getting reacquainted on the field
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SPORTS I 11
FRIDAY
MARCH 23, 2012
THE HUNGER GAMES LIFE | 7
Reflector The
125TH YEAR | ISSUE 42
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THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIVERSITY SINCE 1884
Starkville organization works to curb poverty rates AT A GLANCE BY LACI KYLES Staff Writer
In a population of 23,888, 35 percent of Starkville residents live below the poverty line. Lynn Phillips-Gaines, Starkville Bridges Out of Poverty founder, said via email that one of the reasons the poverty rate in Starkville appears to be so high is due to the fact that the number of apartments occupied by one or two people with less than $10,000 income. A large portion of
these persons live in apartments within close proximity to Mississippi State University, and one-third of the population may not actually be living in poverty as the numbers imply, she said. Mississippi has 21 percent of its population living below the poverty line, compared to 13.8 percent of the nation’s population, according to the 2010 U.S. Census. Oktibbeha County has a 10 percent unemployment rate, according to the Mississippi Department of Employment Services.
Tequilla Manning, Starkville Bridges Out of Poverty operations administrator, said poverty is misunderstood by members of all social classes. “In our community, poverty is people living paycheck to paycheck and spending more than they make,” she said. “It’s more output than input.” Manning said it is difficult to overcome poverty because in this area especially, it is generational poverty. Dallas Breen, Stennis Institute of Government senior research associate, said
via email while Starkville’s poverty rate is similar to the rates of Oxford and Hattiesburg, Oktibbeha County as a whole suffers due to the lack of diverse job opportunities. “I would say that the fact the county is a typically agrarian-based workforce without the agricultural opportunities would be a key contributor to the county’s poverty rates,” he said. “Adding to the problem is the poor performance of the county schools. Education is key in combatting poverty.”
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JAY JOHNSON & ZACK ORSBORN | THE REFLECTOR
Search begins for replacement BY HANNAH ROGERS Editor in Chief
After Rick Stansbury’s retirement was announced last Thursday, the attention has shifted to searching for a new men’s basketball coach. A search firm based out of Atlanta, Parker Executive Search has been tapped to help with the search. Several reports have surfaced over the past week naming multiple potential replacements. The winningest head men’s basketball
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ZACK ORSBORN | THE REFLECTOR
The three new proposed bus routes will attempt to alleviate parking concerns.
READERʼS GUIDE CAMPUS CALENDAR..................2 BAD DAWGS..............................3 OPINION...............................4 CONTACT INFO......................4
CROSSWORD.............................6 CLASSIFIEDS..........................6 LIFE.....................................7 SPORTS................................12
“In light of that decision, our plan is to build on the solid foundation Coach Stansbury leaves behind at MSU. We will chart a new course that will bring renewed energy and create opportunities for our basketball team to succeed at the highest level,” Keenum said He also said he looks forward to working with Stricklin to find a coach that is passionate, enthusiastic and will meet that challenge. Stansbury said he is thankful for MSU and the Starkville community has done — his time here has been beyond wins and losses; it has been about relationships. “Whoever (Stricklin) hires … he’ll get a good guy. He’ll get a coach better than me,” Stansbury said. Editor’s note: For more articles about Stansbury retiring and the coach search, see sports page 12.
New bus route plans on track
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Last semester, plans for new bus routes were proposed that would connect the Mississippi State University campus to the city of Starkville. At this time, these plans are close to becoming a reality. In the meeting last semester, Mike Harris, director of parking and transportation, and Bill Broyles, assistant vice president of Student Affairs, explained the details of each proposed route and allowed the public to ask questions and voice concerns about them. Broyles stressed the ideas of how this
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would improve parking and traffic congestion on campus in an economically friendly way. He said he still focuses on those aspects now as the plans are coming together. “I think this will reduce the amount of traffic on our streets, relieve some of the parking congestion on campus and result in a cleaner environment for us all,” he said. Two of the routes will allow students to park off campus and ride a shuttle onto campus for little or no cost. These routes are being called the “park and ride” routes.
SEE BUS, 3
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- Numbers may be skewed due to students living in apartments. ZACH ORSBORN | THE REFLECTOR
Reveille makes return News Editor
REGULAR SEASON CHAMPIONSHIP
Stansbury said it was his decision to step down, and he did not make the decision on any certain day. “Do I want to coach again? Right now, I’d say no,” he said. “Right now, all I want to do is spend some time being a better father and help Scott (Stricklin) and Dr. Keenum continue to move this university forward.” Stansbury said he wants to remain a part of MSU and the community and raise his children in Starkville and over the past two years has had no regrets. “Our goal this year was to compete and win a championship. And I’m proud Mississippi State people can believe you can win a championship,” he said. In a statement, MSU President Mark Keenum said Stansbury has elevated the university’s basketball program and will be a part of the university’s history.
- This is above Mississippi’s average of 21 percent.
BY MEGAN MCKEOWN
STANSBURY STEPS DOWN coach ends his 14-year career with a record of 293-165 and said he did not want to stay on until he had warn out his welcome. “We’re at the point in our careers, our lives. I want to go out while we’re still great. I promise you, Meo and I are 100 percent at peace and again, have been blessed for 14 years at this university as head coach,” he said. Even as his career as a coach for MSU comes to an end, Stansbury will continue to have a role at the university, but the specific role has yet to be determined, MSU athletic director Scott Stricklin said. “(There is) no one better at developing individual relationships than Rick is. It’s a true gift,” he said. “I’m not real smart, but I’m smart enough to know when someone has a trait like that. We need to maximize that for our institution.”
- 35 percent of Starkville (out of 23,888) is living below poverty.
Approximately 1,112 Reveilles were ordered by the March 10 deadline to officially allow the printing of the yearbook. Rhett Hobart, Student Association president, said since the minimum number of 1,000 was reached, the deadline to order additional copies has been extended. The date has Hobart not been determined. “We will probably close off sales around the end of March,” he said. Hobart said it is not too late for interested organizations to purchase space in the yearbook. “We’ve had close to 60 organization spaces purchased already,” he said. “If an organization still would like to have space — space is limited — but we would be happy to discuss that with you further. “ Hobart said in previous years, there were advertisements in the back of the yearbook, but this year’s Reveille will not be selling commercialized ads. “That’s the reason the 1,000 number was so important in order to allow us to work out the pricing right,” he said. Hobart said he hopes students will continue to purchase The Reveille each year to memorialize their time in college. “I think it’s a great testament to our student body that they want to restore the university’s traditions,” he said.
Family, friends remember MSU studentʼs life Zack Martin dies in car accident BY CANDACE BARNETTE Staff Writer
Mississippi State University lost a treasured student with an unforgettable smile on March 3. Zachary Neal Martin, of Saltillo, was 24 years old when he lost control of his truck and hit a tree while coming home from Tennessee on Saturday night. Suzan Martin, Zack’s mother, said he was planning to spend the night with a friend, and at the last minute he decided to return home instead. “He was near Selmer, on a road he’d never been on before,” Suzan said. “He got turned around and lost control going over some railroad tracks.” SEE MARTIN, 2
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