SPORTS | 10
SYDNEY PUSHES FOR THE PROS
TUESDAY MARCH 27, 2012
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125TH YEAR | ISSUE 43
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THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIVERSITY SINCE 1884
Fatal shooting on campus; Suspect arrested, charged Students attempt to understand chaos, mourn death of peer BY EMMA CRAWFORD Staff Writer In the midst of the shooting that took place at Evans Hall on Saturday night and left 21 year old Mississippi State University student John Sanderson dead, students are expressing their sadness and concern for the victim and his friends and family. Johnny Weichel, freshman whose major is undeclared, said he is upset by the incident and the loss of a fellow student. “I was shocked personally, it hasn’t really hit me yet because I never thought I’d be
in the midst of a situation like this,” he said. “I feel terrible for the family of the victim and for the families of the suspects.” William Fair, junior international business major, said after receiving the news that the shooting had been fatal, he was saddened by the incident. “Initially I just really felt bad for his family and friends,” he said. Students have also said they are slightly disquieted by the shooting because violent crime is not common on MSU’s campus. SEE
COURTESY PHOTO | WMC-TV
Mason Perry Jones was arrested by a U.S. Marshal task force in Memphis.
Jackson resident apprehended, charged with capital murder BY HANNAH ROGERS
REACTION, 4
COURTESY PHOTO | UNIVERSITY RELATIONS
(Above): Mark Keenum talks to residents of Evans Hall on Sunday. (Below): Friends and classmates have written on Sandersonʼs door.
Editor in Chief A suspect has been arrested and charged with capital murder in connection with the homicide of a first-semester transfer student who was shot multiple times on Mississippi State University’s campus. Mason Perry Jones, 21, of Jackson, was arrested in DeSoto County on Monday and is one of the three suspects in Saturday’s shooting, MSU Police Chief Georgia Lindley said in a news release. Detective Brad Massey of the MSU Police Department said Jones was booked in the Oktibbeha County Jail around 7 p.m. Monday. Maridith Geuder, director of university relations, said the offense underlying the capital murder charge is sell of a controlled substance. Jones was arrested Sunday night by the U.S. Marshal’s Office in Memphis on a February warrant from the Jackson Police Depart-
ment for armed robbery. Jones was on a northbound bus from Jackson, headed toward an unknown destination, supervisory inspector of the U.S. Marshal Service Richard Griffin said. He said they gained knowledge the bus would be in Memphis around 7 on Sunday night. Jones was taken into custody at a bus stop in Memphis. News outlets reported late Monday night that a second suspect turned himself into the U.S. Marshal’s service. He was still being booked at the time of print. John Sanderson, 21, of Madison, was fatally shot multiple times Saturday night on the first floor of Evans Hall and was found outside a residence hall room. Bill Kibler, vice president of student affairs, said Sanderson was transported to OCH Regional Medical Center where the doctors worked with him for around 40 minutes before he was pronounced dead at 11:03 p.m. SEE
JAY JOHNSON | THE REFLECTOR
SHOOTING, 3
Hobart leaves behind legacy, plans BY HANNAH ROGERS Editor in Chief
After a year serving as Student Association president, Rhett Hobart will officially end his term on Thursday when Shelby Balius takes office. The familiarity of his office is gone – blank walls now lack framed renderings of Mississippi State landmarks and a now empty bookshelf is missing the collection of maroon and white memorabilia that has decorated it for a year. Although he has not officially moved out of the president’s office yet, Balius’s nameplate now sits on the president’s desk. The one constant is the collection of around 100 folders of informa-
READERʼS GUIDE CAMPUS CALENDAR..................2 BAD DAWGS..............................3 OPINION...............................5 CONTACT INFO......................5
tion Hobart has used throughout the year. These folders, along with agendas and minutes from meetings that have occurred from the past year that Hobart has been a part of serving as SA president and a computer database that covers every initiative and event the SA has, will be passed down to Balius during the transition process. Transition, which began for Balius and Hobart the night of the election, has now almost encompassed a month. “We sat down at 8 a.m. the next morning (after Balius was elected) and looked at our calendars,” Hobart said. “Transition serves as a way for me to pass down
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as much knowledge as possible.” The SA has developed its transition process over the last four to five years, which has led to a system in which the officers attempt to pass down their expertise to the new administration. The result of this is that years of institutional understanding has been preserved, Hobart said. This year, a 103 plus-page document that covers every SA position — including the cabinet and the senate — and the accomplishments made this year, along with a plan to move forward will be published online. The last document of this nature on record in the SA office was made during the 2002-2003 school year during Parker Wiseman’s term as SA president.
SEE HOBART, 2
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Rhett Hobart will officially step down Thursday, when SA transition ends.
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TUESDAY , MARCH 27, 2012
TRANSITION
THE REFLECTOR
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“It’s going to be very helpful. This is something everyone can see,” Hobart said. “My section is 20 pages, and it’s broken down by position … it will probably end up being longer.” Along with the documents from this current year, Balius will have folders from previous presidents like Thomas Sellers and Blake Jeter. The SA has an extensive amount of records from the past, including the blueprints for the Junction. Transition does not just involve the transference of documents — it is a physical process in which Balius has shadowed Hobart and has begun taking over his responsibilities as president and has meet with important players on campus. “We share a calendar on Groupwise. Our calendars are the same except for classes. These meetings help,” Hobart said. “When I became vice president, (during transition two years ago) I met with ITS about BullyMail. We began moving into
BullyMail my first month of office.” Balius said she has gone or will go with Hobart to all the standing meetings the president is a part of. “It is a chance to meet with the administration so we can work together, rather than against each other,” she said. The SA president is a part of about 50 standing committees, 10 that are off campus in the city of Starkville. “We attempt to go to as many as possible … I introduce her to the committee,” Hobart said. “Once I go with her to one, I pass it down to her.” Although transition officially ends on Thursday, Hobart said it may continue in the sense that he will continue to go to scheduled meetings with Balius if they have not been concluded. As of now, they have meet with around 40 people out of about 60. However, as of Friday morning, all duties of the SA president will fall to Balius. Because it is important
COURTESY PHOTO | THE REFLECTOR
Grant Cochran, former Student Government Association president of the University of Alabama, and Rhett Hobart are on site of tornado damage in Tuscaloosa when Hobart did work with the MSU SA.
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to carry on the programs and initiatives put forward from the previous year, Hobart said, the transition is more detailed for the president than other positions. “If there’s any platform points we didn’t accomplish, we try to carry those over. In the last four years, we’ve tried to continue until its done. The Reveille was on Thomas’s platform; we accomplished it during my term. Teaching evaluations we started during my term, and Shelby is carrying it forward,” he said. During Hobart’s term, he said he has accomplished every point on his platform except the ones in the works, including the textbook exchange program and online event forms. “The year wasn’t enough time to get it done, but the ball has started rolling,” he said. “We are working through contractual issues with the (textbook exchange) company. Once it is done, the website could be up within a month.” The streamlined event calendar Hobart proposed is in the works — the committee was formed a year ago — and recommendations are now being made around campus. Balius said the proposal to transfer the process of students taking teacher evaluations from paper to online has gone through dean’s council and the teaching evaluations committee has been consulted. Once that has been completed, it will move to the faculty senate and will probably be on the agenda of the first meeting of next year. The reformation of teacher evaluations has to be done in two segments, Hobart said. The first segment deals simply with the process being done online. The second part would deal with students being able to view part of teacher evaluations. Kentucky and MSU are the only two schools in the SEC who do not have teacher evaluations online, Balius said. “There is broad agreement to put them online in general,” she said. “We don’t reinvent the wheel. It’s important to look at what other schools are doing. We are looking at peer universities to ensure the best procedures possible are developed for our university.” As Hobart completes his term as president, he said he is working to roll over projects to the new administration so it can continue what has not been finished. He will continue to work with the bullring project after his term ends in order to ensure its success. “A lot of what we’re doing right now is looking at things we’ve started doing this administration and how to carry them over to this next year,” he said. “Transition has gone smoothly because of (Balius’s) previous knowledge.” After responding to roughly 10,000 emails, surviving Tents for Tickets and providing the campus with new traditions and programs, Hobart said he is ready to move on. He said he’s proud of what he has done in the past year, including hearing at Cowbell Yell the remark from a cameraman who has worked for ESPN for 25 years state that he has never seen a student body this energized. He also was able to res-
COURTESY PHOTO | THE REFLECTOR
Rhett Hobart poses for a photo with Director of the Office of Parent Services, Catherine Walker.
urrect the class gift tradition and The Reveille. “Restoring and creating traditions was a goal of mine from the beginning,” he said. The SA as a whole has become more transparent and has better connected with the campus through avenues like Twitter, he said. As Balius takes office, Hobart said he is confident she can be successful in her new role. “I’m excited about the leadership Shelby will be able to exhibit as SA president. Through her experience with the SA in previous, I know she has the institutional and ability to continue moving the SA forward and representing the needs of every student at Mississippi State University,” he said. Balius said as she moves forward, she is excited about cabinet selections, applications for which are due on Friday. The cabinet will have five new programming positions, which Balius said will allow for more involvement for motivated students. As she moves forward, Balius said she wants to prioritize the desires of the students when choosing programming because she only has a year. “I want to reach out (to the student body) and be a visible person,” she said. “I’m very excited to have the opportunity I have, but it’s even more meaningful to have it on the foundation in which I do. We’ve had an incredible year at the SA.”
NEWS
REFLECTOR-ONLINE.COM
TUESDAY , MARCH 27, 2012
Staff Writer
The Shackouls Honors College at Mississippi State University may soon be taking on some changes, with the greatest being its link with universities in Oxford, England. Hagan Walker, Honors Council member, said there will not be many curriculum changes for current honors college members. Because the changes have not been approved by all, he could not give many details of the changes to come. The opportunity to study abroad will be more readily available because of MSU’s partnership with three universities in Oxford, England. Christopher Snyder, Shackouls Honors College dean and professor of history at MSU, said MSU students have been going to Christ Church, New College and Trinity in Oxford via MSU’s
study abroad program for the past five years. This summer, he will be taking 15 students to Oxford in May and June. While there, he will be teaching a seminar on J.R. R. Tolkien, author of the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Dean Snyder will be using his book, “Tolkien and the Making of Middle Earth,” in the class. Snyder said many study abroad scholarships are available and he believes the study abroad program in Oxford could be a great experience for the students. “Our students will benefit from full college privileges, being taught by Oxford faculty, attending lectures by some of the greatest scholars in the world and by being part of the vibrant intellectual life in Oxford,” he said. Ben Bailey, honors college member, is currently studying in Oxford at Christ Church. He said the structure of classes is very different there. At MSU, students take mul-
tiple classes and are tested on them a few times throughout the semester. Classes at MSU may have up to 200 or 300 students. In Oxford, students may have two or three tutorials, which are classes in which they meet individually or in small groups with the professor. Instead of taking tests, the students will write essays on questions posed by their professors. These papers are generally 2,000 words long. Bailey said in his eight-week term, he wrote 13 research papers. Bailey said students who choose to study in Oxford usually take one primary tutorial, which meets once a week. They also take on a
VIDEO BLOG Students may watch Ben Baileyʼs video blogs from his time in Oxford at youtube.com/user/ NerdsKitchen.
secondary tutorial that meets every other week. Bailey said although it may seem like the students are only taking two classes, they will spend about 30 to 50 hours a week doing research, reading and writing essays. After the essays are written, the tutor will read them and discuss them with the students. He or she will ask the writer of the essay difficult questions that cause him or her to think deeply and argue to defend the points made in the essay. “It is not a system where the teacher imparts knowledge on the student,” he said. “It’s a system where the student researches and develops an idea, and the teacher helps refine that idea.” Bailey said he encourages all who enjoy a challenge, hard work and research to study abroad in Oxford, England. He will be joining the group from MSU when they join Snyder for their six-week term in the summer.
Friday, March 23
DAWGS
• 1:30 a.m. A student was arrested for possession of marijuana in a motor vehicle in the Sessums Hall parking lot. Student referral was issued. • 1:52 p.m. A student reported being harassed by her ex-boyfriend and his friends.
Saturday, March 24
• 1:45 a.m. Student referrals were issued for climbing on top of Etheredge Hall to retrieve a frisbee.
Sunday, March 25
• 1:18 a.m. A student was murdered at Evans Hall. • 6:39 p.m. A student reported items in his room in Evans Hall that did not belong to him.
SHOOTING Oktibbeha County coroner Michael Hunt has ruled the death a homicide. Preliminary results were expected around 4 p.m. on Monday but had not yet been received by Hunt at that time. Lindley said the investigation is ongoing. A gun has also been found on campus. Kibler said Sanderson, an undeclared major, was a resident of Rice Hall. Kibler said he believes both Sanderson and the suspects were in Evans Hall because they were invited. There was no breech of security, he said. “The relationships of the individuals involved in the case will become clear as the investigation goes on,” he said. The suspects were originally identified as three black males who fled Evans Hall in a late model blue Crown Victoria. Geuder said Sunday the suspects were not believed to be students. Kibler said there were witnesses to the event who helped
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Honors students partner with universities abroad BY HAYLEE BURGE
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ERIC EVANS | THE REFLECTOR
President Mark Keenum said at the press conference this is the first time for something like this to happen in MSUʼs history.
investigators determine the incident was isolated. “The perpetrators fled not only the scene, but campus, and probably the city of Starkville immediately,” he said. The MSU Police Department was notified of an incident at Evans Hall at 9:54 p.m. The
police arrived within one minute of receiving the emergency call. Sanderson was found with serious injuries, but it could not be determined immediately whether he had been stabbed or shot. The investigation began immediately after the welfare of the victim was taken care of, Kibler said. Campus was placed on alert and patrols on campus — including foot patrols in residence halls — increased significantly. Two of the suspects are still at large, but the campus is no longer under an emergency alert. Kibler said officials chose to release the first Maroon Alert text message in order to alert the campus of a crime for safety reasons, despite not knowing if it was a shooting or a stabbing. “We err on the side of safety always,” he said. “We knew those who had performed this act had not yet been identified, so we needed to send that information out to the campus.” Twenty-four students in Ev-
ans Hall were asked to relocate to enhance and protect the integrity of the investigation. The motivation, along with surveillance video tapes from Evans Hall, are part of the investigation and have not been released to the public. In a press conference Sunday, MSU President Mark Keenum said the campus is known as a safe place and said he wants to assure students, parents, faculty and staff it continues to be safe. “This is the first time in our school’s history that such a tragic incident has occurred involving a student being shot on our campus,” he said. He said the campus goes to great lengths to promote safety. “Our Bulldog family is saddened by this event and the loss of one of our students. Our hearts go out to John Sanderson’s family and friends and they will continue to be in our prayers,” he said. “Our top priority is the safety and well-being of our campus and all who inhabit it.”
Kibler said residence halls have three levels of card-access security during the night. One needs a student ID card to access the building, a wing, then a room. Visitors can be escorted into residence halls by students who live there. Surveillance video cameras are mounted at entrances. Kibler said there are no housing maintenance records that show a failure of card key access security in Evans. Kibler said there have been no reports that any of the Maroon Alerts failed. “We monitor that system carefully. We have the exact times when the button was pushed to send those. We send out tens of thousands, so there may have been a several minute gap. There were no reports of a systematic failure,” he said. Kibler said the help the MSU Police Department has received from other law enforcement agencies has been exceptional and should be commended. “Any assistance they have re-
quested has been provided immediately,” he said. Keenum said in a news release that the MSU police and the university’s Crisis Action Team have worked hard. “We are extremely proud of the diligence shown by our police officers who have demonstrated the highest level of professionalism during the investigation of the tragic death,” he said. “(The Crisis Action Team) also worked throughout the weekend to ensure that our campus was informed and updated as events unfolded.”
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tuesday , march 27, 2012
gas prices rise, msU students, shuttles make accommodations In July 2008, the average price of regular unleaded gas hit $4.11 a gallon, the highest recorded nationwide average price of gas in the United States. The cost of fuel in the U.S. is climbing once again and approaching a record-high price. As of last Wednesday, the national average price of regular unleaded gas in the United States is $3.86. A month ago, it was $3.56. That is a 30 cent increase in four weeks. Mississippi’s average gas price was $3.64 a gallon, and at most gas stations in Starkville regular gas costs $3.65 a gallon. Students at Mississippi State University are feeling the pressure of rising gas prices on their already limited budgets. Marissa De Los Santos, sophomore kinesiology major, said it is hard to ignore the increase in prices. “Especially when I drive home I notice,” she said. “It used to take $20 to fill up, and, now, it takes $40. It’s definitely inconvenient.” De Los Santos also said if she plans on going home on the weekend, she does not eat out and skips grocery shopping during the week. “Things have to come second if I want to go home,” she said.
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CPI & ANNUAL GAS PRICES ADJUSTED FOR INFLATION 3.35 3.57 3.44
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Staff Writer
FEBRUARY 2012 U.S. DOLLARS
By Emma Crawford
NEWS REACTION
Source: consumerenergyreport.com zack orsborn | the reflector
Jacob Prince, senior geography major, said he thinks gas production has hit its peak and people will have to turn to alternative energy sources or change their lifestyles to coincide with increasing demand and costs of fuel. “Eventually, people will have to find more efficient ways of getting around,” he said. “Students will either have to pay more or make different decisions.” Prince said the current increase in gas prices has not been a problem for him. “Personally they haven’t affected me that much because I drive a gas-efficient car,” he said. “It’s not a hybrid, it sips gas; 11 gallons can take me 400 miles.” Prince said he thinks students should make the switch to more fuel efficient cars. “I think it would be the responsible thing to do, but it’s not feasible because not everyone can go out and buy a new car,” he said. Ali Cuavas, freshman chemical engineering major, said she pays $50 to $60 for a full tank of gas in her Toyota Camry, almost twice as much as the $35 that Prince said he pays to fill up his Toyota Yaris. Cauvas said she thinks biking would be a good alternative form of transportation to offset fuel costs for students. She said if Starkville could accommodate bikers on Miss. Highway 12, she would see bik-
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ing as a realistic option. “It would work if we lived in a big city where things were bike friendly,” she said. “But it’s hard to get around on only a bike off campus.” Students are not the only people feeling the weight of high fuel costs on their budgets. Mike Harris, director of Parking Services, said the surge in gas prices over the past year has caused difficulty for the campus shuttle program. “Does it cause strain? Sure it does,” he said. “We may not be able to buy new bikes for the bike program; you just make those adjustments in your budget.” Harris said although it has become more expensive to keep the shuttles running, sacrifices have to be made elsewhere to accommodate rising fuel costs. He said shuttle services will not be discontinued, even in the midst of soaring gas prices. “Shuttles have got to run; they’re part of our environment,” Harris said. “It’s only fair to the students.” He said they have applied for a grant that, if approved, would allow the shuttle routes to expand into the city of Starkville and provide additional funds for the shuttle program, including fuel costs. This grant would bring relief to the shuttle program by paying 50 percent of the $11,400 per month that it takes to run 11 shuttles 10 hours per day, five days a week. Harris said there has been a 27.2 percent increase in how much it costs to fuel shuttles since this time last year. At this time last year, MSU paid $2.71 per gallon for gas to run shuttles and currently they are paying $3.52 per gallon. As for rising fuel costs, Harris said he doesn’t see prices falling anytime soon. “I wouldn’t be surprised to see it at $4.50 a gallon,” he said.
THE REFLECTOR
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Fair said he has always thought Aycock’s immediate reaction to campus to be very safe relative to the news of the shooting. “I thought about that it could the city of Starkville. “I feel like campus is probably be fake, but I know someone more of a safe place. I feel like wouldn’t joke about that; I knew there’s more crime that goes on it must be real,” she said. Both Dawkins and Aycock off campus in Starkville; this is the first incident of its kind,” live on campus and said the most unnerving aspect of the he said. Austin Lenox, sophomore shooting is that it took place in a risk management, insurance and residence hall. “I was just really shocked that financial planning major, said he thought MSU is the last place an it happened in a dorm where we’re supposed incident like this to be safe,” would happen. Dawkins said. “It is so out Aycock said of character for she is uneasy something like after Saturday this to happen at night’s events Mississippi State but knows MSU University,” he is not a dangersaid. “I am very ous place. glad the per“I think things petrators aren’t like this can hapMississippi State pen anywhere at students; it shows anytime, but it that our students definitely makes don’t do things me more caulike this.” tious,” Aycock The recent said. abduction hoax Kyle Wegrzyn, was initially freshman insurreported to stuance/risk mandents via the agement major, Maroon Alert lives in Evans text message sysHall. tem and could He said the have led students incident is unsetto question the phil bryant, tling because validity of the governor of only a courtMaroon Alert mississippi yard separates text message they his dorm room received informfrom where the ing them of the shooting occurred. shooting on Saturday night. Even though the shooting However, students understood that this situation held took place in the building he life-threatening consequences calls home, Wegrzyn said he and the Maroon Alert was to be thinks Evans is a safe place. “I’ve never felt unsafe,” he taken seriously. Lauren Aycock, freshman said. Wegrzyn said he did not kinesiology major, said the thought of this event being fab- think twice about the comricated briefly crossed her mind motion surrounding the inciafter the initial shock she felt dent at Evans Hall on Saturday when she received the Maroon night. “I thought nothing of it,” he Alert. “It definitely scared me at first; said. “They were the quietest that thought crossed my mind a shots I’ve ever heard. It soundlittle later, but this was just so ed like someone dribbling a basketball, and then there was a much more serious,” she said. Shekerra Dawkins, freshman lot of screaming and yelling.” Wegrzyn explained loud stubiochemistry major, shared
“Mississippi does not take these instances lightly, and ... we will continue to provide a safe learning environment for students at all our Mississippi college and university campuses.”
dents causing commotion is not uncommon in Evans Hall. “There’s always something going on at Evans,” he said. “I hear people yelling every night, so I just blew it off, but this time it really was something.” Wegrzyn said he does not doubt it was easy for the perpetrators to enter Evans Hall undetected and said he thinks security could absolutely be tightened in residence halls. “It’s not very strict; pretty much anyone can get in,” Wegrzyn said. “I think if you want to find a way in, you can.” Hank M. Bounds, Commissioner of Higher Education, released a statement Monday regarding the tragedy. “The unfulfilled promise of a young person’s life cut short is always heartbreaking ... Mississippi State University’s extensive crisis planning was evident in their swift action and communication to students and the university community through the Maroon Alert system,” he said. Governor Phil Bryant also issued a statement Monday in response to the incident. “Those perpetuating these crimes will be apprehended and held accountable,” he said. “Mississippi does not take these instances lightly, and, rest assured, we will continue to provide a safe learning environment for students at all our Mississippi college and university campuses.” Rhett Hobart, Student Association president, expressed his condolences in a statement issued Monday night. “As a Bulldog family, we are deeply saddened by the tragic events that took place on our campus this past weekend, and we mourn the loss of a member of our student body,” he said. “It is in times such as these when it is vitally important that we come together and share the bond of loyalty and support that surrounds the People’s University.”
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REFLECTOR-ONLINE.COM
OPINION EDITORIAL
Student fatalit y leaves MSU’s safety, strength intact
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his past weekend, the Mississippi State University community has been drawn together by a tragedy. First of all, the staff at The Reflector would like to offer its sincerest condolences to the friends and family of the victim. It is a loss felt throughout campus, losing one of our own, and no one feels the loss as great as those who personally knew the victim. Time will help heal the hurt felt now, but his loved ones will never forget John Sanderson, who lost his life much too soon at the age of 21. The feeling of security and safety was seemingly shattered on Saturday night, but only for a moment. A call for police assistance was made at 9:54 p.m., and police were on the scene by 9:55 p.m. That remarkable reaction time and commitment to serving campus should make students and faculty feel secure that if tragedy does strike, response time will be minimal. Maroon Alerts were sent out to subscribers about 40 minutes after help arrived on the scene, even though it may have taken longer to reach the phones, since there are tens of thousands of people receiving Maroon Alerts. Crimes are not the fault of campus, campus security or faculty, but the response does show the skill and care the university has put into its emergency planning. Not all people are good, but it is comforting to know that sometimes the good of some, like campus security and faculty, can make the difference between allowing a crime to occur and allowing it to unrail the safety of an entire campus. While Saturday’s incident unfortunately did end in fatality, the campus can rest assured that we are the top priority of those who have made it their careers to protect and serve. We would like to thank the MSU faculty, police and security for providing such a safe environment that even when tragedy does strike, it does not shake our faith in those who have the power to restore order. Without these individuals, we as a community would be much weaker than we are today. In 2007, the Virginia Tech shooting shocked people worldwide, but its response time in letting students know resulted in a negligence charge, and VA Tech ultimately had to pay a $55,000 fine. VA Tech waited about two hours to let campus know of the danger. Comparitively, MSU took about 40 minutes. Additionally, MSU let us know the perpetrator was still at large. It sent us updates on suspect leads, vehicle color and model and the condition of the victim. So let us remember that out of tragedy can we sometimes see the silver lining of unshakeable strength, resilience and compassion. *** The Reflector editorial board is made up of opinion editor Wendy Morell, news editor Micah Green, news editor Megan McKeown, sports editor James Carskadon, life editor Kaitlin Mullins, photo editor Jay Johnson, copy editors Kaitlyn Byrne and Mollie C. Reeves, multimedia editor Eric Evans, chief designer Zack Orsborn, managing editor Julia Pendley and Editor in Chief Hannah Rogers.
Reflector The
Editor in Chief Hannah Rogers Managing Editor Julia Pendley
Chief Designer Zack Orsborn
Multimedia Editor Eric Evans
News Editor Micah Green News Editor Megan McKeown
Sports Editor James Carskadon
Life Editor Kaitlin Mullins
Opinion Editor Wendy Morell
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Photography Editor Jay Johnson
Copy Editor Mollie C. Reeves
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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.
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CORRECTIONS
PLAYING IN TRAFFIC | H.C. MANNING
Teachersʼ passion makes clock tick faster I
t was not until spring break that I realized I was missing something: fire. I did not feel like moving. I was making grades below those to which I was accustomed — and what was worse, I barely cared. I succeeded everywhere else, but I could not bring myself to feel too terrible about course work. I was at a dead end. Then, over spring break, I ran across someone from high school and the solution hit me so hard that I was tempted to imitate a certain swirly-haired fictional being and cry, “Brain blast!” I was missing my fire. I had no one there to start the fire. I did not have. . . Mrs. G. Mrs. G taught me AP English IV in high school, and I had never learned more from a teacher than I learned from
her. She was funny. She was coherent. And standing at just over five feet tall, she was the most feared being on campus. Which begs the question of “Why?” Did she wield a taser? Did she employ cruel and unusual methods of behavioral conditioning? Did she have a replica of Ms. Tr u n c h b u l l ’s chokey? Not at all. If you failed, you failed; have a nice trip down. She never yelled at us. But something about her manner made us fear for our very souls and, for whatever reason, want to do well in her class. Every single one of her students wanted to see the purple “good job!” at the top of our essays. How the hell did she do it? I think most of us students innately sensed how much she cared — about her job, teach-
“You do not have to like undergrads. Feel free to indulge in the urge to call pest control when you find yourself in a hallway teeming with us. But heavens above, love your subject!”
H.C. Manning is a sophomore majoring in geology. She can be contacted at opinion@reflector. msstate.edu. ing children, or the very subject of English I cannot say, but she deeply cared about something and we noticed it. The problem is that educators like Mrs. G are few and far between. She was the only high school teacher I had of that caliber. More depressing still, I only get a professor like this perhaps once or twice a semester and I do not understand why. Some professors — some teachers — are dignified, tenacious, passionate beings sent from God to educate the younger generations. But for those who fall so short of these standards, why, oh, why did you go into education? Why am I sitting here boring holes into the clock that, damn it,
seems to be broken? Remember. Remember being an undergrad. Remember finding the subject that sparked your passion and spread that flame to your students. You do not have to like undergrads. Feel free to indulge in the urge to call pest control when you find yourself in a hallway teeming with us. But heavens above, love your subject! Take pride in your work — only a fraction of which is publishing. Every student who sits through your course bares your stamp. Do you want your legacy to be a hoard of dispassionate blockheads? I promise that if your students see you frothing at the mouth with joy over atomic particles, they will at least feel a prickle of interest. Do not worry about making lame jokes or even about pretending to smile. If you start panting, “Oh my stars, look at this children, it’s e. coli!” some of us will think you’re a freak, yes, but at least we will remember class that day. And maybe you will find yourself looking forward to class, too.
LETTER TO THE EDITOR | EMMA HAWES
TFM, TSM inaccurately portray Greeks A
s a member of the Greek community, people have asked me what it is like to be a member of a sorority. My experience in a sorority has been beyond amazing. I have been able to maintain friendships with not only members of my sorority but with members both of different Greek organizations and independents. The websites Total Frat Move and Total Srat Move are not a good representation of the Greek community. TFM features a wall, columns and photos dedicated to Greek life. The website pokes fun at independents and boasts that Greek life is the best thing ever. TFM makes the Greek community look like snobs who only care about those affiliated with their organization. Some of the posts are funny and not derogatory. However, most of the posts make Greek organizations look like they believe they are superior to other groups on campus. Several wall posts on TFM include “Awe, she only thinks she is in a real sorority” and “Explaining
Greek life to a GDI is like explaining quantum physics to a 5 year old.” It is quite difficult to explain to anyone what it is like to be Greek to anyone. However, from my own personal experience, I did not even know what it was like to be a member of the Greek community before I pledged Delta Gamma. Growing up, I never thought I would join a sorority due to the portrayals of the Greek community in movies. It was not until the spring semester of my senior year of high school did I decide to rush. One of my friends didn’t rush until her junior year of college because she was afraid to go through rush due the stereotypes of the Greek community. College is where one should
find his or her own happiness regardless of whether the Greek system is for them or not. Everyone has a different experience with the Greek system; for some it works out, and for others it does not. However, what makes TFM different from the movies is that members of Greek organizations are responsible for the cruel comments. No one is representing their letters appropriately if they are showing a bad attitude toward any group. This also plays a major disadvantage to those uncertain about the Greek system. One column claimed the campus police were not serving and protecting but rather were a step above a mall cop. Greeks seem to believe they are above authority in the columns. This is very disrespectful because the campus police face many
“Total Frat Move is just a website that makes the Greek community seem like it is cruel and thinks it runs the whole campus.”
incidents every week. An advice column on TSM suggested that every senior should skip class on a sunny day and go drink at a local bar’s patio. TFM and TSM do not do justice on showing members of the Greek community are studious. TSM makes Greek girls look like they are on a manhunt for a frat boy who drives a Land Rover just so they can get an engagement from Tiffany’s. Bragging about having Lilly Pulitzer dresses and Tory Burch purses on a website does not make anyone more special than an independent. Total Frat Move is just a website that makes the Greek community seem like it is cruel and thinks it runs the whole campus. Being a member of the Greek community is a great experience filled with charities, friendships and unity with other organizations. However, the bad representation from TFM does not show what the Greek system truly is to those who are not affiliated with a Greek organization.
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.
Do you think the media negatively affects people's body images?
78
Yes. No.
3
15
DO YOU THINK MSU HANDLED GETTING INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL SHOOTING OUT IN A TIMELY MANNER?
- Yes, I was well-informed. - No, I did not receive any information.
I don't care.
Vote online at reflector-online.com Total number of votes: 96 ZACK ORSBORN | THE REFLECTOR
ZACK ORSBORN | THE REFLECTOR
6 | tuesday , march 27 , 2012
THE REFLECTOR
AN IN-CLASS DISTRACTION ...
Across 1 Storage spot 5 10-Down’s request: Abbr. 10 State along the Sea of Cortez 14 Overhead projector? 15 Control __ 16 Sensory stimulant 17 Some Monopoly props. 18 Long look 19 Iris locale 20 *Hail 23 Club with very little loft 24 William of __, known for his “razor” maxim 27 Bouquet __ 28 *Tar 32 “You rang?” 34 Dos Passos trilogy 35 Some map nos. 36 [not my mistake] 39 *Tin 42 Lunch, say 43 Norsk Folkemuseum setting 45 Sashimi choice 46 Shelf-filling ref. work 48 *Poe 51 “The best is __ be”: Browning 55 Fractious 56 Had a slice of humble pie 58 What you need to get the starred clues to fit their answers 62 Shell occupant 64 Handled 65 Pilate’s “Behold!” 66 Typesetting unit 67 Paper fan feature 68 Unité politique 69 Envelope abbr. 70 Sturdy fabric 71 Est. and Lat., once Down 1 Seasoned salt? 2 Plaza de la Revolución locale 3 Hit that sends the game to extra innings, e.g. 4 Predetermined outcome
5 “__ Easy”: Buddy Holly classic 6 Like many aunts 7 Actor McGregor 8 Dorm hoops ball 9 Lineage display 10 Imposer of a drunk’s comeuppance 11 Champion 12 Break fluid? 13 First name in Fighting Irish history 21 Northeastern natives 22 Theater ticket word 25 Quarter 26 Computer game set on an island 29 Inventive cubist? 30 Pac-12’s Beavers 31 Seat of Texas’s McLennan County 33 Coal-rich region 36 Woefully out of shape 37 Ferry destination 38 Someone to admire 40 Question of identity 41 Worked (up)
3-27-12 Solutions for 3-23-12
44 Empire partitioned by the Treaty of Lausanne 47 Official proclamations 49 Mitt Romney’s alma mater: Abbr. 50 Livestock marker 52 Developers’
acquisitions 53 RV follower 54 Nocturnal newborns 57 CD alternative 59 Baker’s qtys. 60 Healthy 61 Decorative jug 62 Returns pro 63 Aflame
OCTOPUzzLE
Due to space, Octopuzzle will not be in this issue of The Reflector. The puzzle will reappear as space allows.
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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, prepaid. Lost and found: found items can be listed for free; lost items are listed for standard ad cost. for sale Ziggy’s Buy & Sell. Don’t throw it away! Get cash for your used furniture and other items. We sell everything from furniture to antiques to music. 434 Miss. Highway 12 West, look for the orange sign with Ziggy’s picture, or call 312-8895. Faculty investment opportunity. Enjoy benefits of retirement now, as you teach. Live in your five-plex on Oktibbeha County Lake, and let rentals pay your mortgage. 340’ waterfront, five-plex, dock, ski-boat. $342,000 firm. 418-2790. for rent Canterbury Townhouses. 990 Old Mayhew Road. 2012 lease special (12th month free with 12-month lease). One, two and three bedroom newly-remodeled townhouses. Call 323-9216 for details. “Lodge at the Lake.” Great one bedroom, waterfront, dock, appliances, washer/dryer, free cable and fast-access Internet. See now. Available May 1 for 15 months. $525/month. Pet friendly. 418-2790. AVALON Large two and three bedroom apartments from $729 per month. Reserve your apartment today for fall. live atavalonapts.com. Rates include cable Internet and all appliances; unfurnished. One bed, one bath apartment for sublease at Parkside Apartments. $400 per month. Spacious bedroom, walk-in closet, energy efficient. Some furniture, appliances included. Available now. 648-8595, call or text. One bedroom mobile home for rent. One mile from campus. Hunting and fishing privileges. Pet friendly for additional fee. $350 per month. Lease and deposit required. Call 418-8555. Pasture boarding also available.
Maden, two well-preserved older homes with ammenities. Spacious. Yard care provided. $500 per month and $600 per month. 263-8394. On a lake, furnished, one-bedroom apartment. Available June 1 for 14month lease at $525 per month. TV cable, water, sewer, high speed wireless Internet provided. You pay electricity. Call Bob at 418-2790. HelP WanteD Bartending. Up to $300 / day. No experience necessary. Training available. Call 800-965-6520 ext. 213. Attention students: $15 starting pay. Flexible hours around class. Customer sales and service. No experience required. Call 2685097. Collegeincome.com. Serious art student for joint venture wanted. Must be able to draw graphics and liberal. Call 646-1315 for more information. miscellaneous Apple iPod lost on MSU campus (likely at Barnes & Noble) a few weeks ago. Contains Latin and classical music. Reward $25. 3120253. CLUB INFO The deadline for Tuesday’s paper is 3 p.m. Thursday; deadline for Friday’s paper is 3 p.m. Tuesday. MSU student organizations may place 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. BaPtist stuDent union The BSU at Mississippi State invites all students to our weekly worship service, PRIORITY, on Tuesday nights at 6:15. You are also invited to a $5 home-cooked meal, called NOONDAY, on Wednesdays at noon. The BSU Center is located
directly across the street from Campus Book Mart. All students are welcome. Visit msubsu.com for more information. camPus BiBle stuDents Intensive Bible study Mondays from 7 to 8 p.m. in room 324 of the Union. All are welcome. Email tns54@pss. msstate.edu for more information. catHolic stuDent association The CSA invites you to join us each week at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church. Student mass is on Sundays at 5:30 p.m. Good food and fun fellowship can be had at $2 dinners on Tuesday at 6 p.m., followed by weekly/Bible study at 7 p.m. Come to one of these events and learn more ways to get involved! For more information, simply “like” our Facebook page: “Mississippi State Catholic Student Association.” faamsu Come join us for lively discussions. Believers welcome! Every Thursday, starting Sept. 8, in the Union room 226 from 6 to 9 p.m. Twitter: @SAUCEFORALL. We are the Freethinkers, Agnostics and Atheists of MSU. female GraDuate stuDents New group for female graduate students in science, engineering and mathematics: Please email msu.gwise@gmail.com liGHt Bearers Yeah! We Bear The Light! Come join us for fellowship, dynamic worship and inspirational devotions every Thursday at 7 p.m. Union 3rd floor, room 329. msu canterBurY ePiscoPal felloWsHiP “Spiritual but not religious?” Spirituality and home-cooking at the Episcopal Church (“Canterbury”). Free dinner, activities each Wednesday, 5:30 p.m. Canterbury Lodge, 105 N. Montgomery St., Starkville. For more information, contact Chaplain Carol Mead at 6941178. Sponsored by Canterbury Episcopal Fellowship. PHilosoPHY cluB Tuesdays at 5 p.m. in Union 226.
LIFE
REFLECTOR-ONLINE.COM
TUESDAY , MARCH 27, 2012
The Hunger Games
review BY HANNAH ROGERS Editor in Chief
Long-term fans of The Hunger Games trilogy (like myself ) have recently been faced with difficulty — cringe-inducing comparisons to fans of a certain pathetic, young-adult series that features sparkling vampires, scrutiny from part of the public for liking a “popular” series as buzz around the series has increased and, above all else, the question of whether the movie would capture the spirit and message of its source material. After years of imagination, months of anticipation and weeks worth of planning to see the adaptation opening day in theaters, I now have my answer. “The Hunger Games” director Gary Ross's vision successfully allows for Suzanne Collins's book to effortlessly transition from page to screen. “The Hunger Games,” the first in a proposed series of films based off Collins's trilogy, focuses on a dystopian North America called Panem ruled by the wealthy Capitol. In this future, 12 districts must offer as tribute a boy and a girl to fight to the death in a gladiator-like reality show called the Hunger Games in penance for rebelling against the Capitol years before. Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) becomes the first volunteer tribute of District 12, taking her younger sister's place in the arena. In order to return home, Katniss must be crowned victor by surviving and defeating the 23 contestants, including her fellow District 12 tribute Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson). Lawrence portrays the Katniss of the book series — a strong, unflinching young woman who understands she must make hard decisions to survive. Katniss's independence and love for her sister (stronger than that of any feelings she has toward a love interest) set her apart from typical heroines in action films. She is not a supporting love interest to the hero — she's the protagonist, and Lawrence draws the audience in with her solid line delivery and nuanced expressions that convey Katniss's inner thoughts. The rest of the cast perfectly fits the characters created by Collins. Hutcherson's Peeta remains the charismatic, selfless hero. As Cinna, Lenny Kravitz brings energy to the role as Katniss' stylist. Woody Harrleson (Haymitch) and Elizabeth Banks (Effie) occasionally spar comedy and respectively keep the drunken mentor and materialistic Capitol pawn from becoming one-note, outrageous characters.
The scriptwriters (including Collins, who helped adapt the novel) made the wise decision to balance emotion with action. And, although parts of the book are omitted or slightly altered, the intent of the movie aligns with its source material. The filmmakers do not ignore the violent nature of the story and choose moments of blatant bloodshed for when it serves a purpose. It's no surprise the movie is already breaking box-office records — it's a well-crafted film that respects a popular series' source material and can easily enough attract new fans. Some book-to-screen adaptations disappoint because of lack of faithfulness to the source material (see The Chronicles of Narnia), some barely make an effort knowing screaming girls (and 40-year-old women) will show up in droves to swoon no matter what (The Twilight Saga) and some lack the emotional intensity of their source material (several of the Harry Potter films). As a fan, I have never been more pleased with a film adaptation of a young adult book series. But what makes “The Hunger Games” so successful is its ability to be more than an action film. At its heart, “The Hunger Games” is a story about surviving against impossible circumstances and making sacrifices for love.
Lawrence Strout | @lstrout @LifeReflector @reflectoronline Great. Oscar worthy performance by the female lead.
Rachel Burke | @thatburkegirl @LifeReflector Better than the book. #didthatjustcomeoutmymouth
Kurt Wirth | @RingProudly @LifeReflector @reflectoronline Read the book, was very disappointed.
Sarah Sage | @sarahesage @LifeReflector brilliant. Collins did an amazing job transferring her world from book to screen.
K. Redding @keRedding @lifereflector I thought it was a great telling of the story through a different medium #thehungergames COURTESY PHOTOS | LIONSGATE
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LIFE
TUESDAY , MARCH 27, 2012
THE REFLECTOR
Libraries host world-class artists BY JULIA V. PENDLEY Managing Editor
The Mississippi State University’s Mitchell Memorial Library will host the sixth-annual Charles Templeton Ragtime Jazz Festival March 30 and 31 featuring five pianists. Brian Holland, Jeff Barnhart, Sonny Leyland, Martin Spitznagel and David Jasen will all be present at the festival and performing in concerts, “living room” sessions and lectures. All events are free for students. For anyone else interested in attending, the all-events badge is $50. Tickets can also be purchased online at library.msstate.edu/ ragtime/festival/tkts/index. html. Stephen Cunetto, festival coordinator, said the event grew out of an idea when talking to Chip Templeton, Charles Templeton's son, and is an outgrowth of the Charles Templeton Sr. Music Museum. “We thought it was a good thing to bring to Mississippi State and Mississippi that really shows the evolution of music to where it is today,” he said. Cunetto said the festival brings people from all over the
country to Mississippi to showcase the music. "This is a good opportunity for them to broaden their horizons and hear great performers that they may not hear otherwise," he said. Lyle Tate, festival planning committee member, said there will be three different types of events. During the day, there will be talks at the piano in the museum, located in the library. These will be intimate “living room” sessions and will allow attendees to be able to hear the artist perform as well as have discussions with them. “I think it's a neat experience for students to talk in this culture and see world-class musicians up close and personal,” he said. Cunetto said the evening concerts are something students will enjoy. "We try to make it high tech as well," he said. There will be television centers showing hands watching their hands. Tate, senior library associate, said the festival highlights this genre and a great way of keeping its history alive. “(The festival) draws people into the ragtime music and brings attention to music over 100 years old,” he said. Cunetto, library system administrator, said the festival helps participants understand musical roots and evolution. He said all types of music can trace back to this genre. “We think hip-hop is new, but really it has roots in this type of music,” he said. Tate said an interesting dynamic of the festival is that
Brian Holland and Jeff Barnhart because it is so rare to get those two together. Cunetto said the last time Barnhart played at the Templeton festival he played an unscripted, unplayed performance where other performers joined the piano. At one point, there were four people playing one piano. "It brought the house down," he said. "It sounds fantastic. I have a feeling it will probably happen again." Cunetto said some of the more well-known songs include “The Entertainer,” “Maple Leaf Rag” and “Kitten on the Keys,” as he looked through a stack of ragtime CDs on his desk. Ragtime music is characterized by syncopated music with strong bass clef. Tate said the music is upbeat and has no words, and it is almost always piano music, although there will occasionally be duets and trios with other instruments. Cunetto said the music is more lively than classical music, even though the music is from a time very different from today. "They're very dynamic performances," he said. "It's not you get your bowtie own and your stiff shirt kind of music." Templeton was a 1949 MSU graduate and Starkville businesman. His main hobby was collecting turn of the century instruments, which were later donated to the library. The museum, located on the fourth floor, has just under 200 instruments, 13,000 pieces of playable music and 22,000 pieces of sheet music from various genres, but mostly ragtime.
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ZACK ORSBORN | THE REFLECTOR
IT'S ABOUT THAT TIME
CAMERON MCMASTER
SPORTS
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TUESDAY , MARCH 27, 2012
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No. 12 Bulldogs sit atop SEC West BY JACK HILL Staff Writer
STEPHANIE GODFREY | THE REFLECTOR
TAKING A BREATHER
| Mississippi State running backs LaDarius Perkins (29), Kasey
Akins (48) and Nick Griffin (29) take a break during Saturday’s practice, the second of the spring for MSU. These running backs will look to replace the production of Vick Ballard, who is now pursuing a career in the NFL. The team will practice again this afternoon.
SEC slide continues for Lady Dogs BY ELLIOTT REES Staff Writer
After dropping Sunday’s game three, 8-0, in Starkville to the No. 12 ranked University of Tennessee Volunteers, the softball Bulldogs find themselves facing an uphill climb to get back into contention in the Southeastern Conference. The loss gave the Volunteers the weekend series sweep and Mississippi State has now lost six conference games in a row after starting the season with a 3-4 mark in the SEC. The Bulldogs are currently near the bottom of the Western Division with an overall record of 18-15 and a 3-10 record in conference play. Sunday was the second game of the series that the Bulldogs were defeated by the eight-run rule and the Volunteer bats were too much for State pitching to handle, head coach Vann Stuedeman said. “It was a rough day three and we were playing a great Tennessee team and they were extremely offensive,” she said. Mississippi State tried to counter the offensive production of Tennessee by starting junior lefthanded pitcher Stephanie Becker who has been the ace and most consistent pitcher to this point. Even Becker had no answer for the hot bats of Tennessee. Becker dropped two decisions against the Volunteers in three days and now has an overall record of 107. However, Becker did manage to
reach a total of 100 strikeouts recorded for the season with her play over the weekend. Becker had an earned run av- Stuedeman erage of 2.36 entering the game on Sunday and only allowed four earned of the six charged to her. This was an improvement after allowing seven earned runs on Friday. The team committed a total of three errors on Sunday and a total of six over the entire weekend. Stuedeman said Becker’s performance was an improvement, but the defense behind her needs to be able to eliminate errors. “I thought Becker came out today and was a whole lot better than Friday night and was able to work herself out of some jams,” she said. “Early in the game, unfortunately, we were not able to make a play or two for her for the first four runs.” The Bulldogs also struggled to generate offense not only on Sunday but for the entire weekend. State was outscored by the Volunteers 26-3 in the series and was out-hit 28-18. The two bright spots for the Bulldogs on Sunday were sophomore Sam Lenahan and senior Brittany Bell who both went two for two and accounted for four of the five total hits in the loss. The Bulldogs had their opportunities to drive in runs
throughout the weekend, but Lenahan said that the team needs to have timelier hitting. “We need more timely hitting, we’re having quality at-bats,” she said. “We just need to have those quality at-bats more often.” The Bulldogs will travel to Mississippi Valley State on Wednesday and then have the No. 1 team in the nation, the University of Alabama, coming into town for a three-game series starting on Friday at 7 p.m. Lenahan said the game against Mississippi Valley State, a team which State beat earlier this year 3-2, is going to be important for the team to win in order to get back on the winning track before the series with the Crimson Tide. “It is going to be big,” she said. “We have to keep going out there fighting, go out and score runs early and get that win to give us momentum going into the Alabama series.”
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The No. 12 Mississippi State Bulldogs continued their push toward another SEC West championship this past weekend. After a 4-2 win in Gainesville Friday over the No. 11 Florida Gators, the Bulldogs returned home to defeat the No. 40 South Carolina Gamecocks 6-1. With the win Sunday, State placed itself in sole possession of first place of the SEC Western division after an Ole Miss loss in Oxford to Florida Sunday. The matches started with a very close doubles win for the Bulldogs. After splitting the first two matches 8-5, Louis Cant and Malte Stropp came up big winning the third match in a tiebreaker 9-8(2). “We had a good start with the doubles; they’re a very good team in doubles. That gave us a lot of confidence to come out in singles,” Cant said. A quick start in singles it was for the Dogs, as junior James Chaudry led the way with a swift 6-2, 6-0 victory over South Carolina’s Nick Jones. Minutes later, the Gamecocks’ Thiago Pinheiro could not finish the match as senior George Coupland earned a shortened 7-6(2), 1-0 win. The victories kept coming for the Bulldogs as Cant took down Kyle Koch 6-4, 6-4 to extend State’s lead to 4-0 and put the match in the win column for the Bulldogs. Play still went on, however, as senior and No. 14 ranked Artem Ilyushin downed Ivan Machado 6-4, 6-2, while sophomore Zach White won his match 6-2, 6-2. The only loss for Mississippi State came in the last match to finish when Gamecock Andrew Adams defeated Bulldog Stropp 6-3, 6-4. The win marked State’s third in a row and improved the Dogs to 14-4 overall and 5-1 in SEC action. The Bulldogs are not satisfied
COURTESY PHOTO | HAILSTATE.COM
Senior Louis Cant, ranked No. 37 in the country, won his singles match in straight sets on Sunday over South Carolinaʼs Kyle Koch. Cant, alongside partner Malte Stropp, clinched the doubles point for MSU.
yet, though. Head coach Per Nilsson still believes this team can take the next step. “You have to be able to have a game plan and stick to it. Mentally, you have to do it day in and day out. We’re getting there,” Nilsson said. State now turns its focus to this weekend, where the Bulldogs will face two Western Division opponents. LSU comes in Friday while the Bulldogs will honor their seniors Sunday as they entertain the Arkansas Razorbacks. Although LSU posts a not so impressive 11-7 (2-4) record, the Tigers do have a win over Texas A&M 4-3, who beat State in a dramatic match early in the Bulldog’s campaign. “LSU is really tough. They have a young team; we always have battles with them. They beat Texas A&M, who we lost to,” Nilsson said. Arkansas is in a similar spot
as the Tigers. At 13-7 (1-5) the Razorbacks are a young, capable team that cannot be taken lightly. The Razorbacks and Bulldogs have each played Auburn, Alabama, Tennessee and Georgia. State defeated three of the four, losing to Georgia 4-3; while Arkansas dropped matches to all four teams. “We’ve been successful against Arkansas in the past; they have nothing to lose. We’re the hunted people now,” Nilsson said. That mindset is something the Bulldogs will have to possess as they enter the home stretch of their season. After LSU and Arkansas this weekend, State travels to Kentucky, Vanderbilt and Ole Miss to close out the season on a three-game road swing before coming back to Starkville for the SEC Championships April 19 through 22, which is also Super Bulldog Weekend.
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SPORTS
10
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TUESDAY , MARCH 27, 2012
THE REFLECTOR
STAT OF THE DAY :
ON THE DIAMOND:
THE MSU BASEBALL PITCHING STAFF IN 2012, THE SECOND MOST IN THE NCAA
MISSISSIPPI STATE
233 – THE NUMBER OF STRIKEOUTS FOR
Sports Editor
MICAH GREEN | THE REFLECTOR
MSU second baseman Sam Frost dives back into first base during SundayĘźs extra innings loss to Arkansas. Frost went 3-3 in the game.
Diamond Dawgs fall just short against Hogs Staff Writer
With five opening day starters out with injuries, the Mississippi State baseball team is craving experienced players but has been forced to gain experience for the younger guys. Unfortunately, it just so happens that experience is coming against the top teams in the country. After taking one of three games at No. 13 LSU last weekend, the Bulldogs fell just short of taking a weekend series against No. 3 Arkansas, falling 8-5 in an extra innings contest Sunday in the series finale. SEC West foe Auburn, who just won two games against LSU, is awaiting the arrival of the Bulldogs, but the MSU baseball team had an upset of its own to take care of first. The Arkansas Razorbacks, who finished first in the West last year topping MSU by one game, came into Starkville atop the West with a 21-2 overall record and 4-0 in the SEC. But Friday night was all Bulldogs as they jumped out to an early 4-0 lead and defeated the Razorbacks 11-2. Sophomore Hunter Renfroe got it started in the first with an inside-the-park home run and made things easier on himself in the second inning by hitting one out of the park. Renfroe said he thought his third base coach was crazy when he was pointing for him to run home on his first hit, but he knew his second one was gone right when he hit it. “I think I felt better today than I have in a really long time about swinging the bat. I’ve hit enough home runs in my life that I knew
that one was gone,� Renfroe said. “We had a lot of good video on (Arkansas pitcher D.J. Baxendale), and we were focusing on his arm slot because that’s where it was going to be.� The Dogs continued to pile on the runs, adding two more in both the third and fourth innings and capping it off with three in the seventh. Renfroe led all players with four RBIs, while juniors Sam Frost and Trey Porter each added two. The pitching duel was won by MSU junior Chris Stratton, who kept his stainless record moving to 5-0, while Arkansas ace Baxendale suffered his first loss of the year and moved to 5-1. The No. 3 Razorbacks bounced back quickly for Saturday’s game and overtook the Dogs 8-0. MSU only had three hits on the day compared to Arkansas’s 14. On the mound none of the four MSU pitchers could ever take control of the game. Sunday’s rubber match needed extra innings to decide a game in which MSU started five freshmen. After jumping out to an early two run lead, State did not score again until the ninth inning, tying the game at three. Junior Kendall
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6:30 TONIGHT
Sidney, Smith no longer with MSU BY JAMES CARSKADON
BY KRISTEN SPINK
ALCORN STATE VS.
Graveman pitched 5.1 solid innings and allowed only two runs. At the plate the Dogs failed to find the holes. They hit numerous line drives off a sinker-ball pitcher, one which ended in a triple play. The team went 0-3 with the bases loaded and left 14 runners on base. The Razorbacks opened up the game in the 11th inning, plating five runners and running senior Caleb Reed out of the game after 4.2 innings of relief work before Tanner Gaines recorded the final two outs. The MSU pitching staff gave up the most hits so far this season with 15, but the Dogs still had a chance in the bottom of the 11th. However, they only managed to score two runs, leaving the bases loaded once again to fall 8-5. Head coach John Cohen said he feels like in the long run the experience gained by the younger guys will help, but for the short term it is frustrating and disappointing.
“I thought our kids competed their hearts out; they never give up,� Cohen said. “This is a really good baseball team, and this is a team that could win a National Championship. They’re right there, and we’re so stinking close to being at that level even with virtually no experience on the field.� The experience will only continue to grow for the Bulldog freshmen as they host Alcorn State tonight at 6:30 and then travel to Auburn for the weekend. Frost, who went 3-3 on Sunday, said the team can find a way to win against tougher competition in the SEC. “We’ve played two of the best teams in the SEC the last two weeks, and we’ve played some of the best baseball we’ve played all season,� Frost said. “It gives us a lot of confidence knowing we can compete with the top teams and lets us know we are one of the best teams in the conference.�
Slightly less than three years after it began, the Renardo Sidney saga at Mississippi State came to a close Monday. The junior forward has declared for the NBA draft and signed with an agent , ending his MSU career, the university announced. Sidney signed with MSU in April of 2009 but missed all of the 2009-2010 season and part of the 2010-2011 season due to suspension for receiving improper benefits. Coming into State, Sidney was expected to be a major factor for the Bulldogs, but weight and conditioning issues caused his play to be inconsistent. In a release from MSU, Sidney said he was thankful for the opportunity given to him by MSU. “I appreciate Mississippi State giving me an opportunity to play, but I feel it’s time for me to move on,� Sidney said. “I’m grateful to all the administrators, coaching staff and the fans for their support during my time at Mississippi State. I’m entering the draft to follow my dream of playing in the NBA and to help my family.� Sidney showed flashes of athletcisim that made him look like the top recruit he once was but never consistently played at that level. Easily one of the most criticized players in MSU basketball history, Sidney frequently drew criticism from national media during his MSU career. Sidney will be represented by Rogue Sports, an entertainment firm that also represents athletes, according to the release. The Jackson native played in 48 games during his Bulldog career, starting in 46 of them. He averaged 11.5 points per game and 6.1 rebounds per game. According to his Twitter feed,
Sidney has been training in Florida since last week and will likely continue to train there until the NBA draft in June. Sidney Smith looks to transfer Freshman guard DeVille Smith has withdrawn from school and left the Mississippi State basketball program, a team spokesperson announced Monday. Smith, who came to MSU from Calloway High School, averaged 4.2 points per game in 26 appearances for the Bulldogs this season. He missed playing time due to frequent headaches and dizziness that led to extended hospital stays. Smith is reported to be interested in enrolling at Jackson State University. Smith’s high school coach, Wayne Brent, told the Clarion-Ledger the guard was “entertaining the idea� of enrolling at Jackson State. The departure of Smith leaves a significant void at the guard position for State. With seniors Dee Bost and Brian Bryant graduating, that only leaves three scholarship guards on MSU’s roster (Rodney Hood, Shaun Smith and Jalen Steele.) MSU signed Josh Gray, a guard from Houston, Texas in November, but he has asked to be released from his National Letter of Intent following the retirement of Rick Stansbury. Junior forward Arnett Moultrie has yet to make a decision regarding the NBA draft as of Monday. All of this happens while MSU continues its coaching search. A reported MSU target, Steve Prohm of Murray State, signed a contract extension with the Racers on Monday.
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