentally, ICE was proposing five new immigration detention centers around the same time. There can be no definitive lines drawn here, but I am hoping I have at least sketched a picture. As for cutting costs, the results of a 2016 Justice Department report on contract prisons, privatelyowned and operated, reveal
the end result. Contract prisons had higher rates of safety or security incidents per capita than public prisons, and in one instance, a monitored contract prison failed to discipline 50% of those incidents. Private prisons had more contraband confiscations and assaults, both inmateon-inmate and inmate-onstaff, and two of the three contract prisons which were singled out for deficiencies by the Bureau of Prisons had been improperly placing prisoners in Special Housing Units, which are usually
reserved for disciplinary or administrative segregation until more room was made in the general population. Cutting costs leads to improper management and worse conditions for both prisoners, which I will remind you are still human, and staff. Contract prisons were almost discontinued in 2016 by the former President Barack Obama administration, partly due to the 2016 report by the Justice Department, but former Attorney General Jeff Sessions rescinded the directive in early 2017. I posit the issue is worthy of continued protest, however. The wellbeing of people, criminal or otherwise, should not be dictated by the profit motive and board members. Public prisons have many issues, many of them similar to private prisons, and mass incarceration will not be fixed by the abolition of forprofit prisons. Regardless, the abolition of private prisons will bring the well-being of prisoners under the sole directive of institutions beholden to the people, and it will be our job to further fix the mess our country has made with so many lives.
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DYLAN BUFKIN
is a sophomore majoring in English. Contact him at opinion@reflector.msstate.edu.
The state, which embodies the laws of society, is what incarcerates criminals, for the state is the appointed medium between the affronted and the affronter. In bygone ages, the state would be the sole operator of both courts and prisons, for again, the state has a vested interest in maintaining the rule of law. However, this has changed. The advent of private prisons has allowed the profit motive to enter the system, and this entrance precipitates further ethical concerns about America’s criminal justice system. To understand this introduction, it is important to understand the context of its beginnings. As reported by The Sentencing Project’s 2016 report on correctional trends, the U.S. prison population is currently around 2.2 million people, which is a 500% increase in the last 40 years. This is an extreme drain on public funds, and as a costsaving measure, the 1980s saw the beginnings of private prisons used as a hopefully cheaper alternative. Now, it is also important to understand private prisons are not the root cause of mass incarceration, and the Prison Policy Institute’s 2019 report by Wendy Sawyer and Peter
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Biology professor takes undergraduate classes to benefit daughter
MARY MADELINE LAMASTUS
STAFF WRITER
Diana Outlaw wears many hats in her life: associate professor of biology at Mississippi State University, evolutionary bird expert and the status as “bird lady” on MSU’s campus. However, the one thing that most remember about Outlaw has nothing to do with her resume. It is about her daughter. The biology professor is mother to 9-year-old Arya Outlaw. Outlaw smiled as she spoke of Arya, who she beamingly described as “full of joy and enthusiasm.” Outlaw and her husband Rob began to notice the issues with Arya’s health when she was two. “It began with some developmental delays. They knew there was something wrong with her eyes,” Diana said. “Between 3 and 4, we found out about the growth hormone deficiency, and we started studying the endocrinology and genetics.” Since then, it has been determined that Arya suffers from pituitary dwarfism, echolalia and some genetic mutations. This affects basically all aspects of her daily life, from eating and talking to learning and expressing emotion. Though her medical team is almost certain her condition includes autism, the
journey of Arya’s diagnosis has been a continual progress over the course of the past seven years. As with many chronic medical conditions, diagnoses are not simple, so the 9-year-old has never known life without constant medical testing. “My daughter has given up so much blood and so many MRIs. She is one tough kid for sure, but she still hates the blood pressure machine,” Diana said laughing. Diana said she has given Arya shots of synthetic growth hormones every day since she was 3, and according to Outlaw, the young girl has wonderful attitude. “She is always up for shots if she has to be, but she does love when she gets a day off,” Diana said. Diana described the beginning of this journey as confusing. The professionals continued to tell her Arya would obtain normal health in time, but normality never arrived for Arya. “I remember the day that I realized she was not going to live a normal life, and it was soul crushing,” Diana said. “It was at that point that I realized that everything was different now.” As the biology professor began a plan of action to be an even better mother to her unique daughter, she realized she knew much about the genetics and physiology of
her daughter’s condition, but did not find the biological information practically helpful. “I wanted to learn more about what is going on in her mind, not just her brain,” Diana said. “I want to understand the interaction between the two, and how it manifests in terms of her behavior.” In a pursuit to better understand her daughter, the doctoral professor decided to enroll in psychology undergraduate classes beginning in the fall semester of 2018. Her first courses were developmental
psychology and psychology of learning. She found the information valuable enough to continue into spring classes, and is currently enrolled in abnormal psychology along with language and thought. “I really am figuring out how to understand my child better, how to be a better mother to her, and learning to change my priorities,” Diana said. Arya is in third grade at a local school. She has a fulltime aide, and she is in an inclusion classroom, which includes a regular teacher, a special education teacher
and a few other children with disabilities. According to her mother, Arya’s disability affects her ability to speak, to walk and to visually comprehend. However, Diana cannot deny this one beautiful fact of Arya’s condition—it has changed Diana’s perspective on life for the better. “She has caused my husband and I to reevaluate what is important and what matters in life,” Diana said. “I do not know if I would have liked the person that I would have been had she been quote-on-quote, ‘normal.’” After being immersed in the often pretentious and competitive environment of academia for so long, Diana has found Arya’s perspective to be a breath of fresh air. “She helped me break out of the, for lack of a better word, academic bullshit,” Outlaw said. Though Diana can now see the positive results of her daughter’s condition, she attests there are still days when accepting Arya’s differences are difficult. “I grew up in an environment where if anyone had an intellectual disability, mental retardation or whatever, it was literally looked down on,” Diana said. “Even trying to get my own parents to reconcile the fact that their granddaughter is not neurotypical has been a
react to “fresh blood” was reminiscent to the darkest highlights of the original “Twilight Zone.” It is in these small moments that the future potential of this series is visible. Unfortunately, the premise of this episode holds no surprises. The “deals to achieve success” trope always have the same genie-like backfire effect. A major controversial point is the inclusion of vulgar language, which does not bring anything to the script. If anything, it feels like cheap pandering to fans of mature sci-fi like “Black Mirror” and “Rick and Morty.” The length of this episode was far too long, going over 50 minutes. If cut to half an hour, the pacing would have been far more intense and thematically stronger. The second episode, “Nightmare From 30,000 Feet,” was actually quite subdued. As a reimagining of the classic William Shatner episode, this entry features Adam Scott. Being shorter, tighter and significantly stronger thematically led this to be the better option between the two episodes. Instead of a gremlin on the wing of the plane, a podcast predicts the future outcome of flight 1015. Goofy premise aside, the acting, cinematography and script were all fairly spectacular. Some shots brilliantly showcased the
“pressure” of the flight, leading to an intense half hour that anyone could enjoy. There are few flaws with this episode, with the only major issue being the ending. Opposite to the pilot, the final minutes bottlenecked what could have been an impressive way to reinvigorate
support for this show. Overall, the mixed reaction to this reboot is understandable, but there is enough for sci-fi fans to enjoy. Some easter eggs and callbacks are thrown in, which are fun for fans to see on repeat viewings. The stories,
Diana Outlaw|Courtesy Photo
battle. I know that I have their full support, but it’s still hard.” Acceptance has proved a journey rather than a destination for this mother. “Over months of reconciliation with my own feelings, I realized I had to stop thinking things were going to be different, accept what is now, and figure out what I can do in the present for her to make the best of this,” Diana said. Diana said Arya has the gift of enthusiam, telling about her routine end-ofthe-day reunions with her daughter. Diana said Arya runs to her mother, jumps up and down and wraps her in a giant hug, all the while screaming, “Mommy! Mommy! Mommy!” “People watch her do it, and you can see their grins,” Diana said. “I bet other parents want that. It’s genuine, too. There’s no pretense with her.” Diana attests Arya’s joy and empathy are unmatched, and she knows there is so much more to Arya’s differences than the difficulties. “A lot of people do not understand what she might have to offer the world, and I want to tell them,” Diana said smiling. “She is amazing ... the empathy that she feels, the depth of feeling and her innocence. It’s endearing.”
while not excellent, are not phoned-in. The supernatural elements presented offer a unique, albeit safe way to introduce this reboot. The effort is visibly on display, but as a first impression, there is not much excitement to be found in the “The Twilight Zone.”
‘The Twilight Zone’ is just another nostalgic reboot
BRANDON GRISHAM STAFF WRITER
Proving Hollywood still holds nothing sacred, “The Twilight Zone” was rebooted, again. Offered as an exclusive to CBS All Access (another useless streaming service), this rendition aims to bring more nostalgia into 2019. As the third attempt to refresh Rod Serling’s classic series, Jordan Peele has taken the reigns as this show’s executive producer and host. With his recent success as a horror director notwithstanding, there is not much he brings to the table here. His brief appearances are great, but they take up under 5% of the runtime. The first two episodes were released Monday, leaving a lot to be desired from heightened expectations. The pilot episode went for a dramatic take on the cost associated with supernatural deals, successfully building up tension. This episode was emotional and dark, offering little comedy to balance everything out. The first act was far too long, but it revived itself with an interesting execution. Kumail Nanjiana was a solid choice as the comedian. However, he did not bring the charm other actors provide. There is also a fun Tracy Morgan cameo, but he failed to add a unique spin to a character anyone could play. Featuring a comedian
instead of an actor was a bizarre choice to attract fans. The dialogue is not very funny, with humor only resulting as a surreal byproduct. Being a terrible comedian, caring more about enacting change instead of laughs, works until it does not.
“It feels like cheap pandering to fans of mature sci-fi like ‘Black Mirror’ and ‘Rick and Morty.’” Once the supernatural element takes place, Nanjiana’s jokes garner immediate praise from the audience. The issue comes to play when he is still a bad comedian, having the crowd treat unfunny jokes like comedy gold. Perhaps the viewers would enjoy the comedy segments if they actually featured clever comedy writing. It succeeds occasionally, offering morbid flashes toward fans of the original series. When Samir gets angry on stage, a predatory feeling creeps from his actions. His hesitancy toward using his power devolves into brutal disregard for human life. Having the crowd
Animals in Wonderland Open House Saturday, April 6 • 9 am - 2 pm
Hands-on activities and learning experiences for visitors of all ages including a petting zoo, large animal exhibits, animal hospital tours, and demonstrations and displays from veterinary students and faculty!
For more info, call 662.325.1100 or visit cvm.msstate.edu.
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66-Sports SPORTS
THE REFLECTOR FRIDAY, APRIL 5, 2019 @SPORTSREFLECTOR
Diamond Dogs are on the upswing heading to Tennessee HUNTER CLOUD SPORTS EDITOR
A night filled with 21 runs and 19 hits for No. 5 Mississippi State University (25-5) started in a bang with Tanner Allen, a sophomore infielder from Theodore, Alabama. Allen hit a solo home run to cap off a sevenrun inning leading MSU to a comfortable 21-8 win over the University of Louisiana at Monroe (11-18). Allen was in a slump coming into the night, but he seemed to swing out of it as he had a home run shot in his three at-bats. He said Jake Gautreau, hitting coach for MSU, had worked with him all season and he gave him a green light at-bat. “I just went up there and said all of this mechanical stuff can go out the window,” Allen said. “Just up here, see the ball, and try to hit a line drive. Simplify it. I just tried to hit a line drive, and I hit it out of the park.”
The home run had an exit velocity of 100 mph, a launch angle of 20 degrees and traveled 370 feet as it cleared the right field wall. The hit was emblematic of an offensive upswing for not only Allen, but for the team as well as they head into a road series at the University of Tennessee (22-8). “It boosts my confidence big time, coming out here after having a tough weekend against LSU, I had three out of four quality at-bats,” Allen said. “The last at-bat I gave away, I swung at a ball and got myself out. I’m my worst enemy. It boosts my confidence for sure, thinking about a big weekend at Tennessee for sure.” Following a tough weekend against LSU, where MSU only scored seven runs in their two losses, the Bulldogs hit the ball well, adding to their confidence before they make the trip to Knoxville. One of the hitters
who played well was Jake Mangum, a senior center fielder from Pearl, who had five hits, three runs batted in and six at-bats. MSU head coach Chris Lemonis said it was massive for the team to play so well, especially so early in the game. “We had a good start tonight, Jake had another five hits tonight,” Lemonis said. “That first inning really set the tone for us the rest of the game. We have been there lately, behind early and really chasing people, so it was nice to play that way.” The Bulldogs have also been working on defense and communication. Lemonis said he saw an improvement from his team in the game against ULM, but they still have room to improve, as they committed one error Wednesday. Additionally, Allen said they have been working on communication this week. “It’s funny, we are doing fly ball communication two
days ago with music blaring in the stadium and nobody there,” Allen said. “It is a lot louder on the field than you think, so you really have to scream your head off in order for someone else to hear you.” Lemonis said the game against ULM allowed the team to move players around in the infield in order to get some game time and at-bats for players to add more depth to the team. One of the veteran players who saw his game cut short due to the lineup changes is Dustin Skelton, a junior catcher from Olive Branch, who had two hits and six RBIs in just three atbats before being replaced by Hayden Jones, a freshman catcher from Huntertown, Indiana, to end Skelton’s night. Skelton also hit a grand slam in the first inning to help the team jump out to their early lead in the first inning. Skelton said the team will
Tyler Bell | The Reflector
Dustin Skelton hits a home run during the game against the University of Louisiana Monroe Wednesday. Skelton’s home run was one of the 21 runs Mississippi State University scored.
need to be prepared, because this is a Tennessee team that has speed on the base paths, defense and pitching, if they want to win Friday night. “We know we have to get right back on track,” Skelton said. “Credit to Tennessee,
Column: Peters should stay another season to improve
we know they are going to really pitch it well. They are going to really defend well. So we have to go in there with the right mindset and win on Friday night.” The first pitch is set for 5:30 p.m. Friday. Rosalind Hutton
RENALDO HOPKINS
is a senior majoring in communication. Contact him at sports@reflector. msstate.edu
For the past three seasons at Mississippi State University, Lamar Peters, a junior point guard from New Orleans, has proved he can play at an elite level on the floor. There is no doubt he has the talent to be something special in the National Basketball Association. His crafty handles, deep shooting range and explosiveness can be compared to players such as Derrick Rose of the Minnesota Timberwolves or Russell Westbrook of the Oklahoma City Thunder. Peters has the tools to be a top pick in the NBA Draft. The only question is, when? On Monday, Peters went to Twitter and tweeted the following: “I’m thanking my Heavenly Father #DRAFTSZN” Since the post was made on April Fool’s Day, the tweet can be taken with a grain of salt. But, to someone like me who knows it is the end of his junior season and the NBA Draft is coming in June, this tweet could mean so much more. In speculation, if this is a pre-declaration into the 2019 NBA Draft, this is a big step for Peters’ basketball career. This past season, Peters averaged 11.9 points, 5.2 assists and two rebounds per game, which may be average in the eyes of the “stat chasers.” What the stats do not show is how he performs on the court. Peters is a very crafty player when it comes to creating shots. He can either choose to pull up off the dribble, create space between his defender or drive in through contact to get a bucket. Two things that stand out about his game are his court vision and his deadly ball handling. Watching Peters pass the ball in some moments of the game can either have you go, “That was a great pass,” or “How in the world did he get that pass in there?” It may not be all the time, but when Peters finds a way to get the ball to his teammate, he will do whatever it takes to dish it. Now, when it comes to his dribbling, if you do not believe his handles are outrageous, just search “Lamar Peters crossovers” on Google, and you will see
AAF’s future is now uncertain MEGAN TERRY STAFF WRITER
Noah Siano, Rosalind Hutton
to become a great player in the league one day. However, I am still concerned about this tweet. Yes, he is a good player and has a good amount of upside, but is he actually ready? Cutting right to the chase, I do not think he is ready just yet. Like I mentioned earlier, watching him can be extravagant; but sometimes, watching him can make you worry, too. Although he averaged 11 points per game, his field goal percentage was just under 40 with 39.8 percent. His 38.6% three-point percentage is tolerable, as that would be around the league average, but there are some underlying things behind those totals. Peters’s shot selection can be questionable at times. He sometimes chooses to shoot out of his normal range or throw up shots to trigger a heat check. Also, there are occasions where he can put up shots at the wrong time, like taking a shot when he can make a play for a teammate to have a better percentage shot. Another thing about his game that poses problems is his inconsistencies. For example, this season during a home game against the University of Alabama, Peters had a great game, finishing with 22 points, four steals, three assists and three rebounds. However, in the next game at the University of Arkansas, he ended the game with only five points, two steals, three rebounds and one assist. It is possible he might have had some off games, but there are other games where this trend tends to happen, like when he dropped 11 points with six assists and three steals
turnovers against Brigham Young University. His play is just too inconsistent. Peters has every right to do what he thinks he needs to do for his career. MSU fans should respect that, but analysis of the situation shows he should wait for another year. If the tweet is only to hype himself and the MSU fans up for the upcoming season, then it is great. So, let us just say he declares next season, works on his shot selection, sharpens up his ball control and stays fairly consistent, then there could be a possibility he can sneak his way to being a potential lottery pick. He can maybe land a spot in the top 15 projected players in the 2020 draft. As far as Peters goes, if he actually declares, he is projected to be a secondround pick. This can all change, however, due to summer workouts and the actual draft combine where he can boost his draft stock. In the meantime, another year at MSU would not hurt him, as he shows so much potential to be an absolute force one day for an organization in the NBA, maybe even a franchise player.
The American Alliance of Football, also known as the AAF, has “suspended operations” as of Wednesday, with the possible cause being a lack of financial support. It is not all dire, as there is still some hope that the league will fix whatever issues it is experiencing and bounce back better than before; but again, the ship of the AAF not only appears to be sinking in its maiden voyage, but there may not be a way to save the league. If the AAF sounds foreign yet familiar, it is because players like Johnny Manziel, who started playing for the Montreal Allouetes in the Canadian Football League after a failed start in the NFL, had signed with the Memphis Express, which is in the AAF. It is not quite a minor league, but it is not the NFL either. Think of the AAF as the middle child of football—interesting and possibly promising, but easily forgotten while fans follow the mainstream NCAA football and the NFL. The league appeared promising with two former NFL executives leading this new league, drawing appeal from pulling big-name past NFL and NCAA athletes whose fans tuned in to see. Essentially, the AAF had a net-catching quality with players who were not in either league, which was the entire appeal. It was a second chance for players to prove themselves. Some former Mississippi State University
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athletes played for the nearby Birmingham Iron. Beniquez Brown, Matthew Wells, LaDarius Perkins and Nick James are all former MSU players in the AAF. Their future, as well as numerous other football players’ futures, are not only uncertain, but doubtful as the AAF is on the verge of collapse. The outlook is not good, and the email sent to AAF personnel makes it look even worse. Albert Breer, an NFL sports reporter for Sports Illustrated, posted “text of the email that went out to AAF personal a few minutes ago announcing they’re suspending football operations” on Twitter. The last paragraph in this email read, “For those employees whom we do not contact individually to discuss an ongoing role or alternative arrangements, your employment termination date is effective Wednesday, April 3, 2019, and your will be paid through this date. We are extraordinarily appreciative for all of your efforts.” Former AAF player Johnny Manziel has tweeted about this issue, especially in regards to how the players will get paid. “If you’re an AAF player and the league does dissolve. The last check you got will be the last one that you get. No lawsuit or anything else
will get you your bread. Save your money and keep your head up. It’s the only choice at this point unless something drastic happens,” Manziel said on Twitter. Obviously, this does not seem like a hopeful outlook for AAF players. Nor is the outlook good for the league’s investors, as Tom Dundon had reportedly promised to put $250 million in to the league may lose the $75 million he had already invested. Another tweet from Manziel reasserts the notion that money is what killed the AAF, the same thing that killed the XFL and the USFL. “Just the reality of this unfortunate situation... great concept, good football on the field and fun for fans to watch. Just not enough money to go around which has been the main problem with “other” leagues for a long time,” Manziel tweeted. Although these are Manziel’s thoughts, it is a glimpse into what AAF players might be thinking, as growing uncertainty of its future now plagues the league. As this mess unravels more and more, hopefully some definite answers will surface. At this point in time, team staff, players, owners, even reporters and journalists are trying to put together the crumbled pieces of the AAF.