Two Bulldogs earn SEC Player of the Week honors
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TUESDAY MARCH 26, 2013
Reflector The
REFLECTOR-ONLINE.COM 125TH YEAR | ISSUE 43
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THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIVERSITY SINCE 1884
MSU brings back campus tradition, plans to restore historic Bullring Landmark design approved, contract bids to be heard this week BY MARY KATE MCGOWAN Staff Writer
COURTESY PHOTO | JIMMY ABRAHAM
After 38 years at MSU, Jimmy Abraham announced his retirement. Abraham most recently served as director of the Alumni Association.
MSU alumni director announces retirement BY JAMIE ALLEN Staff Writer
In 1977, Mississippi State University welcomed a true Bulldog into the family of dedicated faculty and staff, and now 38 years later, after inspiring many students and alumni, Jimmy Abraham retires, remaining ever true to that Maroon and White. Abraham started his work at MSU as residence hall director in Evans Hall and has
worked in many different positions and departments since then. He retires in the position of the associate vice president of Development and Alumni and the executive director of the MSU Alumni Association. In his letter announcing his retirement, Abraham stated how honored and grateful he is to have been able to work at his alma mater for the past 38 years. “There is no way I can
ever thank Mississippi State enough for all this university has given to me – as a student and as a staff member. Nor is there any way I will ever be able to adequately thank all of you for your friendship and support through the years,” Abraham said. Abraham said working here at MSU, what he considers the best university in the country, was the best thing that he could have done.
Camille Young, MSU Alumni Association national president, said she first met Abraham when she was a student at MSU and he was in student recruiting and admissions, and now she works with Abraham in the Alumni Association. She said she noticed Abraham’s devotion to this university and the students, faculty, staff and alumni on first impression.
A Mississippi State University tradition will soon become a campus staple again. The Bullring, a D–shaped concrete seating area and gathering place where students would “shoot the bull,” will be restored in its original place in front of the Colvard Student Union before the beginning of the fall semester. The Master Plan Development and Advisory Committee has approved the Bullring’s design. Bill Broyles, assistant vice president for Student Affairs, said the project’s construction bids will open Tuesday. “If the bids are within the estimated budget, we hope to start this project as soon as the contracts are finalized,” Broyles said. Jeremiah Dumas, director of the Office of Sustainability and interim campus master planner, said construction should begin in the beginning of April and be completed by the end of July. Construction plans are to move quickly to restore the Bullring tradition to campus. “We got to obviously start first, but we are confident that we will have this iconic campus landmark back where it belongs soon,” Broyles said. Many people connected to MSU are excited about the
resurrection of the Bullring. Jimmy Abraham, executive director of the MSU Alumni Association, said the bullring is a part of history that is coming back to campus. “For so many years, alumni sat around the Bullring, and now they can do this again. What great memories this will bring to them. Not only this, but current students and others can sit on this same structure that their grandparents and others sat on years ago,” Abraham said. The renovation of the Bullring has already brought back memories to some MSU alumni. Eddie Keith, associate dean of students and MSU graduate, said the Bullring was very much a part of campus for a MSU student in the 1960s. This project is also bringing back the tradition of a senior class gift. Libba Andrews, associate director of the Alumni Association, said bringing back the Bullring is important for historic reasons as well as for re-implementing the senior class gift tradition. “The senior class gift is important because it signifies the love of the place the seniors have called home for several years, and it sets in motion a culture of giving back to your alma mater,” Andrews said. SEE BULLRING, 3
SEE ABRAHAM, 2
Publication of Student Association senate plays Reveille at risk influential role in student life BY EMMA CRAWFORD News Editor
The fate of Mississippi State University’s annual, The Reveille, remains uncertain as the publication has not sold the 1,000 copies required to send the yearbook to print. Jen Nguyen, editor in chief of The Reveille, said at the moment she and The Reveille’s sales representatives are working together to figure out if the annual will be able to go to print. As of right now, Nguyen said 429 copies have been sold. The last day that students could order a Reveille was scheduled to be March 22, but Nguyen said students can still order a copy online. “People can actually still buy their Reveille; it has not been taken off of the banner tab yet so people can still pur-
READER’S GUIDE
BAD DAWGS..............................2 OPINION ...............................4 CONTACT INFO.......................4 BULLETIN BOARD...................5
chase one,” she said. Nguyen said if The Reveille cannot print this year, then the annual will have to wait until next year to try again. “If we don’t print this year, we just won’t print,” she said. She also said The Reveille staff does not currently have plans to publish anything online, but in the event that The Reveille does not go to print, the staff plans to start working toward the production and sales of next year’s Reveille as soon as possible to refrain from having this problem again. “I’m not sure if we’re going to put anything online or not, but if we don’t print this year then we’re going to talk about plans for next year,” she said. “We’re going to start making plans for our staff for the summer and plans to get started right away in the fall and avoid this happening again.”
CROSSWORD .................. ....5 CLASSIFIEDS...........................5 LIFE....................................6 SPORTS.................................10
BY HANNAH ROGERS Editor in Chief
Despite the Student Association senate’s increased decision-making role in issues as diverse as academic policy to election codes, it remains, arguably, the most ignored branch of Mississippi State’s student government. Voter turnout for the yearly election of senators pulls in the lowest numbers of the year, behind Homecoming and Executive Council. In 2012, 16.5 percent of the student body voted to elect its senators as opposed to the 29.5 percent who voted in the Homecoming election. The senate, which has four freshman and three graduate student seats, also determines its numbers by the equation found in the SA Constitution: (total number of undergraduate students divided by 650) multiplied by (the number of students in the college divided by total number of undergraduate students), with numbers whose decimal place of 0.5 or more being round up to the next number. Courtney Harris, senator for the Col-
POLICY
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lege of Arts and Sciences, said because of get a diverse group whether they look it the change in the senate’s structure (rep- or not.” resentation was previously decided by Morgan McDowell, senator for the residence and college), becoming a sena- College of Business, said that he, as well tor has become more prestias other senators, want to Senate is so gious and competitive. hear from their constituimportant. Senate As the members of the ents. has just now realized Although only senators senate elected take their positions seriously, they create can introduce legislation, its full power and an environment in which students can come to their potential. The senate senators with issues. multiple viewpoints on an issue can be voiced. Harris has so much power, “Senate is so importsaid she noticed that since ant. Senate has just now and they need to the senate has decreased in realized its full power and understand that and potential. The senate has size, the voting is not always a chorus of “yeses.” so much power, and they the students need “I think each group is need to understand that to understand what and the students need to diverse in their own right,” the senate can do for understand what the senHarris said. “If you go to a senate meeting, you’re ate can do for them,” he them.” going to get discussion besaid. “The senate is putMorgan McDowell, ting in a lot of time and cause everyone has a different viewpoint, everybody Senator for College effort this year, doing things that are going to has had a different expeof Business benefit students 10, 15 rience here at State, and that really determines their opinions and years down the road and at the current their viewpoint on the legislation and level.” what we’re passing. So I think you will SEE SENATE, 3
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TUESDAY , MARCH 26 , 2013
THE REFLECTOR
BAD
MSU alums launch successful sports app BY SASHA STEINBERG Contributing Writer
The following is an interview with Fancred CEO and Mississippi State University alumnus, Hossein Kash Razzaghi.
Q: What is the purpose of Fancred? How is it different from other social media networks that are out there? A: We are trying to make it easier for you as a sports fan to have conversations on your mobile devices with your friends, experts and other people that you follow and about teams, games and sports that are interesting to you. So far, the bloggers, sports writers, beat reporters and journalists we have on Fancred are from major publications, such as USA TODAY, SB Nation, Sports Illustrated and Bleacher Report, so it is a good way for them to promote their work. Other social media networks are great, but because they are not focused on sports, you cannot go there to have the best sports conversations. We think sports is a big enough category with enough passionate fans and people that it should have its own social network, and that is what we are trying to build. Q: How can people sign up and get involved with Fancred? A: At this point, when you download Fancred onto your phone, the sign-in page is through Facebook log-in only, and it is strictly a way for us to authenticate you as a real person. We think it makes the community that much better because people are having real conversations and they are not hiding behind a pseudonym or username. I know that people have a lot of concerns over other apps posting on their Facebook wall, but we will never do that. Privacy is very important to us, so we will never post on your behalf and we will never take your data w i t h out you knowing.
We are working on ways where we can expand to not just Facebook log-in, but for now, that is the fastest and easiest way. As a participant in Fancred, everyone has what we called a Fancred score. It is a one to 100-point scoring system that measures your activity and the response that you get for your activity inside Fancred. If you post a lot and people respond to what you post by giving you an “up-vote” or “down-vote” or by commenting on your post, that increases your score. So, the score is a really good way for fans that are really active and passionate to differentiate themselves and build a following. We are trying to give sports fans a better way to find other like-minded sports fans, so the Fancred score allows you to find other fans that you think are entertaining, knowledgeable, funny or credible. We have put a lot of emphasis and focus on the design and the usability of the app. We want to make it easier for you to get all the information, but we also want to make it easy for you to get team-specific information as well, so you can filter content based on the teams or people that you follow. For instance, I am a Mississippi State fan, but I am also a Boston fan (Red Sox, Celtics and Patriots) because I have lived here for so long. I have feeds in the app that allow me to switch back and forth to see what people are saying about my specific teams. I can also go to what we call the Sports Feed, which is a general feed of everybody that I follow, and it is one area where everybody is talking (about all kinds of ) sports (and teams), and I can just browse that. Q: How did the official launch in midMarch go, and how is the app being received thus far by users? A: We have had thousands of downloads and thousands of Mississippi State fans using it. We even have Scott Stricklin, Shane Power and Tyler Russell all on Fancred, so we are growing the Mississippi State audience pretty heavily. On the first day that we launched, we made No. 25 in the
iTunes App Store for free sports apps, so that was a really big milestone for us. Q: What features do you foresee you and your team devising and adding to the app and how often? What are your goals for the future? A: We are building up for Android soon, and we have not finalized that release time yet but probably over the next couple of months. Obviously, we would love to have as many Mississippi State fans on Fancred as possible. If a lot of MSU fans use it and a lot of fans use it throughout the country, we will be able to sort of aggregate who has the highest score among fan bases as well. I definitely want to work with MSU and its athletic department to make sure that as many fans as possible are using it, so we can increase the collective score of MSU students. I would love to be able to brag about my alma mater having a really high Fancred score. Searching is something that we are going to contribute to very quickly because there’s not a really great way yet to search for people that you are trying to find. So, we are going to add a search feature that allows you to just type in somebody’s name, pull them up and decide to follow them if you want. We have a vision of evolving the score to where it really does capture your entire sports life, so over time, we want to be able to do more cool things like adding polls and quizzes, allowing fans to check into and answer questions about games and even throwing in some rewards and awards if someone has a high Fancred score. I believe credibility is something you earn, so we are looking for different ways to make sure that you earn a certain Fancred score and that you have got to work hard to keep it. We will probably release (new) features frequently, so we will probably just do small releases every several weeks. The app is free, and we do not have any (future) plans whatsoever of charging fans to download or use it.
DAWGS
Thursday, March 21 • 11:43 a.m. A student reported her iPhone missing from her desk in Giles Architecture. • 2:14 p.m. A student was arrested at MSU Police Department for petit larceny. • 3:00 p.m. A student was arrested for felony possession of marijuana. • 3:33 p.m. A student reported losing a key to a van for Forest Products Lab. • 4:00 p.m. A student reported being stalked. A student referral was issued. • 5:10 p.m. A student reported her vehicle was damaged while parked in the Herbert Hall parking lot. • 11:51 p.m. A student was arrested on Herbert Street for open container.
Friday, March 22 • 12:49 a.m. A student was passed out in the Lambda Chi Alpha parking lot. The subject was transported to OCH. • 4:57 a.m. A student reported a disturbance in Evans Hall. • 9:37 a.m. A student reported items stolen from his room in McKee Hall. • 8:44 p.m. A student reported his laptop stolen from Giles Architecture.
Saturday, March 23 • 11:12 a.m. A student reported his vehicle damaged while parked in Oak Hall parking lot. • 2:06 p.m. A student broke his arm while playing basketball in Sanderson Center. The subject was transported to OCH. • 3:35 p.m. A non-resident/visitor reported her vehicle was damaged on March 16 while parked behind the Mize Pavillion. • 3:40 p.m. A student was arrested for possession of drug paraphernalia.
Citations:
• 7 citations were issued for speeding. • 1 citation was issued for disregard of a traffic device. • 1 citation was issued for driving the wrong way on a one-way street.
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SENATE Although senate passes policy that affects student lives day-today, Harris said she thinks the legislative branch is partially unknown because they do not create many tangible events. “People are giving their time and their effort to benefit the student body, and I don’t know if students get to see that as much as they get to see how many events cabinet put on or how awesome Bulldog Bash was. It’s harder for students to realize how much work we put into it,” she said. This year, instead of meeting once every two weeks as in past years, the senate meets every Tuesday. On alternating weeks, the senate has business meetings in which it passes legislation or committee meetings to draft legislation, she said. Eddie Keith, associate dean of students, said the challenge senators face is expanding their horizons by talking to students in different organizations and classes in order to properly represent their constituencies. Senators, he said, usually take one of two paths: they either vote with their conscience or seek to represent the views of the people, even if they are at odds with the senators’ personal feelings. “I think they (the senate) do a good job, but people don’t know what they do and consequently, at some point, if people don’t see what a body is doing as important then that body may not do as many important things. I think it’s in everybody’s interests for the senate’s actions to be out in front,” he said. Shelby Balius, SA president, said the senate is the most ignored part of the SA and that it needs to be recognized because
continued from 1 the legislative branch is the most powerful. “They (senators) can be so focused in how they represent their students and their constituencies because they have smaller constituencies to worry about and contact them so much more efficiently,” Balius said. “It is very hard for me to figure out the opinion of 20,000 students. But someone who is looking at the College of Engineering and the couple of thousand that involves … a couple thousand versus 20,000 — big difference. They can be more of an ear to listen
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That’s a people’s university — elevating the status of young people, so they know they’re special. Service can help you feel like you have a niche.” Hank Flick, senate parliamentarian
and then enact change through legislation than the president or any other exec can ever do.” Rhett Hobart, former SA president, said the senate has the opportunity to control every bit of SA funding. “That’s about half a million dollars that the SA distributes out to other organizations on campus, to Bulldog Bash, to all these other groups. When you control an amount of money like that, you are immediately handed a great amount of power,” he said. “The SA senate controls the way elections are held, they control every bit of campaigning, they control the
way appropriations are distributed to campus organizations … they control, essentially, every decision made in the SA.” Hank Flick, professor in the Department of Communication and senate parliamentarian, said the senate is a point of pride because the people who serve as senators do so on their way to larger leadership positions, law school and graduate school success. Flick said two-thirds of learning takes place outside of the classroom, and participating in student government, for example, can give a student a more well-rounded experience through service work on campus. He said he believes the People’s University label of Mississippi State should be embodied through service. “The thing that holds it altogether is service. I’m responsible for making a good world better. … Actual service to others, being nicer than the person you met before, listening to others, affirming others, being good in the small stuff. It’s all about the small stuff,” he said. “That’s a people’s university — elevating the status of young people, so they know they’re special. Service can help you feel like you have a niche.” Harris said the senate not only taught her the value of community service but also helped her develop as a leader. Through her experiences, she said she learned her opinion is important. “If I don’t explain my opinion, then there’s someone’s voice (that) is not getting heard,” she said. “The university has offered me so many opportunities and abilities to give back, and (the senate has) really helped me give back.”
TUESDAY , MARCH 26 , 2013
ABRAHAM
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“I have never in my life met anyone as committed to their faith, their family and their university. Dr. Abraham is the epitome of what a Bulldog is. He loves our university and he loves the people who make Mississippi State what it is,” Young said. Young said she truly enjoyed working with Abraham and she feels privileged to work with a man who is unlike any other. “He is extremely energetic, he makes hard work fun, he makes you want to work harder, he challenges you to do greater things and just him exhibiting his love for Mississippi State makes you want to take your support and your dedication to the university higher,” Young said. Haley Fisackerly, president and CEO of Entergy Mississippi, Inc., worked with Abraham in the mid 1980s as an Orientation Leader as well as when he was a member of the MSU Stu-
dent Association. While working as an orientation leader, Abraham showed Fisackerly the energy and passion for MSU so many others have seen as well. “Jimmy has such a passion
“
Dr. Abraham is the epitome of what a Bulldog is.” Camille Young, MSU Alumni Association national president
about him that it was addictive and something that I wanted to know more about,” Fisackerly said. “He was this guy that was so full of energy and so full of passion that his emotions were not only in his words, but in his expressions.” Fisackerly said he remembers
BULLRING
one very specific piece of advice Abraham gave to him while they worked together. “There was one great lesson I learned from Jimmy: We all get frustrated with other people, somebody may be late for a meeting or not being responsible the way you want them to, but he reminds you to not be quick to judge those people because you never know what’s going on in their lives,” Fisackerly said. When asked what he would say to the current students of MSU, Abraham said he hopes current students will remember a piece of advice for years to come. “Earn five F’s while at State and carry them with you when you graduate-be loyal and make good Friends, stay Focused on what is really important in life, keep and live your Faith, love your Family and let them know this and Forgive others,” Abraham said.
continued from 1
To make the Bullring restoration possible, donations are accepted through the MSU Foundation. “There are several recognition levels based on the amount of money donated, where the donation is recognized on ei- Broyles ther an engraved brick in the walkway around the Bullring or with an engraved stone similar to those on the Drill Field
walks,” Broyles said. “The initial gifts that got the project started were from the MSU Alumni Association and the Student Association through the senior class gift program.” The revival of the Bullring will re-establish tradition through unity among all who are connected by MSU. “I can’t wait to see old alumni sitting on the Bullring along with future students, enjoying the Bulldog spirit that makes this the People’s University,” Broyles said.
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OPINION
PRICE OF TEA IN CHINA | ANNA WOLFE
College students can learn from ‘Lebowski’
L
ast summer I held a tutoring job where I met a student named Dwayne. I helped him in math two hours each week for about five weeks. This guy… is cool. Around 50 years old, standing well above six feet with long messy hair and tattoos down his arms and hands. With a daily attire of leather clothing, he wears large rings on each of his fingers. He drives a ‘70s Volkswagen Bug. Totally lax. Totally cool. I appreciated his raspy voice, his mannerisms and his laugh that bellowed through the room. One day, I realized why I enjoyed his presence so much. I looked at him and said, “You know… You remind me of the Dude!” The Dude, or Jeff Lebowski, is the main character in the Coen brother’s 1998 film, “The Big Lebowski.” But don’t mistake him for the millionaire Jeffrey Lebowski… although that very misunderstanding drives the plot of the movie. He is the most laid back guy you wish you could be. The Dude, His Dudeness, Duder (or El Duderino if you’re not into that whole brevity thing) is the man who launched arguably the greatest cult classic of all time. If you’re a fan yourself, you can attend Lebowski Fest, where Dude enthusiasts go to “celebrate all things Lebowski,” according to the website. The opening scene shows the Dude, wearing a bathrobe and sandals, in the grocery store purchasing a carton of halfand-half. Sam Elliot’s great bass voice plays in the background, narrating, “Sometimes there’s a man... I won’t say a hero, ‘cause, what’s a hero? But sometimes, there’s a man. And I’m talkin’ about the Dude here. Sometimes, there’s a man, well, he’s the man for his time and place. He fits right in there. And that’s the Dude.” The Dude returns home with his cream to find two men waiting to beat and rob him. They repeatedly call him “Lebowski,” screaming about the money he owes them — until they realize they’ve got the wrong guy. They proceed to pee on his beloved rug. “Not on the rug, man!” Before the men leave, one turns and says, “He looks like a loser.” The Dude and his friends Walter and Donny participate in a bowling league, around which much of the dialogue and plot is focused. Walter, played by John Goodman, makes an absolutely hilarious sidekick.
ANNA WOLFE Anna Wolfe is a junior majoring in communication. She can be contacted at opinion@reflector.msstate.edu. The dry, arbitrary exchanges between characters are brilliantly delivered — the true cause of the film’s success. To me, Walter and Donny look up to and admire the Dude. So does the viewer. The real action begins when Jeffery Lebowski asks the Dude to help him retrieve his wife, who he says has been kidnapped and is being held for ransom. A chain of coincidentally unfortunate events ensue, but none of them seem to truly bother the Dude. He remains relaxed, and we love him for it. But in all actuality, the man who appears in the beginning (and pees on the Dude’s rug) is right: the Dude is a loser. He has no job, no aspirations, no concern for his appearance or impression on others and is stoned or drunk throughout most, if not all, of the film. His only interests consist of bowling and replacing his soiled rug. As college students, how do you and I relate to the Dude? We have goals, ambitions, and we are, I hope, not constantly high or drunk. No … we don’t have much in common with him, but we wish we did. See, telling Dwayne he reminded me of the Dude was a compliment, a statement of utmost respect. The Dude isn’t just a slacker, he’s a free spirit — and that carefree attitude is, for me, what characterizes a “dude”. The narrator ends “The Big Lebowski” with a few words. He says, “It’s good knowin’ he’s out there – the Dude. Takin’ ‘er easy for all us sinners.” I’m sure there are many hidden messages that can be extrapolated from “The Big Lebowski.” What I know for sure is that people like it, and I think that is because we all admire the Dude for one reason or another. If we could, we’d all be more dudely. We’d live lightheartedly, refusing to worry about money or finding a job after graduation. Stress wouldn’t find us, not even during final exams. And we wouldn’t be troubled when life, as often as it does, moves at a different beat than us.
The
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THE REFLECTOR
the voice of MSU students
THE CONSTANT | MARY CHASE BREEDLOVE
Negative stereotypes among Christians create conflict
I
look forward to this week delusional. Sure, I’m weird for very much throughout the many more reasons than my year. The crazy weather, religion, but I never want to be blooming flowers and the in- considered judgmental or decrease of schoolwork at the end lusional because of my beliefs. of another semester signals my Jesus spent his time on Earth favorite holiday: Easter. with the outcasts of society — Before I get bombarded the lepers, the prostitutes, the with sneers, eye-rolls and Jesus corrupt. His message teaches Jukes, allow me to explain why forgiveness and love. If ChrisI love the Holy tians want Week. Spring to follow the Both Christians brings a time of way of Christ, and non-Christians change and rewe should be should do a better job known as the newal. I believe my life changed most compasof respecting each forever when Jesionate, lovother’s beliefs.” sus was crucified ing, selfless, and resurrected; it’s an over- humble people around. whelming and joyous time. Oftentimes, Christians And thanks to the freedom of can be easily captivated by living in this great country, I self-righteousness. We’re quick have as much of a right to say to cast the first stone. Sure, we that in this article as you do to admit that we’re sinners saved believe in whatever you choose. by grace, but we know there Christianity has a bad rep are others who sin more than among many of my peers. I us, and without conviction. hear words like “Jesus freak” Some Christians are seduced and “Jesus-y” used as negative by the idea of being better than words — I even hear “Chris- others, which directly contratian” used as an insult. Why? dicts what Christianity teaches. Because sadly, Christians can I firmly believe Christians be poor examples of how should hold on to the values Christianity should look. I and beliefs our faith teaches us typed in “why are Christians — but I also believe we can do so…” in a Google search and so without being seen as judgthe first three words that came mental, weird and delusional. up were judgmental, weird and We’re going to disagree with
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others on some very intense issues — marriage, abortion, all the hot topics — but nowhere in God’s word does he tell us to be cold and unapproachable. In fact, the Bible explicitly tells Christians to prepare for persecution for their beliefs, but we shouldn’t outright ask for persecution through our actions toward others. Those who don’t share the values Christianity teaches should meet us halfway; agree to disagree but show mutual respect. Both Christians and non-Christians should do a better job of respecting each other’s beliefs. Stereotypes tell us the majority Christians tend to be conservative and non-Christians tend to be liberal — especially in this area of the country. I know there are exceptions to these, but I think everyone can learn something from both conservative and liberal stances on religion. There’s a famous quote by President John F. Kennedy in which he describes his definition of the word “liberal.” At one point he says “(liberal means)… someone who cares about the welfare of the people — their health, their housing,
MARY CHASE BREEDLOVE Mary Chase Breedlove is the opinion editor at The Reflector. She can be contacted at opinion@ reflector.msstate.edu. their schools, their jobs, their civil rights, and their civil liberties …” Those descriptions do a pretty good job of describing what a Christian should be: someone who cares about the welfare of others. Instead of embracing the ideas a word like “liberal” can evoke, some Christians have tainted it to mean something offensive. I challenge Christians during this week — during this season of change and renewal — to examine how your actions appear toward those who believe differently than you. I challenge everyone to remember you’re no better than anyone else. When we all show respect toward each other’s beliefs, we can break apart the negative stereotypes.
THE JEW POINT | JOEY FROST
Independent Palestinian state could be dangerous
F
or the first time during his presidency, President Obama made a visit to Israel. In addition to Israel, he made a trip to the West Bank and met with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and Prime Minister Salaam Fayyad. On Thursday at Jerusalem’s International Convention Center, Obama delivered a speech that was in some ways inspiring. I think the true base of his message was one that Israel and its allies cannot come to accept. According to the transcript of the president’s speech, which can be found on whitehouse.gov, he reaffirmed the relationship between Israel and the United States by saying, “so long as there is a United States of America – Atem lo levad. You are not alone.” Finally hearing Obama so firmly back Israel is reassuring. Israel has been one of our most faithful allies over the years. The part of Obama’s speech that did not rest easy with me pertained to his thoughts on Israel’s relationship with Palestine. The president made it very clear he believes Palestine should be given its own state. He advocated for “an independent Palestine…with real borders.” Hand in hand with creating a Palestinian state, Obama made strong
pushes for peace between Arabs and Israelis. I have absolutely no problem with peace between Arabs and Israelis. I am against the creation of an independent Palestinian state. I am not racist, nor do I hold a hatred for Palestinians. What I do have is a sense of caution and apprehension. There have been attempts at peace before, none resulting in anything lasting. Creating an independent Palestinian state will not solve anything. For a time, yes it might help. If we look at the Gaza Strip, it is clear to me what will happen. Terrorist organizations like Hezbollah will come to power, one way or another. They will use the newly formed state to attain their detestable goals. Over the weekend I had a very enjoyable discussion with a new friend who happens to be of Middle Eastern descent. He disagreed with my stance of apprehension on the creation of a Palestinian state. When I told him my thoughts on the possible hijacking of the new government by organizations like Hezbollah, he had a very interesting retort. His answer as to why that would not happen was Palestine is very young, as far as the age of its people. He believes the young people do not accept the terror of Hezbollah and will resist the
advances upon the new government. As much as I would love to believe this, I simply cannot. I know the large majority of people do not want to be subjected to a terrorist regime. Unfortunately, the few who do support them somehow manage to usurp much of the power from the deserving government officials. The danger in creating a Palestinian state comes not from the democratic value of self-determination. Rather, the peril comes from the imminent possibility of a hostile state that is so physically close to Israel. In a region where not a single country sides with Israel, creating yet another enemy for itself seems like a stupid idea. Imagine you move to a neighborhood where you are different from every person that lives around you. You are a different religion, your skin is a different color and your customs are different. All of your neighbors despise you because you are different. Every day you live in fear one of your neighbors will seek you out and hurt you or your family. Would you want to build a house across the street and put more of these hostile neighbors in it? Not all of the countries around Israel are as extreme as that example, but many are. Israel is already such a tiny country, only
JOEY FROST Joey Frost is a junior majoring in political science. He can be contacted at opinion@reflector. msstate.edu. approximately the size of New Jersey; it can barely afford to give up any more land. This strip of land in the desert is the only state of its kind in the world, the only Jewish state. There needs to come a point when the Israeli people can finally feel safe. There should be a time when Israelis can proudly stand in their country and not worry about their security. I am not against the right of self-determination. I’m against the uncertainness and danger that would come with an independent Palestine. Prove that Hezbollah can be blocked from the government and rooted out. Prove Palestinians truly want peace. Prove that while Palestinians and Israelis are very different people, they can agree to disagree. If they can prove these things, then I feel we could in good faith create an independent Palestinian state.
RED HERRINGS | CLAIRE MOSLEY
Calorie count labels often misleading to consumers
H
ere’s a question for you: Did today seem like it was going to be a really good day? Did the stars align, did the birds sing, did you high-five yourself after jogging three miles and only eating precisely 300 calories for breakfast, thanks to a McDonald’s sausage burrito? Well, prepare to be slightly miffed, because it turns out that a lot of those labels? Yeah, those labels lie. What? Calorie-count labels are inaccurate? What madness is this? Well, here’s what’s up: essentially, about one in five of those calorie-count labels are inaccurate. There’s usually a margin of inaccuracy around 100 calories, which may not sound like too much (spoonful of peanut butter) but this can add up over time (an entire jar of peanut butter). For those of you who are obsessive about labels, well, the good news is some of the labels are accurate. But not all. It’s hard to tell. Uncertainty and diet con-
cerns aside, I’d like to address amel Starbucks latte? Don’t why this is even happening. they just measure it or someWell, for one thing, the thing?” Food and Drug AdminisGood one, naïve college tration has been pushing a freshman, with your ridicurequirement that for restau- lous Starbucks order! rants with 20 or more locaOf course they don’t test it tions offer because it similar fare turns out About one in five of those that meaunder the calorie count labels is same name suring cal(Applebee’s, inaccurate. Usually this ories takes Chili’s, etc.) a lot of margin of error is around time out to provide nutrition 100 calories, which may of your informanot sound like too much, day. tion to their Just a but this can add up over wee bit customers, which exboring, time.” plains why then. you see the terrifying calorie To test your food objects counts plastered next to food requires an awful lot of math, items at places like Subway or patience, time and sensitive McDonald’s. equipment (such as a caloHowever, though health rimeter. Ask for one for your departments require the next birthday). posting of this information, In a video posted on it is incredibly rare that one popular website Laughing really actually goes and ver- Squid, filmmaker Casey Neiifies these caloric labels are stat grabbed five typical food accurate. items and took them to an “Hey” you say, “What’s obesity center to be tested by the big deal with testing food scientists using a calomy triple-shot-soy-choco- rimeter, and the entire prolate-pumpkin-blueberry-car- cess took them 10 hours.
“
CLAIRE MOSLEY Claire Mosley is a sophomore majoring in accounting. She can be contacted at opinion@ reflector.msstate.edu. Ten hours, people. That’s almost two episodes of “Downton Abbey.” I’m just messing with you. It’s at least three episodes. So clearly, this is ridiculous. America has enough problems on its hands without having inaccurate calorie labeling to contend with, too. Those people on diets are really frustrated because all that hard work can be sabotaged by a stray sandwich at Subway, or a misplaced meat patty at McDonald’s. It’s time for accurate calorie counts, correct calorie labeling and regular calorie testing.
TUESDAY , MARCH 26 , 2013 | 5
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THE REFLECTOR
Life & Entertainment
WHAT’S
HAPPENING
WITH THE ‘WHAT’S HAPPENIN’ GUYS? kaitlin mullins | the reflector
Kevin Holdiness, Philip Vanderleest and Miles Byrd come together to make sure Starkville residents know what’s up with local events with their website and app, whatshappen.in By Catie Marie Martin Staff Writer
Between Rain or Shine and City Bagel is a ramshackle white building characterized by speckled shingles and angular awnings. The sign in front informs passersby that it is the “Bill Davis Photography Studio,” and the only reason one would allow it a second glance is if he or she were intrigued by its peculiar architecture. Little do Starkville citizens know of the social hub buzzing within the small house. The house has been everything from a tuxedo parlor to a recording studio, and now five young men are attempting to transform Starkville’s restaurant, retail and event industry and call it their studio. Miles Byrd, James Kastrantas, Philip Vanderleest, Patrick Quinn and Adrian Marcus have teamed up to create a website/mobile app that allows Starkville citizens and Mississippi State University students to stay up-to-date with “what’s happenin’” around the small town. A former Starkville music vendor, Miles Byrd said the site began as a way to inform Starkville natives of concerts and events in the Golden Triangle Area. A prior State Theatre employee, Byrd said the most frustrating thing about the untimely demise of the eclectic venue was that students would beg for artists and bands, but
upon his delivery of these bands, those pleading for the events would not be informed of them. Byrd said soon after the inception of the site, they realized the same problem existed within the food industry as well as booking music. “There were cool restaurants that came here and closed down before anyone ever heard of them. I just thought it wasn’t very fair because people used to complain that we didn’t have much variety here to eat. But you have crazy places pop up, and you never hear about them. Next thing you know, they’re gone,” he said. Byrd said the business began as a do-gooder scheme to make sure Starkville was well represented across all forms of social network. The group endeavored to update all of the incorrect information on sites like Google and FourSquare. “You don’t Google ‘good food in Starkville’ and expect to find a good, relevant search,” Vanderleest said. This desire to help small businesses and for Starkville to be well-represented on the Internet and social networks led to “What’s Happenin’” encompassing all aspects of Starkville social life. The site now currently has three tabs — entertainment, food and drink and shops and services. The home page gives the viewer an at-a-glance look at what all is “happenin’” in
Starkville that day. The viewer can then leave the home page and look at what all Starkville has to offer on a more specific scale and for months ahead. The site also provides links to all of the businesses’ social networks. The entertainment section provides viewers with times and locations as far as the events are planned. As soon as an event is announced, it is inputted into the site. The food and drink section provides viewers with an in-depth description of all the restaurants in Starkville. The list is defaulted to show what restaurants are open when the viewers open the site, and most of the restaurants of “What’s Happenin’” have menus posted on the site. By clicking on these menus, viewers can get a better feel of what types of food they will be enjoying — without ever leaving the house. Some of the restaurants provide photographs of their food to accompany their menus to provide customers with a visual of what exactly he or she is in for when they visit. “Our goal is instead of having photo albums for a Facebook page, we actually take pictures or let the restaurants take pictures. We actually attach them to menu items. So if you go here, you can actually see pictures of business’s food,” Byrd said. Byrd said the site hopes to soon offer the
same visual aids to the shops and services tab so owners can provide photographs of their merchandise. Visual aids will soon be added to the entertainment section as well by including artist profiles and links to YouTube footage of live performances. The site runners hope to offer its services to other towns in the Golden Triangle Area, such as West Point and Columbus, with representatives in each city continually updating the sites according to each town. Byrd also said the site is even eager to expand out to Southern Mississippi and into Oxford and Jackson, while still keeping its personal approach to providing information. The site is in the process of catering to the student body in Starkville by creating “What’s Happenin’ MSU.” This version of the site will portray all on-campus events that are open to the public. This includes everything from Lab Rats performances to MusicMakers productions to sporting events. The site runners are also in the process of adding a sports and activities section that provides information regarding everything from high school basketball to bars with dartboards and pool tables. “We want Starkville to know that there’s an easier way to find what you want, when you want,” Quinn said.
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TUESDAY , MARCH 26, 2013
life & entertainment
REFLECTOR-ONLINE.COM
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7
OUTSTANDING HUMAN BEING:
Laura Walton BY ALIE DALEE
sions, in Jackson, Miss. The project encompasses plans to construct schoolhouses, a church and a medical clinic serving a local community in Hai“Having compassion for someone is different ti. The current medical care is given from within than feeling sorry for them. Compassion leads to a portable tent, and Walton said the church conaction.” sists of little more than sticks and woven material According to Laura Walton, associate profes- forming a makeshift enclosure. sor of communication at Mississippi State UniWalton was able to travel back to Haiti this versity, this quote summarizes her past year em- past February. barking on multiple missions to the small island “We worked in a different area. It was Recif, country of Haiti. but it was great to be in Anse-a-Pitre where we Sitting behind a desk in casual business attire, worked in June and to see the school finished and framed by numerous degrees and a Ph.D., one the kids going to school there, and just to know might be shocked to realize Walton finds her pas- that we were a part of hopefully making things sion in a remote Caribbean island an ocean away. better for those kids,” Walton said. “It was realWalton said her heart for Haily cool. We got to be there on I just feel like it’s ti began three years ago when Monday morning to see their been a process of she tuned in to the coverage opening exercises in the courtflooding American news outlets yard, and it was just really awefinding the way to on the devastating earthquake some to see that.” serve that fits that that hit Haiti in January 2010. Back in the United States, “I was about nine months Walton has worked alongside point in my life, and pregnant at the time the earththe MSU chapter of Public also that meets the quake hit, and I was emotional Relations Student Society of greatest need. That’s America to organize a 5k in anyways, but it was the first time that a natural disaster in which what I’ve tried to do.” Research Park, Glo4Haiti, to I just couldn’t turn away from raise additional funds for the Laura Walton, it. I would watch the hours of missions trip Walton is leading associate professor coverage and just cry; it was just back to Haiti in May. Walton awful,” Walton said. “There was cites the amazing support of of communication just something about it that was her family and work as a huge different than any other natural factor in her ability to travel to disaster for me, personally. I feel like God was and from Haiti. putting a call in my life to serve in Haiti.” “I just feel like it’s been a process of finding the Due to the birth of her second child, Walton way to serve that fits that point in my life, and would not be able to physically make it to Haiti also that meets the greatest need. That’s what I’ve until over two years later; however, Walton said it tried to do,” Walton said. “When I went in June, was impossible to sit in American stagnation over it completely changed my life, and I couldn’t the situation mounting in Haiti without contrib- come back and be still and be complacent knowuting in some way. ing what I had seen and not try to raise awareness “Our Sunday school class at my church ba- and be a part of it.” sically committed to sending school kit bags. Even with all the passion Walton exhibits, she Somewhere in the information about the project, said there were times fear and doubt made her we learned it was going to Haiti. I taught my- second guess her decision to keep returning to self to sew. It was kind of one of those where I Haiti. couldn’t go, so I was trying to find ways to give “It would have been easy to be like, ‘I’m just and to contribute and feel like I was helping until going to help from here. I’m just going to do this I could go,” Walton said. race. I’m not actually going to go. I’m just going The opportunity to travel to Haiti was finally to give you the money to go,’” Walton said. “I granted to Walton in the summer of 2012 when feel like there are times God calls us to go ourshe was met with a chance case of serendipity. selves, and there are times that God calls us to “In the spring of 2012, a lady in our Sunday support those that do go, and so right now I feel school class mentioned she had a cousin who was he’s called me to do both, and that’s what I’m going with Fairview Baptist in Columbus to Hai- trying to do.” ti and asked if anybody was interested in going,” For those interested in giving to or supporting Walton said. “It was uncontrollable, it was like, the Haiti missions, Glo4Haiti will take place at ‘Me!’ I couldn’t get there fast enough to tell her I Research Park on March 26, and additional inwanted more information and to go.” formation on the run and what it benefits visit The initial mission trip consisted of a group glo4haiti.com. of about 40 people coming together to perform medical and construction work in Anse-aPitre, Haiti. The mission was part of a project known as the Promise Land Project put on by Hispaniola Mountain MisStaff Writer
“
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KAITLIN MULLINS | THE REFLECTOR
Laura Walton gave Haiti a helping hand after the devasting earthquake in January 2010.
KAITLIN MULLINS | THE REFLECTOR
MARCH RADNESS | Lasers, thumping beats and the sweat of dancers filled the Princess Theater in Columbus, Miss., at the party of the year, March Radness.
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SPORTS
TUESDAY , MARCH 26 , 2013
SPORTS
THE REFLECTOR
High school teammates earn consecutive SEC Player of the Week honors at MSU
over the weekend Baseball
BY KRISTEN SPINK
Hunter Renfroe had an outstanding weekend hitting a home run in every game, but No. 14 MSU dropped the series 2-1 at No. 8 Kentucky. The Dogs took the series opener 8-4. Junior Ross Mitchell picked up his fifth win of the year, pitching 4.2 innings of relief work and allowing no runs on just five hits. The sixth inning proved big for MSU. The Dogs scored five runs on four hits and capitalized on three Wildcat errors. Adam Frazier, C.T. Bradford and Mitch Slauter drove in runs that inning for State. State dropped both games of a double-header Saturday falling 2-3 and 3-4. A homer by Renfroe in each game could not push the Dogs past the Cats. Kendall Graveman and Chad Girodo picked up losses for MSU. The Diamond Dogs host Austin Peay Tuesday night at 6:30 and hit the road for a weekend series at Arkansas.
Softball The MSU softball team dropped three tough games at No. 21 Kentucky over the weekend. A Wildcat walk-off home run in the 10th inning ended the game Friday night. Stephanie Becker had pitched five innings of relief work without allowing a run before surrendering the long ball. Sam Lenahan hit her seventh home run of the year for State, and Jessica Cooley punched her third homer as each girl drove in two runs. Saturday’s double-header saw the Dogs fall 2-3 and 0-7. Alison Owen pitched all six innings in the opener but allowed three runs to pick up the loss. Kentucky Ace Kelsey Nunley picked up her 14th win of the year in the second game and only gave up two hits to the Dogs. State goes on the road to take on UAB Tuesday night before hosting Auburn for a three-game series this weekend.
Men’s Tennis The No. 12 Bulldogs of MSU dominated No. 54 Arkansas 4-1 Friday to end a four-match losing skid. No. 18 Romain Bogaerts, Zach White, Pedro Dumont and Ethan Wilkinson won their singles matches, and Bulldogs Malte Stropp and Jordan Angus were both winning their matches when State secured the victory. Sunday’s match at No. 48 LSU was postponed due to bad weather and rescheduled for April 10 in Baton Rouge. State welcomes No. 7 Ole Miss to the A.J. Pitts Tennis Centre Friday at 2 p.m.
Sports Editor
Not only did Mississippi State golfers Chad Ramey and Ally McDonald play on the same high school golf team, but the two were also named SEC Player of the Week in back-to-back weeks this month. The only girl from Itawamba Agricultural High School wanting to play golf, McDonald had no problem accepting the challenge to play on the boys’ team. One year after Ramey committed to MSU, McDonald joined her fellow Fulton, Miss., native in Starkville. Ramey said he did not expect to be named SEC Player of the Week but enjoys being able to represent MSU and his home state in the best way he can. “I feel like it was a great honor to be picked, and I’m going to try to live up to it and do it again. I try not to let it change my mindset, but it definitely gave me a lot more confidence,” Ramey said. “I love this school, and it feels good to represent them in a good way.” McDonald, who was named to the SEC All-Freshman team following last season, said the whole experience of playing golf at MSU and receiving Player of the Week honor is amazing. “I’m very blessed to be a part of this program, so when I receive honors or anything of this sort, I really try to keep things in perspective,” M c Donald said. “I try to take this opportunity to give credit to the peo-
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ple who have actually gotten me here — my teammates, coaches and, most importantly, God.” Ramey’s honor came after he won his first individual tournament at MSU by dominating the Tiger Invitational with a three-under-par performance, beating the second place finisher by three strokes. Ramey recorded 13 birdies en route to his first place finish. The No. 36 Bulldogs won the tournament as a team by seven strokes and defeated five ranked teams in the process. Ramey said he did not play perfectly but enjoyed earning his first win as a Bulldog. “I definitely felt like I did some wrong. The course was really tough. I just putted really well is the only thing I did outstanding,” Ramey said. “It was a great feeling. I’ve been close a couple other times, so to finally break through was a great feeling.” After that win, State picked up its seventh top-five finish of the year with a second place performance at the Seminole Invitational. The Dogs posted a season-best 18-under-par for the tournament. McDonald’s honors came after she placed fourth at the SunTr u s t Gator Invitational, which w a s her third topfive finish in the last four events. As a team, the Lady Bulldogs finished t i e d for sixth with No. 6 North Carolina and in front of No. 18 Baylor.
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Chad Ramey led the Dogs to a win in the Tiger Invitational, placing first individually before being named SEC Player of the Week. A week earlier McDonald finished second in the JMU/Eagle Landing Invitational, leading MSU to a season-best second place finish. Women’s head coach Ginger Brown-Lemm said McDonald exemplifies the dedication needed in the classroom and on the golf course. “Ally’s been a really consistent player for two years now. We’re just thrilled to have her commitment, leadership and talent with us at Mississippi State,” BrownLemm said. McDonald said experience has been the key for the team this year. With one junior and three sophomores to help the freshmen, depth has given the Lady Dogs confidence. “As a whole, we’re making really positive strides. You can never get comfortable where you are, though,” McDonald said. “We’re playing really good right now, and people are gaining confidence. Everyone’s seeing we can compete with really good teams.” Although Ramey and McDonald do not play on the same team anymore, the results for the
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two hometown golfers are quite similar. As each team continues to rise in the rankings, the two Mississippians will be there to lead the way. Ramey said he has received some support from his hometown, and although he has not seen McDonald golf in college as much as he did in high school, he thinks she has improved a lot since high school. “I feel like every aspect of her game is getting better. The mental part, too — she’s getting around the course better as a whole,” Ramey said. “I’ve had a good many people congratulate me. They’re all really proud of us, and they keep rooting us on.” The women’s team finishes up the Briar’s Creek Invitational in John’s Island, S.C., Tuesday before taking part in the M&F Bank Rebel Intercollegiate in Oxford next weekend. The men’s team will participate in the BancorpSouth Reunion Intercollegiate in Madison next weekend and will then host its first ever tournament, the Old Waverly Collegiate Championship, April 8 to 9 in West Point.
SPORTS
REFLECTOR-ONLINE.COM
TUESDAY , MARCH 26 , 2013
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SEC dominates track and field challenge BY ALDEN THORNHILL Staff Writer
COURTESY PHOTO | MSU MEDIA RELATIONS
UPSET ALERT
| In a match that lasted over seven-and-a-half hours Sunday after-
noon, the Mississippi State Lady Bulldogs upset No. 54 LSU 4-3. Freshman Georgiana Patrasc started the match off with a quick 6-2, 6-1 win over Tiger Kaitlin Burns in the No. 1 slot. Junior Alexandra Perper followed with a 6-7 (6), 6-1, 6-2 victory. After two LSU wins, junior Roseline Dion (pictured above) gave MSU the lead with a 6-3, 6-3 win. The match came down to doubles play where a win by the No. 46 ranked duo of Perper and Naomi Tran along with a victory from Dion/Patrasc sealed the match for the Dogs. State returns to action Friday in Oxford when the Dogs take on the Rebels.
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Although the conditions were hardly spring-like on Saturday, the Mississippi State track squad racked up wins at the Big Ten/SEC Conference Challenge at the Carl Maddox Track Facility at MSU. The Bulldogs, who placed first in six separate events, worked with Ole Miss and Tennessee against their opponents and won the meet for the SEC. The SEC squads finished with 369 points in the women’s competition and 287 for the men’s. The SEC competed against athletes from Purdue, Louisiana Tech and Missouri State. In the men’s field events, the Bulldogs’ Marcus Jackson placed first in high jump, posting a 7-02.50, and Jason Harper won the triple jump after placing second in the Indoor Nationals last month with a leap of 49-05.00. In a news release, Harper said representing the SEC is great because it is home to the nation’s best talent. “Competing alongside with Tennessee and Ole Miss served as a reminder to other conferences that the SEC is a forced to be reckoned with,” Harper said. “Today (Saturday) I enjoyed winning for my team and for our conference.” MSU’s Ebony Brinker placed first in triple jump, posting a 38-09.00. Allison Storey threw for 40.53 meters in the javelin to win the event and grab 10 points for the conference. After the meet, Brinker said her team fought through the rain and wind and competed well. “The conditions weren’t ideal, but we practice in those
KAITLIN MULLINS | THE REFLECTOR
The Mississippi State Bulldogs recorded six first place finishes in the Big 10/SEC Challenge Saturday in Starkville. conditions,” Brinker said. “We complain about it sometimes, but it’s a good thing because it’s not always going to be ideal weather conditions going into the meet. We just had to roll with it.” In the running events, several Bulldogs placed first including runner Daundre Barnaby. Barnaby also posted a second place finish in the 200-meter dash. In a press release, coach Steve Dudley said his team competed hard all-around. “I am proud of the effort our athletes gave,” Dudley
said. “We were in the mix in nearly every event, and that is what you ask for in the these types of events.” In the women’s 3000-meter, Cornelia Griesche and Adrianna collected 10 points for the SEC, finishing second and fifth respectively. Juan Sanchez and Patrick Monaghan crossed the line at the front of the pack in the men’s 1500-meter run, as Sanchez finished second and Monaghan followed in third. The Bulldogs resume action in Austin, Texas, for the Texas Relays March 27 to 30.
SPORTS 10
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tuesday , march 26 , 2013
THE REFLECTOR
stat of the day:
the msu baseball team leads the sec with 37 double plays turned this season.
On the diamOnd: austin Peay at nO. 14 msu tuesday, 6:30 P.m.
Q&Awith track and field star D'ANGELO CHERRY By Alden Thornhill Staff Writer
cOurtesy PhOtO | msu media relatiOns
Senior D’Angelo Cherry won the 60-meter dash at both the USA Indoor Championships and the NCAA Indoor Championships.
After winning the USA Indoor 60-meter dash, D’Angelo Cherry won the event at the 2013 NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships with a time of 6.54 seconds. Cherry was named the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association Athlete of the Week after his performance at the USA Indoors. Cherry has decided to forgo the outdoor track and field season to focus on finding a sponsor and relays later this spring. Q: How did it feel winning the national title and achieving your record setting time? A: I wasn’t really surprised by the win because, when I looked at the entry list going into the finals and the actual meet, the depth and talent that was there hadn’t been as deep as in 2012. I was pretty confident I could win it, but the time shocked me. I wasn’t expecting around 6.49 (in the 100 meters). The time shocked me more than anything. The win was just a win to me. I don’t really worry about a win as long
as I know I am getting faster and progressing. That’s what really matters to me.
I wouldn’t be at Mississippi State. Dudley is like a father to me; he’s a father figure.
Q: What are you doing right now since your career at Mississippi State has finished? A: I’m currently talking with my agent, and we’re reaching out to the shoe companies and others who would sponsor me. Down the road, I plan on trying out for the World Outdoor Championships. I think that’s an event I can definitely see myself in, and I’m trying to get prepared to try out for the Drake Relays and Texas Relays this spring.
Q: What did you do to improve times? A: I do what other runners do. You do your block work in your 20, 30 and 50. You do your endurance work that includes your 150, 250 and 300s because you have to get stronger. For me personally, right now I have the speed just not the endurance, so I did a lot of endurance work on the offseason to get a lot stronger so I can do what I do now.
Q: Who’s been the most important person to you while you’ve been at MSU? A: Of course, Coach Dudley because he recruited me out of Jonesboro, Ga. I’m originally from Biloxi, Miss. I had been there (Jonesboro) for several years, and I had a former teammate in Justin Christian that told Coach Dudley about me. He (Dudley) showed me what classes I needed to take in order to get into MSU. If it wasn’t for Coach Dudley,
Q: Do you have any advice to high school runners who have seen what you have done so far in your career? A: The best advice I will give them is to never give up on your dreams, and if it’s your passion, then you should do it. I only ran track three years out of high school, and then I got to college, and I had a fantastic freshman year. From 2011 to 2012, I stayed hurt and injured. My best advice is to never give up because it took me three years to get back where I am right now. If it’s something you love to
do, then don’t give up on it, and don’t let anyone deter you from doing what you love to do. Q: What’s been your favorite part about your college career? A: My favorite part has probably been traveling. Before I started running track, I never went anywhere or got to travel. When I started running track, we went to different states such as Texas and New York. When I was part of the U.S. Junior Olympics team in 2009, we went to Trinidad. The traveling and getting to go to different places has been my favorite part. There’s not too many people who have gotten that opportunity. Q: Have you had a lot more exposure this year? A: Yes, because I won for the U.S. Junior Team and Nationals. They told me I’m the first man to win the USA endurance title for college and then win the Nationals. In 2009, I was running very well, but I fell out after those injuries. Although people still knew I had it, they were just waiting for me to come back like I did this year.