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132nd YEAR ISSUE 3
TUESDAY AUGUST 29, 2017
THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIVERSITY SINCE 1884
Student Association’s Cowbell Cabs expands services KATIE POE
STAFF WRITER
Mississippi State Student Association
A recent expansion for Cowbell Cabs will allow students to be picked up from almost anywhere in Starkville. Cowbell Cabs, a free transportation service, was started by the Student Association in 2014. While the service was created by the SA, it is operated by Bulldog Cab Co. The expansion was initially announced by SA Vice President Layton Little at the Aug. 15 Starkville Board of Aldermen meeting, where the Mississippi State University budget of two percent funds were presented, part of which will go toward Cowbell Cabs. “We think this expansion will benefit students a lot while enhancing the two percent tax to students that
don’t necessarily have a car,” Little said. Little said with the expansion, students can be given a ride to and from more locations; it is not limited to campus. “Cowbell Cabs previously only picked students up from businesses or on campus and brought them back to their home,” Little said. “Now, Cowbell Cabs can pick students up from anywhere in town within the boundary we have set.” This means any student can be given a ride, whether it’s from business to business, business to home, home to business, campus to home or from your home to someone else’s. Also, while the service did not run previously during home football game weekends, they now will. CABS, 2
Three Former MSU student Anne Elizabeth area Buys prepares for Miss America pageant shootings leave one dead, two wounded EMMALYNE KWASNY AND DEVIN EDGAR EDITOR-IN-CHIEF AND NEWS EDITOR
One person is dead after three separate shootings Thursday night in Starkville and Oktibbeha County. All three victims were male. Oktibbeha County Coroner Michael Hunt said the three shootings do not appear to be related. Starkville Chief of Police Frank Nichols said the fatal shooting occurred at the Brookville Garden Apartment complex in Starkville. Hunt confirmed Starkville native Deontay M. Rogers, 20, the victim in the fatal shooting, which happened at approximately 9:20 p.m. Rogers was brought to the OCH Emergency Room by his father, Hunt said, and was pronounced dead after arriving. The shooting is being investigated as a homicide and Rogers body was sent to the Mississippi Crime Lab in Jackson for an autopsy. According to a press release, SPD charged 16-year-old Tomas Bradford of Starkville with the murder of Rogers. There was an initial appearance for Bradford Friday and his bond was set at $2,000,000.
Susan McCarty | Miss Mississippi Organization
Anne Elizabeth Buys, former Mississippi State University communications student, won Miss Mississippi in June and is now preparing to leave for the Miss America Pageant. Buys has been involved in pageants since she was three-years-old.
LINDSAY PACE STAFF WRITER
Susan McCarty | Miss Mississippi Organization
SHOOTING, 2
TUESDAY
Anne Elizabeth Buys dreamed of becoming Miss Mississippi since she was three years old. At seven years old, she performed as a junior dancer in Miss Mississippi pageants. Later, she would become a Magnolia Princess for two years before winning Miss Mississippi’s Outstanding Teen 2013. After years of dedication, Buys achieved her childhood dream and became Miss Mississippi 2017. “I tell my mother every day it feels like I’m in a dream and haven’t woken up yet,” Buys said. A dream does not come true without relentless dedication. Buys spends a large part of each of her days reading current events, exercising, practicing her talent—ballet en pointe— serving others through various platforms and strengthening her communications skills. “Every aspect of this pageant helps you become a more well-rounded person,” Buys said. “It’s given me great
Buys posed with her flowers shortly after being crowned Miss Mississippi 2017.
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
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communication skills. I can walk in a room of 20 or 500 or 5,000 and feel confident in who I am and what I stand for—and this organization has allowed me to discover that.” Above all else, Buys said connecting with and serving others is her favorite part of the Miss America Organization. “I believe that I have been placed here to serve others and to let them know that they have a wonderful purpose for their life. Through this organization, I have been able to do just that,” Buys said. “Whether its through Children’s Miracle Network hospitals and just hugging a child and providing a smile on their faces or working through my platform, Water for Life, this is what I love most.” Water for Life, an idea created by Buys, is sponsored by Operation Blessing International. Buys raises funds for both local and global water crises; then, Operation Blessing International determines the greatest need for water at the given time. The entire process can take up to six months to ensure money raised is given care and commitment. So far, Buys has raised money for over 63,000 bottles of clean water. MISS AMERICA, 2
Policy: Any person may
2 Administrators reach out to MSU students from hurricane-impacted area THE REFLECTOR TUESDAY AUGUST 29, 2017
ALLISON MATTHEWS
OFFICE OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS
Mississippi State Dean of Students Thomas Bourgeois said the university is reaching out to students from southeast Texas to show support for those impacted by Hurricane Harvey and direct them to appropriate resources. The university has supportive relationships with disaster response and recovery agencies at the state and federal levels, as well as nonprofit organizations. “Having family members and friends who lost everything in Hurricane Katrina, my heart goes out to those victims of Harvey who are reliving that same nightmare,” Bourgeois said. Cade Smith, MSU assistant dean and
director for the Office of Student Leadership and Community Engagement, said MSU response will follow guidance of disaster response agencies “so that our efforts are supportive and avoid disruptions in meeting the immediate needs of the victims and first responders.” Smith said the university is quickly planning for collections of appropriate supplies to support response and recovery efforts. Donations of box fans, extension cords and batteries are being accepted at MSU’s Maroon Volunteer Center, 306 Moseley Hall, until 10 a.m. Wednesday [Aug. 30]. These supplies then will be delivered Thursday to hurricane-affected areas by Tupelo-based nonprofit Eight Days of Hope. “The first inclination for many people is to try to take
Thursday, August 24, 2017 12:14 p.m. Student reported his wallet missing from Dorman Hall. 6:03 p.m. Student reported finding a wallet on the bench outside Allen Hall. Wallet was returned to owner. Friday, August 25, 2017 12:13 p.m. Student reported being sexually harassed in front of Montgomery Hall by an unknown black male. 6:28 p.m. Student reported a disturbance that took place in the Colvard Student Union between a group of male students. Saturday, August 26, 2016 1:05 a.m. Student reported she was harassed by an unknown black male near Magnolia Hall. Subject was not found on officer arrival. 11:52 a.m. Student reported finding a gold watch inside her vehicle in Rice Hall parking lot. 6:09 p.m. Student reported receiving text messages from an unknown person. Monday, August 21, 2016 12:01 p.m. Student was arrested on University Drive for trespassing. 4:56 p.m. Employee reported damage to a tire on a police vehicle.
CABS The expansion went into effect around Aug. 17.Cowbell Cabs’ operating hours are Thursday from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. and Friday and Saturday from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. Drivers can take one student at a time, along with one guest. To get a ride, call 662-813-0084. Little said the SA wanted to expand the transportation service because it would benefit students by giving them
action and do something, but it is important to respond through the leads of FEMA, state agencies and national nonprofits engaged in disaster relief and recovery,” Smith said. The Maroon Volunteer Center is coordinating information on how to donate and volunteer for Hurricane Harvey relief efforts at https://www. m vc. m s s t a t e. e d u / b l o g / hur ricane-har vey-reliefefforts/. Bourgeois said a disaster that reaches the magnitude of Harvey can be overwhelming, but “the university can be here to listen, to support and try to match students with resources and provide them empathy and care to see that tomorrow will be another day. “They are important to us and loved,” Bourgeois said.
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“With the expansion, cowbell cabs now provides safe and reliable rides for students anywhere they are trying to go.” -Layton Little
more options for safe rides. “[SA President] Tyler [McMurray] and myself both ran on expanding Cowbell Cabs,” he said. “We felt the service could be better for students by expanding [it]. The purpose of Cowbell Cabs is to provide students a safe and reliable ride. With the expansion, it now provides safe and reliable rides for students anywhere they are trying to go.”
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At the time of the arrest, Bradford was out on bond for a March 2016 charge of murder and armed robbery at Camelot Apartments, SPD reported. The 2016 shooting led to the death of 17-yearold Dacorian K. Coleman. SPD said the incident is under active investigation and more charges are expected to follow. Another shooting happened at approximately 7:30 p.m., and Hunt said it appears to be accidental. The victim was admitted to
MISS AMERICA “We immediately think of water problems being a crisis in third-world countries, but surprisingly, here in America, we have them, too,” Buys said. “From Flint, Michigan to Jackson, Mississippi, to Baton Rouge—all these places are in need of clean water, and we have thankfully been able to provide them that.” When Buys is not busy caring for others, she cares for herself by embracing a healthy lifestyle. “Through the physical fitness aspect of the competitions, I have learned what it means to truly embrace living a healthy lifestyle,” Buys said. “Living a healthy lifestyle
OCH with non-threatening injuries. The third shooting was a drive-by in Oktibbeha County. Hunt said he did not know the time or location. The male who was shot was airlifted to UMMC in Jackson. SPD asks anyone with any information regarding the incident causing death to contact at 662-323-4131 or Golden Triangle Crime Stoppers at 1-800-530-7151. Crime Stoppers may offer a cash reward.
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has nothing to with what you look like on the outside. It has everything to do with fueling your body, taking
“It’s not just about the pageant to me– it’s about the whole experience and journey along the way.” -Miss Mississippi Anne Elizabeth Buys care of it, and making sure it feels good.” While this amount of work may be exhausting for some, Buys finds constant
purpose and strength through her faith. “I’m a Christian, so my faith plays a big part in grounding me. I believe God’s really given me a passion to serve people, and this is a wonderful avenue to serve people through,” Buys said. “It’s not just about a pageant to me—it’s about the whole experience and the journey along the way.” Soon, after years of dreaming, Buys’ journey will continue to the Miss America pageant with the support of her family and community. Buys will fly to Atlantic City, New Jersey, on Tuesday, August 29th to begin preparation for the Miss America competition.
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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. 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
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THE REFLECTOR TUESDAY AUGUST 29 2017
An In-Class Distraction
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THE REFLECTOR TUESDAY AUGUST 29, 2017 @REFLECTORONLINE
OPINION
A better solution to sexual misconduct
ROY JAFARI
STAFF WRITER
After agreeing to meet a couple of times, I started feeling uneasy by her constant presence in my life. It started out with an ample number of unwanted text messages. I then began to bump into her every day at the places I normally visited—worsening my uneasiness. I made it clear through text messages and during her other attempts to initiate conversations I needed more space from her. Her troubling behavior persisted. It took some time before it dawned on me: I was being stalked. Then the blame game started. I would blame her for not respecting my space, while feeling victim to her lack of common sense. Worse yet, I would blame myself for not seeing the red flags in her behaviors before all this started. The emotional turmoil I was under would sometimes bring me to tears. One day, an added dimension of fear led me to take refuge in Mississippi State University’s Counseling Services for advice and comfort. This
visit led to the processing of a no-contact order within MSU’s campus boundaries. Based on this order, she and I were not supposed to initiate or respond to any sort of contact—be it face to face or through any electronic platforms. The perpetrator would face consequences such as academic probation or even expulsion from school if this order was violated. For the first few days, I felt very thankful and thought the situation was finally being handled. Little did I know it was only a matter of time before my feeling of guilt would become worse. Each time I had to report she had broken the no-contact order by attempting to converse with me, my guilt would build. Though I was troubled by her constant attempts to talk with me, I did not want things to end in a way that caused possible disruptions in her future. The amount of emotional pain I was going through made me imagine myself in her place. Once I did this, I found she must be in more emotional pain than I was. I thought to myself, ‘How could she not be in pain? How can anyone be at
peace while risking their own education and future just to talk with another person?’ This revelation served as a catharsis. The feeling of guilt and suffocation gave way to sympathy and understanding. After this, I no longer had emotional pain about my situation. I felt neither guilt nor based my identity on my victimization.
but wished it could be different. My stalker continued to try to speak with me a couple more times. Even though I did not indulge these attempts, I wished the university would have helped her more, instead of merely legally separating us. Recently, I learned of a less legal approach is gathering momentum
“How could she not be in pain? How can anyone be at peace while risking their own education and future just to talk to another person?” I visited Counseling Services again to seek advice on how my stalker could be helped. I suggested we have a jointcounseling session, so we would be able to talk while a professional counselor was present to advise us. I thought this could give both of us more space for peace and understanding. The suggested counseling session never became a reality. My counselor told me because of the no-contact order, there is no way within the boundaries of their work regulations to hold a jointsession. I understood,
throughout the nation: Promoting Restorative Initiatives for Sexual Misconduct on college campuses, also known as the Campus PRISM Project. PRISM offers a way to help support survivors of sexual misconduct to heal from the trauma of victimization, while simultaneously creating a space for offenders to be accountable for their actions and take steps to reduce their risk of reoffending. PRISM promotes healing for both sides. Like my counselor’s
response to my suggestion, regulations are the main barriers blocking the way to healing on both sides of sexual misconduct. At the end of the day, the easiest way a government or a school can deal with sexual misconduct is to find someone guilty and punish the perpetrator. In my experience, and the experience of volunteers in PRISM, finding blame does not necessarily help anyone who is hurting or suffering from sexual misconduct. This usually just leads to more pain. The alternative is to bring the focus from making it a blame-game to an attempt at helping everyone who is involved. This approach is definitely more difficult for school administrators to maintain. Even if maintaining the law while trying to accommodate each individual is accomplished, facing the critiques of such initiatives might prove draining. Much of the argument against PRISM comes from the viewpoint of it being too soft of an approach toward the offenders. While I understand how this perspective is assumed with the purpose of discouraging such behaviors, I believe it is the best way to help our
campus and the community heal. I believe a more affective approach is to consider sexual misconduct cases as cries for help, not cases for punishment. By acknowledging the fact sexual misconduct offenders need help, and by taking steps towards their recovery, I believe this will reduce the risk of reoffenders. It is important to know PRISM creates a place where offenders are responsible for their actions. The program does not undervalue the importance of holding offenders accountable but promotes the creation of a supportive space to better reintegrate offenders. I wish PRISM had found its way to our campus when I was faced with my stalker. While I understand promoting such initiatives will require much legal consideration, it is one of my deepest fears that any MSU student has to go through the mentally draining legal procedure if a sexual misconduct happens to them. It is also my highest hope that Counseling Services and the Office of Compliance and Integrity will collaborate, so MSU can join the momentum of PRISM.
O n t h i s d a y. . .
Trivia Time!
1. In 1893, which country became the first to give women the right to vote? 2. Which U.S. state has the nickname ‘the Treasure State?’ 3. Davis Wade Stadium is the second oldest division I-A campus football stadium in the country. When was it opened?
1. Pop sensation, Michael Jackson, was born on August 29, 1958, in Gary, Indiana. 2. Charles Franklin Kettering, the American engineer and longtime director of research for General Motors Corp. (GM), was born on August 29, 1876, in Loudonville, Ohio.
Source: trivia.fyi
Source: history.com
Answer: 1. New Zealand, 2. Montana, 3. 1914
CEOs and top supporters are losing faith in Trump STEVEN WEIRICH
STAFF WRITER
Throughout American history, businessmen and chief executives have often involved themselves in some manner with politics. For example, Jeffrey Immelt, the CEO of General Electric, recently completed a term as the chair of former President Barack Obama’s Council on Jobs and Competitiveness. According to Allan Chernoff of CNN, Immelt tried to invigorate trust in Obama’s economic plan, as he pushed for a focus on green energy technology and for American companies to strive to export more manufactured goods. This is pretty standard behavior for most businessman advisors, as presidents always want to find allies in the corporate world to help promote their own economic agendas. However, there has never really been a moment in U.S. history quite like right now, when a large group of chief executive officers (CEOs) who had committed to advising President Donald Trump decided to leave
his Manufacturing Council and his Strategy & Policy Forum. As a cover up, Trump “decided” to disband both councils, but it was after the CEOs had already quit. The reasons for the CEOs leaving made a clear indication of how they felt about the chances of Trump successfully moving forward with his political agenda.
steady mass exodus from the members of the Manufacturing Council and the Strategy & Policy Forum. The question we are left to ask is why did this event push executives to abandon these advising positions? Trump has said and done things throughout his presidency that did not play well in the media, yet the advisors stood their
“These businessmen have lost confidence in the president’s ability to pass the legislation he promised back in January.” The recent departures began with the exit of Ken Frazier, the CEO of Merck & Co. Frazier said he decided to leave based on Trump’s comments regarding the recent incidents in Charlottesville. An article in Business Insider argued Frazier’s decision prompted immediate condemnation from Trump via Twitter. However, many other executives in the pharmaceutical industry supported Frazier’s decision. This began a
ground. The key difference now is these businessmen have lost confidence in the president’s ability to pass the legislation he promised back in January. The promised legislation dealt with issues such as deregulation, tax cuts and infrastructure spending, all of which whetted the appetites of corporate leaders. These expectations were reflected most prominently in the consistently increasing Dow Jones
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Industrial Index, which recently passed the 22,000 mark. This increase is highly touted by the White House as a positive sign for the American economy. Despite these high expectations from the business world, in an article for Bloomberg View, Joe Nocera pointed out the event as a potential turning point for the administration due to these executives deciding it was best to cut their losses and leave. It has become
increasingly clear to America that the current administration does not seem capable of legislating their way out of a paper bag. The grand legislative plans the White House presented at the beginning of the year becoming less and less likely to materialize. The health care repeal failed and there has been little to no movement on tax reform or infrastructure spending. These failures have not gone unseen by the leaders of corporate America,
which is why they now feel emboldened to up and leave the advisory councils. Of course, Republicans still control both houses of Congress, so there is still a chance that corporate America could see the passage of legislation affecting them positively. Nonetheless, it has become quite obvious the leading chief executives in the U.S. have realized the promised aggressive legislative plan of the Trump Administration is unlikely to come to fruition.
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THE REFLECTOR TUESDAY AUGUST 28, 2017 @REFLECTORONLINE
LIFE & ENTERTAINMENT
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Face off: the good and the bad of Taylor Swift’s new image Swift’s new single, ‘Look What You Made Me Do,’ shows an exciting new side to the artist COURTNEY O’BRIEN STAFF WRITER
Let’s get it out of the way. While I am a Taylor Swift fan, I have been disappointed with the last few albums that featured songs with lyrics even more repetitive than a valley girl’s “OMG!” That being said, I like the new song. I love the good girl Taylor persona, but I also love the—dare I say it—new reputation that she seems to have accepted. Sometimes, it is good to live a little on the edge. I have always liked the songs where Taylor is fighting back. I love “Bad Blood,” “Mean” and “I Knew You Were Trouble.” Sometimes, you just feel like the world is completely against you and you need songs like this. However, there is a lot of criticism about her new persona. I do not think anyone has taken as much trash talk as Taylor Swift. Considering the sweet persona she has had throughout her career, I find it amazing the press bothers her so much. Thus far, she hasn’t broken like some other pop stars, developed public eating disorders or drug problems or ended up in rehab. Still, the lyrics in this new song are kind of edgy. You can tell Taylor Swift is seriously miffed at somebody or multiple somebodies. The chorus is still fairly repetitive, but it has more depth than most of the songs on her last two albums. I am especially in love with the pre-chorus: “But I got smarter, I got harder in the nick of time/Honey, I rose up from the dead, I do it all the time/I’ve got a list of names and yours is in red underlined/I check it once, then I check it twice, oh!” She has taken all the anger from several of her songs and thrown it into this song. It is loaded with passion and all the teenage angst I incurred when Mississippi State raised college tuition by ten percent. The teaser trailer for the music video is twenty-one seconds. It starts out with Taylor Swift in a perfectly sculpted ponytail. Are you channeling
Swift’s new single, ‘Look What You Made Me Do,’ strays too far from her ‘everygirl’ image
Ariana Grande? The next clip is of Taylor sitting on a gold throne with armrests that look like skulls, with “Tu Brute,” engraved into it. Obviously, this is a reference to Julius Caesar and the fact Taylor Swift feels that she’s been stabbed in the back. Taylor has at least five snake rings in the video, and has deleted all of her social media and replaced it with videos of snakes. Is it a reference to those who have figuratively stabbed her in the back? Soon after, she’s seen wearing red lipstick and
SAM GIBSON
MANAGING EDITOR
Taylor Swift’s new single, “Look What You Made Me Do,” made me want to turn it off. Now, don’t get me wrong. I love Swift. I love her so much that up until this single I felt like I knew her, and I still feel like that enough that it’s going to be difficult for me to call her Swift instead of “Taylor” during the course of this review. The reason I feel like I know Swift is because her music has always been so relatable. She experienced everything I dreamed about as a kid just a couple years
“I have always liked the songs where Taylor is fighting back. I love ‘Bad Blood,’ Mean’ and ‘I Knew You Were Trouble. Sometimes, you just feel like the world is against you and you need songs like this’ -Courtney O’Brien
“Call me overly nostalgic, but I just want her to sound and look like the old Swift.” -Sam Gibson ahead of me. She was like a cool big sister who was mushier than I would ever admit to being, who told me all of her secrets while I listened, amazed. Her first several albums, which dropped during my formative middle school years, were full of fairy tale imagery and smartly written, sweeping pop-country choruses you could sing loudly in your mom’s car. “Red,” what I would call her heartbreak album, came out during my senior year of high school, when my first real boyfriend and I broke up. To this day, “All Too Well” is my go-to song for crying in the car. With 2014’s “1989,” Swift ditched her country sound in favor of something sleeker and more poppy. Initially, this troubled me, but I soon got over it. Why? Because the album was still perfectly suited to my present state of life. I had graduated high school, and had graduated from fantasizing about fairytales to fantasizing about being Carrie Bradshaw from “Sex and the City”
biting diamonds. Is this because life is as hard as diamonds and she’s supposed to look great living it? For about half of a second, she is seen looking super vintage (think the outfits from the “Blank Space” music video.) Lastly, she channels her inner Beyonce with a black leotard in fish nets, in the style of “Formation.” I can say anything I want about the new song. It really comes down to the fact you should listen to the song now or watch the music video.
and the album’s first song is called “Welcome to New York.” Swift was at it again, singing about a life that was right up my aspirational alley. Maybe this decade of Swift relateability was all a calculated industry scam, but I do not care. Even if it was, this single seems to be the one on which she has stopped calculating, or at least stopped calculating how to appeal to me. Where there used to be acoustic guitar and or at least sweet-sounding synth pop, there is now creepy, clinky piano and electropop. Where there was once the earlier mentioned sweeping, sing-along choruses, there is now the same, titular phrase repeated over and over to the tune of “I’m Too Sexy for My Shirt.” The writers of that song, Right Said Fred, are credited as songwriters on the track. Most importantly, where there were once admonishments and longings for ex-boyfriends, there is now only animosity to Kanye West, referenced in the lyrics with “don’t like your tilted stage.” This is not relatable, to me, or, I assume, to anyone else who has not experienced celeb beef. I also hate when celebrities use publicized beef to promote albums. While rebirth (i.e. rebranding) is a more relatable theme prevalent in the single, Swift’s attempt thus far comes off as more 2013 Miley Cyrus than 2017 me or 2017 every girl, and I do not think this is something Swift can pull off. I also do not think it’s all that original—she sounds kind of like Marina and the Diamonds and looks like “Gossip Girl’s” Bad Little Jenny Humphrey, or “Riverdale”’s Bad Betty. Call me overly nostalgic, but I just want her to sound and look like the old Swift. Even more than the music style or the album cover, a voicemail from the single’s bridge makes it absolutely clear Swift is dropping her former self. Swift says, “I’m sorry, the old Taylor can’t come to the phone right now. Why? Oh, ‘cause she’s dead.” The old Taylor may be dead, but I’m afraid the new Taylor isn’t relatable enough to keep me from mourning her.
Friday in The Reflector’s Life & Entertainment: Battle of the Bands Preview Jennifer McFadden, The Reflector
MISSION TO MARS Win Tickets to See
BRUNO MARS WITH ROUND TRIP LEO'S LIMO SERVICE FOR THE SHOW
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THE REFLECTOR TUESDAY AUGUST 28, 2017
@REFLECTORONLINE
Sunday Funday brings the arts to life in the Cotton District EMMA MOFFETT
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Instead of settling for a lazy Sunday afternoon in bed, students can wake up, head to the Cotton District and enjoy Sunday Funday once a month. This event located on the Rue du Grand Fromage is free and open to everyone willing to walk, drive or bike to get there. Sunday Funday for August took place on Sunday. However, next month’s date is right around the corner. September’s event is scheduled for the 17 from 12 to 6 p.m. These events are put on by the Greater Good Collective, whose goal is to provide the community with an outlet to share art, music and connect with one another. Live music, local vendors and delicious snacks are only a few of the reasons any Starkville resident should go to Sunday Funday. From Rosson’s Awesome Sauce, a booth selling fresh jams and jellies, to a booth dedicated to selling vintage vinyl’s, there is something for everyone who attends. “We wanted to start Sunday Funday because the Cotton District Arts Festival is wonderful, but it is only once a year and there are still artists around,” said Bonnie Brumley, a member of the Greater Good Collective. “We wanted to give everyone an outlet to come sell their
Emma Moffett | The Reflector
Sunday Fundays provide the oportunity to enjoy live music, art and a wide variety of vendors in the Cotton District each month located on the Rue du Grand Fromage. The event is free to the public.
work and give people in the community a chance to come together for a good time.” Paisley Hamilton is the owner of Serendipity Hippie and has been involved with Sunday Funday since the beginning. “It has been a huge success,” Hamilton said. “Everyone is really enjoying the community and the outward expression offered
here.” With new vendors, musicians and people at the event each month, Hamilton said there will always be something different and fun to see. “As school kicks back up, it would be great to have a lot more people that are new in the town be involved with this as well,” Hamilton said. “It’s exciting to see where it will go.”
Despite this being the first Sunday Funday since the start of classes, many Mississippi State University students have already fallen in love with all the event has to offer. Abby Barnes, a recent MSU graduate, and Makenna Ochoa, a current MSU student, decided to become vendors themselves and sold their original artwork at the event. Barnes
said she was inspired after her first visit to Sunday Funday this summer, and she knew this event was the perfect fit for her. Barnes and Ochoa hope more students will see what they saw in Sunday Funday and take advantage of the opportunity. “It is a good way to brighten up a lazy Sunday and make the most of the day,” Ochoa said.
“Everyone is really enjoying the community and the outward expression offered here.” -Paisley Hamilton, ower of Serendipity Hippie
Emma Moffett | The Reflector
Along with the ability to shop at vendors, Sunday Funday allows visitors to see live musical performances.
Emma Moffett | The Reflector
This Month’s Sunday Funday took place on August 27. The event will return to the Cotton District on September 17.
What is coming to television this fall? SHELBY POINDEXTER STAFF WRITER
Fall is just around the corner, which means there is the hope for cooler weather, pumpkin flavored everything and of course the return of fall TV on Netflix, Hulu and cable channels. Netflix: Fans of the “Full House” spin-off series “Fuller House” will get to enjoy its third season on Netflix starting Sept. 22. Returning to Netflix on Oct. 27 is the widely popular “Stranger Things” season two. For those who somehow don’t know, this is a Netflix original series about a young boy who goes missing, and the supernatural forces his mother and friends must face to try and bring him back. One new original Netflix series being released this fall is “Mindhunter.” It is the story of FBI agents who use their skills in psychological profiling to analyze killers to prevent future homicides for occurring. The show will be released on Oct. 13. Hulu:
for its sixth and final season Sept. 12. Not only are there new shows and new seasons of returning favorites to catch up on, but Hulu is bringing back several old series to
However, fall 2017 television premieres are something to look forward to watching. Cable channels: The show “Will & Grace” ended back in 2006. Now, 11 years later, NBC is
CO M so IN oG Jennifer McFadden The Reflector
satisfy those who crave nostalgia. The full series of “Full House,” “Family Matters” and “Step by Step” will be available to watch Sept. 29, bringing viewers
n. ..
bringing the show back for a new season. For those who cannot catch the premiere of this comedy on television, it will also premiere on Hulu Sept. 29 after it premieres
beloved characters of Jamie and Claire back for a third season. Taking place in 1945, an English woman, Claire Randall and her husband travel to Scotland for a “second honeymoon,” where she finds herself traveling back to 1743 Scotland. Here she finds herself falling for the young Jamie Fraser, as she tries to find her way back to her own time. Star Trek fans can look forward to the debut of the most recent addition to the Star Trek franchise this fall, “Star Trek: Discovery.” The series will take place years before the time of Captain Kirk and Spock, and will premiere Sept. 24 on CBS All Access. One of CBS’s most popular comedies, “The Big Bang Theory,” will return for its’ 11th season on Sept. 25. Fans of the show might also want to check out “Young Sheldon,” a spin-off about a young Sheldon Cooper, which also premieres Sept. 25. These are just a few of the many television, Netflix
Entertainment this week Tuesday, August 29th 9:00pm - 11:30pm Jimmy Redd + Local Art Market Rick’s Cafe Americain
Thursday, August 31st 9:00pm - 12:00am The Mammoths
Moe’s Original BBQ
9:00pm - 11:00pm Cowbell Yell 2017 Pep Rally
Davis Wade Stadium
Friday, September 1st 7:00pm - 9:00pm
The Night Market
9:00pm - 1:00am
U.S.
9:00pm - 1:00am
Hard Luck Trio
Fire Station Park Rick’s Cafe Americain Moe’s Original BBQ
10:00pm - 1:00am Rooster Blues
Dave’s Dark Horse Tavern
Saturday, September 2nd 9:00pm - 1:00am
Too Proud to Beg
9:00pm - 1:00am
The Spunk Monkees
Moe’s Original BBQ Rick’s Cafe Americain
10:00pm - 2:00am J. R. Moore
Cowbell’s Sports Grill
10:00pm - 1:00am Fly By Radio
State Theater
Monday, September 4th
7
THE REFLECTOR TUESDAY AUGUST 29, 2017 @SPORTSREFLECTOR
SPORTS
SA, Athletics partner to host seventh annual Cowbell Yell Taylor rayburn SporTS ediTor
Mississippi State University will kick off their football season with its seventh annual Cowbell Yell on Thursday night. The annual tradition has grown into the kickoff event of the school year for MSU football. Admission to the event is free, and it is an opportunity for students, old and new, to learn about MSU’s traditions. The event starts at 9 p.m. This year’s pep rally will feature former MSU football player Anthony “Boobie” Dixon. Dixon was an integral part of the
MSU football team from 2006 to 2009 and is the MSU record holder for rushing attempts in both a career and a single season. Dixon also holds the career and single season rushing yards records as well. He holds the MSU record for rushing touchdowns in a career. Head coach Dan Mullen will also be in attendance. He talked about the importance of student support for this new tradition. “One of the things that makes Mississippi State such a special place is the environment and the energy our students bring every single game,” Mullen said.
“They really set the tempo. When you get into Cowbell Yell, the students and the band in there, they set the
2017 Cowbell Yell decals will also be given away courtesy of The Year of the Cowbell, a company based
“One of the things that makes Mississippi State such a special place is the environment and energy our students bring every single game.” -Dan Mullen, football head coach tempo for the rest of the crowd. They’re a big part of us winning games.” The first 500 people through the gates on Thursday will receive free T-shirts. 1,000 free custom
in Calhoun City, Mississippi. The event is part of a joint sponsorship between the Student Association and the Department of Athletics. The program was started by former SA vice
president and former SA president Rhett Hobart, who is now the Assistant Athletic Director and Director of Marketing and Branding. He said starting Cowbell Yell was one of the points he ran for vice president on and talked about how happy he is to see it grow into what it is now. “It has been great. It is really cool to be able to see how it started that first year and continue it each year and be able to maintain the strong partnership we have with the Student Association in putting on that event,” Hobart said. “We are starting to
see more and more fans wanting to come to the event each year. It is a really cool experience.” Gate F on the northwest corner of Davis-Wade Stadium will open at 8 p.m. The event starts at 9 p.m. The Bulldogs will open up their football season this Saturday against Charleston Southern University at 3 p.m. Dez Harris, senior linebacker, said he is excited for the event. “It’s exciting because all the freshman and all the fans get to come out and ring, and it is like a big pep rally,” Harris said. “We are looking forward to it.”
Four offensive keys for MSU to win 10 games
Taylor rayburn SporTS ediTor
Mississippi State University is set to open their football season this Saturday against Charleston Southern University. Expectations for the team differ depending on who you talk to, but I for one think this team is capable of winning 10 games. To have this kind of a successful season, there are eight things, four offensive and four non-offensive, MSU needs to do this year. I firmly believe MSU can have another nine or 10-win season this year. The schedule is manageable and the talent is present across the board. Today we look at the offensive keys this season. The four non-offensive keys will be in Friday’s paper.
Nick Fitzgerald needs to improve his passing accuracy
Everyone knows Fitzgerald can run the football. He led the SEC in total offense last season with 3,798 total yards of offense and a large part of that was because of his 1,375 rushing yards. At this time last year he was in a heated quarterback battle that he promptly ended against South Carolina last fall. This year he enters as the leader and day one starting quarterback. Fitzgerald, from Richmond Hill, Georgia, is the prototypical Dan Mullen quarterback. At 6’5 and 230 pounds he is big enough for inside runs but, as shown in the Egg Bowl last year where he had rushes of 70, 61, and 30-yards, he has the speed to hit the gap for explosive plays. Regardless of his rushing stats, Fitzgerald has to improve his efficiency as a passer for MSU to take the next step this season. While dominating on the ground as a rusher, Fitzgerald only completed 54 percent of his passes, which ranked him at 11th in a 14-team SEC. His touchdown to interception ratio struggles because he threw 21 touchdowns last season and 10 interceptions. Granted, MSU receivers dropped a number of passes last season, but MSU’s team this year cannot reach their potential if Fitzgerald continues to miss on throws. For MSU to succeed they need to be able to do more than run the football. Eventually teams will load the box against Fitzgerald and the running back Aeris Williams. When teams do that, Fitzgerald must to have the ability to punish them through the air or else the offense becomes one dimensional, stalling out. The best season MSU has had under Mullen was
the 2014 season, where MSU achieved a number one ranking and went to the Orange Bowl. In that year, MSU averaged 280 passing yards a game and 233 rushing yards a game. An extremely balanced attack that allowed MSU to keep teams on their toes and led to big first-down plays. If MSU wants to find this balance again, Fitzgerald must improve as a passer. There is a precedent for improvement under Dan Mullen as previous quarterback Dak Prescott saw his completion percentage rise from 58 percent his sophomore year to 62 percent his junior year and then 66 percent his senior year.
Aeris Williams has to get 20 carries a game
Williams did not have the highest season totals last season. On the year he only rushed for 720 yards, which was mainly because he split carries with Brandon Holloway and Ashton Shumpert for most of the season. However, in the month of November he earned the lead back spot and was given the chance to show why he was so highly rated coming out of West Point High School. Williams rushed for 434 yards in November on 73 carries which was good for an average of 5.9 yards and he was not playing against cupcakes during that month
Sarah Dutton| The Reflector
Left tackle Martinas Rankin will anchor Mississippi State University’s offensive line this season. Rankin is a senior from Mendenhall, Mississippi.
averaged 5 yards a carry. While .9 might not seem like a huge gap, it makes a difference over time. The numbers proves Williams gets better the more he touches the ball. He was the same way in high school. He is a player who gets better and better as the game goes on and the more touches he gets. MSU needs a running back to step up this season as they have gone two years without a running back rushing for a 1,000 yards. Williams can be that running back for MSU if Mullen is willing to give him the ball in a heavy dosage.
“I firmly believe MSU can have another nine or 10-win season this year. The schedule is manageable and the talent is present across the board.” either. They started the month by upsetting Texas A&M before dropping the next two games against Alabama and Arkansas and then beating Ole Miss in Oxford. There is a big difference in William’s yards per carry in games where he gets 10 carries compared to games he gets around 20 carries. Three different times last season Williams carried the ball at least 20 times. In those games he averaged 5.9 yards a carry. He had just over ten rushing attempts a game three times last season, in those games he
For someone, not named Donald Gray, to step up at the receiver position
MSU is losing one of, if not the, most productive receivers in their history in Fred Ross. Ross was the primary receiver last season and finished the year with a record breaking 72 receptions and 917 yards. The number two receiver of last year, Donald Gray will step up to take Ross’ place. Gray, a senior from Memphis, Tennessee, had a
breakout year, catching 41 passes for 709 yards. This year there is a lot of pressure on Gray to be the guy at the receiver position, but a lot of what helped both Ross and Gray succeed last year was that defenses could not key in on one of them because of the threat of the other. MSU needs another receiver to step up this season to be the guy across from Gray to take pressure off of him. Who will that be? I don’t know. Malik Dear is someone who could step up to the position. The 4-star Murrah High School product was third on the team in receiving yards with 263, but he tore his ACL in spring practice and it is unknown if he will be healthy at the season’s start. Many expect Keith Mixon to make the jump and take over the slot receiver spot. Mixon, a sophomore, is a short and speedy receiver out of Birmingham, Alabama, who has 228 yards on 19 receptions. Beyond him the rest of the roster is unproven. Jamal Couch and Reggie Todd are two more candidates who could step up. Couch is a sophomore who got some live reps last
season. Couch had 113 yards on 11 receptions last year. Todd was ranked a fourstar receiver by 247sports. com and is a good athlete, as shown by the fact he was recruited by multiple divisionone schools as a three-star shooting guard as well as a football star. He redshirted last season but looked solid in the Spring Game, notching four reception on eight targets for 51 yards. Mentioning the receivers, I should note that Gabe Myles is still on the roster. Myles looked prime for a breakout year in 2015 after having two solid back-toback performances against Northwestern State and Auburn. However, he injured his ankle the next week and has not looked the same since. Myles had eight catches for 63 yards last season. There are plenty of guys who could potentially step up, but MSU just needs someone to step up. They need a second receiver to step up and alleviate pressure off Donald Gray.
For Martinas Rankin to live up to pre-season expectations and anchor this offensive line
Many football experts will tell you that everything starts
at the line of scrimmage with the offensive and defensive lines. While that is not as true as it used to be with offenses innovating and spreading the football out, an offensive line can make or break an offense. Since 2014, many have felt the offensive line has been one of the weakest links of the offense. It is no secret MSU has struggled a little at the offensive-line position over the years. The last time MSU had an offensive lineman who could truly anchor and lead the group was in 2014 with Dillon Day at center and Ben Beckwith at guard. Since then, there has not been someone who could step up and anchor this offensive line. In comes Martinas Rankin. Rankin was the top ranked Junior College offensive tackle in 2015. He redshirted a year before making his first appearance in Maroon and White last season. Rankin played extremely well last year at the left-tackle position as he earned SEC Offensive Lineman of the Week honors after MSU upset Texas A&M, a game where he lined up against a star studded defensive line and gave up no sacks. He saw all of his action this last spring at the center position, but Head Coach Dan Mullen said at SEC Media Days that he will return to left tackle. Now he is garnering more and more hype going into the season. He has been a projected first-round pick by Foxsports.com, and Bleacher Report among others. He was also named a second team preseason All-American by College Football News earlier this month. The point is that Rankin is receiving a ton of hype. For MSU to succeed this season and compete in the SEC, they have to protect Nick Fitzgerald. An offensive line is five parts but having a strong anchor will go a long way on giving MSU the offensive line they need for Fitzgerald to have time to find receivers and for Williams to have holes to run through.
8 COLUMN: Predictions for the 2017 SEC Football season THE REFLECTOR Tuesday August 29, 2017
ForreST buck STaFF wriTer
SEC football is back this Saturday, and it looks to be another eventful and dramatic season. Here are my predictions for each division and the overall conference champion. SEC WEST The teams in the SEC West can be divided into three tiers. The lone team in the top tier is Alabama, and I expect them to easily win the West again. They should have no trouble running the table in the SEC. I predict their only loss will come on opening weekend to a very talented Florida State team. The real intrigue in the SEC West is who finishes second. Auburn, LSU and Arkansas all makeup tier two, and Auburn looks to be the team that will edge out the other two. They have the best running back
duo in the conference in Kamryn Pettway and Kerryon Johnson. They also bring a lot of talent up front on defense. LSU is a bit overrated thanks, in large part, to a 6-2 finish under Ed Orgeron last year. I do not trust their offense to keep up with the other teams in the division. I expect them to lose to Florida, Auburn and Alabama again this season—plus an extra loss to a much improved Arkansas team. I expect the Razorbacks not only to beat them head to head but also to finish ahead of them in the conference, thanks to what could end up being the SEC’s highest scoring offense led by quarterback Austin Allen. Tier three is comprised of Mississippi State University, Texas A&M and Ole Miss. These three teams are all fairly close in terms of overall ability, but the Bulldogs have the edge with quarterback Nick Fitzgerald emerging as
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one of the best dual-threat players in college football. MSU also should be improved on defense with the addition of multiple junior college players transferring in. Ole Miss has some talent on offense, but due to all the controversy surrounding the program and a poor defense, I think they are in for a .500 season. The Aggies have question marks at quarterback, two new tackles and a suspect defense, all of which will contribute to them finishing last in the division. SEC EAST In the SEC East, Georgia is the favorite, and they should be. They have some question marks on offense but the defense is loaded and might be the second best unit in the entire conference after Alabama. Florida will be in the mix thanks to a plethora of explosive weapons on offense,
but they also lost eight starters on defense. Even though they have some young talent coming up to replace them, I assume they will take a small step back after these major losses. Kentucky is the sleeper team in the SEC East this
Predictions 2017 season
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season. They have 17 starters returning, which is tied for the most in the conference with Georgia. Tennessee failed to live up to expectations last season and will come into this season having lost a lot of key players. They will also likely take a step back. South Carolina has a lot of returning starters, primarily on offense, but their offense was one of the least productive ones in the conference last year. Experience can only go so far when talent is not there. Vanderbilt is not terrible, they have a decent defense and one of the best running backs in the conference. However, they have a brutal schedule combined with mediocre quarterback play, and the Commodores will regress—they most likely not “going bowling” this season. Missouri should be intriguing on offense with 10 returning offensive starters,
featuring a potential superstar in running back Damarea Crockett. Crockett rushed for over 1,000 yards on a 6.9 yards per carry average as a true freshman. However, the defense figures look abysmal, and thus I expect them to be near the bottom of the SEC again. SEC TITLE Alabama and Georgia will meet in the SEC title game, and once again it will be a game where only Alabama will play for a chance to get into the College Football Playoff. Alabama lost key players, but Nick Saban loads his roster every year with top recruiting class after top recruiting class every year. Quarterback Jalen Hurts could be primed for a breakout sophomore season with another elite defense and running game to compliment him. Alabama will win the SEC title with ease and return to the playoffs to compete for another national title.
Soccer off to a hot 4-0 start Taylor rayburn SporTS ediTor
Mississippi State University women’s soccer continued their best start since 2012 Sunday afternoon with a 3-0 victory over the University of Central Arkansas. The Bulldogs are 4-0 this season under first-year head coach Tom Anagnost. MSU has beaten opponents by a combined score of 7-1, a stark improvement after going 6-12 last season. MaKayla Waldner, a sophomore from Dexter, Missouri, noted the team has to keep worrying about what is in front of them instead of celebrating their hot start. “We have to take every single day like we are not 4-0,” Waldner said. “We just have to keep preparing for our next competition and keep improving on the little
things. It will pay off.” The Bulldogs came out on fire in Sunday’s game, scoring two goals in the first five minutes of play. On the first goal, Gabriella Coleman lined up a corner kick and crossed the ball over the pitch, and Waldner headed the ball in for the first score. “The ball just came straight to me, and I remembered in practice Tom (Anagnost) is always like, ‘Head the ball down. Head the ball down,’” Waldner said. “That is what happened, the ball just came right to me, and I headed it down.” Senior forward Mallory Eubanks did not play in Sunday’s game, but went through warm-ups in a knee brace and tennis shoes. After the game, Anagnost said she took a ball to her knee in practice and it buckled. He is optimistic she will return for MSU’s game against the
University of Houston. Eubanks is a senior leader who many argue is the best player on the team. Waldner talked about the pressure it put on the rest of the team after they found out she was out. “With Mallory not only being a vocal leader, she is definitely one of the girls to go out there and demonstrate how we are supposed to play. With her out being out right now, it did put a damper on things,” Waldner said. “But I think it made everyone else step up and be a bigger part of the game than they usually are.” Her loss meant usual defender Courtney Robicheaux moved to forward. She shined un her new role, scoring the second goal of the game. “It was just a fantastic goal, and she is just a heck of a player and athlete,”
Anagnost said. “She is really versatile—we can put her in a lot of different spots, and we are really glad she is on our team.” In goal, Catalina Perez recorded another shutout, her third of the season. She has only given up one goal in the past four games. Perez, of Boca Raton, Florida, was the only player on MSU’s team to play the entire game. She had one of her best performances, as she had a season-high of four saves. She was quick to say defense is a team effort. “The defense and the team is playing really well. They make my job easier,” Perez said. “It is really fun to play with these girls and for these coaches.” The trust runs both ways. Throughout the start of the season her fellow players have raved about Perez’s ability to keep the ball out of the
Olivia Zeringue| The Reflector
Hayden Oswalt and a Central Arkansas player fight for the possession during MSU’s 3-0 win.
back of the net. Waldner said it keeps her calm, knowing Perez is back there. “It is a big confidence booster,” Waldner said. “Anytime anything happens and someone is going one-
on-one with our keeper, I have complete faith in (Perez), and I think the rest of our team does too.” The Bulldogs hope to be back in action this Friday against Houston.