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Reflector The
FEBRUARY 17, 2012
REFLECTOR-ONLINE.COM 125TH YEAR | ISSUE 36
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THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIVERSITY SINCE 1884
Writing Center serves, edits MSU students
SA Executive candidates square off in debate
Offers students help, suggestions
Students hear positions, platforms
BY LINDSAY MCMURTRAY Staff Writer
The Mississippi State University Writing Center, a free service with three locations on campus, is available to assist all MSU students, faculty and staff with any concerns they have while completing a writing assignment. English lecturer Chelsea Henshaw said the Writing Center is available for any assignment that involves writing, not just for those in English courses. “We can help with any writing that pertains to a student’s academic or professional goals,” she said. “I’ve worked with students ranging from freshmen with English composition papers to a graduate student composing a thank you letter to his professor who wrote his recommendation letters.” English teaching assistant and Writing Center tutor Lisa Fulgham said the tutors in the center can help clients with any stage of the writing process. “We can guide students as they formulate paper ideas, create a thesis, revise paper drafts and edit,” she said. Henshaw said she thinks it is important for students to know the Writing Center is for improving a student’s writing skill, not to have an essay proofread. “A student cannot simply drop off a paper to be edited,” she said. “A typical Writing Center session involves the client and tutor discussing the paper through elements of rhetoric and composition.” She said many people do not realize that the Writing Center staff is not comprised of peer tutors like many universities, but all 23 tutors have been trained by the English department to work with students.
BY MICAH GREEN News Editor
Bulldog pitchers setting lofty goals
COURTESY PHOTO | MISSISSIPPI STATE ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS
MSU squares off with Washington State to start season BY MATT TYLER Staff Writer
the program and amongst Bulldog fans. The primary reason for the increased expectations is a pitching staff that returns almost every contributor from uring Mississippi State Unilast season. A lack of pitching depth versity head baseball coach has been the program’s Achilles’ heel John Cohen’s first three years on the job, only one thing was a given for the better part of a decade, and entering each season: the Bulldogs were it appears as if this may finally have ceased to be the case. projected to struggle. In year four, this is no longer the case. MSU pitching coach Butch Thompson thinks returning a veteran pitching Coming off a successful 2011 camstaff certainly makes things easier on paign which saw the Bulldogs win the the coaches, but he cautions against Atlanta Regional and come within a overhyping a group that was statisticalfew outs of knocking off eventual national runner-up Florida in a Super Re- ly the ninth-best group in the Southgional, expectations have risen around eastern Conference.
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director of external events, an appointed cabinet position, plan the majority of Staff Writer Bulldog Bash, including the process of During a special session Wednesday, securing sponsors and entertainment. the Mississippi State University Student The failure to override the veto ensures Association senate failed to override a this procedure will remain in place for the presidential veto regarding the creation of upcoming year. SA president Rhett Hobart, who vean ad hoc committee to make decisions toed the resolution on Feb. 8, said in his related to the 2012 Bulldog Bash. notice of veto that he did For the first time in not support the comnearly a decade, the mittee because he feels it SA senate petitioned is important for the SA for a special session in president and director of an attempt to overexternal events to have ride the presidential the ability to make the veto. For a veto overdecisions related to the ride to occur, a twoannual concert. thirds majority of the Many SA senators total senate members, said they felt strongly or 32 votes, in favor about the creation of of the override was the ad hoc committee in necessary. order to uphold the high The proposed veto standard MSU students override failed to HUDSON FREY, expect from Bulldog meet the two-third Bash. majority with only SA SENATOR SA senator Hudson 27 votes in favor of the override, three votes against it and Frey said he felt the committee was prothree senators abstaining from the vote. posed to help begin the planning process for Bulldog Bash during the transition Not all senators were present. According to SA senator Courtney between the current and future executive Harris, Resolution 29 would create an ad committee and cabinet members. hoc committee of seven members from “I think we are just making sure that the Student Association to begin the pre- during this transition period before those planning steps of this year’s Bulldog Bash new members take their role that deciprior to the new SA president and cabinet sions will be made with equal opportumembers taking office in March. nity given to everybody,” Frey said during Traditionally, the SA president and the the session. BY LINDSAY MCMURTRAY
“I think we are just making sure that ... decisions will be made with equal opportunity given to everybody.”
SEE SENATE, 2
READERʼS GUIDE CAMPUS CALENDAR...................2 BAD DAWGS..............................3 OPINION ...............................4 CONTACT INFO...................... 4
POLICY LIFE.............................. ........6 CROSSWORD...............................5 CLASSIFIEDS.......................... 5 SPORTS....................................8
BASEBALL, 7
SEE DEBATE, 3
Hamilton remembered, treasured
ZACK ORSBORN | THE REFLECTOR
SA Senate fails to override veto
Candidates for Mississippi State University’s Student Association Executive Council were given the opportunity to expound on platforms and present ideas Wednesday night during a debate in McCool Hall’s Rogers Auditorium. The two candidates for president, Shelby Balius and Morgan McDowell, both addressed the need for improvement in several areas in Student Association and at MSU. Balius, senior management major, said better transparency in SA and the increased use of the SA’s public relations resources is key to showing students the impact the group can have. “Having a press secretary as one of the appointments, as opposed to the structure that we have now, I feel would channel the resources we have better,” she said. McDowell, junior marketing major, went outside SA and pointed to the Sanderson Center as one of the places needing the most improvement at MSU, especially with the growing enrollment. “Every time you go to the Sanderson Center to work out it’s always packed,” he said. “The Sanderson Center definitely needs to be enlarged, and we need to get some new equipment in there.” McDowell also stressed the importance of the revitalization of the Difference of One campaign, a website that helps students find the right on-campus organization for them.
Film festival continues BY LIZZIE SMITH Contributing Writer
The Magnolia Independent Film Festival continues until Saturday at State Theatre showing a variety of short films from Mississippi to international filmmakers. Ron Tibbett made his own film and upon having no way for people to see it, decided to start his own film festival in 1997, making it the oldest in Mississippi. The festival is known for its Southern hospitality separating it from other film festivals. Each filmmaker, once selected, is invited to stay in Starkville for free. The filmmakers will stay in Hotel Chester and will visit downtown restaurants. Head director Glen Bryant wanted to use the State Theatre because of its location. “It (is) reminiscent of the old movie theater. It has character and plus it has a bar,” Bryant said. Last year, the festival averaged 170 people per night. This year they’re expecting at least 200
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to show up. Previously, the films shown have been from filmmakers from Czech Republic and Germany, as well as from many places around Mississippi such as West Point, Clarksdale and Tupelo. When speaking about the festival, head director Glen Bryant said everyone involved in hosting the event are film lovers. “We want to help advance Mississippi filmmaking,” he said. Bryant said none of them dabble in their own filmmaking. Upon selecting which films make it into the festival, they just go with age-old question: Would we want to watch this film? They make sure that everyone watching would appreciate the movie itself and that the content is appropriate for the Starkville community. Bryant and his assistant director, Elaine Peterson, said that all involved are great films but some of their personal favorites include: “Zombie Pickles from Space” and “Illumination”. SEE FILM, 3
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Partly Cloudy
MSU employee died Monday BY MEGAN MCKEOWN News Editor
A black wreath now hangs on the office door of a deceased Mississippi State University employee. Deborah Hamilton was 53 when she passed away in a car accident Monday afternoon. Greg Merchant, Lowndes County Coroner, said she was pronounced dead on the scene. “She was driving her vehicle and exited off of Highway 82. (She) was crossing the southbound lane (of Highway 45 Alternate) when she was struck on the driver’s side,” he said. Merchant said Hamilton’s daughter, Temeria Poe, was with her in the accident and sustained serious injuries. He said the entire family was devastated by the tragedy. Mike Harris, director of parking operations and Deborah’s friend, said she was the manager of laundry operations in the Roberts Building next to Parking Services. He summed up how her coworkers were handling the news with a few words. “They’re shocked. Absolutely shocked,” he said. Harris said he spoke with Deborah before she left on the day of the accident.
SEE HAMILTON, 2
SUNDAY
SATURDAY HIGH
64 45 LOW
Rainy
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Sunny
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