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The
FRIDAY
FEBRUARY 24, 2012
125TH YEAR | ISSUE 36
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THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIVERSITY SINCE 1884
House Bill 26 calls for increased alcohol-content allowance BY CANDACE BARNETTE Staff Writer
A new bill could increase the alcohol limit of beers sold in Mississippi from 5 percent to 8 percent. Representative David Baria has authored House Bill 26 for the past five years. He said if the bill passes, it would be beneficial by providing more choices to consumers. “There’s close to 300 beers you can’t get in the state,” he said. “This would improve the selection and give people a lot more to choose from.” A bill like this could be putting Mississippi in an even playing field with the other states. Baria said Mississippi currently has the lowest limit on alcohol in the country. He said the bill would also benefit retail-
ers, and since writing the bill, he has discovered its passage would also help breweries. “These beers with higher alcohol content are more expensive, which leads to greater profit,” he said. “I have also discovered since writing the bill that Lazy Magnolia Brewery in Mississippi has to turn away business because of the current limit.” Lazy Magnolia Brewery, in Kiln, is the only packaging brewery in the state. Mark Henderson, an owner of Lazy Magnolia, said their brewery supports any legislation that would support culture related to beer. He said when it comes to the passage of this particular bill, the numbers speak for themselves. “It would generate an immediate economic impact,” he said. “The 5 percent
limit cuts out 30 percent of our existing business.” Henderson said the increased business would create even more positions for employment at Lazy Magnolia. “If passed, the bill would also add an additional seven jobs at the brewery,” he said. Henderson said an increased limit on alcohol would also make a difference in the vitality of the beer. “Beer has a very short shelf life,” Henderson said. “However, like wine, beers with higher alcohol content have a much longer shelf life, which would be especially helpful when sales are slower.” The bill has also raised some concerns over the already prevalent amount of alcohol-related crimes and accidents.
SEE ALCOHOL, 2
MICAH GREEN | THE REFLECTOR
Patrons of Bin 612 enjoy a beer on Thursday afternoon. Beer drinkers across the state will have a much wider selection if House Bill 26 passes.
Tweeting for the city BY HANNAH ROGERS Editor in Chief
In order to promote progression in Starkville, the Convention and Visitors Bureau and Main Street Association will host a Twitter Town Hall Monday from 8 to 10 p.m. Haley Montgomery, a marketing consultant for the Starkville Convention & Visitors Bureau who manages the online and social media for the Greater Starkville Development Partnership, said his @mscollegetown Twitter account will moderate the town hall. Participants can join in the discussion using the hashtag #Starkville2012 to discuss how they would like to see the city grow. “We want it to be a transparent outlet for (people) to share their ideas in a positive way,” she said. The town hall was conceived after a Twitter conversation on Monday discussed the role of Starkville as a college town and community, Jennifer Gregory, chief operating officer for the Greater Starkville Development Partnership, said. “It started out in a negative way. We (the SCVB and Main Street Association) decided it was important to hear discussion,” she said. “We want to be viewed as openminded and progressive … There needed to be an organized way for (discussion) to be done.”
Social media bridges gaps, even in small towns ZACK ORSBORN | THE REFLECTOR
Local businesses take advantage Using social media to cope BY HANNAH ROGERS Editor in Chief
Shane Reed joined Twitter in July 2008 and just started playing around. He didn’t expect it to be a part of Strange Brew Coffehouse’s business — he just wanted to engage with fellow Bulldogs and customers and talk about Mississippi State. Reed, founder and CEO of Strange Brew, said the way it took off has been crazy. A little over a week ago, Strange Brew reached over 5,000 followers on Twitter — a landmark that led to the business’s followers to receive a discount on their drinks for mentioning the tweet. “It completely blows my mind,” he said. “In the beginning, I just started tweeting, and I didn’t expect it to be this big. It was pretty lonely for about a year.
There were a few early adopters in Starkville … It was really cool because I could engage with them and talk with them.” Strange Brew is no stranger to social media. Reed created a Facebook page before the coffeehouse opened its doors. Since then, he has become a prominent businessman on Twitter, has a Google+ account and uses Pinterest and Instagram to promote the business. Reed also started Social Brew, which is a media firm that educates and helps businesses manage social media, because of the necessity social media now plays in communicating with customers. “When it comes to business, interacting with the community, you have to do it now,” he said. “We want to go in and help small businesses get comfortable with Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest … and be a part of the community.” SEE SOCIAL, 2
BY LACI KYLES Staff Writer
Mourning death has always been an important process for those who remain. Web-based social networking, on the other hand, is a relative newcomer to this human experience, but people around the world and across campus are using sites like Facebook and Twitter to actively grieve and create ever accessible
SEE TOWNHALL, 3
memorials of their loved ones. JaNae’ Taylor, Student Counseling Services staff counselor, said using social networking sites such as Facebook or Twitter can be more helpful than hurtful when used as a means of coping with the loss of someone. “I think Facebook can be helpful,” she said. “Oftentimes, we want to connect with others during a difficult time. Social media is a way to feel an instant connection.” SEE FACEBOOK, 3
Student Lobbying Association takes cowbells to the Capitol BY HAYLEE BURGE Contributing Writer
COURTESY PHOTO | MSU STUDENT LOBBYING ASSOCIATION
MSUʼs Student Lobbying Association traveled to the Capitol hoping to help legislators put a face to higher education at MSU and presented government officials with cowbells.
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Mississippi State University’s Student Lobbying Association went to the state Capitol on Feb. 16, and presented government officials with 24-karat gold cowbells. Rhett Hobart, Student Association president, said every year, MSU’s Student Lobbying Association travels to the capitol in Jackson to meet legislators and talk to elected officials about higher education, especially as it pertains to MSU. This was the fourth year for MSU to take SLA to the capitol, and 25 people in all made the trip.
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Hobart said the MSU SLA is part of the Bulldog Interest group, and its primary goal is to seek out the government and put a face to higher education at MSU. This trip is beneficial because it enables the government officials to meet MSU students and represent the school at a higher level. “I thought that this year’s Cowbells to the Capitol was a great way for students to get to know our legislature and to put a face to our university,” Hobart said. “This was a great opportunity for us to express our goal for continued funding and also our support for Mississippi and our state universities.” Hobart said the association started
the morning by meeting with Hayley Barbour, former governor of Mississippi. Barbour was presented with a golden cowbell which he rang in the rotunda. Speaker of the House Phillip Gunn was also presented with a golden cowbell. He chose to ring his on the floor of the House. The final golden cowbell was given to Governor Phil Bryant. Hobart said these golden cowbells were gifts from the office of MSU’s president, but they also presented miniature cowbells to over 50 alumni on the floor of both the House and Senate and were courtesy of MSU’s Alumni Association. SEE COWBELLS, 3
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