3.22.23

2 Starkville roads are set for major upgrades

Old Mayhew Road and East Lee Boulevard are due for a makeover.

The city of Starkville annexed the roads from Oktibbeha County in 2022. Mayor Lynn Spruill said the engineering work for Old Mayhew will begin this year, while the actual road work should start next year.

“The remainder of the streets that we are now having in the annexed area will be chip sealed this year,” Spruill said. East Lee Boulevard stretches from Mississippi State University’s campus to Highway 182 by the Highway Patrol office. Old Mayhew Road begins just off campus by East Lee and extends to the Sprint Mart gas station by the Highlands Plantation Gardens. The city annexed

these specific areas but not the Highlands, which is still the county’s land.

Old Mayhew Road is in for a significant upgrade: reworking and realigning its subsurface and adding pavement markings, sidewalks and street lights.

On the other hand, East Lee Boulevard does not need road work but will also receive sidewalks. The city has already placed LED streetlights by the road.

Spruill said the city might add a roundabout to combat the low-vision, highly-trafficked intersection of East Lee into Old Mayhew.

“I’m hoping we can justify it being a roundabout because that’s a safer way to do it and not have either a traffic light or a stop sign — we can do a roundabout,” Spruill said, “but that’s going to be from an engineering standpoint for them to develop that

plan, what’s the best for it.” Ward 5 Alderman Hamp Beatty, who serves the newly-annexed area, said Old Mayhew direly needs restructuring. He noted the safety issues present at the intersection of East Lee and Old Mayhew.

“That’s a dangerous area — the intersection off

of East Lee Boulevard is dangerous,” Beatty said. “Cars peel off of East Lee Boulevard over to Old Mayhew Road. I think they go so fast sometimes they’re on two wheels.”

Beatty suggested creating a 90-degree turn at the intersection so drivers must stop and look before exiting or entering

Old Mayhew Road. Stephen Brain, a history professor at MSU, has lived on East Lee Boulevard for 13 years. He mentioned the danger at the roads’ intersection and said accidents occur frequently.

“It’s a terrible turn there,” Brain said, “and it’s been getting worse with every year.”

He said traffic steadily increases by 8 a.m. when classes begin and continues to rise throughout the day. Brain walks to campus daily, weather permitting, and said he was delighted to hear the city is adding sidewalks on his street because he “never thought it would happen.”

ROADS, 2

Rails to Trails project could be introduced in Starkville

The C&G Rail Trail Coalition has established a mission to build a 92mile-long rail trail corridor from Greenwood to Columbus, Mississippi.

This project will be making its way to Starkville through a reestablishment of the previously used railroad track at the intersection of East Lampkin and South Montgomery streets.

This trail through Starkville would be a part of the larger rails-totrails project from Greenwood to Columbus.

Created by Wilson Carroll in 2008, his vision was to repurpose the C&G rail corridor for a multi-use recreation trail.

CADENCE HARVEY CONTRIBUTING WRITER

The tribute is called You Are Appreciated, We Are Inspired and encourages participants to write letters of appreciation to female faculty, staff and friends who have helped or inspired them during their years at MSU.

Staff and students will run the event on the Drill Field. The event’s rainyday location is the first floor of the Colvard Student Union.

John Michael VanHorn, director of Fraternity and Sorority Life, has worked closely with the Office of Survivor Support to organize this event. VanHorn said he has noticed a lack of appreciation and recog-

Richard Beattie, the co-founder of Mississippi’s largest bike ride called Bikes, Blues, and Bayous and a member of the C&G Coalition, said there was beauty in creating trails from old

railroad tracks.

“An out of service rail line like the C&G has been out of service for almost 30 years and is an asset to these communities, but it is lying dormant and is

crying out to be repurposed,” Beattie said.

Beattie said the owners of the rail corridor in Starkville have indicated the service will not be restarted.

“Their wishes are to

facilitate a conversion, so the opportunity to repurpose this valuable asset is before us.”

Beattie said. “The federal government has allocated nearly double the funding for such alternative

transportation as this.” Beattie said there were three main benefits to this conversion. First, he mentioned the economic development the project would bring. TRAILS, 2

Abby Buck works as the panhellenic coordinator for the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life.

nition for people on campus. “There are so many people I appreciate at Mississippi State, and I never say that I appreciate them,” VanHorn said. “I think a lot of people are like that.”

VanHorn said he hoped the event will encourage people to show their appreciation for female faculty and staff for more than

one day out of the year.

“We don’t recognize people when we should,” VanHorn said. “This is a nudge to get people to do that more often.”

Alongside other staff and students, VanHorn will be in attendance on the Drill Field to encourage pedestrians to stop by to write letters of their own.

WOMEN, 2

Recent sampling data shows that chronic wasting disease, a fatal condition threatening Mississippi’s deer population, has continued to expand its reach.

Despite no significant increase in the number of samples the Mississippi Department of Wildlife,

Fisheries and Parks tested, there have been 73 positives cases so far this year, compared to 51 last year.

Unlike most diseases, CWD is a prion disease that targets proteins in a deer’s nervous system. Once infected, a deer becomes an asymptomatic carrier for some months or years and can distribute infectious prions through bodily fluids, according to Mississippi

State University's website. As prions build up in the deer’s nervous system, it begins to lose the basic functions to sustain itself, becoming uncoordinated and malnourished. CWD is 100% fatal.

William McKinley, deer program coordinator for the MDWFP, has been working to buy decades for Mississippi’s deer populations.

HEATHER HARRISON

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Old Mayhew Road houses several apartment complexes and residences, including Redpoint. The road is full of potholes.

Heather Harrison | The Reflector

The C&G Rail Trail Coalition has created a mission to renovate old railroad tracks from Greenwood to Columbus, Mississippi.

TANNER

MARLOW

The previously used railroad track outside of Rosey Baby would be a part of the proposal.

Mississippi State University’s Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life and Office of Survivor Support are hosting a tribute to Women’s History Month at 11 a.m. on March 23.

DEER, 2

A hunter found the first Mississippi deer that tested positive for chronic wasting disease near Vicksburg. It quickly died. Courtesy Photo | MDWFP

Courtesy Photo | MSU

Courtesy Photo | City of Starkville Ward 5 Alderman Hamp Beatty.

ROADS

“Sidewalks create this halfway space between public and private,” Brain said, “where people can gather … and it changes the way a place feels if people are out on foot versus just getting in their cars and zooming from one place to the next.”

Bailey Whitworth, a junior biochemistry and forensic sciences major, lives at the Redpoint apartment complex on Old Mayhew Road. She is all too familiar with the road, echoing Brain’s observation of the road’s

TRAILS

“The trail would become a tourist destination that attracts thousands of visitors … This influx of tourism means existing retail establishments along the trail route will have more customers, and it will spawn new business opportunities for the local population, meaning rising sales tax revenue for local governments,” Beattie said.

Along with the potential of economic growth, Beattie said the nearby citizens' quality of life would become enhanced by living by the trail.

“Just as a city park is an amenity for urban dwellers, the C&G trail is a desirable community amenity for those who live nearby. Think of it as a 92-mile linear outdoor park,” Beattie said.

WOMEN

Abby Buck, panhellenic coordinator for the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life, will also be helping out on the Drill Field. Buck said this event is centered around uplifting women who feel under-appreciated.

“Being a woman in a man’s world can be tough. It’s intimidating, and a lot of times, you have to work a lot harder,” Buck said. “You don’t realize how much the women do here at Mississippi State. We wanted students to show their appreciation and celebrate these women, and we found a way to facilitate that.”

Buck said she hopes women and students alike will benefit from taking part in this activity.

“I hope that the women on our campus feel appreciated,” Buck said. “I also want students to see the impact they can make by being kind to others.”

Buck said she planned to write several letters of her own addressed to female colleagues, professors and role

DEER

McKinley said CWD is the greatest threat to wildlife in Mississippi.

“The reason that CWD is so important … once it gets in an area, there's very little chance of getting rid of it,” McKinley said. According to McKinley, it takes 300 nanograms — about the size of a grain of sand — worth of infectious material to infect a deer, and these infectious prions can persist in the environment for over 15 years. As CWD spreads throughout a population, McKinley said some hunters become reluctant to harvest as many deer as usual. This hesitation could cause the deer population to increase and the disease to spread.

Once the disease reaches a critical prevalence in the population, deer do not live long enough to

quality worsening over time.

“So, I’d just say it’s frustrating and irritating to have to drive super, super crazy slow,” Whitworth said, “and then at that stop sign [on Old Mayhew Road] — if you come to a complete stop because of the gravel, [my tires] spin out.”

Whitworth said driving at night was especially scary due to low light and cars driving in the middle of the road to avoid potholes and bumpy patches.

“There have been times when I have to get very,

Additionally, Beattie said the value of nearby properties would reap the benefits of the project.

“Once the trail is opened, land adjacent to a trail is more sought after by buyers, just as lakefront or beachfront property is of higher value,” Beattie said.

Beattie said the addition of a trail in Starkville would have long-term benefits to the community.

“It will be hugely important because of the potential to tie the C&G Trail in at West Point to the Kansas City Southern trail that is proposed to run through the MSU campus to Ackerman, thus connecting them both to the Natchez Trace Parkway that crossed the C&G in Mathiston,” Beattie said.

Kennedy Guest,

models. Buck said she wanted participants to collectively write between 100-200 letters for event organizers to hand deliver to the women on campus.

Cassidy Pate, the president of MSU’s National Panhellenic Council, said she has plenty of deserving recipients in mind, with her supervisor Buck being one of them.

“She has stepped into a new role this year and has done an incredible job,” Pate, a junior educational psychology major said. “I appreciate her and her willingness to be there for us whenever we need her.”

Pate said being a type two on the enneagram chart is what attributes to her love for gestures of appreciation and recognition. Enneagram numbers aside, Pate said she believes all the women on campus are entitled to appreciation.

“These women who work with us and help us every day need to know that they are appreciated, and they do inspire us,”

Pate said. “I think about

produce as many offspring, and the deer population decreases. This has been the case in Benton county, where one in seven deer and one in five bucks have the disease.

“It is a deadly cycle, and it does not have a good outlook at current. That's why we say we need hunters to help us hold it where it is until science can catch up,” McKinley said.

Robert Grala, a professor in MSU’s Department of Forestry, is conducting a study in collaboration with the University of Tennessee to determine the impacts that CWD has had on hunting access, the state economy and landowner acceptance of CWD control measures. While their research is not complete, Grala said a decrease in the number of

very close to the end of the road where it drops off to avoid cars,” Whitworth said.

Whitworth mentioned her support of LED streetlights and a roundabout to mitigate traffic.

Additionally, Spruill wrote a community project funding grant resolution that asked Rep. Michael Guest to fund sewage for houses in the newlyannexed area that the East Oktibbeha Wastewater District's services do not cover.

president of Student Association at Mississippi State University, said he felt the project would benefit both students and the community.

“New fitness

all the women who have impacted me on campus, and it’s about time to honor them. To truly let them know how much they have impacted me and inspired me is such a special thing.”

Pate said the event would be an important opportunity to spread love to women.

“It’s important to always spread love and appreciation,” Pate said. “By doing activities like this, we have the opportunity to spread so much more love across our campus.”

Pate said she hopes for a large turnout so that many letters may be sent off to female faculty and staff. Above all, Pate said she hopes this event allows for everyone to feel and spread love and appreciation.

MSU is hosting Building Our Future events in honor of Women’s History Month until March 30. Further questions or concerns can be directed to the Office of Fraternity & Sorority Life and the Office of Survivor Support.

hunters in an area could have reaching economic impacts.

“If you have a decrease in hunting activity due to CWD, then suddenly, they don’t travel that much; they don't need lodging. Hotels have decreased revenues; food providers have decreased revenue. Those who sell equipment also have lower sales, so that also translates to other sectors of the economy,” Grala said.

According to one MSU study, researchers quantified the total economic impact of whitetailed deer to be $760 million to $1 billion in 2007, which is $1.1 billion to $1.4 billion today.

Bronson Strickland, a professor of wildlife management, has worked within MSU’s deer lab to research and educate others about CWD. According to

opportunities are drawing more businesses, festivals and events to the Starkville area for students to enjoy. The trail will also provide students with an enjoyable, healthy way to

explore the area around Starkville without needing to use a car,”

Guest said.

Guest said he thought MSU would be an ideal spot for this project.

“Mississippi State

University would be one of the premier stops along the trail, bringing more visitors and attention to MSU,” Guest said.

According to Guest, all students should be in support of the project due to the advantages it would bring to Starkville.

Andrew Stayer, a junior majoring in food science, said he was interested in the potential project because of his enjoyment for nature walks.

“It would be cool if we had a physical outdoor thing to do. With all the scooters we have, it would definitely be a hit. We need more outdoor activities as a school,” Stayer said.

For more information on the C&G Rail Trail Coalition, visit cgrailtrail.org.

Strickland, the outright extinction of deer populations is not a concern.

“It's just going to be that the deer population will be far less than what it currently is, and that's going to change the recreational value of that species,” Strickland said.

Strickland said the future of CWD looks grim for Mississippi’s most economically valuable wildlife species. Since it is difficult to visually spot the spread of the disease, more than 20% of deer would have to be infected before it became visually obvious.

“We want to find where the disease is at — hence the big sampling campaign that's been going on for the past four years for hunters to turn in their samples so that the state wildlife agency can locate where the disease is at

in Mississippi to hopefully come up with management actions that will slow down the spread,” Strickland said.

According to McKinley, there is an average of 18,000 deer in each Mississippi counties. For management to be effective, sampling efforts must identify the disease early. Once the disease affects 5% of the population, it begins to spread at an exponential rate.

“It sits there for years, building up in herds in a county before we're able to detect it,” McKinley said.

“We're sampling a few hundred deer in a lot of counties and many counties are sampling well under one hundred, so think of how long it takes to find that disease.”

This past season, the state's wildlife agency had

62 sample drop-off stations available to hunters. Once a deer tests CWD positive, that county and any county within 10 miles will become a CWD management zone. These management zones prohibit supplemental feeding, and deer carcasses cannot leave the zone.

“Well, it's going to continue to spread. How fast it spreads is going to depend on how much cooperation we get from hunters and managers across the state,” McKinley said.

The CDC has recommended hunters to avoid consuming meat infected with CWD as cooking infected meat will not destroy prions.

For more information, visit MDWFP’s CWD dashboard at mdwfp.com or the MSU Deer Lab YouTube channel.

Courtesy Photo | MSU

Cassidy Pate is the president of Mississippi State University’s National Panhellenic Council. Pate will help with the event on March 23.

The renovation of the railroad track on the intersection of East Lampkin and South Montgomery streets would be a part of the 92 mile trail. Jacob Mitchell | The Reflector

Heather Harrison | The Reflector

Alderman Hamp Beatty said the intersection of East Lee Boulevard and Old Mayhew Road is dangerous in its current state.

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Cotton Crossing • Russell Street Starkville

Taurus - You’ll find yourself in a brawl in a fraternity house with a fellow sorority sister over some dude with a name like “Tyler” or “Matthew.” His jawline is good, but not that good.

The “Ex” Files

March 17 - A transit bus driver reported hitting a bollard at The Mill on Russell Street, causing damages to the bus.

March 19 - A student reported his concern about his exgirlfriend not taking her medication and that she may cause damage to his property. Felt you, brother.

March 3 - An employee reported his vehicle was damaged due to an argument with an ex-girlfriend at North Farm.

Cancer - There are earthquakes happening. Not here, but they are happening.

Gemini - This one is for you, Tyler, or whatever. Keep a low profile for a while, king.

Aquarius - We and the star gods realize that earlier this year, we said that Chris Rock was in “Rush Hour II.” That was a lie. We were testing you, and none of you passed. It’s Chris Tucker.

Capricorn - The next big craze is intricate, posable figurines of your favorite collegiate coaches. Don’t lie, you’ve always wanted to see Coach K and Kim Mulkey take to the squared circle.

Sunglasses at night: Brights have gotten too bright

I took a phone call from the girl I have a crush on on the way home from campus. I stayed in the driver seat in my parking lot for an hour. As time waned, I slumped lower and lower into my chair, until my head was below the wheel and my feet were above the dash line, bent like a Panda Express fortune cookie about to predict lumbar pain. I crossed one leg over the other, and — far too easily — and kicked the rearview mirror clean off my windshield. I made a sound like a mildly disappointed third-grade teacher as I sat up. She asked me what was wrong, and I said “nothing,” because when you have a crush on someone, any accident is embarrassing.

Quickly, I got good at using my side mirrors. I started checking my blindspots with zeal. I switched to the right-armover-passenger-seatlooking-out-the-backwindow strategy of getting

out of parking spaces that your father uses. Perhaps the most noticeable change my driving experienced was that — without the rear-view mirror — I no longer got flash-banged by drivers’ high beams behind me.

Only once I drove at night without having to squint, did I realize I should not have to squint while driving at night.

Things have gotten out of hand. Brights have gotten too bright.

The problem is not the mint green 2015 Subaru Outback or the 2003 Hyundai Tucson. It is not the Mazda CX-5 or the Volkswagen Passat, nor most large SUVs like the Ford Explorer or Chevy Tahoe.

No, this particular intensity of headlights belongs almost exclusively to a modern flavor of "Guy Truck," with "guy" names like Raptor, Titan, Tundra, Sierra Denali or alphanumerical jargon like RAM TRX, Silverado ZR-1 or Ford F-150 Platinum. They are the trucks that make

your friends’ trucks look small.

A driver climbs the twostair step stool into his driver’s seat, buckles his seatbelt, checks his mirrors, turns on his headlights and proceeds to Waffle House with the unending power of the sun unrolling before him like a fluorescent carpet.

Ford’s new F-150s, the genus the Ford Raptor falls in, boast a fixed DSS LED system, which automatically adjusts itself. Ford’s parts catalogue does not offer specifications on these bulbs. Most replacement bulbs run about 1750 lumens.

Lumens, the unit of measurement used by manufacturers for their headlights, sound fake when you dig in. According to Britannica, the lumen is a unit of measurement involving a fixed portion of space with a light intensity of one candela. A candela, as we all know, is what the International System of Measurement defined as the mathematical equivalent to one single-wick candle’s

worth of light.

This is simultaneously very clear and entirely useless. We all know exactly what one lit birthday candle looks like, whether from personal experience or the movies, but that stops being helpful in larger quantities. I do not know what 2,0003,000 birthday candles one foot away looks like, none of us do, except people who are just imagining fire and patting themselves on the back.

Two thousand birthday candles worth of brightness is what is offered for the aforementioned "Guy Truck" models on sites such as Carparts and Autozone. One manufacturer, Morimoto, offers bulbs as high 4800 lumens.

On its website, Morimoto claims to “redefine the automotive aftermarket for high intensity lighting” in the present tense, as if every single day they set a new standard for blue tinted HIDs that strain your eyes and chap your lips.

If you were curious, the world's brightest light is the beam on top of the Luxor Hotel and Casino in Nevada, burning nightly from the Vegas strip like a flight attendant call button to God. According to Hugh Morris with the Telegraph, the light emits a staggering 42.3 billion lumens.

“But the watts,” you say, “what about the watts?”

Watts, the measurement you thought lightbulbs use, notes the power consumption of a given light, not its brightness. This is why the 6.5W lightbulb in your fridge casts a bright enough scraping light that you can see the dust on your kitchen floor, but you have to turn on a reading light when you use the 60W warm overhead your mother put in your bedroom back home.

I drive an old car whose headlight power reaches 20 lumens on a good night. I might as well drive by gas lamp with my low beams on. On the road out of Mississippi for spring break, a Sierra Denali came up

behind me on a back road with headlights strong enough to cast a shadow in front of my car, even with my brights on. I try not to make assumptions about how good people are at seeing the dark road ahead of them when someone is shining the light they used to find survivors of the Titanic behind them, but I will be the first to admit I struggled. I slowed down to the speed limit until he got impatient and crossed the double yellow line to pass. You do not need to see that much. You do not need to see the Spanish moss hanging from a tree thirty yards ahead, certainly not at the expense of the vision of drivers in front of or approaching you.

Some people try even to claim this is a safety issue: that the concern is how far out you can see the deer before it decides to about face and line drive your front right bumper. It is not. That happens only when the deer says it does, and no amount of lumens changes that.

LIFE & ENTERTAINMENT 5

A love for inspiring and unifying the Starkville community led Frank and Tammie Nichols, alongside Yulanda Haddix, to found the StarkVegas Juneteenth Committee for Unity.

Starkville native Frank Nichols has served numerous roles in the city, including police chief from 2014-2019. Tammie Nichols is also a local but moved to North Carolina for several years after college. She returned to Starkville about 15 years ago to work with women in the community when God led her to find her husband.

“And so, not even knowing each other, God kind of strategically placed us in the right places. Our families knew one another, but we didn’t. [We] became the best of friends, and the rest is history,” Tammie Nichols said while smiling at her husband.

Starkville native Yulanda Haddix, president of the Oktibbeha County NAACP chapter, is a motivational speaker, teacher and coowner of Big Dawg’s BBQ. Frank Nichols and Haddix had worked together with the NAACP and other organizations, and Haddix knew Tammie Nichols from her involvement in Starkville.

“We all can do the same vision, and it makes it so easy,” Haddix said of the Nicholses. “And we believe in what we’re doing … It works really well. They’re a great couple to work with.”

Frank Nichols said the idea for the unity committee began when he and his wife hosted the one-day StarkVegas Jazz Music and Heritage Festival in June 2021. That year, President Joe Biden declared Juneteenth a federal holiday.

“What we did [in 2022] was just decide to take the jazz festival and make it a five-day celebration, in celebration of Juneteenth,” Frank Nichols said.

Haddix said the NAACP chapter also wanted to host a Juneteenth event last year, so she helped organize the event and let Frank Nichols handle the music.

Tammie Nichols said her husband’s love of jazz music perfectly aligned with their organization’s mission because Black people created and impacted the genre’s sound.

“We wanted to kind of give our city that experience of what jazz stands for and how it kind of soothes your soul,”

Tammie Nichols said.

Additionally, Haddix highlighted the importance of teaching all people about Black history.

“It wasn’t just going to be a Black event,” Haddix said.

“It’s going to be a communitywide based event, because not only do we want to celebrate Juneteenth, we want other ethnic groups to understand Juneteenth and learn about Juneteenth.”

Outside of those five days in June, the unity committee members work to encourage and motivate residents to participate actively in the community.

“We’re more than just a Juneteenth committee,” Frank Nichols said.

The committee hosts conferences, speaks at meetings, gives high school students scholarships and participates in city events.

“A lot of our committee members are those who have businesses, those people who have a heartened passion for the city of Starkville,” Tammie Nichols said, “and [we’re] just wanting to make sure our youth understand the heritage

from whence they’ve come.”

The Nicholses and Haddix both displayed a love of engaging with young people to inspire the next generation of leaders.

Tammie Nichols highlighted March as Women’s History Month and mentioned the women’s conferences she had hosted.

“As a community leader, I think that’s why I came back [to Starkville] … to let women of all cultures know who they are and how to find their purpose, live their best life and be impactful,” said Tammie Nichols, who works in the television industry and for Mississippi State University as a health and wellness educator.

At the Board of Aldermen’s last meeting, Frank Nichols stood at the podium to ask why the city did not publicly celebrate or announce Black History Month this year.

In his speech, he said he was not criticizing the board but rather encouraging the city to honor the month moving forward.

“If we’re going to be a community about diversity, we need to act like it,” Frank Nichols told The Reflector. “It isn’t one culture being featured — it shouldn’t be.”

Mayor Lynn Spruill said Starkville had never publicly honored Black History Month during her time as mayor because the state celebrates it.

“It wasn’t something that occurred to me,” Spruill said to The Reflector, “so I am happy for [Frank Nichols] to bring that forward next year at Black History Month.”

Spruill mentioned the city also had not honored Women’s History Month.

Frank Nichols said “there are no excuses” for not celebrating Black history in the future.

“I don’t think we rely on the

state for anything else, so why would we rely on it for Black History Month?” Frank Nichols said.

He said the mayor, who is white, should have asked Black individuals in the community how the city could honor Black history.

During Frank Nichols’ time as police chief, the city created social media accounts. The police department first made its online presence by highlighting employees and informing citizens of laws.

Frank Nichols said the police department would celebrate not only Black History Month but also Starkville Pride and the Christmas parade, among other dates.

“It ain’t all about Black people — it’s about unity,” Frank Nichols said.

As more Black individuals move to Starkville, attend Mississippi State University and play collegiate sports, Frank Nichols said Black parents notice these attributes when

looking for schools for their children to attend.

“How does the city accept you being African American?” Frank Nichols said.

Growing up, Frank Nichols said he was not welcome in every environment because he was Black. He said the impact of the segregation laws still affects life today.

“I know that every time [Black people have] been given a half a chance, a whole chance is taken away,” Frank Nichols said.

He said his duty is to fix his part of the world to help the mission of international unification, which the Juneteenth committee also works towards.

Like Tammie Nichols, Haddix moved away from Starkville for some years. She said she returned in 2015 to teach her hometown how to live harmoniously.

“I just love the community where, you know, everybody has something in common; we

just have to find what it is and enjoy,” Haddix said.

Working together and having the same heart for the city strengthens Frank and Tammie Nichols’ relationship, and above all, the two respect each other.

“It definitely is a benefit because, at the end of the day, we’re going home together,” Frank Nichols said.

Tammie Nichols added to her husband’s sentiment.

“We know each other’s strengths … and we complement each other well,” Tammie Nichols said. "And just being able to communicate nonverbally — he can look at me, and I can look at him, and we just know ‘when.’”

The Nicholses and Haddix continue to serve their hometown passionately for their purpose — love and unity.

“Your purpose can’t be beating people up and being a bully; that’s not God,” Frank Nichols said. “So, it has to involve love.”

Annual fiesta to showcase diverse, international cultures

The Holmes Cultural Diversity Center, along with the World Neighbors Association, will be hosting the 31st annual International Fiesta from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. April 1.

The event will showcase different cultures to the Starkville community and Mississippi State University students.

The International Fiesta includes booths with food and displays from different student organizations, departments and community groups.

Kei Mamiya serves as interim director of the Holmes Cultural Diversity Center, as well as coordinator of this event. He described how various groups utilize food to benefit their cause.

“Most of them are cooking their homemade dishes and have fundraisers, so not only can a lot of people from here try their authentic food, but it is also a benefit for their organizations,” Mamiya said.

Along with the array of booths, there will also be a main stage, which will have performances from different participating organizations. Another aspect of the Fiesta is the flag parade, where students, faculty and community members will parade from Allen Hall to the center of the Drill Field with their nation’s flag.

The International Fiesta made its comeback last year after a two-year hiatus following the coronavirus pandemic.

“I think the pandemic created challenges because

while the event has been going on for a long time, and a lot of people had this institutional knowledge of the event,

people just didn’t get to know the event during those two years,” Mamiya said.

Kayla Pigott, a member of

the German Club, could not reveal all of the exciting things planned, but teased a bit of the club’s strategy.

“There was talk of having polka, like the German polka performances at Oktoberfest. A lot of our decor inspiration comes from Oktoberfest,” said Pigott, a sophomore industrial engineering major.

Some participants of the past few International Fiestas have included the Sri Lankan Student Association and the Nepalese Student Association.

Samadhi Nawalage, a graduate teaching assistant of chemistry at MSU, is the current secretary of the Sri Lankan Student Association.

The group has participated in the fiesta every year. Nawalage said the group's main goal

for the fiesta is showcasing Sri Lanka's diverse culture and enthusiastic spirit.

"One of the best things about the International Fiesta is the diversity it brings, promoting unity and the opportunity for people from different backgrounds to come together," Nawalage said.

The event brings the community and student body together to celebrate different cultures.

“Starkville is a small community, and to have a lot of people from different countries and cultures dressing in their traditional clothing, and to be really excited about bringing that culture, is a really good thing. The atmosphere is one of the greatest things that I’m excited about,” Mamiya said.

Album review: 'Endless Summer Vacation' is an enjoyable experience

“I got my sights set on you, and I’m ready to aim.”

These are the first words from the first track of Miley Cyrus’ first album. I was six years old, and I felt like she was speaking to me directly.

Miley quickly became so much to me and millions of other young girls across the country. Whether as Hannah Montana or just Miley, we saw pieces of ourselves in her.

Over the past 15 years, Miley’s career has climbed to incredible highs and disappointing lows. She became known as another Disney Channel star who “lost her way,” as my mom said.

I remember a period of four or five years when supporting her was unpopular after a string of media moments, a messy divorce and a new sound. I call these “The Lost Years.”

Today, the “Miley Cyrus Renaissance” is upon us.

Since the release of her 2020 album “Plastic Hearts,” she leaned into a pop-rock melody that utilized her remarkable register.

On March 10, she released

her eighth studio album, “Endless Summer Vacation,” detailing growth and self-reflection through trying experiences.

The album opens with the lead single “Flowers,” an anthem showing independence after a long-term relationship bites the dust. It directly contrasts Bruno Mars’ “When I Was Your Man,” with Miley singing “I can buy myself flowers … and I can hold my own hand.” I believe this song, and many others on the record, is about the fall of her short-lived marriage with actor Liam Hemsworth, with whom she “built a home and watched it burn.”

Track two, “Jaded,” follows a couple where one falls out of love faster than the other, leaving one person to give everything to keep the relationship afloat. It sounds as if Miley is being gaslighted by her partner, since she is the one apologizing, saying, “you’re lonely now and I hate it / I’m sorry that you’re jaded.”

Miley plays pretend in track three, “Rose Colored Lenses.” She feels at peace with the state of her relationship but knows that there

could be trouble on the horizon. She wishes the honeymoon phase could last forever.

The album’s title “Endless Summer Vacation” comes from this track and reflects an overarching theme: finding the silver lining through selflove.

Track four, “Thousand Miles,” brings in folk-artist Brandi Carlile to tell a story about being lost with little direction. The duo plays into the negative stereotypes Miley has been given in the past and changes its meaning.

“You” is an interesting twist on a traditional love song. The cadence of the song sounds like the first dance at a wedding, with the message of reckless love turned tame.

“Handstand” opens with a synth-pop spoken word about a wild night on a beach with somebody named Twitchy. I could not figure out what this song was about with its mentions of unicorns, manta rays and electric eels.

“River” is the second single from the album, though it sounds like it belongs on her last album “Plastic Hearts.”

It is undeniably one of the stronger tracks and I could imagine this being played in a

club. She feels like she is drowning in the highs and lows of her relationship, singing “heart beats so loud that it’s drowning me out / livin’ in an April shower.”

“Violet Chemistry,” track eight, is Miley sensing the physical and emotional chemistry after a one-night stand asking him to “stay awhile.” It is one of the only instances on the album where she reflects an acceptance of codependency.

Sia provides support on “Muddy Feet,” where they sing about the trail an ex leaves post-breakup.

Track 10, “Wildcard,” could be the most self-reflective song on the entire album. She pities her partner who has done nothing wrong, but Miley’s unpredictability will most likely lead to the couple’s downfall.

She talks about the life they could have if her nature refused to get the better of her and she sings “loving you is never enough, I’m a wild card … Forever may never come.”

The penultimate track, “Island,” sonically reminds me of a tropical escape. Miley is torn between continuing her relationship and ending it, sing-

ing, “Am I stranded on an island / or have I landed in paradise?”

Miley saves the best for last with “Wonder Woman.” The song follows a resilient woman who has lived through experiences of joy and pain. She refuses to burden anyone else with her vulnerability.

I am reminded of a mother or grandmother, who “... makes sure that no one’s ‘round to see her fall apart / She wants to be the one that

never does.” She opts for a simple piano to carry the melody, rather than the artificial instrumentals a majority of the album had.

In all, I enjoyed “Endless Summer Vacation.” The themes dove deeper than I anticipated and there were some fun tracks. I think what hinders Miley Cyrus from making truly great albums is the lack of lyrical growth. She has the experiences, but she just needs to explore them better.

‘More than just a Juneteenth committee’: Nicholses, Haddix strive for unity in community

The International Fiesta features booths, food and performances from numerous cultures.

Ivy Rose Ball | The Reflector

Frank and Tammie Nichols, left, and Yulanda Haddix, right, founded the StarkVegas Juneteenth Committee for Unity in 2021.

Lucy HaLLmark Staff writer

Miley Cyrus’ eighth studio album, ‘Endless Summer Vacation,’ peaked at 3 on Billboard 200.

Courtesy Photo | Columbia

Courtesy Photo | Yulanda Haddix Heather Harrison | The Reflector

Marlar: What did this season mean for Mississippi State men’s hoops?

Almost 24 hours after the conclusion of the Mississippi State University men's basketball season and we're already talking about what's next, but I think it's just as important that we look back, too.

Head coach

Chris Jans was hired on March 20 of last year after former head coach and also-former athletic director John Cohen parted ways in search of a new leader of the program.

Jans came in with a track record of winning, and win is what he did.

In his first season, Jans led the Bulldogs to 21 wins and a birth into the NCAA Tournament — something that hadn't happened since 2019 for the Bulldogs, and before that, fans had to go all the way back to 2009 to reminisce on the Big Dance.

With marquee wins over Marquette, Texas A&M and Arkansas, MSU proved its worth to the selection committee and was selected to play for a spot in the round of 64 in Dayton, Ohio, in a play-in contest against the Pitt Panthers.

The results of that game, while important, have been discussed, but perhaps even bigger is the status of MSU men's hoops as a whole.

When the university hired Jans, MSU was put on the radar. With a NCAA Tournament appearance, they're no longer just on the radar — they're on everyone's map.

The excitement is back for Bulldog basketball — excitement I haven't seen in my 15-plus years of coming to the Hump. There have been teams that were infinitely more talented than this one, teams with multiple fringe NBA players on the roster. This team and this coach, though, are the exact type of team that MSU fans can get behind.

They're hardnosed, resilient and even though the shots didn't fall like everyone would have liked, fun to watch because they just don't quit.

The Mississippi State fan base responds to teams like that, and they responded this season in ways the men's program hasn't seen in years.

Couple that with the fact that

Mississippi State just landed the reigning Mississippi Gatorade Player of the Year in Josh Hubbard on Monday, and the formula is there for success going forward.

Next season will look different for the Bulldogs, though. At this moment, it appears that they'll be without all-SEC forward Tolu Smith and his 15.8 points per game.

Couple that with the potential loss of D.J. Jeffries, and that's two starters and a lot of minutes the Bulldogs will have to redistribute. However, the team does have some options.

Off the bench, Will McNair Jr. provided key minutes and bigtime buckets in streaks for the Bulldogs this season. It's expected he'll be back for one more year in the maroon and white.

Redshirt

freshman

KeShawn Murphy has the measurable and skillset to be someone who spaces the floor for MSU next season at 6-foot10 with a solid there-point stroke, but his lack of minutes down the stretch of the season are a

concern moving forward.

Possibly the biggest bright spot off the bench for MSU, though, has been the emergence of Shawn Jones Jr.

The freshman out of Houston, Texas, showcased his athletic ability in the late games of the season and is in line to take on a huge boost in minutes in the next campaign.

Aside from Hubbard, MSU has put in the work on the recruiting trail as well, and we haven't even hit transfer season. The fourth-leading scorer in the NJCAA, Trey Fort III is headed to Starkville next season with Hubbard as the highlights of the guards in the class.

Seven-foot-tall Gai Chol, the 14th best player in the state of Georgia, according to 247 Sports, highlights the forward class with fellow threestars Jaquan Scott and Adrian Meyers. There will indubitably be some new faces on the Bulldog roster next season as the transfer portal opens up, but one thing is for sure: basketball is back at the Hump, and Jans will put a team together that is fun to watch.

Carter: Future shining bright for women's hoops

Many people doubted Sam Purcell and the Mississippi State University women’s basketball team. People doubted their talent, leadership, work ethic and ability to get things done. However, coach Purcell led the talented Bulldogs back to the Big Dance in his first season at the helm.

Mississippi State hired Purcell as the women’s basketball head coach on March 12 of last year due to his reputation of being one of the most respected recruiters in the country and a great Division 1 assistant coach.

As he stepped into the head

coach position, the fruits of Purcell’s leadership abilities and the Bulldogs’ hard work were obvious as the season began. Purcell led the Bulldogs to 21 wins with only two losses at home. During each game, Bulldogs fans piled into the Hump to show their full-blown support for the talented and determined MSU women’s basketball team.

In the regular season, the Bulldogs averaged 71.1 points and 40 rebounds per game with a game-high of 104 points scored early in the season. The team also improved to shooting an average of 67% from the free throw line.

Mississippi State trekked through the season, conquering talented teams such as Texas A&M, Kentucky and Tennessee.

And for the first time since 2019, the Bulldogs secured their spot in the Big Dance. Fans and even skeptics kept up with the Bulldogs for their underdog status, but little did they know that their story was only just beginning to unfold. As the new record holder for wins by a first-year coach at Mississippi State, Purcell made it very clear that he was determined to make the women’s basketball program impossible to forget.

The Bulldogs spent the entire season preparing for their dance on the court at the NCAA Tournament, and their preparation and determination became apparent as MSU walked away with an 81-66 win against six-seeded Creighton in the First Round.

With the victory, Mississippi State became the first team to play in the First Four and advance to the round of 32. Unfortunately, the Bulldogs just barely missed the mark after dropping a 53-48 gutwrenching game against Notre Dame in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

Standout players like Jessika Carter, JerKaila Jordan, Ahlana Smith, and Anastasia Hayes played tremendous roles in helping lead the Bulldogs back to success this season.

Purcell and the Bulldogs proved time and time again that Mississippi State can hold its own. With an outstanding head coach and a plethora of talent, the future is shining bright for the MSU women’s basketball team.

MSU women’s basketball was the first, first four team to advance to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

Led by first-year head coach Chris Jans, MSU men’s hoops finished 2023 ranked as a top-10 defense in the country.

Jahari Bell | The Reflector

MSU has advanced to the second round of the Big Dance 11 straight times.

Landon Scheel | The Reflector

Landon Scheel | The Reflector

Junior guard JerKaila Jordan finished the 2023 season with 393 points, 72 steals, 23 blocks and 64 assists.

Jahari Bell | The Reflector

Tanner marlar managing ediTor