RISING
RAP
TRIPLE MARCH MADNESS
LIFE | 7
FRIDAY
MARCH 22, 2013
NCAA Sports / 7
FACE-OFF
SPORTS | 9
Reflector The
REFLECTOR-ONLINE.COM 125TH YEAR | ISSUE 42
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THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIVERSITY SINCE 1884
MSU introduces Three-Year Degree program, begins fall 2013 BY HILLARY LAPLATNEY Staff Writer
Beginning this fall, Mississippi State will give students the option to graduate in a shorter than traditional time period with the Three-Year Degree program. The Three-Year Degree program gives students a semes- Gilbert ter-by-semester curriculum to follow which will help with early graduation. Depending on students’ circumstances, the program will include six fall/spring semesters and two summer semesters.
Jerry Gilbert, provost and executive president, said he is excited about the implementation of the Three-Year Degree program. “The program indicates that we are thinking about serving our students and giving them options for completing their degree,” Gilbert said. Gilbert said there is not a “formal” admittance into the program. Students whose degrees offer a three-year curriculum will be able to discuss with their advisers whether or not the program is right for them. “(Students) will sit down and see the timing of the courses and really study if they think they can handle a year-round school year,” Gilbert said. “It won’t be something for everyone. Some people will need the extra time and breaks
during the summer, but I think there are some students who are motivated enough to complete the program.” Gilbert also said there are currently 25 degrees offered within the Three-Year Degree program. “When we first contacted the colleges, we had about half of the number (that we have now),” Gilbert said. “I think there has been a certain momentum build-up in some of the degree programs. I think people have more fully appreciated the benefits and gone back and realized they want to benefit students in their program.” Anne Marshall, undergraduate adviser for the history department, said her department is included in the program.
“Because of the way the history curriculum is structured, students have quite a bit of choice about when they can take our upper-division classes,” Marshall said. “I think a major like history lends itself better to three-year time frames than some of the other majors.” Marshall said she believes the program is a great option for students who are committed to working hard. “Obviously it’s a lot of commitment to go to school year-round,” Marshall said. “I do think that one of the reasons this might be a good option is that we have seen an increase in our summer classes in the last few years at the university, which indicates that there is a lot of interest in going (to school) year-round.” SEE PROGRAM, 4
Friday last chance to order Reveille BY ALIE DALEE Staff Writer
Mississippi State University’s official yearbook, The Reveille, is back to chronicle another year. A tradition spanning over 100 years, The Reveille serves as a time capsule for campus life at MSU. Jen Nguyen, editor in chief of The Reveille, said the minimum quota of yearbooks to sell this year is 1,000 copies. Currently there are only 380 purchased copies of the annual. “Honestly, if we don’t sell 1,000 (copies) we will not go to print,” Nguyen said. The deadline to purchase a copy of The Reveille is this Friday. Nguyen also said the 500th and 1000th person to purchase this year’s edition of The Reveille will receive a cowbell signed by Dan Mullen. Students can purchase a yearbook or obtain additional information at reveille.msstate.edu. For updates on The Reveille students can follow @msureveille on Twitter.
COURTESY PHOTO | MSU LIBRARIES
Jeff Barnhart performs at last year’s Ragtime Jazz Festival. This year’s festival will feature Barnhart once again, along with several other ragtime musicians.
MSU hosts seventh annual Ragtime Jazz Festival BY ALIE DALEE Staff Writer
This weekend Mississippi State University will host the seventh annual Charles Templeton Ragtime Jazz Festival. Mitchell Memorial Library and the Charles Templeton, Sr., Music Museum sponsor the festival. The festival will host musical artists beginning at 7:30 p.m. in McComas Hall. All performances are free to MSU students. A unique form of American music, ragtime historically preceded the introduction of jazz. Ragtime is characterized by its distinct syncopation and its derivation
from reggae and African music. Stephen Cunetto, Ragtime Festival co-chair, said there will be some interesting additions to this year’s lineup. “We’ll have Frederick Hodges, one of the performers, playing and accompanying a silent film. That’s not an opportunity you get to see everyday,” Cunetto said. The film accompaniment will take place Saturday at 1 p.m. Additionally, Cunetto said the festival will feature the headlining ragtime musicians in the Templeton Room. “The performers are sitting in the museum, the Templeton room, and we have two pianos set up and they
are going to be able to talk about their music, their life, their career and play different pieces that mean a lot to them,” Cunetto said. “It’s kind of an informal, unplugged performance.” The jazz performances will take place Friday and Saturday night. Friday night’s performance will be Jeff Barnhart and Brian Holland. Frederick Hodges and Sonny Leyland will conclude the festival Saturday evening. Cunetto also said the festival is a great opportunity for students to expand their music knowledge and explore MSU’s museum collection. “I know seeing ragtime or hearing ragtime might not sound like it’s the
most fun, but when students come out and hear it, they’ll really get enthusiastic about it,” Cunetto said. “And it’s an opportunity to learn more about the museum and the collection the university owns.” Caleb Holder, sophomore biological engineering major, attended the festival last year and said it was a great experience. “I think students should go because there are really good musicians. I really liked when the two musicians would play at the same time. It was really cool,” Holder said. Those interested in going can find additional information and complete schedule of events at library.msstate. edu/ragtime/festival/schedule.html.
Former United States Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to speak at free lecture BY JAMES TOBERMANN Staff Writer
Former United States Secretary of State and Stanford University professor Condoleezza Rice will deliver an address on campus Tuesday, March 26 as part of Mississippi State University’s Global Lecture Series. According to a University Relations press release, Rice’s lecture will be a free event and held in Humphrey Coliseum at 7 p.m. The event requires tickets and students may obtain them from the Center for Student Activities in Suite 314 of the Colvard Student Union or the Barnes & Noble Campus Bookstore. Sid Salter, director of the Office of COURTESY PHOTO | THE REFLECTOR MSU’s Global Lecture series presents Rice as the next speaker. University Relations, said in a telephone
READER’S GUIDE
BAD DAWGS..............................4 OPINION ...............................5 CONTACT INFO.......................5 BULLETIN BOARD...................6
CROSSWORD .................. ..... 6 CLASSIFIEDS...........................6 LIFE....................................7 SPORTS.................................10
POLICY
ANY PERSON MAY PICK UP A SINGLE COPY OF THE REFLECTOR FOR FREE. ADDITIONAL COPIES MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE MEYER STUDENT MEDIA CENTER FOR 25 CENTS PER COPY.
interview that he will moderate a question-and-answer session for about half an hour after Rice’s speech. Salter said questions for Rice may be submitted via social media, and anyone following the university Facebook or Twitter accounts will receive an invitation. Salter said the Office of University Relations will strive to select a body of questions that is a reasonable representation of the local populace. “We will select a representative list of questions from the students, faculty, every segment of campus and do our best to make it fair and equitable,” he said. Salter said the Global Lecture Series is sponsored by numerous sectors of the university, including the Division of Student Affairs, the Office of the Vice Pres-
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ident of Student Affairs, the Center for Student Activities Office, the President’s Office and the MSU Foundation. Salter also said the Global Lecture Series has been successful in bringing prominent speakers in the field of international relations to MSUs campus in recent years. “Prior speakers in programming of this nature have included former Secretary of State Colin Powell and former South African President and Nobel prize winner F.W. de Klerk,” he said. Salter said hosting speakers of Rice’s caliber require careful attention to security concerns as well as the requests of the speaker. Salter added the university is required to prohibit most recording devices in the Humphrey Coliseum Tuesday night and will enforce this policy. SEE RICE, 4
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NEWS
FRIDAY , MARCH 22 , 2013
THE REFLECTOR
Student Association provides representation BY HANNAH ROGERS Editor in Chief
Student Association representatives, as part of their duties, attend campus subcommittee’s meetings across campus in order to provide a student voice. Three years ago, in a committee which dealt with transportation and made recommendations to the Parking and Transit Services department and Mississippi State administration and included faculty and support staff as members, a change was proposed and passed to alter the parking fines structure on campus for students. This proposal would have more than doubled the price of student parking tickets. Because this recommendation was proposed on the committee amidst a transition period for SA councils, members were not present at this particular meeting. A member of SA exec became aware that this recommendation had passed the committee and was moving forward to be proposed to campus officials and parking services. Recognizing the impact this possible amendment to the system would have on the general student body, the SA member approached campus officials on behalf of the student body, which led to the recommendation being thrown out. Rhett Hobart, former SA president, said that he used this moment to illustrate to
his former staff the importance of SA. portant function of the organization is to give “Leading up to that entire time before the students a voice. SA representative spoke, everything looked “You simply have to have one narrow focus like it was going to be recommended … not that the SA addresses or that you engage the to say that would ever happen, (and) it could SA in and persuade them to address … and have gotten stopped in other ways as well, but that makes a difference,” he said. “Every comthe role that the SA has in so many meetings mittee and every meeting is not going to be across campus, no matter what level that the a forum … you can’t send everybody, so you meetings are, is oftentimes very underestimat- send representatives. … People want to know ed,” he said. “A lot of people have this nega- what students think. Those are student issues tive perception of what the that we address. … Student Not everything SA does because they don’t members are critical (to benefits every student standing committees). … see things oftentimes, but so many things that the SA And I think the average stuin every situation. I does are things you’ll never dent probably doesn’t know can’t imagine there see because they never hapthat.” are not several things pen, and it’s stopping things Shelby Balius, SA presithat the SA has done dent, said an SA member sits that could possibly happen through subcommittees that would not benefit on executive council, dean’s across campus that could every student to some council and associate dean’s negatively affect students or council, all three of which degree.” making things happen that are the approving bodies of Eddie Keith benefit students.” academic operating policies As part of the president and deal with issues such as Associate Dean of and executive council’s duclass attendance, course fees, Students ties to represent the student the honor code and teacher body, they meet with the mayor of Starkville, evaluations. the university president and the provost, as The work the SA does with the university, well as other officials, at least once a month. which is all-encompassing, is hard for the averHayden Nix, director of Environmental Af- age student to fully understand, she said. fairs on cabinet, said he interprets the impres“I think that the tangibility of being able to sion from students as they do not understand see or being able to attend an event makes it the SA does play a vital role in the different much easier for a student to see the programaspects of university policies and life. In order ming side of the Student Association, but you to fight this perception, he said cabinet talks also look at the advocacy we do for students about ways to get students involved on cam- and the projects that we do when it comes to pus. academic policies or operating policies within “(The perception of students toward the SA the university, students are not able to see the can change by) getting the knowledge out to progress we are making with those for two reashow people that the Student Association is sons,” Balius said. “One, it does not directly here for the students and not just necessarily an show itself in their daily life. But also, the inioperation that happens in the background and tiatives we are working on and the projects we has no affiliation with student life … I want do with these policies, takes such a long time to show people we are here for them,” he said. … we are a generation of instant gratification. Eddie Keith, associate dean of students, said And that is one of the biggest challenges this if a student has a particular interest or cause, organization faces.” he or she is not required to run for office to be Moving teacher evaluations online, for exan integral part of the SA because the most im- ample, will remain an ongoing process that has
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been a part of past administrations and will be carried on throughout the next several administrations. In order to achieve a long term goal, she said, several short-term objectives need to be constructed. “Our first short-term goal was getting the teacher evaluations piece up for review. Then, it was revisiting with the teacher evaluations committee the effectiveness of the evaluations at that point. Then, it became we want to put the evaluations online to save money, to be more efficient, to make them more accessible to students and, hopefully, increase the response rate by students,” she said. “That particular short-term goal, we accomplished this past semester, and now this semester there will be a small group of faculty members that will pilot the system.” These faculty members will most likely be those who teach multiple sections of a class and then have one section’s evaluations go online and one section’s be in person to compare response rates to test the effectiveness of the system before the entire process is converted to online. When working on a project such as this or a syllabus bank, which was another item on Balius’s presidential platform, she said policy affects so many groups on campus that until each of those publics can be served and are on the same page, the SA cannot gain any ground. “It’s a matter of informing them, it’s a matter of getting buy in from them, and then it’s a matter of getting the work done,” she said. Each new administration faces the challenge of a steep learning curve, which further stunts the time each executive council has to work on projects. Transition, the time period in which the current administration passes information to the next, becomes essential because most projects cannot be carried out in a year. Along with transition, by having repeating members on executive councils from year-to-year, help complete short-term goals that will serve longterm projects. “I think that’s part of the reason why we’ve had such great success on many initiatives in
the last five or six years — because each president that’s been elected has served on executive council the year before,” she said. Balius said another challenge in working on executive council is the unknown terrain that comes with the job. Neon Trees, for example, canceled playing at Bulldog Bash this year 17 days out from the event. “I’m sitting here now a year later, and I had all of these goals coming into the presidency, all of the things that were on my platform that I have worked for sure, definitely have made steps in the positive direction for each ... Little did I know until I got into the position, how long term these initiatives would be,” she said. “It’s still something that you have to prioritize your time in — what you’re going to spend time on by how many people it’s going to affect.” Keith said there is a two-edged sword in the SA promoting the advocacy and work it does for students — some may see it as resume padding, even though SA members are trying to explain their relevance to the student body. “Not everything benefits every student in every situation. I can’t imagine there are not several things that the SA has done that would not benefit every student to some degree,” he said. “When you’re a part of it, you feel frustrated because people don’t know and want to extol your virtues and yet that comes across outsiders so to speak as self-aggrandizing in some way.” Hobart said on many university campuses, student governments do not have the same involvement as MSU’s SA, which may be one reason students do not realize the level of involvement SA officials have. “(Involvement has) really grown here, and I think that’s because the university really respects the opinion of the SA and that we do everything in our power to best represent the interest of students,” he said. “I think you will see that apathy continues to lessen. I think you’ll continue to see more students continue to feel more engaged with the Student Association and realize we are presenting their concerns.”
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REFLECTOR-ONLINE.COM
NEWS
FRIDAY , MARCH 22 , 2013
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Welcome Back Bash! What:
Join us for a crawfish boil, outdoor movie by the lake, plus a chance to catch some cash in a $2,000 cash cube and win an iPad Mini, Nikon camera or 6 month free rent!
When:
Friday, March 22 Crawfish boil @ 6:00 p.m. and movie @ 7:30 p.m.
Where:
Lakeside Student Living
662.323.3331 1300 Old Highway 12 662.323.3331 Starkville, MS 39759lakesidestudentliving.com lakesidestudentliving.com Bring your lawn chair and/or a blanket for the movie.
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FRIDAY , MARCH 22 , 2013
NEWS
THE REFLECTOR
BAD DAWGS
Monday, March 18 • 1:03 p.m. An employee passed out at the Sanderson Center. The subject refused transport to OCH. • 9:12 p.m. Bully Patrol reported damages to the shuttle bus gate on Sorority Row.
Tuesday, March 19 • 11:01 a.m. An employee reported a wheel lock missing from a vehicle. • 11:05 a.m. A resident of the city/county reported her vehicle was damaged while parked at the Technology Institute parking lot. • 7:35 p.m. Student referrals were issued for causing a disturbance in Critz Hall.
Wednesday, March 20
PROGRAM The program benefits students who wish to graduate early for financial purposes, students who are hoping to enter the workforce earlier and students who have a desire to move onto graduate school more quickly. Lauren Haley, junior biological sciences major, said she thinks the program is a great option.
RICE
ZACK ORSBORN | THE REFLECTOR
continued from 1 “If I was an incoming freshman whose degree was offered in the Three-Year Degree program, I would definitely take advantage of the opportunity,” Haley said. “I think it’s a great opportunity for students to get their education in a shorter time.” More about the Three-Year Degree program can be found at threeyeardegree.mssstate.edu.
• 1:17 p.m. A student reported his book bag was stolen from the Mitchell Memorial Library. • 1:24 p.m. A student reported his book bag was stolen from the Perry Cafeteria. • 4:57 p.m. A student was reported jumping the fence at the Recplex near the Scales Building when the gate was locked. • 5:54 p.m. A student reported receiving harassing phone calls from an unknown subject. • 7:05 p.m. Students were issued student referrals for fighting in Evans Hall. • 8:51 p.m. A student was arrested on Highway 182 for minor in possession of alcohol. • 10:30 p.m. A non-resident/visitor was issued a justice court citation for possession of marijuana in South Hall parking lot. A student was issued a student referral.
Citations: • 10 citations were issued for speeding. • 3 citations were issued for disregard of a traffic device. • 1 citation was issued for driving the wrong way on a one-way street.
continued from 1
“The university has a contractual obligation to limit recording devices of any kind,” he said. “We’re asking that people don’t record on their cell phones or anything else. No cameras or recorders will be allowed in the Hump.” Salter said Rice’s office has not announced the topic of her speech, but the general theme of her lecture will likely involve current and future interactions between the U.S. and the rest of the world. “By the very nature of the Global Lecture Series, the expectation is that the speech will be about how the United States relates to the rest of the world in a global economy,” he said.
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OPINION
EDITORIAL
FRIDAY , MARCH 22, 2013
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the voice of MSU students
THE SNITCH | HANNAH ROGERS
Alabama’s Crimson White Newspapers face ethical challenges, we faced with ethical dilemma must improve preventing trust violations
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e, the editorial board of The Reflector, were disappointed to find out a reporter from the University of Alabama’s student newspaper, The Crimson White, fabricated sources in numerous news stories since January of this year. As a result, the reputation and integrity of The Crimson White has been placed under scrutiny. The reporter, freshman and journalism major Madison Roberts, was removed from the staff after admitting on March 13 that she fabricated sources. She made up names of students, professors, years and majors and quoted nearly 30 students in her articles who could not be found in school directories or on social media. This information was presented in a news article directly from The Crimson White. The Crimson White removed her stories from its website and released a statement about the ordeal from Editor in Chief Will Tucker on March 20, one week after the discovery and confession of the fabricated stories. As a student publication, we understand the consequences of human error. Staff writers of The Reflector have accidentally misquoted sources or presented false information from time to time. These errors usually happen in innocence, and The Reflector addresses the problems by running corrections and taking further action if necessary. Roberts said in an email to the editors at The Crimson White, “I made a mistake. I knew it could affect the CW as a whole, and I apologize to those I hurt,” she wrote. Tucker said in an email the reason the staff waited a week to publish the discovery of the fabricated stories in order to report more objectively. “We waited to publish this to thoroughly finish our review. I knew it was risky, because of the damage we could have taken had someone else found out and published it before we did, but I wanted to be sure about everything,” he wrote. While she may be very remorseful for her actions, we disagree that her judgments were a mistake. She made a decision to create sources; fabrication is not a human error. Fabrication is a deliberate, conscious decision to create something untrue. Fabricating is lying, and lying immediately breaks the trust a journalist establishes with his or her readers. Journalists, including students, have the responsibility of seeking and presenting the truth. The truth can be inconvenient; sometimes sources are difficult to get in touch with; sometimes we don’t always get the right quote we had in mind for a story. But never, under any circumstance, situation or pressure, should we lie about information and present it as truth. Journalists have the responsibility of presenting the truth as well as protecting their sources. When one compromises the integrity of a story by creating false sources, he or she also compromises the protection and respect of the actual people he or she may have interviewed. Roberts wrote stories about things like bullying, which is already a sensitive topic that could compromise the protection and safety of a source. The Crimson White now faces the process of regaining the trust of its readers because of one reporter’s decision to not tell the truth. We hope this fiasco will serve as a wake-up call to journalists everywhere to always choose the path of truth, no matter the circumstance.
*** The Reflector editorial board is made up of opinion editor Mary Chase Breedlove, news editor Emma Crawford, campus news editor John Galatas, sports editor Kristen Spink, entertainment editor Zack Orsborn, copy editors Rachel Burke and Candace Barnette, multimedia editor Eric Evans, managing editor Kaitlyn Byrne and Editor in Chief Hannah Rogers. Photo edior Kaitlin Mullins did not participate in this editorial. The
Reflector Editor in Chief Hannah Rogers
Managing Editor Kaitlyn Byrne
Life Editor Zack Orsborn
Multimedia Editor Eric Evans Sports Editor Kristen Spink
Campus News Editor John Galatas
Photography Editor Kaitlin Mullins
Copy Editor Candace Barnette
News Editor Emma Crawford
Opinion Editor Mary Chase Breedlove Copy Editor Rachel Burke
CONTACT INFORMATION
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Editor in Chief/Hannah Rogers
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/Kaitlyn Byrne 325-8991 managing@reflector.msstate.edu News Editor/Emma Crawford 325-8819 news@reflector.msstate.edu News tips/John Galatas 325-7906 news@reflector.msstate.edu Opinion Editor/Mary Chase Breedlove opinion@reflector.msstate.edu Sports Editor/Kristen Spink 325-5118 sports@reflector.msstate.edu Life Editor/Zack Orsborn 325-8883 life@reflector.msstate.edu Photography Editor/Kaitlin Mullins 325-1584 photo@reflector.msstate.edu Advertising sales/Julia Pendley 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.
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week ago, the Univer- because of its coverage of both sity of Alabama’s stu- that incident and the day-todent newspaper The day stories the staff publishes. Crimson White uncovered a More than anything else, scandal inside itself — that the fabricated articles that a freshman reporter had fab- managed to be published ricated multiple sources, in- between Jan. 10 and March cluding professors, for multi- should be a wake up call to ple stories. These stories were all newspapers, including The taken as fact, published and Reflector. some were even featured on The Reflector seeks to pubthe front page. lish the truth, to show mulAlthough it may be easy tiple sides of a story and to to place all the blame on the inform our audience with inreporter Madison Roberts or formation it needs to know. criticize the editors for not And, for the past two years, we catching the deception until have held a writers’ workshop March, the fact remains that at the beginning of the year to this or a similar explain not only case could haphow to write but As journalists, pen at The Realso how to act flector, and it has ethically. we owe it to in the past. And I’ve told our audience These situthe staff if I ever to improve our ations happen caught them fabat professional practices, admit ricating informapapers. In Detion or plagiawhen we are cember of 2012, rizing, I would the Cape Cod publish it on the wrong as soon front page. Times wrote a as we possibly That probably front page apolcan and listen to isn’t the most ogy to its readers — a reporter your voice. More cheerful way to introduce somewas caught fabimportantly, as one to a new job, ricating sources fellow humans, but remaining for features since 1998. Jayson we seek to treat credible is that important. Blair, a journalist our sources and When I bewho worked for readers with lieved we pubThe New York lished an inTimes, resigned respect and accuracy, I after it was disconsideration.” i n v e s t i g a t e d . covered he fabriWhen people cated and plagiarized other journalists’ articles. approached the staff with posNo newspaper staff avoids sible factual errors, we ran a the possibility of incidents of correction if warranted. And unethical behavior, and one we ask that if you disagree unethical person can ruin the with our coverage or believe credibility of a great newspa- we have unintentionally published an error, inform us. If per. As I transitioned into the the newspaper does not seek position of editor in chief in for credibility and accuracy, 2011, The Crimson White there is no point in its exisdealt with the coverage of the tence. In light of this incident, I tornado that devastated Tusand the rest of the editorial caloosa. The staff ’s coverage brought board believe we should look the newspaper national atten- at our policies and see how we tion, informed the commu- can improve so we can prevent nity it sought to serve and, this from happening to us in eventually, won the newspaper the future. After an editorial meeting Wednesday, we demultiple awards. Throughout my time as a cided that in addition to the college student, I have come policies and guidelines that to admire The Crimson White we already have in place to
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assist writers in crafting accurate and balanced articles, we would expand and improve efforts to ensure quality. 1. Communication and education: Although we already hold writers’ workshops and seek to work with writers one-on-one, the staff hopes to effectively communicate why we write. We don’t write to see our names in print. We write to inform and serve. We are not important — the story and the audience is. In order to ensure this purpose is served, therefore, we hope to provide additional training. For example, we hope to have new writers shadow editors or experienced editors before writing their first articles. Although using both a recorder and notes to ensure correct quotes are obtained is stressed, we hope to further push this. In journalism, there’s a saying “If your mother loves you, check it out.” As much as I’m sure my mother would be offended by this, the phrase illustrates an important point. Don’t just trust one person (especially an unreliable source). Confirm statements. Get other sides. 2. Writers now must provide a source contact sheet: From now on, writers must provide a contact sheet of all of their sources, along with a phone number and/or an email address. Several years ago, quotes from a source appeared to be strange, so the news editor called the source to check them out. Turns out, he had been misquoted. The Reflector was lucky that time, but it illustrates the need for accountability and sourcing. 3. All names of all sources will be checked: When the copy editors of The Crimson White caught Roberts’s fabrication, they did so through fact-checking a name spelling. By using the university directory, as well as other sources, we plan to do the same to ensure our sources (especially students) exist. 4. Blind checks: As editors, we will occasionally do blind
HANNAH ROGERS Hannah Rogers is the editor in chief of The Reflector. She can be contacted at opinion@ reflector.msstate.edu. fact checks by calling sources and confirming quotes and information. Although we do not have the man power to do this for every quote in every story, we also want to hold ourselves accountable in the same way that we hold the rest of the university accountable. We, obviously, are not infallible. As a student newspaper, we are a place where journalists develop and learning occurs. Mistakes happen — both grammatical and factual. But we are also a serious media organization which takes its job to inform seriously. We are, as always, open to suggestions from our audience in how we can improve. We exist to serve you and hope to receive feedback — both good and bad — from you in the future. If a mistake is printed, we will do our best to correct it as soon as possible. As cliched as it is, we all are human, but the commitment of the editorial board to act ethically and provide you, the readers, with quality material has not wavered. As journalists, we owe it to our audience to improve our practices, admit when we are wrong as soon as we possibly can and listen to your voice. More importantly, as fellow humans, we seek to treat our sources and readers with respect and consideration. As we implement our new policies and improve our copy editing and fact-checking procedures, we hope to improve our coverage so that we deserve your trust. Thank you for reading, for your support and the opportunity to serve you.
THE GOLDEN THREAD | WENDY MORELL
Pope Francis humble, appropriate leader for Catholics; inherits terrible stereotype
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hen Pope Benedict no fear, people of the world! XVI announced A new pope is here! Surely, popes throughout his intent to resign last month, the public was the ages have served various shocked. Many smelled some- positions in the ebb and flow thing fishier than the official of the world, from fierce (at response, which mentioned times corrupt) political leader the pope’s declining health as to humble and kind religious leader. In modern times, the a central reason. Things got a little bit pope can be seen as more of stranger when it was re- a religious leader and guide leased that the pope would be rather than a political powspending his retirement at the erhouse. The new pope, Pope Vatican, protecting him from Francis, originally from Argentina, is the first Jesuit pope any legal matters. Many people, Catholics and first American pope. (Hey, he’s included, from South respondEntering the papacy America; it ed to the announceamidst child sex abuse counts.) He’s rement via scandal and negative portedly a social mepress for the church, the humble man; dia with the same world should be happy to upon finding out he was question know that while serving appointed to frequentas Cardinal Archbishop the papacy, ing: “The he turned pope can of Buenos Aires, Pope down the car retire?” It Francis presented the had been waiting for about 600 him outside Aparecida Document, elected years since which spoke out against and instead to the last rechild abuse.” take a taxi tirement of to his hotel a pope, so I guess no one can really blame room to collect his things. He chose his pope name people for not knowing that a after Saint Francis of Assisi, pope can, indeed, retire. But if the Catholic Church who is the patron saint of : can do one thing, it is keep a animals, the environment, secret. So we may never truly Italy, merchants, stowaways, know the reason behind the cub scouts, and San Francispope’s withdrawal, but have co, Calif.
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I love reading lists of what saints are patrons of because sometimes they are so random and awesome at the same time, and Saint Francis of Assisi is no exception. But Saint Francis did live a life in poverty, similar to the humble lifestyle Pope Francis has been leading. The pope mentioned at his first audience on March 16 that he chose the name because he is especially concerned with the well-being of the poor. Entering the papacy amidst child sex abuse scandal and negative press for the church, the world should be happy to know that while serving as Cardinal Archbishop of Buenos Aires, Pope Francis presented the Aparecida Document, which spoke out against child abuse, describing it as “demographic terrorism.” The step-down of Pope Benedict XVI ignited conversation, again, about the church’s shady reputation with priests engaging in sex abuse incidents. Some of these people take the bad actions of these few men and use them to fuel a hate campaign against the entire church, not just against those few people who have taken advantage of their power and have done terrible, illegal and disgusting things.
WENDY MORELL Wendy Morell is a senior majoring in communication. She can be contacted at opinion@reflector.msstate.edu. But let us not forget that the size of the Catholic Church — its so large that bad people are bound to be associated with it. And, in the true fashion of media, negative happenings in the church are bound to be highlighted far more than the positive ones. Are there excuses to be made for these men? No. But that doesn’t mean all priests are evil. Look at all the fathers and uncles who have sexually abused their sons, nephews or grandsons. Do we immediately label all parents and family members as pedophiles? No. For people to take out their anger over these scandals on the church as a whole is just irrational. I, personally, would like to extend a warm welcome to the new pope and wish him luck as he sets out to make a positive difference in the world.
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FRIDAY , MARCH
22 , 2013
THE REFLECTOR
AN IN-CLASS DISTRACTION ...
3-22-13
BULLETIN BOARD CLASSIFIEDS POLICY The deadline for Tuesday’s paper is 3 p.m. Thursday; the deadline for Friday’s paper is 3 p.m. Tuesday. Classifieds are $5 per issue. Student and staff ads are $3 per issue, pre-paid. Lost and found: found items can be listed for free; lost items are listed for standard ad cost. HELP WANTED Bartending. Up to $300 / day. No experience necessary. Training available. Call 800.965.6520 ext. 213. FOR SALE 1/2-carat past, present and future engagement ring. Paid $500, will take $300, firm. Call 617.0111 and ask for Angela. Thinogenics: All natural weightloss. Lose five to 10 pounds in the first week. Take only once a day. Contact Brandi Allison at 660.2703 or 279.2737. One month supply for $55. One week supply is $7. FOR RENT Studio one, two three and four bedroom apartments. $375 and up. Close to campus. No pets. Call Barbara at 418.8603.
free announcements in Club Info. Information may be submitted by email to club_info@reflector.msstate. edu with the subject heading “CLUB INFO,” or a form may be completed at The Reflector office in the Student Media Center. A contact name, phone number and requested run dates must be included for club info to appear in The Reflector. All submissions are subject to exemption according to space availability. MSU CATHOLIC STUDENT ASSOCIATION The MSU Catholic Student Association invites you to join us for Sunday mass at 5:30 p.m. at St. Joseph Catholic Church, 607 University Drive. All are welcome to $2 Tuesday night dinner at 6 p.m. in the Parish Hall. Like us on Facebook: facebook.com/msstatecsa THE WESLEY FOUNDATION Insight Bible study and worship Tuesdays at 8 p.m. Wesley Foundation Worship Center, East Lee Boulevard, next to Campus Bookmart. MSU STUDENT CHAPTER OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF MICROBIOLOGY
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Contact msuasm@yahoo.com or like us on Facebook, “MSU ASM,” for membership information. YOGA MOVES CLUB School or work stressing you out? Get moving into Yoga Moves! Try our moves to get into shape and our relaxation techniques to handle the stress. Yoga Moves meets at the Sanderson Center in Studio C, Thursday evenings 5 to 6:30.
Like Yoga Moves Club-MSU on Facebook. SOCIOLOGICAL STUDENT ASSOCIATION The Sociological Student Association is based in the Department of Sociology. Undergraduates of all degrees are welcome. Meetings are held the last Thursday of every month in Bowen Hall Room 250 at 5 p.m. MANIFESTING GLORY Manifesting Glory is currently looking for musicians on a temporary or permanent basis. All who are interested, please call 518.1456. PHILOSOPHY AND RELIGION CLUB Are you interested in talking about the deeper questions of life? If so, come and join us on Thursdays at 5 p.m. in Union Room 227. Email msu. philosophyandreligion.club@gmail.com. HOLMES CULTURAL DIVERSITY CENTER Human Trafficking Fair will feature different student organizations that will have facts and statistics about Modern Day Slavery, free-slave clothing and more. Feb. 26, Feb. 28 and March 4, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the Drill Field. HOLMES CULTURAL DIVERSITY CENTER A 5K run and an optional one-mile run to help raise awareness about human trafficking in the community and surrounding areas. Money will be raised via race registrations and donations. Register at runtorescue.org.
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FRIDAY , MARCH 22, 2013
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7
Life & Entertainment Renowned experts in art,
TYLENA BYAS
television, writing visit Starkville BY DANIEL HART Staff Writer
William Dunlap, Ralph Eubanks and Sam Haskel III are not quite self-help gurus, but they will be offering life lessons and advice at Mississippi State University on Monday, March 25, as men from small Mississippi towns who made lives doing what they love. Coming together in the Robert and Freda Harrison Auditorium in Giles Hall, the trio will be presenting “A Life in the Arts,” a series of presentations and panel discussions on making a life of integrity in the arts, whether in television, writing and publishing or visual arts. Dunlap, MSU’s first artist-in-residence has been a visual artist for over four decades with work in collections such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. As the event’s catalyst, he invited Eubanks and Haskell, both friends of his, to share their stories and professional advice. Dunlap said Monday’s presentation is the pinnacle of his offerings to students this semester. “This is the culmination of my artist-in-residency,” he said. As a graduate of Mississippi College and the University of Mississippi, Dunlap said the transition from academia to a professional career was a subject on which he was never given clear answers. “I always wanted to do this. I always knew what I wanted to do, but I just didn’t know how to go about doing it,” he said. “How do you transfer your academic experience into real life experience?” As two men who moved from Mississippi to pursue the arts on full throttle, Dunlap said Eubanks and Haskell are examples of sticking with a goal and making it happen. “Haskell had a dream from childhood to work in TV, and Eubanks was the same way, interested in writing and publishing. Now he’s got a seat on the front row in the Library of Congress,” he said. Haskell, at one time Worldwide Head of Television at the William Morris Agency in Los Angeles, said he was a walking
TV schedule as a kid growing up in Mississippi. “I used to walk around the streets of Amory with a TV Guide in hand and tell people what was on. I dreamed of going to Hollywood from the time I knew there was a Hollywood,” he said. Having had his hand in shows such as “The Cosby Show,” “Fresh Prince of BelAir” and “Who Wants to be a Millionaire” during his career, Haskell said he began at the bottom rung of the business in the mailroom and climbed the ranks to the board room. Far from techniques or strategies for success, Haskell said he attributes his career in the arts to simply focusing his attention on the way he treated those who crossed his path. “People ask, ‘What does it take to be a good actor, singer, television executive?’ and I believe that first you have to be a good person. Then talent and ability to deal with people comes secondary,” he said. Eubanks, director of publishing at the Library of Congress, has written two books and numerous articles of creative nonfiction on race, civil rights and literature in the South. Also as one who worked his way through the ranks, Eubanks said a job in editing has always allowed him to help others tell their stories. “One wonderful thing about editing is helping someone turn an idea into a book. Someone comes to you with one paragraph and then you talk with them about an entire narrative work,” he said. “I edit, I write, but at the end of the day, I’m a storyteller. That’s the role of the editor.” Eubanks said reading has been a major influence in his life of dealing with written word from the time he was a kid. “I would say from a very early age I was encouraged to read broadly and read deeply. It was reading that changed my life. I think it’s reading that made me a writer,” he said. The presentation is Monday, March 25 at 4:30 p.m. in the Roberta and Freda Harrison Auditorium of Giles Hall.
ERISSE PETERSON
TAILOR ANDERSON
RISING
RAP Female rappers on campus emerge
ZACK ORSBORN | THE REFLECTOR
BY ERIC IRBY Staff Writer
Mississippi State University is known for its sports and highly acclaimed engineering programs, but along with the academia, the rap and hip-hop scene has become more apparent lately. From the popular hip-hop collective, TFG, to solo artist such as Young Hunter, MSU is becoming a respected music menagerie on the college scene. With all the male rappers, though, one starts to ponder: Where are the female emcees? Erisse ‘Petey Planes’ Peterson, Tailor ‘Endian Dope’ Anderson and Tylena ‘Lena’ Byas are interested in not only changing the perception of female artists but also gaining the respect from the boys. Peterson, sophomore philosophy major, already has a lot on her plate. At only 20 years old, she’s currently co-producing her own docu-series, the ground breaking, “Dark Horse.” Few know, but Peterson is also a lyrical force whose rhymes and clever quips would make you both smile and feel intimidated. Peterson said she wishes more female rappers would step up and showcase their talents to prove the girls are just as good as the boys. “The female rappers that are here never try to interact with each other. Like, we don’t assemble ourselves. You never hear about the females getting together,” Peterson said. “You don’t see us having cyphers or putting on performances at Rick’s.” Peterson said if females would put aside their differences and network like the guys, it could actually be something great.
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Byas, sophomore human science major, is known on campus for her impeccable fashion sense, soulful glee and even more powerful soulful voice. Aside from her singing and modeling, she’s a notorious “battle rapper,” known for humiliating men with her lyrical prowess. She said she feels the female rappers are not given as many opportunities in Starkville or on campus. “We aren’t advertised enough. I mean most females rappers I meet, I can’t even take seriously,” Byas said. “For one, the female hip-hop influence right now is really sucky right now. The only person they look up to is Nicki Minaj.” All three emcees rolled their eyes. “But it seems all the ones that actually have something to say are almost extinct,” Byas said. Anderson, sophomore biological sciences major, is not new to the hip-hop game but has recently started to broadcast her talents. With her YouTube videos and mixtape coming out, she said she hopes she can help change the female hip-hop scene on campus. “Like Petey and Lena said, we’re not put out there enough. And most male rappers do not even want to work with you. I think it spawns from intimidation,” Anderson said. Peterson said she believes most men are intimidated because men want to control something. “It’s part of a man’s nature to want to dominate something all together,” Peterson said. “So the thought of a female being able to keep up with (men) lyrically, intimidates them basically.”
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FRIDAY , MARCH 22 , 2013
SPORTS
THE REFLECTOR
Off to their best start in March, Ray, Dogs finish out clutch hitting powers Bulldogs season on positive note a homer on the weekend. The big At 20-6 the Mississippi bats of LenahState softball team is off to an and Foulks its third best start in school were not the history. The Bulldogs’ current only hot bats 13-game non conference win at the plate, Bell streak is also the third best h o w e v e r . in school history, and State’s Redshirt sophomore Briana 11-2 start to March is the best Bell knocked in nine runs start to the month of March and blasted three home runs ever. over the weekend. Bell, who Although the MSU pitch- missed all of last year with a ing staff has received much of torn labrum in her shoulder, the praise this season — de- had hit just two home runs in servedly so as the staff leads her last 86 at bats but now has the SEC in both opponent five long balls in her last 28 batting average and strike- at bats. outs — the Bulldog bats have Assistant coach Alan come alive right when SEC Reach said Bell matured as play begins to heat up. she gained a new perspective Junior catcher Sam Lenah- watching games from the an, who has reached base in dugout last season. 19 consecutive games and is “She’s hungry, focused and third in the SEC in on base more mature,” Reach said. percentage, said the Dogs are “We’ve always believed in clicking at the right time and her. We know she’s got great excited about the upcoming hands, great eyes and good weekend series at No. 21 Ken- physical strength. Her potucky. tential is incredible. I really “I think everyone has re- believe in Bri and her ability ally bought into the process to hit in this league. She’s an and is focused on playing SEC hitter.” one pitch at a Bell creditHer (Bell) potential ed Reach and time,” Lenahan said. “Everyone is incredible. I really assistant coach has really come believe in Bri and her Beth Mullins together. Everyfor helping with ability to hit in this her approach one is finding their barrels, league. She’s an SEC and building and we’ve all her confidence. hitter.” been picking “ C o a c h Alan Reach, each other up Reach and when we’ve Coach Mullins assistant coach needed it, and are absoluteit’s been awesome to watch.” ly amazing. I love them, and Last weekend State bested they’re some of the best hitting College of Charleston twice coaches I’ve had in my entire and Charleston Southern and life,” Bell said. “They’re so scored 12 runs in back-to- energetic, and they teach you back games for the first time and you learn every pitch. Evsince 2007. Lenahan had eight ery at bat they’re feeding you RBIs and a home run, and feedback and sending you conjunior transfer Logan Foulks stant reminders that they’re finished with seven RBIs and confident in you.” BY KRISTEN SPIINK Sports Editor
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In addition to Bell’s return this season, Foulks’s transfer from North Carolina has benefited the Bulldog lineup in numerous ways. Foulks is in the midst of a career-long 13-game hitting streak and leads the team with seven home runs. Batting clean-up behind Lenahan, Foulks forces opposing pitchers to give the hitters in front of her better pitches. Reach said both the presence and production of Foulks have added immensely to the MSU lineup. “Her presence kind of keeps things loose and has the perspective of playing one pitch at a time... That’s helped everyone,” Reach said. “A lot of times one hitter can make a huge difference in a lineup. She’s nowhere near her potential. We’re excited about what she’s doing, but she’s nowhere near where she can be.” If a .683 slugging percentage and a .366 batting average is just the start for Foulks, opposing pitchers will continue to have a tough time getting through the heart of this lineup. With a three-game series at Kentucky starting today, the Dogs will look to continue their hot-hitting against conference pitchers. Mullins said the key to continuing to hit these pitchers is staying consistent. “We talk about it all the time. Just work the process, work the process. We’re not worried about the result. The more you work it, you will get the results,” Mullins said. “We try to put ourselves as if we’re playing in the world series every game, so if you keep that mindset, then you’re going to be as consistent as you can be.”
BY FORREST BUCK Staff Writer
On Thursday of last week, the Mississippi State men’s basketball team played its final game of the season, losing 69-53 in the second round of the SEC tournament to Tennessee. Despite the loss, State still ended what was overall a rough year on a bit of a high note, winning three of its final five games. One of those wins came in the first round of the SEC tournament over South Carolina. The Bulldogs finished the season with an overall record of 10-22 and 4-14 in the SEC. But the season cannot be judged on this team’s record alone. The Dogs played the majority of the season with only seven scholarship players, most of who were freshmen. Injuries took the wind out of the Dogs’ sail from the jump and hindered how effective they could be all season. Some positives did come out of the injuries, including all of the playing time and valuable game experience a lot of the young players gained this season. Freshmen Gavin Ware, Fred Thomas, Trivante Bloodman and Craig Sword all played significant minutes for MSU all season. Ware and Sword were named to the SEC All-Freshman team. Head coach Rick Ray said he was pleased with how his young players progressed throughout the season. “I was really pleased that two of our kids made the all-freshman team, and I think you could have made a case that Fred Thomas could have been part of that as well,” Ray said. “The thing I’m most hapEMMA KATHERINE HUTTO | THE REFLECTOR py with is the improvement Roquez Johnson and the rest of his teammates will return of all our players individually next year for head coach Rick Ray’s second season at MSU. throughout the season.” This past season was Ray’s hard,” Hadley said. “It’s better able to get a medical redshirt first season as the head coach to see a team that plays hard and will be allowed to play anof the Bulldogs and as a head even if they lose than what we other season. Ray said he is excited about coach period. Members of the had to watch with last year’s student body recognized and team, which underachieved having a full roster next season appreciated Ray’s efforts this and had players that did not and the opportunities it will create. play hard.” season. “We have a situation now Even though Junior busiThe thing I’m most this year was where there is going to be a ness administrahappy with is the not a success as lot of competition. A lot of tion major Telvin Hadley said improvement of all our far as numbers guys who played a lot of minRay said he utes this year might not play he also felt like players individually go, believes the fu- as much next year,” Ray said. Ray did the best throughout the ture has bright “I’m going to tell my guys I he could with potential. The don’t decide the playing time; what he had. season.” Bulldogs will they do.” “There were Rick Ray, MSU is expected to have have all of a lot of injuries, their scholar- 13 scholarship players next and the team head coach ship players re- season, almost double the was very young, and despite that, the team turning next season, including amount the Dogs had on most never quit and always played senior Wendell Lewis who was nights this year.
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TRIPLE MARCH MADNESS
SPORTS
FRIDAY , MARCH 22 , 2013
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9
FACE-OFF
Which conference will have the most sweet 16 teams?
Big Ten dominance Big year for Big 12 Three mid majors continue success continues in big dance T
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e are at the end of March, which means the greatest sports tournament in the world, the NCAA Tournament, has begun. This year’s tournament, more than any season in the past few years, is more wide open than ever, as there is no clear-cut favorite. I would not be surprised if no No. 1 seeds made the championship game. The Big Ten is the best conference in basketball this year. It had seven teams from its conference make the Big Dance, the most of any conference. Of those seven teams, five of them have a legitimate chance to make the final four. Indiana, Ohio State, Michigan State, Michigan and Wisconsin are all good enough to make the final four. The Big Ten will have the most teams in the sweet 16, and six of the seven Big Ten teams in the tournament will make the sweet 16. The five teams above and Minnesota, who despite being an 11 seed, will upset No. 6 UCLA and then upset No. 3 Florida. Minnesota was once ranked in the top 10 this season. The Golden Gophers just happened to play in the toughest conference in basketball. This past season, the Big Ten was pretty much equivalent to what the SEC is in football. All of the Big Ten teams I have in the sweet 16 will advance to the elite eight except Michigan State who will lose to Duke. Minnesota also pulls off a huge upset over No. 2 Georgetown, whom I just don’t trust. Ultimately, three Big Ten schools will make the final four.
FORREST BUCK Forrest Buck is a junior majoring in sport pedagogy. He can be contacted at reflectorsports@gmail.com. Ohio State will win the West region, Michigan will win the South region and Indiana will win the East region. The only non-Big Ten School making the final four is Duke, who will be the second best overall team in the nation behind Indiana. Duke only lost one game this season when Ryan Kelly played, and the Blue Devils are the biggest threat not in the Big Ten to win it all. Ultimately, the best two teams in the nation in the championship game, as I have Duke beating Ohio State and Indiana beating Michigan in the final four. It will be a great game, but the Indiana Hoosiers will cut down the nets in 2013. The Hoosiers are the most complete team in college basketball. They are led by Cody Zeller, who is the best big man in college basketball and can affect the game at both ends of the floor, and Victor Oladipo, who is starting to blossom as a player, drawing comparisons to Dwayne Wade. With him on the perimeter and Zeller on the inside plus the competition Indiana has faced in the toughest conference in basketball, Indiana has the best chance of anyone to win the whole thing.
he sleeper conference in this year’s NCAA Tournament is the Big 12. The SEC is weak without Kentucky (and obviously weak if Ole Miss is in), and the ACC’s hype has dropped with the fall of North Carolina. The Big East and Big 10 got all the attention during the season, so while others are busy cheering on St. Louis and Virginia Commonwealth (I mean, come on. How can you pick teams whose mascots are the Billikens and Rodney the Ram?), I’ll be watching the Big 12 dominate the field of 68. Let’s start with Kansas. The Jayhawks have a rather easy walk to the sweet 16, facing either UNC or Villanova, who are both having down years, in their second game. Freshman Ben McLemore, who may be the No. 1 pick in this year’s NBA draft, has more than enough help to get the Jayhawks to the sweet 16. The West region holds the final two sweet 16 teams from the Big 12. Kansas State is being overlooked, which is all the fire the Wildcats need to make a run. Just because they couldn’t hang with Kansas in the Big 12 tournament championship doesn’t mean Rodney McGruder and company can’t handle the pressure. The Wildcats have one of the easier first round matchups against the Explorers of LaSalle (yet another intimidating mascot), and a second round matchup against Ole Miss or Wisconsin could go well for K-State. Plus, first-year head coach Bruce Weber has been to the Big Dance eight previous times and has the experience to lead his team through the West. My final sleeper Big 12 team is the Iowa State Cyclones. At fourth in the nation averaging just under 80 points per game, the Cyclones have “Cinderella” written all over them. During the regular season, they beat Kansas State and lost to Kansas in overtime twice.
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KRISTEN SPINK Kristen Spink is the sports editor of The Reflector. She can be contacted at reflectorsports@ gmail.com. Point guard Korie Lucious leads the Cyclones, averaging about six assists per game. Lucious is better remembered for his days at Michigan State, where he hit a buzzer beater to advance the Spartans to the sweet 16 over Maryland in 2010. MSU lost in the Final Four that year. There’s the postseason experience the Cyclones need. Plus, who can pick against former Minnesota Timberwolves great Fred Hoiberg, who coaches the Cyclones? The fourth Big-12 team in the sweet 16 would be Baylor — no, not the men’s team but the women’s. If Brittney Griner and the Baylor women were in the men’s field, they’d make a run at the sweet 16, but since the Bears will win the women’s NCAA Tournament, there’s some extra hype for the Big-12. I’ll take it even further and pick Kansas State to get to the final four. The sweet 16 match up of Kansas and Michigan may be one of the best games to watch in the whole tournament, and the winner will advance to the national championship against the Florida Gators. I can’t betray the SEC. Billy Donavan has a team very similar to the Joakim Noah/Al Horford team that won back-to-back titles, and the Gators will enjoy “One Shining Moment” and keep the SEC atop men’s basketball for yet another year.
very year when filling out my bracket, I always let one obstacle get in the way when making my selections. I pick with my heart, not my head. But when breaking down this year’s sweet 16 predictions, there are three teams from a particular conference that cannot be ignored who have a strong history of success in the tournament and show promise of making a strong run in the big dance. These teams aren’t found in the powerhouse Big East or the Big Ten. And as much as we want the SEC to be relevant in college basketball, these teams won’t be found there either. Instead, these three teams, Butler, Virginia Commonwealth and St. Louis, play in the underrated Atlantic 10 Conference. Starting in the East region, Butler’s road to the sweet 16 is favorable. The Bulldogs should have no trouble with Bucknell before likely facing Marquette in the next round. Marquette has been less than impressive this season, and Rotnei Clark and Andrew Smith can provide enough offense to give the Bulldogs their third sweet 16 appearance in four years. Shifting over to the South, VCU has the experience and leadership to go deep in the tournament. The Rams played Cinderella in 2010, making it all the way to the final four only to get knocked out by Butler. Head coach Shaka Smart is one of the best coaches in the game, and a veteran team will help them get past Akron and an inconsistent Michigan squad. Finally, in the Midwest region, St. Louis will advance to the sweet 16. The Billikens finished as regular season and conference tour-
JOHN GALATAS John Galatas is the campus news editor of The Reflector. He can be contacted news@ reflector.msstate.edu. nament champions, but if there is any point in the tournament where I pick with my heart, I am guilty of riding this bandwagon. I grew up idolizing basketball coaching legend Rick Majerus, who had a gift of turning around mid-major programs and entering them into national prominence, which was the same case when he took over as Billiken head coach in 2007. In August of 2012, Majerus announced he would take medical leave of coaching, and in November, he ultimately decided he would not be able to return to the position. A month later, Majerus passed away of heart failure. The team honored its coach by finishing the season 24-3 (two of the losses coming in overtime), and playing with heart will take this team a long way. The Billikens allow only 58 points per game and will have no trouble against New Mexico State but will face a tough test when they likely face Oklahoma State. When the whirlwind that will take place over the next two weeks calms and the dust settles, I have St. Louis, New Mexico, Georgetown and Miami as the final four remaining, and I have Miami cutting down the nets in Atlanta.
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SPORTS 10
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friday , march 22 , 2013
TUESDAY, MARCH 12: Baseball defeats Southern Miss 13-5 Softball defeats Jacksonville State 7-2 Men's golf wins the Tiger Shootout
THE REFLECTOR
OVER THE BREAK TIMELINE THURSDAY, MARCH 14: Softball defeats College of Charleston in double-header 8-0, 12-1 Men's basketball falls to Tennessee 53-69 in SEC Tournament
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 13: Men's basketball defeats South Carolina 70-59 in SEC Tournament
SATURDAY, MARCH 16: Baseball falls to LSU 3-7
FRIDAY, MARCH 15: Baseball falls to LSU 4-6, Softball defeats Charleston Southern 12-4 Men's tennis falls to Vanderbilt 3-4, Women's tennis falls to Vanderbilt 1-6
SUNDAY, MARCH 17: Baseball defeats LSU 10-2 Men's golf finishes second in the Seminole Invitational Women's golf ties for eighth in the Sun Trust Gator Invitational Me Men's tennis falls to Kentucky 2-4 Women's tennis falls to Kentucky 0-7 zack orsborn | the reflector
Bulldogs bounce back against Braves, travel to Lexington By Patrick Besselievre Staff Writer
After dropping their first SEC series to the LSU Tigers last weekend, the Mississippi State Bulldogs got back to their winning form Tuesday, defeating the Alcorn State Braves 7-6. The game was not smooth-sailing for the Bulldogs, however, as they had to overcome a 5-0 deficit after giving up four runs in the top of the first inning. Starting RHP Brandon Woodruff only went 0.2 innings, giving up three hits and three earned runs. Head coach John Cohen
said he was disappointed in Woodruff ’s performance but is looking forward to his future at MSU. “Brandon’s last two starts have been rough, but I can tell you he is a very talented young man, and there is no doubt in my mind he is going to be a great pitcher here at Mississippi State,” Cohen said. “He is just going through a tough period right now.” MSU fans were holding their breath after centerfielder C.T. Bradford left the game early with what looked like another injury. Bradford missed most of the season last year with a shoulder injury. Luckily, Cohen said he believes it is nothing serious and Bradford probably could have stayed in the game. “He got hit in the leg the other day, and he had a little pull in his hamstring right in that same area, so we are being a little cautious,” Cohen said. “He felt like he could
ian prester | the reflector
Shortstop Adam Frazier is hitting .415 on the year with six doubles and four triples to lead the way for MSU at the plate. run around out there, but we wanted to get Demarcus (Henderson) in there and just see where he is.”
The Bulldogs will go on their first road series this weekend as they face the No. 8 Kentucky Wildcats (16-4,
2-1 SEC) in Lexington. MSU will certainly be feeding off their two-game win streak this weekend as it seems all the pieces are falling in place for the Bulldogs. One of those pieces is RF Hunter Renfroe, who has been red-hot at the plate the last few games. He is hitting .408 on the year with a team-leading six home runs. He has also been great on the base paths as he is tied with SS Adam Frazier for the team lead with six stolen bases. The Wildcats, however, are not a team to be taken lightly. The Bulldog pitching staff will have to put up with the likes of Kentucky 2B J.T. Riddle who is hitting .378 and Austin Cousino, who is hitting .305 with four HRs on the year. Last weekend, Cousino amassed seven hits in the series against Florida in Gainesville. The Wildcat starting pitching has been phenomenal on the year with all three weekend starters having an
earned run average below 3.00. Wildcat ace, Jerad Grundy, is 4-1 with an ERA of 1.93 with an opposing batting average of .184. All American A.J. Reed will probably be the most versatile player the Bulldogs have faced all season long. Reed is second on the Wildcats team in batting average, hitting .364, and leads the team with five HRs. Reed is also the Friday night starting pitcher for UK, putting up a 2-2 record with a 2.83 ERA. However, the Bulldogs are certainly not intimidated. This Bulldog club has grown a lot over the past few games, and for the most part everyone will be back and healthy for the weekend. Senior Catcher Nick Ammirati said he thinks his team is ready for the challenge this weekend. “I think we are all excited,” Ammirati said. “We have a lot of confidence off the LSU win, and I think we are going to have some fun down there.”