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TUESDAY FEBRUARY 4, 2020

135th YEAR ISSUE 30

THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIVERSITY SINCE 1884

Future of Oktibbeha County Starkville’s downtown piano rolls into retirement lake, water park undetermined PAYTON BROWN STAFF WRITER

LYDIA PALMER STAFF WRITER

Over the past few weeks, there has been a lot of discussion and concern about the Oktibbeha County Lake Dam’s levee system and its ability to contain rain the Starkville area received during January.

In a previous article, the Reflector staff interviewed several locals who said the levee had problems before, but there was not nearly as much concern in the past as this time. One of the locals interviewed, Ruby Howell, said the dam should have been repaired by now.

The Emergency Management Association and others have worked together to alleviate the pressure from the levee near Starkville Kampgrounds of America. Since the initial concern over the dam breaking, two sinkholes have been discovered by Oktibbeha County Engineer Clyde Pritchard of Pritchard Engineering.

Officials could not start working on the two sinkholes or the levee until the rain stopped. According to Pritchard, an additional five feet of water needed to be removed before they would be out of the “danger zone.”

DAM, 2

Mary Georgia Hamilton | The Reflector

County officials attempt to repair a drainage pipe at the back of the Oktibbeha County Dam.

On May 1, 2018, the legend of Starkville’s downtown piano was born with the placement of a brightly painted wooden piano outside of the Starkville Community Theatre. Flashforward two years later, the piano has completed its faithful service to the town and is ready to roll into retirement.

Starkville Mayor Lynn Spruill spoke of her personal experience with the piano which has shaped Main Street, enthusiastically calling the piano her “favorite subject.”

“Almost immediately after I was elected, I had a friend of mine who said he had a piano that his sister had left him when she died, and he wanted to do something with it. I had been talking about street pianos in my campaign, so he donated it and we got it painted,” Spruill said.

Delving into her experiences, Spruill explained the impact the piano has had on the city of Starkville and the town’s appreciation of the arts.

“It has been a real source of joy to me because I see little kids, I see people who are just clicking on it and making noise, and it just adds to me so much of our downtown,” Spruill said. “Art is important, and music is such a critical part of our lives, to make our lives better and enrich us, and

TOKROS

STARKVILLE COMMUNITY THEATRE

nine-twentynine coffee

Rosalind Hutton

it’s just been one of those Spruill said there is a the new one to come soon.”

Spruill said that despite really great treasures. I smile replacement piano being the departure of the first every time I saw it, and it gave prepared. me a regular opportunity “We had a new addition street piano, it lived its to be happy about being donated and we just have to life serving the people of downtown. I loved it.” get that painted and then we’ll Starkville and shaping our Spruill outlined the put it in the place of the one downtown.

“It had lots of decision-making life and old stories process behind on it. From it came removing the piano It had lots of life and old two other pianos after two years spent sitting outside stories on it. From it came two other downtown, so it’s just been a real entertaining the town’s citizens. pianos downtown, so it’s just been a source of pleasure. I think when the kids “I had to take real source of pleasure. get out of school it away, and it lived a beautiful life, but Lynn Spruill in the afternoons, it had gotten to the Starkville Mayor they’ll sit and play.

I’m hoping that point where it was it has sparked some just peeling back.

It was tired, and we didn’t that gave us all two years of interest in music in some of want it to be there and be a service, so I’m happy for that, the kids and even the little source of trouble, so I had and all things change and toddlers who sit down on the sanitation department that piano had had its time,” the bench and pluck away,” remove it,” Spruill said.

Spruill said. “I’m ready for Spruill said.

PIANO, 2

“

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College students to tutor local first graders in foreign languages JOHN HAYNES STAFF WRITER

A new Mississippi State University student organization, Linguae Connections, is in the process of recruiting tutors to teach Spanish and French to first graders at Sudduth Elementary. Kaleb Riley, a senior foreign languages major, began the club as his capstone project for MSU’s Montgomery Leadership Program.

Maria Bracamonte, a senior business administration major, is coleader of the club with Riley.

According to Bracamonte, she and Riley were interested in introducing Spanish and French cultures to the wider Starkville community.

Bracamonte said it was not all fun and games as the pair ran into difficulties when they first started to form the club.

“It was kind of rough at the beginning. We had this amazing idea, we wanted to give this to the kids, but we were having a really hard time finding who to find who to be partnered with,” Bracamonte said However, Bracamonte, who had previously served as a translator for local

elementary and middle school students, was able to reach out to her contact at the elementary school, Morgan Abraham, the principal at Sudduth. Riley and and Bracamonte were then able to set up a meeting with Abraham to discuss their idea. “(Abraham) was very excited about the idea,” Bracamonte said. “She took it as a great opportunity for the children.”

Riley said, by learning the rudiments of Spanish and French now, it will be easier for the students to pick up later in TUTORING, 2 life.

“¡Hola!”

“Bonjour!”

Victory over the Vols Menʼs basketball wins 86-73 against the University of Tennessee on Saturday in the Humphrey Coliseum.

Rosalind Hutton Jordan Smith | The Reflector

FRIDAY HI: 70 LO: 59 SKY: Thunderstorms POP: 70

SATURDAY HI: 69 LO: 48 SKY: Thunderstorms POP: 90

SUNDAY HI: 53 LO: 36 SKY: Rain POP: 70

FORECAST: A cold frontal system will move through Mississippi during the week, producing thunderstorms starting on Tuesday.

Wednesday, will continue to see storms throughout the day, with some being severe.

Thursday showers will linger early, and temperatures will drop into the 50s as the cold front passes and the week wraps up.

Courtesy of Campus Connect Meteorologist Kris Boone

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DAM

On the night of Jan. 17, six pumps were added to help lower the water level as much as possible.

The Reflector reached out to Kristen Campanella, EMA director, Mississippi Emergency Management Association Director and Certified Floodplain Manager, for comment and was referred to the press release where she gave updates on the work being done at the levee and safety regulations for residents to follow.

“County Lake Road remains closed from just north of Riviera Road to just south of Water Bell Road,” Campanella said in her update on Jan. 20. “Due to this area of roadway being considered a worksite, there will be no access to the levee.”

Officials encouraged residents to plan on not using that area of the road for an indeterminate amount of time.

Montana Butler, a junior animal and dairy sciences major at Mississippi State University, works as an office associate at the Starkville KOA. She is also a resident of Oktibbeha County and lives near the KOA. She said many people who use the lake as a fishing spot were concerned with the issue of not being able to fish there this spring.

CONTINUED FROM 1

BAD DAWGS Monday, January 21, 2020 Lost, found or shortage of property at the Wise Center.

Mary Georgia Hamilton | The Reflector

The Oktibbeha County Lake Dam was recently determined to be in danger of breaking. County officials work to lower the water levels in the lake.

“The lake was dry during football season,” Butler said. “I live out here, and you could walk halfway across the lake and not touch water.”

Butler said they do not know how long it will take for the levee to be fixed.

“They are saying that it could be weeks or it could be months,” Butler said.

There has been a lot of discussion of whether the waterpark at the KOA, Wetn-Wild, will be opening this summer. According to

Butler, the water park has been closed for around five years. There was talk of it reopening this summer, but now the issues with the levee could prevent it from happening.

“If they fix the levee like they are supposed to, then we should be able to open the water park back up,” Butler said The woman who owns the water park said if the levee is fixed and the water levels can be safely regulated, the water park

has a higher chance of reopening.

The six pipes installed lowered the water level by four feet as the Jan. 20 press release stated. The press release also stated the warning for the levee has been changed to an advisory.

As far as a complete repair of the levee is concerned, city workers and engineers continue to work on the issue. No official finish date has been determined.

Friday, January 24, 2020 Student arrested for being a minor in possession of beer at Ruby Hall.

Monday, January 27, 2020 Lost, found or shortage of property at the Colvard Student Union.

Wednesday, January 29, 2020 Lost, found or shortage of property at Subway.

Harassment by means of non-personal communication at Hurst Hall.

Student arrested for being a minor in possession of beer at the B6 parking lot, by the Water Tower.

Thursday, January 30, 2020 Student arrested for disturbing the peace at the Campus Landscape shop.

PIANO

CONTINUED FROM 1

Gabe Smith, the chief administrator of the Starkville Community Theatre, said he does not feel much remorse over the removal of the instrument for practical purposes; however, it did hold sentimental value.

“I’m not super, super sad to see this one go for several reasons,” Smith

said. “One, I know we have another one coming, and two, it lasted so long.

I don’t think any of us realize that it survived for that long. The thing that could be sad about it is that one of the volunteers at the theatre used to live here in Starkville, and she was the one who took the time to paint it and give it its really

cool look and design,” Smith said.

Smith said it was a surprise the piano lasted through harsh conditions for as long as it did.

“The piano lived outside for a very long time. It’s faced the wind, rain and the cold. Most people enjoyed it, and some people didn’t.

You’re out there on Main

Street, so anybody walking by can do whatever they want. It was looking a little worse for wear for about two or three months and there was only so long it could live out there,” Smith said.

Mollie Adams, a sophomore Mississippi State University student majoring in social work,

has seen the piano many times as she frequently visits the Nine Twentynine coffeehouse beside it.

Adams said the piano was necessary to Main Street and blended in perfectly with its surroundings.

“It made sense that it was there,” Adams said.

“The reason why it makes sense is that there is lots

of character. It’s old and you can look at it and think that there is more to this than just a regular piano. I enjoyed its rustic look. The rustic piano was a perfect depiction of the downtown area which could certainly speak for Starkville. It’s not super beautiful here, but it is in its own way due to Starkville’s character.”

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Furthermore, studies “I didn’t actually know the education to seek a license have shown other cognitive German club was doing it,” to teach (languages). That benefits associated with being Riley said. “At the beginning, program was closed in the last bilingual. we were going to try to get couple of years, but the need “Elementary school a class created so that you is still there.”

Moser noted tutoring students … are pretty much would get class credit for in their prime to learn a service hours for tutoring children can be a valuable for aspiring language,” Riley said. at Sudduth. (The Classical experience Right now, the club is and Modern Languages and teachers.

According to Riley, once seeking competent Spanish Literatures department at and French speakers willing MSU is) working on doing Linguae Connections is up and to volunteer their time. that, but we didn’t know that running with some stability, the club could potentially According to Bracamonte, at the time.” recruiting tutors has been a MSU Spanish professor incorporate the German Club as well. challenge thus far.

Bracamonte said “Our recruitment for tutors (has) been We are trying to not only bring the tutoring children in a second language will pretty tough because Mississippi State knowledge of a second language to the help them in various doesn’t have a big kids, but also opening their minds from ways throughout their lives. language department,” “We are trying Bracamonte said. a young age for them to experience the to not only bring “There (are) not a the knowledge of lot of people at this world above what they know right now. a second language university (who) are fluent enough to teach Maria Bracamonte to the kids, but also a second language.

Linguae Connections Co-president opening their minds from a young age for We have been doing a lot of recruitment over the Kelly Moser is working to them to experience the world weeks … We have been going show the importance of above what they know right to the advanced (Spanish teaching foreign languages to now,” Bracamonte said. “We really think they’re going to and French) classes, pitching K-12 students. our idea, trying to get them “Nationwide, we have have more opportunities in interested in the program.” a significant shortage of the future, not only because The German Club at MSU qualified world language it has (been) proven that has been tutoring students in teachers,” Moser said. learning a second language at the local elementary schools “Mississippi State University a young age helps retention, since 2017, but Riley said his used to have an option (but also) since with Linguae idea came independently. for traditional students in connections we’re teaching them the same things they’re already learning in school …

The effects of this program will be seen when these kids are in college or even later in life.”

MSU students interested in teaching Spanish and French with Linguae Connections can contact Riley at kxr1@cmll. msstate.edu or Bracamonte at mvb77@msstate.edu.

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BULLETIN BOARD

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SUDOKU

An In-Class Distraction

Across 1 Reverberate 5 Shoot for, with “to” 11 Contents of some bags 14 Kind of wire 15 Check payee, maybe 16 Farm butter 17 Bistro 18 Alcove 19 Nile reptile 20 Attractive 22 Slangy denial 24 Experiences 25 Football’s Armstrong 26 Plunder 30 Almond candy 34 Vote to accept 35 “___ on my bed my limbs I lay”: Coleridge 36 Myrna of “The Thin Man” 37 Not being used 38 Microbes 40 Baedeker of the Baedeker travel guides 41 House vote 42 Dust remover 43 Old Ford 44 Vulnerability 47 Wicker material 48 ___ and for all 49 Lettuce type 50 Boxer’s bane 51 Hitch in the middle of rope 55 Hawaiian wreath 56 Andy Warhol’s forte

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Down 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Catchall abbr.

Sticking point?

Old 45 player Dentist’s request Overseas Appears Horse’s motion

8 E.U. member 9 Fixes up, like an antique 10 Artificial 11 Surgical procedure 12 Orient 13 Electric guitar hookup 21 Seal off 23 “Rocky ___” 26 Acadia National Park locale 27 African antelope 28 Butterballs 29 Mock, in a way 30 Traffic sign 31 Escort’s offering 32 Major artery

3

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4 7 5 3 6

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2 1 8 6

54

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4 1

33 Parachute material 38 Macabre 39 Musical aptitude 40 Hobby shop buy 43 Bridge declaration 45 A wee hour 46 Some paintings 47 Rank 49 Boatload 50 Salad cheese 51 Joker, e.g.

52 Pop, in France 53 During 54 Judicious 55 Order’s partner 57 Mont Blanc, e.g.

59 Sawbuck

January 31 Puzzle Solutions

3 7 1 4

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58 Discharge, as light 60 Ended a fast 61 Come into view 62 Greet the judge 63 Took place 64 Forward 65 Hebrew for “delight”

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OPINION

Letter to the Editor: on Greek life charity

Advocating for others to be apolitical is unrealistic

BRADY KRUSE

CONTRIBUING WRITER

Dear Editor, Greek life is a rather controversial topic, often under scrutiny on college campuses for incidents related to racism, binge-drinking, social pressure, general elitism and nepotism. A common counterargument to criticism is the charity Greek life provides. In this letter, I have presented some numbers to demonstrate why this is a flimsy counterargument and should not be used as a blanket justification for when Greek life comes under fire.

A December tweet in defense of Greek life shares philanthropy statistics from the University of Purdue for one year. Tri Delta leads with roughly $7.2 million, two other sororities follow with roughly $1.2 million, while three more follow with anything between $800k and $500k. Together, this makes a grand total of $10,350,000. For the sake of argument, let us say Greek life is genuinely concerned with generating as much charity revenue as possible, thus their defense of charity-work is valid if the numbers add up.

From what I have gathered from friends and online sources, sorority dues average to around $2,000 per semester. This does not include shirts, meal plans, fines, very expensive housing and other miscellaneous costs.

On Mississippi State’s campus, 20.5% of the student body is part of Greek life. Four thousand multiplied by the Greek population of MSU, 20.5% times 17,371, equals a whopping $14,244,220. This is $4 million more than what is being fundraised at Purdue.

Mind you, Purdue is nearly double the size of MSU. If Greek life members are truly concerned with charity, they could generate 50% more philanthropy by not joining Greek life and instead paying all associated costs to a charitable organization.

As such, I argue that this defense is a very poor one, and in consideration of controversies, higher rates of depression, lower GPAs and higher probabilities of sex crimes, I question the merit of Greek life at all.

ELLA SCHALSKI

is a senior majoring in English. Contact her at opinion@reflector.msstate.edu.

In an article that is inherently political and actively criticizes the left, preaching about the dangers of partisanship and politics while advocating for Americans to be more apolitical will likely not accomplish anything.

The concept of encountering politics daily is not new, not for this generation nor the last nor the one before that. After all, Aristotle argues in his work “Politics” that human beings are, by nature, political animals. Hence, humanity has long held the belief that the presence of politics is not only inescapable but also innate to how we interact with one another.

While the most wellknown examples of the politicization of everyday American life is through popular social movements (i.e the women’s suffrage movement, the Civil Rights movement and various LGBTQ movements), something as subversive as the act of writing literature by women, people of color and members of the LGBTQ community was and is to this day an inherently political statement, especially considering the deprivation of basic human dignity many have experienced and still experience.

With all the authors, actors and artists who are part of marginalized groups and have made overtly or subversive political stands, saying our particular political climate is different insofar as it entrenches in our lives in ways never before is not only historically very inaccurate but also very privileged.

One of the biggest arguments against political activism by celebrities is the myth they are more

Trivia Time!

political now than ever.

History, on the other hand, refutes that claim.

CBC Radio wrote, “In the ‘40s, crooner Frank Sinatra campaigned for Franklin Roosevelt. Years later, he — along with Harry Belafonte, Ella Fitzgerald and Judy Garland — would support John F. Kennedy.”

We do not have a newfound rise of celebrity activism.

From Frank Sinatra to Oprah, celebrities have been outspoken with their support for presidential candidates and policies.

Not to mention, our president-elect was a celebrity himself. What makes Beyoncé and Jay Z bailing out protesters who participated in anti-police brutality demonstrations or suing Mississippi Department of Corrections over the gross mistreatment of inmates more toxic than, say, our presidentelect’s racist, sexist and xenophobic campaign?

Shontavia Johnson of The Conversation wrote, “Whatever you think of how well thought out their opinions are (or aren’t), celebrities have the ability to draw attention to social issues in a way others do not. Their large platforms through film, music, sports and other media provide significant amplification for the initiatives they support.”

Although a lot of residents of Mississippi had heard about the gross mistreatment of inmates at Parchman Prison, Jay Z and Yo Gotti’s advocation on behalf of the prisoners prompted Governor Tate Reeves to make changes less than 10 days after they filed their lawsuits, according to Alissa Zhu of The Clarion Ledger.

Standing silent in the face of homophobia, racism and sexism is dangerous. I do not agree with disliking anyone over their political beliefs, but I do believe there is a clear difference between disliking someone because of his or her political beliefs and calling out homophobic, racist and sexist behavior or rhetoric.

When advocating for others to stop talking about

of the United States of America?

2. In the human body, what is the hallux?

3. Who was the oldest member of the rock

KATELYN WYATT

is a junior majoring in English. Contact him at opinion@reflector.msstate.edu.

4. What is Michael J. Fox’s middle name?

5. What is the only snake in the world that builds a nest for its eggs?

6. What fruit is thrown at the annual food fight festival held in Buñol, Spain?

7. What song from the Disney film “Coco” won the 2018 Academy Award for Best Original Song?

Tomatoes 7. “Remember Me” big toe 3. Ringo Starr 4. Andrew 5. King Cobra 6.

Answer: 1. Former President John Adams 2. The

Source: trivia.fyi

Imagine you are at the movie theater watching the newest, forgettable movie, which is mostly explosions and high-speed car chases, but you are startled by an unexpected sound. It is not the creation of yet another explosion from Michael Bay but rather your stomach growling. What do you do? You could miss a large portion of the movie you already paid too much to see in order to get overpriced snacks from the theater lobby, or you could have prepared ahead of time. My solution is stopping by a gas station to stock up on favorite snacks beforehand.

It is no secret it is cheaper

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“Political...”

“Political!!”

Rosalind Hutton

to sneak food into the movies rather than buying some when you get there. Because of the money-saving factor, I believe it should be widely acceptable to put outside food into your purse, pockets, boots or sleeves in order to have a cheaper snack at the movies. Also, I am impressed with the effort people will put into getting their favorite snacks into the movies.

Raquel Laneri of the New York Post reported on the most creative way someone has snuck in their snacks.

According to Laneri, one woman put a bowl under her shirt and pretended to be pregnant in order to sneak food into the movies. I am sure you have seen this genius idea floating around the internet too.

But why do we have to go to such great lengths? We must be resourceful when it comes to saving money. The food sold at movie theater concessions is too expensive, and that is how movie theaters try to trap us.

According to Mo Rocca

with CBS News, “Each year Americans eat on average about 13 gallons of [popcorn] - a lot of it at the movies. The bag you pay $5 for only costs the theatre about 50 cents…

Which is where that neon yellow stuff -- no, it’s not really butter, it’s mostly soybean oil -- and salt come in. The saltier the popcorn, the more you’ll need a giant soda to slake your thirst. And that’s just fine with theater owners!”

I understand theaters make a lot of their money off food sales, and that popcorn is just too yummy to resist; however, it is unreasonable to expect your patrons to have to nearly sell their organs in order to pay for rising popcorn prices. Some of you might think snack sneaking is tacky, but we are college students. If some of you will take Subway into lectures where people can see you, then you should be fine with taking Subway into the movies where you can eat in the dark.

Another reason for avoiding movie theater

popcorn is for health factors.

According to Lisa Drayer with CNN, the Center for Science in the Public Interest found that “a medium bucket of popcorn holds 20 cups and contains 1,200 calories, 980 milligrams of sodium and 60 grams of saturated fat, or about three days [sic] worth.

Even if you ate only three cups (probably unlikely), you would still consume about half a day’s worth of saturated fat.”

Instead of wasting away on movie theater popcorn, you could sneak in a healthy snack. Of course, you should not take in something loud and crunchy, like apple slices.

Instead, you could take in something softer like apple sauce. Not to mention, some of these Marvel movies are getting too long for a premovie meal to sustain viewers.

So, if I have not convinced you to sneak snacks into the movie theater, do not come after my purse candy when you are feeling snacky and do not want to spend your money on overpriced popcorn.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Life Editor/Mary Madeline LaMastus

news@reflector.msstate.edu

Sports Editor/Hunter Cloud

“Political.”

Sneak your snacks into movies to save some money

1. In 1797, who became the second president

band The Beatles?

politics and embrace an apolitical lifestyle, you are put into a very privileged group.

A lot of policies today, as they always have, affect marginalized groups in America. Others, due to the reality of their lives, have no other choice but to care and speak out against injustice.

When you are not affected by police brutality, it is easier for you to accept more black men were killed by police in 2015 than by being lynched at the height of Jim Crow, as reported by Jerome Karabel with The Huffington Post.

Therefore, it is also easy for you to advocate for Colin Kaepernick and other celebrities to stop encroaching on your favorite sport, latenight talk show or awards ceremony simply because you do not want to take a side. Silence allows oppressors to continue to oppress because silence is tacit acceptance of their actions.

No action by everyday citizens or celebrities has ever been apolitical. The only difference between the level of politicization in everybody’s lives is, now, people of color, women and members of the LGBTQ community do not have to be subversive and quiet with their political statements or their blossoming political movements.

Today, the entertainment industry is as diverse as it has ever been. Although there are still problems and hardly what someone could describe as being perfect, the voices of those who do have power can speak about their experience as a person of color, as a woman or as a member of the LGBTQ community. If they are not part of those groups themselves, they have the ability to advocate for them.

Not only does it give a sense of community by hearing the stories of others who have shared some of your experiences, but it also highlights the pervasive issues of inequality that we can only begin to fix when we verbally acknowledge they are there.

Circulation/Sierra Pruitt circulation@reflector.msstate.edu

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.

EDITORIAL POLICY

The Reflector is the official student newspaper of Mississippi State University.

Content is determined solely by the student editorial staff. The contents of The Reflector have not been approved by Mississippi State University.

CORRECTIONS

The Reflector staff strives to maintain the integrity of this paper through accurate and honest reporting. If we publish an error we will correct it. To report an error, call 325-7905.

THE REFLECTOR TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2020 @REFLECTORONLINE

LIFE & ENTERTAINMENT

5

Biscuit Roll Cookie Dough Bite Ingredients: Pillsbury’s Cookie Dough Pillsbury’s Flaky Biscuit Dough Powdered sugar and chocolate syrup (optional)

Crescent Roll Cookie Dough Bite Ingredients: Pillsbury’s Cookie Dough Pillsbury’s Crescent Roll Dough Powdered sugar and chocolate syrup (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Roll quartered pieces of half-inch slabs of cookie dough into small balls. (These should be about the diameter of a nickle).

Wrap these in flaky biscuit dough.

Bake on cookie sheet for 10 minutes. The bites should not be golden.

Take out, allow to cool for a couple minutes, garnish with powdered sugar and dip in chocolate sauce.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Roll quartered pieces of half-inch slabs of cookie dough into small balls. (These should be about the diameter of a nickle).

Wrap these in crescent roll dough.

Bake on cookie sheet for 12 minutes. The bites should not be golden.

Take out, allow to cool for a couple minutes, garnish with powdered sugar and dip in chocolate sauce.

Rosalind Hutton

Stromboli’s cookie dough bites made in your kitchen RILEY STEPHENS STAFF WRITER

While many rave about the tacos from Two Brothers, fawn over the cheese fries from Bin 612 and praise the Dooey Nachos from The Little Dooey, Stromboli’s cookie dough bites are one of the most famous local Starkville dishes that I can also replicate in my own kitchen. The recipe seems simple enough: cookie dough securely wrapped in fluffy, baked bread, garnished with confectioner’s sugar and dipped in chocolate sauce. As a college student who is still growing accustomed to the concept of cooking my own dinner, I figured this recipe would be easy enough for a rookie like me. I decided to test out different recipes in the hopes to replicate the iconic sweet treat from Stromboli’s.

Judging by my observations of the real cookie dough bites from Stromboli’s, I headed to the store to grab ingredients I thought were most similar to the dessert’s. Since I wanted the recipe to resemble the real-deal, I purchased the exact brand of cookie dough the restaurant uses: Pillsbury Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough. While Walmart did not have the giant tubs of cookie dough Stromboli’s uses, I purchased a 30-ounce stick of Pillsbury Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough for $3.12 instead. This roll of dough provides more than enough servings with over 30 bites in one stick.

The breading is the most difficult in terms of replication, so I grabbed a

couple of different options to try: Pillsbury’s Original Flaky Layers biscuits for $1.77 and a two-pack of Pillsbury Original Crescents (16 crescent rolls total) for $3.77. I also grabbed a 32-ounce package of Great Value Confectioners Powdered Sugar for $1.32 and a 24-ounce bottle of Hershey’s milk chocolate syrup for $2.28 as the chocolate sauce.

These last two ingredients are just there to enhance the experience and are not essential to the cookie dough bite itself.

During my first attempts, I baked the bites two different times, and, during that process, I learned two things: how to wrap the bites and how long they should be in the oven.

There are two methods to wrap the bites. During the first attempt, I used two pieces of a quartered biscuit, sandwiched a piece of cookie dough like a ravioli between them and pressed tightly at the crevices.

Pressing them tightly at the crevices ensured the cookie would not melt out. During the second attempt, I simply wrapped the dough around the cookie into a ball.

After eight minutes, I took them out of the oven. The “ravioli” method seemed to look the most like Stromboli’s softened triangular-shaped cookie dough bites, but simply wrapping the dough around the cookie into a ball was quicker, easier and just as tasty.

As for the length of time in the oven, 14 minutes at 350°F was too long, making the biscuit and crescent roll dough slightly brown and cooking the cookie fully.

For the third test-run, I wrapped each bite using the little ball method and left the bites in the oven for 10 minutes. Lightly garnished with a delicate layer of powdered sugar, this batch proved to hold the closest resemblance to Stromboli’s actual cookie dough bites.

For the fourth test-run, I replicated the successful cooking process and wrapping method from test three (350°F, tight little ball of dough-wrapped cookie, 12 minutes), but instead of using the Pillsbury flaky biscuits, I wrapped the quartered cookie dough in a small strip of Pillsbury Crescent Roll, making sure to secure the crevices tightly.

In terms of how much crescent roll dough to use, only tear off enough to cover and tightly secure the cookie dough. If the dough is pressed too thin, the cookie may leak out. On the other hand, if the dough is too thick, it will overpower the cookie. After 12 minutes, I took the bites out, and the results were also a successful resemblance to Stromboli’s. The only difference was the breading having a less biscuity flavor.

My advice would be to serve them while they are still hot and fresh. You should also tightly seal the cookie dough within whichever breading medium you choose (biscuit or crescent), so the cookie does not ooze out of any potential openings. You want the overall consistency of the outer dough to remain soft to the touch. Fully baked dough likely means the cookie inside

ideas,” Yu said.

She expressed the only thing she could complain about is the hassle of transportation.

“I have no car, and the bus here is not very convenient. Everything else is great,” Yu said.

Lauren Wright shed some light on the resources available to international students from the university.

“There are a variety of student organizations available, where students can find their niche. Whether that is a student organization from their home country, within their major or some other interest group, there is a group for everyone,” Wright said. “The Holmes Cultural Diversity Center also offers the Linking Internationals in the Community (LINC) program where an international student is paired with someone or a family in the community, and that is a great way for them to experience American culture.”

Wright said the English Language Institute and the Writing Center are also helpful resources for students needing assistance with language or writing skills.

Malavika Jinka is a third-year graduate student pursuing a master’s degree in applied anthropology.

She is from Bangalore, the technology capital of India.

Before arriving in

Starkville, Jinka thought she would experience a strong culture shock. She said she was surprised to find out that was not the case.

“When I came here, the International Student Organization helped me so much. It is really amazing.

They helped me find an apartment and had programs where I could participate with other international students,” Jinka said. “Back in India, I always used to feel there would be a huge culture shock, but when I got here, it really didn’t happen.

I was always looking forward to meeting new people and making friends.”

Jinka said she immediately noticed a difference in the attitude of students here at MSU, and this attitude has inspired her.

“I like the sense of independence that American students have here. It makes me feel like I can do anything. It is also surprising to see the way students are so responsible. Back in India, the parents do more. Here the youngsters are so much more independent. They pay for their student loans. They pay for their car insurance.

This is really amazing,” Jinka said.

Jinka said, although she counts herself lucky for the way her experience has been, she encountered challenges.

“I think the most challenging thing was to get used to deeper parts of

is melted. Since ovens vary in heat settings, it is all a matter of testing out which time is ideal. For mine, I found 10 to 12 minutes the most consistent.

After finding the closest two recipes for the cookie dough bites, I asked three members of The Reflector staff to say which cookie dough bite—biscuit, crescent roll or original Stromboli’s— they enjoyed the most. They rated each bite on a scale of one to ten.

First, the staff sampled the original Stromboli’s cookie dough bites.

Upon the first bite, Devin Byrd, advertising manager, did not seem too impressed.

“I didn’t get to the cookie dough. There’s just a small hole of cookie dough. It’s incredibly chewy. I’d give it a six. If you ate more than one, I feel like it’d be pretty heavy,” Byrd said.

Rosalind Hutton, editorial illustrator, felt similarly about the dough, even thought she rated the bite higher.

“I didn’t get any cookie dough, but it’s good dough.

The second bite is definitely the best. It gets so much (cookie) in the second bite. It was still yummy but a lot of dough. I give it a 7.5,” Hutton said.

Stromboli’s cookie dough bite scored an average rating of 6.8 out of 10.

The staff then tried the homemade cookie dough bite made of crescent roll dough.

“You can definitely taste the crescent roll to me, which is not a bad thing. This is what I would imagine a cookie

dough bite is supposed to be.

Eight,” Byrd said.

Dylan Bufkin, the opinion editor, shared similar sentiments.

“It’s a lot more like a cookie than the Stromboli’s one—handcrafted with love.

Eight flat,” Bufkin said.

Hutton focused more on the crescent roll bite’s composition.

“Way more cookie, way less dough. The taste is completely different. The powdered sugar wasn’t overwhelming. This one’s definitely an 8.5 for me,” Hutton said.

Lastly, the staff taste-tested the third and final cookie dough bite which was wrapped in the flaky layers biscuit.

Each staff member noted the saltiness of this cookie dough bite in comparison to the previous two.

“It tastes very similar to the one we just tried, but it’s a little more salty. It’s like a good comfort food,” Byrd said.

Bufkin pointed out the saltiness of this cookie dough bite as well.

“I think that (the saltiness) is the biscuit. This one feels more professional than the Stromboli’s one because it’s more firm. I’m going to say (this) one’s an 8.5 for me,” Bufkin said.

After testing each cookie dough bite, I asked each of the staff members to discuss their favorite cookie dough bite out of the three. Byrd and Hutton both preferred the crescent roll bite.

“You get a good amount of cookie dough versus the actual outside dough, and it was still sweet and actually

warm still. (The biscuit bite) did have a little salty edge to it though. I liked that,” Hutton said.

While Bufkin enjoyed both homemade bites, his favorite cookie dough bite was made with biscuit dough.

“I think the third one’s my favorite because I like the casing. I like the mixture of the soft cookie dough and the biscuit. You kind of get a whole sweet-salty thing going on,” Bufkin said.

With the average ratings out of ten, the crescent roll bites prevailed with a score of 8.2. The biscuit bites were in second place with a score of 7.7 while Stromboli’s ended up in third with a score of 6.8.

I am not a chef, especially judging by my multiple attempts and fails for this recipe, but the final product turned out fairly well. While I do recommend stopping

by Stromboli’s for the real deal dessert, this test-run recipe certainly gives you the convenience of homemade cookies with a Starkville twist.

While three cookie dough bites from Stromboli’s cost $2.99, the crescent roll cookie dough bite replication costs a total of $6.89. With powdered sugar and chocolate syrup included, the grand total is $10.49. Though my rendition of the cookie dough bites cost slightly more than Stromboli’s serving of three, this version makes a much larger portion with over 30 cookie dough bites, puts a new spin on homemade cookies and brings the local flare of Starkville culture to the comfort of one’s kitchen.

International students and MSU mutually exchange experiences

SARAH MORGAN JOHNSON STAFF WRITER

Mississippi State University takes pride in the diversity of its students.

According to Director of the International Students Office Lauren Wright, MSU is home to over 21,000 students and roughly 750 of those students are international students, who collectively represent 80 different countries.

Yongxin Yu is a junior majoring in landscape architecture. Yu is from China and is participating in an exchange program through Beijing Forestry University. She says, if not for her university, she never would have heard about this opportunity. In fact, if not for the exchange program between Beijing Forestry University and MSU, she says she would not have given much thought to Mississippi in general.

“The first time I heard of Mississippi was when I was learning about the Mississippi River in geography class. I was 14,” Yu said.

Yu’s favorite part about her time here has been her classes.

“Here I am learning more about practical things, like how to make concrete. It is very interesting, and I have many chances to do things in the real world. The courses I take here give me fresh

Brianna Laverty| The Reflector

Yongxin Yu, junior landscape architecture major, and Malavika Jinka, applied anthropology graduate student, pose by the Bully statue outside the Union.

culture. I did not know what Thanksgiving is, or what people do on Halloween.

It was more of a learning process,” Jinka explained.

In her three years at MSU, Jinka has enjoyed getting to know many different people, whether they are domestic students, other international students or her professors.

Jinka is appreciative of the opportunities she has at MSU and for the ways her professors urge her to take advantage of them.

“I really like how the professors engage with their students. They encourage

their students to ask questions. My professors encourage me to think differently, and encourages me to find the answers myself. The best thing about MSU is it gives you so many opportunities. Every day, there is a new opportunity. I don’t think you can ever be bored here,” Jinka said.

Laura Wright spoke about what international students bring to the MSU campus.

“International students add so much to campus. They all have completely different experiences than most of

our domestic students, and they bring all of those to classroom discussions and interactions,” Wright said.

Their cultures are all unique and the opportunity to interact with students from many countries without having to leave Starkville is such a great opportunity for other students.”

To find out how to get involved with different international organizations on campus, visit the International Student Advisory Board at https:// msstate.campuslabs.com/ engage/.

66-Sports SPORTS

THE REFLECTOR TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2020 @SPORTSREFLECTOR

Alberto Colas shines bright as MSU beats Miami in men’s tennis HUNTER CLOUD SPORTS EDITOR

Mary Georgia Hamilton | The Reflector

Alberto Colas serves the ball. Colas was able to clinch the win for the Bulldogs in a 4-2 win over Miami. Colas won 6-3 in the final set of his match.

Heading into the third set, Alberto Colas, a freshman from Zaragoza, Spain, was all square in his match and Mississippi State University led 3-2 over the University of Miami.

Colas battled through a 1-6 defeat in the second set. He clinched the match against Miami in the third set winning 6-3 and giving MSU a 4-2 win. At the end of Colas’ match, Giovanni Oradini was trailing 7-6 in the third set and was tied 4-4 on the tiebreaker. His match was suspended.

Head coach Matt Roberts said the day was testing for MSU. According to a press release from the MSU Athletic Department,

they had to fight off a comeback from Miami who was down a point after losing the doubles.

“Today was a tough challenge, and our guys stepped up in every way,” Roberts said.

The Hurricanes kept MSU close in doubles, only losing 6-4 on courts three and one. Court two was suspended with Miami leading 3-5.

In singles, Miami had two courts battling it out in the third and final set, but Colas was able to hang on and clinch the victory.

Roberts said the win was not easy.

“They played with so much belief and energy from the first point to the last point,” Roberts said.

“Miami has a great team.

Nothing was easy today and our team knew they would have to earn everything.”

The Bulldogs lost three seniors from last year and have five freshmen on the team. Two juniors; Florian Broska and Stedman Strickland, a sophomore; Gregor Ramskogler, and a senior, Giovanni Oradini, make up the rest of the four players. Having a very young team means that they still have not found their identity as a team.

Roberts said he likes the way the team is moving.

MSU will play Tulane Friday afternoon at 3 p.m.

“We are building our team’s identity and trust in one another,” Roberts said.

“Today was a great test, and I like the direction this young group is going.”

Bulldogs shine in Power Five track meet

HUNTER CLOUD SPORTS EDITOR

The opening day of the Power Five Invitational in Ann Arbor, Michigan got off to a good start as Mississippi State University had two athletes score high as pentathletes. Shayla Broughton, a redshirt junior from Brooklyn, New York, placed second with a score of 3,862 points for MSU which is the fourth highest in school history.

Head coach Chris Woods said it was an exceptional day for the Bulldogs as Asia Poe, a sophomore from Madison, scored 3,800 points and now holds the seventh-highest score in school history.

“If we can continue to improve there, I think that’s an event where we could qualify two women to the national championship meet,” Woods said. “Our sprinters who qualified today will also have

a very special opportunity to test themselves against some of the best in our sport tomorrow morning.”

In the 60-meter hurdles, Faith Gilbert, a junior from Ridgeland, Mississippi earned a spot in the 60-meter finals to race alongside Allyson Felix, a nine-time Olympic medalist. Those nine medals are the most won by a woman in track and field.

“Watching (Felix) compete in the 2012 Olympics in London is a memory that I will never forget,” Gilbert said. “I remember jumping, screaming and celebrating with aspirations of one day being able to do the same thing. The opportunity to compete against not only an Olympian, but the most decorated woman in U.S. track and field history, will be an extremely honoring and humbling experience.”

On Saturday, the final day of the competition, MSU

had 15 top-three finishes with Gilbert being one of those 15. Woods said he was proud of their execution and competitive spirit over the weekend. Competitiveness was a point of emphasis for Woods when he said no one was going to work harder than his team this summer.

MSU will next compete at the Tiger Paw Invitational in Clemson, South Carolina and the Music City Invitational in Nashville, Tennessee on Feb. 14 and 15.

“We’ve placed an emphasis on competing to win our hearts and races and reminded our athletes that performances would come from that if they focus on execution,” Woods said. ”This weekend, we saw marks we’ve been looking for all year thanks to that mentality. Now, we have to apply that same mentality moving forward to our next competition.”

Super Bowl-Dog Rosalind Hutton

Former Bulldogs win Super Bowl LIV rings HUNTER CLOUD SPORTS EDITOR

As the confetti rained down on the red and yellow uniforms of the Kansas City Chiefs, three former Mississippi State University bulldogs earned their Super Bowl rings, marking a total

of 25 maroon and white kisses on the Vince Lombardi trophy.

Most notably, Chris Jones, a former defensive tackle from Houston, Mississippi, had three pass deflections and a tackle in the Chiefs’ comeback win. Jones became one of 24 MSU players to ever win a

super bowl.

Martinas Rankin, an offensive tackle from Jackson, Mississippi, missed the game due to an injury sustained in November. Braxton Hoyett, a defensive tackle from Alexander City, Alabama, was on the practice squad and did not play in the game either.