3.1.23

MS law prohibits 'gender transition procedures' for minors

Gov. Tate Reeves signed House Bill 1125 into law Tuesday afternoon, establishing the Regulate Experimental Adolescent Procedures (REAP) Act. The act prohibits "gender transition procedures for a person under eighteen years of age."

Earlier this year, the House of Representatives approved the bill in a 78-28 vote, and the Senate passed it 33-15.

"There is a dangerous movement spreading across America today," Reeves said at Tuesday's signing. "It's advancing under the guise of a false ideology and pseudoscience. It's being

pushed onto our children through radical activists, social media and online influencers. And it's trying to convince our children that they are in the wrong body."

The REAP Act deems "gender transition procedures" as unnecessary, and the law bans Mississippi's

public funds from providing expense coverages for such procedures. It states, "A person shall not knowingly

provide gender transition procedures to any person under eighteen (18) years of age."

The Mississippi State Board of Medical Licensure will revoke a doctor's Mississippi medical license if

the doctor violates the REAP Act. Non-physicians would face similar punishment.

Lantern Project shares historic records of enslaved people

The Lantern Project is a collaborative project Mississippi State University leads to provide access to records documenting enslaved persons. MSU has collaborated with five other institutions across Alabama and Mississippi, including Delta State University and the University of Mississippi's libraries.

The project has worked to transcribe, digitize and provide a central location for records of enslaved persons, so those who seek the records are no longer forced to drive to their local courthouse or library to find them.

Jennifer McGillan, coordinator of manuscripts at MSU, said she initiated the project.

“[The Lantern Project] did begin as my research, but it’s a collaborative project,” McGillan said.

The National Historic Publications and Records Commission of

the United States National and Archives and Records Administration, provided a grant for the project in December 2019.

The COVID-19 pandemic delayed the start of the project, but McGillan managed to

persevere despite the setback.

McGillan said the project created opportunities for researchers, like giving access to historic documents for those studying the legal and social history of the Mississippi and Alabama area.

“The hope is that these records will allow people to get a better picture of the institution of slavery and how it worked in practice at the time,” McGillan said. She said families from the Mississippi and Alabama area and descen -

dants of enslaved persons can reconnect with their ancestors and discover new pieces of their lineage.

Moving forward, McGillan said she hoped students would want to volunteer to help transcribe and digitize records.

Mona Vance-Ali, an archivist at the Columbus-Lowndes Public Library, has digitized over 11,500 records for The Lantern Project, with most coming from Lowndes County court records.

New club talks politics, current events

The Round Table at Mississippi State University encourages students to come together to discuss current political events and policies in a calm and civil manner.

Luke Chaney, a sophomore political science major, founded the club in fall 2022. It is open for everyone to join, and Griffis Hall hosts its meetings.

Chaney, who serves as the Round Table's president, said he was inspired to create this community after studying abroad at the University of Oxford in England.

He said he saw what was being done with the Oxford Union, a debat -

ing society, and wanted to bring that to Mississippi State.

Chaney said this community creates a place for students to discuss their beliefs without criticism from others.

“A part of the spirit of the club is free speech

and free expression. You can go there and say whatever you’d like, even if it might be considered controversial in other settings. It’s always accepted here,” Chaney said.

Round Table Vice President Tanner Mar -

low, a senior majoring in agronomy, said he and Chaney have established a community that can get together and talk about all matters.

Marlow said a part of why this idea has been successful can be contributed to the club’s constitution.

“It’s in our constitution that the argument has to be factual, ethical and it cannot be based on feelings. If you have a claim like ‘the sky is pink,’ you must support it with some evidence, such as around five or six o’clock on some

nights, the sun sets, causing the sky to become pink,” Marlow said.

Marlow said the act of change in today’s society is usually improbable. The goal of Round Table is to improve that attitude. DISCUSSION, 2

A group of protesters gathered outside of the Mississippi capitol building in Jackson to protest the legislative advancement of the House Bill 1125 (HB1125).

Courtesy

Photo | Jensen Matar

Payton Brown | The Reflector

The Round Table at MSU formed in fall 2022. The club is open to all, and meetings are hosted in Griffis Hall on Wednesdays.

Courtesy Photo | Luke Chaney Round Table President and Founder Luke Chaney is a sophomore majoring in political science.

Gov. Reeves signed HB1125 on Tuesday.

Courtesy Photo | ms.gov

Representing Starkville, District 43 Rep. Rob Roberson voted in approval of the bill; District 38 Rep. Cheikh Taylor voted no; District 16

Sen. Angela Turner-Ford and District 15 Sen. Bart Williams did not cast votes.

However, mental health care for transgender youth is accessible under HB1125, according to District 41 Sen. Joey Fillingane.

The Transgender Resources, Advocacy, Networking and Services (T.R.A.N.S.) Program has worked to improve the lives of transgender and gender non-conforming people in Mississippi by offering a variety of resources and community connections.

Executive director of the T.R.A.N.S. Program of Mississippi Jensen Matar said most transgender youths initially transition socially.

“So, maybe the trying on of a new name. Maybe they cut their hair, or they want to grow their hair or maybe they want to try wearing some makeup or a change of clothes,” Matar said. “These are typical ways for trans youth under 18 just to transition socially or transition at all, but there is a small percentage of trans youth … who will need to take steps to physically transition before they turn 18.”

Matar said the decision to begin transitioning is not an overnight one.

After working with the TransUnion of Mississippi for almost a decade, Matar said he has had his own personal experiences with young transgender people.

"I have not come across a single young trans person under the age of 18 who has successfully completed any type of gender affirming surgery. So, for that to be lumped in here as though that's something that trans youth are even doing at that point in their life, I think is a real slap in the face," Matar said.

However, for transgender individuals under age 18 who desire starting the process of physically transitioning, this option is likely unavailable.

"Whether a trans young person wants to start hormone replacement therapy today or not, they're not going to be able to," Matar said.

Former F.L.A.R.E at Mississippi State University president Harry Jones said gender dysphoria can affect the mental health of transgender youth.

"There is a reason that trans youth are more likely to self-harm or commit suicide, and it is not because they are broken. It is because they have a physically mental condition … that disassociates their identity from their bodies, and that disassociation is reinforced by the gender assigned to them and enforced by everyone around them,” Jones said.

According to the National Library of Medicine, 82% of transgender individuals have, at some point, considered committing suicide, while "40% have attempted suicide". The highest percentage of this number is within transgender youth; 56% percent said they have attempted suicide, and 86% reported they have had thoughts of suicide.

Hormone replacement therapies and gender affirming surgeries are a rare service within Mississippi.

Stacie Pace works as a transgender medical practitioner in Hattiesburg at Spectrum: The Other Clinic alongside her husband, Lee Pace, who provides occupational therapy for patients. The Paces run the only transgender medical clinic in Mississippi.

Approximately 95% of Spectrum's medical care focuses on transitional hormone therapy, the Paces said.

Lee Pace also operates Marsha's Tea Room, a non-

“In one of the cases I worked on, there was actually a free African American woman who was kidnapped and forced into slavery,” Vance-Ali said. “The case was really interesting because a white man had to testify and say she had made her own money and gotten paid for her work before, which was a big deal.”

“Dissertations are just waiting to be written, and movies are just waiting to be made about the stories in these case,” Vance-Ali said.

Vance-Ali said most of the documents come from circuit and chancery courts.

DISCUSSION

“We can always get better. We can always work off each other,” Marlow said. “We need to create a community in the Mississippi State University area that people can go to and feel comfortable saying what they mean.”

This way of thinking tends to extend past politics and can be applied to other topics as well, Marlow explained.

Marlow said it is not about whether Batman is better than Superman but about figuring out an explanation for each side of the argument.

“At Round Table, our goal is learning that process, teaching that process and advocating for civil discourse,” said Marlow.

Round Table does not have an official schedule, but Chaney said they plan to meet each Wednesday to discuss pre-selected topics for the week. Chaney said the meetings last about

profit service that hosts meetings and provides support for transgender individuals.

Extreme backlash, hatefueled mail and death threats are no foreign concept to Stacie and Lee Pace. The couple receives angry comments on every virtual avenue possible: Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, text and email.

Despite being the only transgender medical clinic in Mississippi, Stacie Pace said the transgender community in Mississippi is so small that she does not think her clinic would experience major financial impacts if Gov. Reeves signs House Bill 1125.

“This threat that people seem hell bent on going after amounts to a mere handful of perhaps five or six patients. All of our other patients, who started seeing us at ages 16 or 17, have aged into adulthood already, and of those numbers, it only totals maybe 25 or 30,” Pace said. House Bill 1125 is not the first piece of legislation to attack LGBTQ+ rights.

This Mississippi legislative session has introduced 31 anti-LGBTQ+ bills, the majority of which focused on transgender rights. Nationwide, there have been nearly 350 bills just like HB1125 rearing their heads.

T.R.A.N.S. director Matar said he views this as a slow, strategized game of political progression: putting laws into place so politicians can get their foot-in-the-door on certain issues, such as health care and athletics participation for LGBTQ+ individuals.

Matar offered words of encouragement to young transgender individuals in the state.

"People love you. People believe in you. You will do great things. You are important," Matar said.

Editor-in-Chief Heather Harrison contributed to this article

told from a bottom-up level, as opposed to a top-down level that’s taught in school and history books,” Vance-Ali said.

Vance-Ali said people from other countries, including China and parts of eastern Europe, have already accessed the records from the project.

According to VanceAli, the records are valuable because the stories are not recorded anywhere else, and people

an hour.

“We come in and have two opening speakers who present background information on the two different takes on the topic. Then, the floor is open to discussion. That way, everyone has a bit of background information, including observers or first-time visitors who might not know a lot about the topic,” Chaney said.

Devin Hutchins, a sophomore double majoring in philosophy and economics, said that the club has given him the ability to voice his opinion.

“The Round Table has increased my sense of community in the Honors College. Often, it’s hard to find something you can really contribute to here in college, but this organization has started to shape up the intellectual community I envisioned when I applied,”

can be recognized in a new way.

She said the stories found within the court cases are personal.

“These stories show what the day-to-day institution of slavery looked like in a human, personal level. They’re

Hutchins said. Chaney, Marlow and Hutchins alike advocate for new members to join the club and express their opinions. Hutchins said more members only make the club better.

“I think that expansion is great,” Hutchins said. “Ultimately, we want as many students to show up as possible so that we can have better, more diverse and more insightful conversation.”

Chaney said any student is welcome to attend meetings and is given a short introduction before speaking about a topic.

“The best way to get connected with the club is on Cowbell Connect. Another way to get involved in the club is just to attend meetings,” Chaney said. “We always introduce the speaker, and I’ve found that people enjoy the meetings.”

Professional genealogist and founder of Our Black Ancestry Sharon Leslie Morgan said she was a cheerleader of The Lantern Project and of those who work to make these records easily accessible to the public.

“The Lantern Project is blazing a trail for digitizing legal records for enslaved persons. Up until now, this kind of access to these kinds of records was unheard of,” Morgan said.

Through her efforts, Morgan has helped build

a community of over 36,000 people who all search for their lineage and family history.

Morgan expressed excitement over The Lantern Project and how it has the potential to augment the searches of all those looking for their

family tree.

She said DNA has been accessible for years, but court records involving enslaved persons have been difficult to unearth until The Lantern Project came along.

According to Morgan, there is still more work to do in making records of enslaved persons more complete and easily accessible.

In order to do research on the Black families who were enslaved, she said research on the white families that owned them was also essential for creating a full genealogical history.

For more information or record access, visit the lanternproject.msstate.edu.

Courtesy Photo | Stacie and Lee Pace

Spectrum: The Other Clinic is located in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. It is the only transgender medical center in Mississippi.

Courtesy Photo | Stacie and Lee Pace

The Other Clinic is owned by Stacie and Lee Pace. The clinic provides transitional hormone therapy and other medical care services.

Columbus Library Archivist Mona Vance-Ali.

Courtesy Photo | Columbus-Lowndes Public Library

Manuscript Coordinator Jennifer McGillan.

Courtesy Photo | MSU

Courtesy Photo | Tanner Marlow

Vice President of Round Table Tanner Marlow is a senior majoring in agronomy. He and Chaney established the community together.

“Up until now, this kind of access to these kinds of records was unheard of.”

Mona Vance-Ali Library Archivist Columbus-Lowndes Public Library

An In-Class Distraction

Phone (662) 320-4000

Fax (662) 324-5290

Cotton Crossing • Russell Street Starkville

No littering, pledge

February 26 - A resident of the city/county was arrested on Blackjack Road for disorderly conduct and resisting arrest. The subject had warrants with OCSO and SPD.

February 27 - Two students were arrested off campus on a warrant for littering, disorderly conduct and minor in possession of achohol in the parking lot near the Kappa Sigma fraternity house.

February 17 - A resident of the county/city was arrested near Allen Hall for petit larceny and paraphernalia. A

Taurus - This week, you’ll more than likely enter an unknown tunnel. Make sure to wear your helmet, as Mississippi infrastructure hasn’t had the best of weeks, years, decades, etc.

Leo - Wake up. Put your chain on. Kick the sheets. Call your mom. Apologize for yesterday. Remove your chain. Nap real quick. Sleep through class. Wake up. Put your chain on.

Virgo - You will deny me three times before the rooster crows. The star gods say that they’re unsure if this is an innuendo, but it’s best to play it safe with this bunch. They’re drinking again.

Capricorn - Like we said, they’re drinking again. Elixios’thrai’s speech was slurred when he said that your next week will be eerily similar to the film

“The Phantom Thread” with Daniel Day Lewis.

Baseball is for the ambience

Imagine you are walking a dog, and you are not particularly paying attention to the dog unless it does something out of the ordinary, but rather you are enjoying the scenery and companionship. Once back home, it was not the dog walk you enjoyed, but all the things you saw and felt along the way. Welcome to the Mississippi State University baseball experience.

Baseball, as a whole, is a slow burn. By that, I mean your attention is not glued to the field the entire game, and the exciting moments have lots of build-up behind them. You are not watching every second of the game; you are conversing, debating whether or not to buy another drink or relaxing from your hectic daily life. If you ask me, it is the ambience for which we attend baseball games. My baseball background is simple. Growing up, I watched "The Sandlot", I played baseball on Wii Sports and I cheered on the Memphis Redbirds a few times with my dad. Although baseball was hardly part of my life, MSU baseball games evoke a sense of nostalgia for me. Much of my present life is convoluted with obligations, but baseball games are different. It does not ask anything of

me — it barely even asks for my attention. It serves to lead me through a laidback and non-demanding atmosphere, like walking a dog.

Knowing I am not a baseball fanatic, I took it upon myself to corroborate this opinion, so as to not horribly offend any diehard fans who still think back to the game three slaughter in Omaha.

My investigation began with Haley Palmer, a senior communication major who works the scoreboard at Dudy Noble

“People like the environment of baseball,” Palmer said, “it’s pleasant to sit outside for a few hours to enjoy the game. There’s not as much pressure to watch every moment, so there is freedom in that."

Palmer also went on explain why people like me — those uncommitted to the sport — enjoy the baseball atmosphere.

“People like the environment of the Dude because it’s high energy even when the game is moving slowly," Palmer said. "Last season I heard a visiting [family] say, ‘The Dude is like a party where there just also happens to be a baseball game going on’.”

This is the ambience I seek; the idea that I can move freely yet engage with the game at my leisure. Between hot dogs and beers, it feels like the game is a sideshow for my

enjoyment, should I choose to enjoy it.

This “party within a game” phenomenon is common at many live sports, but not to the same extent as baseball.

Football, for example, is more high-energy by nature. Players are literally crashing on top of each other, tickets are more expensive, there are fewer home games and you have to get to the Junction really early for tailgating and the Dawg Walk. Even in the structure of the student sections, football absolutely caters to a more intense game day experience with the Davis Wade student section staring down the end zone. But during baseball games, students sit in berms at Dudy Noble, bring a folding chair or risk it all and sit on the grass.

The camaraderie between students, the smell of grills and the sun on my face create such a relaxing atmosphere. I could take homework with me and enjoy the baseball ambience without feeling like I am missing out on anything happing on the field.

Ultimately, I feel like this is the center of MSU baseball culture. It is a time to kick back and enjoy friends and family, or homework in my case, and appreciate the ambience of a game that you treasure but do not feel an obligation to watch in -

tensely. Craig Calcaterra with NBA Sports put it best.

“This is part of what's cool about baseball ... That you don’t have to be locked in like a fighter pilot for three hours. That you can let your mind

wander a bit and take in one bit of wonderful ballpark sensory perception while letting another go for a second. I like to people-watch at games. I like watching the sun set over the first base stands in Comerica Park.”

That right there is my kind of baseball culture. Watching the sun set beyond the field, enjoying picnics in the berms, drinking beers in the Left Field Lounge and looking up every so often to see that exciting home run.

Starkville’s sportswriter Danny Smith continues to leave local legacy

The year is 1980, and the Kansas City Royals and Philadelphia Phillies are playing in the Major League Baseball World Series.

All around the country, eyes are glued to grainy colored television screens, including a pair of eyes in a humble home in Starkville, Mississippi.

Those eyes belong to a young Danny Smith, who’s just entered his time at Starkville High School. Those eyes belonged to someone who was learning how to fall in love with sports, and those eyes would never let another day go by where they weren’t watching some type of game.

Danny Smith now serves as the sports editor of the Starkville Daily News, one of the few true daily newspapers left in the state of Mississippi. Smith can be found in the SDN office late into the evening on most nights, tapping away as the monitor screen reflects off his spectacled face.

“I’m a Golden Triangle dude,” said Smith. “I’ve been here all my life.”

Smith got his start at the SHS student paper in the early '80s and never looked back. He says he always wanted to be a writer of some sort, but that World Series featuring Pete Rose and George Brett sparked his love for athletics.

When he’s not laying out the next day’s pages or writing

the next paper’s stories, Smith is watching the games to do so, and it doesn’t matter if it’s an SEC football game at Mississippi State University or a Starkville High School tennis match, Smith says they’re all just as important to him.

“If it matters to those folks, it matters to me. That’s how I’ve looked at it,” said Smith.

“It’s important to those folks, then it’s important to me. I’m going to give them just as much coverage as I would give (Mississippi) State beating Missouri on Saturday.”

Smith has also earned himself quite the reputation as a co-worker. Just ask SDN news reporter Cal Brown.

“If someone told me about something bad or mean Danny

did, I would immediately stop listening to their lies. There is not a bad bone in Danny’s body,” said Brown. “And he is truly one of the best people I’ve known, and I am blessed to work with him. I hope he never asks me to do this, but if Danny would ask me to jump off a water tower, I would do it. That’s how much I respect Danny.”

David Smith, who has no blood relation to Danny, oddly enough, is now a news producer at a television station in Birmingham, Alabama, and he got his start in media with Danny at the SDN shortly after graduating from Mississippi State.

“Danny P. Smith is a prime example of a great individual,

journalist and community member. There's not many people left in the world we live in that never have anything negative to say about others, and Danny stands strong as one,” said Smith. “I worked with him and have absolutely no idea how he manages to do everything he does, covering every single school around the community, and being loved by each and every one of them for the work he does. There is no one I've ever met like Danny; he is truly one of a kind.”

Danny said his home is here in Starkville, and although there have been offers elsewhere on larger beats and for larger roles, his love for the Golden Triangle and its people has trumped it all.

Smith has a religious immediate family. Several of his uncles are preachers and pastors. He says his ministry is a bit different, though.

“This is my ministry,” said Smith. “I want to minister to those folk — The archery folks, the basketball folks, volleyball — it doesn’t matter. Whatever sport is in season, that’s the one that matters to me.

Smith has told the stories of the residents of Starkville for decades. He’s interviewed Jerry Rice, Chris Jones and numerous other Mississippians that have went on to do great things. He’s told the stories of Starkville for decades, and hopefully, that’s not going to change any time soon.

Courtesy Photo | Danny P. Smith

Danny P. Smith has interviewed many Mississippi legends, including NFL Hall of Fame wideout Jerry Rice. He started his sports j ournalism career in the 1980s as a high school student.

SA President Herndon, VP Crane aim to ‘uphold, uplift, understand’

A crowd gathered outside of Lee Hall awaiting the Mississippi State University Student Association election results.

Anticipation bubbled over as the winners were announced, and tears of joy ran a river as MSU falls under new leadership. Two close friends held each other tight, celebrating the victory and their future.

On Feb. 21, Ellie Herndon and Jodee Crane became president and vice president, respectively, of the Student Association.

They ran together in the first election season using the new ticket system SA recently established.

President Herndon, a junior supply chain logistics and management double major from Gulfport, grew up as an Ole Miss fan. She never thought she would attend MSU, let alone lead its student body.

She described why she traded in her Hotty Toddy T-shirts for Hail State gear, crediting both the College of Business and the university’s uniqueness for her decision to attend.

“I originally started off in the international business program,” Herndon said. “... I fell in love with what the College of Business had to offer and thought Mississippi State was really special that I never got to see growing up.”

The duo met early in their college careers but only re-

cently realized their similar visions to lead the university.

Vice President Crane, a junior political science major from Meridian, spoke of the duo's serendipitous partnership.

“We’ve run similar paths … like we were on parallel lines, and then all of the sudden we realized we were the perfect running mates for each other,” Crane said. “We didn’t do it because we were best friends; we did it because we saw a lot in each other.”

Herndon and Crane’s bond was strengthened through shared involvement opportunities, including the Student Association and Alumni Delegates.

Robby Skelton, a junior international business major from Collierville, Tennessee, became close friends with Herndon and Crane through Alumni Delegates and joined their core campaign team.

Skelton mentioned a trait Herndon and Crane possess that makes them equipped for the job.

“Whether it’s their experience in previous SA positions, their intelligence or their outgoing personalities, none of it compares to their intentionality,” Skelton said.

Growing up, neither Herndon nor Crane saw their future selves in the president and vice president roles. However, various opportunities, a parent, a mentor and a Reese

Witherspoon character inspired them.

Herndon took advantage of leadership roles in the Gulfport community but gave main credit to her late mother for shaping her into the woman she is today.

“My mom is most definitely my role model,” Herndon said. “She passed away when I was in middle school, and I look up to her and her legacy that she left. And although she’s not here … I’m really inspired by her and hope I’m making her proud.”

Crane said her role model was Grace Troutman, current SA President Pro Tempore, because of Troutman’s dignity that demanded respect from everyone she knew. She said she valued her friendship and support during the campaign.

When Crane was younger, fictitious Elle Woods ignited a flame within her.

“I will never forget the first time I watched ‘Legally Blonde’ and saw this cute little blonde girl who liked pink who proved everyone wrong,” Crane said. “She was more than meets the eye, and I thought, ‘Oh, that’s so me!’”

Now as women in powerful positions, Herndon and Crane said they wanted to use their platform to encourage and support women at MSU.

Herndon said she had great respect for her male predecessors and is grateful for the opportunity to fill their shoes as president.

“The entire time I’ve been in college there've been men that have been student body presidents,” Herndon said. “I personally have not felt diminished as a woman in a leadership position through SA, but rather so uplifted and encouraged.”

Crane agreed and reminisced on the relationships MSU gave her and the community that surrounded them. Though, she said she was anxious in the early stages of the campaign.

“One of my earliest fears was people would see the names Ellie and Jodee and… think our campaign was too girly or our pictures were too cute,” Crane said. “I really didn't feel that because … we’ve forged rela-

tionships and connections with people and proven ourselves in a lot of ways.”

The duo used “Uplift, Uphold and Understand” as buzzwords for their campaign.

Their first platform point, Uplift, involves engaging students through partnering with organizations and Student Support Services. They also seek to bridge the gap between the students and all branches of the Student Association.

For their second platform point, Uphold, Herndon and Crane seek to research and revisit old Senate legislation that never went through. They also hope to streamline websites like Cowbell Connect and MaroonU to keep

students in the know about events and resources.

The final platform point, Understand, recognizes there is always room for improvement within the Student Association both internally and externally. The duo said they aim to educate every student about the value of SA and how they can be involved.

Outgoing SA president Kennedy Guest described his eagerness for Herdon and Crane's leadership.

“I know that Jodee and Ellie are going to hit the ground running and make a difference from day one,” said Guest. “They are qualified, kind and professional in all that they do. I cannot wait to see the Herndon Administration in action.”

Five female authors to read for Women's History Month

Literature is an outlet of creativity that has shaped the world from the moment of its creation. Women, in particular, have contributed greatly to this medium.

To help celebrate the influential women of the world, here are five female authors who have done monumental work in literature.

Sally Rooney

Sally Rooney is Irish and a relatively new author to the scene. Her most popular work, a novel titled “Normal People,” follows the story of teenagers Marianne and Connell as they grow up and discover their own identities outside of small town life in rural Ireland.

Rooney uses a distinct writing style; she uses no quotation marks, giving her works a stream of consciousness feel. Rooney's other notable works include “Conversations with Friends” and “Beautiful World, Where Are You?”

The former two have also been adapted into two critically acclaimed miniseries available on Hulu.

Her books explore the connections between humans and the intricacies of relationships. While there are romantic plots in her works, the stories are more

than a typical romance.

Donna Tartt

While Mississippi continually finds itself at the bottom of many depressing rankings, one area the state excels in is producing great authors.

Many people can name famous writers from Mississippi, with examples like William Faulkner, Alice Walker or Angie Thomas. One name that likely slips through the cracks is Donna Tartt, a native of the Delta and a University of Mississippi alumna.

Tartt is most famously known for her novel “The Secret History,” a tale of murder and mystery set in the intricate world of old money New England. Tartt pulls the reader into a web of secrecy through intricate storytelling. Her use of perspective, through main character Richard Papen, allows the reader to view this story through the lens of an outsider.

She is also well known for her other works, like “The Goldfinch” and “The Little Friend.” Tartt has a unique ability to find a new meaning or perspective from the most straightforward stories. No matter what book begins your journey through Tartt’s mind, it is worth the read.

Daphne du Maurier

Daphne du Maurier’s work

is described as some of the best mystery/horror stories to come out of the 20th century.

First on the list is “Rebecca,” an excellently-crafted piece following the second wife of Maxim de Winter as she tries freeing herself from the chains of comparison to Maxim’s dead first wife. Three quarters of the way into the book, the reader is hit with an Earth-shattering plot twist, sure to impress even the most seasoned of mystery readers.

Du Maurier's work was commendable enough to impress iconic director Alfred Hitchcock, who adapted the work into the 1946 film of the same name, starring on screen legends Joan Fontaine and Laurence Olivier.

Hitchcock and du Maurier’s ties do not end with “Rebecca,” though. Perhaps her most famous work is her short story “The Birds,” which was later adapted into another iconic Hitchcock film.

Du Maurier can pull readers into the story headfirst, leaving them with no choice but to devour the entire work in as little time as possible. Mystery and romance readers alike can both find an interest in du Maurier’s works.

Eudora Welty

Eudora Welty is yet another example of an excellent literary product of Mississippi. Born and raised in

Jackson, Mississippi, Welty’s upbringing was heavily affected by the race division of the time.

This is reflected in her work, notably in short stories like “A Worn Path” and “Where Is The Voice Coming From,” the latter of which was written directly after Medgar Evers’ murder by a Ku Klux Klan member.

Her work is an excellent depiction of the deep South and the traditions that run deep in this area. Her short stories are an easy way to get involved with her work, but her novels “The Optimist’s Daughter” and “The Robber Bridegroom” achieved high critical acclaim as well.

Taylor Jenkins Reid

If an avid fan of Taylor Jenkins Reid was asked to describe the resounding aesthetics of her works, one would be remiss not to bring up retro California. Almost all Reid's books are set in a very specific and notable time period.

In “The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo,” Reid follows the life story of fictional Golden Age Hollywood icon Evelyn Hugo as she recounts her life to a biographer in the present day. Reid's 2019 novel “Daisy Jones and The Six” details the entire oral history of a fictional band that is not unlike the very real Fleetwood Mac.

In both books, there is a clear inspirational factor taken from real points in history. The storytelling involved in Reid’s books set them apart from their origins.

“Daisy Jones and The Six” is clearly modeled after documentary films, while “The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo” almost feels like a tell all autobiography of real-life Hollywood icons.

Most notably, all of Reid’s books carry a strong female protagonist that is representative of real women. Her characters are not always the most likable person in a room, but their flaws are endearing to the reader as they can relate it with their own personal struggle.

Local businesses 'unWine' in downtown Starkville

Paige Watson, the director of Main Street Association, shared how unWine helps new and old businesses.

Last Friday, the Greater Starkville Development Partnership and Main Street Association held their first seasonal unWine Downtown event of the year. The event, which occurs three times a year, provides a sales spotlight on local Starkville businesses. When the Partnership first began to create a vision for this event, they wanted to ensure small businesses would be the main focus. By serving wine in each store and up to a 20% discount for each participating business, the event encourages shoppers to browse new stores.

“Events like unWine definitely connect the community with local businesses because someone may not willingly go to a store. But an event like unWine can bring them there and create that extra exposure,” Watson said.

For newer stores, it may be a struggle to get exposure. Events like unWine allow small businesses, like Milk + Honey, the opportunity to strive.

Milk + Honey is temporarily located on Main Street, before the storefront moves to its permanent location in the College View strip. Mallory England, founder

of Milk + Honey, mentioned how beneficial events like unWine are for her store.

“It really gives us a chance to improve our customer base,” England said.

Customers flocked to the event Friday. Tickets, which cost $20 in advance and $25 at the door, sold out Thursday. All 17 participating businesses received heavy foot traffic until the event ended around 8:30 p.m.

UnWine, which takes place every spring, summer and fall, has been a community favorite since its origin in 2012. The casual atmosphere unWine provides attracts Starkville natives and tourists alike.

Shelly Dowell, a Lena, Mississippi, native and MSU alum, came to unWine for

the first time Friday.

“I always enjoy coming back to Starkville to see what shops have opened recently. UnWine is the perfect social event for that, plus I always find great bargains,” Dowell said.

Director Watson celebrated the 13th anniversary of the event with a successful turn out. She said she enjoys telling the story of Starkville through these events.

“I first began in the Special Events & Projects Coordinator position and did every event for the Partnership, but in May 2021 I was promoted to Director of Main Street,” Watson said. “I feel super fortunate to be in the position I'm in, and I love telling the story of our community development efforts.”

Allison Arnold and Rachel Nobles attended the unWine event in Starkville last

Students elected 2023 Student Association Vice President Jodee Crane (left) and President Ellie Herndon (right) last week.

Landon Scheel | The Reflector

Mollie Brothers & sadie ogletree contriButing writers