VICTORY FOR THE VICTORIANIST LIFE I 6
FRIDAY
NOVEMBER 30, 2012
Women’s basketball travels to Southern Miss
Sports I 7
Reflector The
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THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIVERSITY SINCE 1884
Campus construction continues BY JAMIE ALLEN Staff Writer
The sounds of construction have filled the air at Mississippi State University this semester, and according to the architectural planning and construction associate director, this is just the beginning of some giant steps for improving the campus. This semester, three major projects have been under construction: the football practice facility, Lee Hall and the football stadium. Projections indicate the football practice facility will be completed in the next month, however Lee Hall and the football stadium will be ongoing projects. Plans are also in the works for a new dining hall, tennis courts, academic building, walking track and thermal storage facility – all to most likely begin in the spring semester. In addition, there are plans to renovate Bulter Williams Guest House and the YMCA building in the near future. Duncan McKenzie, executive associate athletic director
said the projects, such as the expansion to the stadium will improve campus, for everyone using the facility. “I think this improves the environment of the stadium. There’ll be more restrooms and concession stands and better seating than the bleachers, so I think everything is a positive move,” McKenzie said. One project that will be started at the end of next semester will be a new classroom facility. Tim Muzzi, MSU architectural planning and construction associate director, said this building will have between 20 and 21 classrooms.. “The bottom two floors are a parking garage and the top three floors are classrooms,” Muzzi said. “It will be open for the students to use, so that will be a very heavily-traveled facility.” Mike Harris, director of parking services said this parking garage will be open to anyone parking on campus whether they have a parking permit or not. SEE CONSTRUCTION, 2
IAN PRESTOR AND JAY JOHNSON | THE REFLECTOR
Construction of Lee Hall (top), stadium expansion (bottom left) are ongoing projects while the indoor practice facility (bottom right) is near completion.
MSU implements plan to increase professional pay BY JAMES TOBERMANN
sity Group. According to data comThe university has develpiled by the oped a plan to increase the task force, competitiveness of professor the current salaries, according to Jerry average salGilbert, provost and executive ary of a full Gilbert vice president of Mississippi professor at State University. MSU is 83 percent of the averGilbert said earlier this year, age of that for peer land-grant MSU President Mark Keenum universities in SUG. formed a small task force of Millea said the task force faculty members developed a to investigate plan to adjust This happens professor salaries the salaries of at MSU as comeverywhere, not just full profespared to peer avhere, due to market sors. erages. Millea, forces.” Gilbert said who analyzed the university much of the Meghan Millea, must hire assisdata necesprofessor of finance sary to develtant professors at competitive op the plan, and economics rates, while prosaid the SUG fessors who have spent many average is discipline-based. years at MSU have not experi“The SUG average for an enced consistent raises. engineering professor’s salary “This is called the com- is different from that of an pression process,” he said. “It economics professor because compresses the gap between the market is different for full professors’ salaries and as- each,” Millea said. sistant professors’ salaries.” Millea said the plan will utiMeghan Millea, professor lize a total of about $1 million of finance and economics, over the next two years to adsaid it is not uncommon for a just salaries of professors. newly hired assistant professor “Over the next two years, to have a higher salary than a we will be shrinking the gap tenured professor with many between actual salaries and years at the university. SUG averages for their disci“This happens everywhere, pline,” she said. “Everyone’s not just at here, due to market gap will shrink by the same forces,” she said. percentage.” Gilbert said the task force Millea said there will be compared MSU professors’ additional adjustments based salaries to those of professors on the number of years in the at similar land-grant institu- rank of full professor. tions in the Southern UniverSEE SALARY, 2 Staff Writer
JAY JOHNSON | THE REFLECTOR
MSU’s historic Cooley Building will undergo renovations and serve as a university and community conference center.
MSU negotiates renovations for community conference center BY SASHA STEINBERG Staff Writer
University officials are in negotiations with a local developer in hopes of furthering efforts to bring a much-needed stateof-the-art conference center to Mississippi State University and Starkville communities. David Shaw, vice president for research and economic development, said MSU administration made the decision this past summer to put out a call for new proposals in early August because the original project had changed so much in scope up until that point. “This project has been going on for well over four years now, and we just felt like in that length of time, we needed the opportunity to step back and see what group brings the best use of the Cooley Building and what group brings solid financial backing so that we can put a package together and move this project forward,” Shaw said.
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After reaching a Sept. 4 submission deadline, Shaw said administration evaluated the proposals that were received and selected Columbus-based developer Mark Castleberry to replace Mark Nicholas, managing member of Nicholas Properties LLC in Ridgeland. Shaw said MSU and Castleberry are continuing to uphold an exclusive agreement to negotiate for a 120-day period in hopes of preparing a contract that will be approved by the Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning Board of Trustees in the March to April time frame. “We’re very excited about how the negotiations are going, and we are very pleased with the ideas that the developer has put forward,” he said. “We’re certainly very optimistic that the board will continue to support this as they have in the past.” Located on the western entrance of campus, the Cooley Building operated as a cotton mill until the early ‘60s and cur-
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rently houses MSU’s physical plant department. Although the project is still in the negotiation and planning stage, Shaw said MSU plans to retain ownership of the Cooley Building and lease it for 41 years to Castleberry, who would oversee its renovation. In addition, Castleberry would oversee the construction of a 20,000 square foot conference center in the eastern end and office space in the western end of the Cooley Building, as well as a full-service Courtyard Marriott hotel built southeast of it. Shaw also said MSU recently received approval from the IHL Board to sell Castleberry the 1.129 acres of land on which the hotel would be built. Castleberry said there has also been discussion about potentially having three to four restaurants on the site. “We’re trying to be selective as to the type of restaurants that would go there to really create a
POLICY
lot excitement,” he said. Starkville Mayor Parker Wiseman said there are plans for a parking garage that would be funded entirely through Community Development Block Grant funds, and it would be the city’s responsibility to manage the grant. “Since the city is not funding the project directly, other than through the grant program and tax incentives, there are no tax implications associated with the project,” he said. Wiseman also said he believes the development, especially the proposed state-of-the-art conference center, will serve as a driver for future tourism in Starkville and the Golden Triangle Region. In addition to his own funds, Castleberry said he plans to utilize bank financing for the project, and two banks that are financing other projects of his have already shown great interest in this development.
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SEE COOLEY, 2
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FRIDAY , NOVEMBER 30 , 2012
BAD DAWGS
Monday, November 26 • 11:34 a.m. An employee reported an LCD projector stolen from the kinesiology department. • 2:12 p.m. A student was hit by a car while crossing the crosswalk near Montgomery Hall. Subject refused medical attention.
Tuesday, November 27 • 2:19 p.m. A student was arrested on Stone Boulevard for speeding, suspended driver’s license, no insurance and possession of marijuana. • 4:08 p.m. A student reported his bicycle missing from the bike rack at Rice Hall. • 4:54 p.m. A student reported she was assaulted in Hull Hall. • 10:07 p.m. Students reported breaking a window while performing an experiment in the Patterson Engineering building.
Wednesday, November 28 • 1:09 a.m. A student was arrested for driving under the influence and running a red light. • 12:47 p.m. A student was assaulted in the lobby of the Templeton building by another student. • 7:00 p.m. A student reported his backpack stolen from the Union. • 9:23 p.m. A student threatened possible suicide at Ruby Hall.
NEWS COOLEY
THE REFLECTOR
continued from 1
“We feel very confident in our ability to finance the “We’re talking about wanting to get the word out on the project,” he said. “The economy is definitely a factor, but great things that are happening here at Mississippi State, through the last several years, we and hosting conferences is one way have still been active in developthat we can get people here, so they Our feeling is that once we ment and been able to put deals can understand the quality of edutogether even in tougher times.” begin development in that area, cation, the quality of research and While there is no agreement quality of the outreach proit’s just going to explode. We’re the in place, Castleberry said he grams that we have.” looking at this as kind of the plans on asking the city for a tax The overall project will have the increment financing agreement anchor and as a catalyst to get potential to generate at least 150 to help offset the cost of pubjobs, Shaw said. a lot of other things started, and Although the original cost of lic improvement features, such as streets, sewers and water sysI firmly believe that will be the the development was estimated at tems. $176 million and is currently escase.” Shaw said he believes the lack timated at $60 million, Shaw said David Shaw, of a conference center has served he still believes that is a substantial as a major impediment to MSU vice president for research and investment. and Starkville in previous years. “Our feeling is that once we beeconomic development “We believe that there are a gin development in that area, it’s number of conferences that would be associated with just going to explode,” he said. “We’re looking at this as Mississippi State that we’ve just simply not been able to kind of the anchor and as a catalyst to get a lot of other host, and they’ve gone to another university,” he said. things started, and I firmly believe that will be the case.”
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CONSTRUCTION
“It will be a timed parking garage,” Harris said. “The first hour will be $2 and each additional hour after that will be $1 up to a $10 maximum in a 24 hour time-period.” Drivers on campus need to know roads that will be closed for construction. McKenzie said right now B.S. Hood Drive has become a one-way street due to construction on the stadium. The traffic will now flow north on B.S. Hood Drive from Stone Boulevard. In addition, once the construction on the new classroom facility begins, George Perry from the cafeteria down to Barr Street will be blocked off.
continued from 1 Harris said drivers should also be aware there will be some spaces in the commuter northwest parking zone and the north parking zone that will be lost because of construction. However, there are plenty of spaces in each zone to accommodate the parking needs. Muzzi said he is excited about the changes to the campus and that it will these improvements will be beneficial to all students, faculty and staff in the future. “We have some buildings that are in desperate need of renovation, and in the same sense, we have to have new buildings like this new classroom building that may be one of the more exciting academic buildings that will have been placed on this campus in many years,” Muzzi said.
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“The SUG average will be increased by 1 percent for each year of full professorship,” she said. With the current plan, first salary adjustments will be made on Jan. 1, 2013. Gilbert said the funds were generated primarily through cost savings programs such as energy savings and vehicle fleet maintenance. “In 2009, the university began preparing for the impact of the 2008 financial crisis,” he said. “We were ex-
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continued from 1 pecting big budget cuts.” Gilbert said the budget cuts were smaller than expected, leaving the university with a surplus. “The cuts were not quite as bad as we expected,” he said. “We had money left over, and we turned it around and used it on things like salaries.” Gilbert said adjusting professors’ salaries is a benefit to both faculty and students. “We know the quality of education
is largely dependent on the quality of instructors. By having competitive salaries, we can attract, hire and retain the best faculty, and our students are getting the best-quality education,” he said. Gilbert added competitive professor salaries are a significant part of the economic health of the state. “It gives the state well-educated graduates and also attracts research, which is very important,” he said.
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OPINION
FRIDAY , NOVEMBER 30, 2012
Space objects propose potential danger
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the voice of MSU students
WHO SPEAKS FOR EARTH? | CAMERON CLARKE
arth, the moon and every- object strikes Earth’s atmosphere thing else in our solar sys- and burns up. A few times each year, a fragtem have been bombarded with asteroids and comets forev- ment the size of a small car hits Earth’s atmosphere. These larger er. In fact, the main form of grow- fragments cause impressive fireing for the rocky planets was ac- balls as they burn through the cretion through collisions with atmosphere. Very rarely, sizable debris, of which all the asteroids fragments survive their fiery pasand comets still around are just sage through Earth’s atmosphere the left over material which nev- and hit the surface, becoming er managed to stick to any of the meteorites.” Jupiter has served our solar planets when they were forming system as a sort of impact defense billions of years ago. This continuous bombard- station. Jupiter’s large size is able ment of everything in the solar to gravitationally capture many system has not stopped; in fact it asteroids and comets in its orbit. In fact, Jupiter has 67 moons still goes on today, just at a much slower rate through continuous of varying sizes with 50 of them under 6.2 gas accretion miles in diand collisions Maybe we should go ameter acunder the title cording to “Late Heavy ahead and look to the Bombardspace.com . future and put as much Jupiter ment.” also effort into protecting Don Yeohas three mans, a reourselves as we already groups of searcher at asteroids put into trying to hurt NASA’s Jet locked in ourselves.” Propulsion complemenLaboratory tary orbits: in Pasadena, Calif., has a page the Trojans and the Greeks share on JPL’s website where he talks Jupiter’s orbit around the sun about how impacts with space while the Hildas are a family of debris is very common and in asteroids which orbit the sun fact adds large amounts of mass three times to Jupiter’s two and to Earth’s atmosphere, “Every follow a strange looking trianguday, Earth is pummeled by more lar path. than 100 tons of material that Then there are also the familspewed off asteroids and comets. iar asteroids which make up the Fortunately, the vast majority asteroid belt situated generally of this “spillover” consists of dust between Mars and Jupiter. and very small particles. In addition to herding and We sometimes see these sand- capturing asteroids and protectsized particles brighten the sky, ing Earth from them, Jupiter also creating meteors, or shooting protects the inner solar system stars, as they burn up upon entry from comets. In 1994, the cominto Earth’s atmosphere. Rough- et Shoemaker-Levy 9 which had ly once a day, a basketball-sized previously broken up into about
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20 pieces, rammed successively into the atmosphere of Jupiter. The collisions caused minimal damage to the huge gas giant, but left visible holes in the cloud cover and made marks which remained in the atmosphere for months afterwards. If even one of those comet pieces had hit Earth it would have caused an explosion rivaling the one responsible for the extinction of the dinosaurs at the end of the Cretaceous period. In Backman and Seeds’s “Introduction to Astronomy” textbook, the topic of large asteroids hitting and decimating life on Earth is broached. Regarding the likelihood of extinction, they say it is unlikely but entirely possible. The chance a major impact will occur during your lifetime is so small it is hard to estimate. But the consequences of such an impact are so severe that humanity should be preparing. One way to prepare is to find those near earth objects that could hit this planet, map their orbits in detail and identify any that are dangerous. Neil DeGrasse Tyson in his book “Death by Black Hole” warns how modeling NEOs orbits and keeping an eye out for future dangers may not be as easy as it at first sounds, saying “Chaos reveals itself through the application of our well-tested physical laws in computer models of the solar system’s future evolution … There is a limit to how far in the future we can reliably calculate the risk of a major asteroid impact and the global extinction that might ensue.” Tyson later warns about a
CAMERON CLARKE Cameron Clarke is a sophomore majoring in physics. He can be contacted at opinion@reflector.msstate.edu. particular asteroid we do know about, named Apophis, which will pass very close to earth on Friday, April 13, 2029. This asteroid, according to neo.jpl.nasa.gov, has a small chance to be perturbed by Earth’s gravity causing it to, seven years later, come back and collide with Earth and devastate all the countries bordering the Pacific Ocean. Regardless of Apophis’ chances of hitting us, the danger of impact is real. We are constantly under threat of cataclysmic impacts from space; it is because of the Moon’s role as protector and Jupiter’s role as shepherd we have survived so far. Our problems and issues between countries will mean nothing when we as a planet are staring down a killer asteroid. So maybe we should go ahead and look to the future and put as much effort into protecting ourselves as we already put into trying to hurt ourselves. We need to ready ourselves lest Apophis or any other object in the solar system comes when we are not looking, and we need to act together when such a threat does appear.
LETTER TO THE EDITOR | JIM ROSENBLATT
Law school dean praises MSU program Editor’s Note: Jim Rosenblatt is the professors and students the dean and professor of law who attended. at Mississippi College School of I am pleased to report that Law. for the first time MSU became write to commend the the school most attended by work of professor Whit the students in the Mississippi Waide in organizing a via- College School of Law incomble pre-law program at Missis- ing class this fall. sippi State. Our MSU students are well I have seen the positive rounded, active in the life of effects of his work with the our law school and holders of MSU students interested in key leadership positions. law school. I know they will go on to On matters ranging from productive careers and will be LSAT preparation to law leaders in their communities school selection, Waide makes and in the profession. himself availWhile I able to the have comI am pleased to report mented on students interthat for the first time, the contriested in the legal profession butions of MSU became the and provides Whit Waide, school most attended let me add wise counsel. Of special by the students in the that many note is the of the MSU Mississippi College course Waide students Law incoming class has created who attendfor those coned Missisthis fall.” sidering the sippi College study of law. I spoke with the School of Law majored in a students in Waide’s course last variety of subjects in addition week and was impressed with to political science. the student’s knowledge, enerLet me commend all progy and awareness. fessors who contribute to the This course allows the stu- education of our MSU law dents to focus on those matters students. You have taught well. relevant to preparing for a legal We welcome prospective education. law students, professors or It was also a special treat to members of the MSU adminattend the Court of Appeal istration to visit Mississippi hearings that MSU hosted this College School of Law in Jackmonth. son at any time of the year. What a great opportunity Our web site at www.law. for the students to see Missis- mc.edu has additional inforsippi’s appellate court in ac- mation. I wish your fine school tion. It was good to talk with well.
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DARK ANGEL | KIMBERLY MURRIEL
Feminism still plays important part in equality progress
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ast semester, in my communication theory class, we were on the subject of feminism when my teacher asked how many students in the class consider themselves feminists. Of course, I raised my hand without hesitation, but I was shocked when I looked around the room and realized my hand was the only hand in the air (not to mention that over half of the students in the class were female). To say I was appalled or at a loss for words would have been an understatement. I was so disturbed I hardly paid attention to the rest of the lecture and kept wondering why none of the women in the class identified as feminists. This isn’t the first time this has happened. When I took
sociology at a junior college a Feminism has contributed couple of years ago, the pro- so much to today’s society fessor had the word feminist and yet it is frowned upon in the class lecture notes on like a taboo. If not for femthe power inism, wompoint and a en would not If not for feminism, student raised be able to do his hand and many of the women would not asked what a things they be able to do many feminist was do today such of the things they do as vote, drive and everyone looked as if today such as vote, cars, have a cathey had just reers, serve in drive cars, have swallowed a the military, careers...” teaspoon of own property, castor oil (no get a divorce offense, Grandma). (on their own terms) or even During the entire class pe- serve in public office. riod all I could think about If not for feminism, there was if it weren’t for feminism would be no women’s shelneither I nor any of the oth- ters for domestic violence er women would have even victims, no crisis centers or been able to sit in that class- support for rape victims, no room (yes, there was a time childcare facilities, no materwhen women were not al- nity leave or any privileges lowed to get an education.) women advantage of (and
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The
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take for granted) today. Society plays a role in this backlash against feminism. Society portrays feminists as “man-hating female supremacists.” There may be some women who fit into this category and may have extreme views, but most feminist do not. Most feminists simply just want to be treated equally and have the same freedom and privileges as men. They do not think women are the superior sex or should be treated “better” than men. Society also wants was to believe feminism is outdated and no longer needed because women have already accomplished the goal of equality in society. I’m afraid I have to (strongly) disagree with that standpoint.
While women have come a long way, there is still a long way to go. Workplace discrimination and sexual harassment against women are still rampant and go unresolved and often unpunished; hundreds of bills are being passed by the government that restrict women’s reproductive choices and freedom, millions of women are victims of sexual and domestic violence and society even perpetuates this kind of behavior (i.e. rape culture, victim blaming, etc.), many women starve themselves to fit society’s unrealistic idea of beauty and women still earn less than men for the same work (that includes the same amount of education, same number of hours worked, etc.). Women are constantly
KIMBERLY MURRIEL Kimberly Murriel is a senior majoring in communication. She can be contacted at opinion@reflector.msstate.edu. bombarded with magazines and advertisements telling them what they should be and look like and our culture still shudders at the thought of having a woman in power (i.e. president, CEO, etc.) Looking at these issues (and I was just scratching the surface), it is hardly reasonable to argue we don’t need feminism.
THE JEW POINT | JOEY FROST
Ole Miss played well, behaved poorly
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he School Up North. We avoid using its proper name for a reason. After this past Saturday, it is clearer to me than ever just why that is. I am from North Alabama, so TSUN was never one of my choices for college. I didn’t visit the campus or even apply. I am glad I never did this. Before the game, there was a lot of smack talk. There’s nothing wrong with that, especially in an intense rivalry like this one. However, during and after the game, TSUN fans took it way too far. The students and fans are not the only guilty ones. I feel like the absolute lack of class extended all the way up to the atheltic department. Throughout the game there were many examples of this utter lack of decency. When the Famous Maroon Band took the field for halftime, the whole stadium erupted in boos. This by itself can be seen as not a huge deal, but factoring in the rest of the atmosphere, it can be seen as tacky. After halftime, while exiting the field through one of the tunnels, TSUN fans spit on members of the FMB. Later, the seniors of the Ole Miss band were recognized, as
the game was their senior day. this, TSUN deserved to win that During a timeout, the seniors game. were escorted into the endzone I would not have nearly as directly in front of the student hard of a time accepting this if section. the fans acted with civility. BeWhile the seniors were being fore the clock ran out, TSUN recognized, a drink was thrown fans were jumping onto the field at them from the student sec- and spilling into the endzone. tion. I realize drink throwing is Being excited about beatfor some reason a part of college ing your rival is one thing, but football (our student section beating an unranked team is not remains certainly guilty of it, as usually a reason to rush the field. well), throwing one at students Emotions were running high, of your own school is downright and with TSUN fans (many of trashy. whom were sloppily drunk) on As I said earlier, a certain the field, the environment was amount of trash quite dangerous. talk is healthy. I saw multiple Everything I However, common TSUN fans jeerexperienced sense should be ing and taunting used. Mississippi State made my There was a vidplayers. disdain for eo spot run on the When the coachThe School Up es were finally able videoboard that was similar to our North greater.” to get the MSU Video Vault. The players into the difference between the two was locker room, they were spit on TSUN’s video touted them in- while entering the tunnel. juring a Mississippi State player. Until this year, I had not been You can choose to show as many to Baton Rouge for a football touchdowns or interceptions game. I have always heard stories against MSU as you like, but about how terrible it is being a showing a play that resulted in visiting fan. an injury is unacceptable. I can honestly say I was a bit I will give it to them, TSUN nervous going down there. After definitely seemed to want to win going, I will tell you those stories the game more. are untrue. As much as it pains me to say I have only good things to
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JOEY FROST Joey Frost is a junior majoring in political science. He can be contacted at opinion@ reflector.msstate.edu. say about them. The LSU fans were “spirited,” but no more so than happens in The Junction. I would gladly go back to Baton Rouge. I hereby propose Ole Miss be known as the LSU of college football, from here on out. I will never return to Oxford. Everything I experienced made my disdain for The School Up North greater. Of course, I realize there are fans who conduct themselves like decent human beings. To those who are not like I described, I am sorry. But in my mind, the miscreants have ruined your reputation for me. In my heart, there is no question Mississippi State University is far superior to TSUN in every way. I will forever be Maroon and White. Hail State.
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FRIDAY , NOVEMBER 30, 2012
THE REFLECTOR
AN IN-CLASS DISTRACTION ...
11-30-12
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invites you to join us for Sunday mass at 5:30 p.m. at St. Joseph Catholic Church, 607 University Dr. All are welcome to $2 Tuesday night dinner at 6 p.m. in the Parish Hall. Like us on Facebook: facebook.com/ msstatecsa
WESLEY FOUNDATION Insight Bible study and worship on Tuesdays at 8 p.m. at the Wesley Foundation Worship Center on East Lee. Boulevard next to Campus Book Mart. MSU CATHOLIC STUDENT ASSOCIATION
SOCIOLOGICAL STUDENT ASSOCIATION The Sociological Student Association is based in the Department of Sociology. Undergraduates of all ages are welcome. Meetings are held the last Thursday of every month in Bowen Hall room 250 at 5 p.m. STUDENTS FOR A SUSTAINABLE CAMPUS SSC meets every Thursday at 6 p.m. in McCool room 212. Come and meet really cool people who all share interests in saving the environment. Don’t forget to opt-in for the Green Fund.
The MSU Catholic Student Association
Solutions for 11-20-12
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WANTED Triangle Federal Credit Union is GIVING AWAY $250 at each home game to a student who shows his or her outstanding Bulldog spirit. Will you be next?
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LIFE & ENTERTAINMENT
TUESDAY , NOVEMBER 30, 2012
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Exams approach, hidden study spots found BY SHELBY PERANICH Staff Writer
BARTON DINKUS | THE REFLECTOR
John Coker, Brad Coleman and John Rushing show off their bearded and scruffy faces during this month’s No Shave November.
WORDS, WORDS, WORDS | ALEX MONIÉ
No Shave November: an un-groomed journey
N
ovember: the month of manliness. The month where our campus seems to have been invaded by groups of lumberjacks and rugged men. A time where a clean-shaven face cannot be seen from one end of the Drill Field to the other. That’s right. No Shave November happened. Think back through history for a second. Famous and influential men like Abraham Lincoln, Albert Einstein and Zach Galfianakis have all sported a well-groomed beard. The Most Interesting Man in the World has a beard. George Lucas, the creator of Star Wars, has a beard. Chuck Norris, an American legend, has a beard. I, ladies and gentleman, have a beard. My own humble quest began at the stroke of midnight, Nov. 1. Fresh off my Halloween escapades, it was time to get down
to business. Real men knew the turn of the month signaled a race of the alphas. The next 30 days would be dedicated to the growing of our respective beards. We all knew the hardships that would challenge us. Obstacles would stand in our way. Families would object, girlfriends would plead but each of us knew that it was our God-given privilege to fight on. A week in, and you can see the weak of heart fall to the wayside. Those whose facial hair grew in patchy or cannot get over the “peach fuzz” stage are forced to concede. Maybe next year, kid. Two weeks in: whiskers have turned to scruff. Your girlfriend is begging you to shave before you go out in public together. But no, fine sir, you prevail. You continue your quest to grow the most magnificent beard that has ever graced this earth. She’ll get
ALEX MONIÉ Alex Monié is a junior majoring in political science. He can be contacted at zorsborn@reflector.msstate. edu. over it, and you are starting to feel like a champion. Three weeks in: perhaps the most daunting challenge yet. It is time to go home for Thanksgiving and face the relatives you haven’t seen in years. Your parents beg you to look nice for dinner. They are afraid you will scare your smaller cousins and food will stick to your now excellent mustache. You, however,
let them know this is not your choice, but the curse of being a man. Week four: the final gauntlet. By now you have returned to school, and your professors don’t recognize you. Women are staring and thinking, “Who is this older, wise looking man I’ve never noticed before?” You are almost at the finish line, and you feel like you could stare down three lions while wearing a suit made of bacon. Finally, December arrives and it is time to say farewell to your old friend. You two have become close, but all good things must come to an end. In 11 short months, November will arrive again, and our beards will come back in even more glorious than before. Remember: the one good outcome of shaving your beard is the joy of growing it back again.
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Finals week is quickly approaching. Upon sitting down to crack open thick textbooks and pages of notes, the people who live down the hall decide to take a study break and have a dance party. Panic sets in. The library is overflowing with people, the residence hall lobby is distracting and the walls are paper thin. Casey Elliott, senior political science major and an office associate for Department of Housing and Residence Life, said she has found spots in a particular dorm which are good studying environments. “I go to the third floor of Griffis in the classrooms and study there,” Elliott said. However, the issue of the classrooms and study rooms in the residence halls being full sometimes arises. If this
Places to
STUDY
on campus
- McCool Hall - Old Main Lounge - Allen Hall - The Bakery - The bottom room of Swalm - Carpenter Hall - The fifih floor of the library (“The Tower of Power”) - The Dawg House - Perry Cafeteria
ZACK ORSBORN | THE REFLECTOR
behind starkville cafe
open 7 am daily 648-9271 Waltmon Frame & Body Shop Open Monday thru Friday 7:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
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is the case, Dalton Li, freshman mechanical engineering major, said he plans on taking his books over to the Union. “I have studied in the upstairs of the Union a good bit. It’s not as busy as the first floor, and it is still really convenient because you are right in the center of everything,” Li said. There are other aspects to finals other than finding a productive place to study, such as late-night brain fuel. Amelia Treptow, coordinator for programs for the Center for Student Activities, provided a list of on-campus eateries with extended hours of operation for finals week. Burger King stays open until 1 a.m. Dec. 5-12. Einstein’s stays open until 12 a.m. Dec. 9-11. Village Pizza stays open until 1 a.m. Dec. 5-7. Starbucks stays open until 12 a.m. Dec. 9-11.
Columbus Seventh-day Adventist Church
301 Brooks Rd.
(off North Lehmberg Rd.)
662-329-4311 Saturday Worship 9:30 am
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Sabbath School 1105 Stark Road Starkville, MS 39759 Phone 662-323-0516•Fax 662-323-0539
10:30 am
Wednesday Prayer Meeting 6:30 pm
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LIFE
TUESDAY , NOVEMBER 30, 2012
THE REFLECTOR
“
I became interested in the intersection of phrenology and Victorian literature because of a novella by George Eliot titled ‘The Lifted Veil.’ The main character in it is forced to only study science and math because of the shape of his skull. I researched phrenology to understand the scene, and then I started to find phrenological language everywhere in Victorian literature.”
- SHALYN CLAGGETT
IAN PRESTER | THE REFLECTOR
With a fascinating interest in Victorian literature, magic lantern shows and phrenology, Shalyn Clagget, associate professor of English, has accepted the Humanities Teacher of the Year Award.
English professor receives Humanities Teacher of the Year Award BY DANIEL HART Staff Writer
Shalyn Claggett, associate professor of English and 2012 Humanities Teacher of the Year, may have an abundance of research under her belt but takes it all in stride with good humor and interest in the quirky and bizarre facets of her field: Victorian literature. Examples abound, including her presentation on Nov. 26: “The Animal in the Machine: Projecting and Policing Pleasure in Victorian Magic Lantern
Shows.” Claggett accepted the award, chosen among the state’s postsecondary institutions by the Mississippi Humanities Council and presented her research of the magic lantern shows of Victorian England. Lantern shows, similar to a film but with static frames (like a picture book) rather than moving pictures, drew Claggett’s interest through local and more diverse experiences. “Many years ago, I was fortunate enough to experience a magic lantern show at a seminar on (Charles) Dickens’s fiction, but I re-discovered them when I ran across a magic lantern projector at the Oktibbeha County Heritage Museum,” she said. Claggett procured the projector, slated to be tossed, donated it to Mississippi State University and began collecting slides to use in her Victorian literature classes; she said part of her interest in the shows is due to their complex, strange nature. “Who but the Victorians would watch a show about a dog named Floppy being turned into sausages after Oscar Wilde implies he’s fat?” she said. The curiosities of Victorian culture,
as seen in the magic lantern shows, are part of what Claggett said has drawn her to focus on the period, a fascination she discovered at a young age. “I knew I wanted to be a professor when I was 14, so I decided to read all of the books in the ‘classics’ section of my town’s public library (in alphabetical order). When I got to ‘D’ (for ‘Dickens’), I knew I had found exactly what I wanted to study for the rest of my life,” she said. “I do think, however, that I am particularly drawn to subjects that are a bit bizarre. The Victorians are a wacky bunch, and that’s why I love learning about them.” Rather than a study of strictly literature, she reveals the intersection of these bizarre cultural aspects with the literature of the period. The title of one of her current book projects, “The Science of Character in Victorian Literature,” illustrates this fascination. The science the book references is phrenology, a science Claggett said is rampant in Victorian fiction and focuses on claims the size of certain parts of the brain equate to different personality traits. “I became interested in the intersec-
Mississippi State University 2012 Fall Commencement Ceremony December 15, 2012, 10:00 A.M.
tion of phrenology and Victorian literature because of a novella by George Eliot titled ‘The Lifted Veil.’ The main character in it is forced to only study science and math because of the shape of his skull,” she said. “I researched phrenology to understand the scene, and then I started to find phrenological language everywhere in Victorian literature.” The nature of her research results in absorbed audiences: Tommy Anderson, associate professor of English and director of undergraduate studies in English, said Claggett’s study of these societal aspects is part of what makes her work particularly exciting. “She ties the big picture elements together with these small little details. It’s a cultural studies component to her literary analysis that makes it really fascinating,” he said. As well as her research, Anderson said Claggett’s work in the classroom is exemplary and resulted in her receipt of the award. “Dr. Claggett is an outstanding teacher because she pushes students to go beyond what they thought they could do and she walks them there.
She’s with them each step of the way,” he said. As well as Victorian literature classes, Claggett teaches critical writing and research in literature studies, a junior-level English course in literary criticism, and Anderson said Claggett’s work in the class produces stellar work from students. “Students go in thinking they’re good writers and readers and come out incredibly better. This is her brilliance as a teacher: taking students to places they didn’t think they could go,” he said. Through all the rigorous research, hard work and high standards, Claggett holds her students (and herself ), to her interest and continued study of the somewhat bizarre in Victorian culture and literature illustrates her excitement as a professor and scholar. Although Claggett’s work in intersecting discources produces engaging research, Anderson said her work in the classroom reveals her worthiness of the award. “She’s excited for students to learn, and she does it all with a sense of humor,” he said.
Saturday, December 1 at 7 p.m. New Horizons Christian Fellowship 1010 Victory Lane Just off Lynn Lane between SHS and SA
Grammy nominee, Dove award winning Christian musician, and MSU graduate
Humphrey Coliseum The University Registrar announces detailed graduation information regarding regalia, invitations, photographs, DVD’s, and marching instructions. This information is available at the University Registrar’s web page address, www.registrar.msstate.edu, under announcements/notes for you to view and/ or print.
Congratulations to all of Our Graduates!
Seating is limited. Advance tickets may be picked up prior to the concert on Friday from 3 to 6 p.m. at New Horizons Christian Fellowship For more info, visit newhorizonsstarkville.com or call 662-648-9007
SPORTS
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friday , november 30, 2012
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Shorthanded Dogs win at Grant, Williams lead Lady home, travel to Providence Dogs over Savannah State By Forrest Buck
By Anson keith
Staff Writer
After a win at home Tuesday night, the Mississippi State men’s basketball team will go on the road Saturday to Rhode Island to play against the Providence Friars. Providence started well with a 5-2 record and will be a much tougher opponent than Alcorn State. Junior guard Bryce Cotton, who is currently averaging 23.8 points per game, leads the Friars and is known for his 3-point shooting. He’s currently shooting over 40 percent from downtown on the year. Last season, Cotton led Providence to a 72-70 upset victory over basketball powerhouse Connecticut with a 22-point effort, 16 of which came in the second half and sparked the rally to come back from 14 down. The Dogs must come out and play with the same intensity they brought in their two home games this season, an intensity that seems to be missing on the road. After a disappointing showing in Hawaii at the Maui Invitational in which MSU lost all three of its games by double-digits, State bounced back strong in its second home game with a 60-42 victory over Alcorn State Tuesday night. With the win, the Bulldogs improved their overall record to 2-4 and, more importantly, gained some confidence and momentum moving forward. Freshman forward Gavin Ware said the team is leaving what happened in Hawaii in the past and looking forward, using it as motivation to get better and play harder. “We’ve been practicing hard the last two days because we had the bad losses in Hawaii,” Ware said. “So we came out and played hard, and our hard work showed on the floor.” The youth movement this year was on full effect in the game as the three freshmen — Ware, Fred Thomas and Craig Sword — all played huge roles in the win. Ware only had seven points, but he controlled the glass all night coming up with 12 rebounds to lead the team. Thomas and Sword led the team in scoring with 14 points apiece. Thomas showed some
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Staff Writer
emma katherine hutto | the reflector
At 2-4, Trivante Bloodman and the rest of the Bulldogs will play at Providence Saturday at 11 a.m. on ESPNU. versatility in the game by finding other ways to score after his three-point shot was not falling early in the game, as he shot 0-4 from long range. Thomas said he feels he is starting to mature more offensively. “Coach always talks to me about being patient and that my shot will come to me,” Thomas said. “If my threes aren’t falling, I know I need to take two dribbles in or get to the rim.” Head coach Rick Ray took notice of the maturity of his young freshman shooting guard’s game and said he expects it from him. “I don’t want Fred Thomas to live and die by his three-point shot,” Ray said. “Obviously he’s a good three-point shooter, but he’s a good overall basketball player, as well.” Sword said he played what he felt like was his best overall game all season. “I have a really quick first step, so I feel like I can get past anybody,” Sword said. “When you work hard in practice, it shows,
and we really worked hard.” State did a lot of things well in the game, but rebounding was the biggest factor in the victory. MSU out-rebounded Alcorn State 50-20. It speaks to the physicality and aggressiveness the Bulldogs played with all night. Ray did a little shuffling with the starting lineup Tuesday as Ware and walk-on Tyson Cunningham both got their first starts, and normal starters Thomas and Wendell Lewis came off the bench. Though MSU won handedly, all was not perfect in the performance. Turnovers continue to be an issue that plagues this team, especially its young point guard Sword. Ray voiced his concerns on the turnover issue after the game. “The thing I’m most worried about is the negative assist-to-turnover ratio,” Ray said. “We had only six assists to 21 turnovers, and we’ve got to fix that if we’re going to beat a good team in the future.”
Wednesday was a night of career highs as the Mississippi State University Lady Bulldogs improved their record to 3-4 on the season, cruising past Savanna State University 70-55. Sophomore Kendra Grant’s first career double-double and Carnecia Williams’ presence down low paved the way for State’s offense. Grant snatched a career-high 15 rebounds (13 offensive), and Williams put up a career-high 26 points. The sophomore forward went 10-14 from the field and 6-9 from the charity stripe. Williams said her teammates were noticing the mismatches and continued feeding her the ball. “Our high-low game was killing them, and it created a lot of mismatches. We just kept capitalizing,” Williams said. “I have been working on my offense, and tonight it showed. This is what I’ve been striving for.” The Lady Dogs put the press on early, which ultimately led to 17 SSU turnovers and a few easy looks in the paint for MSU. Though they were having a little trouble of their own with turnovers, the Lady Dogs’ hustle and tough play down low made up for their turnovers. State outscored SSU 42-24 in the paint and 18-1 on second chance points. The Lady Tigers (2-4) ended the game on 18-49 shooting with Erin Hogue taking on most of the scoring with 18 points. Grant, who scored 16 points to go along with her 15 rebounds, said the team will continue to improve on the defensive side of the ball as the season continues. In the seventh game of the season for the Lady Dogs, it was also very clear they are looking to take care of business on the fast break.
stephanie godfrey | the reflector
Sophomore Kendra Grant recorded her first double-double of the year with 16 points and 15 rebounds Wednesday night. In his first year coaching the Lady Dogs, Vic Schaefer said he was extremely proud of Williams and Grant and was particularly pleased with his team’s transition offense. “We had seen it on tape during the week, and it was in the scouting report, so we looked to push it,” Schaefer said. “I was also very happy with the way our point guards played in the second half.” Junior guard Katia May, who also put up a career-high with six assists said Schaefer expects consistent play from the guards and anything less will not be tolerated. “That’s just a part of playing for Coach Schaefer. If you aren’t playing to your full potential, he will pull you and most definitely let you know what you’re doing
wrong,” May said. “He doesn’t sugarcoat anything.” The MSU Lady Dogs look to even their record at 4-4 as they head to Hattiesburg Saturday to play the Southern Mississippi Lady Eagles. Tip-off is set for 4 p.m.
SPORTS 8
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friday , november 30 , 2012
THE REFLECTOR
SeC ChampionShip: Stat of the day: no. 2 alabama vS. againSt ole miSS, Senior chad bumphiS broke the no. 3 GeorGia mSu career record for receiving yardS, increaSing hiS total to 2,252 receiving yardS for hiS career. Saturday, 3 p.m. CbS
Aaron Gordon named head soccer coach By Kristen spinK Sports Editor
The Mississippi State University Athletic Department hired Aaron Gordon as the new head soccer coach Tuesday. Athletic director Scott Stricklin said he zeroed in on Gordon a couple weeks ago. “We always talk about those traits we look for in head coaches. We want people who have a great work ethic, are very competitive, who are smart and who have the leadership and charisma that it takes to recruit and to sell Mississippi State and build programs,” Stricklin said. “Aaron knocks every one of those out of the park.” Formerly the associate head coach at Texas Tech University, Gordon helped turn the Red Raider program around in his six years there. Before Gordon arrived, the Red Raiders had won two Big 12 games the past 10 seasons. In Gordon’s first season with the team, Texas Tech won five conference games.
Gordon knows he has a tough task ahead of him as he takes over a team that finished last in the SEC this sea- Gordon son, but he said he cannot wait to get started. “I told the team that what we do as a program is about how we write our own story and write our own history, and together, I think we have the ability as a program and as a university to do something,” Gordon said. “It’s going to take a lot of hard work on a day-in and day-out basis. We’re going to have to go out and recruit our tails off, but we can do it because there’s a lot of things here that sell themselves for the state and for the soccer program, and I think we’ll make you proud for sure.” Prior to his stint at Texas Tech, Gordon worked as the director of coaching for Dallas Inter Soccer Club. He also coached the Women’s Texas Lightning team of the W-League, which won back-to-back United States Amateur Championships. He also was an assistant coach for the Atlanta Beat of the WUSA, where he served as head of scouting and video analysis. Stricklin said Gordon’s prior experience was a big selling point for the new coach. “Soccer is an interesting sport. Unlike a lot of sports, it has a huge club influence, and club soccer is a big part of the devel-
opment of the student-athletes we get at the collegiate level,” Stricklin said. “I thought that mix of club level, professional level and collegiate level experience really benefited him, and it shows in the success he has had.” Gordon’s wife, Ashley, will also join the coaching staff. She was an assistant coach at Texas Tech and will take on similar responsibilities at MSU. The Gordons have two daughters, 12-year-old Addison and 8-year-old Avery. Aaron said Ashley was the first one who fell in love with MSU, and the longer they stayed, the better they felt about calling Starkville home. “The opportunity to be able to continue this partnership professionally that I have with Ashley is very important because she’s a winner,” Aaron said. “That’s all you can ask as a coach when you come to a school is to know you’re going to get support and have people on your same wave length, and for me, that’s what sold me.” Ashley was a four-year soccer starter at Southern Methodist University and adds even more experience to the coaching staff. Senior Elisabeth Sullivan said she does not know what to expect with a married couple coaching the team, but she said she is excited to see the atmosphere that creates. “He said she brings a lot of energy to team and a lot of different aspects,” Sullivan said.
“He said you can’t tell that they are married when they’re coaching.” Gordon met with the team for the first time Tuesday and has been having individual meetings with the players since then, including a two-hour meeting with Sullivan and fellow senior Morganne Grimes where he inquired about the team’s traditions and routines. He said the team was quiet when he first met the girls, but he implored them to ask him personal questions to begin growing relationships. “When you’re in a team situation, you’ve really got to build relationships with your players because those players have to go to battle for you, for them, for the school and for each other,” Gordon said. “That’s the first bridge I want to build is with the existing team.” With the Gordons arriving at MSU in late fall, the coaching duo will have the whole spring semester to get to know the players and learn their strengths and weaknesses. Gordon said he plans to get right to work to make the Bulldogs a contender in the SEC. Senior Morganne Grimes said Gordon made a great first impression on the team. “I thought he was really enthusiastic and really excited to be here,” Grimes said. “He’s really going to shake up the program. It will be a lot of hard work, but it will be fun and keep us going in right direction.”
In what bowl game will MSU play and who will the opponent be? “The Music City Bowl against N.C. State.” -Matthew Peterson, freshman, secondary education major
“The Chick Fil A Bowl against Michigan State.” -Dajai’ Mitchell, freshman, biological sciences major
“This is a bold prediction- the Cotton Bowl against Oklahoma State.” -Alex Hubbard, junior, aerospace engineering major