PAYING IT FORWARD
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Reflector The
FRIDAY
FEBRUARY 10, 2012
REFLECTOR-ONLINE.COM 124TH YEAR | ISSUE 34
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THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIVERSITY SINCE 1884
RELIGIONS’ HELPING HANDS
Greeks no stranger to philanthropy
Events raise money, awareness BY LAUREN CLARK Staff Writer
Affiliations aside, students use their beliefs to bring others hope.
PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY JAY JOHNSON | THE REFLECTOR
pated in many different service projects and volunteer works Staff Writer last semester. eligious organizations at MisShe said the BSU volunteered sissippi State University are with Habitat for Humanity, using service projects and visited a local nursing home, mission trips to help others on a sent care packages and letters to physical and a spiritual level. soldiers stationed overseas, colMichael Ball, Baptist Student lected baby supplies for the CriUnion director, said it is a Christian sis Pregnancy Center and sent - Michael Ball organization’s duty to give back. small family groups on a week“God has told us to help other peoend mission trip. ple,” Ball said. “It’s a response that we have to put our “The purpose of the BSU is to know Christ and faith into action.” make Him known to others, and what better way to Anna Comer, BSU church and community mis- show Christ’s love than to minister to people and bless sions coordinator during fall 2011, said BSU partici- them through acts of service?” Comer said. BY CANDACE BARNETTE
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“God has told us to help other people”
SEE
SA working for options in buying, selling books Website being developed BY JAY BALLARD Staff Writer
The Student Association is currently working on a program that will allow students at Mississippi State University to buy and sell textbooks more conveniently than with current methods. Rhett Hobart, SA president, said the goal of the program is not to replace other ways of buying books but to expand student options.
SERVICE, 2
The 31 sororities and fraternities at Mississippi State University host numerous philanthropic activities each year. Taylor Reed, Interfraternity Council president, said philanthropy is an important aspect of each fraternity at MSU because the members have the ability and desire to help those in need. “Every fraternity was founded on strong beliefs of the importance of service, and, as a council, we try to support and encourage fraternities’ service as much as possible,” he said. Reed said IFC will participate in Walk a Mile in Her Shoes, St. Jude Children’s HosReed pitals’ Up ’til Dawn and Relay for Life. In addition to these council-wide philanthropy events, many fraternities are hosting philanthropic events throughout the semester, including Kappa Sigma’s Charity Classic beginning Feb. 27, Sigma Chi’s Derby Week beginning March 26, Sigma Phi Epsilon’s volleyball tournament beginning April 9 and Sigma Nu’s crawfish boil on April 21. Will Ford, Phi Delta Theta president, said his fraternity has made philanthropy a priority and supports the Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Association, an organization searching for treatment and a cure for Lou Gehrig’s disease, through a variety of fundraisers each year. “Our philanthropy is important to us because it keeps us focused on the world around us,” he said. “We hope that with our philanthropic projects we can cultivate awareness and aid financially in the research for a cure.” Phi Delta Theta will host a fish fry on March 7 and a volleyball tournament and crawfish boil on April 18 to raise funds for the ALS association. SEE GREEK, 3
IntoxBox tests patrons BAC BY WILL HAGER Staff Writer
Parker Stewart, junior business management major, with assistance from the Mississippi State University Entrepreneurship Center, is unveiling a new product, the IntoxBox. The IntoxBox is a machine that uses fuel cell sensors to determine the blood-alcohol content of its user. Stewart said he first thought about the idea as a business last January with emphasis on raising awareness about drunk driving as one of the IntoxBox’s main purposes. “I feel like the people that have seen it and have used it have had a good experience with it, and it’s helped educate them about drinking and driving,” he said. Stewart said he came to the Entrepreneurship Center in November and started developing his business plan. In the three months since, Stewart has installed two IntoxBoxes in local Starkville businesses Rick’s Cafe and Dave’s Dark Horse Tavern. Bar patrons can purchase one test for $2 or three tests for $5. Patrons can guess their BAC. If they guess correctly, they win a promo code for one free test. The box is manufactured by Walden Innovative Resources LLC, a business connection that helped set
JAY JOHNSON | THE REFLECTOR
Parker Stewart demostrates the IntoxBox at Rickʼs Cafe. Customers can purchase one test for $2 or three for $5.
up by MSU’s Entrepreneurship Center. The deal gave Stewart exclusive rights to the product in Mississippi, making it the only machine of its kind in the state. Jesus Valdez, a research associate of the Entrepreneurship Center, said Stewart had a well thought-out plan from the beginning. “It was a great idea, and it was well-developed. He just needed to know the next steps to actually implement the idea,” Valdez said. “The idea itself was
noteworthy because it’s going toward not only a good cause as far as alcohol awareness, but also from his standpoint, it was something he wanted to get into and start developing his own business.” Stewart pitched his business plan to the Entrepreneurship Center Advisory Board composed of faculty and business-oriented alumni. The board granted him $1,500 from the Thad Cochran Endowment for Entrepreneurship to help aid his business. SEE BREATHE, 3
SEE BOOKS, 3
READERʼS GUIDE CAMPUS CALENDAR...................2 BAD DAWGS..............................3 OPINION ...............................4 CONTACT INFO...................... 4
POLICY LIFE.............................. ........6 CROSSWORD...............................5 CLASSIFIEDS.......................... 5 SPORTS..................................10
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