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TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2014
128 th YEAR | ISSUE 9
THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIVERSITY SINCE 1884
LES MILES, MORE DAK by Blake Morgan Sports Editor
Emma Katherine Hutto| The Reflector
After a historic performance Saturday, Dak Prescott led Mississippi State University’s Bulldogs to a 34-29 victory over Louisiana State University. Dak Prescott (15) has now been named Athlon Sports national player of the week. He was also named SEC co-offensive player of the week. The Bulldogs have not defeated the LSU Tigers at Death Valley since 1991, and MSU has not defeated a top-10 opponent on the road since 1986.
Austin Grove | The Reflector
Mayor vetos, board to vote NSA to recruit by Lacretia Wimbley News Editor
On Sept. 19, Mayor Parker Wiseman vetoed the Board of Aldermen’s 4 to 2 (with one abstain) decision to amend plus-one insurance coverage. The insurance coverage, originally passed by the Board of Aldermen on Sept. 2, extended insurance coverage to not only domestic partners, but to those of the LGBT community. During a public Tuesday
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Aldermen meeting held last week on Tuesday, the board voted to amend this original coverage, leaving a new coverage only extended to legally married individuals. The Aldermen vote went as follows: Ben Carver voted yea, Lisa Wynn abstained, David Little voted yea, Jason Walker voted nay, Scott Maynard voted nay, Roy Perkins voted yea and Henry Vaughn voted yea. Wiseman vetoed this amendment, in full support of the original coverage passed two weeks ago. In light of the board’s
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meeting tonight, Wiseman said the board will vote to override his current veto. “Abstentions count with the majority, so if there are five votes, my veto will be over written,” Wiseman said. “Tonight is truly one of those wait and see moments.” Wiseman said he refuses to partake in denying employees the opportunity to receive medical care. “It is an opportunity that the city is fully capable of providing and it costs the city nothing,” Wiseman said. Friday
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employees at fair by Michael Lamb Staff Writer
The National Security Agency (NSA) will send recruiters to the Career Fair being held on campus Sept. 24-25. NSA is an intelligence agency, which employs clandestine tactics to collect, analyze and
interpret data around the world. Unlike many portrayals seen on television, NSA agents rarely conduct their espionage using human sources. Instead, NSA focuses almost exclusively on signals in foreign countries. The official mission statement for NSA located on its website identifies the two major aspects of its work.
The hype started late last season. Dak Prescott came into a frigid Egg Bowl with a hurt shoulder in the fourth quarter. Prescott would lead the Bulldogs to an overtime comeback victory that will be fondly remembered by Bulldog fans for decades to come. The national media took notice; Prescott turned in a record-breaking performance in the Liberty Bowl that put him on the map. During the entire off-season, the hype around Prescott began to rise. Almost every college football writer or analyst had Prescott as a dark horse candidate to win the Heisman. Through the first three games Prescott, who was named this week’s Athlon Sports National Player of the Week, led the Bulldogs to three blowouts, but against lesser competition was expected. The question began to be begged; what about against top-tier SEC talent? Can he continue his strong play? “Heisman Trophy winners don’t lose five or six games,” Prescott said to sportingnews.com before the season began. Prescott knew Saturday, in his home state, against an Louisiana State University that didn’t recruit him until late in his senior season, was the perfect stage to show the nation the hype was warranted. The second half of Saturday’s game opened up with a Prescott run up the middle, a typical play considering Mississippi State University was up 17-3 at the time in one of the hardest places to win a football game on any given Saturday. Prescott, of course, fumbled the ball away and LSU would return it for a touchdown. Death Valley was back to its wild self, LSU was only down a touchdown and it seemed like MSU would fold, because that is just what MSU does. The only difference was a Louisiananative wearing number 15. Prescott went up to almost every offensive player to what appeared to be taking the blame, and assure his teammates that it wouldn’t happen again. It would not. On the ensuing drive Prescott had his first Heisman moment of the season. On third and short Dan Mullen dialed a classic. A Prescott run up the middle, he got past the line of scrimmage and showed an immediate burst into the secondary. He stiff-armed the safety, cut back to the right and flew through the air to complete a 56-yard touchdown run. “You are going to put the ball in his hands to make things happen at the key moments in the game,” Mullen told reporters after the game.
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THE REFLECTOR TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2014
Tiger defeat creates high expectations for Bulldogs by Blake Morgan Sports Editor
For months national expectations have risen for the Mississippi State University Bulldogs. Gregg McElroy said on the SEC Network that MSU had a real chance of winning the SEC West. Most national award lists had Dak Prescott’s name on them. Prescott’s name came up on almost every national media’s dark horse Heisman contender list. ESPN’s Trevor Matich said on College Football Live that he thought De’Runnya Wilson would win the award for Most Improved Player in the SEC. Benardrick McKinney will likely become a first-round draft pick this summer. As the expectations began to grow more and more for the Bulldogs around the country, it seemed the local fans began to become more doubtful. The atmosphere around the city of Starkville seemed to be cautious rather than optimistic. MSU fans have been conditioned to never get too excited about a Mississippi State football season. Too
many times have Bulldog fans gotten their hopes up, only to have them dashed by the season’s end. The expectations were growing in 2008, only to see a disastrous 4-8 season end with the firing of Sylvester Croom. In 2012, MSU started the season 7-0 then saw the season fall apart losing five of the next six games. Mississippi State fans knew this year could be special, but after so much disappointment over the years, no one could really get too excited. Then Saturday happened. Mississippi State traveled to Death Valley in Baton Rouge at night. No team goes into Baton Rouge and wins at night. MSU became the first team not ranked No. 1 in the country to beat LSU at Death Valley at night since Les Miles took over the team in 2005. The Bulldogs played spectacular defense for most of the game. The goal line stand late in the first quarter on fourth down may have been a defining moment in this young season. The open-field tackling that plagued the defense for a majority of last season was spectacular. LSU’s quarterback did not have the arm
that was needed to capitalize on the Bulldog’s secondary’s mistakes. Then, there was the offense. Dan Mullen promised back when he first took the job in Starkville that MSU would have a strong offense for years to come. Finally, Mullen has the quarterback and the team he needs to run the offense he wants to run. Mississippi State is one of three teams to have five straight games of 500 total yards dating back to last year. Prescott played like a real Heisman candidate. Wilson proved he is a legitimate threat in the red zone. Josh Robinson gashed LSU’s defense for 197 yards on only 16 carries. MSU came out early and strong getting an early lead and holding onto it. The first half could not have gone more perfectly for the Bulldogs. MSU fans were scared to get excited, this was almost too good to be true. Prescott opened the second half with a fumble on the first play that was returned for a touchdown. The party ended in Starkville; it was fun while it lasted, but ultimately it was Mississippi State against LSU. Something amazing
was about to happen on the sideline. Prescott walked up to his offensive teammates and motioned that it was his fault, but it wouldn’t happen again. In the past, MSU would have let that moment destroy its confidence, the game and its season. Not this MSU team, not with this quarterback. LSU almost accomplished the impossible and came roaring back, but it was too little too late. MSU would have their fourth win of the season and only the third over a ranked opponent in the Mullen era. “Our guys played with a lot of confidence. We made plays when we needed to. We have been doing that all year. When we need a big play, guys step up and make them,” Mullen told reporters after the game. Mississippi State made the important plays all game; they went into Death Valley and came out victorious. So far, MSU has lived up to the huge expectations; it’s now time to start believing this team could end up in Atlanta for the SEC crown. It is now time to #believ – well lets just enjoy where the team is and dream about where it can go.
Emma Katherine Hutto| The Reflector
Dan Mullen coaches MSU quarterback Dak Prescott during Saturday’s game against LSU. The Bulldogs defeated the Tigers in Death Valley, creating a buzz about what the MSU Bulldogs will accomplish next.
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“The National Security Agency/Central Security Service (NSA/CSS) leads the U.S. Government in cryptology that encompasses both Signals Intelligence (SIGINT) and Information Assurance (IA) products and services and enables Computer Network Operations (CNO) in order to gain a decision advantage for the Nation and our allies
under all circumstances.” NSA’s Information Assurance is the agency’s directive toward protecting information vital to U.S. national security. The Signals Intelligence mission is essentially active espionage in other countries: intercepting and interpreting foreign signals to aid in intelligence and counterintelligence. Opportunities for
undergraduate students include internships, co-operative education programs and scholarships. The co-operative education program targets Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering and Computer Science majors. Requiring a full year of work prior to graduation, the program seeks to be competitive and useful by operating on
a rotational system where students are able to alternate semesters of work and classes. NSA came under controversy in June 2013 when documents were leaked revealing the agency was recording phone calls. That same month yielded more attention for the agency as another leaked document showed that U.S. President
Obama had issued a top-secret, presidential directive to intelligence agencies regarding potential offensive cyber-attacks. The policy provided details on what was called Offensive Cyber Effects Operations (OCEO), and the document caused concern about the legality of offensive cyber-attacks. Glen Greenwald and
Ewan MacAskill, writers for The Guardian US, reported on the directive and its far-reaching implications: could a cyber-war policy change the face of the information highway? “Obama’s move to establish a potentially aggressive cyber warfare doctrine will heighten fears over the increasing militarization of the internet,” the report said.
• Blue Cross & Blue Shield • Bomgar • Brasfield & Gorrie • Dow Chemical • Enterprise • Georgia Pacific • International Paper • Milwaukee Electric Tool • Mississippi Power Foundation • Republic Finance • Southern Company • Tower Loan
REFLECTOR-ONLINE.COM TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2014
Career fair provides job opportunities for students by Nia Wilson Staff Writer
Mississippi State University will host its annual career fair Tuesday and Wednesday. The career fair, hosted for over 40 years, is open to all MSU students and alumni. Tuesday the fair is directed toward those looking to work in the business or non-technical fields. Wednesday the fair will focus on engineering and technical fields. The event, running from noon to 4 p.m., will take place in Humphrey Coliseum. Scott Maynard, MSU Career Center director, said this event is a great opportunity for students to reach out to large numbers of potential employers at one time.
“This event offers an opportunity for all students to see and talk with the people who would actually be hiring them,” Maynard said. “I want to stress that this is not just for seniors. This is for any students looking for internships or full-time or part-time employment.” Maynard said while the Career Center offers over nine different career fairs throughout the semester, these two will be the biggest. “The Career Fair is a relaxed environment for students to learn more information about various businesses. These employers understand how to interact with students and make them feel comfortable,” Maynard said. “My advice for nervous students is plan a brief introduction
of yourself. Be sure to speak clearly and look employers in the eye. Make it something short and simple to break the ice.” There are over 150 recruiters registered for the event and more than 1,200 students are expected to attend. Leslie Neal, MSU Career Center coordinator, said this event can be the beginning of a solid career path for many students, and they would be wise to dress the part. “For many students, making connections at this event will be a major stepping stone. The most important thing a student can get out of this is networking,” Neal said. “Students should come dressed professionally. It is a huge red flag to employers if
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students are not dressed for the part.” Students do not have to preregister, and it is free for the entire MSU student body. James Marshall, junior accounting major, said he is eager for the chance to network with potential employers. “I am very excited that we get to interact with employers face-to-face and make that initial connection with them. When I was getting prepared for the career fair, I knew I would have to research the companies, polish my resume and bring out my good suit,” Marshall said. “Any one of these people could be your future employer. It is not that much pressure, but just thinking about it is crazy.”
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“And we did that for the whole game, and he stepped up and made those plays.” The very next possession, Prescott surveyed the field for a pass. His pocket broke down, and Prescott tucked the ball for another run. LSU was ready for the improvisation maneuver and stopped him in his
tracks, but Prescott was not done yet. He quickly ran back to left to find a wide open Jameon Lewis streaking down the left sideline for a 74-yard touchdown pass, a 31-10 lead and the attention of every Heisman voter in America. “He ad-libbed and ran their offense extremely
well,” LSU coach Les Miles said about Prescott to reporters after the game. “Hats off to him, a very quality competitor.” Through the first four games of the season, Prescott has amassed 964 passing yards, 378 rushing yards and 15 total touchdowns including a
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touchdown catch from a trick play. Prescott already has the stats and now has the Heisman moments on a national stage. Prescott has done everything thing he can to be a part of the Heisman conversation. The only thing left will be a storybook season for the team from Starkville.
Thursday, Sept. 18, 2014 1:12 a.m. A student was arrested in Starkville for DUI and injury to property. 8:46 a.m. An employee reported missing property in Montgomery Hall. 10:58 a.m. A student reported his Bully Bike stolen on August 29, 2014 outside Rice Hall. 3:40 p.m. An employee reported missing property in McComas Hall. 5:02 p.m. A student was struck by a vehicle on Hardy Road. The subject refused transport to OCH. 8:52 p.m. A student was transported to OCH from Critz Hall for medical assistance. Friday, Sept. 19, 2014 12:08 a.m. A student was arrested in Starkville for minor in possession of alcohol. 4:41 a.m. An officer was dispatched to McKee Hall for disturbance. Student referrals were issued. 9:53 a.m. An employee reported missing property from Montgomery Hall. 11:58 a.m. A student was injured by a cow on South Farm. The subject was treated at the Student Health Center. 5:15 p.m. An employee reported receiving harassing phone calls at the M Club. 11:44 p.m. A student reported his bike stolen at North Hall. Saturday, Sept. 20, 2014 12:14 a.m. An officer reported two students attempting to climb in a window at Lee Hall. Student referrals were issued. 12:15 a.m. A student was arrested for public drunkenness in Starkville. Sunday, Sept. 21, 2014 1:30 a.m. A student reported his laptop computer stolen from McKee Hall. 6:07 p.m. A student reported someone spray painted the basketball court. 6:13 p.m. A student reported someone had broken into the Phi Gamma Delta house and written derogatory words. 8:06 p.m. A student reported finding money outside Ruby Hall. 10:09 p.m. A student reported a suspicious incident at Rice Hall.
Editor’s note: In Friday’s edition, the news section featured an articled titled, “Starkville to feature SweetGum brewery.” The article stated Ed Dechert is the Dean of the College of Engineering. Dechert is a professor in the College of Engineering. The Reflector regrets this error.
THE REFLECTOR TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2014
A Worthy Cause
U.K. stands together as Scotland votes against independence by Mamie Carlstrom Contributing Writer
I gasped in horror at the photo in front of me as I perused the Internet. The graphic represented what the famous British flag might look like if Scotland seceded from the United Kingdom. I have to admit I’ve grown rather attached to the flag. Knowing our nation’s colors spring from it is somehow comforting. Putting sentiment aside, the Union Jack would be the least of the U.K.’s worries if Scotland’s “yes” campaign had proved successful. A third of its landmass would disappear (though population would only decrease by about eight percent.) Those fears can dissipate, as the citizens of Scotland, including many 16 and 17-year-olds, rejected independence in a simple yes or no vote on Thursday. As Americans, we may feel confused as to why in the world they decided against becoming their own independent country, free from England. We did it ourselves less than 240
years ago, and every year we blow up the sky in memory. However, Scotland is not a colony, and here are some reasons why I think they opted to remain united. The military would have undergone several complicated changes. Many Scottish soldiers preferred to stay in the British Armed Forces—sorting them out and recruiting would’ve taken a while. Also, Scotland committed to becoming a nuke-free zone upon independence. This means the nukes would’ve had to move back into the remnants of the U.K. Since the U.S. loaned the nukes to the U.K. in the first place, the Brits may have needed to store them temporarily on a U.S. base. All this transportation would have cost quite a bit of money. As its own sovereign state, Scotland would’ve most likely attempted to re-enter NATO on its own, a tedious process in and of itself. Next is the question of the currency Scotland could use. The Bank of England wasn’t keen to share the Pound Sterling, and the Euro
continues to struggle. This would have left Scotland in a bit of a pickle. Possible solutions could have included the use of the pound without the backing of England, or the introduction of a new Scottish currency. The rest of the U.K. would have stared uncertainty in the face. Its economy would suffer, and to add insult to injury, Scotland
“It is true that united we (or anyone) stand, divided we fall.” would claim too much of its oil. The U.K.’s power within NATO and the European Union also would weaken. In an effort to persuade the Scots not to leave, the U.K. promised them more power concerning taxes, spending and welfare. “We will ensure that those commitments are honored in full,” Prime Minister David Cameron said Friday after the election. He and the other leaders will probably have to grant
similar powers to citizens of England, Wales and Northern Ireland. All of this means a major overhaul of the British government. Here’s how this applies to us as Americans: the U.K. has long been one of our strongest allies. Its internal divorce could have proven hazardous for America. “The U.K. is an extraordinary partner for America and a force for good in an unstable world. I hope it remains strong, robust and united,” President Obama said via Twitter a day before the vote. I’m personally very pleased the U.K. will stay together, just as I’m glad America remained unified when the South wanted to leave. It is true that united we (or anyone) stand, divided we fall. I also believe it’s a good and healthy change for the U.K. to give more power to the sections of the overall country, much like we do with state governments. I hope the people of the U.K. are able to overcome their differences and remain one of our best allies.
International Ink
Bi-partisan effort required to counter ISIS On Sept. 18 the U.S. Senate passed a bill 78 to 22 which approved President Obama to go ahead and strike against the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS). Now the bill moves to the White House for signature after approval from both houses. Apart from an alleged multi-billion dollar funding for the military operation, the bill also states a key point about helping and arming the rebel fighters in Syria. President Obama’s repeated assurance there will be no boots on the ground could only work if the above mentioned strategy is successful. Syrian rebel fighters call themselves the free Syrian army and have been fighting a civil war in Syria since 2011. A report on NBC News said, “It’s a constantly changing network of thousands of armed groups. From that network, the Americans hope to train and equip 5,000 rebel Syrian fighters within a year.” The training could take place in Turkey among other places, the report said. If you look at any of our past military combats in the Middle East, we have always managed to garner support and allies to fight the enemy, a task which looks seemingly uphill for the current Obama administration. A Washington Post report titled, “The U.S. strategy to defeat the Islamic State is underpowered” says, “In
Paris on Monday, two dozen governments pledged to help fight the extremists by any means necessary, including military assistance. But only a handful—not yet including Britain—have so far agreed to participate in air combat missions in Iraq, and none has yet signed on to support prospective U.S. air strikes in Syria. Nor has any in sending combat troops.” This is a tough period for Obama’s presidency. His administration has come
“A cancer only grows and does not recede if left untreated.” under severe scrutiny for the recent decisions; a man who ran a relentless anti-war campaign to become president has been forced to run multiple military engagements— this may have been stressful for him too. If you recall, during the presidential media address on ISIS earlier this month, Obama was forced to speak on domestic issues like energy independence, education, job creation, etc. Was this to re-affirm faith in his presidency? A Sept. 16 New York Times report said, “President Obama’s approval ratings are similar to those of President George W. Bush in 2006 when Democrats swept both
houses of Congress in the midterm elections.” Let us look at one other alternative. What if we do ignore ISIS completely and do not indulge in any kind of combat activities against them? Are we better off? The answer is no. ISIS is growing in strength every day with its territorial expansion and anti-humanitarian activities. A cancer only grows and does not recede if left untreated. What Obama is doing may be the right thing to do right now even if it is unpopular, and the Senate and the House both understand the threat, causing many Republicans to say yes to a military engagement, which with the full might of the U.S. military would surely end rapidly. I want to reiterate what I have said repeatedly in my articles earlier, that our defense budget, which is at a solid $550 billion, is more than all other countries put together. With or without allies we will always be successful in any military operation we conduct, but the international community will appreciate it if we seek their consent. Recently, a news anchor on one of the major news networks blasted Obama for being afraid and basically called him a weak leader. This is one thing none of us should accept. Sally Kohn, in an article on Obama’s foreign
Pranaav Jadhav is a senior majoring in communication. He can be contacted at opinion@ reflector.msstate.edu.
policy on CNN, wrote, “It’s ridiculous to suggest the President is a weak leader. Just ask Osama bin Laden. Or consider that Obama is bombing ISIS, pressing Iraq to fix its broken government, working with NATO to force Russian President Vladimir Putin to back down and making real progress in curbing Iran’s nuclear ambitions. And then there are the drone strikes, including one that killed the leader of the militant Islamist group Al-Shabaab in Somalia. Feckless? Hardly.” As much as we discuss and debate the current scenario, someone who is permanently close to the White House must reflect and analyze what we have been doing in the Middle East. Is this one region where America has never gotten it right? It is high time we come up with a solid bi-partisan approved foreign policy and try as much as possible to stick to it.
Red Herrings
Cellphone games drain society’s money About a week ago, I was sitting in a chair, legs propped up, waiting for the conclusion of several football games as I sat in on a fantasy football gathering of my friends. Football is great, but seeing how my knowledge of the NFL is rather limited, a huge desire was kindled to scour the iTunes App Store for some form of mindless entertainment to pass the time while people around me gesticulated and wildly flailed their arms as their players gained or lost points. Meanwhile, I chanced upon a little game called “Criminal Case” which requires you—as a detective—to find clues and analyze bodies by playing little scavenger hunt mini-games and solving murder mysteries by nabbing the right suspect. Throughout the game, you can earn stars and gain coins to pay for different outfits and hairstyles, as well as other power-ups. It’s about as stupid as it sounds, and best of all, it’s free. If, by free you mean, “Requires you to spam friends mercilessly on Facebook until they play with you and then offers ludicrously expensive virtual food items to refill one’s energy bar,” then yes, it is free. Being someone who usually avoids game crazes (I successfully eluded the clutches of both Farmville and Candy Crush, no applause necessary), I do possess some semblance of understanding of what makes these games insanely popular and lucrative. These free apps hook players with the addictive gameplay structure and then tantalize the player even more by offering in-game incentives (such as power-ups) that can only be purchased using real-world money, instead of virtual candy-land tokens. In the Kim Kardashian: Hollywood app (which, yes, at one point was downloaded onto my phone), this extends to clothing, energy and stars, so that you too can win at Hollywood. Not only that, but these games force their consumers to wait for a period of time (minutes, hours, even days sometimes) to refresh their energy or to unlock levels before they can continue playing, hoping that instead of going through the spasms and pains of this virtual withdrawal, you’ll instead cough up $4.99 in real-world money and immediately get an injection of sweet, sweet energy. And it works. The companies behind these games make millions. Kim Kardashian: Hollywood is set to make over $200 million this year.
Claire Mosley is a senior majoring in accounting. She can be contacted at opinion@reflector. msstate.edu.
Candy Crush makes upwards of $230 million annually. To reiterate: people are spending millions of dollars on fake clothing, money and accomplishments. Without doubt, these include some of the same people who refuse to spend $15 dollars on something such as an actual, real shirt. Video games have been around for a while and plenty of people have spent $50 dollars and up for a flagship game, which is certainly more expensive than a few increments of $5 or $10 for “instant analysis” or “extra energy” for one’s mindless iPhone game. However, there seems to be a difference in the way that big console games seem to offer hours of entertainment and story in
“The companies behind these games make millions.” exchange for, usually, a onetime fee, whereas app games seem to rely on getting certain consumers that fit their profile — which I imagine is something like “People with expendable income and an intense desire to NOT have to wait until tomorrow to satiate that mad desire for matching candy tiles” — and are mercilessly exploiting this. These companies know that certain people will spend hundreds of dollars to just keep their virtual wardrobe updated, and this segment is their target market. Doesn’t something about that seem a little wrong? So, is this right? Is it okay to create something formulated specifically so that certain people will be utterly unable to resist? Or, should we as a community just chalk it up to a lack of willpower and inability to make anything other than poor life choices? I would try to answer this, but unfortunately my phone has buzzed, my energy is refilled and I’ve got about 36 puzzles to solve and 17 Facebook friends to invite before I can move on to the next case.
From the Corner
Athletic mindset and real world standards collide
Managing Editor Catie Marie Martin
Editor in Chief
Emma Crawford
News Editor Lacretia Wimbley
Multimedia Editor
Opinion Editor
Kelsee McKim
Cameron Clarke
Life Editor
Photography Editor
Copy Editor
Noor Mujahid
Emma Katherine Hutto
John Galatas
Graphic Designer
Sports Editor
Austin Grove
Blake Morgan
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In light of the recent Ray Rice fiasco and the discussion involving domestic violence which has been so publicly played out over the last couple of weeks, should we as a society start to examine if there is a much larger issue at play with all of this? The issue is there may be a deeper sociological reason to why so many athletes are prone to such violent outbursts off the field. While some athletes can separate their jobs from their personal lives, it seems as if some may not be able to hit that switch from “on” to “off” in their everyday lives. Think about it. Many of the people we see on TV over the course of the year have been taught their entire lives to do whatever it takes to become victorious. The average National Football League player’s job in a nutshell is to hit people, over and over again until they either get hurt or the game ends. If they fail to do their job adequately, then they get covered with “boos” from thousands of fans and labeled as being too soft. Taking a step back for a second, it is fair to say the NFL has a problem with domestic abuse. According to fivethirtyeight.com, who work
primarily with applying statistics to sport, they found that the NFL has a 55.4 percent arrest rate for domestic violence, relative to the national average. That percentage is by far the worst for any crime being committed by NFL players when compared to the national public at large. In fact, it was a whole 10 percent higher than the next worst offense, that being nonviolent gun-related charges. While many will focus in on Rice’s situation and how the NFL seemingly botched that entire process, let’s not fail to look elsewhere. On week one of the NFL season, two players who currently find themselves in ongoing domestic abuse cases, Ray Mcdonald of the 49er’s and Greg Hardy of the Carolina Panthers, actually played the entire game for their respective teams. It was only after the huge uproar that came from the public that the Panther’s decided to place Hardy on the NFL’s exempt list. Two other cases involving violence from NFL players were also highlighted this past week. First, Arizona Cardinals running back Jonathan Dwyer was arrested for domestic violence, and
it was reported that he head butted his wife and later he threw a shoe at their oneyear-old son. Next, Adrian Peterson was arrested for charges of reckless or negligent injury to a child and has since been placed on the exempt list. Peterson stands out as one of the most recognizable players in the entire league, and this will certainly make the NFL question its own reputation (which we know they care a lot about). I highlight all of these acts, not to harp, but rather to show that the violence problem with NFL players may be getting out of control. Is it that far-fetched to question whether or not some NFL players, who are used to being in control on the field and in some cases even feared by their opponents, want to be viewed in a similar light when they are away from the game? This divide between real life and the one that takes place between the hash marks is so incomprehensible that it’s hard to find a good comparison for what the average NFL player must be feeling when he is on that field. The only thing that comes to mind would be the gladiators that fought in the Roman Coliseum. Both risk their
Zach Wagner is a senior majoring in kinesiology. He can be contacted at opinion@reflector. msstate.edu.
lives to virtually bring entertainment to large amounts of spectators. It’s probably safe to say that would phase you or me as well, right? Lastly, I think to make real progress in helping solve the off-the-field violence problem facing the NFL, we should start with a change in culture. I believe there exists a culture in the NFL (and maybe in football at all levels) currently centered around a couple of principles may be warping the way these athletes live their lives away from the game. The NFL would be wise to take a hard look at various ways it can help their players deviate away from such mindsets, at all levels of competition, before things get even worse than they currently are.
REFLECTOR-ONLINE.COM TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2014
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THE REFLECTOR TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2014
Cancer & mom: a mother’s road to recovery by Noor Mujahid Life Editor
A mother, wife, sister, mentor and friend — an incredible woman in every aspect — Melinda Mitchell received the devastating diagnosis of an aggressive form of melanoma on May 14 of this year, life-altering news, which affected not only her life but the lives of her loved ones as well. The staggering cost of treatment for Mitchell’s melanoma, which has spread to her liver and lungs, has resulted in added stress on the existing hardship the family has been faced with after the prognosis. Kaylie Mitchell, Mississippi State University junior art major and daughter of Melinda Mitchell, along with friend Hagan Walker, senior electrical engineering major, began to brainstorm ideas about what they could do to ease the situation, and eventually, they came up with cancerandmom. com, a website dedicated to benefitting Melinda Mitchell and fighting melanoma.
Kaylie Mitchell said upon hearing of her mother’s condition she felt vulnerable, but as the days passed, she knew she wanted to bring awareness to cancer. “As soon as Mom was diagnosed, I was overwhelmed with this feeling of helplessness. There was nothing I could do to change the fact that she had cancer. That was a dark place to be,” she said. “But eventually, I decided that I may not be able to change the diagnosis, but I could change people’s knowledge about cancer and get them to join this fight with us.” Initially, Melinda Mitchell underwent three cycles of Yervoy treatments which cost $30,000 each, and they proved ineffective. Subsequently, doctors advised Melinda to undergo treatments of an experimental drug in a facility seven hours away in Florida. She will receive this treatment for the next two years; however, the cost of travel alone will reach nearly $10,000 by the end of the two years. Melinda Mitchell described the effects of
cancer on everyday life and said the diagnosis removed the ability to partake in activities that most people take for granted. “It takes away a lot of my freedoms of the things I enjoy – anything outdoors: fishing, working in the yard, grilling out,” she said. “Going anywhere for long periods of time or riding in a car for more than an hour is rough because I just get so tired.” Melanoma is considered one of the most lethal forms of cancer, and according to the Skin Cancer Foundation, it is the most dangerous form of skin cancer. Mitchell described the severity of her disease and said people fail to grasp its harmful nature. “(Melanoma) is an outright killer, and I think it is one of the least recognized cancers by people, and they don’t realize the magnitude of this disease. There is no cure. There are treatments, but this never goes away. Not really,” she said. Kaylie Mitchell said her mother is immensely respected and not only has the initiative, but also the heart to go above and
beyond anything she is people realize that behind and her family, please visit asked to do. And although the scary word of cancer, cancerandmom.com. As Kaylie Mitchell put she may be battling cancer at there are actually people the moment, she is resilient struggling with the disease it, “(Melinda) is incredible. everyday. My mother is not She’s made a difference in toward the disease. “I think cancer picked a just another number,” she the lives of so many, and I hope people choose to make pretty tough opponent this said. If you would like to donate a difference in hers.” time, and while my mom has such courage and strength to help Melinda Mitchell in this trial, I don’t think she should have to fight alone,” Kaylie Mitchell said. “It is unnerving to see her hooked up to machines and monitors and to see cancer changing her appearance and forcing her to fight harder and harder for life, but she is doing it with courage and a smile on her face.” Cancerandmom.com has already raised $8,046 through its campaign, and the cause has been trying to reach the national level with exposure on “Ellen.” Kaylie Mitchell said Ellen Degeneres was tweeted and contacted via Facebook, and she shared her story in an entry for her show “If we were to get Kaylie Mitchell | Courtesy Photograph this story to the Ellen Melinda Mitchell (left) was diagnosed with an aggresive form of show, obviously I would want people to look at melanoma on May 14, 2014. Her daughter, Kaylie (right), started the the cancerand mom.com cancerandmom.com foundation to help with treatment expenses. project, but mostly I hope
‘Sweetheart in September’ brings candy apples by ShaCamree Gowdy Staff Writer
Want to put a huge smile on one of your friend’s faces? Want to get noticed by your crush? Or do you just need to show your significant other that they’re appreciated? Mississippi State University’s National Association for the Advancement of Colored People presents “Sweetheart in September,” an event which provides the perfect opportunity to show a loved one gratitude and affection. The event which began Monday runs through Wednesday. Between 11 a.m.
and 2 p.m., personalized candy or caramel apples will be available for purchase in the Colvard Student Union for $2. Purchasers of the merchandise have the option of revealing their identity to their special someone or they could choose to remain anonymous. All of the delicious treats will be available for pick up on Thursday until 2 p.m. Roderick Erby, junior business information systems major and mastermind behind this event, said he hopes for a great turn out. With the
support of students and faculty, he hopes to be the man behind a new MSU tradition. “‘Sweetheart in September’ was an idea I came up with as the fundraising chair of the NAACP. It was something different which is what I wanted to bring to fundraising in NAACP,” he said. “I wanted to break the mold as far as traditional fundraisers.” Erby said he is aware several students have significant others that they would like to illustrate their affection and thanks for, and he hopes that the event
will be a success. “I know that a lot of people have that special someone, and they are always looking to show them appreciation whenever they can–not only as boyfriend and girlfriend but just as friends in general. I anticipate it to go well, and of course, if it does, it is definitely something I will push to do again,” he said. Jhona Gipson, senior communication major and NAACP vice president, said she also hopes for good results. “Since this is a new fundraiser, it’s hard to predict how the student population will receive it, but of course,
we’re hoping for great results,” she said. “We’re hoping a lot of people love candy caramel apples and would enjoy sending them to their special someone.” Gipson said she is confident plenty of students will participate in the event because the fundraiser is unique in several aspects. “This year we’re really trying to step outside the box when it comes to fundraisers, because we’re sure that everyone is tired of selling raffle tickets, so we strive to think of new innovative ideas that student will respond well to,” she said.
Simone Jones, sophomore kinesiology major, said she supports the fundraiser and has been helping promote the event through social media. “I am supporting the fundraiser not only to help out the NAACP, but because I love my school. Even though I don’t have a significant other, I will be sending a few apples with silly messages to my friends,” she said. Students who do not want to purchase an apple can also donate to the NAACP by visiting donate.naacp. org.
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7 THE REFLECTOR TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2014
MSU stuns LSU in Death Valley by Kevin Simmons Staff Writer
A record crowd of 102,321 fans saw Louisiana natives Dak Prescott and Josh Robinson lead the Mississippi State Bulldogs Saturday night to their first victory over LSU since 1999. The Bulldogs shocked the college football world with their win by defying some incredible odds. LSU was 29-1 in their previous 30 home games and had only lost two night home games since 2005. Those losses came to No. 1 ranked Florida in 2009 and No. 1 ranked Alabama in 2012. The last time a Bulldog team defeated LSU in Tiger Stadium was in 1991. The No. 8 ranked Tigers had the third-ranked defense in college football, and that defense had not allowed a single point in nine straight quarters. The Bulldog defense forced the LSU offense to punt on its first possession of the game. Dak Prescott took over at the Bulldog 49 yard line and completed a sixplay 51-yard drive capped by a nine-yard touchdown pass to sophomore wide receiver De’Runnya Wilson. That touchdown snapped the LSU defense’s streak of 31 straight scoreless possessions. Trailing 7-0 in the first quarter, on first down the LSU offense had the ball two yards outside of the goal line. The Tigers attempted to run the ball three straight times, but failed to get in the end zone. On fourth-and-goal from the one-yard line, LSU Head Coach Les Miles elected to go for the touchdown rather than the field goal. The Bulldog defense stuffed LSU quarterback Anthony Jennings for a loss of a yard and a turnover on downs. Prescott had the unenviable task of beginning the MSU drive standing in his
own end zone. However, Prescott threw for 70 yards on the drive and led the Bulldogs to a five-play 98-yard touchdown drive. MSU senior running back Robinson capped the drive with a three-yard touchdown run. Following a 27-yard field goal from Bulldog kicker Evan Sobiesk and a 30-yard field goal from LSU kicker Colby Delahoussaye, the Bulldogs took a 17-3 lead into halftime. Disaster struck just seconds into the third quarter. LSU defensive end Danielle Hunter returned a Prescott fumble for a 25-yard Tiger touchdown. The LSU crowd was ecstatic as the crowd noise was near its loudest of the night. Prescott was unfazed by the capacity crowd in Tiger Stadium. On third-andthree of the following drive, Prescott ran for an amazing 56-yard touchdown to silence the rowdy LSU crowd. Following a Tiger punt, Prescott completed a three-play scoring drive with 74-yard touchdown pass to senior wide receiver Jameon Lewis. The Bulldogs took a 31-10 lead into the fourth quarter. The Bulldogs padded their lead just seconds into the final quarter with a 28-yard Evan Sobiesk field goal. The Tigers scored their first offensive touchdown with 12:24 remaining in the game, with a one-yard rush from Kenny Hilliard. The Tigers scored again on a 31-yard pass from back up quarterback Brandon Harris with 1:55 remaining in the football game. Following a bad snap from MSU backup center Archie Muniz, the LSU defense recovered the fumble, and the Tigers scored on the very next play with a 31-yard touchdown pass from Harris. It took LSU over three quarters to score its first offensive touchdown, but now had scored two touchdowns in
28 seconds. The Bulldog’s 24-point lead had dwindled down to just a five-point lead. LSU attempted an onside kick but failed to recover it. The Bulldogs elected to punt on the ensuing drive, and with 20 seconds remaining in the game, LSU began its final drive. After gaining 34 yards on the next two plays, the Tigers found themselves 46 yards away from a touchdown with four seconds remaining. As time expired, junior defensive back Will Redmond intercepted Brandon Harris’ touchdown pass attempt in the end zone. After near disaster, the Bulldogs held on to beat LSU for the first time in 14 years by a score of 34-29. “We said the big key coming into this game is controlling the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball,” Mullen said. “We ran for 302 yards, they ran for 89, so I think we did control the line of scrimmage.” MSU senior defensive end Preston Smith played a big role in stopping the LSU running attack. Smith said the crowd noise made it even more difficult. “We just had to block out the crowd noise,” Smith said. “It was really hard. The crowd was yelling, and you could barely hear yourself think. We knew we had to play sound football to go out and execute our assignment tonight.” Led by Prescott, the Mississippi State Bulldogs are now 4-0 and ranked No. 14 in the Associated Press Top 25 poll. Prescott said he was excited to get the SEC win. “There’s nothing like an SEC game, coming back home to the state of Louisiana,” Prescott said. “It was a great team victory and university victory. Everybody’s happy right now.”
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Soccer falls to Ole Miss by Zach Wagner Staff Writer
While many would have said the women’s soccer team did not have much of a chance going into its rivalry match up against the Ole Miss Rebels, the Bulldogs proved many doubters wrong and put on a solid display against one of the best teams in all of the SEC Friday night. The match finished with the final score 1-0, with the only goal coming off of a Bulldog miscue just 50 seconds into the game. From there on out, MSU responded to the early adversity well, as the Dogs dominated large portions of the match going forward and almost equalized the score numerous times. Head Coach Aaron Gordon said he believes that this game will prove to be a huge motivating factor going forward with the rest of their season in SEC play. “I think our team was great. We were as good as we could be tonight, and that’s good enough for me. If we’re as good as we can be every night, we’re going to make some changes,” he said. “Losing sucks, but it tastes a lot better when you know you gave a good effort.” The game started off in nightmarish fashion for MSU, as just less than a minute into the contest, Darbi Filliben was caught napping by opposing striker Addie Forbus. Forbus picked off Filliben’s pass that was intended for MSU keeper Tanya De Souza. From there, Forbus was able to slot the ball right past the Bulldog keeper to open the scoring for the Rebels. Immediately following the error, the entire Bulldog squad huddled up on its side of the field in a circle and calmed each other down.
This moment may have proven to be vastly important, as MSU spent the next 10 minutes controlling both the tempo and direction of the game. Unfortunately for the Bulldogs, senior forward Shannen Jainudeen went down injured on one of those two attempts in the 25th minute. She laid on the pitch for a while holding her knee after a collision, but was able to walk off under her own power. Gordon described Jainudeen’s injury after the game as something that will be needed to be monitored going forward in the next week. “The only disappointing thing was Shannen Jainudeen took a knock to her knee. I hope it’s not serious,” he said. “I think it was just a bad knee to knee contusion, and certainly we could have used her, just in her strength and her power in holding the ball, because we kind of got disconnected without her out there.” The second half carried on about the same pace as the first, but Ole Miss stepped up its game and started to determine the flow of the match. Forbus would have scored her second of the match if not for De Souza, who was able to take in the hard strike on the 60th minute of action. This was immediately followed by Ole Miss’s Sara Coleman getting free on the right side of the defense and having a shot that was just inches from finding the bottom left corner of the net. The Rebels continued to crank up the pressure on the Bulldogs, when their best chance of the second half presented itself in the 65th minute of play. Jessica Hiskey of the Rebels was able to find some space in the box on a corner attempt and headed
the ball directly toward the upper right-hand corner of the Mississippi State goal. However, De Souza again was able to make the acrobatic diving save to steer the ball away from her goal. De Souza, who has worked herself into the starting lineup, made Gordon’s selection of her goaltending look like the right one. She finished with four total saves, and overall she took the task of facing some of the best strikers in the entire SEC. In the 87th minute MSU had its best chance to tie the game through the play of Payton Gruenewald. She beat two defenders in the midfield, allowing her the space to have a crack at the Ole Miss goal. The shot fizzed just to the right of the post to the dismay of the Bulldog supporters in the stands, who thought it was going in. Freshman right back Kayleigh Henry said she thought the performance was their best of the season, and she in particular praised the work done of the part of the defense. “I think we were good in the air. There was a couple of times they got in behind us because we were a little out of shape, but we kept it together. We talked a lot tonight. There was a ton of communication, and we had good headers out of the back,” Henry said. While Ole Miss may have won the match, Bulldog captain Jordan echoed the sentiments of her head coach. “For starting the SEC season and for Ole Miss having a five-year start in where their program is compared to us being roughly in our second, that was a really great game.” she said. Moving forward, the Bulldogs travel to Lexington Friday to take on the Kentucky Wildcats.
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