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Trump and Culture
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132nd YEAR ISSUE 2
FRIDAY AUGUST 25, 2017
THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIVERSITY SINCE 1884
Cowbell Carts provide fun, safe transportation KATIE POE STAFF WRITER
Cowbell Carts, a micro-transportation business spearheaded by two Mississippi State niversity students, went live on Aug. . uring their freshman year, ames oore and Cameron addox began wor ing toward opening their own business to give students safe rides to and from the Cotton istrict. oore and addox, who are both years old and sophomores, operate two six seat, low speed golf carts. The idea to open the business first sprung up when Moore was visiting another university. I came up with the idea when I was in another college town Tuscaloosa, actually—that has a completely similar system. They do the same thing
Katie Poee | The Reflector
Cofounders of Cowbell carts, Cameron Maddox and James Moore gave there first ride to Chase Griggs (R) on opening day, which was Aug. 17. Maddox and Moore are MSU Sophomores.
there, oore said. o, I really saw how it was valuable to the students
and how they en oyed the service, and I thought it would really wor well here
for tar ville. When Moore, Cowbell Carts’ Chief Operating Officer, went to the Entrepreneurship Center at to present his idea, he was told he would need a team to help him. That’s when he called in addox, who was his hi elta fraternity brother and an accounting ma or. addox then became the chief financial officer, handling the business’ taxes and financials. e ma e a good team, I thin , oore said. ext, the two had many meetings with the Entrepreneurship Center in McCool Hall to ask for advice and get pointed in the right direction. r. effrey upp and r. Eric ill, they are ind of the two guys in charge here, oore said. rom the day I came in here with the idea, they’ve been the ones giving me
advice. They’re experience is ust incredible. oore said they put them through a program similar to the show “Shark Tan , where a group of people ma es decisions on who gets any grant money and how much. oore said the shar s are either members of bipartisan groups or professors. They have stages, so you go and present in front of the board for money, addox said. The two ended up gaining $2,300 total in grant money from . They overcame some hurdles that seemed insurmountable and they did it in a very nice, polite, businesslike manner, and there’s a lesson there, said upp, the Entrepreneurship Center’s director of outreach. The result is that now they’re up and running as a business. I’m very proud of these
guys. When the business opened for operation last wee , it was ust oore and addox driving. They said it was a success and more than people received rides. It went really well, I thought, oore said. There’s a lot to learn, but I thought we did really well. We gave a lot of people rides to where they needed to go, a lot of people that probably shouldn’t be driving, which is ind of what we cater to. In fact, since they operate out of a bar district, safety is one of Cowbell Carts’ main missions. The carts are equipped with seatbelts and interior lights. Cowbell Carts operates Thursday, riday and aturday from p.m. to a.m. and all day during football, baseball and bas etball games. CARTS 2
Learning from mistakes, Simmons grows into leadership role
Jennifer McFadden, The Reflector
Sarah Dutton | Courtesy Photo
Simmons, a 5-star recruit from Macon, wore number 98 during last football season. However, he has switched to 94, which is the number he wore while playing in high school football.
TAYLOR RAYBURN SPORTS EDITOR
Not many 5-star recruits make the choice to play football at Mississippi State University, however Jeffrey Simmons has not only become that talent on the field, but embodies the qualities MSU values off of the field. Simmons, a sophomore from Macon, left high school as the 19th ran ed player in the country by sports.com’s composite scoring. owever his enrollment at did not go smoothly when Simmons was videoed stri ing a women in the arch before attending school. hen the video was released many called for immons to lose his scholarship, but MSU put their faith
in immons to grow as a person and allowed him to enroll faith immons rewarded. Everybody ma es mista es, going bac to that incident. I regret it but I have moved on from it and am a better person today, immons said. e today would not have even been in that situation in the first place. Many who remember that incident would be surprised at the way Simmons has grown over his year at . The defensive lineman see him as the defacto leader in the loc er room. As senior defensive lineman Cory Thomas, a unior from essemer, Alabama, said, effery is a natural born leader and really sets the standard for the line. efensive line coach rian a er
said when immons came in, he was a little defensive, because he hated being wrong. e said immons was always coachable but at a position with as much confrontation as defensive line he said if you get defensive the other guys will see that. That is where I have seen the maturation, him immons handling coaching and becoming more coachable, a er said. To lead the group you have to be a guy that can accept criticism, hold yourself accountable for right and wrong. Absolutely be self corrective, which he is, but be able to take it when somebody else correct you and I thin that is where he is growing. Simmons has grown into the leader needs him to be. SIMMONS, 2
FRIDAY
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Students prepare for 2017-2018 athletics at The Drill JORDAN DARENSBOURG STAFF WRITER
The viewing of the historic total solar eclipse was not the only big event that happened on the rill ield onday. tudents, faculty and staff gathered in the afternoon to participate in an annual tradition called The rill, a pep rally held on the rill ield. The event is a preview to the upcoming academic year in athletics and the welcoming environment brought both new and returning students together. egan Terry, a unior broadcasting ma or from Kansas City, Missouri,
said she really li ed the atmosphere the event provided. It was very exciting, Terry said. The students were going cra y and yelling and really getting into the pep rally. The event featured speeches from Mississippi tate niversity resident Mark Keenum, as well as women’s head bas etball coach Vic Schaefer, who brought the ady ulldogs to the CAA omen’s ational Championship. There were also performances by the MSU Black Voices, the Cheer quad, om quad and the amous aroon and. THE DRILL, 2
Policy: Any person may
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THE REFLECTOR FRIDAY AUGUST 25, 2017
COWBELL CARTS They are also available to work “special events.” Their service area includes all of MSU’s campus and surrounding apartments all the way to ain treet. The cost per person, no matter the distance, is . To schedule a ride, call 662-242-1626. Maddox said the service tends to take slightly longer than a car because the cart can only go a maximum of 23 mph, but Moore said the speed limit on the roads they drive usually does not exceed mph. The average time from a dorm to Main Street is about six minutes, depending on the location. Moore said they hope to expand the business and get more carts in the future because their services are in high demand. “Right now the biggest problem we’re facing is we have more people calling than we can pick up,” he said. “It’s a great problem
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to have, but we’ve just got to get more capital to buy another cart.” Cowbell Carts is currently hiring drivers that are 21 or older, and Moore said drivers must be friendly and talkative. Moore said
With many transportation services expanding, such as Uber and Cowbell Cabs, Moore and Maddox remain confident their business will be competitive. “We might see a little overlap; however, we operate on a niche,” “Right now, the biggest Moore said. “We operate on a very short scale. So, problem we are facing is our service area is a lot that we have more people smaller than what they kind of cater to, and also we believe that we come calling than we can pick in cheaper per person. up. It’s a great problem So we’re not too worried about it.” to have, but we’ve got to Maddox said one reason Cowbell Carts can get more capital to buy rival services like Uber is because riding in a golf another cart.” -James cart is plain fun. The reason we feel Moore like we’re competitive is because we offer not only a safe way home, but his goal is to make the ride also a fun way home,” he an experience, rather than said. “When you’re going an awkward encounter, home in a golf cart there which so often happens in is something unique about Ubers. that.”
Thursday, August 17, 2017 8:53 a.m. Student reported a Yeti cup containing a bong was turned in to Magnolia Hall. Officer took possession of the cup. 11:15 p.m. Student was arrested in Starkville for minor in possession of alcohol, false information and public drunk. Saturday, August 20, 2017 3:42 a.m. Student hit water sprinkler causing water damages at Sigma Chi House. Student referral issued. 9:52 p.m. Non-Resident/visitor was issued a Justice Court citation for driving wrong way on Lee Blvd. Sunday, August 21, 2016 8:53 a.m. Employee reported being assaulted by co-worker in Walker Engineering building. Subject did not want to press charges. 10:27 p.m. Juveniles were transported to station for disorderly conduct on Blackjack Rd., parents of juveniles were called. Monday, August 21, 2016 12:01 p.m. Student was arrested on University Drive for trespassing.
THE DRILL
4:56 p.m. Employee reported damage to a tire on a police vehicle.
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Marina Martinez, a third-year graduate student majoring in biological science from Madrid, said she liked all the performances, although one group stood out to her. “I loved the band,” Martinez said. “I felt like I was in the football game again.” Volunteer Megan McGee, a junior industrial engineering major from Bay St. Louis, said she had a great time talking to the many in attendance. “I loved getting to talk to all the different organizations and big leaders on campus,” McGee said. “It’s something I never would have imagined doing, and so it was really cool getting to know them a little bit better on a personal level.”
SIMMONS Simmons is one of six football 5-star recruits enrolled at MSU. He is one of, if not the, most talented players on the roster which brings great responsibility. “If your best football player is not a good person or doesn’t have winning characteristics, it is almost counterproductive no matter how good he is,” Baker said. “But if your best football player is also your hardest worker, whether he is a ‘ra ra’ guy or not. But he leads by example on and off the field, you have a chance to have a pretty good team because people want to follow that guy.” Although that would
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be a difficult challenge for anyone, it is one Simmons is taking in stride and accepting gladly. Simmons said this is “something that I have always wanted to do, to be a leader of an SEC team.” “I refuse to lose, so
“I am always going to have my degree, and that is one thing my
mom always said. ‘Get your degree and use
football. Don’t let it use
you.’” -Jeff rey Simmons
the guys are going to get behind me like I know they are going to do and they are going to have that same mindset. We won’t lose,” he said. Simmons has two goal this season, one off the field and one on the field. The on field goal is to get more sacks after having none last season. Something he will have the opportunity to do in the middle of new defensive coordinator Todd Grantham’s aggressive defense. “My main thing is that I know I can rush the passer more,” Simmons said. “Last year I did not have any sacks. Coming out of high school I was known
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for getting sacks and this year that is my goal.” However, that goal is secondary to his goal off of the field. immons, someone who is often praised by those around him for being a smart player on the field, has shown an intelligence in the classroom as well. He was named to SEC FirstYear Academic Honor Roll with a 4.0 GPA and he has high hopes moving forward in not only his football career, but his academic career also. “I am always going to have my degree and just thinking back that is one thing my mom said. Get your degree, use football, don’t let it use you,” Simmons, a human development and family science major, said. “Being on academic honor makes me want to go get allAmerican Academic Honor Roll.” Simmons key to his growth is rather simple. He is just listening to what coach Dan Mullen and coach Baker instill in him, telling him to focus on what he can do now to make himself better going forward. “From doing what I have to do in the classroom to being more of leader on the team,” Simmons said. “I feel like I have grown a lot because, like coach Mullen always says, ‘focus on what you have in front of you right now.’ That is what I have been doing.”
THE REFLECTOR FRIDAY AUGUST 25, 2017 @REFLECTORONLINE
BULLETIN BOARD
CLASSIFIEDS The deadline for Tuesday’s paper is 3 p.m. Thursday. The deadline for Friday’s paper is 3 p.m. Tuesday. Classifieds are listed at $5 per issue. Student and staff ads are listed at $3 per issue, pre-paid. Lost and found items: Found items can be listed for free; lost items are listed at standard ad cost. FOR RENT House for Rent, very nice 3 bedroom, 1 bath. 1 mile from MSU. Washer and ryer, large living area, kitchen and carport. $825.00 For more information call 662-418-2087 1 room in a 4 bedroom house with 2 full bathrooms for rent. Hardwood and ceramic tile flooring, garage parking, fenced in backyard and a large living area with a fire place. Other 3 rooms occupied by MSU
students. Only available to MSU students. Only 7 minutes from campus. For more information call 662-312-5630. Mobile home for rent. 14 fee by 70 feet, 3 bedroom, 2 bath. Out in the country. 5 minutes from downtown Starkville and MSU campus. Very quiet and peaceful. Pet friendly. Overlooking a fishing lake. AVAILABLE NOW. Contact 662-769-2542. HELP WANTED JOB OPPORTUNITY: Administrative assistant, clerical and domestic duties, strong computer skills required. $8.50/hour. Work is as needed. Call 662-312-5630. CLUB INFO Students for a Sustainable Campus is aimed at promoting sustainable practices
on campus that you can take home with you. Meetings every first and third Tuesdays in McCool 110 at 7 p.m. First meeting on September 5. 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. Information may be submitted by email to club_info@ reflector.msstate.edu with the subject heading “CLUB INFO,” or a form may be completed at The eflector office in the tudent Media Center. A contact name, phone number and requested run dates must be included for club info to appear in The eflector. All submissions are subject to exemption according to space availability.
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ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY... ...in 76 B.C., Vesuvius erupted in southern Italy, devastating the prosperous Roman cities of Pompeii. In the 18th century, Pompeii was rediscovered and excavated, providing an unprecedented archaeological record of the everyday life of an ancient civilization. history.com
Starkville Weekend Preview: karaoke, country music and glow paint Jason Miller Band performs at Rick’s Cafe on Friday at 10 p.m.
Fans of live music can hear the Jason Miller Band perform at Rick’s Cafe on Friday night. The band plays country music and is based in central Mississippi. General admission tickets are available for $8. The doors will open at 8 p.m., with the concert beginning at 8 p.m. Those attending the concert must be 18 or older. Paint the Town Glow Party at Rick’s Cafe on Saturday at 8 p.m. The Paint the Town Glow Party will be a glow paint party at Rick’s Cafe on Saturday night. DJ Maxx will provide live music. Tickets are available for $10 and doors will open at 7 p.m., with the event starting at 8 p.m. Those attending the event must be 18 or older. Karaoke at Rosey Baby on Saturday at 9:30 p.m. Those who enjoy karaoke or Cajun food can find both at Rosey Baby in downtown Starkville on Saturday night. Rosey Baby hosts karaoke every Saturday from 9:30 p.m. until 1:30 p.m. Those who decide to
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THE REFLECTOR FRIDAY AUGUST 25, 2017
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OPINION Trump is killing art and culture CHRIS LOWE
is a junior majoring in business information systems. He can be contacted at opinion@reflector.msstate.edu.
Last week, all 17 members of the President’s Committee of Arts and Humanities (PCAH) resigned. You may ask yourself the same thing I did initially: “President Donald Trump had a council for this?” Many would discredit the relevance of the resignations, and many more may remind Americans the council was to be disbanded at the end of the calendar year anyway. Regardless, the resignation of an entire presidential advisory committee is a big, bad situation. It highlights an underdiscussed flaw of Trump’s presidency and of Trump himself: a lack of cultural awareness. Proponents of Trump often say they support him because of his business insight, and it would be wrong to discount the validity of this. However, Trump seems to embody the kind of self-centered temperament seen in many of the “elitists” of America.
Jennifer McFadden, The Reflector
The famous Trump Tower, a symbol so readily displaying his success to the world, was built on the corpse of art and culture. In Trump’s own contribution to literature, “The Art of the Deal,” he recalls when he had two Bas Relief Art Deco sculptures removed in order to build the tower. The Metropolitan Museum of Art asked he remove them safely and donate them, which he agreed to do, assuming it was not too costly. However, he went back on his word, tearing down and dumping the art pieces.
“I just wasn’t prepared to lose hundreds of thousands of dollars to save a few Art Deco sculptures that I believed were worth considerably less and perhaps not very much at all,” Trump wrote in his book. According to Terence Cullen of the NY Daily News, the sculptures were valued at a few hundreds of thousand dollars and the two week preservation project only would have cost Trump $32,000—chump change in comparison to the estimated $300 million Trump Tower cost to build.
This story illustrates that Trump sees nothing as more important than profit margins. I definitely do not think being cultured is the most important aspect of a true American president. However, caring about the innate beauty in things is indicative of sentimentality, empathy and selflessness. These are all characteristics that describe the type of human being I want running my country. While these sentiments may get in the way of running a successful business, they are essential
Trivia Time!
“Caring about the innate beauty in things is indicative of sentimentality, empathy and selflessness.” to a person’s humanity. Thus, they are essential for someone wielding this kind of power over the lives of
millions of people. In fact, the mass resignation of the PCAH was in response to the President’s reaction (or lack thereof) to the racially-charged event in Charlottesville. In response, members of the committee stated they could not stand complicity with Trump. While Charlottesville is certainly worth a discussion all on its own, the fallout it caused relating to the PCAH is in itself a bit disconcerting. Members of the PCAH included a Pulitzer Prize winner and the a Broadway director—having artful and powerful minds like these shun the White House is not ideal. In their letter of resignation, a coincidence was found. The first letter of each paragraph spelled out reads “R-E-S-I-S-T.” The #Resist movement spreading throughout the country is a call for Americans to fight against Trump, his administration and the choices they make for our country. Outraged Americans are calling for backlash to fall on the president for his actions, and, regardless of their reaso,ning, it is undeniable that our president is a symbol of the bottom line trumping beauty and sophistication. We see Trump continuously choosing money over culture and art, and as long as he remains in the Oval Office, our country is forced to do so as well.
REFLECTIONS Harry S Truman
1. Who was the first Roman Catholic to be Vice President of the U.S.? 2. How many of the U.S. presidents were only children? 3. Who was the first president of the U.S. to live in the White House?
“Men make history and not the other way around. In periods where there is no leadership, society stands still. Progress occurs when courageous, skillful leaders seize the opportunity to change things for the better.”
Source: trivia.fyi
Answer: 1. Joe Biden, 2. None, 3. President John Adams
How partisans can overcome the minimum wage debate STEVEN WEIRICH STAFF WRITER
For all of the nerds like me who follow economic news, this summer provided us with a couple of intriguing additions to the U.S. minimum wage debate. Both of the studies published analyzed the effects of the minimum wage hike which was underway in Seattle for the past few years. One study, by the University of Washington, claimed in January of 2016, when the city raised the minimum wage from $11 to $13, low wage workers in Seattle saw decreases in employment and those who kept their jobs experienced a drop in hours. The other paper, authored by economists at the University of California, Berkeley, claimed low wage workers did not experience any declines in employment or in hours worked, but
this study only examined the restaurant industry in Seattle. As could be expected, these new studies energized partisans on either side of the argument, as most went back to their usual talking points about the advantages and disadvantages of raising the minimum wage. These arguments have understandably grown stale as they are hashed out over and over again. The good news though, is there is another public policy option that could accomplish the same goals of raising the minimum wage and both sides of the political aisle have actually discussed this option favorably. The option in question deals with something called the earned-income tax credit, or EITC. According to the Tax Policy Center at the Brookings Institute, the EITC works as a subsidy for low-income earners and working families.
The refundable tax credit is set equal to a fixed percentage of earnings, and this credit amount will increase as the income increases until it reaches the maximum credit point. Next, the credit amount will stay the same until wages increase to the point where
“The refundable tax credit is set equal to a fixed percentage of earnings, and this credit amount will increase as the income increases until it reaches the maximum credit point.” workers reach the phaseout stage. At this point, the credit will start to decrease with each additional dollar of income until the credit is exhausted. This unique design means recipients are encouraged to work so they will earn a larger credit with
CONTACT INFORMATION Editor in Chief/Emmalyne Kwasny
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percent of benefits from the credit go to working families with children. The credit itself was signed into law by former President Gerald Ford, a Republican, in 1975. According to the National Low Income Housing Coalition, the EITC was
made into a permanent part of the tax code in 1978, and it underwent reforms and expansions in order to include more low wage workers in both 1986 and 1990. The results over the years have been positive, with various studies showing it helps to supplement household purchases such as home repairs and necessities. One of the other main reasons the EITC has popularity on both sides of the political aisle is because it encourages work. In a 2001 paper from the National Bureau of Economic Research, economists Joseph Hotz and John Karl Scholz cite that the stipulation for EITC recipients to have at least some form of income makes it more popular than some other welfare programs, such as the TANF. In recent years, expanding the EITC was
at the center of budget and poverty alleviation discussions between President Obama and Speaker of the House Paul Ryan.According to Politico, in February of 2016 both men spoke favorably of expanding the credit to the point where it would double for childless workers and for parents who do not live with their children. With current budget discussions still underway in Washington, this could be a potentially significant win for bipartisanship at a time when the democratic and republican parties are finding it difficult to reach a common ground on any number of topics. Despite the debates over minimum wage that were reignited this summer, there is a way for partisans to overcome this obstacle—by supporting the expansion of a policy which could help alleviate poverty and encourage work in the U.S.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
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325-7905 editor@reflector.msstate.edu
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each increase in wages, up to a certain point. The EITC is also specifically aimed at working families with children, as those with children will receive a much larger subsidy than those without kids. The Tax Policy Center states this means that about 97
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LIFE & ENTERTAINMENT
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Ice cube tray cheesecake bites Lab Rats ‘rebrands’ for fall COURTNEY O’BRIEN STAFF WRITER
I recently found out ice cube trays are magical. Two trays can be purchased at a dollar store for as little as a dollar. These babies can help you save time, moderate portions, impress people at parties and store small-portions of food. Since I bought ice cube trays, I have mainly used the trays for mini cheesecakes. Using the trays is a good way to discourage eating an entire cheesecake in one sitting. Making ice cube tray cheesecakes is great for anyone lacking self-control. This recipe can be difficult. One important tip is to coat the ice cube tray in coconut oil and let it sit for a few minutes first, before any other prep takes place. The recipe can be tweaked with added ingredients. Any additional ingredients such as chopped chocolate chips, bananas, blueberries, oats, or strawberries should be cut up before being added
to the mix. Extra flavorings li e raspberry coffee syrup or caramel sauce can also be added before the ingredients are blended. Ice cube trays can also
spice up your ice cube tray game, you can buy trays that have each segment in fun shapes. Having shapes that give you a shallower area with similar surface area will give
Jennifer McFadden, The Reflector
be used to freeze coffee to blend for frozen coffee or to keep cold coffee from becoming watered down. They can be useful when making chocolate covered strawberries, homemade popsicles, freezing fresh herbs in olive oil, freezing sauces, ma ing ell O shots or portioning out cookie dough. If you really want to
you the ability to use less ingredients. For example, you could pour a little melted chocolate into the bottom of each segment, and top with fruits or nuts. No matter what you make with ice cube trays, they are a cheap and fun way to spend a weekend experimenting in the kitchen. Enjoy the cheesecake recipe below!
FOR THE CHEESECAKES: 1/4 cup non-fat plain greek yogurt 1/4 cup light cream cheese 2-3 tbsp honey 1/2 tsp vanilla extract TO COAT THE ICE CUBE TRAYS: 1 cup virgin coconut oil 1/2 cup cocoa powder 1/4 cup honey CHOCOLATE COATING: 1 cup virgin coconut oil 1/2 cup cocoa powder ¼ cup honey 1. Blend or mix the cheesecake ingredients until smooth. 2. In a separate bowl, blend the chocolate coating ingredients. 3. Spray a pre-chilled, ice cube tray thoroughly with a coconut oil. 4. Pour the chocolate into each segment of the tray. 5. Coat the bottom and the sides of each segment in chocolate. . ill each ice cube mold with cheeseca e filling. 7. Top with a layer of chocolate coating. 8. Freeze for at least two hours.
SHELBY POINDEXTER STAFF WRITER
Mississippi State University’s Lab Rats Comedy will perform its first show of the new semester today at 8 p.m. on the McComas mainstage. Lab Rats is MSU’s only improvisational troupe and performs several shows each semester. The shows are made up of a sketch usually split into two parts. The first part is typically a video sketch and plays at the beginning of the show. The second part is a live sketch performed after intermission. This first show of the semester is titled “Lab Rats: Rebranding.” Brock St. Clair, Lab Rats sketch director, said creating a show theme and sketches comes pretty easily. “We have a lot of really creative and funny people in Lab Rats so pitching ideas is a lot of fun,” St. Clair said. Once we’ve got the idea though, the whole process of writing a script, making it funny, filming, editing, etc. has typically taken about a week.” “We are working hard to bring higher production value to our sketches this year, so I see the time frame getting a bit longer,” St. Clair said. “It’s a good thing, though. We have a whole lot of funny stuff planned, and I could not be more excited.” Mary Bess Nicholson, Lab Rats technical director, said one of her jobs is to pick the music for the shows, which she tries to associate with the theme as closely as possible. “I also play the video sketches, work lights and sound for mainstage shows, and help with set up and
Sam Gibson | Courtesy Photo
Adam Runnels revives Blain Wolgemuth from an improv death in a show at Moseley Hall.
break down,” Nicholson said. Nicholson said with the first show, changes are being made which led to the idea
“We have had a lot of people graduate and we’re adjusting to being a different troupe and starting to change the way we do certain things.” -Mary Bess Nicholson, Lab Rats technical director of “rebranding.” “We’ve had a lot of people graduate and we’re adjusting to being a different troupe and starting to change the way we do certain things,” Nicholson said, “So that’s why it is ‘Rebranding.’” Sara Kirkpatrick, treasurer and troupe member, said the first show is always a fun and exciting one.
“It is always fun because it is our first show together after a few months, so the vibe is always happy and excited to be back,” Kirkpatrick said. “The best part of being in Lab Rats is getting to hang out with some of the funniest and coolest people I know. Seriously, the people are all hilarious, and every time we get together, it is a blast.” Most of Lab Rats’ shows are performed on the fourth floor of osley all, but the first and last performances are on the McComas mainstage. St. Clair said there are pros and cons to performing in both settings, but the McComas stage brings something special. “The McComas stage is a great place for a show for both the audience and performers,” St. Clair said. “As a performer especially, it’s a rush. There’s something to be said about the feeling of being in a real, true-toform theatre. There’s that magic in the air, the respect between audience and cast.” Students attending Friday’s show can expect to relax, laugh, have a good time and enjoy the comedic improv. Tickets are $5 and can be purchased at the door.
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SPORTS
Howland hopes to continue trend of third season success FORREST BUCK STAFF WRITER
Men’s basketball head coach Ben Howland helped every team he coached become a success. Now, in his third year at Mississippi State University, he hopes to have the Bulldogs headed in the right direction. In his first two seasons he coached the Bulldogs to a 30-33 record, a tad bit under .500, which does not sound impressive, but is an improvement over the previous three year record of 37-60. On Monday, Howland talked about the challenges of the first few years at a new program. “Typically when you take over a program, that program is not currently having a lot of success, or else they would not be making a change,” owland said. That first year is usually the toughest year because it is a transition year where you’re trying to bring in your own recruits. The second year is typically when you’re super young.” MSU had the second youngest team in all of
college basketball last season. Despite that, Howland was able to give its first non losing season since 2011. After four straight losing seasons, MSU men’s bas etball finished last year with a record of 16-16 and are showing signs of turning the program around. Howland has always managed to make the jump and find success in his third season at a school, a trend that started at his first coaching job at Northern Arizona University. At Northern Arizona he won 16 games in his first two seasons. Then in year three, his team went and finished first in their conference. At his next stop with the University of Pittsburgh, Howland’s team had a losing record in his first season and a mediocre 19-14 record in year two before turning things around. In his third season, itt finished with a record and made an appearance in the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA Tournament. Finally, at UCLA, Howland started off with a combined 29-28 record in his first two seasons. Then, in
his third season, he coached the Bruins to a 32-7 record which ended with a trip to the National Championship game. Howland said program stability was the key to his successes during his third years at all of his previous schools. He hopes program stability will do the same for the Bulldogs. “Year three has been good for us at all three of my previous stops,” Howland said. “Typically by your third season you now have guys who have been in the program one or two years, and you’re building, and I’m hoping for similar results for us this year.” The best player on the team last season was Quinndary “Q” Weatherspoon, a junior from Canton, who averaged 16.5 points per game last season. This year, many Bulldog fans are excited about the addition of his younger brother Nick Weatherspoon, who was the Bulldogs top recruit this year and the sixth ranked point guard in the nation according to 247sports.com’s composite
Noah Siano| The Reflector
Quinndary “Q” Weatherspoon averaged 16.5 points a game and 1.7 steals a game, leading the team in both categories last season.
scoring. Many fans and experts think Nick Weatherspoon is more naturally gifted than his older brother was when he came out of high school and could be the future of the program. The younger Weatherspoon has already made a positive impression
on Howland. “I’m very excited about Nick. He is very competitive and really tough,” Howland said. “He is very multidimensional. He does a lot of things well. He can shoot it, finish, and he’s a good passer.” Howland is pairing the Weatherspoon brothers with
a top 10 recruiting class from 2016, which has now had a year to grow. Combine that with Howland’s track record of third year success in all of his previous coaching jobs and fans can have some legitimate expectations for this basketball team as the 2017-18 season quickly approaches.
Kath, VB prepare for season JOSH BECK STAFF WRITER
The Mississippi State University Women’s Volleyball team played their annual Maroon and White Scrimmage on August 21; the final dress rehearsal before heading to Dallas this week for the team’s first tournament of the season. With only four returning players from the 2016 squad, head coach David McFatrich is presented with equal challenge and opportunity to prepare the inexperienced squad for the quickly approaching season. Transfer players
Kelly Price| Courtesy Photo
Morgan Kath
and freshmen account for 70 percent of the squad. McFatrich, entering his third season, often switched players during the scrimmage to give him different offensive and defensive looks, like a mechanic tinkering with an engine until it purrs. After the final whistle, he expressed his takeaways
from the scrimmage. “I wish we were a little smoother and had a little more in rhythm before we head to SMU this week, but the effort was there, the heart was there we just have to get a little better on the execution,” McFatrich said. A key element to the team’s success this season will depend on how quickly the players can come together as a cohesive team. During the scrimmage, there were several instances of missed point opportunities due to miscommunication and a lack of timing between setters and hitters. However, senior middle blocker Jelena Vujcin and freshman right side Sara Maddox showed spectators several examples of impressive offensive fire power. Payton Harris, a senior from Houston, Texas, said the scrimmage highlights what the team needs to fine tune before the tournament as well as providing a psychological benefit. e definitely have some things we can improve on,” Harris said. “Also, it was a good place for the new girls to get out in front of a crowd instead of it just being at practice, to get some of those pretournament jitters out.” Much like a quarterback in football or a point guard in basketball, the offense flows through the setter in volleyball. A setter is the coach on the court, instilling order and precision into
every offensive set. Their predominate job is to facilitate the transition of the ball from the defensive specialist or libero to the hitters. While seemingly insignificant on paper, the setter can be the difference between a bad, good or great team. Morgan Kath, junior from Muskego, Wisconsin, is a new face to MSU, but not the volleyball court. After completing two successful years at Stony Brook and etching herself into the program record books for seventh all-time assists, Kath decided to transfer to to fill the crucial position of setter. Arriving in June for preseason camp, Kath was given the difficult tas to build the vital chemistry between the other players so each of her sets are optimal for the different hitters on the team. Some hitters approach the net low and quick making the set mirror the approach while a set for 6’3 Jelena Vujcin might be higher with more air under the ball allowing Vujcin to hit the ball with a greater force. Kath explains it was a good transition and she focuses on learning what McFatrich expects from his starting setter. “I think it’s just getting in the motion of how he (McFatrich) wants things run and getting connections with the girls overall during camp, getting in the rhythm with everything,” said Kath, “It has been a transition, but a good transition.”
Taylor Robbins| The Reflector
Mississippi State volleyball will open their regular season in Dallas, Texas, in the SMU Doubletree Invitational today against SMU.