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REFLECTOR-ONLINE.COM 125TH YEAR | ISSUE 47
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THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIVERSITY SINCE 1884
Fourth Annual Maroon Edition book announced Work underway on BY HANK DAVIS
Contributing Writer
It was announced on Monday that the fourth annual Maroon Edition book is “Unbowed” by Nobel Peace Prize-winning author Wangari Maathai. “Unbowed” is a memoir of Maathai’s early life in Kenya and the struggles she faced while leading a movement to reforest her country. Maathai faced government prosecution for her cause, which
gradually developed into what we know now as the Greenbelt Movement. Maridith Geuder, the director of the Office of University Relations, said she is excited about the opportunities the book will provide. “‘Unbowed’ provides so many opportunities to get our university involved. Of course, with our forestry department there will be opportunities to learn about forestation and the importance of environmentalism,” she said.
“Women’s empowerment and the power to make change could also be considered a theme for this year’s Maroon Edition.” Maathai Each year, a service project is chosen relating to the selected text and to give students a chance to make a difference. The Maroon Edition is a program in which MSU features one
book annually in an attempt to promote reading among students, faculty and the public, while showcasing an important literary work. One change for this year’s Maroon Edition is that every freshman will receive a copy of the book free of charge at orientation. “Unbowed” was recommended from a vast number of texts by a committee made up of MSU faculty and students selected by Mark Keenum, president of MSU.
second Chick-Fil-A Cotton Mill Marketplace still in the works BY SASHA STEINBERG Staff Writer
Within the next few months, Starkville is set to become the home of a brand-new Chick-Fil-A. The first step in the construction process, which began roughly a month ago, saw the demolition of a log cabin that formerly housed a Burger King on the corner of Spring Street and Miss. Highway 12. Mark Nicholas, managing member of Cotton Mills Development Group, which is overseeing the project, said once the cabin was knocked down he was able to sell the parcel of land to the Chick-Fil-A Corporation and construction began. “We strictly dealt with corporate headquarters, and this will be a company-owned store. Because the ChickFil-A has done so well on the MSU campus, they really wanted to bring one to the Starkville community at large,” he said. Since this store will be one of Chick-Fil-A’s high-volume designs, the restaurant will have a full-size menu, double drive-thru and a parking lot equipped with numerous parking spaces. The restaurant will have the potential to create at least 20 job opportunities for residents of the Starkville community. Nicholas said it will be situated at one of the best locations in Starkville, near one of the busiest traffic routes in the city and in close proximity to the MSU’s campus. “It will be a great addition to Starkville and will provide some very good job opportunities. Chick-Fil-A is a great organization, and it has been a real pleasure doing business with them,” he said. Nicholas, developer for the much-anticipated Cotton Mill Marketplace in Starkville, said while the necessary funds for the project have been difficult to obtain thus far, he remains optimistic that construction will begin once the financial negotiations have been finalized. “Any new construction financing is extremely hard to obtain due to the economic conditions of the last two years,” he said. “We continue to work to complete the financing of the Cotton Mill project with some of the local banks that view this project as extremely important to the university, the city and the Golden Triangle region.” Because the project is still in the pre-construction stage, developers are unable to update the public with any specific details. However, as the development progresses, more information will be provided as it becomes available.
Raise Your Pints BY CANDACE BARNETTE | Staff Writer
T
he craft beer bill raising the legal alcohol content of beer was signed into law by Governor Phil Bryant on April 5. Effective July 1, the law will increase the alcohol percentage in Mississippi from the current cap of 5 percent to 8 percent. Spokesman Mick Bullock said Governor Bryant voted in favor of the bill, although it was not in his initial plan. “Governor Bryant signed the bill as sent to him by the Legislature, even though it was not part of his legislative agenda,” Bullock said. Many Mississippians are thrilled with his change of heart. Raise Your Pints, a grass roots, nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the craft beer culture of Mississippi, has been working toward this goal for over three years. Butch Bailey, president of Raise Your Pints, said they are thrilled and appreciative that their ambition has finally transpired. SEE PINTS, 2
JAY JOHNSON | THE REFLECTOR
Campus emergency drills ensure safety, preparation Crisis action team, Maroon Alert are key BY JENNIFER SABOURIN Staff Writer
In the event of an emergency on campus, Mississippi State University has an assortment of drills catered to a variety of specific potential crisis situations in order to prepare students and faculty for any unexpected or dangerous turn of events. The crisis action team was formed in 2005 as part of the Maroon Alert system to notify students about situations on or around campus. It was also set up to design and put drills and exercises into place that can be practiced in case of emergency or alert conditions on campus. The potential situations that these drills prepare students and faculty on campus for include weather incidents, shootings, hostage situations, traffic accidents, fires and even a chemical spill. Bill Kibler, vice president for student affairs, is the incident commander of the crisis action team and is responsible for approving the practice of drills. He said the crisis action team is important because it helps with implementing drills.
“The crisis action team is here to establish when we are doing exercises and what the subject of the drill is,” he said. Kibler said when a drill is practiced, only a few people know it is a drill. He said the team finds out when the exercise is implemented that it is a drill, but it is expected to follow the protocol as if it were a real situation. The first thing the crisis action team does in a drill is call the incident commander, who then brings the team together to discuss the situation, Kibler said. Once the team is gathered, everyone goes to the command center to discuss the situation and follow the proper steps, which differ in each potential emergency situation. Kibler said after the drill is over the crisis action team and others involved with the drill end the exercise by gathering for a debriefing where they evaluate the drill’s success and aspects that can be improved. “The assessment piece at the end is just as important as the exercise,” Kibler said. SEE DRILLS, 3
READERʼS GUIDE CAMPUS CALENDAR..........2 BAD DAWGS......................3 OPINION...........................4 CONTACT INFO................4
Relay for Life takes place today BY SASHA STEINBERG Staff Writer
As part of a series of events planned for the month of April, the Mississippi State University Health Education and Wellness Department will host its third annual Relay for Life on the Starkville campus tonight at 6. Proceeds from the event, which is coordinated by a group known as Colleges Against Cancer, will benefit the American Cancer Society, the secondlargest funding agent for cancer research. JuLeigh Baker, MSU health and wellness educator, said while they are a small group of students, CAC members have a big passion for helping prevent cancer and aiding those who have been diagnosed. “Many of these students have had a close relationship with someone who has had cancer,” she said. The relay will take place in the Junction of the MSU campus and will be completed by 6 a.m. Saturday. Baker said although relays held nationally tend to last 24 hours and the event at MSU will only last 12 hours, the message that CAC and ACS are attempting to portray will not go unnoticed. “Because cancer never sleeps, we have chosen not to do so tonight,” she said. The ACS’s major fundraising event is Relay for Life. So far, the they have helped fund 46
POLICY LIFE...........................6 CROSSWORD..................5 CLASSIFIEDS.................5 SPORTS.........................8
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SASHA STEINBERG | THE REFLECTOR
A banner painted by Molly Jobe, resident adviser, hangs in the Hurst Hall lobby to encourage students to participate in the many Relay for Life activities in the Junction.
Nobel Prize-winning researchers that have discovered or developed mammograms for early detection of breast cancer, the HPV vaccine for cervical cancer and some of the newest treatment drugs for cancer, Baker said. The ceremonies that typically kick off the evening at a Relay for Life show ACS’s mission to celebrate and remember those who have been affected by
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cancer, along with making a commitment to fight back against the disease. The events include the Survivors Lap, Luminaria Ceremony and the Fight Back Ceremony. For the Survivors Lap, those who have successfully won the harsh battle against cancer will be cheered on as they walk around the Junction to the sound of ringing cowbells.
SEE RELAY, 2
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