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Professors perception can influence student success Academic achievements translate to opportunities within that student’s department, Fitzgerald said. Staff Writer Cade Smith, assistant dean and Professors at Mississippi State director of student leadership University understand students and community engagement, want to make a good impression said he encourages students to at the start of the semester in or- show they value professors’ exder to maximize their chance to pectations by being informed make a good grade in their class and knowledgeable about the and benefit from forming a rela- course syllabus. tionship with the faculty. He said attentive nods of afEmily Cain, firmation professor for and asking the Depart“Students hold in thoughtment of Comgenerating their hands the pay munication, questions said by the first during class off for professors’ few assigndiscussion ments, proare good — that they have fessors have a ways to do basis on which this. been part of the to judge stuFitzgerald dents. advises stutransfomation and “Students dents to go only benefit to professors learning process and from creating office hours good reputaearly in the helped sutdents get tions for themsemester if selves among closer to becoming they struggle the faculty,” in a class. she said. the ultimate learner.” “OtherCain said wise, the good referteacher may ences may be unaware CADE SMITH, make the difof a student’s ASSISTANT DEAN AND ference when difficulties students apply DIRECTOR OF STUDENT and assume for awards and LEADERSHIP the student scholarships. does not Jan Fitzgercare,” she ald, assistant said. director for the Students should also sit near Career Center, said a majority of jobs are formed through net- the front of the classroom, working, and references become Fitzgerald said. “Professors thrive on students’ more useful as students progress through college and begin their interest,” she said. “It is hard to relate to students in the back job search. Before hiring, employers often because they appear to be uninquire about an applicant by interested or working on other asking contacts and professors projects.” BY JILLIAN FOWLER
Cain said students’ personal use of social media can influence professors’ impression of them in the classroom setting. She advises students to keep in mind whether or not they have “friended” their professors when they post statuses or comments. Cain said students sometimes ask a question that a professor just finished answering or expect an immediate email response late at night for an assignment due the next morning. “Students should have realistic expectations and maintain a high level of respect for the professor,” she said. Fitzgerald, Cain and Smith each said they agree attendance is key as students work to make positive impressions among their professors. Attendance is proven to be linked to academic success. MSU’s Pathfinders’ 2009 data shows the mean first-year GPA for all freshmen was 2.70, but 2.83 without absence problems and 1.33 with absence problems. Smith said professors really do care about their students’ success. “Success is linked to motivation,” he said. “Every professor wants students to be successful.” Smith said as students become upperclassmen, an internal shift occurs, and it becomes more about new learning and less about fulfilling the requirements for graduation. “Students hold in their hands the pay off for professors — that they have been part of the transformation and learning process and helped students get closer to becoming the ultimate learner,” he said.
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OVERLOOKED COLLEGE NECESSITIES
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Campus organizations offer student involvement nizes The Big Event, which is a day where students do commuStaff Writer nity service around Starkville. Mississippi State University Freshman Forum organizes the has over 300 organizations on Donald Zacharias Leadership and off campus to help new stu- Conference for high school sedents get involved and find their niors, which is held on campus. place in the midst of the more “Both organizations provide than 20,000 students attending ample opportunities for leaderMSU. These ship develorganizations opment and are based on team-build“Getting plugged into a wide variety ing,” she said. of interests, “Members ofjust one organization including reten have the on campus can be ligion, Greek opportunity life, sports and to interact the key to making culture. with campus The Student administrathe connections and Association is tors.” the governing Balius said building friendships body at MSU she also enand is the largcourages freshthat really make your est organization men to look on campus. into other college experience Shelby Baorganizations lius, president they find inexciting.” of SA, said in teresting. an email that “Getting the SA offers plugged into freshmen sevjust one oreral ways to get ganization on involved. She campus can said one way be the key to SHELBY BALIUS, for freshmen making the SA PRESIDENT to get involved connections is through SA and buildCommittees, ing friendwhich assist ships that rewith a wide ally make your range of activities from academ- college experience exciting,” she ics to helping to organize home- said in an email. coming. Greek life at MSU is another Another opportunity to be facet of student organizations on involved with the SA is the SA campus. Heidie Lindsey, associate Senate. Bailus said four seats in director of student life, said she the senate are for freshmen, who works closely with Greek organiare elected in September. Fresh- zations on campus. men can also interview to be Lindsey said Greek life offers members of Freshman Council freshmen multiple benefits, like or Freshman Forum. a home away from home, leadBalius said these two SA or- ership, brotherhood and sisterganizations each have a specific hood, community service and an event they organize. emphasis on academics. The Freshman Council orgaShe said becoming a member BY JENNIFER SABOURIN
JAY JOHNSON | THE REFLECTOR
Fourth annual Maroon Edition book announced BY HANK DAVIS Staff Writer
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.” 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.
Starkville restaurants emphasize locality BY JILLIAN FOWLER Staff Writer
Starkville’s expanding list of new restaurants will soon include an off-campus Chick-fil-A, which is projected to open in a few months. Arma De La Cruz, the director of marketing for the Eat With Us Group that works with Harvey’s, Central Station Grill, Bulldog Deli, Sweet Peppers Deli and Tupelo’s Park Heights, said chains are important for a community because they attract industry, but local businesses make up the community and keep people coming back to Starkville. Michael Cook, the manager of Brian Michael’s Burger Co., said if people will take 10 minutes out of their day, they can have the best burger they have ever tasted. The restaurant was started, Cook said, because the owner, Brian Linder, wanted to offer Starkville a different experience and a high quality burger. “We grind all beef fresh daily and hand-batter our onion rings and fried mushrooms,” Cook said. “Nothing comes out of the freezer.” Cook said he has never heard anyone say that they were unsatisfied with their burger. Customers appreciate the local flair of The Veranda, said Jay Yates, the restaurant’s owner, who recalled one customer’s comment: “And what makes you think you are so special that you get to come to The Veranda today?” The Veranda was voted by Starkville Daily News readers as having the best desserts and best blue plate special in a 2011 poll. Yates said The Veranda is like two different restaurants at different times of the day and week. He said people line up for the southern-inspired plate lunches that feature green tomatoes, blackeyed peas and fried okra, the steaks at night and
for giant cinnamon rolls, quiche and cheese grits available during Sunday brunch. De La Cruz said students often go to Harvey’s for special date nights and family visits and to the Central Station Grill on Friday and Saturday nights from 7 to 11 p.m. to hear live music before barhopping. Both offer a curbside-to-go service, ideal for late night studying, she said. Scott Alexander, the owner of Starkville’s Zaxby’s, said local or homegrown restaurants have their own style. “But at chain restaurants people know what to expect,” Alexander said. Zaxby’s is not fast food, and is the only place with a drive-thru service that cooks fresh food, Alexander said. After tasting the real toast and real chicken, he said he knew he could and would run a national restaurant. Joel Van Der Weele, the general manager of Newk’s in Starkville, said Newk’s formal and soothing atmosphere offers customers a fresh alternative and adventuresome palate. Newk’s Express Café has 15 locations in Mississippi, including Starkville’s. It was named the best salad and salad bar and best meal under $10 in the 2012 Best of Jackson Awards. Yates said because Starkville has “no no-performing restaurants, a better quality product is forced across the board and dining experience is heightened.” According to Cook, “chain restaurants are good because they help with Starkville’s growth, but bad because they allow people to forget about the mom and pop restaurants.” Weele said success leads to expansion, and franchises often start out as local restaurants. “If a restaurant has a corporate name on the outside,” he said, “that does not mean people working inside are not local.”
for life in one of these organizations is another major benefit because they are nationally recognized. “Once you join a Greek organization, you immediately become a part of an organization that is national in scope,” Lindsey said. Students join Greek organizations by going through recruitment, which takes place on different dates for different sororities and fraternities. Lindsey said the main thing students should do before going through recruitment is to research information on all the different groups, which can be found on the MSU website. Greek life also teaches students how to balance their extra curricular organizations with academics because Greek organizations emphasize academics and require members to maintain a certain grade point average. Intramurals, which are sports teams anyone can sign up for, are another way for freshmen to get involved at MSU. Nick Tasich, assistant director for intramural and club sports, said he considers intramurals to be “recess for college kids.” He said he thinks they are great because they offer opportunities for physical activity, friendship and learning life skills. “Intramurals can teach students life skills, like how to organize and coordinate the schedules of everyone on the team,” Tasich said. Intramurals are open to all students and there are a wide variety of sports offered. Students can set up teams through their residence halls, through Greek organizations or students can sign up for a sport without a team. For more information on these and other organizations at MSU, please visit www.one.msstate. edu.
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orientation 2012
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2012 Orientation Leaders
Name: Jenni Brown Major: English Classification: Sophomore Hometown: Winona, Miss.
Name: Caroline Coleman Major: Biological Sciences Classification: Sophomore Hometown: Madison, Miss.
Name: Mandy Collins Major: Secondary Education Classification: Junior Hometown: Shannon, Miss.
Name: Alex Ezelle Major: Accounting Classification: Sophomore Hometown: Hoover, Ala.
Name: Kaeley Gemmill Major: Political Science Classification: Sophomore Hometown: Meridian, Miss.
Name: Michael Hogan Major: Business Administration Classification: Sophomore Hometown: Memphis, Tenn.
Name: Taylor King Major: Secondary Education Classification: Sophomore Hometown: Memphis, Tenn.
Name: Lindsey Linhares Major: Communication & Political Science Classification: Junior Hometown: Starkville, Miss.
Name: Kathleen McMullin Major: Pre-Occupational Therapy Classification: Sophomore Hometown: Jackson, Miss.
Name: Claire Porter Major: History Classification: Sophomore Hometown: Louisville, Miss.
Name: Whitney Ray Major: Kinesiology Classification: Sophomore Hometown: Pontotoc, Miss.
Name: Jud Roberts Major: Biological Sciences Classification: Sophomore Hometown: New Albany, Miss.
Name: Carson Shock Major: Secondary Education Classification: Junior Hometown: Pontotoc, Miss.
Name: John Sims Major: Marketing Classification: Sophomore Hometown: Meridian, Miss.
Name: Ty Stewart Major: Biological Sciences Classification: Sophomore Hometown: Philadelphia, Miss.
Name: Tatum Turan Major: Communication Classification: Junior Hometown: Clinton, Miss.
Name: Sara Vance Major: Political Science Classification: Junior Hometown: St. Johns, Fla.
Name: Kimberly Walker Major: Elementary Education Classification: Sophomore Hometown: Bruce, Miss.
Name: Taylor Williams Major: Marketing Classification: Junior Hometown: Auburn, Ala.
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Students discover alternative ways to purchase textbooks BY LACI KYLES Staff Writer
From purchasing them online or at a local bookstore in Starkville to buying them from a fellow student, there are a variety of ways to purchase textbooks, and students’ preferences vary. Kathleen Graham, junior biological sciences major, said she prefers to purchase textbooks from online sites like Amazon and sell them back at the end of the semester. “I mainly purchase books online because they are so much cheaper,” she said. “When you get online soon after signing up for classes, it is amazing how cheap books are. But buying books online a week before classes begin is not as helpful because of shipping, and the cheaper books are, of course, already gone.” Graham said Campus Bookstore in Starkville is a great place to purchase a book in town if a book is needed sooner than it can be delivered from an online site because it has the best prices of all the local places she has researched, and it tries to give students the most money possible when it is selling back books. Jessica Mixon, senior nutrition major, said she has never rented her books from sites such as Chegg and always purchases her textbooks from local stores such as Campus Bookmart to support small businesses. Mixon said students should be wary of stores that promote buying books before classes begin because some classes do not use the books stores might promote as “required.” Yuri Park, senior international business major, said she rented her books online from Barnes & Noble on campus because, as an incoming international exchange student, it was the most convenient method. Dustin Hazlett, senior music education major, said he only purchases books if he intends to keep them. Otherwise, he said he prefers to rent them from local bookstores in town. Hazlett said students should weigh all available options before purchasing in town or online because
the price could vary a good bit from one place to another. Graham said research is important if students want to get the biggest bang for their buck when buying books. “I would suggest to incoming students to look online as soon as possible on sites like Chegg or Amazon to compare prices and the reliability of online sellers,” she said. “When selling books back, however, research bookstores in town as well as online to truly find the best prices.” Hazlett said he agreed students should be skeptical of purchasing books before classes begin. “So many times, teachers make you buy books and they don’t even use them. There is also the problem of freshmen that might need to drop a class, or it may be that the teacher doesn’t use that book,” he said. “I would also recommend them to ask around to upperclassman that are in their program or have taken a class that they are taking about buying their old textbooks if they still have them.” Graham said when she was a freshman she purchased textbooks early and from Barnes & Noble because she did not realize other options existed for buying cheaper books and was disappointed in the buyback process at the end of the semester. “When I sold them back, I was upset that I had very little money,” she said. “I understand bookstores are a business, so they want to make money somehow, but I don’t think it is necessary to mark up prices quite as much as they do.” Mixon said she thinks books are overpriced to begin with and it is stressful for college students to have to pay so much money and receive such a small amount back at the end of the semester. Hazlett said he hopes MSU will one day have a book-borrowing program or something similar to alleviate the stresses of buying textbooks. “I think it would be beneficial for students,” he said. “Buying books for an expensive price and usually not even getting half back for it is very inconvenient.”
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Bulldog alumnus brews creative coffee drinks, some success BY HANNAH ROGERS Editor in Chief
Shane Reed grew up around business. His parents opened Woody’s in Starkville in 1991 and sold it the year he began studying anthropology at Mississippi State University. Thoughts of opening his own business were far from his mind — he wanted to be Indiana Jones. “I wanted to be a professor of archaeology. I love archaeology still. It fascinates me,” he said. “(I was interested in) Mediterranean underwater archaeology. Actually, what I wanted to do was go to grad school in North Carolina. I started working at the movie theater; I grew up in business and knew the way things needed to be done. My parents always focused on customer service.” In order to save money for graduate school, Reed began working at the movie theater, became the manager after six months and stayed there for three years. He was able to preview the movies before they were released to the public — something that appealed to his inner movie dork. “It was really cool for me, working at the movie theater — especially after three years — (for people to not even look at the list and) come to my line and ask me what (they) should see. I knew the people and what they were like. It was even better when people would come out and say they loved it or ‘you were right — it was bad,’” he said. During his time at the movie theater, Reed said he realized he did not want to leave Starkville and was bitten by the business bug. He started designing the coffee shop that would eventually become Strange Brew Coffee House while he was working at the theater and eventually quit to work on it full time. He said he believed an ice cream shop like Coldstone — something that was missing from Starkville at the time — would be a welcome addition to the city. The coffee shop, already in the back of his mind, was combined with Coldstone. About 10 years after his parents closed Woody’s, Strange Brew and Coldstone opened in the same building Reed’s father had built — and has been successful for the past seven years.
Katelyn Ullmer, Reed’s longtime girlfriend and assistant manager of Strange Brew, began dating him shortly after the coffee shop opened, and eventually became a part of the business and has seen it change over time. “He has put his heart and soul and blood and sweat and tears into this place.,” she said. “We’ve definitely learned as we’ve gone, some things are business and you can’t take some things personally. It’s hard to learn that at first. He’s learned a lot as a business owner about managing … he’s growing and learning as the business goes. It’s been a fun ride.” Ullmer said she believes Reed is a genius and an example of someone who did what he loved in life and had it pay off. “He wakes up every morning with another million dollar idea. He needs to be in three places at once, pretty much, to accomplish everything he wants to do,” she said. “He’s a special person, and I think Starkville is lucky to have him. His brain works in ways different than ours, he has so many different ideas, and they’re all awesome. I spend a lot of time as a sounding board for all his stuff, which is all great.” Although Reed works extremely hard, Ullmer said they still make time on the weekends to pursue interests outside of the store — including antique shopping. “We always go and buy weird stuff no one else wants. It’s dusty, and we can’t really tell what it is, but we like it,” she said. Reed, a self-proclaimed bibliophile, visits the book section first when he walks into antique stores. “If it’s a good price, if there’s anything from like the 1800s for two or three dollars, I’m saving it, and I’m
going to get it. I have a decent collection,” he said. Although Reed works hard, he still finds time to enjoy watching movies. “He sees the kid movies, he sees everything, he doesn’t want to miss anything. He really enjoys that,” Ullmer said. “It’s good for him, too. It’s one time he can zone out from being a small business owner. That’s hard to do sometimes. You’re always on call.” In addition to coming up with new
JAY JOHNSON | THE REFLECTOR
ideas for Strange Brew and Coldstone, Reed has begun Social Brew, which marries his love of running businesses to his enjoyment of social media. Social Brew, a consulting firm that teaches small business how to employ social media, has been in the works for about three years. “I was at a coffee conference probably three years ago. We’d been on Twitter already. The conference didn’t even acknowledge it … they talked about Facebook and Myspace,” he said. Reed said that his anthropology studies actually helped prepare him for social media use and interacting with
different people, and he believes other small businesses need to learn how to connect with their customers through these new mediums. However, he finally had to push himself to release it, despite his constant reworkings. “Sometimes I have ideas and perfect them before I put them out there. Sometimes I have problems putting things out; I keep tweaking them,” he said. Something of a minor celebrity for his use of Twitter (and other social media outlets), Reed has b e e n covered by
national medium outlets and has considered the idea of teaching social medium classes. “I want to have a social brew class upstairs, 10 to 15 people. One would be a very beginning social media class,” he said. “Also, we’re going to have an advanced class for businesses or for someone who wants to dork out with me. That’s why we’re going to call it Social Brew, to come brew some ideas.” Even as Reed expands his interests, he still has time to create new drinks for Strange Brew — everything from Girl Scout cookie frappes to Butterbeer ice cream root beer floats. Bob Carskadon, who has worked at Strange Brew as a brewista for five years on and off, said he has enjoyed working late and being part of the creative process. “The favorite times I’ve had up there, as much as you hate working till
midnight, have been working on new drinks with Shane,” he said. “We’ve made some stuff that was pretty bad, but we’ve made things that were very, very good.” Throughout the years, Strange Brew has seen changes, but Reed said he has been lucky to have fun crews and has enjoyed seeing them go onto new things. Carskadon, who is now the general manager of Bulldog Sports Radio, began to develop a relationship with Reed based on their mutual interest in sports before getting a job as a brewista. “Shane was great. He got me through college. I will forever be grateful for that,” he said. “As I was trying to get a start in journalism, he would work with me on that. He’s always been supportive of me and everything I’ve done outside of Strange Brew. And it’s not just me, I’m an example of that.” To Ullmer, every day with Reed is a story. “There’s so much he wants to do, you kind of have to pick a direction. He’s got so much going on, and it’s all really good,” she said. “He’s a really hard worker. He’s worked really hard to make everyone else happy.” At Strange Brew, Carskadon said the crew became like a family through working together. And even though he has moved on from making coffee, the relationship he formed with Reed remains. “He’s a great guy, a good boss and now I consider him a good friend,” he said. “You walk in there when Shane’s working, and he will greet you with a big smile.” Ullmer said she is excited to see where Reed goes next. “He is a good testament to Mississippi State as a graduate who stayed in the area and gives back to the local community,” she said. As a businessman, Reed has not left behind his roots as a graduate of MSU. “I have a picture of when I was 3 years old with a Mississippi State jersey on, I always knew I was going to Mississippi State, I love Mississippi State, and I have a very cheesy love in my heart for being a Bulldog,” he said. “I’m never going to forget that.”
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Dining Services provide RELIGIOUS Wesley Foundation RUF CSA choices for freshmen ORGANIZATIONS BSU MSU Hillel Block meals, Flex Dollars vary among plans to suit students’ needs BY JAY BALLARD Staff Writer
Mississippi State University requires freshmen to purchase a meal plan for on-campus dining in an effort to provide meals with students’ best interests in mind. Bill Broyles, assistant vice president for the division of student affairs, said the idea to require freshmen to purchase a meal plan began in the summer of 2006. The idea became a reality when it was first enforced in the fall of 2008, along with the requirement to live on campus during freshman year. Broyles said the meal plan requirement is essentially to benefit the students of MSU. “We want to provide the environment for students to succeed,� he said. Jennifer Barnette, marketing manager for MSU Dining Services, said MSU offers a variety of meal plans to fit the lifestyles of all students. Choices include the Gold Plan, the Silver Plan and the Ultimate Plan, which is the most popular. Each meal plan consists of a certain number of block meals and a certain number of Flex Dollars, and the amounts of each vary among the different meal plans. Block meals are meals purchased from either Marketplace at Perry or RFoC at Templeton. Block meals can also include meals purchased at any of the oncampus retail locations after 4 p.m. Barnette said Flex Dollars can be used like regular cash all over campus. “Flex Dollars are dining dollars added to all meal plans that can
be used at any dining location on campus,� Barnette said. “They can also be used to treat friends and family.� She also said the required meal plans help students save money because block meals are purchased at a discounted door rate through the meal plans. Dining on campus also offers healthy options. Barnette said this is a goal of the dining services on campus. “We are committed to providing a wide range of healthy choices to our customers,� she said. “Dining hall menus are designed to provide a diverse assortment of food options that easily allow students to select a healthy and well-balanced diet.� In order to aid students with their healthy lifestyle choices, nutritional information is posted on the dining services’ Campus Dish website and in each dining location. Barnette also said students are welcome to meet with dining services staff to discuss fresh and healthy dining options available on campus. Healthy choices include salad stations and healthy stations at both Marketplace at Perry and RFoC at Templeton and fresh products at the other restaurants as well as at the POD store in the Colvard Student Union. Dana Clemmons, sous chef at Marketplace at Perry, said the healthy options ensure the needs of every student are met. “We have a gluten-free station that we are trying to expand to special dietary needs as well,� she said. “We want to not only provide the food they need but to also tailor the program to specific students that utilize this program the most.�
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On campus ministries get students involved through their faith, encourage fellowship BY CANDACE BARNETTE Copy Editor
New students looking get involved on campus through their faith have plenty of options at Mississippi State University. There are organizations for many different religions and denominations that encourage students to visit and learn more. Hugh Griffith, campus pastor for the Wesley Foundation, said he has witnessed growth and friendships from students coming together. “When students come together to worship, study and mission, it’s a real neat community that develops,� he said. The Wesley Foundation is the campus ministry of the United Methodist Church. Griffith said there are several different ways students can participate. “Our main weekly meeting is a big group Bible study worship event we call Insight Tuesday at 8 p.m.,� he said. “There are also growth groups, which are study groups that work to grow in the faith by learning from the Bible and other books. And there are small mission groups called PODs, Practicing Outward Discipleship, that give students opportunities to put their faith into action in the local community.� To get involved with Wesley, students can visit their website at statewesley.org to view a list of upcoming events. Fran Lavelle, campus minister for the Catholic Student Association, said the CSA is a parish-based campus ministry that offers students numerous opportunities to stay involved. “We’re involved in different aspects in terms of spiritual development, retreat, social outreach and service projects,� she said. She said if students want to get involved, they can come by on Tuesday or Sunday. “We meet every Tuesday for a $2 dinner. It’s a home-cooked meal, and students find out about intramurals or whatever we have
that particular month,� she said. “Coming to the 5:30 mass on Sunday night, which is mostly our student mass, is good to find out about things that are going on, as well.� The CSA also has a Facebook page and sends out a news feed each week. Michael Ball, Baptist Student Union director, said the BSU is a campus-based ministry that seeks to help MSU students to know Christ and to make Christ known that offers a variety of ministry opportunities relevant to college students. “Some of these opportunities include weekly large group Bible studies, small group discipleship groups, family groups, Habitat projects, working with Palmer Children’s Home, nursing home ministry, working with International students on campus, retreats, fellowships, and local, state and international mission opportunities,� he said. Ball said one of the best ways students can get plugged in to campus life is by building relationships with other students. The BSU sponsors a weekend retreat called BASIC TRAINING August 17-18 to do just that. “The weekend will focus on building relationships with other students and challenge students to live a life committed to Jesus Christ,� Ball said. “Students will experience a family atmosphere as students are placed in a family group with two upperclassmen leaders.� New students can sign up online at msubsu.com. Ball said if a student is not able to attend BASIC TRAINING, he or she is encouraged to come to the weekly large group Bible studies that are held every Tuesday from 6:15pm-7:15 p.m. and the NOONDAY luncheon Bible study on Wednesdays from 12-12:45 p.m. Brian Sorgenfrei, campus minister of the Reformed University Fellowship, said RUF is a campus ministry that tries to reach students through Jesus and equip them to
serve by being on campus. “We have a large group meeting on Thursday nights where we teach and sing, and there are also a lot of small group studies led by ministers or students,� he said. “We do a lot of one-on-one to learn and work through the Bible in small groups, as well.� There is a Bible study specifically for freshmen Tuesday at 4 p.m. on the third floor of the Union led by Sorgenfrei where new students get to meet each other, study the Bible together and answer questions. He also suggested students show up Thursday at Dorman for the large group meeting at 7 p.m. “That’s kind of the front door of RUF where most people get involved,� Sorgenfrei said. There are also organizations for other religions. Rachael Frost, co-founder and vice president of MSU Hillel, said the organization is a great way for Jewish students to come together. “It’s not only a place for us to get together with people of our own faith, but a chance to inform the community about the religion,� she said. MSU Hillel meets for religious services and community projects, but the students also come together in other ways. “We meet once a week at City Bagel,� she said. “We also participate in the International Fiesta, and sometimes we just go to baseball games together.� To get involved with MSU Hillel, students can email the organization at msujewishlife@gmail.com. There are a variety of other organizations such as the Muslim Student Association, other Christian denominational organizations and non-denominational religious organizations. For a list of some of these, students can visit www.students.msstate.edu/services/ ucm/.
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NEWS
ORIENTATION 2012
THE REFLECTOR
Writing Center offers services to students from several locations BY HANK DAVIS Staff Writer
Mississippi State University provides help to students who need assistance with writing assignments through a program known as the Writing Center. In recent years, the Writing Center has been housed in room 200 in Lee Hall. However, with renovations for Lee Hall set to begin over the summer, the Writing Center will be moving a new location: a small, white house at 94 President’s Circle. It is not certain whether the Writing Center will remain at the new location or return to Lee once renovations are complete. The main Writing Center location is usually open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Fridays. It is closed on weekends. Sarah Sneed, interim director of the Writing Center, said the
Writing Center offers assistance to any students that come, regardless of the student’s major or class the assignment is for. “A common misconception is that you have to be in an English class to come to the Writing Center,” she said. “We work with all disciplines and all levels, from freshmen to graduate students.” Sneed said the Writing Center will help students with drafts, mechanics, brainstorming ideas and theses. Everything is offered free of charge. While the Writing Center can take some walk-ins, she said appointments are preferable. “Appointments are recommended,” Sneed said. “We’re not as busy in the first few weeks of the semester, but as the semester goes on, we get very busy and don’t have much room for walk-ins.” The Writing Center also provides an online service that uses the same scheduling system as
the main location. gether in editing their writing When students sign up for assignments. an appointment, they can se“There’s a perception that lect whether they want to meet we might be different,” he said. face-to-face “Our goal is or do an onto have a colline session. ef“Our goal is to laborative The onfort, not just line serhave a collaborative to be an edvice went iting service. effort, not just to be One thing through a pilot phase helps an editing service.” that for the past with that is semester that students and was can upload a BRAD CAMPBELL, open only paper during WRITING CENTER to distance their session EMPLOYEE students like and the tuthose at the tor can comcampus in ment on it Meridian and the stuand disabled dent can see students. It is going to be made what they’re saying and comavailable to all MSU students ment as well, and they show up in the fall. in different colors. The original Brad Campbell, who works paper remains unchanged, and with the online service, said he once the session’s complete, a hopes the online Writing Cen- tutor can email the comments ter will be efficient in helping made during the session to the students and tutors work to- student so they can look at
TIMELINE OF MSU TRADITIONS
1895 First use of school colors 1935 Bulldog chosen as mascot 1939 Fight song written 1950 First use of cowbell Source: hailstate.com
ZACK ORSBORN | THE REFLECTOR
them later on.” Campbell said the hours for the online service vary depending on tutor availability. Their target is to offer hours outside the main location’s to give students that might not be able to reach the main location while it is open a chance to still get assistance. Another service is offered by the Writing Center through a mobile unit set up in the Union. Chelsea Henshaw, who works with the mobile unit, said it was started two years ago in response to students’ requests for more accessibility. The mobile unit is set up across from the Dawghouse in the Union, and typically stays open slightly later than the main Writing Center location. Unlike the main location, where appointments are recommended, the mobile unit only takes walk-ins. However, the sessions are only 10 to 15 minutes, rather
than 25 minutes at the main location. “We’re not a replacement for the regular WC, but a supplement to it,” Henshaw said. “Usually students who come to the Writing Center once usually become repeat visitors because they realize how much one-on-one sessions help their writing. The mobile WC acts as a supplement by making it easier for the students to make that first visit.” She said students needing additional assistance are offered the chance to set up an appointment at the main location. For the past two years, the mobile unit has only been open during spring semesters. However, with the main Writing Center moving due to the Lee Hall renovations, the mobile unit will be open in the coming fall semester. The Writing Center also added a new location at the Templeton Center.
MSU’s traditions continue BY HAYLEE BURGE Staff Writer
Mississippi State University has many traditions, both historic and new, that exhibit MSU’s school spirit. According to the MSU athletic website, www.hailstate. com, the cowbell is one of the school’s oldest traditions. Although there are a few variations on the story of how this came to pass, according to MSU’s atheltic website, the most popular one stems from a football game against MSU’s rival, Ole Miss. It says the Bulldogs were trailing behind when a jersey cow wandered onto the field. After that, the game quickly turned around and the Rebels were defeated. The cow was then considered a good luck charm. The website said students kept bringing cows to football games, but eventually opted to just bring the cow’s bell. The tradition of the cowbell is still alive today, but the Southeastern Conference has put some restrictions on it. If fans follow the instructions on when ringing is allowed, the bell will remain at MSU for years to come. Students are discouraged from buying their own cowbells because this is considered to be bad luck. Also according hailstate.com, the bulldog became the school’s official mascot in 1961 after it reached university accreditation, but it had given itself that title around 1905. However, the live mascot
was not implemented until 1935 when Coach Ralph Sasse was asked by his players to find a bulldog in Tennessee. Ptolemy, the first live mascot, was a gift from the Edgar Webster family. The first game after obtaining the bulldog was against Alabama, and the MSU Bulldogs won 20-7. He was considered the next good luck charm and he was there to stay. MSU’s athletic website also cites the origin of MSU’s maroon and white color combination to be a football game in 1895 against Union University (formerly Southern Baptist University). College teams were required to have their own distinct color combination and according to MSU’s athletic website, M.W. Matthews, captain of MSU’s first football team, chose maroon and white. Although there are many traditions that date back to MSU’s beginning, some traditions are fairly new. Jessica Bloom, sophomore biochemistry major, said one of her favorite new traditions is Tents 4 Tickets. “I really enjoyed Tents 4 Tickets,” she said. “It was really fun and was a great way to make friends at the beginning of the year.” She said Tents 4 Tickets began last year and many students hope this is a tradition in the making. Students who wanted to purchase season tickets for the upcoming football season camped out all night in the Junction.
Many set up tents, sleeping bags and blankets, while others chose to just sit in chairs or on the ground under the open sky. The place where their tents were pitched marked their spot in line to buy their tickets the next morning. Students were encouraged to stay throughout the night and enjoy games, music and other activities. In addition to Tents 4 Tickets, Cowbell Yell was introduced during the 2011 football season as well. This is a large-scale pep rally held at Davis Wade stadium on the night before the first football game. It is expected to continue each year to get students excited for football season. As a member of the band, Bloom said she also enjoys The Drill. It is a large pep rally at the beginning of the year that welcomes both new and old students. The Drill began in 2004 and usually consists of a performance from the Famous Maroon Band, performances from the spirit groups and a ceremonial procession of the deans of each college carrying their respective colleges’ flags. Katy Rodgers, senior business major, said among all of MSU’s enjoyable traditions, her favorite is still the cowbell. “I love to decorate my cowbell and decorate them for family and friends,” she said. “It’s really fun to see what everyone comes up with, and it’s a great way to show school pride.”
Free, Confidential Online Screenings Depression, Alcohol, Bipolar, General Anxiety, Posttraumatic Stress, and Eating Disorders Visit http://www.health.msstate.edu/scs/
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NEWS
REFLECTOR-ONLINE.COM
orientation 2012
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Msu provides wide variety of housing for all students on the hall with students and provide mentoring. Evans Hall is home to a Mississippi State Univer“suite style” arrangement of sity is home to 16 residence rooms and a courtyard. halls, both new and renoThree of MSU’s older vated. residence halls are Sessums They are all designed difHall, McKee Hall (renoferently to suit the varying vated in 1999 and 2000 needs of students living on respectively) and Critz campus. Hall, one of MSU’s original Though all freshmen “Boomerang Buildare typically required ings” which was ren“On-campus freshmen to live on campus, resiovated in 2001. dence halls are open Herbert Hall also have higher retention to upperclassmen and contains 64 rooms. graduate students as It is located on Engirates, make better well. neering Row. Bill Kibler, vice presBailey said there grades and have a ident of student ffairs, is plenty of room for said he believes the polof all ages to better overall graduation students icy regarding freshmen live on campus and living arrangements is experience the benrate than students who a good one. efits that come with “On campus freshdo not start their college it. men have higher reten“In total our camtion rates, make better pus will hold approxcareer on campus.” grades and have a betimately 4,750 beds ter overall graduation for freshman and upBill rate than students who perclassmen alike,” do not start their col- kiBler, she said. “Living on lege career on campus,” vice president for campus will prostudent affairs Kibler said. vide a multitude of He said he thinks bebenefits: convenient ing required to live in walking distances, the dorms is beneficial access to university to freshmen. offices, the Sander“Living on-campus can Hall, Hurst Hall, North son Center, Perry Cafetehelp you make friends Hall (formerly Building III) ria, on campus parking and easier and faster,” he said. and Griffis Hall. dining options.” “It is also easier to become Living on campus also Griffis Hall houses honengaged in the life of the ors students and contains provides students security campus. The benefits are a pizza restaurant, Village and safety services. numerous.” Each residence hall rePizza, on its first floor. Ann Bailey, director of Hull Hall is located at quires an I.D. card for enhousing and resident life the center of campus, nes- try and resident assistants at MSU, said she is excited tled between Davis Wade and faculty members are about the new residence Stadium and the Chapel of always readily available to halls, Oak Hall and Magno- Memories. assist students with any lia Hall, opening this fall. Hull Hall houses the situation. Oak Hall and Magnolia Bagley College of EngineerMSU’s campus police deHall will be located on the ing Living-Learning Com- partment also corresponds old Arbor Acres site near munity, where upper-divi- specifically with emergenBlack Jack Road, placing sion engineering majors live cies on campus. By Hank Davis Staff Writer
them near Rice, Hathorn, Cresswell and South Hall. South Hall is home to the Day One Leadership Community, which is designed to encourage leadership in freshmen and help them work towards making a difference at MSU. Across campus, Zacharias Village is home to Ruby
jay johnson | the reflector
George Hall, located on the north side of campus, is rumored to be haunted because it was formerly the campus infirmary.
Buildings rumored to be haunted By James ToBerman Staff Writer
Mississippi State University may not appear on lists such as the Huffington Post’s “13 Haunted Campuses” or listverse.com’s “Top 10 Haunted U.S. College Campuses,” however paranormal occurrences have been rumored to have occurred on campus. MSU employees have said Montgomery Hall, home of the Office of Scholarships and Admissions, has a haunted history. Originally called Scientific Hall after its completion in 1902, the building later housed the MSU library. According to MSU records, years later, the top floor of the building was condemned because it badly needed renovation. Roy Ruby, former dean of education at MSU, reported seeing evidence of witchcraft on the condemned fourth floor of the building. In a 2003 Reflector interview, Ruby went on the record to say he saw an occult symbol. “I had been up there,” he said. “They had a symbol with a six-pointed star with a dead bird in the center of the star.” Ruby said he did not think it was a hoax because of the time it must have taken to set up the paranormal paraphernalia. Sammy McDavid, news editor for University Relations, said this particu-
lar discovery was well-known around campus. He said occult signs, candles and Ouija boards were certainly found on the top floor of Montgomery Hall. However, he made it clear he hardly believes anything other-worldly took place there. “So a bunch of students were grooving it out up there,” he said. Mandy Netadj, assistant director of student affairs at MSU, worked in Montgomery Hall for several years. She said when the building is eerily quiet after dark, employees sometimes report hearing noises such as typing on a non-existent typewriter or footsteps in an empty hallway. “It may just be our minds playing tricks on us,” she said. “But there are several of us who thought we heard strange, unexplained noises in that building.” Netadj added that in Montgomery Hall, talk of ghosts is part superstition, part comic relief. “We all think we’ve heard whatever it is,” she said. “It’s kind of a running joke at the same time.” Montgomery Hall is not the only building on campus rumored to be haunted. George Hall, home to University Relations, has a reputation for ghostly activity. Much of the buzz about George Hall’s haunted nature stems from the fact that it was originally the campus infirmary.
Stephen Leininger, senior wildlife and fisheries major, said Roadrunners, the student recruiters at MSU, learn George Hall’s story as part of the history of MSU. “They told us that George Hall is supposedly haunted in our Roadrunner class,” he said. Sammy McDavid has worked in his George Hall office for many years. He said a number of students died in the building during the post-World War I Spanish influenza pandemic and coffins were built in the basement. McDavid also said one former employee reported seeing and hearing ghosts on the second floor of the building. However, he said he is not convinced George Hall is haunted. “No, no, no, no, no,” McDavid said. “This building is not haunted in the least.” He attributes strange noises to the sanitation system. “I have been here all hours of the day and night,” he said. “This building has some noisy plumbing. That’s it.” Mike Ballard, director of the Congressional and Political Research Center and university archivist, said many students have asked about ghosts over the course of his career at MSU. He said while some tell tales of paranormal activities on campus, there are no records to prove anything. “There is a lot of talk, but no documentation,” he said. “Just rumors.”
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ORIENTATION 2012
OPINION
THE REFLECTOR
the voice of MSU students
WELCOME NEW STUDENTS! YOU HAVE A LONG RIDE AHEAD OF YOU. BUT DON’T WORRY, WE HAVE SOME PEOPLE TO COMFORT YOU. THE GOLDEN THREAD | WENDY MORELL
GUEST COLUMNIST | RHETT HOBART
Being a Bulldog fan is a way of life
THERE’S GONNA BE A BIG L OLE GRAPHIC RIGHT HERE PROBABLY A COOL INFOGRAPHIC/ here’s a dog WELCOME TO THE FRESHMAN
Girls should not make I excuses while rushing
The
Reflector
Editor in Chief Hannah Rogers Managing Editor Life Editor Multimedia Editor Kaitlyn Byrne Eric Evans Kaitlin Mullins News Editor Campus News Editor Emma Crawford John Galatas Photography Editor Jay Johnson Sports Editor Opinion Editor Kristen Spink Zack Orsborn Copy Editor Candace Barnette
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“people’s college,” a level playing field where each student bore collective responsibility and had the opportunity to succeed. These same ideals and values have permeated and pervaded the 132 years since that first class of 354 students walked these halls. As 1880 has turned to 2012, A&M College has become Mississippi State University, students who were primarily from Oktibbeha County have now expanded to over 75 countries and 354 students have turned into a record enrollment of over 20,000. The success of MSU today is not only a credit to our administration, but to our alumni, who carry our banner every day, represent us proudly and who laid the foundation for the success we enjoy today. Being a Bulldog is not just a four-year deal; it is a true way of life. When you speak to so many alumni and ask them about their experience here, their passion and love for MSU is apparent. The history and traditions they laid for us are things we have the profound
Rhett Hobart is the former SA president. He can be contacted at opinion@reflector.msstate.edu.
opportunity to enjoy each and every day as students. Every day we as students hear stories about what it was like living in Old Main dorm, the opening of McCarthy Gymnasium, the days in which Miss. Highway 12 ran through campus and spending time talking to friends at the Bull Ring. These things are legacies to us today, and our predecessors and alumni laid that foundation for us. That’s tradition, and that’s why tradition on a college campus is so important. We have great history at MSU: we are a land grant college — one that is able to take pride in so
much history and tradition dating back as far as to our time as Mississippi A&M. This history lives and breathes on our campus every day as you walk across the Drill Field, look at the Chapel of Memories or sit in the second oldest on-campus football stadium in the country. It is an exciting time at Mississippi State, to see the passion that exists throughout our student body for traditions. For the first time in nearly 20 years, the Class of 2012 will leave a class gift to MSU through the restoration of the Bull Ring. After a three year hiatus, our historic yearbook, The Reveille, will return this summer. We are able to ring our Cowbell in Davis Wade Stadium, and enjoy a college baseball game in the most historic and top atmosphere in the country. MSU is privileged to enjoy such a profound history and such great traditions. As a student body in 2012, let’s take pride in those traditions and enjoy them.
THE GOLDEN THREAD | WENDY MORELL
A note to freshman, it is going to be alright
S
o, freshmen have heard a lot have had uniforms in high school. about college. Junior high Heck, I had uniforms from third teachers drill into your head, grade until high school graduation. “High school won’t cut you any But in college, you can feel free to breaks.” Then high school teach- express yourself. That being said, ers droned on and on, “If you choose wisely how you’d like to think this is bad, wait until you portray yourself. First impressions get to college.” But relax, boys and matter, and you never know who girls, because with my guidance, you may meet. It is important that you are going to do A-OK in col- your teachers and peers respect lege. You are going to you and see you take make new friends, lose “Choose your education seriously. old friends, succeed Networking starts now; and, ultimately, you’ll wisely how while you should feel get out of here. In the free to have fun with difmeantime, there are you’d like ferent styles, don’t make some pieces of advice to portray inappropriate choices. I I’d like to share with once had a girl in one yourself.” of my classes (who was you: Don’t buy all your blessed in one particular textbooks at orientation. Actually, area, if you get my drift) wear don’t buy them before classes start. super low-cut shirts every single When you go to your classes, class day. It was distracting, and, oftentimes you’ll find that an older moreover, it made the rest of the (cheaper) edition of the book will class not take her seriously as a stuwork. You may find out you don’t dent. Intelligence is cool, people. need the book entirely. You could Go to class. Remember those also arrange to share a book with a days when you went to class for friend, cutting your costs if you do seven hours a day? Good news: need the book. Once you do need you don’t have to do that anymore. to buy a book, always check online Even if you are taking 19 hours, for cheaper, used books; it could that means you’ll be in class for 19 save you hundreds of dollars. hours per week, as opposed to 35 Analyze your wardrobe. Some hours a week. You have no excuses of you incoming students may not to go to class. Most classes
Wendy Morell is a senior majoring in communication. She can be contacted at opinion@reflector. msstate.edu. you are in will have an attendance policy; make yourself familiar with these attendance policies as some hold more weight with your final grade than others. If there is no attendance policy for your class, make an attendance policy for yourself and follow it. A rule of thumb I have followed for classes such as these is four absences for a Tuesday/Thursday class and five absences for Monday/Wednesday/ Friday classes. However, if the class is a very small class or workshop class without a policy, you may want to reanalyze. Call your mom. Or your dad. Basically, if someone is paying your cell phone bill/food bill/ school bill, you should check in with that person once a day, even
if it is just a text to say goodnight or good morning. Boys, I’ve noticed, are particularly bad with this. It probably means a lot to your parents to hear from you. They are used to seeing you every day, so college is a big adjustment for them, too. You shouldn’t feel embarrassed that you retain a good relationship with your parents; I talk to my mom several times a day. I love her, she’s awesome and I know she has my back. It is also comforting to hear that familiar voice coming out of my little cellular device. Have fun. You don’t have a curfew. Burger King is just a few steps away. Perry Cafeteria will give you as much ice cream as you want! (I just realized a lot of the points I was going to make involve food, but you all should make nutritious choices while you are in school.) These freedoms are awesome; embrace them. Get involved on campus. Make a lot of friends. Stay out way too late. Good decisions are great, but know that you will inevitably make some bad decisions, too. Learn from these mistakes, and you will grow as a person. And, as always, stay true maroon.
THE GINGER SNAP | REBECCA KELLUM
Community is key during freshman year
O
ne of the most exciting and nerve-wracking parts of the admissions process is figuring out your housing arrangements. Before I even came to orientation, my main priority was being assigned to the best living situation possible. When I first received my initial assignment, I was dissatisfied with being placed in an older dorm. Eventually, some spots opened up and I was blessed with one of the best halls on campus and bunked up with one of my best friends from high school. I thought I could not get any luckier. I had my own bathroom and shower, and I didn’t have to worry about the awkward first few weeks of living with a complete stranger. I thought I’d eventually get around to knowing the girls on my hall, but I wasn’t really concerned about making new friends when I already had so many that came here with me from high school. It wasn’t until my second semester when I started to realize what I was missing out on living in the better dorms on campus. The majority of my friends lived in the older dorms with com-
TO CAP IT OFF
adies: to rush or not to rush, that is the question. When I was preparing to go to Mississippi State University for my freshman year, everyone asked me if I was rushing or not. I received an email inviting me to participate … for a $75 fee. That Wendy Morell is a senior majoring was the first thing that rubbed in communication. She can be me wrong about rush, but I contacted at opinion@reflector. didn’t write it off entirely. I msstate.edu. was, believe it or not, up in the air for awhile because in high school, I was never exactly an you see in the Sarah McLachlan “it” girl, and I thought rush commercials. If college is going might give me the opportunity to be a financial struggle for to explore that side of the social you, rush is not for you. ladder. Despite never being on A lot of people tell me sororitop of the popularity pyramid, ties are great for networking. I had a strong sense of self and I’m sure they are, but, again, was very confident in know- not much better than other ing who I am. So when the organizations on campus. I ultimate moment came when I have networked just by gethad to decide whether or not to ting involved in a lot of groups rush, I declined. on campus, and I feel proud I I didn’t want to go through don’t have to identify myself by a process where I was judged Greek letters that were selected and discussed behind my back, for me the first week I was in not based on my talents or Starkville. strengths and weaknesses, If you do join a sorority, for but for who I was and how I the love of everything around dressed. This sounds very rebel- you, please continue to dress lious in a way, and I must say I like a normal human being. do consider myself Walk down the a stylish individual. Drill Field, and you But rush draws the “The girls will pretty much be line between the who do join able to tell who is girls who will be in Greek and who is sororities and the sororities not. Sorority girls girls who will not. label themselves by for the most The girls who do wearing oversized join sororities for part have T-shirts, leggings the most part have or Nike tempo their friends select- their friends shorts and chacos ed for them. If you selected for (or the winter footdon’t feel comfortwear: Uggs). Please able meeting new them.” remember that legpeople and going gings are not pants, out there finding and while they are new friends, rush is probably acceptable with tunics, just for you. It gives you a group because you buy your T-shirt of girls who will constantly be 10 sizes too big, that does not surrounding you for the next make it a tunic. Also remember four years. I didn’t like the idea that if you joined that sororof (the majority of ) my friends ity partially for the networking being selected for me. I prefer factor, you just flushed it down being able to select my own the drain by dressing like somefriends, and, to be honest, I one who doesn’t care at all how usually prefer the company of they are perceived. gentleman friends. I just get You may want to keep in along with guys better, and the mind that sorority girls do have thought of going through rush reputations. Different sororiwith hundreds of screaming ties have different reputations, girls who are sincerely count- and just being Greek carries ing on getting a ring in college a certain connotation. Many disturbed me. people think sorority girls are It’s not like these groups just going to college for an are free, guys. Sororities actu- MRS degree, so be aware of ally cost a lot of money. I that stereotype, and remember don’t want to hear the reason that stereotypes exist for a rea“I do it for the philanthropy!” son and are oftentimes based one more time. Girls, there are in truth. plenty of free opportunities to I didn’t rush, but I have a help the community. There are lot of friends who did. I also also plenty of free groups on have a few close friends who campus to join that have phi- are in sororities, and we all lanthropies. I applaud you for get along, are friends and love wanting to better the commu- each other. It has not affected nity; I, for one, love volunteer- my college experience in a ing. However, sororities are not negative way; in some regards, the only way to do this. If that it has improved my experience was really what it was all about, by not limiting other organizayou would quit the sorority tions I could join. No matter and take all that money you which decision you make, you were going to use for dues and are sure to make wonderful buy sandwiches for the kids in friends and have a memorable Africa or feed all those animals college run.
n being a lifelong Bulldog fan, much of my life was encompassed by Mississippi State University and being on campus. Through that time, my passion for MSU, and its traditions was developed and these traditions are things I hope every Bulldog is able to relish in and enjoy. Our values reach as far back as Oct. 6, 1880, when Mississippi Agriculture and Mechanical College opened its doors for the first time — to 354 students. These were working and industrial class students who were seeking education in the mechanical and agricultural arts. Our first president, General Stephen D. Lee, and the founding fathers of MSU mutually agreed upon a philosophy that students would not only be required to do scholastic work, but be required to work various jobs around A&M College. Each student was required to do three hours of service to the college each day. Therefore, financial status meant nothing, but A&M College was to be a
munity bathrooms, and quite a few of them were rooming with guys and gals they had never met before moving day. However, when I looked at the people they had met and the new groups of friends they were a part of, I realized that they had branched out a lot more than my roommate and I had. They had to leave their rooms for necessary things, like showering, and encountered many more of their hall mates on a daily basis. Bonds form quickly over common complaints, and the majority of my friends dislike their actual dorm but love the friendly atmosphere it endorses. All of this isn’t to say that I do not absolutely adore living in a deluxe dorm. It’s usually a calm, quiet atmosphere where I can study and relax. However, I still don’t feel at home. For some reason, many of the girls on my floor, including myself, have never really branched out and even have not bothered to learn the names of their hall mates. This also isn’t to say that my RA didn’t try her best to encourage a sense of community among us. Her tactics included ice-
HEY FRESHMEN! Like to write? Have opinions?
Rebecca Kellum is a freshman majoring in elementary education. He can be contacted at opinion@ reflector.msstate.edu. breaking games, movie nights and hallway dinners; however, most of the time more than half the hall didn’t participate. With all of our conflicting schedules and no need to leave our individual rooms while in the hall, there never was a convenient opportunity to form close bonds with the girls on the hallway. I was even part of a few embarrassing incidences where I made friends with a few girls outside of the dorm, to realize a few weeks later they were my neighbors. I had never felt more unobservant in my life. No matter what dorm you’re assigned for your freshman year, you will find things you
hate and things you love. If you end up in an older dorm, my advice to you would be to branch out and quickly make friends with the other students on your floor. The best way to cure homesickness and the discomfort you may feel in a new environment is to make this new place your home. Form a community, it will make all of your friends who were lucky enough to live in a newer dorm jealous. If you are fortunate enough to be placed in a newer dorm, congratulations! You don’t have to worry about who showered before you, and you have the comfort of your own bathroom and a bigger living space; however, don’t forget to start off the year with an initiative to at least know the names of everyone on your hallway. Knowing names goes a long way, and if you wait until the middle of second semester to get to know your hall mates like I did, you will regret it. No matter what your living situation, a strong sense of community can allow you to feel involved, included and at home during one of the most important and exciting transitions in your life.
LETTERS TO THE EDITORS 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.
OPINION
REFLECTOR-ONLINE.COM
orientation
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WELCOME LETTER FROM THE SA pRESIDENT | SHELby bALIuS
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ellow Bulldogs, On behalf of the BEST student body in the State of Mississippi, I want to welcome you to your new home at Mississippi State University! You have chosen a great time to join the Bulldog family and officially become a student here at Mississippi State. Mississippi State is proud to have the largest Student Association in the state, and each and every one of you are now a member. The mission of the Student Association is simple: to work earnestly to improve the quality of life of every student at Mississippi State. This means we serve two purposes on MSU’s campus. First, we are the
official student government for MSU and work in tandem with administrators to represent student interests on University-wide issues — we are here to be your voice. Second, and perhaps most important, we aim to enhance your experience while on campus. Our goal is to do everything we can to implement programs and initiatives to make your time as a student the best it can be. There are many ways for you to get involved with the SA. There are 20 SA committees making up part of our executive branch, ranging from History and Traditions and Homecoming, to Academic Affairs and Minority Student Affairs. These committees are led by my cabinet direc-
tors, and committee members get the chance to work firsthand with these events and programs. If you have more of a passion for legislative issues, you can run to become a member of the SA Senate to write legislation that impacts student life on campus. Or, if you would like to work toward fundraising for your class gift upon graduation, you can run for Class Council. Three committees are specifically designed for incoming students to get involved on campus and to develop leadership skills: Freshman Council, Freshman Forum and Transfer Student Affairs. Throughout this year, the Student Association will have
WELCOME LETTER FROM THE EDITOR | HANNAH ROGERS
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our years ago, I arrived on Mississippi State University’s campus not knowing what to expect. By submitting an application for The Reflector on a whim, I managed to find the place where I could give back to campus and belong to a group that gave me a purpose. As time has passed, I’ve seen changes occur on campus and in Starkville that have filled me with pride for my community. During your time here, you obviously are going to want to make the most of it. No one needs to preach that cliché. But, to help you capitalize on your time here, I have some suggestions: 1) If you haven’t already, join Twitter: I hated the idea of Twitter when I first started college, but it has since eclipsed all social media outlets in my mind. Twitter is not a rip-off of Facebook’s status feature — it’s a way of distributing information. Use Twitter to get the news, to connect with businesses in the community and to learn more about campus and Starkville. Some notable people/places to follow: @reflectoronline (yes, I’m promoting myself ), @ShelbyBalius (the Student Association president
knows things), @whitwaide (he’s the People’s Professor), @ msu_libraries (it comes in handy during finals), @mscollegetown (this is how you can find out what’s going on in Starkville easily) and @SBCoffeehouse (one of our local businesses that’s been recognized nationally, multiple times, for its social media use). 2) Read the newspaper: Yes, I’m self-promoting again. I’m not crazy — I know that the entire student population won’t read The Reflector and our other local newspapers cover to cover each time they publish. But you should at least look at the headlines and skim the sections. Why? Because stuff that affects you is reported in the paper. Tobacco bans? Local crime? Football ticket sales? New businesses coming to Starkville? Academic policies that could change how MSU currently operates? Yeah, we wrote about that stuff last year. 3) Spend time in the local community: Explore Starkville and the surrounding area. There are cool things to do if you just look. Try new things. It’s amazing how fun it actually is. Don’t spend all your time on Netflix in your dorm when you can be out there, living life.
4) Plan ahead: Again, I’m not completely crazy. I realize that procrastination is something that always happens. But, seriously, if you find some way to organize your life and see what’s coming in the weeks ahead — and you take time to do a little bit at a time — it helps if you’re attempting to avoid stress. And you shouldn’t stress in college. You should be having fun and learning. 5) Learn: College should be fun, especially the education part. We’ve all come here to gain a greater depth of knowledge in what we enjoy doing (or at least, I can dream). So take classes that interest you, seek to actually learn instead of making a specific grade and explore different disciplines. We all have opportunities given to us by MSU … so take advantage of them. On behalf of The Reflector, I want to welcome you to State and wish you the best. The time you spend at MSU can truly be some of the best memories you’ll have.
many great events and programs for you, starting with the official kick-off to the fall semester on the very first day of school. We will have a student involvement fair and a Showcase of Starkville during the day, and then you will have the opportunity to attend one of our traditions called The Drill at 6 p.m. We will have many other opportunities and initiatives where you can be involved, including Cowbell Yell, a late night pep rally to kick off the football season, and Bulldog Bash, the largest free outdoor concert in Mississippi. I encourage you to visit us online at “www.sa.msstate.edu” to find out more about these
ALL MSU ITEMS Summer Hours are Monday-Friday 12:30-5:30
at orientation and I look forward to meeting each of you. Please let me know if there is ever a way in which I can help to improve your experience as a student at Mississippi State. My office is in Suite 314 of the Colvard Student Union, and my door is always open. Once again, welcome to the Bulldog Family and HAIL STATE! Shelby Balius president@sa.msstate.edu
WELCOME LETTER FROM MSu pRESIDENT | MARK KEENuM Dear new students: Welcome to Mississippi State. You have made a good decision by choosing to join the Bulldog family, and we will make every effort to justify the confidence that you and your families have placed in us. This is the start of an especially exciting time in your life, and you are fortunate to be on a campus that will allow you to take full advantage of your strengths across a wide range of pursuits, both in and out of the classroom. MSU offers a broad range of academic programs, opportunities to participate in pioneering research, dozens of recreational and social options and numerous avenues to develop your leadership skills. Your 20,000-plus fellow students come from every corner of Mississippi, almost every state in the nation and 75 or more different countries around the world. You will gain by living and learning alongside those whose traditions and experiences are different from your own, and you will find that MSU’s reputation for friendliness and helpfulness is well-deserved. Faculty, staff and students are eager to assist in your transition to college and help you chart a course to become whatever you want to be. Each of you has ability and promise, and I hope you will make the most of it to become the leader your community; your state and your country need you to be. I will do everything in my power to make MSU the university you deserve and expect it to be, and I hope you will make the same commitment to give your best — in the classroom, on the playing field or in upholding our tradition as a welcoming and caring campus. We’re glad you’re here and look forward to knowing you better.
Sincerely, Mark E. Keenum, MSU President
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events and how you can become a part of the SA. Please follow us on Twitter @msstateSA for event updates. You can also follow me on Twitter @ ShelbyBalius. Finally, a good student is not defined by just how well you do academically, but also how wellrounded you are – involvement provides you that opportunity. I challenge you to not only become an active member of the Student Association, but also an active member of this campus. Become involved in at least one student organization; there you will find friends, enjoyment and fulfillment beyond that of any high school activities. I hope you have a great time
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OPINION
orientation 2012
THE REFLECTOR
INFOGRAPH TO INFORM YOU ABOUT MSU Not going to lie, your life is about to change. At MSU, it is going to change for the better. With this infograph, you will get the big numbers of campus to ease your freshmen worries. Seriously, calm down. It’s going to be okay.
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let’s begin.
zack orsborn | the reflector
x 10,000 over 20,000 students attend Mississippi State University
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ORIENTATION 2012
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welcome to
COURTESY PHOTO | NIC DAMPLER
your state Orientation 2012
Inside: All about being a freshman: tips, advice and insight from upperclassmen Surviving dorms Starkville's food secrets
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LIFE Welcome to college, where everything is made up, and the points don’t matter. Just kidding! While everything
THE REFLECTOR
ORIENTATION 2012
seems made up, the points actually do matter. Especially freshman year. Life is about to change for you. To put it in a really cheesy metaphor, you are like a caterpillar wrapping itself in a cocoon. Get cozy. Because the metamorphosis has just begun.
BY ZACK ORSBORN | Opinion Editor
Phase One: The phase in which you feel completely lost, and you want to vomit everywhere You are drenched in sweat. You’re pretty sure your heart is about to pack up and jump out of your chest. All of a sudden, you literally forget how to breathe. It’s the first day of classes, and even though your mom told you to tape your schedule to your chest, you left it in your dorm. You try to go back to your dorm, but you forgot the name of it. Class starts in five minutes! Everyone has told you that every professor is a mean, coldhearted toad, and you are sure they are going to chew you out for being late. Hey, take a deep breath. Everything is going to be okay (except for your parents who will probably develop empty-nest syndrome). Luckily, this phase only lasts a day. Sure, you didn’t eat because you were too scared to go into Perry, but the day will end. The next day will come, and you will know what to expect. But seriously. Calm down.
Phase Two: The phase in which you really miss your mommy Two weeks later, you feel a tug in your chest. Tears come from nowhere. Truth is, you will get homesick. You’ll start to notice everything you miss about home. The showerheads in the community showers only drizzle, and you miss the high pressure of your shower. The dorm beds squeak too much (and who had the idea to make mattresses plastic). You would give anything to lie underneath your 700 thread count sheets. And actually, you kind of miss your mom screaming at you to take out the trash. That’s the hard reality of college: your parents aren’t here to wake you up or tell you what to do. But that doesn’t mean you can’t go visit them on weekends. Starkville isn’t going anywhere.
Phase Three: The phase in which you literally do not care that you have seven projects due … and a test tomorrow You are all settled in. You’ve made some friends and joined some really obscure clubs (because there are like 7,875 of student organizations). Congratulations! You were thrown into the college ocean, and you had to either sink or swim. Thankfully, you decided to swim, but just because you are doing some killer backstrokes, do not get behind in class. You chose to sleep in a couple of times, violently pressing snooze on your clock (just please don’t do that more than three times because it is really annoying to your roommate). Teachers are actually starting to assign homework, and, oh no, you have a test Friday! No big deal, you go out and decide to partake in some college-town shenanigans. A week rolls around, and you see that huge red “F” on your test, like a beacon of … the opposite of hope. The thing is, you have to go to class and study. Without both of those, the sharks (professors or your parents) will make sure you aren’t swimming anymore. Just think about it. Your parents are paying a lot of money (like seriously, A LOT … A LOT) for an education, and if you have a scholarship, it would be terrible to lose it. This is the hardest phase to get through, but you can prevent it. Study. Or I’ll call the sharks on you.
Phase Four: The phase in which you realize that you are going to be here for four years so you might as well get used to it You can quit holding your breath now. Freshmen year is over! You successfully didn’t die from food poisoning at Perry, you maintained a pretty good GPA, and along the way, you made the greatest friends you will ever have. Yes, I know, it was super hard. Believe me, I have over 20 decks of notecards to prove it. But I eased my worry of test failure by studying. I went to class because absences can hurt you majorly. And I realized college would be a lot easier if I do what I came here to do. Learn. Eventually, you will accept the fact that you are going to here for a while (I’ll be here longer than a while because art majors never graduate on time), so falling into a studying routine will help keep you afloat. Before you know it, college will be over, and, adding on to the cheesiest metaphor ever, you’ll be a butterfly.
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COLUMN | JESSE ROBINSON
A little advice you might not have heard yet C ongratulations on being accepted into the great Mississippi State University. Over the next few years, you will learn a vast array of lessons on life, love and how much BS you can put into a paper and still get a decent grade from the professor. In the next few weeks and months you will receive plenty of advice on living through college. A lot of it will be pretty much the same stuff, like “don’t move in with your best friend,� “don’t go home every weekend� and “start getting used to the taste of Ramen noodles.� Now, the whole moving-inwith-your-best-friend-thing is very hit-or-miss and is based more on you and your friend’s personalities and quirks. The others are fairly accurate. This isn’t about telling you things you’ll hear a dozen times a day whether you want to or not. This is about the
Jesse Robinson is a graduating senior who majored in journalism. He can be contacted at kmullins@ reflector.msstate.edu. little things that seem obvious but you never think of until after you’ve found out the hard way. One of the more common bits of advice you’ll hear is to wait until classes start before you buy textbooks, and this is very true. Plenty of professors will tell you what books you will absolutely need, what books may explain things they don’t fully cover in class and what books they put on there for laughs during the first day of class. If the textbook comes
wrapped in plastic, DO NOT open it until you are absolutely sure you need it. Many of them come with a warning that once you open the wrap you cannot return them, and these tend to be the more expensive ones. Buying books that are used may also yield little goodies in them, such as important parts of the textbook already underlined and some answers written in margins, to name a few. When you go home to visit your family, bring a cooler with you. Sometimes your family will be more than willing to let you bring home cooked leftovers back to school or even give you some groceries to bring back up. A cooler is a great investment anyway, because you can use it as a fridge if you don’t have one, an extra chair and, if it ever snows, a very crude sled. If you have time between classes, explore the campus.
There are plenty of interesting Honestly, anyone can sit and places off the beaten path, and give you thousands of pieces you can easily find new short- of advice and you can let it go cuts or even a through one new hangout ear and out “College is the spot with a the other if great view of you like. memories you the campus. The fact of The same the matter is make of it, the goes for when that college you are going is really what things you do through town. you make of The Cotton it. It’s a time and the things District is a to try new pretty nice things, figplace, but give ure out your you don’t. The the back roads bad habits a try and you and decide experiences you might be surif what you prised by the think you get out of it are places you want to do find. Don’t with your life what you put in.� feel like you is really what have to stay you want to in Starkville do the rest either; West of your life. Point and Columbus have College is about making missome pretty interesting places takes, and you will make misif you feel like looking. takes — everybody does at one
point or another. It’s a part of life. College is the memories you make of it, the things you do and the things you don’t. The experiences you get out of it are what you put in. So go out and figure it out for yourself. Sleep through a class, wait until the last day to write a paper, skip a day to go hang out at the pool with your friends, invent a new game, talk to somebody from another country or culture, sit in on the wrong class, learn a language you’ll never use, whatever you want because it’s your experience. In four years when you’re walking in a gown to get your diploma, will you be thinking about the advice somebody gave you about your freshman year? Probably not, you’ll probably be thinking about the good times and the bad. So go out and start making memories, you’ve got plenty of time to figure out the rest.
Dorm life requires patience, courtesy
MARY KATE MCGOWAN | THE REFLECTOR
Quiet hours are enforced at residence halls, and every resident has a right to enjoy peace and quiet during them. Respecting the rules of the dorms means avoiding conflict, and notes on the door.
BY MARY KATE MCGOWAN Staff Writer
Beyond picking the matching bedspreads and headboards, figuring out who supplies the TV and listening to parents and older peoples’ stories about their “glory days,� campus residence hall life is more than what it seems on move-in day. After the parents leave and the Wi-Fi is set up, dorm life officially starts.
To Advertise with The Reflector, call 325-7907
And for better or worse, life as a roommate and hall mate also begins. Katie Lewis, freshman undeclared major and Hathorn Hall resident, said she did not expect to meet so many people that she meshed with so well. Julie Ewing, freshman biological sciences major, said she has learned to be very consider-
ate to her roommate and hall mates in Sessums Hall. “Do not get upset when things do not go your way,� she said. For a good number of residences, being considerate and respectful can be a challenging task. No matter what residence hall, being thoughtful of neighbors and roommates can go a long way.
Courtney Williams, freshman biological sciences major and Cresswell Hall resident, said it is good to be considerate of roommates. “Just be mindful that you are not living alone. Basically, be respectful,� she said. Keep in mind that little things such as changing the toilet paper roll or washing the dishes in the sink can help ease tensions and decrease dorm conflicts. “Space is just as important as hanging out to sustain the friendship with your roommate,� Lewis said. But, realistically, roommate and hall mate fights are inevitable for most residents. Every person has different personal preferences on noise level and cleanliness. Catherine Stukenborg, freshman communication major and Hathorn Hall resident, said someone on her hall taped a note to her door asking her roommate and her to be quieter. “Someone typed it up on the computer, colored it and stated, ‘The girls in this room, and their visitors, are inconsiderate to others and choose to be rude and obnoxious by ignoring quiet hours and keeping people
up at night after they have been asked repeatedly to be quiet,’ in all caps,� she said. Stukenborg said the note did not help and was considered rude. “I would rather her have come to me and talk it out because by her posting the note she did not get to know me and realize I would not want her to feel that way. I would have worked with her to fix our problem,� Stukenborg said. When problems arise, and they will, the best way for most people to fix the predicament is to work to solve it together. But the first step is to never create dilemmas. From not respecting quiet hours, not being respectful in community bathrooms and
being loud in shared areas such as kitchens and parking lots, common problems and complaints can be kept to a minimum by showing courtesy for other people. In contrast to dorm life problems, positive aspects exist and are reached through resident cooperation. “Make friends with everyone on your hall because there are so many great and different people you can meet that could end up being some great lifelong friends,� Stukenborg said. “But do not expect it to be just like home. You are living in a hall with 30 different personalities and not everyone is going to view things the same. So be open minded and respectful of everyone.�
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ORIENTATION 2012
THE REFLECTOR
We asked upperclassmen: 'What do you wish you knew as a freshman?' “Looking back, freshman year sets the precedent for your college career, so try to meet as many people as you can and make the most of each day at Mississippi State.� Donny Banerjee biochemistry sophomore “When the forecast says 10 percent chance of rain, it means it will actually pour for hours. Be prepared.� Katy Clowers kinesiology sophomore
“Go to class and try to get to know at least one “I wish I would have person in each class.� known that the fewer hours Madeline Harper you take your freshman real estate finance year, the more you have to senior take every other year.� “You really will gain 15 Jamie Guthrie psychology pounds.� senior Haley Wheeler biomedical engineering junior “I wish I would have known to answer my “I wish I would have parents’ calls and texts realized you do not have promptly. Because it turns to know exactly what you out my mom wasn’t bluffwant to do when you start ing when she threatened to college. I wasted my first put a GPS tracker on my year in college because I phone so she knows I’m OK at all times.� changed my major.� Sara Vance Jacob Collins political science communication junior junior
“That Facebook timeline would ever happen.� Hayley Alexander communication senior “To always clear holds on your account before registration. Trying to get forced into classes because you couldn't sign up at your designated time sucks.� Kaitlin Mullins photography, journalism senior “That my family and friends are the most important things to me.� Cody Mahaffey biomedical engineering sophomore
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Ten Starkville food secrets everyone should know BY STEPHANIE SHARP Staff Writer
Moving to Starkville may be difficult, but adjusting to the food is not. Luckily, Starkville has a variety of both chain and local eateries. Whether a freshman, transfer or Starkville resident for quite some time, food secrets are always to be discovered. Here is a list of 10 finds around local Starkville restaurants: 1) Breakfast at Starkville Café: Located on University Drive, Starkville Café is a classic diner favorite. Serving from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. each day, people are known to get up early to simply enjoy Starkville Café’s pancakes, omelets, breakfast sandwiches and many more. Starkville Café also offers affordable prices. 2) Shipley’s donuts are half off after 5 p.m.: This discounted donuts deal especially appeals to students. Fresh donuts are still offered for an inexpensive price in the morning, but eating donuts later in the day for a cheaper price can be just as great. Shipley’s is located on Miss. Highway 12 between Bojangle’s and Subway. 3) Lunch Specials: Thankfully, several restaurants around town offer lunch or blue plate specials. Two popular options are Cappe’s Steakhouse and The Veranda. Both have menus that alternate main dishes, sides and desserts daily. The one meat and three sides plus dessert option at both restaurants is only $8 for an amazing meal. Two favored options are the sweet potato casserole from Cappe’s and the homemade
peach and blueberry cobblers from The Veranda. Follow @CappesSteaks and @The_Veranda on Twitter for menus and specials for each. Cappe’s is located behind Bop’s on Eckford Drive, and The Veranda is located on the corner of Locksley Way and Lincoln Green. 4) Eating at Jean Café: Tucked in the middle of the Cotton District, Jean Café has reasonably priced and deliciously handcrafted Chinese food. Eating at Jean’s is not only an experience for the food. Mama Jean, co-owner with her husband, enjoys talking to her customers and making them feel at home. She has been told that customers now call the homemade sweet and sour “magic sauce.” Do not leave without trying the cheese wontons! Actually, Mama Jean probably will not allow you to leave without doing so. Jean Café is in the Cotton District on University Drive in the alley behind Drifters and Rock Bottom. 5) Cookie dough bites at Stromboli’s: While Stromboli’s could be on this list for any item on the menu (especially the pizza), the cookie dough bites are said to be one of Starkville’s best kept dessert secrets. The bites consist of Stromboli’s signature sweet dough wrapped around warm chocolate chip cookie dough. Great for both dining in and for take out. Stromboli’s is located across the street from the intersection of University Drive and Old West Point Road. 6) Old Venice Lunch Buffet: Old Venice Pizza Co. offers a lunch buffet throughout the week, excluding Saturdays, with great pizza, pasta dish-
es, soups, salads and even dessert. This special is favored by students because of the opportunity to eat their desired amount of classic Italian food for a great price. The prices range from $8 to $12 depending on the food being served. Follow @OVPC_Starkville on Twitter to get updates with the menu and other deals each day. Old Venice is located on East Main Street in Starkville. 7) Surprise frappes and drinks at Strange Brew Coffeehouse: Known for the coffee, food and atmosphere, Strange Brew Coffeehouse is a Starkville staple for both residents and students. While there are several list-worthy options on Strange Brew’s menu, the frappes released randomly for limited times throughout the year are a big favorite. In only the spring 2012 semester, Strange Brew introduced popular options with a King Cake Frappe, a Birthday Cake Frappe and three Girl Scout cookie inspired frappes. For Harry Potter fans, Strange Brew has even offered butterbeer. With almost 6,000 followers on twitter, people anxiously look forward to each new drink announcement from @SBCoffeeHouse. Follow them for deals and updates as well. Strange Brew is located on the corner of Miss. Highway 12 and Spring Street. 8) $5 Gyros all day Monday through Wednesday at Zorba’s Greek Tavern: With a great view of downtown Starkville from the balcony, Zorba’s Greek Tavern has a college-town-restaurant vibe with delicious Greek cuisine. Taken advantage of by hungry people and people on budgets, the $5 gyro all-day special is great deal for all. The gyros are each served with meat,
fresh vegetables and the signature “Z-sauce.” Follow @ZorbasStarkville for food and drink specials. Zorba’s is located on the corner of East Main Street and Washington Street in downtown Starkville. 9) Free pizza from Dave’s Dark Horse Tavern on your birthday: With the combination of food, drinks and live music, Dave’s Dark Horse Tavern is popular with locals, students and visitors. A favorite deal at Dave’s, or the Tavern, is always the birthday special: one free pizza for every four people in a birthday party. With each pizza, the party is expected to spend at least $10 on drinks, appetizers or other entrees — a goal that is easy to meet. Follow @davesdarkhorse on Twitter for updates on deals and what is happening at the Tavern. Dave’s Dark Horse Tavern is located on Martin Luther King Jr. Drive. 10) Lazy Guys Delivery: Lazy Guys is not a restaurant. However, it is included in this list of Starkville food secrets because all college students should know and take advantage of this delivery service. Lazy Guys Delivery will take orders from anywhere in Starkville, including fast food restaurants. In addition to take-out, Lazy Guys also offers to pick up groceries. Five dollars is added to the total of the delivery for the Lazy Guys service. The price of delivery for grocery items goes up $1 for every item after five. Orders can be made through Twitter at @LazyGuysMSU or phone at (662) 546-0666. Special offers from certain restaurants are given each day on Twitter and Facebook.
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ORIENTATION 2012
THE REFLECTOR
Mississippi State Athletics Guide to ... Men’s Basketball
FOr
Dummies Guide to ... Football BY RAY BUTLER
BY KRISTEN SPINK
Staff Writer
Sports Editor
Questions, frustrations, doubts and concerns are the main emotions that surround the men’s basketball team heading into the 2012-2013 season. After losing head coach Rick Stansbury and all five starters from last year’s team, this year will be a new-look Bulldog team to say the least. However, new head coach Rick Ray has gone right to work in his short time at State. He has hired his new staff, which includes one coach formerly on the staff. He has also signed four standouts, including Jacoby Davis and Andre Applewhite. Davis will be coming to State from St. John’s Northwestern Military Academy in Wisconsin. As a senior in high school he averaged 17.5 points and 5.3 assists per game. Davis has the opportunity to be the starting point guard this year, as State lost both its point guards. The addition of Applewhite will add more depth to MSU’s frontcourt or guards. The 6-foot-5 Memphis native averaged 21.3 points and 11.1 rebounds per game his senior
Wendell Lewis
year at Central High School. Junior Jalen Steele and senior Wendell Lewis are the lone returners who saw much playing time last season. Steele is a three-pointmaking machine, while Lewis can battle down low with the best of them. With an inexperienced team of Bulldogs, it will be up to these two guys to lead the team on the court. State will also benefit from junior Kristers Zeidaks. The Latvian transfer was forced to sit out last year due
JAY JOHNSON | THE REFLECTOR
to ineligibility but will be another big body in the post for the Dogs. Some people are expecting a rebuilding year and doubting Ray’s ability to do much in his first season, but the Bulldog basketball program has been successful throughout the years and will not let a few unexpected departures change that. New looks can be positives for teams that work hard in the offseason, which the Bulldogs will certainly do under Ray.
Guide to ... Soccer BY KRISTEN SPINK Sports Editor
The women’s soccer team is yet another one of the women’s sports on the rise here at Mississippi State. State does not have a men’s team due to the Title IX ruling about equality in college athletics, so the women’s team will provide all soccer entertainment. Head coach Neil Macdonald is entering his eighth season at the reigns for the Dogs and has done an excellent job recruiting high school standouts to come to State. One of those standouts is Memphis native Elisabeth Sullivan, who led the team with six goals in her first year at State. In her sophomore campaign last season, Sullivan was tied for the team lead with five goals and added three assists. The renowned forward, who was ranked the No. 29 player in the country at one point in the year, will be joined up top by senior Jasmine Simmons. Senior Lauren Morgan will lead the midfield again this season after a successful effort last year. Behind her, junior standout defender Morganne Grimes will direct the defense. One of the best defenders in the SEC, Grimes did a great job on defense last year and even scored a goal of her own. Senior goalkeeper Skylar Rosson is the last line of defense for the Bulldogs and is coming off a year in which she boasted 131 saves, which is very impressive for a goalie. She and the rest of the defense had four shutout performances during the season. Do not let football be the only sport on the radar this fall. Come out and watch the soccer team continue
At Mississippi State, and in the Southeast in general, football is a religion. Each year, millions of people around the country anxiously await the arrival of college football in the fall, and the fan base at MSU is no different. Each home game, fans pile into Davis Wade Stadium, the second oldest Division 1 stadium in the country. Davis Wade also boasts the second largest video board in the NCAA (the first being at Texas). The Bulldogs have finished with a winning record in two consecutive seasons and have won backto-back bowl games for the first time in more than a decade. Under head coach Dan Mullen, who will be entering his fourth season at the helm of MSU, the Bulldogs will be looking to become a perennial contender in a tough Southeastern Conference. Junior Tyler Russell is expected to be the starting quarterback. Junior LaDarius Perkins and sophomore Nick Griffin are expected to split the majority of playing time at running back. Skill players such as senior Chad Bumphis and sophomore Jameon Lewis could see time as the quarterback of the wildcat, a formation with the primary goal of surprising opposing teams. Defensively, seniors Johnthan Banks and Cameron Lawrence will lead a unit that steadily improved over the course of the 2011 season. Senior Josh Boyd returned to lead a defensive line that will greatly miss Fletcher Cox, who was recently selected 12th in the NFL Draft. The upcoming season officially kicks off Sept. 1, when MSU hosts Jackson State at Davis Wade Stadium. But the most important thing to know about MSU football is the Egg Bowl. This is the annual game between State and Ole Miss for bragging rights the rest of the year. The Bulldogs have won the last three Egg Bowls, showing that this really is Our State.
Guide to ... Volleyball BY JAMES CARSKADON
Lainey Wyman
Staff Writer
Attending a volleyball match is one of the most underrated activities to do during the fall on campus. Games are usually played on Friday nights and Sunday afternoons, so there is no worry about missing a football game. The Newell-Grissom building is one of the most interesting athletic venues on campus. It is relatively small but big enough to support a big crowd if needed. Every sound echoes, which adds to the noise of cowbells ringing. The Volleydogs are led by former MSU standout Jenny Hazelwood, who is approaching her fourth year as the head coach. Despite not yet having a winning season, the Bulldogs have improved their win total each of the past three years. State is losing a few key players to graduation, but it also has an influx of talented returning players, such as sophomore middle hitter Lainey Wyman and junior setter Paris Perret. Also, three players enrolled at MSU in the spring to begin classes and take part in spring practices. Sarah Nielsen and Roxanne McVey graduated high school in December to come to State, and Kymberle Gordon transferred in January from Akron. Hazelwood is not afraid to try new plays between the lines or outside them. The Bulldogs will
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REFLECTOR-ONLINE.COM
ORIENTATION 2012
BY JACK HILL
Stephanie Becker
Staff Writer
JAY JOHNSON | THE REFLECTOR
Guide to ... Baseball BY JACK HILL Staff Writer
Mississippi State baseball: the most accomplished of sports throughout the years in Starkville, garnering eight College World Series appearances (the last in 2007) and boasting alumni who went on to greatness at baseball’s highest level. The Bulldogs play at Dudy Noble Field, arguably college baseball’s best, and was once described by head coach John Cohen as “the Carnegie Hall of college baseball.” Named after MSU’s long time coach, Dudy Noble, this park embodies the greatness of not only the baseball program, but of the university as a whole. One reason for the notoriety of the stadium not only comes from State’s accomplishments on the field, but from the Left Field Lounge. Although
many have tried to emulate it, the Bulldogs do it best. Throughout the outfield, primarily left field (hence the name), is where hundreds of Bulldog fans will be, willing to lend out a burger or drink en route, hopefully, to a Bulldog victory. This season marks John Cohen’s fourth as head coach, who hopes to restore the success to which Mississippi State fans are accustomed. Two seasons ago was a start when after two rebuilding years, Cohen was five outs away from State’s ninth trip to Omaha but fell short to eventual World Series runner-up Florida. This year’s squad features a plethora of young players guided by senior pitcher Chris Stratton and juniors C.T. Bradford, Hunter Renfroe and Daryl Norris, and if the young Dogs stay healthy, they could potentially make more noise this year. ERIC EVANS | THE REFLECTOR
Guide to ... Tennis BY JAMES CARKSADON Staff Writer
IAN PRESTOR | THE REFLECTOR
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Guide to ... Softball
Hunter Renfroe
Louis Cant
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Under head coach Per Nilsson, the MSU men’s tennis has experienced a fast resurgence back to national prominence in recent years. Led by a trio of seniors, the Bulldogs spent most of the 2012 season ranked in the top 15 in the polls. All home tennis matches take place at the A.J. Pitts Tennis Centre, which is a surprisingly fun place to watch a tennis match. A match at MSU is not like the tennis matches seen on TV. Fans are encouraged to yell, cheer, stomp their feet and make as much noise as they want. The players feed off the fans, making the experience feel more personal.
Watching six matches at one time may be headache-inducing, but attending a tennis match is well worth the time. The men’s team will have to reload and replace three departing seniors, Artem Illyushin, Louis Cant and George Coupland, next season, which will not be an easy task for the backto-back SEC West champions. Returning players James Chaudry and Malte Stropp will become the core of the team and have the experience to do so. The women’s tennis team has struggled in the last few seasons but is hoping to rebound in 2013 and build on the improvement it had in an injury-plagued 2012 season. Junior Alexandra Perper and sophomore Naomi Tran will be counted on to carry the team next season.
As baseball’s twin sister, Mississippi State’s softball program has enjoyed success in its own right, making eight NCAA tournaments and claiming four first-team all Americans. Like John Cohen, first year head coach Vann Stuedeman replaced the program’s all-time winningest coach Jay Miller, looking to rebuild and revitalize a program with recent success. Stuedeman, who served as Alabama’s pitching coach from 2001 to 2011, brought a jolt of high energy to the Bulldog softball program. In her first year, she led the team to back-toback sweeps of Ole Miss and Kentucky as the team finished the month of April with the best April winning percentage in school history (13-2). Pitchers Stephanie Becker and Kylie Vry led the way on the mound, with Becker being named SEC Pitcher of the Week once. These two will lead the way for the Dogs again this year in their senior season. Also returning for her senior season is Jessica Cooley, who flirted for the SEC lead in home runs throughout the season. Helping her at the plate will be juniors Sam Lenahan, Heidi Shape, Erin Nesbit and Jessica Offut who are coming off solid seasons with the bat. State plays at MSU’s softball field, which holds roughly 1,500 in addition to outfield seating. A plan for a new grandstand to be finished by the 2014 season is in the making.
Guide to ... Women’s Basketball BY ELLIOT REES Staff Writer
The Mississippi State women’s basketball team is going to take on a new look for this coming season, with several new faces. There have been many changes since the end of this past season, including the departure of Sharon Fanning-Otis, the most successful women’s basketball head coach in MSU history, the hiring of a new head coach, the hiring of a new staff and the departure of key seniors. New head coach Vic Schaefer will bring a defensive mindset to a team that allowed 60.5 pointsper-game last year and will be aiming to improve a team that finished 14-16 overall and 4-12 in the SEC. The Lady Bulldogs will have a young team on the court next season, considering four out of the five starters were seniors and only one junior is returning. State will have to find a way to replace outgoing seniors Diamber Johnson and Porsha Porter, who were the team leaders in scoring and assists. Johnson averaged 14.7 points-per-game and Porter 13.0. There were no other Lady Bulldogs who had a double-digit average. However, coming back will be freshman Martha Alwal who led the team in rebounds with 7.2 per game and blocks with 2.7 per game. Freshman Kendra Grant, who led the team with 41 three pointers made, will be expected to do the bulk of the scoring.
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ORIENTATION 2012
Guide to ... Cross Country/Track
Guide to ... Golf BY ELLIOT REES Staff Writer
Mississippi State’s golf programs are on the rise and have high expectations for the upcoming season. The men’s team just missed an opportunity to play in the NCAA tournament this past season, and the women’s team has an up-and-coming team with three experienced freshmen returning. Men’s head coach Clay Homan has a team only losing three seniors, and its leading golfer, sophomore Chad Ramey, is returning for what seems to be an exciting season of golf for State. Ramey ended the season with an average round score of 72.46,
THE REFLECTOR
65 being his best and had a total of 94 birdies. On the women’s side, head coach Ginger Brown-Lemm will be having the No. 6 freshman class in the nation returning led by SEC All-Freshman Team selection Ally McDonald and her team leading 74.22 average per round and 72 total birdies. Rica Tse and Elena Warren are also a part of this outstanding class. Junior Mary Langdon Gallagher will be expected to help carry the team next season, as well. Check out the Bulldog golf teams next year as they go for the lowest scores in the nation and in turn put MSU golf on the map. By the way, this is the only sport where the lowest point total actually wins.
Staff Writer
Although track and field may not be the most talked about sport at Mississippi State, it is one of the most successful. With a ranking inside the top 25 during the indoor season and inside the top 10 throughout the 2012 outdoor season, the Bulldogs have become a team widely feared by opposition around the country. In college, track and field is a year-round sport that is divided into two different seasons. During the fall semester, athletes compete in indoor facilities. During the spring semester, teams compete outdoors. The two seasons are independent of one another, and rankings from the indoor season do not carry over to outdoor competition. Several of the players run cross country in the fall, as well. During the 2012 outdoor season, five Bulldogs found themselves near the top of the individual rankings in specific events. Seniors Tavaris Tate, Keisha Williams and Jody-Ann Muir were among the best in the country in various sprinting events. Junior James Harris was near the top of the leader board in multiple outdoor events. Sophomore Jarrett Samuels was ranked as one of the best long jumpers in the country. As a team, the MSU men ranked near the top in the 4x400 meter and fifth in the 4x100 meter during the outdoor season. Steve Dudley, the head coach of MSU’s track and field team, just completed his 12th season at State. Houston Franks is the head coach of the cross country team and will be entering his ninth year commanding the men and third year leading the women. Senior Philip Johnson and junior Juan Sanchez will be returning as the core of the men’s team, while seniors Haley Greenwell and Renee Masterson will be leading the way for the women.
Bulldog Athletic Dictionary Libero: The girl wearing the different color jersey. She is a defensive specialist, which means she is very good at passing. She only plays on the back row and can sub in and out without stopping play.
Quarterback: An offensive position that receives the snap from the center, then either throws the ball to a receiver or hands the ball to a running back.
Pass/Bumb: Usually the first of three touches when the player makes contact with the ball on both of her forearms. Set: Usually the second of three touches when the player makes contact with the ball with both hands over her head. Spike/Kill/Hit: Usually the third of three touches when a player slams the ball over the net with one hand. Ace: When the ball is served and is not touched or is shanked on the first touch by the opposing team.
Kicker: A skill-position player who attempts to kick the ball through the goal posts. If successful, points will be added to the score of the kicker’s team. Wildcat formation: An offensive formation that features a non-traditional skill player as the quarterback, such as a wide receiver or running back. The goal of the formation is to catch the defending team off guard and gain positive yards. The Egg Bowl: A yearly football game played in November between Mississippi State and Ole Miss. The winner of the game is presented with the Golden Egg. MSU has won the past three Egg Bowls.
Pitcher: One who delivers the ball to home plate to begin the play. Batter: Person who stands at the plate in an effort to hit the pitched ball. Umpire: The game official. These people call balls and strikes and decide who is safe or out. Normally there are three umpires in a college game. Grand slam: When a ball is hit over the fence, and the bases are loaded. Therefore, four runs are scored. Double-play: If a team gets two outs off of one hit ball.
TENNIS:
Ace: A serve that the opposing player cannot return, resulting in a point for the server. Backhand: A hit made from the back of the racquet when the player’s arm comes across the body. Forehand: A hit made from the front of the racquet when the player’s arm is outstretched. Service Break: When the player who is not serving wins the game. Deuce: When the score is tied at 40-40. A player must win two points in a row to win the game at this point.
BASKETBALL: Three pointer: When a player makes a shot behind the arch, or three point line, and it counts for three points.
SOCCER: Forward: Usually the best scorers. The players on the front line, furthest from the goalie. Midfielder: The most diverse players on the field and oftentimes the busiest players on the field. They are on the second line, in-between the forwards and defenders. Defender: The players who try to kick the ball away from their goal to the other side of the field. They are the back line, closest to the goalie. Goalie: The one player who is the last line of defense, closest to the goal.
IAN PRESTOR | THE REFLECTOR
BASEBALL/SOFTBALL:
VOLLEYBALL:
FOOTBALL:
Jarrett Samuels
BY RAY BUTLER
Technical foul: This is not good. The referee can call a technical on coaches or players who yell or argue with either the referee or opposing players too much. A technical can also be called on a player who hangs on the rim too long after a dunk. A technical results in one free throw to be shot by the other team.
GOLF:
TRACK:
Par: The number of strokes needed to finish the hole based on its length.
Sprint: A short distance competition based on speed rather than endurance. Distance: A long distance competition based on endurance rather than speed. Field: Competitions such as the javelin throw, shot put or discus that do not involve running.
Birdie: When a player finishes a hole in one-less stroke than par.
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Eagle: When a player finishes a hole in two-less strokes than par. Bogey: When a player finishes a hole in one-more stroke than par.
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outkiCking the Coverage | ray ButLer
Expectations are high for Mullen, Dawgs in 2012 football season
W
ith the beginning of the 2012 college football season just months away, most fans around the country are somewhere in between reminiscing the highs and lows of the 2011 season and contemplating what must be done in order for their favorite team to be a contender in late November of the upcoming season. For Mississippi State fans, the fonder memories of recent times are probably from the 2010 season, when the Bulldogs went 9-4 and won a New Year’s Day bowl game by more than five touchdowns. In 2011, what began as arguably the most anticipated football season in MSU history concluded as somewhat of a disappointment, with State going 7-6 and being categorized as one of the more disappointing teams of the 2011 college football season. As the 2012 season approaches, MSU and head coach Dan Mullen, who will be entering his fourth season with the team, will look to cement the football program as a perennial bowl team that is capable of sustaining consistent success. To do so, the Bulldogs must overcome the shortcomings that left coaches, players and fans shaking their heads numerous times over the course of last season. Offensively, MSU must find and maintain one identity. In 2011, the starting quarterback seemed like a week-to-week mystery. The ongoing battle between now-graduated Chris Relf and junior Tyler Russell grew old almost immediately, and it is hard to imagine how MSU players not knowing who would be their starting quarterback each Saturday until minutes before the opening kickoff was beneficial to team chemistry in any way.
Even during games, it was almost as though the offense could not decide what it wanted to be. When Relf was in the game, the offense was based on read-options and speed sweeps. When Russell was quarterback, the offense was seemingly more balanced but a makeshift offensive line facing top-tier defenses made it hard to create much consistency when the Bulldogs had the ball. Now that Russell looks to be the man heading into the fall, it will be important for the offense to maintain uniformity and to head in only one direction during the entire season. While Russell will play a large part in dictating the success of the MSU offense, the Bulldogs will also rely on a healthy offensive line, as well as steady production from their skill players, most notably junior LaDarius Perkins and sophomore Nick Griffin, who will be looking to fill the void left by Vick Ballard at the running back position. Defensively, the Bulldogs have the chance to be one of the most touted units in the entire country. With a mixture of youth and veteran players, MSU will have more depth defensively than any season in recent history. On the defensive line, upperclassmen such as Josh Boyd and Cameron Lawrence will welcome newcomers who could have an immediate impact, such as Denico Autry, Quay Evans, Beniquez Brown and Richie Brown. Autry and Evans both enrolled at MSU last winter, and each made an impact during State’s spring game in April. Johnthan Banks, a senior cornerback who elected to return to MSU instead of submitting his name into the NFL Draft, has the potential to be the best cornerback in the entire country as well as a first-round draft pick in the 2013 draft. The
orientation , 2012
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Faces to know in fall Jameon Lewis, sophomore wide receiver, football
Cameron Lawrence, senior linebacker, football Ray Butler is a sophomore majoring in mechanical engineering. He can be contacted at reflectorsports@gmail.com
LaDarius Perkins, junior running back, football
Dan Mullen
MSU defense will dictate just how successful the Bulldogs will be during the upcoming season, and if the offense is not forced to score 35 points each game in order to win, the sky will be the limit for the team. With a new head coach and an attempt at a culture change for MSU’s in-state rival Ole Miss, this coming football season will be the most important of Dan Mullen’s tenure in Starkville. To maintain in-state momentum and an upper hand in the world of recruiting, Mullen and the Bulldogs must improve on the 7-6 mark they recorded just a year ago as well as travel to Ox- Tyler Russell, junior ford and win their fourth con- quarterback, football Josh Boyd, senior secutive Egg Bowl, a feat that has defensive lineman, not been accomplished by either football team since the 1983-1986 seaSkylar Rosson, sons. As expectations continue senior goalie, to rise within the MSU program, soccer anything less than the 9-4 record captured by the Bulldogs during the 2010-2011 season will likely be labeled by many fans as anParis Perret, junior Elisabeth Sullivan, junior other disappointing season. Johnthan Banks, senior setter, volleyball forward, soccer cornerback, football
Head coach, Football
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orientation , 2012
stat of the summer :
13.5-the number of points per game the players currently on the men’s basketball roster averaged last season
spink on sports | kristen spink
Intramurals fill sports void I assume there are a lot of you new students out there who played sports in high school, maybe even thought about playing in college, but for some reason or another decided not to, and are coming into college wondering what will become of your athletic ability. Well, coming from someone who was in that exact position two years ago, let me tell you, intramural and club sports will be your best friend this year and the years to come. Intramurals give you the best of both worlds: the competition of games and camaraderie of being on a team without having miserable practices day in and day out. My favorite part about intramurals is simply the people on your team. You can get a group of your own friends together to play and enjoy a ton of fun memories with them, or if you do not know enough people to make a team, you can sign up to be a free agent at the intramural office. To do this, you just go to the office, which is located in the Sanderson. Walk in and go directly to your left, and you will see the office. You can sign a free agent list there, and you will be put on a team. This is a good way to get to know different people, and especially as a new student, this would be a good way to meet people who share similar interests as you. Also, if you get involved with a religious organization on campus or another type of organization, most of those form intramural teams of which you could be a part. Secondly, intramurals are a
great way to help you stay in shape and keep off the freshman-15. For those of you who played sports in high school to stay active, coming to college and not having that two-hour practice every day is a big change. Simply running on the treadmill or around campus gets old after awhile, so playing sports gives you the exercise you need. Finally, for those competitive people out there, intramurals can get very competitive very fast. Don’t worry, there are plenty of teams who just play for fun, so if you are not the competitive type, intramurals are still for you and can be played simply for fun. But if you are up for an intense game, just make sure you find other people who want to play for real, and you will feel like a high school kid again playing your hardest every game. If you are still thinking that intramurals are not enough to fulfill your sports void, you may want to try a club sport. Club sports are a step up from intramurals but not the real MSU sports. They are inbetween intramurals and MSU sports. They do travel to play in tournaments and host a few of their own, depending on which sport you play. Also depending on the sport, there can be practices during the week, so it is more time-consuming and more competitive than intramurals. To learn more about club sports, find their booth during orientation or go to the same office in the Sanderson where you sign up for intramurals. My advice to you is to jump into intramural sports immediately. I
Kristen Spink is the sports editor of The Reflector. She can be contacted at reflectorsports@ gmail.com know you are worried about college classes and getting involved with new organizations, and that is great and should be first priority. Give yourself a few weeks to get acquainted with the campus and college, and then get your game on and head to the Sanderson. You will find that without practice every afternoon, you will quickly miss sports. Intramurals and club sports are a great way to fill that void, without making a huge time commitment, all while getting to know people better. Here are some of the intramural sports coming up to begin the fall semester: flag football, kickball, volleyball, 3-on-3 basketball, ultimate frisbee and ping pong. Here are some of the club sports that will start in the fall: aikido, bass fishing, Brazilian jiu jitzu, disc golf, cricket, fencing, men’s lacrosse, men’s rugby, men’s soccer, men’s ultimate frisbee, paintball, racquetball, scuba Dawgs, shooting sports, table tennis, taido karate, tactical airsoft, triathlon club, women’s basketball, women’s volleyball and yoga moves.
on tHe tUBe: Jackson state at MsU sept. 1, tiMe tBa
Basketball hires new coaches match for him. “I can’t tell you Staff Writer how excited my To two people in charge of Mis- family and I are. sissippi State’s basketball teams, God opens doors MSU is just as new for them as it for you. Someis for the thousands of new MSU times you don’t what’s Ray students coming to Starkville in know about to open,” August. Women’s basketball coach Vic Schaefer said. “From the moSchaefer and men’s basketball ment I met Scott (Stricklin), I felt coach Rick Ray are both new to a passion that I can identify with Starkville after being named to because I am a passionate person. their positions this spring. Both Whatever I try to do, I try to do it will be following in the footsteps the best I can.” The “Minister of Defense” is of coaches who had become mainalso an alumnus of Texas A&M, stays at MSU. Rick Stansbury retired after 13 seasons at the helm graduating in 1984. Schaefer has of the men’s program and is the also made a name for himself on winningest coach in MSU histo- the recruiting trail, helping the ry. Sharon Fanning-Otis stepped Aggies land nine top-20 recruiting down after 17 years as the head classes during his time there. Many Mississippi State fans women’s coach, leaving behind a legacy that included the program’s had not heard of Rick Ray until the day his hire only Sweet 16 apwas announced. pearance. The man with Both Schaefer “I can’t tell you two first names and Ray will have how excited my is somewhat of challenging jobs an unproven ahead, but they family and I are. in the both took interestGod opens doors entity world of SEC ing paths to get to Starkville. for you. Sometimes b a s k e t b a l l , with most of Schaefer comes you don’t know his experience to MSU from coming in the Texas A&M, where what’s about to Big Ten and he was an assistant the ACC. for 15 years and led open.” What Ray the Aggies to seven does bring, NCAA Tourna- vic schafer, however, is the ment appearances women’s basketball kind of energy and one national coach athletic director championship. Scott StrickWhile at A&M, lin looks for. Schaefer’s defenses earned him a reputation as one Stricklin’s first public comment of the best defensive minds in on the hire was that Ray “fits the women’s college basketball. When model of head coach we have he was hired at MSU, Schaefer sought to bring into our program said he felt the school was a good over the last several years.” by James carskadon
Much like recent hires Dan Mullen (football) and Vann Stuedeman (softball), Ray is a young, highenergy coach Schaefer who still has a lot to prove personally. Mulllen, Stuedeman and Ray also have another thing in common: their first head coaching gig came at Mississippi State. MSU president Mark Keenum commended the hire in April. “Rick Ray is an outstanding choice to lead our men’s basketball program,” Keenum said in a release. “Once our fans meet him, I know they will share the same sentiment. I am impressed with his basketball philosophy and the vision he has articulated for taking Mississippi State basketball to a higher level. He is a winner and has a solid plan to put his brand on the program that will reflect the highest standards of integrity and accountability.” Ray comes to MSU after spending two seasons on the staff at Clemson, where the Tigers won 38 games and made one NCAA Tournament appearance. From 2006-2010, Ray was an assistant under Matt Painter at Purdue. During his time there, the Boilermakers made the Sweet 16 and had one of the best recruiting classes in the school’s history. Both Ray and Schaefer may be unfamiliar with the SEC, and they inherit teams that missed the NCAA tournament a season ago. It is a tough road ahead for both, but hopefully for Bulldog fans, they will inject new life and energy into Humphrey Coliseum.