Home of the Mudslingers
SPORTS | 8
INTRODUCING THE CLASS OF 2012
AMERICA: OPINION | 4
Reflector The
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FEBRUARY 3, 2012
REFLECTOR-ONLINE.COM 124TH YEAR | ISSUE 32
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THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIVERSITY SINCE 1884
Experiencing reparation therapy BY ZACK ORSBORN Chief Designer *Editor’s Note: The woman interviewed wanted to remain anonymous. For those purposes, she will be named Beth.
I
n mid June 2008, Beth, a student of Mississippi State University, boarded a plane with no luggage and no idea about what she was about to experience. All her father told her was she was going to camp in Utah. “I didn’t really know that it was going to be so terrible. I didn’t want to go, but I wasn’t refusing to go because I thought it was going to be kind of like summer camp. I figured there would be therapy there. I didn’t realize that it was going to be like boot camp,” she said. Raised in a conservative home, Beth’s “lifestyle choices” were deemed immoral and wrong by her parents. Beth first discovered she was a lesbian in the sixth grade. “I just kind of never liked boys. I liked girls,” she said.
JAY JOHNSON AND ZACK ORSBORN | THE REFLECTOR
The only gay person in her family, Beth had apprehensions about telling them. She wanted to be able to control her sexuality. “If I didn’t want to become gay, I should be able to make myself not gay,” she said. In high school, Beth developed self-esteem issues due to being teased. The word “DYKE” was written on her car. The only guidance Beth had was from her open-minded friends and her theatre troupe. SEE
REPARATION, 7
Aiken Village renovations delayed, bids being accepted On campus apartments now scheduled to be completed fall 2014 BY LACI KYLES Staff Writer
Plans to renovate Aiken Village have been delayed as Mississippi State University decides how to efficiently reconstruct the site in a way that best serves students. Aiken Village is now scheduled to open in fall 2014. Bill Kibler, vice president for student affairs, said MSU wants to make sure the project is done right and a quality unit is built, even if that takes more time.
“The demolition of the current set of apartments has turned out to be more complicated than we thought it was going to be,” he said. Kibler said MSU is currently accepting bids from a number of demolition contractors and the final bid will be taken on Thursday. From there, MSU will move to begin the process of tearing down the structure and transporting the material containing asbestos to a location approved by the federal government, a task that has proven to be costly, he said. This spring, proposals and plans should be fi-
nalized and rental prices and structure layout are a few of the main concerns being discussed. “We cannot afford to price Aiken Village above what an average student can pay,” he said. Although the rent price will be higher, so will the quality of the complex. “When it’s finished this will be an apartment complex that Mississippi State is proud of. There will be no comparison between the old Aiken Village and the new site.” Kibler said the new complex will be a new era for Aiken Village residents, even though some of those who grew to love it will be finished with their schooling by that time. Residents were notified via email and had a total of 16 months to make arrangements to find new housing, and forums were held with residents to discuss their concerns with the project. “Our goal was to make this inconvenience as
G Resolutions N I V passed at SA O FF US M O P senate meeting M A C BY JAY BALLARD
A three-hour Student Association Senate meeting Tuesday night resulted in the passing of some major legislation. Rhett Hobart, SA president, said this meeting stands out from any other meeting he has ever attended. “It was a great senate meeting,” Hobart said. “It was one of the best I’ve seen during my time here.” One of the first orders of business was to replace some senators due to scheduling conflicts, and four new senators were welcomed Hobart into the senate Tuesday night. Halston Hales, SA vice president, said he is happy to welcome these new senators into office. “We are excited to have them because new senators means fresh ideas,” Hales said. Among the topics discussed at the meeting was the issue of the bullring, the 2012 senior class gift. The bullring project was officially approved at the meeting as well as the budget for its construction. Hales said the budget for the bullring was set at $15,000. If the senior class is unable to raise this much money, SA will pay the remaining balance.
Staff Writer
CAMPUS CALENDAR...................2 BAD DAWGS..............................3 OPINION ...............................4 CONTACT INFO...................... 4
Keep your options open. Take your time. Visit and tour the properties, check reviews online and contact previous renters if possible.
DISTANCE Will you be driving, walking, biking? Figure out how long your commute will be, and then practice it during the times you’ll be traveling.
Do not forgot to include deposit, furniture, groceries, bills and a little money for some extras.
“Try to drive from the apartment to school at the times you will be going to class to see how long it actually takes. ”
“Consider things such as laundry, moving furniture up flights of stairs and what type of utilities are included in the rent.”
Jessica Temple
Courtney Hall
BEWARE OF CLASSIFIEDS
“I walked into a house that was for rent, and there was a four foot by three foot hole that you could see through the ground.”
Melissa Grimes
English graduate student
Sophomore biological sciences major
Recent MSU graduate
ASK OTHER STUDENTS Everyone has been there. Don’t be afraid to ask questions.This will give you a realistic idea of what to expect and may comfort you.
Everyone has heard a Craigslist horror story. Avoid this by doing your research. Check out offcampushousing.msstate.edu.
ZACK ORSBORN | THE REFLECTOR
POLICY LIFE.............................. ........6 CROSSWORD...............................5 CLASSIFIEDS.......................... 5 SPORTS...................................8
Each year, students at Mississippi State University face a decision that could make or break the following 12 months — where to live. With limited space available in the residence halls, most students must choose off-campus housing beginning their second year at MSU.
DO NOT SETTLE
SEE SENATE, 3
READERʼS GUIDE
SEE AIKEN, 2
BY LAUREN CLARK
BUDGET
Staff Writer
seamless and easy as possible,” he said. “We wanted to make sure everyone found out at the same time. It’s a permanent loss of something (the residents) liked.” Kibler said the majority of the residents were on schedule to graduate before the renovations began anyway and that a website was established for them that contained all available information on places to live in Starkville. He added that the Baptist Student Union offered free services to help any residents with the moving process. Rhett Hobart, Student Association president, said that while the delay has caused some inconvenience for residents, the end result will be worth it. “We think the new unit is a state-of-the-art facility,” he said. “The benefit of the wait is a better facility long term.”
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NEWS
FRIDAY , FEBRUARY 3, 2012
Campus
Calendar MSU G ospel AuditioEnsemble ns
Da Time: 5 te: Feb. 6 :30 Locatio to 7:30 p.m. n: Ch Memor apel of ie Contac t: msu_ s ensemb g le@yah ospel_ oo.com
Loretta Walker Date:
Feb. 3 Time: 1 :30 to 2:30 p. Locatio m n : M cCool H . Contac a t: Heat her Ska ll g gs 325-01 59
Men’s B
asketb a Auburn ll v.
Date: F Time: 3 eb. 4 Locatio to 5 p.m. n: Hum Coliseu phrey m Contac t: Chad 325-98 Thomas 47
MSU groups may send information for campus calendar to news@reflector.msstate.edu. Additional campus events can be found online at msstate.edu/ web/news.
THE REFLECTOR
African Children’s Choir to perform BY LACI KYLES Staff Writer
Mississippi State University will host the African Children’s Choir tonight at 7 p.m. in Lee Hall’s Bettersworth Auditorium in conjunction with the start of Black History Month. Bréa Roth, program coordinator for Holmes Cultural Diversity Center, said the choir is made up of children from several different countries in Africa who have lost either one or both parents. The choir, which consists of 17 children, seeks to break the cycle of poverty in these children’s lives. “We are really excited about the program,” Roth said. “It brings more awareness to what’s going on around us in the world.” The choir will also be on campus prior to its performance to play soccer with MSU’s women’s soccer and men’s club soccer teams from 12:45 to 2 p.m. Roth said the children are adopted into the choir and home-schooled while traveling and performing. Coming from countries such as Ghana and Rwanda, the choir gives each child the opportunity to get an education and see the world at the same time. “Their faces are filled with such joy. It’s a great reminder for students of how fortunate we are,” she said. Roth said the children remain in the choir and are supported until they finish high school. The experience makes a lasting impact, as two of the choir’s chauffeurs were in the choir as children and came back after college to travel with them. According to the African Children’s Choir website, the children selected for participation are usually between the ages of 7 and 11 and have attended Music for Life camp. Only 50 children are selected to audition, and, after auditions, the search is narrowed down. After the final cut, the children who were chosen spend about five months training in Uganda, learning songs, dances and attending school and church. Selection into the choir means each child has long-term support in terms of education and counseling. The event will take place at the beginning of Black History Month to raise awareness and encourage more people to honor the month-long observance. Monique McGee, office associate for Holmes Cultural Diversity Center, said students of all races should be aware of the month and what it means because it is history and so many African Americans lost their lives to get us where we are today. “The observance of Black History Month has changed because I
HOLMES CULTURAL DIVERSITY CENTER | COURTESY PHOTO
don’t think people are stressing the importance of this month like they should,” she said. “The only way children will know (how) African Americans paved a way for them is from others such as parents, other relatives and teachers educating them about it.” McGee said she enjoys spreading awareness and knowledge with others to help make sure the history and significance are always honored. “I usually give the children at my church information brochures about African Americans that made history, (such as) Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Harriet Tubman and Sojourner Truth,” she said. She added she participates in her church’s annual Black History Month play. KaDarrius Goodwin, junior psychology major, said he agreed the month should be taken seriously and observed in the proper way. “It’s very important for everybody, not just for African Americans, but Americans in general to learn where we started and to see how far we have come,” he said. “We have progressed. Black History Month is a way for us to look back on past movements that have contributed to today’s society.” Goodwin, president of the Theta Iota chapter of Phi Beta Sigma fraternity, said he will be reflecting on past historical figures throughout the month and how it was made it possible for students like him to be treated equally. “I will also look forward and see what I can do for future generations,” he said.
AIKEN Hobart said he is working to ensure the rental prices of the apartments are appropriate and something students can afford. “This facility will be one of a kind in the SEC,” he said. Nash Mahmoud, a former resident of Aiken Village, expressed disappointment in how the evacuation of the property was handled but added a renovation of the complex was needed and overdue. Mahmoud, education doctoral student in software engineering
continued from 1 and artificial intelligence, said the infrastructure of the complex was in definite need of remodeling. However, Mahmoud said the benefits of the place outweighed any negativity about it. It was safe, very quiet and conveniently close to campus. The complex was especially nice for international students who did not have vehicles. “All international students share a connection. (Aiken Village) was our community,” he said.
After receiving the email notification in August 2010, Mahmoud said he emailed the vice president of student affairs, as well as the Student Association president at the time. The meetings did not offer much help and the attitudes from officials were indifferent, he said. “It was the first time in four years I felt like MSU let me down,” Mahmoud said. “It was the first time we felt like foreigners instead of MSU students.” Mahmoud said it is painful
because now he does not get to see his friends very often who lived in the complex, adding that the move proved to be a financial burden for most of the residents who did not own a car and were forced to purchase vehicles after the move. However, Mahmoud said he is glad they are renovating the complex and future international students will be able to live there. “It’s more than housing for international students. Aiken Village is our thing,” Mahmoud said.
NEWS
REFLECTOR-ONLINE.COM
BAD
State Theater hosts Souper Bowl event BY BRITTANY MAY Contributing Writer
As the 46th annual Super Bowl arrives, Starkville plans to kick off the weekend with a Souper Bowl of its own. The 5th annual Souper Bowl, hosted by the Starkville Young Professionals, will be held at State Theater, located at 200 East Main St. on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. This charity event is an opportunity to bring family, friends and Bulldog fans together to enjoy food, drinks and unique soups created by some of Starkville’s top competing restaurants, while also helping raise funds for the United Way Chapter of North Central Mississippi. United Way is a non-profit, volunteer-based organization. All donations acquired by United
Way go to help with communitybased issues. Some participating restaurants this year include Bin 612, Central Station Grill, Harvey’s, 3 Little Pigs, Bulldog Deli and Sweet Peppers Deli. Robyn Cain, administrative assistant and program coordinator for the Greater Starkville Development Partnership, said the event is a fun and creative way to give restaurants exposure, bring together the community of Starkville and help make a difference through participation. Caitlin Harter, senior psychology major at Mississippi State University, said she has participated in the Souper Bowl event in the past. “It was a very fun event, and I enjoyed it. The soups were delicious, and I got to meet chefs and owners from the different restau-
SENATE
rants as well as some important figures in the community,” she said. The event awards first, second and third place as well as a best in show. Tickets are available in advance for $15 and are $20 at the door. Tickets for children 12 and under are $5, while children 3 and under are free. All funds are donated to United Way with an aspired fundraising goal of $3,000.
SOUPER BOWL For more information, contact the Greater Starkville Development Partnership at 323-3322 or visit visit.starkville. org.
continued from 1
Hales said he is sure the senior class will be able to raise all the funds if not more. The approval of the budget was necessary because the senior class had to have the money in its hands before moving forward. Another resolution discussed was one that, if put into effect, would designate certain places on campus as bicycle dismount zones. These zones would include every cross walk on campus as well as the drill field at certain hours during the day. He said this idea originated with the Traffic Policy Committee, which sent the idea to senate in order to acquire the opinions of students on campus. This resolution’s success would depend on what the Division of Student Affairs decides to do. If approved, the resolution would return to the Traffic Policy Committee for a final vote. The bicycle dismount zones would be implemented with safety in mind to help keep bicyclists safe from being hit by cars. Hales said the number of incidents in which a bicyclist has been struck by a car has increased. “We’ve been seeing exponential growth in the cases of these accidents,” he said. The last bit of small legislation that was discussed Tuesday night was the issue of homecoming violation sanctions. This discussion focused on how to handle people who break the rules when it comes to campaigning for
elections. Hales said the senate made necessary changes to get homecoming elections in line with all other elections held on campus. Hobart said the major issue discussed in the meeting involved redistributing the senate. A goal with this move is to make the senate smaller and more selective. Instead of having senate seats based on the different colleges on campus as well as the residence halls and off campus residencies, the senate will be made up of representatives from the colleges only. Hales said this should make the process of being elected as a senator more fair overall. The number of senators per college would be based proportionally on the size of each college. Knowing this would most likely result in predominantly upperclassmen senators, Hales said the senate also created four positions strictly for freshmen. He said this would guarantee younger representation and fresher ideas. The senate will also keep the three positions for graduate students that already existed.
SA SENATE For more information about the redistribution of senate seats, visit sa.msstate.edu or contact Halston Hales at vp@sa.msstate.edu.
for
The Reflector Editor are being accepted until
5p.m. on March 9, 2012 Applications may be picked up from The Reflector main office in the Henry F. Meyer Student Media Center. Call 325-2374 for more information. Note: Requests for waiver of requirements are due Feb. 21st by noon and are to be turned in to the Henry F. Meyer Student Media Center.
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DAWGS
Thursday, February 2
• A student was arrested for fake identification in Starkville. • A student was arrested for speeding and driving under the influence on Spring Street. • A student was arrested for possession of drug paraphernalia on Russell Street. CORRECTION: In the Jan. 20 edition of The Reflector, the article “Bin 612, Mugshots undergo renovation,” it was stated that Bin 612 was adding more seating where District Salon was previously located. District Salon is not moving and remains open. Si Belle is the salon Bin 612 replaced. The Reflector regrets this error. CORRECTION: In the Jan. 24 edition of The Reflector, the Shackouls Honors College dean’s name was misspelled. His name is Christopher Snyder. The Reflector regrets this error.
CORRECTION: In Tuesday’s edition of The Reflector in the article “The People’s Professor,” it was stated that Whit Waide drove to Charleston, S.C. when he actually drove to Charleston, Miss. The Reflector regrets this error.
Delta Chi returns to campus BY LACI KYLES Staff Writer
Delta Chi fraternity is returning to campus in the coming months and is looking to make a grand entrance with new members and large impact with leadership opportunities. Justin Sherman, director of fraternity growth and advancement with Delta Chi Fraternity, Inc., said the organization is currently in the process of recruiting new members through referrals and individual meetings for the organization’s 129th chapter. A short information session will be held Thursday at 7 p.m. in McCool 234. “This is an opportunity for students to make the most of their college experience,” he said. “It is the opportunity of opportunities.” Sherman said the organization is looking to create a group that will focus on leadership and academic excellence. “Our goal is to create an organization that will be an asset to this community, not just Mississippi State University,” he said.
Sidney Ashmore Haley Shook Allison Dean Katie Knowles Susannah Billingsley McCarley Denton Maggie Smith Torey Krause Olivia Bowlin Emily Snellgrove Meredith Dickson Laura Lee Lewis Christine Bowman Madii Sowell Caroline Driskell Anne Hollis Lipscomb Treasure Box Anna Trundle Whitney Driskell Tori Long Grace Bozeman Ashlynn Tubbs Camille Dumas Catie Marie Martin Tori Braswell Kacie Watts Taylor Ellis Sarah Douglas McCall Tessa Brennan Olivia Watts Helen Geary Katie Molpus Jolie Buchanan Sarah Caitlin Wheat Elizabeth Germany Mary Lowry Nemeth Sarah Burrow Carley Beth Williamson Stephanie Godfrey Hailey Parks Carsyn Byars Morgan Williamson Mallory Grubbs Mary Elizabeth Peacock Kelsey Carroll McKenzie Woods Haley Halford Blaire Perkins Lauren Colloredo Rachel Woods Brittany Hiatt Victoria Poole MaryBeth Cox Kathryn Wynn Sarah Horton Allison Powell Emma Crawford Leslie Howard Samantha Powell Bethany Crooks Eleanor Hughes Claire Reed Kenzie Cummins Rebecca Humphrey Caroline Riley Emily Dance Maggie Iupe Emily Robinson Kaleigh Davis Marguerite Johnson Meredith Rushing Paige Dawkins Katie Kimbrell Emily Shattuck
APPLICATIONS & LETTERS OF INTENT
FRIDAY , FEBRUARY 3, 2012
JUSTIN SHERMAN | COURTESY PHOTO
Delta Chi fraternity has a table set up in the Drill Field today for interested individuals to sign up.
The new chapter should be established during the current semester and plans are in the works to have the fraternity house ready to go by fall 2013. Sherman said they will not be participating in rush this year, but rather are recruiting new members through referrals and meetings with students who might be interested in learning about the experience. “Delta Chi is offering the opportunity to create a new fraternity
and to be a founding father, responsible for setting the standards and traditions that will last for years to come,” Sherman said in a press release. According to the press release, Delta Chi was originally founded as a law fraternity. Today, the fraternity ranks among the largest fraternities internationally with 129 chapters and colonies and over 100,000 alumni across the United States and Canada. Sherman said anyone interested in more information about the recolonization process can contact him at JustinS@Deltachi.org.
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friday , february 3, 2012
OPINION |
aN ugly fact Of lIfe | tIm mcgrath
THE REFLECTOR
NathaN backes
Contest of lesser evil in presidential election A government textbook would tell me that there is currently a race going on. It would say it’s a race between many noble politicians who love America so deeply they will selflessly take on Barack Obama for the position of President of the United States. They will cordially compete against each other with nothing but class and utmost respect. They will debate with wisdom so great that Socrates would blush. Finally, this would be because we are America, the greatest nation on earth, and our political system trumps every system those backwards countries could devise. I suppose that’s the way it should be. What actually happens is quite a different tale. Want to know what I’ve actually gathered from the primaries? Newt Gingrich cheated on his wife! What a bastard! But at least he did it for America. That Romney guy, on the other hand, is a Jesus-hating Mormon who doesn’t pay as much in taxes as he should. He might have even tried to hide that money in foreign banks and securities. What a thrifty bastard! Also, Ron Paul is so old that he’s eroding; Michelle Bachmann is the definition of “crazy;” Rick Santorum could be gay; Herman Cain harassed more women than Kobe and Rick Perry posted the leastliked video in YouTube history. I use that long paragraph to illustrate a point: these politicians practically spend more time mudslinging than they do making real points. I bet bullies are brought to court for less than what these candidates do daily. Why do they do it? It seems all this name-calling serves the politicians. If they can make voters lose faith in their opponent, perhaps they can squeeze out a victory. Right now, the race is a measure of character and campaign budget, and the “best man” is going to win. Time is also spent debating political ideas, but the candidates always seem to spin it to the chagrin of their opponent. It’s much easier to deflect a question than to answer it directly, and politicians have been infamously doing this for years. When a candidate can’t build himself up, at least he tears down his opponent, right? The better question is this: why do we let politicians do it?
Tim McGrath is a freshman majoring in aerospace engineering. He can be contacted at opinion@ reflector.msstate.edu. That question is a bit more difficult to answer. We don’t exactly give them permission to, but we don’t try to stop them, either. I think the real reason is this: we love it. We watch these debates like we watch “Jersey Shore.” It’s like watching a verbal version of the WWE. Every time, I subconsciously waited for Bachmann to break down and cry. If I’m lucky, maybe Romney and Gingrich will take the phrase “political pugilism” to the literal sense. I actually popped a bag of popcorn for the Iowa debates. These primaries have been reality TV at its finest. More importantly, is all of this good for America? I find the answer to be a resounding “no.” I’ve lost faith in every single candidate. I had a brilliant history teacher back in high school who once said something like, “the winner of a political election is the person who can piss off the least amount of people,” and I’m starting to see that now. All of this mudslinging, this deconstructive criticism, will leave a crippled republican nominee to face Obama. Obama’s major criticism in this election will surely be the horrible budget over the past few years. But, wait, Romney isn’t a Christian? Well he surely can’t win then. I hope the GOP sees how self-inflicted its wounds are. When Romney loses, you can thank the rest of the party. The longer this goes on, the more distant our leaders become. I didn’t make over $40 million in the past two years, but Romney did. I can’t relate to that. Nor have I been married three times like Gingrich. These may be pertinent character points, but they are distancing themselves from the public. Capitol Hill is getting taller. The American political machine is ugly, and we’ve all become victims. So much for the government textbook.
“I’ve lost faith in every single candidate.”
Reflector The
Chief Designer Zack Orsborn
Multimedia Editor Eric Evans
News Editor Micah Green News Editor Megan McKeown
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Letters to the editor should be sent to the Meyer Student Media Center or mailed to The Reflector, PO Box 5407, Mississippi State, MS. Letters may also be emailed to editor@reflector.msstate.edu. Letters must include name and telephone number for verification purposes. The editor reserves the right to edit or refuse to publish a letter.
Managing Editor/Julia Pendley 325-8991 managing@reflector.msstate.edu News Editor/Micah Green 325-8819 news@reflector.msstate.edu News tips/Megan McKeown 325-7906 news@reflector.msstate.edu Opinion Editor/Wendy Morell opinion@reflector.msstate.edu Sports Editor/James Carskadon 325-5118 sports@reflector.msstate.edu Life Editor/Kaitlin Mullins 325-8883 kmullins@reflector.msstate.edu Photography Editor/Jay Johnson 325-1584 photo@reflector.msstate.edu Advertising sales/Emily Moak 325-7907 advertise@reflector.msstate.edu
B
reaking up really is hard to do. It hurts. It’s a breaking apart of two things. What was once something is now nothing. Where there were two eyes looking back into yours from across creased and furrowing sheets, there’s now a bed’s empty half, a blank canvas of linen, a pillow marred by a now empty depression where the half moon of a sleeping face once was. The uninhabited parts of you hurt the most. Your head reels with the hypothetical, your heart aches to disjointed beats and your hands reach for something you can’t have, someone you don’t know anymore, a feeling you can’t write down. There are steps to this and there are rules. You will be okay. The first step is sadness. There is a grief in broken things. Once the rift occurs, let your sadness in. Embrace the feeling with your whole heart. The sadness starts as an itch you can’t reach, prickling the bottom of your feet or perched just below the small of your back. Let it itch. This is part of the process. If you ignore your pain and refuse to suffer, you won’t get through this. This is part of being a human and you will find a beauty in your heartbreak. Let the grief fill you to the brim. Watch “Titanic” and cry ugly tears into your sofa or a friend’s s h o u l d e r. Stare blankly at the blue sky and the white pages of a notebook. Sleep for 16 hours of the day and eat every fried or processed product you can get your hands on. Let this feeling run through your veins. Let the sadness in, and
then rid yourself of it. Force your sadness out. Remove it from your body piece by piece by giving yourself new purposes. Start with your feet, and move up your legs. Take to the track or treadmill and run until, little by little with each pummel into the pavement, your legs are free of sadness. Instead, they race and tingle with the sensation of purpose. You’re getting there. Then, use your hands. Your hands are at their best when they create. Take to paintbrushes, pens and pianos. Construct something. Build. Design. Where feelings of desolation once were, forge the thrill of creating something where there once was nothing. Plant a tree, take up cross stitching, write letters to strangers, take a Sharpie to bathroom stalls. With your fingers, trace
are your hands and you’re getting better. With your arms, hug yourself and strangers until you’ve remembered what connection feels like. Walk with a friend, elbows linked, shoulder to shoulder, until sadness has drained from your chest. Fill your stomach with ripe fruit and chocolate cake and sway your hips wildly to your favorite songs. Feel your body shaking the sadness away. With your fresh and sadness-free new body, step up to the mirror and realize you’re smiling. Leave your house with deliberate footsteps and widened eyes. You are not broken. You are You 2.0. The world is sweetened with potential. Think freely and openly amid the milieu of achievable bliss. It’s still going to hurt sometimes, though. You will wake from a dream to a damp, tear-stained pillow. Your head will dizzy with memories of what once glowed underneath the traffic light. Someone will ask you, “How are you doing?” and you will respond, gaping mouthed and silent, with a head tilt and a shrug, unable to form the words, “Not so good today, not so good.”
the lines of your palms and rejoice in the tickle of possibility. Lace your fingers together and whisper a prayer of gratitude toward the sky that was made for you. Those
Remember when you wake up, you’re awake and alive with the clarity of time behind you. Go back to sleep. When the light turns green again, and it will,
Rachel Perkins is a senior majoring in English. She can be contacted at opinion@reflector.msstate.edu.
keep driving. Someone will ask you, “How are you doing?” and you will be able to honestly say, “Really good today.” The sadness is important. In our grief, we learn. When we are alone, we reflect. In ignoring the sadness, you risk your humanity. Soak in your sadness like a hot bath, resting your chin against its soapy crest. But then get out of the tub. You always have to get out of the tub eventually. Something has ended, but the world continues, and it continues for you. Your friends are here and depending on you. Whether you need them or not, right now they still need you. We, your friends, are counting on you. We’re counting on you to keep waking up each morning, and smile, and hold our hands when we’re feeling the pain you were strong enough to overcome. Breakups mean the relationship is over, but the world isn’t. That world was there before the breakup, and it’s the same world through and through. Breakups hurt like hell. But they happen, and we have to face them. I can’t make your pain go away, but you can. Only you are in control of this, so take initiative. The other half of the bed might be empty, but it won’t be forever. This way you feel won’t be the way you feel forever. Don’t let it kill any part of you. Your empty parts will soon be full again. Your aches and itches will fade. There’s other faces out there, but yours is the most important. Don’t forget about it. Wake up. You’re going to be okay. You already are. You always have been.
Free swag drains decreasing budgets
Sports Editor James Carskadon
325-7905 editor@reflector.msstate.edu
Breaking up: hard to do, it’ll be OK
PlayINg IN traffIc | h.c. maNNINg
Editor in Chief Hannah Rogers Managing Editor Julia Pendley
gettINg Off the recOrd | rachel PerkINs
EDITORIAL POLICY The Reflector is the official student newspaper of Mississippi State University. Content is determined solely by the student editorial staff. The contents of The Reflector have not been approved by Mississippi State University.
N
ot terribly long ago, I attended a workshop, and near the end of the session, these awesome little goody bags were distributed. At least, my peers and I thought they were awesome until we actually opened them — that’s when faces dropped. The pen and pad are standard, but at least semi-useful. But what the fish are we supposed to do with a plastic football and frisbee? Sure, they provide sufficient entertainment for all of five minutes, but the question is: how is this efficient? For an organization with a limited budget, aren’t there better ways to put the money to use? Even with an unlimited budget, we could surely, at the least, be a little more creative. I get that these novelties are for the sake of promotion and I get that there are budgets created for this explicit purpose, and if the money in that budget isn’t spent, we don’t get that money next year. But the
“Failing a budget revamp, I think we could come up with something more useful and interesting than mini footballs and frisbees.”
H.C. Manning is a sophomore majoring in geoscience. She can be contacted at opinion@reflector. msstate.edu. be defunct. No one needs a degree in computer engineering to come up with better ideas for promotional toys. But look at the bigger issue. I’m not whining about not getting a cool toy, I’m trying to illustrate a point: do you see any parallels here with, say, public education or, haha, the government in general? What about in our personal lives? Are you an efficient operator? I’m sure as pie am not. I’m a Starbucks addict, and if spending nearly $5 on a soy latte tri-weekly isn’t ridiculous, I don’t know what is. I could save that money and buy new shoes or put it toward my future motorcycle. While I’m usually pretty quick to be selfdeprecating, I have a feeling I am
not the only one suffering from unthought. Be aware of the trap consumer mentality offers. Think: am I managing my time? Could I be more productive? Proper resource utilization doesn’t mean living some sort of rigid, militant lifestyle. So-called “senseless” actions like screaming on a roller coaster are not senseless because you get something out of it. You get the yay-I-get-to-act-like-a-lunaticwithout-being-carted-off feeling that’s just as much a part of being human as being productive. Emotions are not senseless, they are part of the human experience. Participating in acts that make things harder for you in the long run is senseless, not chilling or partying on Friday night. Staring at a textbook for an hour is senseless. Formulating a new study plan and only spending 30 minutes with the textbook is not senseless because you actually learned from your study session and you’ve freed up at least an extra 30 minutes for yourself. Boy, just spending an extra second thinking can sure make life easier. What would happen if government workers tried it?
Do you think we should bring back the class gift?
CORRECTIONS
The Reflector staff strives to maintain the integrity of this paper through accurate and honest reporting. If we publish an error we will correct it. To report an error, call 325-7905.
existence of inefficient budgeting is proof whoever writes the budget isn’t privy to the needs of the party, that the machine isn’t well-oiled and therefore probably is not as productive as it could be. Failing a budget revamp, I think we could come up with something more useful and interesting than mini footballs and frisbees, most of which are left in seats or tossed into the trash — either way ending up in a landfill. So not only are we wasting money but polluting. How about we skip a step and throw shredded dollar bills in a dumpster? Why not create something we actually use, so when people reach for that object, the logo embeds itself into our minds. We aren’t stupid, so there has to be a reason for the lack of efficiency. I say it’s laziness. People are smart; people are dynamic. Look at your tech — you have a cell phone, a computer and six months from now it will
24 Yes. 11 No. Total number of votes: 35
zack orsborn| the reflector
Which MSU signee are you most excited about?
-Denico Avery - Quay Evans - Richie Brown - Will Redmond - Other
Vote online at reflector-online.com. zack orsborn| the reflector
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phone number and requested run dates must be included for club info to appear in The Reflector. All submissions are subject to exemption according to space availability. BAPtISt StUDent UnIon The BSU at Mississippi State invites all students to our weekly worship service, PRIORITY, on Tuesday nights at 6:15 p.m. You are also invited to a $5 home-cooked meal, called NOONDAY, on Wednesdays at noon. The BSU Center is located directly across the street from Campus Book Mart. All students are welcome. Visit msubsu.com for more information. CAMPUS BIBLe StUDentS Intensive Bible study Mondays from 7 to 8 p.m. in room 324 of the Union. All are welcome. Email tns54@pss. msstate.edu for more information. CAtHoLIC StUDent ASSoCIAtIon The CSA invites you to join us each week at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church. Student mass is on Sundays at 5:30 p.m. Good food and fun fellowship can be had at $2 dinners on Tuesday at 6 p.m., followed by weekly /Bible study at 7 p.m. Come to one of these events and learn more ways to get involved! For more information, simply “like� our Facebook page: “Mississippi State Catholic Student Association.� fAAMSU Come join us for lively discussions. Believers welcome! Every Thursday, starting Sept. 8, in the Union room 226 from 6 to 9 p.m. Twitter: @ SAUCEFORALL. We are the Freethinkers, Agnostics and Atheists of MSU. feMALe GrADUAte StUDentS New group for female graduate students in science, engineering and mathematics: Please email msu.gwise@gmail.com HoLMeS CULtUrAL DIverSIty Center Come join the internationally
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LIFE
FRIDAY , FEBRUARY 3, 2012
REPARATION
THE REFLECTOR
continued from 1
When her family found out about her sexual preference, they were shocked. They believed it was just a way for her to act out and get attention. To them, being gay was just a phase. To get rid of the phase, Beth’s father sent her to boot camp, thinking time in nature would be therapeutic for her. Beth traveled to a secluded area in Utah. In the airport, a man dressed in hiking attire held a sign bearing the camp’s name. Driving out into the wilderness, Beth was supplied with clothes and boots to wear. Trekking into the woods, she wondered when she would be able to leave. Eventually, she met a group of six girls and another counselor. The other girls were at the camp for different reasons: car-jacking, running away from home, drugs and promiscuity. Beth was to be handled on the same level as a criminal. Beth’s father believed her sexuality was a behavioral problem. “I felt like I was in jail. Worse than jail,” Beth said. Living arrangements were appalling. The campers slept on the ground. “They gave us a tarp and a sleeping bag and a bag of food, and the tarp was our tent. If we couldn’t find trees, we had to tie the tarps to bushes. It was very uncomfortable. They suggested for us to dig a hole in the ground to put
your hip in while you were sleeping,” said Beth. After waking up 30 minutes after sunrise, the group members hiked all day in 100-degree weather. The campers also had to worry about scorpions in their sleeping bags. The group members were only given a bag of rice, a bag of granola, an apple, an orange and a jar of peanut butter for the whole week. In order to cook her food, each camper had to make her own fire using rocks and sticks. If she failed to do so, she had to eat her rice dry. The campers could contact their family; however, the therapists gave them assignments to write. “I had to write about whatever they told me. Like what I appreciated about my family and what they meant to me, and how I was going to change my behavior when I got home,” she said. Every week, Beth met with therapists who tried to figure out the “roots of her problem.” The therapist asked her why she became gay. Beth’s desperation to leave camp led her to answer the questions with what the therapist wanted to hear. “I was trying to get out of there. You just stayed until they released you. There were girls that had been there for 12 weeks. I just went along with what they said. He asked leading questions,
so I could guess what to say,” she said. porting her, but her sexual orientation However, Beth had a different phi- is not a subject they talk about. losophy on sexuality For people who than her therapist. have experienced “I don’t think reparation camp or anything led to my therapy, there is a safe homosexuality. I think place to get support that it is just a natuon campus. Harry ral thing that you are Hawkins, a graduborn with. At first, I ate student studying didn’t feel natural. But mental health counselI do now,” she said. ing, is the president of The day after Beth’s Spectrum. Spectrum 18th birthday, her is a student organizafather came to pick her tion on the Mississippi up. After 42 days, Beth State University camwas physically and pus dedicated to promentally exhausted. moting awareness of The happiest moment lesbian, gay, bisexual, of her camping expetransgender and rience was her exit. queer/question issues. Camp helped her to Hawkins said he also appreciate the things believes people cannot she had in her life, like change their sexuality. shelter and food, but, “The whole idea that to this day, Beth is still *BETH, MISSISSIPPI STATE someone can change UNIVERSITY STUDENT a lesbian. their sexual orienta“I don’t think you tion by going through can stop being gay. I this non-empirical think you can stop your homosexual and unethical therapy is ridiculous. It behavior. That’s like being abstinent. is on the same lines of ignorant as sendYou’re always going to have the thoughts ing someone to therapy to change their and feelings,” she said. ethnicity,” he said. Eventually, Beth’s father began supTelling someone they are diseased
“I donʼt think anything led to my homosexuality. I think that it is just a natural thing that you are born with. At first, I didnʼt feel natural. But I do now.”
because of their homosexuality harbors bad thoughts which can lead to low selfesteem and making them feel worthless. “Homosexuality has been removed as a disease from the Diagnostic Statistical Manual many years ago,” Hawkins said. He said the role of the counselor should always be to do no harm. The accreditation organization for MSU’s counseling program has strict guidelines when it comes to being ethical. Therapists who practice reparation violate the American Counseling Association Code of Ethics., he said. Hawkins also said he believes homosexuality is not a choice. “I do not understand how one can choose to live a life where you know that you will have less rights than an illegal immigrant. Or how one can choose to live a life where they know that they will be ridiculed by some and misunderstood by others. To imply that it is a choice is just insulting,’’ Hawkins said. ‘‘I can understand how it is hard for those who do not understand; however, it is the same as me saying you choose to be straight. I know those who are heterosexual will say that it is just a natural feeling. Well it feels the same way on the other side of the street.” Spectrum meets at 6 p.m. every other Tuesday in the IMC Presentation Room located in Mitchell Memorial Library.
Corey Smith returns to Rick's Cafe BY EMMA HOLMES Staff Writer
Much like many Southern, small-town natives, Corey Smith grew up dying to scratch the itch of escape from his personal prison of Jefferson, Ga. Jefferson is a suburb about an hour away from Atlanta and, in Smith’s eyes, exactly where he did not want to be. Going to a small Georgia high school proved to be a challenge for Smith. He was not the star quarterback of the football team, the redneck with the loudest pipes on his mud-caked truck, the mathlete champion, or gangster with sagging pants and tricked-out rims.
His lack of one of those stereotypical pegs made it hard for Smith to find his identity until close to the end of his high school career. “It wasn’t until my senior year that I began to find one (identity). Equipped with my acoustic guitar and a genetic predisposition for boozing it up, I became the human jukebox, singing and partying with almost everyone in town,” Smith said. After the personal epiphany in high school and thanks to student loans, scholarship money and a college summer break, he broke free of Mayberry and fled an ocean away to study abroad in the “city of lights,” hoping to
immerse himself in a new culture fueled by the Parisian atmosphere. To his dismay, a short few weeks later, homesickness overcame the young Corey Smith leaving him with only the music of his CD collection compiled of the Allman Brothers and Lynyrd Skynyrd to subside his loneliness for the remainder of the summer. “The sounds of the Allman Brothers and Lynyrd Skynyrd made my lonely dorm room in the 15th Arrondissement feel like my bedroom at Grandma’s house,” Smith said. Graduation from the University of Georgia came and went, and the former desire to escape from
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This February The Department of Relationship Violence and Outreach promotes Healthy Relationships and a Healthy You Our relationships can affect our happiness, emotional, and physical health. Learn how to nurture your relationships. For more information about outreach and other programs contact us The Department of Relationship Violence and Outreach Henry Meyer Media Center Mississippi State, MS 39762 www.health.msstate.edu/sas/ “This project was supported by Grant No. 2010-WA-AX-0002 awarded by the Office on Violence Against Women, U.S. Department of Justice. The opinions, findings, conclusion, and recommendations expressed in this publication are those of The Department of Relationship Violence and Outreach and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Department of Justice, Office of Violence Against Women.”
Jefferson, Ga., evolved into a more nostalgic desire to move back to that little town he had once so deeply loathed. Life seems to have moved in true Hollywood “chickflick” fashion for Smith as he married his long-time college girlfriend, moved back to his hometown of Jefferson, Ga., and began his teaching career at the local high school. Oddly enough, Smith says the same hometown he tried to escape and had detested for so long has become the most influential part of his songwriting and performing career. The strings of his past and the connections to the memories made are clearly woven together by his music. When looking back on his career, from quitting his day
job as a high school teacher to performing in local bars, from recording records, to having sold hundreds of thousands of tickets to hundreds of shows, he has bypassed most people’s expectations of him, even his own. “To say my music career has exceeded my expectations is an understatement. In the past five years I've played 650 shows from Georgia to Texas to Colorado to Vermont, sold over 600,000 tickets, and grossed $7.5 million in revenue,” Smith said. Smith’s music has always been known for the elaborate stories and stylings of his lyrical ballads expressing dismay toward a police district, acceptance toward a random girl from Tennessee on a senior beach trip or just
the yearning of a 20-year-old to finally turn 21. He recently released a new album in June 2011, “The Broken Record,” which he said was just that: a broken record. The music split his emotion toward music and the industry currently encompassing it. Half of the record is his raw music stripped of everything but the music. The second half is the more polished side of Smith’s music, in hopes of going main stream and expanding his musical career. Corey Smith will be returning to Starkville tomorrow at Rick’s Cafe starting at 8 p.m. Tickets will be sold at the door or can be ordered online at rickscafe.net.
SPORTS
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friday , february 3, 2012
Track & field balances scholarships, Title IX requirements By Kristen spinK Staff Writer
When it comes to dealing out scholarships, it is a numbers game for head track and field coach Steve Dudley. The Mississippi State men’s track and field team is given 12.6 scholarships for 42 members while the women are given 18 scholarships for 44 participants. The numbers might seem odd, but there is a reason for the limits: the passing of Title IX in 1972. Title IX is an education law which states, “No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.” In relation to sports, it requires men and women to be given an equal opportunity to participate in sports and receive athletic scholarships proportional to their participation. The NCAA allots the number of scholarships that can be given to each sport, and one of the sports most affected by Title IX is track and field. At Mississippi State, track and field includes men’s and women’s cross country, men’s and women’s outdoor track and women’s indoor track. MSU does not officially sponsor men’s indoor track because it is also an NCAA rule that there must be two more women’s sports than men’s. Although the men’s and women’s teams contain almost the same number of participants, the men are allotted about a third less scholarships. Although track and field feels a significant impact from Title IX, Scott Stricklin, MSU athletic director, said it is important to look at every sport’s position. “It is hard to take one or two sports and just look at that. You have to look at the whole department and look across the board to get a sense of how it all ties
together,” he said. “There are some attempts to provide opportunity where the numbers do not match up, but when you Dudley look at why it is different in track, there are some other sports where you would need to make similar views.” On the men’s side of the equation, the football team can give out 85 scholarships. This means most sports that are both men’s and women’s have a few more scholarships for the women to compensate for the high number football receives. Ann Carr, Mississippi State’s women’s athletic director, said she believes the allocation of track and field scholarships is fair since it is that way for every other school. Carr said sometimes the women’s coach has a say in what a women’s team does or does not get. “When I think about Title IX, I think most people just think of it as a way to make sure women have an opportunity as well as they’re treated fairly, and I think bottom line is it allows us to be able to participate in sports and be treated fairly in sports. We aren’t always treated the same, but we don’t always want to be treated the same,” Carr said. “I think when you’re looking in from the outside, there are a lot of things that aren’t necessarily explained or you are not able to see, and therefore decisions may be made that aren’t necessarily what they appear to be.” Since the track and field scholarship number is allotted by the NCAA, recruiting becomes a very significant tool to bring the best players to each school. Steve Dudley, track and field coach, said being a part of the Southeastern Conference is important because those teams have a higher budget that allows them to travel to more places and have nicer facilities.
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COMING UP:
MSU SPORTS FRIDAY: .
.
Men's tennis vs. TCU: 2 p.m. at the Pitts Tennis Centre Track & Field vs. New Balance Invitational: All day in New York, NY
SATURDAY: .
. .
Women's tennis vs. Louisiana-Lafayette: 2 p.m. at the Pitts Tennis Centre Men's basketball vs. Auburn: 3 p.m. at Humphrey Coliseum Track & Field vs. New Balance Invitational: All day in New York, NY
sunday: file photo | the reflector
Two Mississippi State track athletes run a relay during last year’s SEC/Big Ten Challenge.
“As your program improves, a lot of student athletes choose to come to your program because they feel like they are going to get better faster, and they are willing to take student loans out or do things to come to your university rather than some of the other ones,” Dudley said. “When it comes to scholarships, it’s a level playing field, but when it comes to facilities and budget, we have the advantage being in the SEC.” Concerning the different aspects of track and field, Dudley said his staff does not give a certain amount to cross country or any other specific part. They simply recruit athletes who will give them the best chance at winning a national championship and give scholarships based on that fact alone. However, Dudley’s task of re-
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cruiting takes on a very different look since he must recruit for both the men and women. Having just one head coach for all of track and field is not a new phenomenon at MSU. Carr said it has been this way for as long as she has known. This is not an effort to snub either track team because State still has the NCAA set number of coaches allowed on its coaching staff. It does place an added amount of pressure on Dudley, who cannot focus his recruiting on just a single sport, but Stricklin said he is pleased with Dudley’s involvement at MSU, including getting out into the community. “It comes down to which coaches do the best job of delegating their scholarships and recruiting the very best athletes they can get,” Stricklin said. “Steve has a tough job because
you don’t have a lot of scholarships in the sport of track, so you have to make hard choices, and I think he does a wonderful job on both the men’s and women’s side.” At this point in the season, Dudley and his teams have no time to worry about scholarships or Title IX, but instead are focused on improving each day to stay at the top of the SEC West. Dudley said excitement for the MSU track and field program will continue to increase as the teams continue to perform to their maximum ability. “People like to win, and if you win then the interest will come. That’s our job to get better and better and start winning, then people will come,” Dudley said. “That’s the way I look at it: this is on us to put a product out there that people want to come see.”
. .
Women's tennis vs. Northwestern State: 12 p.m. at the Pitts Tennis Centre Women's basketball vs. Vanderbilt: 2 p.m. at Humphrey Coliseum
zack orsborn | the reflector
SPORTS
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friday , february 3, 2012
THE REFLECTOR
stat of the day :
ON THe Tube: auburN vs.
victory in its four basketball conference wins
msu
3.5 – msu’s average margin of
D-line highlights MSU’s 2012 recruiting class by matt tyler Staff Writer
Mississippi State University head football coach Dan Mullen has always said he wants to field a physical football team capable of winning the battle at the line of scrimmage. With the 2012 signing class in the books, Mullen may have finally signed enough talent along the defensive line to do just that. The Bulldogs are bringing in eight defensive linemen this year, and it is a defensive line class which scout.com rates as the number one in the nation. Headlined by five-star junior college defensive end Denico Autry and Quay Evans, scout.com’s number three rated defensive tackle and another five-star signee, MSU coaches were able to sign the program’s first five-star prospects since Derek Pegues inked with the Bulldogs in 2005. Autry and Evans both enrolled this semester at MSU, and Mullen said he thinks this will pay dividends for them. “They get the opportunity to go through spring ball, so they have the opportunity to be a little bit ahead of the other guys when they get here within the program,� Mullen said. “So that can make a lot of differences, too, for the guys on the field.� Along with Autry and Evans,
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MSU also signed Torrey Bell, Ryan Brown, Nelson Adams, Jordan Washington, A.J. Jefferson and Nick James to play on the defensive line. Evans, James and Jefferson all made the Dandy Dozen, which is the Clarion-Ledger’s list of the top 12 prospects in the state of Missssissipi. This group is expected to make an immediate impact and provide some much needed depth this coming football season. “It’s obviously the deepest group,� Mullen said. “And that’s something that is really important to us. We have players that are leaving early to go to the NFL right now. That’s a good problem to have, it means we have some really good football players and we’re doing a great job developing them with our coaches. With Fletcher (Cox) leaving early, it’s going to open up more opportunities for guys to step in and play right away on that defensive line. I think that group as a whole is probably the strength of this class.� Autry and Evans may headline the class, but every prospect signed has a high upside. Under Mullen, MSU has sought to sign players with a high “ceiling� so to speak, and if the coaching staff is going to err, they will do it signing a player who is an above-average athlete for the position he plays. The coaching staff is extremely
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Where does MSU's
Source National Ranking SEC Ranking (out of 14) scout.com 18 8 rivals.com 30 10 26 9 247sports.com Four Stars 3 4 4
Three Stars 19 21 19
zack OrsbOrN | THe reflecTOr
excited about Nick James’ potential. James, a behometh defensive tackle from Long Beach, Miss., was repeatedly described by Mullen as a “freak� athlete. According to Mullen, James ran the 40-yard dash in less than five seconds this summer at the Big Dawg Camp, and he did so while weighing a svelte 330lbs, an astounding time for a player of his size. With a mixture of big-name prospects and under-the-radar athletes, MSU’s defensive line
Dudy Gras 6.5 set to ring in new season by r.J. morgan
2012 recruiting class rank?
Five Stars scout.com 2 rivals.com 0 1 247sports.com
3 p.m. saT. sec NeT.
haul could end up being one of the best in school history. It has often been said the talent along SEC teams’ defensive lines is what sets the conference apart from others, and State’s defensive line class this year ranks higher than that of any other SEC school. For a program competing against Alabama, LSU, Auburn and Arkansas on a yearly basis, a talented defensive line is a must, and the Bulldogs appear to be set here for the foreseeable future.
Staff Writer
Much like a groundhog’s shadow predicts the coming of spring, today’s Dudy Gras 6.5 parade is a signal to Starkvillians that baseball season is near. Today is the first day that tailgating structures (most with histories stranger than this parade’s) can be moved into the outfield at Dudy Noble for the upcoming baseball season. In 2006, a group of locals decided to organize the move-in as a Mardi Gras-style parade, and the rest is history. This year’s parade begins at 4:30 p.m. this afternoon at Rick’s Cafe and runs up Miss. Highway 182 to Mugshots, then straight down Main Street, through the Cotton District and onto campus. The parade will dead end at Dudy Noble with a group picture, then Rick’s Cafe will host an after-party where there will be T-shirts for sale and an awards ceremony. Co-founder Hobie Hobart said the 2006 parade never actually happened, thus the .5 in the parade’s name. “The first year we did it, it wasn’t but a few of us, and it was about 35 degrees and raining and sleeting,� He said. “We voted 3-1 to cancel the parade, and we just
20%
went to Mugshots to drink instead. So we give ourselves half credit for that year. I was the one vote to go ahead with it, by the way.� From those humble, intoxicated beginnings, Dudy Gras has grown into a local tradition. Hobart estimates that between eight and 12 tailgating rigs will be in the lineup this afternoon, but the rest of the lineup will be a mixture of pickups, fire trucks and other floats carrying beadthrowing supporters of MSU baseball. “It’s gotten so big now, I’ve had to do a permit with the city,� Hobart said. Dudy Gras has had as many as 30 vehicles in years past and, according to Hobart, more are welcome. “Just show up. It’s open to anybody to who loves MSU baseball,� Hobart said. This year’s parade will celebrate 45 years of baseball at Dudy Noble Field with grand marshals Beau Gregory and Frank Portera, who started at pitcher and catcher for MSU’s first game at Dudy Noble. “Whether you want to be in it or come out and watch it, I just encourage everybody to come on out with their cowbells and their maroon so we can start the season off right.�
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