Mississippi Modern
life | 6
SLAMMING THE ‘DORES SPORTS | 7
125th YEAR | ISSUE 42 @REFLECTORONLINE /REFLECTORONLINE
MARCH 25, 2014
TUESDAY
REFLECTOR-ONLINE.COM
Transgender actress visits campus, discusses journey to womanhood BY LACRETIA WIMBLEY Staff Writer
In light of Women’s History Month, star of the Netflix series “Orange is the New Black,” Laverne Cox, will visit Mississippi State University and present her platform “Ain’t I a Woman: My Journey to Womanhood” at 6 p.m. on
Thursday in the Foster Ballroom of the Colvard Student Union. The month of March became “Women’s History Month” in 1987 after Congress was petitioned by the National Women’s History Project, according to the Library of Congress women’s history month website. Unit-
ed States presidents such as Bill Clinton, George Bush and Barack Obama have given multiple proclamations designating the month of March as Women’s History Month. Raised in Mobile, Ala., Cox pursued her acting career in New York City and graduated from Marymount Manhat-
tan College. The transgender advocate portrays character Sophia Burset, a transgender woman who ends up in prison for credit card fraud, within the Netflix series “Orange is the New Black.” Cox is also known for speaking and writing about transgender rights and affairs for venues such as The Huffington Post.
Kimberly Kelly, director of gender studies, said faculty decided Cox was the best candidate to bring to MSU Cox due to the uniqueness of Cox’s character on the Netflix series along
with Cox’s platform “Ain’t I a Woman: My Journey to Womanhood” and the appeal to the LGBTQ community’s rights. “I’m excited for Cox’s visit. A lot of people tend to focus on what being ‘gay’ is, and many don’t even think about the transgendered community,” Kelly said. SEE COX, 3
Student’s friends recall bubbly personality after tragic death BY LACRETIA WIMBLEY Staff Writer
ERICA FRAZIER | COURTESY PHOTO
Kristian Williams, Missisippi State University freshman kinesiology major, graduated with honors from Jim Hill High School. She is remembered by friends for not only her work ethic, but also her compassionate, energetic personality.
Mississippi State University freshman kinesiology major Kristian Williams was fatally shot around 3:30 a.m. March 15 on Fredricka Avenue in Jackson, Miss. Sylvestor Taylor, Williams’s long-time neighbor in Jackson, said he watched Williams grow up and remembers her amazing smile. “That smile she had. She wasn’t a bad girl. She always respected all the older people around here,” Taylor said. “She would never pass by this house without speaking.” Critz Residence Hall on MSU’s campus, where Williams resided, hosted a candle light vigil on March 23 in Williams’s honor in which resident advisers and close friends spoke. Close friends said Williams’s personality and spirit
SEE WILLIAMS, 3
TK Martin Center sponsors raffle to aid Project Impact BY DJ WORMLEY Staff Writer
The TK Martin Center for Technology and Disability at Mississippi State University currently sells raffle tickets as part of a fundraiser for Project Impact, a pre-school program that serves children with disabilities. Traci Campbell, early childhood special education teacher at the TK Martin Center, said this fundraiser is the center’s third annual fundraiser, and the program is for kids from birth to five years of age.
University implements new parking meters
“The proceeds from this fundraiser help with funding classroom instruction, occupational therapy, physical therapy and speech therapy, and these services are all through assistive technology,” Campbell said. Campbell said the Project Impact fundraiser is important because it helps the TK Martin Center fund the services they offer students. “All of the services that we provide the students are free,” Campbell said. “We would not be able to provide the services and keep them open without the funding.”
BY NIA WILSON Staff Writer
BRADEN BENSON | THE REFLECTOR
Construction workers outside of the Colvard Student Union work on adding new parking meters on Lee Boulevard. The new meters will allow students to pay for parking with credit and debit cards.
SEE RAFFLE, 3
READER’S GUIDE BAD DAWGS OPINION CONTACT INFO BULLETIN BOARD
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CROSSWORD CLASSIFIEDS LIFE SPORTS
were nothing less than bubbly, a trait that made her easy to get along with. Having known Williams since they both attended Peeples Middle School in Jackson, Miss., Raven Grant, freshman whose major is undeclared, said Williams was the best friend she could ever ask for. “I remember we would be up late doing homework, and Kristian would just sing, like she could really sing good,” Grant said with a smile. “She was really energetic and silly, too, and she was very family-oriented. She really loved her mother, father and relatives.” According to Grant, Williams was not involved in anything particular at MSU, but she graduated with honors from Jim Hill High School in Jackson, Miss., in 2013 and was very passionate about completing her schoolwork.
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POLICY
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In an effort to keep up with changing technology and provide a more customer-friendly product, Mississippi State University has brought new meters to campus. The meters, now solar powered, accept credit and debit cards as payment. Parking Services will replace the old meters with updated units, not just add new ones. The new meters will be located at the Colvard Student Union, Garner Hall and Burger King. SEE METERS, 3
TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY
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NEWS
2 | TUESDAY, MARCH 25, 2014
THE REFLECTOR
Spring Preview Day informs prospective students about different aspects of MSU BY PRANAAV JADHAV Staff Writer
The Office of Admissions and Scholarships at Mississippi State University organized Spring Preview Day on Monday for prospective students and parents to get a taste of MSU. Various events were held at different locations on campus including housing tours, faculty interactions, a Q&A session with the representatives of the admissions office and a showcase of MSU’s prominent student organizations. The program began at 9 a.m. in the Sanderson Center and concluded at 3 p.m. Bill Broyles, assistant vice president for student affairs, said every person he spoke to has been thrilled with the reception they received at MSU. “I have also been amazed at how many out of state entrants that are coming in and have started to think about their college future and where they may want to come,” Broyles said. “And seeing how great Mississippi State is welcoming them with great facilities
and professors that we have, I think everyone is very very happy with what they have seen.” Paige Smith, Oxford resident and a mother of a high school junior, said the day was a great experience. “We walked in the organizational halls and looked at different schools, we listened to the housing and financial aid and now we are going to the residence halls and then go to my son’s interest of major,” Smith said. Kelly Kirby, assistant coordinator of orientation and events at MSU, said Spring Preview Day is geared toward high school juniors and seniors interested in coming to MSU. “We actually have about 580 registered students and 1,300 people including families that are here, so we are excited. There are a lot of things behind the scenes that go on — working with academics to get everything set up to the ice cream social, making sure that we have trash cans and electricity,” Kirby said. Daniel Wynn, MSU admissions counselor, said preview
PRANAAV JADHAV | THE REFLECTOR
High school students and families tour MSU’s campus during Spring Preview Day. Spring Preview Day is an annual event hosted by the Office of Admissions and Scholarships that aims to show prospective students the campus. day is a great way for students and parents to see the university. “It is kind of like open house,” Wynn said. “Tours, housing tours, to get to eat in the Perry Cafeteria or to get to eat in the union, information
about different academic departments and also information on housing, scholarship, financial aid. So it is really their first opportunity to get to see a lot of things about Mississippi State in their high school junior year.”
Julia Keenly, Cathedral High School junior said the day was a wonderful experience at MSU, and she had a great morning at the Sanderson Center. “I learned about the different activities and the things
I could do on campus. I love Mississippi State, and I look forward to the experience I will have in two years,” Keenly said. For more information on future spring preview days, visit admissions.msstate.edu.
PRANAAV JADHAV | THE REFLECTOR
Prospective students attended different university-sponsored events during the day. Some of these events included housing tours and a student organization showcase.
COX
continued from 1
“I’m very active on behalf of brings a different perspective and gay rights, so this is something an important perspective.” According to Ryalls, an importthat I know needs to be discussed, and I’m sure Cox will do an excel- ant sentiment to note is that the American Psychological Associalent job,” Kelly said. Emily Ryalls, professor of com- tion has now changed the mental munication and board member diagnosis of being transgender for Cox’s visit, said Cox’s actress from “gender identity disorder,” meaning an status boosts the I think that illness, to “genchance that individwhat we’re der dysphoria,” uals will come to meaning being see her, people who hoping to uncomfortable probably would not see now in one’s body. normally come to “I think see transgender ac- in terms of the transgendered that what we’re tivist. hoping to see “The issue that community is now in terms she has been runjust a lot more of the transning into, and maygendered combe she’ll talk about acceptance, that munity is just a this, is for the first this is normal and lot more acceptime the way the natural and not tance, that this news media is kind some deviant sort is normal and of interested in interviewing transgen- of behavior and not natural and not some deviant dered people, which some weird choice sort of behavior is fantastic, but inev- that people are and not some itably the questions weird choice that she keeps get- making.” that people are ting asked are about -Emily Ryalls, making,” Ryalls her genitalia,” Ryalls MSU professor said. “I hope said. “And so she’s that students really figured out who come to these beautiful ways to really side step those questions listen to Cox’s presentation will and kind of shame the journal- leave feeling differently than ist, who should know better at they did when they came in, and this point and to boil it down to hopefully, they will take away that. The other thing I think that something positive.” Christine Williams, public is fantastic about Laverne Cox is that she was born in Alabama, so administration graduate student, she has a real sort of understand- said she is particularly interested ing of what it’s like to be different in discovering how MSU receives — to be black and transgendered Cox and her platform, being that in the South, which means she past media interview interroga-
RAFFLE Campbell said the funding the center receives from Project Impact also benefits MSU in many ways. “The funding we receive allows us to allow practicum students, pay salaries to students, have a volunteer center for volunteers, as well as internships,” Campbell said. Janie Cirlot-New, director of the TK Martin Center, said the TK Martin Center also does other fundraisers. “We were one of three charities that recently participated in Restaurant Week,” Cirlot-New said. “Also, in the fall we do the TK Martin Fun Run, which is a one-mile run, and everybody from children to people in wheelchairs can do it. Then in the spring we do Project Impact.” Cirlot-New said the fundraiser helps to fund the equipment for the students.
tions Cox participated in seemed to lack true understanding and sensitivity of her life and the mental and emotional trials she has endured. “I’m hoping she will give insight on how things are on the set of ‘Orange is the New Black,’” Williams said. “I want to know if she has been well received by directors and others on set, and I want to know first-hand how she feels the media receives her. I also want to know if she feels she has a lot in common with her character on the show.” The complex character portrayed by Cox in “Orange is the New Black” embodies a uniqueness that draws a specific interest in her character, according to Williams. “I’ve enjoyed seeing how her character started as a fireman and was able to show how he could not find any happiness in that life, even though he had a great wife and child,” Williams said. “Her character being in control of a beauty salon within the prison on the show also depicts how she can take each individual’s inner beauty and can bring it out on the show.” Williams said she is anxious to see what message Cox will bring to MSU that will motivate and help students in any way. “Hopefully anyone who isn’t affiliated or involved with the LGTBQ community will still be able to take away something from what she has to say and even walk away a better person,” Williams said.
continued from 1 “The funds from Project Cirlot-New said. Impact and the other fundElizabeth Williams, teacher raisers that we do help us fund at the TK Martin Center, said the special equipment that this year the center has sponour students sors for every day may need,” of April. The funds Cirlot-Ne w is year we from Project are“Th said. being sponImpact and sored by busiC i r the other lot-New nesses, families said the TK fundraisers that we — including Martin Cenfamilies of some do help us fund the of the students ter is selling raffle tick- special equipment — and civic orets for $30 that our students ganizations,” she each through may need.” said. March. Williams said “The peo- -Janie Cirlot-New, the TK Marple who buy TK Martin Center tin Center will the raffle director be selling raffle tickets are tickets through entered in a March and April. drawing 30 Those interested times, and daily prizes are giv- in entering the raffle can go en away, including debit cards to the TK Martin Center at from Cadence Bank ranging MSU, or call 325-1028 for from $100 to $1,000 each,” details.
WILLIAMS “She was not going out this scripture,” Grant said. with us or anywhere if she “She also loved the scriphad work to finish,” Grant ture Romans 8:18 that says, said. “She did not play ‘For I consider that the sufabout her schoolferings of work.” this present Grant said time are She was Williams loved not worth a very the colors pink comparing respectful and blue and enwith the young lady glory that joyed listening to hip-hop but and had aspirations is to be reloved listening to to be the first from vealed to gospel music. us.’” “I know she her family to go to Mariah used to love ‘A a university and Kelly, seSinner’s Prayer’ ‘make it.’” nior kineby Deitrick -Mariah Kelly, siology maHaddon,” Grant jor, friend said. “She also MSU student and former loved the song RA, said ‘Blessing’ by K. Williams Kamp.” possessed According to Grant, Wil- a vivacious spirit and was liams thoroughly enjoyed hardly the type of person to reading Bible verses. get upset. “Philippians 4:13 says, ‘I “Anytime you saw her, can do all things through she had a big smile on her Christ who strengthens me,’ face,” Kelly said. “She was a and she absolutely loved very respectful young lady
continued from 1 and had aspirations to be the first from her family to go to a university and ‘make it.’” Kelly said Williams easily became a socialite on campus and made friends easily. “At the beginning of the year, I volunteered to take my residents around the campus, and she was one of the first girls to come and tour with me to find all of the resource centers and classes so that she’d be on track of where to go for the first day of class,” Kelly said. Grant said Williams was very passionate about love, something she was ready to give and always searching for. “She was always ready to help someone who needed it,” Grant said. “She made sure she had different scriptures for different situations people went through. She was a very positive person.”
TUESDAY, MARCH 25, 2014 | 3
NEWS
REFLECTOR-ONLINE.COM
METERS
Thursday, March 20 • 12:20 p.m. A student reported his backpack containing his Macbook Pro and other items were stolen from the band hall. • 9:49 p.m. A student wanted an officer to witness an exchange of items to her ex-boyfriend in Magnolia Hall. • 10:11 p.m. A student was arrested in Starkville for careless driving and driving under the influence.
Friday, March 21 • 12:14 a.m. A resident adviser reported an unknown male carrying alcohol to the second floor of North Hall. • 12:20 a.m. A student was arrested in Starkville for public drunkenness. • 2:49 p.m. Student referrals were issued to two students for fighting in the Sanderson Center. • 10:40 p.m. A resident adviser reported an intoxicated student in Evans Hall. • 11:35 p.m. A student was arrested in Evans Hall for public drunkenness. A student referral was issued.
Saturday, March 22 • 11:25 p.m. A visitor reported an alcohol violation at Dudy Noble Field. The subjects were escorted out of the game. • 11:29 p.m. A student reported his golf clubs were stolen from the bed of a truck while parked on Buckner Lane.
Sunday, March 23 • 2:16 a.m. A student was arrested in Starkville for driving under the influence and driving the wrong way down a one-way street. • 11:59 p.m. An officer responded to a disturbance near the Chapel of Memories. The subjects were told to separate for the night.
Citations:
• 24 citations were issued for speeding. • 6 citations were issued for disregard of a traffic device.
continued from 1
The prices for the updated meters have increased from .50 for 45 minutes to $1.00 for 45 minutes, but there will be no extra fee if a customer uses a credit card. The meter replacement project started March 8 and is scheduled to continue into the summer until June 15. Raleigeh Richter, senior parking services officer, said the improved meters are more user-friendly. “These meters better the campus because now customers have a different method besides digging around for coins. In addition to that, once the meters are working, if a machine error ever occurs a website will be notified, and the website will notify one of us. Problems can be fixed quicker because we will be notified immediately,” Raleigeh said. Many students may find issue with the construction occurring in front of the union. The meter replacement is not the cause for BRADEN BENSON | THE REFLECTOR the construction in that Parking meters and sidewalks are currently under construction on Lee Boulevard. area. The recent construction has limited the number of parking spots on the street. Jeremiah Dumas, director of parking, transit, and susMSU, I am all for making tainability, said the meters is used to supplement gen- students are informed. “My first concern was the campus a more beautiare just a smaller operation eral operations, and revenue gener- that there is already limited ful environment. For now, in a bigger plan parking around the union, we’ll just have to be patient ated through to improve the My first meters fund and now there will be even and deal with limited parkcampus. concern campus ame- less. Students are the people ing. I just wish things were “The sidewalk was that nities such as who visit the union most not such short notice. With is being reconthe Bully Bike frequently, and I don’t think that being said, the meters structed so that there is program, the we were notified properly,” and the new sidewalk are it can include already limited transit systems Marshall said. “I suggest we both great additions to the the same style bricks as Old parking around the and bike lanes. use Maroon Alert for things campus,” he said. Currently, the other than just emergenMain,” he said. union, and now meters make cies. The quickest way to “The Lloyd there will be less. about $800 to notify students of changes Ricks building Students are the like this is through text. $900 a week. and Old Main James Mar- Some people don’t check plaza share the people who visit shall, sopho- the website, and some peosame colored the union most more account- ple don’t check their email. bricks. Now the frequently, and I major, We deserve to know things sidewalk will don’t think we were ing said he was like this.” have the same Marshall said using the unaware that uniform pat- notified properly.” there would bricks that mirror Old tern. Once the -James Marshall, be another Main in the sidewalk is a sidewalk is re- MSU student c o n s t r u c t i o n great idea that will better placed, the new project and the campus. meters can be “As a student here at proposed a better way that added.” Dumas said all money collected from the meters
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OPINION
4 | TUESDAY, MARCH 25, 2014
OPINION EDITOR: ALIE DALEE | opinion@reflector.msstate.edu A WORTHY CAUSE
THE REFLECTOR
EXPRESS YOUR VOICE AT REFLECTOR-ONLINE.COM
THE CURIOUS TASK
Out-of-state students bring Raising wages could raze jobs diversity to MSU’s campus I
A
ccording to Google Maps, my house is 54.5 miles away from Starkville. I was born and raised in Amory, Miss., and it is what I like to call “Mississippi’s Best Kept Secret.” I live and breathe all things Mississippi, and I always will. When I arrived at Mississippi State University, I never imagined I would consider and appreciate the value that out-of-state students bring to our university. According Walton Chaney is a junior to CollegePortaits.org, 76 per- majoring in history. He can cent of all MSU students call be contacted at opinion@ reflector.msstate.edu. Mississippi home. Since MSU is mostly made up of in-state strengthened when our stories students, I feel as if the utility of warmth and success cross of out-of-state variety is often over state borders. When these successful alumni throughout forgotten. These students bring a range the country rise through the of benefits to the university. ranks in their respective fields, First, the diversified thought they do their part to expand that inherently comes with the infrastructure of power and influence of our people from university. different reFortunately, gions infuses Beginning under the leadnew ideas and this ership of former concepts to summer, Student Associwhich many longtime Misout-of-state ation President sissippians have students may apply Michael Hogan, the SA recognot been exnized an area posed to. These for a scholarship to attract and new ideas and that will go toward cater to out-ofconcepts allow relieving some state students. everyone to of the burden of Beginning this step out of his summer, outor her comfort the higher cost of of-state students zone and con- tuition of summer may apply for a sider different courses.” scholarship that opinions that will go toward will help mold relieving some his or her own convictions and beliefs about of the burden of the highthe world. We should develop er cost of tuition of summer an appreciation for ideas that courses. According to Hogan, originate beyond a 60-mile ra- “The SA is looking to help dius. This is a vital piece of the these non-resident students fipuzzle when we hammer out nancially by offering a scholarour very personal persuasions, ship to decrease the burden of not just the ideals our parents out-of-state tuition during the summer terms. Many students passed down to us. When these out-of-state stu- look forward to the opportunidents arrive on campus, not ty to stay in Starkville for the only do they introduce new summer, and the SA is proud to ways to view a situation, but it assist these students with their is also an opportunity for those educational pursuits.” I applaud Hogan and his adproud of Mississippi show it off as something we hold dear. It ministration for their efforts. If you have a prospective stuis so exciting to meet a student from Florida, Georgia or Ken- dent in your extended family tucky who had nothing more or friend network in another than a campus visit and an ac- state, give him or her a call, ceptance letter that convinced and tell him or her to conhim or her to give Mississippi sider MSU. If you’re able to a try. In my experience, I find get him or her on campus for this is rarely a decision that a visit, I feel confident in our Roadrunner student recruiting finds much regret. When out-of-state students organization and the Office of return home after their time in Admissions and Scholarships Mississippi, it is a chance for to convince him or her that we deeply personal connections to can offer a college experience the Magnolia state and MSU like none other. Not only will to go abroad. The legitimacy of he or she benefit, but MSU will our institution is undoubtedly certainly be better for it as well.
WALTON CHANEY
n President Obama’s State of the Union address, he called for an increase in the federal minimum wage from $7.25 per hour to $9.00 per hour. “It could mean the difference between groceries or the food bank, rent or eviction, scraping by or finally getting ahead. For businesses across the country, it would mean customers with more money in their pockets,” he said. He frames it as a social policy rather than an economic policy. Framing minimum wage in such a way is dangerous. What is true for one dollar is true for all dollars. If increasing wages by $1.75 is a good thing, why stop at increasing the minimum wage there? Why not increase it to $30.00 or $40.00 per hour? With any increase in the minimum wage, the economics are the same. Before explaining the economics of the issue, let us examine how one Starkville business owner said he would cope with an increase in the minimum wage. Matt Trenary, owner of CJ’s Pizza — Starkville, said he thinks
that the cost of minimum wage would be “passed directly to consumers” in the form of price increases. “Businesses operate by their margins. In order to keep our percentages, the first thing I would do is raise prices,” Trenary said. He said he would be more likely to release less-productive workers in favor of more skilled applicants. “Minimum wage is our starting point. Workers who add value to the business get paid more,” Trenary said. Trenary’s view is similar to what economics tells us. Wages are essentially the price of a good. That good is labor. When left alone, the market will determine the appropriate wage rate based on the demand of labor in concordance with supply. Unemployment essentially means that a surplus of labor exists. A surplus occurs when the supply of a good is greater than its demand. As with price increases and goods in the marketplace, artificially induced higher wages result in a decrease
in demand for labor and increase in supply, hence, unemployment ensues. At its best, an increase in the minimum wage has a zero-sum effect on the economy, and at the worst, it reduces employment opportunity for the very people for whom it is designed to help. If minimum wage increases and no one is fired, then businesses will cope by raising their prices. Thus, the very workers who receive an increase in revenue will also see an increase in expenses. The effect is zero-sum. The market returns to equilibrium with no effect either positive or negative on workers or the economy. That is the best case scenario. However, another possibility is that businesses that do not wish to raise prices will release their lowest skilled workers. Thus, the very workers the law is designed to help are hurt. Their employment opportunities are decreased, and they are left in a worse position than if no minimum wage law existed at all. It is likely that some establishments would cope with increases in the minimum wage in this manner.
BRIAN GRECO AND KIM PETTITT Brian Greco and Kim Pettit are business administration graduate students. They can be contacted at opinion@ reflector.msstate.edu.
When the president ignores the basic economics of the issue in favor of political points, he endangers the very individuals he claims to be attempting to help. By artificially increasing the price of labor beyond its market value, many of the lowest-skilled workers will have an even more difficult time trying to attain a job and support themselves. If the president wants to increase opportunities for low-income individuals, increasing the minimum wage is not the way to do it.
LIVING BY MY WITS
Does March Madness hurt overall productivity? I t’s that time of the year. Classrooms are emptier than usual. Students hide behind their laptops in the back of the room hoping the instructor doesn’t notice. Everyone reads about the Cinderella team and hopes it doesn’t mess up the bracket. Brackets have been filled out for everything from basketball to Southern towns, and most people have only one thing on their mind: March Madness. Even if you’re not a sports fan, you’ve probably at least heard of March Madness. It’s the NCAA basketball tournament that happens every year in March. Sixty-eight teams are chosen for the tournament and are eliminated by losses until one team wins the final game. March Madness is also considered a gambling event, as a great number of people fill out brackets in hopes that they’ll win money. This year, Warren Buffet offers $1 billion to anyone who fills out a perfect bracket. However, many companies and professors feel that with March Madness comes a loss of productivity. Students and workers alike stream the games from the laptops and cell phones while in class or at work. They check scores, and
they’ve downloaded the new overall productivity of workapp. In fact, with the start of ers and students. The people March Madness every year, who take time out of the day newspapers and stations run to stream a game are the same stories of decreased productivi- people who answer emails and ty in the workplace. work on projects all hours of One globthe night. al outplaceSome The lack of ment firm companies —Chalattendence and e m b r a c e M a r c h lenger, Gray attentiveness Madness. and Christdue to March Dish Netmas, Inc. work offers — estimates Madness is comparable “bracket that 50 mil- to the decrease of breaks” to lion Amer- productivity on college its employicans have ees during filled out football weekends.” the touroffice pool nament. brackets and will be watching the games. Other companies have decided College students are no differ- to be flexible and allow workent. We’ve filled out brackets ers to watch while at work or and watched the games when even offer benefits that give off we should be paying attention days to workers. These compain class, and we’ve all cringed nies realize that by embracing as Duke ruined our brackets. March Madness, they ensure But does March Madness pose that they lessen the threat of an actual threat to the produc- losing money due to lack of tivity of workers and students? productivity. Not so much. Sure, as students we should Studies show that students be in class paying attention to and workers alike find a way to the lecture — especially since get their work done, even while we’re supposed to be preparing watching the tournament. ourselves for the real world. Streaming videos and obsess- But as college students, we ing over brackets may anger can’t help our obsession over bosses and professors, but ul- college sports. The lack of attimately does not affect the tendance and attentiveness due
CLAIRE WILSON Claire Wilson is a junior majoring in communication. She can be contacted at opinion@ reflector.msstate.edu.
to March Madness is comparable to the decrease of productivity on college football weekends. Many students put off homework and studying until Sunday night on football weekends, just as they’re putting off homework and studying until a day’s games are over now. And no, students shouldn’t be as invested in their brackets as they are, but it’s human nature to want to win. Even though the annual tournament annoys employers and professors every year, it doesn’t actually affect the overall productivity of the workers or students. Sure, March Madness causes us to mix professional life with personal life, but that happens every day in many different ways. It’s not a real issue.
RED HERRINGS
Women’s magazines offer surprisingly asinine advice Managing Editor
Editor in Chief
News Editor
Kristen Spink
Kaitlyn Byrne
Anna Wolfe
Multimedia Editor
Life Editor
Opinion Editor
Zack Orsborn
Daniel Hart
Alie Dalee
Sports Editor John Galatas
Photography Editor Emma Katherine Hutto
Copy Editor Emma Crawford
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Editor in Chief/Kaitlyn Byrne
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.
325-7905 editor@reflector.msstate.edu Managing Editor/Kristen Spink 325-8991 managing@reflector.msstate.edu News Editor/Anna Wolfe 325-8819 news@reflector.msstate.edu Opinion Editor/Alie Dalee opinion@reflector.msstate.edu Sports Editor/John Galatas 325-5118 reflectorsports@gmail.com Life Editor/Daniel Hart 325-8883 life@reflector.msstate.edu Photography Editor/Emma Hutto 325-1584 photo@reflector.msstate.edu Multimedia Editor/Zack Orsborn multimedia_editor@reflector.msstate.edu Advertising Sales/Alex Anthony 325-7907 advertise@reflector.msstate.edu
CORRECTIONS
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.
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.
I
, like any other American woman, have at one point purchased a women’s magazine from the drugstore. Whether it’s to peruse at the beach, read on a plane or perhaps just bought on an impulse, I have been fortunate enough to familiarize myself with a wide variety of magazines, from classics such as “Vanity Fair” and “Vogue,” to “Glamour” and “Cosmopolitan,” supplemented with the occasional “InStyle” or “NYLON,” and every single one of these publications is incredibly stupid. Let’s take a gander at some of these headlines: “Decoding His Text: I’m Excited,” “BREAKING: Kim Kardashian’s Hair Looks Different” and my personal favorite, “I Used Pizza as a Sex Toy.” These articles are of vital importance to everyone, especially the one about Kardashian’s hair, as well as the one that will undoubtedly ruin pizza for the remainder of my days. Obviously, all of those headlines were pulled from the “Cosmopolitan” and “Glamour” websites, Cosmo being the worst offender with a glut of articles dealing with “sexy” hair, “sexy” makeup and pretty much “sexy” (insert noun). Anyone who has ever read a women’s magazine
knows that roughly 90 percent articles that contain snappy of the article is redundant tips outfit combinations, celebrity and tricks on how to dress to interviews and other interesting impress, snag, seduce, enchant, tidbits (like your horoscope — amaze or (insert verb) your man. how enlightening!). However, I’m fairly certain Cosmo has re- there is an issue with so many cycled the same headlines for the of these magazines devoting so past 10 years or so, and merely much space to relationship adreplaced the numbers and sea- vice, most of which is hidden sons, from say, under the guise “76 Sexy Sumof “self-imMany times provement” but mer Hair Tips” to “432 Sexy Fall advice that mainly serves to Hair Tips.” inform the readis given “InStyle,” “Nyer of the 5,602 in articles lon,” “Vogue” ways her hair and “Vanity seems to make caused her boyFair” aren’t even the assumption friend to cheat close in atro- that the reader has on her with his ciousness when co-worker. Add compared to the the intelligence to this that many likes of Cosmo of a twice-baked times advice — their main potato.” that is given in offense lies in articles seems being repetitive to make the asand, frankly, sumption that rather boring. Still, all of these the reader has the intelligence publications have at one point of a twice-baked potato. Here’s published articles that seem a piece of actual advice given to assume that the reader is A) by “Cosmo” from the article an idiot and B) completely ob- “18 Signs You’re With the Man sessed with showering attention You Should Marry: He makes on her man/completely obsessed sacrifices for you — and you’re with obtaining a man to shower happy to do the same for him.” attention upon. This seems to This is not groundbreaking adbe, at the least, patronizing and, vice. This is — I’m making an at the worst, insulting. assumption here — something This is not to disparage the that nearly everyone knows
CLAIRE MOSLEY Claire Mosley is a junior majoring in accounting. She can be contacted at opinion@ reflector.msstate.edu.
about any relationship, not just a romantic one. Relationships are built upon the assumption of give and take but, you know, with love and stuff. It’s not that women’s magazines are malicious. It’s more like they are just dumb. Sure, there are glossy pictures of photoshopped celebrities, as well as large printed photos of a variety of clothing that an average person couldn’t afford without taking out several more student loans, but mostly they are full of vapid articles that look like they are meant to just fill up space. Purchase for the pictures, but instead of wasting time with the “advice,” you’d be better off reading a book. Yes, even if that book is by Nicholas Sparks.
TUESDAY, MARCH 25, 2014 | 5
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Free 2006 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-636R sportbike in excellent condition with no dents or dings, 100 percent mechanically OK. If interested, please contact michaelwills731@yahoo.com. Classic rock albums for sale in Starkville. Beatles, Eagles, AC/DC, Boston and more. Over 5,000 comic books, mostly 1970s and 1980s, bagged and boarded. Over 20,000 baseball cards in 800 and 3,200 count boxes. Call 662-312-2402. HELP WANTED
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6 | TUESDAY, MARCH 25, 2014
THE REFLECTOR
LIFE EDITOR: DANIEL HART | life@reflector.msstate.edu
LIFE & ENTERTAINMENT
Cross-section Juried exhibition represents Department of Art of creativity: students’ broad spectrum of work, explorations BY JULIA V. PENDLEY Staff Writer
Any student’s goal is to find passion and direction which illuminate the path of his or her future career. Several students in the Mississippi State University Department of Art have not only found that passion, but have also taken a step along that
path. Their work has been chosen for display in the 42nd Annual Student Juried Exhibition. The Department of Art Gallery in McComas Hall features 87 pieces ranging from traditional paintings to abstract sculptures. The exhibition began March 4 and will run through March 28. The gallery is open Tuesday - Fri-
ALLISON BERLER | THE REFLECTOR
Work in the juried exhibition includes interactive sculptures like the piece Erin Morgan explores (above). Professional judges from art concentrations outside MSU evaluated the submissions and selected pieces that made the show.
day from 5-7 p.m. A reception will be held for the artists and their families and friends on March 27 from 5-7 p.m. Jake Weigel, exhibitions coordinator, said the show helps student-artists move forward with real measures in beginning their career. “Jury shows are a big part of being an artist, and so it’s a stepping stone for that,” he said. Weigel explained that in jury shows, artists submit artwork and a juror chooses which pieces will be featured as well as chooses a first, second and third place and various merit awards. The 2014 Juried Student Exhibition show has two categories, fine art and graphic design. Wesley Grissom, assistant director of J. Johnson Gallery in Jacksonville Beach, Fla., judged the fine art submissions, and Joel Anderson, owner/creative director for the Anderson Design Group, judged the graphic design submissions. Weigel said the exhibition benefits students, their families, the university and the community because the gallery gives a wide-open glimpse of the artwork the Department of Art students produce. “It’s representative of what our students are doing,” he said. “It’s great work, diverse. It’s something that people, if they saw it, would see a good representation of what’s going on in the art department.” Landon Peairs, senior fine arts major with an emphasis in painting, has helped set up the
ALLISON BERLER | THE REFLECTOR
Luke Burnham (left) and Elizabeth Lucas (right) visit the 42nd Annual Student Juried Exhibition in the Department of Art Gallery in McComas Hall. The exhibit features 87 pieces from a wide range of concentrations. The gallery, whose reception is Thursday from 5-7 p.m., includes straightforward paintings as well as more abstract sculptures and graphic design pieces. exhibition as part of a directed independent study in gallery management. Peairs said she has learned there is a lot more behind-thescenes effort put into crafting an exhibition than she originally thought. She said she has had to work carefully to make sure a number of small details are correct, like making sure all labels are accurate and also learning how to publicize the gallery well. “This is the first show I’ve helped with,” she said. “I just kept running into mistakes.” Peairs said any missteps along the way have taught her the ins and outs of gallery management.
As a student herself, Peairs said the exhibition creates a nice way for students to connect with other art students. Most of the time, she said she only gets to interact with students within her emphasis, but the exhibition gives her the opportunity to see what work graphic design or photography students create. “My favorite part: everyone is able to see what their peers are doing,” she said. “Students can get great ideas from their peers. It’s a good way to get everyone in the department involved.” Ty Barnes, a senior art major featured in the exhibit, said he thought he would get
at least one piece in, but he was pleasantly surprised when five of his pieces were chosen. Barnes said though his work hangs in the show, he still uses his time in the department to explore his own process and work and to arrive at a deeper knowledge of his own pieces. “Aside from being able to describe the aesthetics of a piece, which anybody can do, I still do not fully understand what it is I’m doing besides making things that I think are nice,” he said. “That’s why I’m here, though. I’m a student hoping that I might learn how to describe my work and understand why I do what I do.”
Magnolia state modernity: Student photography exhibition displays architecture of Jackson, Miss. BY NUR-UL-HUDA MUJAHID Staff Writer
The word “modern” brings to mind ideas of trendy, chic and hip — most likely in a metropolis such as New York City. However, until March 28, Mississippi State University hosts “Mississippi Modern,” an exhibit that showcases black and white photographs of Jackson, Miss., buildings designed in the modern architectural style. The gallery, which is on display in the top floor of Giles Hall, was curated by Tau Sigma Delta (TSD) students, an honor society within the College of Architecture, Art and Design. Landon Kennedy, senior architecture major and brainchild of the exhibition, said TSD is responsible for finding work to display in the Giles Hall gallery, and for the 20132014 season, each member was given a concept to elaborate on and with which to fill the gallery. “This year, instead of one TSD member coordinating the entire schedule for the gallery, each fourth-year student in TSD was given a topic and then encouraged to develop that theme into a complete gallery showcase,” he said. Kennedy said his given idea revolved around modern architecture, which unexpectedly turned his focus inward toward Mississippi rather than out toward more well-known modern spaces. “My topic was “modern,” so I needed to decide what would go into the gallery and how it would be displayed,” he said. “After discussing potential endeavors of showcasing modern architecture with professors in the school, a list of buildings in the Jackson-Metro area that express the ideas and themes prevalent in the modern architectural movement appeared.” Jacob Gines, TSD faculty adviser and assistant professor
EMMA KATHERINE HUTTO | THE REFLECTOR
The Mississippi Modern exhibit features photography by four architecture students: Landon Kennedy, David Lewis, Mary Sanders and Casey Walker. The students took photos of modern buildings in Jackson, Miss., a city located in a region not typically associated with modern architecture. Kennedy said the exhibit hopes to encourage a deeper understanding and exploration of places like Mississippi with hidden surprises. of architecture, said students acquire a beneficial awareness of the exhibition-creating process from curating galleries. “Coordinating these entities for the galleries is useful for students because they learn the value of the work that goes into the process and are able to see how it is perceived,” he said. “The students were invested in this particular exhibit a great deal, and they went through a lot of effort to get everything together.” Kennedy said he and three other students journeyed to Jackson to photograph the 13 buildings featured in the exhibition. Though they left with a defined list of sites to visit, Kennedy said the photography was about discovering their subjects through a camera’s lens. “Once the buildings were selected and mapped out, three other students, David Lewis (staff writer at The Reflector, Mary Sanders and Casey Walker, offered to spend a Saturday in Jackson exploring these buildings through photography,” he said. “We actu-
ally had 12 buildings on our list to take photographs of on our way down to Jackson and came back with 13 because during our exploration we happened to come across an unexpected residential house that was also modern.” The students utilized both a DSLR camera to take two large photos and a smartphone camera to take 27 small 4x6 photographs of the buildings. Kennedy said the process of capturing the buildings required both types of cameras and photography. “The method used to document the buildings required the two groups to use a DSLR camera for wide, highly articulated shots and a smartphone camera for quick, less articulated shots that focus on the qualities of space in and around the buildings,” he said. “The method of taking the smart phone shots was borrowed from the concept of shooting with a disposable camera. However, we decided to use today’s ‘modern’ disposable camera: a smart phone.”
Sanders, junior architecture student and TSD member, said the experience of curating the “Mississippi Modern” gallery introduced her to Jackson and to a new way of viewing architecture that may have been left behind. “I had personally never been to Jackson when I was asked to be a part of the exhibit. I was really excited to not only just see Jackson and these buildings for the first time, but also to spend time experiencing each work kind of in a lost state,” she said. Gines said though people rarely attribute modern architecture to Mississippi, there is a wealth of modernity in Jackson and throughout the state. “Most people think there is no modern architecture in Mississippi, but there actually is quite a bit in the Jackson-Metro area,” he said. “There was a strong desire by Landon and myself to portray the significance of local modern architecture, and the university has created a great outlet for us to do so.” Kennedy said the gallery
EMMA KATHERINE HUTTO | THE REFLECTOR
Melinda Ingram (left) and Brooke Dorman (right) visit the Mississippi Modern exhibit in the Giles Hall gallery. The exhibit features large format DSLR photos and small format photos taken with smart phones, which the students dubbed ‘modern’ disposable cameras. represents structures in Mississippi that help illustrate the history of architecture in the state from WWI to the future and encourages visitors to discover hidden gems that reside in unexpected locations, like Mississippi. “The exhibit represents a focus on buildings in the state of Mississippi that express characteristics exclusive to the modern style appearing after WWI. It also tells the story of our state from past and present to future,” he said. “I’ve had students approach me after seeing the gallery and say, ‘Is that really in Jackson?’ The gallery encourages people to go out and explore — explore everything that Mississippi has to offer. We just happened
to focus our efforts on historic architecture.” There are currently plans for the exhibition to travel to Jackson, Greenwood and the Mississippi Delta. Sanders said the gallery causes visitors to view things from a new perspective and look past preconceived notions of a place. “This exhibit is all about looking beyond what you know about a place and allowing yourself time to experience a small portion of the architecture that makes up a place like Jackson, or fill in the blank,” she said.
Editor’s note: David Lewis is a photographer and staff writer at The Reflector.
SPORTS
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TUESDAY, MARCH 25, 2014 | 7
Bulldog baseball takes conference series against No. 3 Commodores By BlAke MorgAn Staff Writer
Mississippi State University accomplished something that had not been done since 2012 this past weekend when they returned home for their series against Vanderbilt. MSU won the weekend series over the Commodores, which was the first time Vanderbilt had dropped an SEC weekend in two years. The Bulldogs blasted the Commodores on Friday night, with a 17-2 score. Seth Heck placed himself firmly in the starting lineup after he continued his strong play in this season. On Friday Heck had two hits, two base on balls, three runs and four RBIs. It was Heck’s fourth multihit game this season and was a career high in RBIs. Bulldog Head Coach John Cohen praised Heck’s patience and work ethic at the plate. “The thing about Seth is he had been crushing the ball for the last couple of weeks and had nothing to show for it,” Cohen said. “He didn’t change anything he was doing, which is hard for a young hitter. He stayed patient, kept working at it and now those balls are finding the holes.” Sophomore pitcher Preston Brown recorded his first start in SEC play on Friday. Brown (3-0) allowed sev-
at the plate is all apart of the way players play the game. “When it’s going well, it’s going well,” Heck said. “Certain pitches are getting called your way, with two strikes you’re getting a hit. You just get on a roll, and that’s just how baseball is.” MSU fell on Sunday to Vanderbilt 5-1. The hitting that carried the Bulldogs all weekend went cold on the last day of the series. MSU finished the game with only three hits. The Bulldogs had taken advantage of a few errors in the earlier games, but the Commodores did not make any errors in the series finale. Trevor Fitts (2-1) received the loss for the Bulldogs though only allowing one earned run through six and a third innings. Fitts, though, did finish with six strikeouts. Cohen said despite the loss, his team performed emma katherine hutto | the reflector Bulldog junior Ross Mitchell (left) delivers a pitch from the mound, and junior Wes Rea (right) drives a ball to the outfield well enough and could have earned a sweep. in Saturday’s 6-3 win against No. 3 Vanderbilt. MSU improved to 4-2 in conference play and hosts Arkansas this weekend. “We really pitched it well,” Cohen said. “I am not sure en hits and two earned runs outs. We want the game to be six hits through seven and a You can see the confidence Vanderbilt got a ball to the outfield. We certainly defend through eight innings. played on the infield. That is third innings and two earned we’re playing with.” He also recorded three when we are at our best.” runs, said players are settling Heck continued his sol- it as well as you would have strikeouts against the ComOn Saturday the Bulldogs in on the diamond and play- id play on Saturday, batting liked. And we have been a modore hitters. put away the visiting Com- ing with confidence. in two runs, which came on very good defensive team all Cohen said Brown’s abil- modores again by the score “Players are starting to find possibly the hit of the game. year. However, we certainly ity to keep the ball on the of 6-3. their roles, and the pitching Heck doubled to left center pitched it well enough to win ground allowed the MSU Ross Mitchell (4-1) took as been good,” Mitchell said. allowing Wes Rea and Alex for a third straight day.” The Bulldogs will return defense to take control of the mound and continued to “That’s what we live and die Detz to score. He also had the game. show why Cohen moved him off of is our pitching. They two base on balls, was hit by to Dudy Noble field Tuesday “Preston really gave us a from a reliever into the start- have been able to really com- two pitches and recorded a against Southeast Missouri at 6:30 p.m. before hosting Archance tonight,” Cohen said. ing lineup. pete, and I just feel like ev- hit. “He got a ton of ground-ball Mitchell, who allowed eryone is meshed together. Heck said his momentum kansas this weekend.
Men’s tennis claims three-match sweep, ready to continue conference play with in-state rival By Alex Wilson Staff Writer
After dropping three of four matches in a two-week road trip earlier this month, the No. 22 Mississippi State University men’s tennis team swept a three-match home stand last weekend and improved to 11-0 at the A.J. Pitts Tennis Centre. The Bulldogs kicked off the weekend with a 4-2 win against LSU (10-9, 1-6) Friday afternoon. After dropping the opening doubles point, the Bulldogs took four of five singles matches, including sophomore Jordan Angus’s 7-5, 1-6, 7-5 match-clinching victory against LSU’s Andrew Korinek. Angus said he leaned on his teammates’ encouragement to earn the win for the team. “It was a long day, but we had fun. We were loud, we came out and we just wanted to fight for each other, and that’s what we did. That’s what got us the win,” he said. “It’s bred into us every day in practice to come out and be as loud as we can and make as much noise as we can. It’s fun. It’s fun for everyone playing and fun for them watching, and it really helps us.” MSU used a 4-2 victory against No. 71 Arkansas (1112, 1-6 SEC) and a 4-0 win against Nicholls State (10-8) on Sunday afternoon to earn the weekend sweep and record one of the best starts at home in program history. Arkansas’s first-year head coach Andy Jackson made a welcomed return to Starkville. Jackson coached the MSU men’s team from 1989-2001 and led the squad to multiple SEC titles, including three NCAA quarterfinal appear-
ances and a pair trips to the NCAA semi-finals. Bulldog head coach Per Nilsson, who played for Jackson from 1991-94, said Arkansas has a bright future with Jackson at the helm. “It’s never fun because I have a lot of respect for him. He’s been coaching for so long and has a really young team there,” he said. “It’s good to beat him, but he’s going to get that team going real quick. We have to take advantage of our chances while we have them.” At the start of singles, Arkansas led first, extending its lead to 2-0 as Manfred Jeske defeated MSU’s No. 91 Malte Stropp 6-1, 6-4 on court two. That point would prove to be the last of the day for the Razorbacks as MSU played off the momentum on what was looking to be an upset in the making for the Hogs by taking three consecutive threeset wins to clinch. The Bulldogs got their first point of the day from No. 69 Florian Lakat, who defeated UA’s Mike Nott 7-6(4), 6-1. MSU evened the score at 2-2 when Zach White fought back after dropping his first set to defeat the Razorbacks’ Hall Fess 4-6, 6-4, 6-2. Tassilo Schmid grabbed MSU’s first lead of the day with a 6-3, 4-6, 6-2 win, and Angus clinched his second match of the weekend with a 7-5, 6-7(6), 6-1 victory. Nilsson said despite losing the doubles point, he was proud of the fight his team provided. “I thought we did great. I thought that we found ourselves in a little bit of a hole again after losing the doubles match, and whenever you do that it’s hard to come back. We did the same thing that
we did Friday. We had a good team meeting afterwards and came out strong,” Nilsson said. MSU struck first in the match against Nicholls State with a quick doubles point victory. With the same momentum they produced during doubles play, the Bulldogs kept up the energy in singles as they took straight-sets to rise to a 4-0 victory against the Colonels. Schmid was the first Bulldog off the court, as he handled NSU’s Sam Meessan 6-3, 6-3 to up the MSU lead to 2-0. Angus followed with a 6-4, 6-1 victory before White upset NSU’s No. 107 Nico Mertens 6-3, 6-2 to win the match for MSU. White said even though it was a long weekend of tennis, he played his best match in the weekend finale. “We started off the day against Arkansas, and I started a little slow. I dropped a set right away, but the good thing about today was that I progressively improved as the day went on. I finished the strongest I’ve played, I think, all semester. I was really proud of that clinch,” White said. Nilsson said the Bulldogs seek to get healthy as the team travels to Oxford, Miss., next weekend to take on the No. 45 Ole Miss Rebels. “We had a really tough road trip for spring break and came back with a win at the end, and I think that helped us,” Nilsson said. “We really wanted to go 3-0 this weekend. Now we need to recover a little bit, get some guys healthy and be ready for next weekend which will be extremely difficult up in Oxford.”
emma katherine hutto | the reflector
Mississippi State sophomore Jordan Angus (top, left) and freshman Rishab Agarwal (top, right) return volleys, and Bulldog senior Zach White (bottom, right) and freshman Florian Lakat (bottom, right) celebrate match victories against Arkansas Sunday. The Dogs will resume SEC play when the team travels to No. 45 Ole Miss Sunday.
8 | TUESDAY, MARCH 25, 2014
SPORTS EDITOR: JOHN GALATAS | reflectorsports@gmail.com
SPORTS
STAT OF THE DAY:
THE REFLECTOR
Baseball All American closer Jonathan Holder is the NCAA active Leader in saves (33) and is one save shy of third place in sec history for career saves.
Hear from head coach Dan Mullen on spring football
By John Galatas Sports Editor
On the first week of practice: “The first week is tough. You have a lot of installation. There are a lot of young guys that are still trying to get caught up and figure out what’s going on out here on the field, on both sides of the ball and combine them together. It’s tricky, and on twoa-days you don’t have pads. It’s really an introduction week. I love the energy the guys have had on the field, the intensity they’ve brought and the work ethic that’s kept that intensity throughout practice which I’ve been pretty pleased.” On expectations of defensive lineman Chris Jones: “For us we evaluate every single detail. One, is if he is improving technically as a player. Talent will take you a little ways. He did a lot of things that were bad last year. He made some plays because he has some talent. If you want to be a great player you have to be technically sound in everything you do. That’s the opportunity to learn. The
biggest part to me is seeing guys really come together fundamentally.” On Dak Prescott’s leadership of the entire team: “He’s got to be a leader for us. As a quarterback you have to be a leader on offense. I think he understands what we are trying to do. This is where you start to see him make that adjustment from learning to being comfortable in the offense.” On retaining skills from spring practice in the fall: “The biggest thing right now is being able to retain for what we’re going to do on Tuesday. The team has 72 hours off before we install anything else. They have 72 hours to digest and know what’s going on. There’s all different types of learning happening on the field. The older guys are really learning how to master their technique. They’re in graduate school level of football out here. Then, you have younger guys who are remedial and trying to figure out what’s going on. The key is that everybody takes what they’ve learned whether it be in your assignment or technique and never take a step back. You are at a certain level when you finish spring practice. When you come back in the fall, you’re there or better while continually improving. You learn how to become a great player.” On the revamped offensive staff: “Offensively we are trying a couple of new things here and there. Brian (Johnson) has
been around me so he knows what I’m going to expect. All the other guys have been around so they know what they’re doing. It certainly helps that the other guys have been around each other for a long time.” On keeping players engaged from practice to practice: “It’s huge. We’ve talked to our players this spring about commitment to effort. A player that’s a senior may do a drill 5,000 times, but he continues to ask how he can do it better than ever. That’s the commitment to effort. As coaches you’ve got to tweak things. You’ve got to yell and scream sometimes, pat them on the back and celebrate at times. You’ve got to make one little change to a drill to make it interesting. To me, that’s important. Routines are good, but sometimes routines lead you to just go through the motions, and we can’t do that out here.” On this team’s differences and feelings compared to past teams: “Every team is obviously going to be unique. You have some experienced, older guys and some pretty good leadership out there. When you look at the makeup of a team, we have a bigger senior class of guys playing their last year of football that really take it to another level. You can add to that with some great, young leadership like Taveze Calhoun, Dak Prescott and Benardrick McKinney, you have the chance to have a pretty special team.
leon carrubba | the reflector
DOWN TO THE WIRE
| After knocking off Tulane 77-68 in the
opening round of the Women’s National Invitational Tournament, the Mississippi State University women’s basketball team defeated the University of Southern Mississippi 73-66 in a double-overtime thriller Monday night in the Humphrey Coliseum. Freshman guard Breanna Richardson (top) takes a jump shot, freshman guard Dominique Dillingham (bottom, left) controls the ball in the lane and Martha Alwal (bottom, right) maneuvers around a Golden Eagle defender in the win over USM. With the win, the Bulldogs advance to host Auburn in the round of 16 Thursday at 7 p.m.